As the sun sets, the strange eagle owl with light blue feathers hovers over Ranxi City, its sharp eyes examining the people walking in the city.
The bakery's chimney emitted streams of light gray smoke, leaving "vibrant" traces in the evening sky.
There was no trace of worry on the faces of the merchants of all ethnic groups hawking goods, and they still enthusiastically sold their cheap goods to passers-by.
From time to time, a few drunkards would stumble out of the tavern and fall down on the roadside within a few steps. If the city guards hadn't discovered them, freezing to death would be the only outcome.
The guards did not punish these drunkards, but took them to a notice and read out the information about the change of lords before letting them go.
After learning that Zenil had launched a rebellion, Tanya's Green Shade Territory did not hesitate to take over two large city-states to the south, and Burning Creek City was the third one.
Ranxi City, one of the southernmost city-states in Solon, is adjacent to the Molten Mountains and is rich in geothermal resources. It is famous for its geysers and hot springs. It is also the busiest cargo distribution center in the southernmost part of Solon, attracting people of all ethnic groups traveling from south to north.
Businessmen are always keen to use the hot springs in this ancient city to wash away their dirt and relieve fatigue.
Tanya took over this border city-state without much effort. Although the lord stationed here was her father's confidant, it was obvious that he did not intend to live up to his loyalty to his father with his life. After discovering that the army was approaching, he quickly changed his mind.
Take a stand and swear allegiance.
Watching the eagle owl gradually leaving in the sky, Tanya calmly ordered the consuls and sheriffs around her: "Go back to the lord's mansion and go underground to rest for a while."
The confidants who were promoted from the bottom by Tanya were all smart people and realized what was happening immediately. However, they knew the wisdom of Her Royal Highness, so they did not say a word and obeyed her orders obediently.
Red walked out of the city holding a flag embroidered with a black owl pattern, and stood quietly in the wilderness, with the flag ringing loudly in the cold wind.
The black owls hiding in the darkness were revealed. Their steps were light and the snow was as flat as the ground. Their black cloaks and owl wings fluttered behind them.
The black owls released a shuddering magic power all over their bodies. They moved closer to the scarlet little by little, and stopped together about a hundred steps away. They were blocked by the mask, and their expressions could not be seen clearly, but their voices were exceptionally cold.
"Your Highness the Princess has become a rebel, do you still want to follow her?" a black owl asked, ignoring the flag in her hand.
"Your Highness Tanya, please tell me about the residence."
"Black Owl and rebellion, nothing to talk about."
"Then you should fight me without hesitation."
"..."
In silence, one black owl took off its mask, followed by the second, then the third...
More than a dozen black owls focused their cold gazes on Chi Hong, but Chi Hong was happy and not afraid.
"You are valuable and don't deserve to die." The black owl's cold words sounded again, as if echoing the cold wind that roared after nightfall.
The corners of her red mouth raised, but she didn't say anything else. She just repeated again: "Your Highness, please come and talk about the residence."
After saying that, she made the "please" gesture, politely and elegantly, as if the group of black owls in front of her, bearing the name of the empire's will, were just children who played wildly outside in the evening and could not find their way home.
The black owl walked silently through the streets where torches were gradually lit up, observing those people who stopped out of curiosity with the corner of his eye. He passed through the atrium of the luxurious mansion and decorated the fountain with gold, and bowed before the gentle voice of the waiter.
While saying hello, I walked into the library filled with incense.
Behind the rows of bookcases, Tanya held a thick classic in her hand, turned around slowly, with a quiet and confident smile on her face, and said politely: "It's an honor to meet you, I belong to Solon."
The will of the empire."
The black owl's eyes first stayed on the two magicians behind Tanya for a while, and then focused on herself again.
"I hope you can say enough words to explain your rebellion, otherwise... you should know our purpose."
Tanya closed the book in her hand calmly, and a black owl vaguely saw the words "Chronicles" on the cover. It was not until Chihong handed the book to the leader of the black owls that he could clearly see the words on it.
——"The Chronicles of Melias".
"In the year 136 of Melias, at the request of the Senate, which still had power at the time, the 'Wendigo' was established."
"The Senate calls these people who guard the empire and hide in the shadows the 'Imperial Will'. Maintaining the empire's existence is their highest duty and mission. Their original intention was to weaken the power of Emperor Melias at the time.
Restricting his increasingly ambitious ambitions, but perhaps even they never thought that the 'snow monster' would accompany Melias for a long time, and eventually became Melias's last creature walking on the earth.
'consciousness'."
"This is the first description of the 'Imperial Will' in history books, and it is also the origin of the 'Imperial Will' of the four major human nations of Mera today."
"Whether it's Sligo's [Quiet One], the Theocracy's [Incarnation of Radiance], Codezonn's [Shadow Guards], or you [Black Owl], they all absorbed that one in the process.
The work is completely copied from the giant owl experience."
Compared with the dragon clan, the number one overlord of Mela, Melias, which has the largest territory in the history of Mela, has reached unprecedented heights in philosophy, literature, politics, and military force during its existence.
It is also because of this that all the tribes in Mela have learned a lot from this giant owl, maybe it is the architectural style - even the dominant race of the mortal enemy, the Vampire tribe, still implements it uprightly to this day, and Solon has absorbed it completely.
; Perhaps it is the political structure, such as the Council of Elders and the Grand Consul, which have profoundly influenced the contemporary Mela. Since the monarchy was tested, it has single-handedly contributed to the "ecology" of today's Mela.
It is dead, but this land is still full of its shadow.
"Because it is a reference and transfer, we are also going through the same process as Melias at this moment..."
"Rebellious words!" a black owl scolded.
Tanya laughed loudly: "I am referring to the evolution of the empire's will. Dear Black Owl, what are you referring to?"
The scolding black owl was stunned, and its cold expression was quickly replaced by embarrassment.
The leading black owl has already understood Tanya's hint: "We are here just for the survival of Solon. The rebellion of you and the Storm Prince is shaking this great country."
Tanya tasted the word "survival" playfully. She raised her chin and said, "But, this is a civil war."
Tanya raised her voice: "Zenir and I are both direct descendants of Solon's Emperor Devic. This is a 'corrective' purge launched from the bottom up, not a rebellion. No matter what, Solon will
Continue to exist.”
Many black owls seemed to be waking up from a dream. They looked at each other, and then looked at the oldest leader with some uncertainty.
Tanya continued: "Like Melias, [Silent One], [Shadow Guard], [Incarnation of Radiance], and you all have forgotten your position of watch over a long period of time. This is shameful.
Nothing in the world is permanent, but if you really claim to be doing everything for Solon..."
Tanya curled her lips: "That's a bit ridiculous, because many of you have never really regarded the living beings who make up the country as part of 'Solon'. The so-called will of the empire is always very vague, isn't it?"
The leading black owl calmed down his breath little by little, and after a long time, he smiled.
"I am sincerely convinced by Your Highness Tanya's eloquence."
"Before the war is over, the black owls might as well stay in the green territory. As long as you don't have evil thoughts about my important consul and sheriff, everything will go smoothly." Tanya said, "My father and I,
are different."
"It's just different now." Black Owl corrected.
"At least under my management, they haven't starved to death in the wilderness for the time being."
Facing the hand that Tanya walked up to him and stretched out, the black owl wanted to reach out and hold it. After thinking for a moment, he chose to hold Solon's knighthood in a half-kneeling posture. The only difference was that they did not lower their heads.
, always looking directly at Tanya.
Many magicians who were guarding Tanya breathed a sigh of relief, their eyes full of fanaticism.
The Black Owl came with great force, but his Highness was persuaded by reason and almost surrendered. What a legend this deed is!
Captain Black Owl asked: "There are also our companions at the Storm Prince. They will also make choices."
"You just obey out of habit. When the cloud covering your eyes disappears, you will naturally see other options."
…
…
Returning to the castle in Green Shade Territory, when only Chihong was left in private, Tanya's long-suppressed ecstasy surged up. She almost lost her temper and hugged Chihong, pacing around the room excitedly, waving with a flushed face.
arm.
No one knows better than her how important it is to keep the black owl in its territory.
"Father, since I was a child, you have never given me a gift that satisfies me. This time, I am very grateful."
Tanya knows that the duration of this war will most likely be measured in years, and the black owls holding the name of the Empire's will will gradually wake up and wait for the end of the civil war.
And his stupid father will realize what a stupid move he has made after seeing the black owl disappear and never return.
Unfortunately, it's too late.
The civil war is at a stalemate, and the possibility exists that all three parties will call themselves Solonian Orthodox. The day of choice will inevitably come for Black Owl. The more people it can win over at present, the more advantageous it will be.
"In the green shade, there are already seventeen magicians who have advanced to the fifth and sixth levels after the magic wave. The trees planted by His Highness are bearing abundant fruits."
She has been on the fringes of the royal family since she was a child, receiving no attention from her parents, and was even used by her father as bait to stir up sibling rivalry...but she still carved out a path of her own!
Looking out the window, the joy in Tanya's eyes dimmed a little.
The breeze blew across her face, causing Tanya's hair to flutter. She stared into the distance and thought of a person she had not remembered for a long time.
"Lulutis, it would be nice if you were still here..."
Perhaps it was due to the recent events that had happened one after another, Tanya was shocked to find that the appearance of Lulu in her memories had begun to blur and was no longer clear.
"If... I had chosen to protect you at that time, would I have..."
Tanya panicked and rejected the idea.
"No, this way the Crimson Witch will be tightly bound to me. Those vicious, bloody, and appalling rumors will make my reputation and that of the Green Shade Territory plummet. I must have it!"
"..."
"Chihong, open up the trade channel in the Molten Mountains, get in touch with the Dawn Territory, and say that the trade route that was agreed upon can now operate."
After Chihong left, Tanya clenched her fists: "At least, I still have a chance to fight for it, and she may not completely forget about me."
…
…
The tearful Benlong kept rubbing his head against Lulu, his huge tears directly wet her clothes, and his nose made her whole body sticky.
Lulu didn't care, she patiently comforted the stupid child who thought he had been abandoned again, until he happily turned his belly and rolled on the ground.
Huo Gu really didn't watch this scene. After confirming that the group was safe and sound, he wanted to go to sleep, but after catching a glimpse of Vanessa floating behind Lu Yu who rubbed the white wolf's head angrily, he lowered his head curiously.
"Is this a new engraved summon?" Huo Gu asked friendly, "What's your name?"
"Vanessa, you are a new magician." Vanessa's self-introduction was really...unconventional.
Sera, who had arrived late, was about to take the opportunity to hug Lulu. The name that suddenly hit her ears made her stop. Her head stiffly turned to Lu Yu little by little. The moment her eyes intersected with Vanessa's, she trembled all over.
Vanessa just smiled, then grabbed a jumping little guy and started rubbing it.
Groups of slimes followed Olga and Valen to the scene. Compared with when they left, the variety was much richer, but it also troubled these two "herdsmen" who were deeply loved by slimes.
Slimes now have the consciousness of pets and always want to get into people's arms. Just when he returned to Chenxi, Lu Yu was attacked by several slimes of different attributes. The jelly-like slimes
The feeling was so irresistible that Lu Yu held three different slimes in his arms like ice cream balls...
"I'm just going out for more than a month, so there's no need for such a big fight... Don't ring the bell, everyone is busy, there's no need to bother."
Lu Yu stopped the excited Judith and divided the slime between her two.
He was already too busy. The little wolves on White Wolf used his body as a springboard to land on Lu Yu's shoulders. The two unlucky guys jumped over their heads and could only grab Lu Yu's clothes and hang them on their bodies.
Lu Yu, who looked like a clothes hanger, turned his back helplessly to the white wolf: "Hurry and take it down."
The white wolf just stuck out his tongue and licked Lu Yu's face gently, but did not make any other movements. This made Lu Yu only feel the clothes whine, but there was nothing he could do. He was still reliable for a moment, and with one breath, he let out the naughty man.
The little wolves were all so frightened that they rolled to the floor.
After comforting Benlong and letting him bite a corner of her clothes, Lulu looked through the crowd and intersected with Lu Yu.
They looked at each other and both smiled.
Go home feeling good.
Update at another time, no longer in the underworld