Winter Festival, one of the most important festivals in the four major countries of Mela.
At a time when magic cannot produce food from the land, hard work is the only way that the earth can give gifts to humans.
The greedy land annexation by aristocratic landowners, the oppression of common people and forcing them to change from subjects to legal slaves are all in order to have more say - food.
A good harvest has become the common wish of everyone. The nobles long for wealth and status improvement, the common people hope to have surplus food, and the slaves long for fewer whippings and a sumptuous meal during the winter festival.
Symbolizing the end of the year, it means moving from cold to warmth, and praying for a good harvest in the coming year. On snowy winter days, various countries will hold grand celebrations and dinners to wash away the filth of the year and usher in a new beginning with a clean and brand-new self.
Solon is no exception. This year the Winter Festival celebration of the nobles was held at the Duke of Quinton's Manor in the royal city of Rodmere.
Since Devic II, in order to show the unity of the nobility and the joy of the people, the royal family has moved the celebration out of the palace and has been held by the influential dukes in the royal city in turn.
The emperor will definitely come to the scene in person, free a slave for each person present, pour newly brewed mead on the earth, and place bread and cooked meat on the highest place to worship the sky.
Tanya arrived not too early. Under the crystal lighting, in the Duke of Quinton's manor house, the nobles were already holding glasses filled with wine, smiling and extending invitations to the people around them to clink glasses.
Clothing from the fashionable city of Sligo dominated the gala dinner, with summer, autumn and winter styles competing here.
A woman wearing an "old-style" tutu is proudly like a victorious rooster, using her huge skirt to cut through the crowds of people wearing fashionable clothes, but the crowds always "heal" again after they pass by. Those light,
Beautiful and alluring clothes fascinate them, but those ancient...should decay.
Sligo's novel wind melted the ice of conservatism in the simplest and crudest way. The most primitive demand for beauty and some ancient impulse made the nobles of various countries happy to see this change.
The church still preaches that this is a temptation from the devil, leading people to fall, but the reality is often that the lower class are willing to listen but unable to buy, while the upper class listeners are gradually abandoned by the trend and become out of place, just like the chiefs of primitive tribes entering a magnificent palace.
.
The young women in evening dresses were modest and a little disdainful, smiling and making way for these "roosters" again and again. They raised their hands intentionally or unintentionally, revealing the translucent black and white that gently wrapped their wrists.
Colored silk wristbands, and when receiving compliments, she twists the corners of her skirt to show off the various colored stockings that once belonged to men and are now popular among women - the looming skin is shining with hazy beauty, and the curves that attract people's imagination.
Charming and touching the hearts of countless people.
Like a huge show, the warm fireplace makes the spacious hall as warm as spring, giving great freedom to women who are eager to show off their exquisite figures and fair bodies, and also giving young men with strong hormones a chance to show off their strong bodies.
Opportunity.
The black corseted evening dress made the shapely Tanya become the focus of everyone the moment she entered the room. Polite and polite compliments came one after another. She responded well and kept a smile that no one could see through.
He felt a sense of presence, and then the servant led him out of the mansion on the pretext of needing some air.
Knowing that Tanya was thirsty, Honghong brought out a glass of wine.
"Thank you..." Before the wine entered her mouth, Tanya suddenly spotted the burly figure in the shadow not far away.
She took a sip and walked forward with a smile: "Brother, are you having a tryst with your lovely secretary?"
Zenil glanced at Tanya, and continued to calmly explain the execution matters of the clerk's territory, without any hesitation, and it was shockingly frank.
It wasn't until the clerk finished recording and left that Zenil turned around and said, "I have to deal with territorial affairs. What about you? Why did you come out?"
"I'm tired of hearing their compliments." Tanya chuckled.
Zenil lowered his head and looked at it carefully for a while, and then...a ball of light emerged from his palm, illuminating Tanya with bright but not dazzling light.
Like a good artist evaluating a work of art rigorously and meticulously, after a long time, Zenier said: "This one looks great."
Just when Tanya was about to say "perfunctory", Zenil added.
"Sela has worn this outfit, exactly the same, and looks better than you. You know, she has a good figure, tall, beautiful, and bright, so this dress has been imprinted with her marks, and you are indeed not as good as her.
"
"Of course, if you don't compare, just from the perspective of clothing matching, Tanya... you are really beautiful."
Very rigorous... infuriating, straightforwardly rigorous!
Tanya wanted to get angry, but looking at her brother's serious face, she lost her temper.
"Sure enough, you can't please women. No wonder Sera chose Lu Yu instead of you... Women need to conquer, not just conquer, brother, politics, force, wisdom. Your excellence makes people jealous, but in love
On the other hand...you always have tons of jokes to offer."
Zenil was about to say something when noisy sounds came from the room not far away.
Duke Quinton's butler came out with a team of guards, dragging a group of slaves whose hands and feet were bound with ropes and chains. The last butler walked out and cursed: "How dare you steal and eat only distinguished guests?"
Food, flogging, execution!”
The slaves who were sentenced to death knelt down instantly. They kowtowed desperately for mercy and humbly prayed for their lives, regardless of the guards' pull.
"Master... we are so hungry... we haven't had food for a day, and our stomachs are burning... We just picked up some garbage that no one wants and that is about to be taken out..."
Before the slave could finish speaking, the whip fell on him.
"When did you have the right to talk back?"
"Ah!" The man's back was whipped and he immediately rolled in the snow.
"Everyone in the castle didn't eat for a whole day just to welcome the guests. Why are you the only one who's hungry, you stinking rat!"
"Ah...please, stop fighting..."
"You dare to scream and disturb the distinguished guests. What awaits you will never be relief!"
As the guards swarmed forward, the whips took turns blowing on the slave who spoke first. After a while, his bloody flesh stopped rolling and wailing.
The guard kicked the man upright and breathed: "He's not dead yet."
"Take it to the old place. Today is the winter festival. The Duke's pets will like fresh blood food."
"What to do with these thieves?" the guard asked.
"Does the Duke only have one pet?" After the housekeeper scolded the guards, he stopped several servants who had just come from the kitchen in the distance, "Hurry up, hurry up, just now Duke Bella was already asking us why there is no wine-cooked pork steak.
The honey venison that Marquis Colin asked for...has been sent over, that's good."
Zenil glanced at Tanya: "Do you want fame?"
"This is Duke Quinton's slave," Tanya said.
"Today is the Winter Festival, and such a festival should be less bloody." After saying that, Zenil stepped out.
Tanya leaned against the wall quietly, watching the housekeeper go from being arrogant to nodding and bowing, watching the desperate slaves waiting for death kissing Zenil's feet... She said nothing thoughtfully.
.
The appearance of the black owl pushed the Winter Festival celebration to its climax. Dressed in costume, Dewek passed through the half-kneeling nobles in the hall, his steady and powerful steps echoing, declaring his supreme authority.
Dewek was in a good mood. He went south to Civita to lure the arrogant lords into showing off their traps. Their collusion with the snow monster was really an unexpected gain. The "evidence" prepared before did not need to be used. Solon could be justified.
Eradicate their foundations without making any excuses.
The influence of the empire should not be underestimated, thinking that it has taken a nap, and that sharp claws cannot touch the distant frontiers to have other thoughts. This is just the arrogance of them who do not need any wisdom to sit in that position.
——Unjustified arrogance.
The first purpose of traveling in Civita is to sweep away the maggots and scare the lord; the second is to use one's body as bait to attract the appearance of snow monsters and kill them.
People sung that he had set his sights on the various ethnic groups in Solon and was determined to change their destiny...
Solon is like a puppet master's intricate puppet, functioning perfectly... Since it is so perfect, why make changes?
The structure of rights is stable, and every position has been occupied by the right person. As the leader of Solon, what Divek has to do is to maintain the current order. Changes to the rights framework are the last options that rulers need to consider.
.
Dewek was not interested in changing the situation of races other than the seven major races in Solon.
Today, Solon, a country founded after the invasion of the Drained Spirits, has been operating smoothly for 572 years. Although there were occasional small disturbances in the past, which caused ripples on the tranquil lake, in the end everything was over.
Return to peace.
In the past five hundred and seventy-two years, Solon, who was born from the body of Melias, has stood firm and prospered through the wind and rain. Now and even in the future, Solon will still be like this - except for the tide of magic, nothing can defeat the iron barrel.
order and suffocating conservatism.
In order to cope with the possible coming wave of magic, Dwek had already made preparations in advance. He provoked his descendants to fight and let them grow up and mature in a harsh environment.
When the magic tide reshuffles, even if the huge Solon falls apart, they will be revived with the name "Solon" by owning territories and accumulating resources across Solon.
With this layout, Dewek believed that Solon's rule over this land would continue indefinitely.
The honey wine he prayed to the Earth Mother for a good harvest was poured by him with his own hands.
The bread and meat were placed on the top of the castle bell tower by him riding a flying horse, and he personally rang the bell three times to wish for good weather in the coming year.
Untie the ropes that bind slaves, burn the contract representing freedom with fire, and spread kindness to show your sincerity.
Thunderous applause sounded when the slaves regained their freedom. Those who participated in the release had happy faces, enjoying the recognition and praise brought by their kindness. Bathed in the intoxicating applause, they saluted the sky and the earth politely and gracefully.
Feixue fascinated Tanya's eyes. She pushed back the hair that covered her eyebrows, and out of the corner of her eye she caught a glimpse of a man with a face turned purple from the cold and sloppy steps who broke into the area guarded by the Black Owl.
Many people noticed this embarrassed intruder, and Zenil, who was talking to the clerk, suddenly felt uneasy in his heart.
After a while, a black owl walked directly towards Dwek and whispered in his ear.
Dewek's pupils shrank, and he, who was calm at all times, immediately found an excuse, declined the invitations of several dukes, and got on the carriage back to the palace.
After arriving in the study, the suppressed emotions finally broke out. Dewek, with a frosty face, asked: "Explain to me clearly what it means to completely lose contact!"
"Literally, Blue Helmet, Taro Banyan, Star Gold...the three northern border cities lost contact last night, and the magic messengers of the twelve surrounding city-states are no longer able to effectively transmit messages."
"Several magicians from the large-scale Xiangfeng Adventure Group in the north of Solon were invited to accompany the cavalry. After they penetrated deep into the Star Gold City area, all the communications they maintained were disabled, and the magic messenger could no longer locate their positions."
"There was a surprise attack in the north?" Dewek walked towards the wall and pointed at several city-states that had lost contact. "Is the forest elf launching a full-scale war?"
"A total war will not result in a city-state unable to escape even a single person alive. It will interfere with the transmission of information by more than a dozen city-states. The lookout forest elf does not have such power. If it is a sea monster, I will be willing to believe it." Black Owl calmly responded.
analyze.
"Do you mean that my people of Solon were swallowed up by a giant beast and disappeared completely?" Dewek snorted coldly.
After various inspections by Black Owl, another travel-worn messenger was introduced into the study.
"Honeywind City has completely lost contact, and all twelve messengers operating in the surrounding areas have lost contact... In the last communication, they relayed an extremely strange saying from a magician in the city."
"Weird?" Dwek, who was in an anxious mood, frowned immediately after hearing this description.
The messenger tremblingly presented the magic instrument that preserved the magician's voice. After checking that it was fine, the black owl started playing it at the request of Dewek.
The sound of heavy breathing echoed in the spacious study room, and with the rhythm of breathing, everyone's heart was tightly clenched.
"My dead child... he opened a thousand eyes... and embraced me with countless hands..."
The magician's voice was hoarse and dry, and the rhythm of his words was like a low-class opera singer holding a script and reciting the script, but the words seemed to be filled with a strange magic that made people dizzy.
"What a beautiful light, purple... enchanting..."
"Ah...child, that is my child...he is back, he is calling me..."
shudder.
Even the well-informed Black Owl can't help but feel breathless when hearing words full of madness and conjecture.
The shocked Dewek said angrily because he was frightened: "So, what happened to our northern city-states? The fifteen frontline city-states with large populations are the pride of the empire. The highly active messengers only
Can you give me such a mysterious and incomprehensible quote from a madman?"
"Who is our enemy?"
"Has the city fallen?"
The messenger was sweating profusely and did not dare to raise his head.
Dewek stopped looking at the messenger and said in a deep voice: "Since they have the ability to prevent the magic messenger from delivering the message, it proves that their appetite is more than this. The fifteen northern border cities cannot satisfy them, and they will definitely ask for more northern border towns.
soil!"
"Send magicians, powerful magicians, to the cities near the lost city-state to establish smooth communications. I want to know who is isolating our land of Solon!"