"The little girl has green hair and pointed ears."
As the two walked slowly side by side, Chris couldn't help but ask his doubts.
And James knew what he meant: How could there be elves in the Ainske family?
"You heard it just now, she called me brother-in-law."
Speaking of his wife, James showed a rare tenderness, "My wife is from the elves further south in the empire. Do you know this race? Their archery skills are unparalleled in the world. You have also seen Jessica's archery skills. She has been there since she was a child.
I was arranged by my family to study there for many years."
"I know."
Chris nodded.
His knowledgeable father told him about the origins and characteristics of all races.
The elves live in the Whispering Forest in the south. All the tribesmen have handsome faces and green hair. This is the same as the werewolves of Blood Rock in the north who all have silver hair. They are forced by blood.
Their living and eating habits are very similar to those of humans.
The combat effectiveness in close combat is a bit poor, but the racial talent is archery, and it is something that every adult tribesman can easily accomplish.
They believe in the goddess of nature and have the custom of worshiping the moon.
This is also a true portrayal of their racial habits: when facing friends, they are as gentle and kind as the silver moon; but when facing enemies, they will be as keen as the blood moon to dye every inch of the land red.
For example, before the Holy Empire was established, the Southern Vulcan Cult launched several wars in an attempt to enslave them. However, the population of less than one percent of the southern human race rose up to resist, and at one time the young people in the tribe held a war at the age of fourteen.
The coming-of-age ceremony rushed to the battlefield, preferring to annihilate the clan rather than surrender. After the Vulcan Cult lost the war and retreated, they took the prisoners of war outside the forest and killed them one by one, staining the entire land red with the blood of the invaders.
Blood Moon Butcher.
This was the title given to the elves by the Southern Vulcan Cult after the war was over.
Because in the human world, prisoners of war can be redeemed with gold coins or territory and materials, but the elves did not give the Vulcan Cult the opportunity to redeem the prisoners of war.
The elves don't care about this title.
What's the point of being polite to invaders! They weren't the ones who started the war in the first place!
Haven't you seen that they have always been as kind and gentle as Silver Moon to the dwarves who have the same territory and are adjacent to each other and have never had a war?
Of course, killing all the prisoners was an extreme measure.
As a result, the border conflicts between the Vulcan Cult and the Elf Tribe have never stopped.
The war between the two sides lasted until more than two hundred years ago, when human demigods emerged from the Middle Earth Plains and led an army to launch a war to incorporate the south into the territory of the Holy Empire. The Vulcan Cult, unable to fight on two fronts, stopped.
Coveting the Whispering Forest.
Later, the Pope of the Vulcan Cult was killed by a demigod, and the two privy archbishops were surrendered and became imperial dukes. The Vulcan Cult, which was split into two, no longer had the desire to launch a war against the elves.
The territory of the Ainske family happens to be bordering the Whispering Forest.
In order to recover from the wounds of the war, the Ainske family began to actively resolve the hatred between them and the elves, and finally concluded a peace treaty of mutual non-aggression by returning part of the territory. By the time Raphael took charge of the family
, although both sides still have heavy troops guarding the border, no conflict has broken out for many years, and they have also begun large-scale trade.
"My marriage was decided by the old man, and I didn't know about it until the tenth day before the wedding."
James continued, with a hint of self-deprecation in his tone, "You know, little Chris, after my wife entered Edin City, my family withdrew 10,000 soldiers from the Whispering Forest! Ha, a wedding is equivalent to
Ten thousand soldiers!”
Chris was silent.
Strength determines destiny, and interests determine everything.
This is the case with marriages between lords and nobles. Everything is based on profit. This is also the price that one must pay to be a master.
Perhaps, my future marriage will be no exception?
He whispered in his heart, raised his head and asked softly, "Have you ever been dissatisfied?"
"It's okay, since I was taken back to the family by the old man, I no longer have any choice."
There was no trace of anger on James' face, but instead was filled with a touch of happiness, "Moreover, compared to my father who was forced to marry a woman from the royal family of Middle-earth Mills, I am already very good. The most important thing is that my wife is very good. South
Any woman who is qualified to marry into the Ainske family is not as good as one ten thousandth of my wife."
Well......
If you are so satisfied, then why were you sighing just now?
Suddenly, Chris lost interest in continuing the conversation.
"Haha~"
With a smile that showed off, James glanced at him before continuing, "Little Chris, you should know why the old man arranged this marriage, right?"
Of course Chris knows.
On the surface, they couldn't bear to see their people continue to be trapped in the quagmire of war, so they used marriage to completely resolve the hatred between the two races, so that the people in the territory could live and work in peace and contentment.
The deeper reason is that the fall of the human Hanshin is imminent. In order to prepare for breaking away from the Holy Empire and eliminating another archbishop to monopolize the south, the Ainske family has reached a reconciliation with the elves and even offered assistance when necessary.
From the perspective of internal considerations within the family, all members of the Ainske family secretly announced that Raphael had selected James as the family's heir.
"Yeah. I know."
Chris looked around to see if there was no one, then lowered his voice and said, "The demigod will die."
"Yes, that's what the old man considered."
James nodded without lowering his voice, "And the old man asked me to take you out to see Edin City. This is also the reason why your family asked you to come to the south."
What does the city of Edin have to do with the imminent fall of human demigods?
Also, isn’t the biggest reason why I came to the South because my mother reserved a coming-of-age ceremony test for me in the South in her early years?
Chris couldn't help but pause in his steps, showing a puzzled expression.
However, James had no intention of explaining, "Go faster, we have to go to many places."
There are indeed many places.
On the first day, they took a quick tour of the casinos, arenas, slave markets, erotic venues, auction houses, luxury shops and other places where nobles gathered and spent money. It can be said that on this day, they showed off the city's extravagant and luxurious life to the best of their ability.
The industry that consumes money and is also the most profitable is almost done.
Chris saw a pot of wine worth hundreds of gold coins, and saw aristocratic playboys or wealthy businessmen making ugly appearances in taverns and casinos, having sex in brothels, bullying others in shops, and spending huge sums of money at auctions just for the sake of the female companions around them.
Surprise eyes....
The next day, they went to Xiacheng District in the outer city.
It is the so-called slum, and for this reason the two of them even put on the cloaks of Vulcan priests.
On this day, they walked through the sweat-smelling port terminals. They saw children in tattered clothes running barefoot in the dirt-covered streets and alleys. They saw adults running for daily bread, and some people collapsed on the ground.
A beggar in an inconspicuous corner who doesn't know his life or death.
But this is also the most religious place.
When the two Chriss in clerical robes passed by, these people who had suffered from poverty would naturally bow their heads and salute, and some of them even murmured: "God of Fire, may you bless your devout servants"
.”
This is the credit of the small churches hidden in various back alleys.
There are many simple and crowded churches in the lower city. The space is so small that they can only fit a statue of the god of fire and a few wooden tables full of insect holes.
People pray at the wooden table and line up in front of the wooden table to wait for the priest to give alms.
In the Vulcan Church in the slums, there is a charity event every ten days. Children can receive two pieces of black bread, and adults can receive four, which is just enough for their daily rations. When the dirty hands are put on the bread by the priest,
People will offer their most sincere gratitude to the God of Fire.
I will also send my blessings to the Ainske family.
Because this kind of charity can only be provided by dioceses affiliated with Archbishop Ainske.
After two days, Chris finally knew why his grandfather Raphael asked James to show him the city of Edin - the territory controlled by Ainske would undergo changes and would abandon the order of noble titles imposed by the Holy Empire.
Return to the previous system of local governance by the church.
The reason is, of course, that the aristocratic system has brought too much decadence to the south, and has become an obstacle to the Einske family's desire to monopolize the south and take up the papal scepter.
And this decision will also affect the Eaton family far away in the foothills of the Alps.
As one of the lords and nobles, the Eaton family must continue to rely on the Einske family and rely on the help of the south, then it must also usher in changes.
However, this is impossible to achieve.
The reason why the Einske family dared to plan to abandon the aristocratic system was because there was no such order in the south. When the human demigods fell and the south broke away from the Holy Empire, they announced this decision. People's resistance and resistance would not be too great.
, and even competed to support and cheer the return of southerners’ traditions.
The Eton family in the north does not have such a foundation. If it abandons the title and nobility system, it will lose the legitimacy of the lord, and people will no longer support and be loyal.
Therefore, the Eaton family asked Chris to come to the south not only to practice his strength and lay a solid foundation for breaking through the shackles and becoming a strong man in the future, but more importantly, to allow him to represent the family to discuss the future path with the Einske family.
As for such a matter that is related to the rise and fall of the family, why let a young boy do it~~
Among the Eaton family, Chris is the only one who has a blood relationship and bond with the Einsick family.
In the eyes of the Einske family, if Chris deserves their support, then they don't mind lending a helping hand; but if not...who would be in the mood to care about the life or death of a family thousands of miles away!
The Ainske family, which has a long history, cannot even take care of its own branches!
With this realization, Chris felt a little heavy in his heart.
However, when James' father Lange Einske received him, he realized that he had underestimated the criticality of the family's situation.