Continuous and long horn sounds sounded on the walls of the Holy Capital. With the help of sound transmission magic, the urging commands of the Guards generals on duty were also transmitted to every corner of the city. This mixed sound put the entire city in a state of tension.
, in addition to the people in charge of security, the troops and people who had not yet arrived at their positions quickened their pace.
They moved closer to the parade avenue that ran across the city. Eventually, even the rooftops on both sides of the road were gradually filled with people.
Not to mention officials, nobles, and soldiers, even the most ordinary residents of the Holy City put on their best clothes. Both men and women pinned a flower on their chest, which meant welcoming the return of their loved ones. Standing on a high place
The young girls stood on tiptoes and looked toward the canal. Anxiously and with some expectation, they kept changing the basket full of petals to their left hand and then back to their right hand.
However, even at such a time, there are some exceptions in the city.
The rapid sound of horse hooves stopped outside an ordinary house. A Guards lieutenant colonel jumped off his horse. His angry look was incompatible with his neat and straight uniform. He kicked open the door with a "pop!"
, and then shouted in a low voice that was almost a roar: "This is the third horn, the third time! Have you found it?"
"Sir, not yet!" The two soldiers turned their heads with sweat on their faces: "No matter how hard I look, I can't find it!"
"Look again! You were there last night, where else can you run to?" The officer anxiously ordered the other two soldiers who came with him: "Look under the bed, behind the door, and in the water tank for me to polish you up.
Don’t miss every inch of your eyes!”
The four soldiers tried their best to search through all the rooms in the two-story house in the shortest possible time. All movable furnishings were moved, including the water tank in the yard and the mezzanine in the roof.
, but later still found nothing. The Guards officer was so angry that he punched a tree trunk in the yard. The thick trunk trembled violently, and the dense crown-like leaves made a "squeaking" noise.
"I saw you." The officer who was famous from the sound of leaves raised his head and shouted to the tree: "Get down now!"
Among the dense leaves, on a tree trunk only as thick as a wrist, a thin, fuzzy silhouette curled up like a wild cat. His entire body was wrapped in a Guards jungle camouflage cloth, with only a pair of downward-looking eyes exposed.
The anger and determination in his eyes were no less than those of the Guards officer under the tree.
"Come here with the ladder, I want to catch this little bastard with my own hands!" the lieutenant colonel yelled bitterly, climbed up with hands and feet, pulled off the camouflage cloth, and grabbed the little boy who was only six or seven years old.
The boy let out an earth-shattering shriek, and grabbed the tree trunk tighter with both hands. Several security guards who rushed over after hearing the shout stood at the door, took a look, shook their heads and walked away.
He threw the boy to the guard under the tree, and the lieutenant colonel jumped down. Then, while cursing angrily, he asked the guard to bring out a new set of clothes for the boy to put on, and then wiped his face with a wet towel.
, grabbed the boy's hand and got on the saddle - throughout the whole process, the little boy resisted with all his strength. Even if his hands were caught, he performed several neat kicks in succession.
Accompanied by two guards, the lieutenant colonel first exited the side city gate through a street, and then sped along the city wall, as fast as charging on the battlefield. Fortunately, martial law was enforced inside and outside the city, and there were no roads near the moat.
Any pedestrian. When the fifth horn sounded, they had already approached the end of the extension line of the Parade Avenue - the Shengdu Canal Military Terminal.
"Royal Forbidden Land - Dismount!" A stern voice sounded from the roadside as they approached the square in front of the pier.
The lieutenant colonel held the boy in one hand and tightened the reins with the other, causing the horse to stop with a long neigh.
"Lieutenant Colonel of the Guards, I have a reference certificate! It's from the second district." The lieutenant colonel jumped off his horse and stood at attention on the spot, showing the two tokens in his other hand to the security officer approaching him.
After the security officer checked the token, a military judge who followed him announced on the spot: "As a mid-level officer, you charge into the security area on horseback. After the ceremony, you go to the military court to receive your punishment..."
Before he finished speaking, a luxury carriage rushed out from the corner of the road in the distance and ran straight towards this side. The entire car body was shaking violently and looked like it would disintegrate at any time. It was not much faster than the Lieutenant Colonel's speed just now.
Jean——In the solemn warning of the security officer, the carriage stopped outside the security line in an extremely dangerous manner. It was only half a horse short of being beheaded!
"Get out of the car! Get out of the car!" The military judge who was used to seeing big scenes was already very angry, and he banged the car door with his fist - if it weren't for the aristocratic badge on the car with a circle of lace symbolizing women around the edge, he probably would have hit the door.
It's not a fist anymore.
"Sir, I'm very sorry. I speeded up because of time constraints. This is my young lady in the car." The guard leader standing at the back of the car jumped down quickly, apologized and identified himself, and then handed over a token with both hands: "This is
My lady's reference voucher is from the second district. We came here overnight from other provinces."
"No matter where you come from, this crime is not a small one! You guys stay!" The security officer checked the roster in his hand and raised his head to the guard leader: "Open the car door and ask your ladies to come down. Our people will
Send you in."
"Yes, sir." The guard leader knocked on the car door twice: "Miss, are you ready? Please get out of the car."
The car door inlaid with silver aristocratic emblems slowly opened. Two elderly ladies landed first and helped out a young lady in her early twenties. It was obvious that the delicate-looking young lady had suffered from the bumps along the way.
There was a lot of sin, and the luxurious dress wrapped a shaky body. Although the light makeup on the face was carefully touched up, it could still be seen that it was a little haggard.
Another lady who followed out was still arranging the girl's outfit, mending jewelry, pulling ribbons and so on.
"Thank you, everyone." The young lady saluted to several officers: "I'm here to greet my fiancé."
After a strict inspection, the chamberlain in charge of reception came out and brought the lieutenant colonel and the noble lady inside.
An adjutant under the military judge looked at the backs of this group of people and complained in a low voice: "Dressed like this to pick up people? That's great. When will these nobles put down their arrogance?"
"Do you know what kind of uniform that is?" The military judge turned around and kicked the adjutant into the ditch on the roadside. Then he took a few steps forward, looked at his bewildered subordinates and said, "Then
It’s a wedding dress.”
The bewildered expression on the adjutant's face turned into shame at this moment as he stood in the water.
A burst of intensive drumbeats sounded, and the guard officer exhaled a long breath: "The fleet has arrived, close the road."
The bright red carpet stretched from the parade avenue to the pier. After arriving at the square, it turned a corner and was spread along more than ten groups of berths. In addition to the ministers, nobles, military families and foreign envoys waiting in different areas, there were also
The royal guard of honor was extremely large, and there were even hundreds of luxury open carriages parked beside the carpet.
Amidst the majestic drums, the transport fleet moving along the wide canal slowed down, and the waves caused by the bow of the ship gradually calmed down. The people waiting were all looking at the lead ship in the fleet, because on its tall ship building
Above, there is a flag of the Imperial Emperor hanging, and on the left and right, there are military flags of the Expeditionary Force and the Guards respectively.
The long war is finally over, and the emperor and the army have finally returned to the Holy Capital! For this moment, the entire Sibia Empire has made huge sacrifices and efforts! In the Holy Capital without the emperor, for many torturous days and nights, everyone finally supported
Come here. Even the sunshine today has become exceptionally bright and warm.
Of course, not everyone present felt this way, at least those envoys from the two alliances standing in the fourth and fifth districts were very uncomfortable. Because the return of Cohen Keda meant that they
The empire has to pay a heavy price.
As the distance between the fleet and the dock shortened, the drums that vibrated the air slowed down. The moment the ship docked at the dock, the drums stopped suddenly, like cutting butter with a sharp knife without leaving any residue. Square
There was silence on both sides, except for the sound of countless flags fluttering in the wind.
Prince Visul Keda, his wife and the two royal concubines walked to the top of the red carpet.
"Everyone..." The commander of the Royal Guard of Honor said, "Whoosh!" He drew his sword and stood in front of his chest: "Stand at attention!"
A little further away, formally dressed officials and nobles held their breath. All eyes were fixed on the huge hull hatch that slowly opened and slid down - a "Boom!" sound, also inlaid.
The carpeted hatch slid into place, and the dock and the hull were connected by two bright red passages.
Inside the hatch, the sound of metal scraping together with the familiar sound of footsteps could be heard. Emperor Sbia took steady steps and came to the edge of the hatch to stand. With just one glance, the foreign envoys who were familiar with Cohen noticed something unusual.
, because Cohen has never dressed so formally, even the outfit he wore at the coronation ceremony was not as etiquette as his current outfit.
Compared with his clothes, Emperor Sibia's expression at this time was more serious. There was no trademark smile on his hard-lined face, and there was no occasional domineering and gloomy look, but a real, adult man's talent.
He has a serious smile. Before this, no one would have believed that such an expression could appear on his face, let alone today when the war is over and the army has returned triumphantly.
Envoys from various countries are waiting. Only if Cohen takes another step forward can this ceremony be held.
After all the other transport ships had docked and lowered their hatches, His Majesty the Emperor took out the gloves from his belt and solemnly put them on his hands under the gaze of his relatives and people. Then, His Majesty's left hand stroked
Holding the hilt of the sword, place your right hand by your side, lift your leg and take a step to the left.
"What weird thing is going to happen again?" This is the common thought of envoys from various countries at this time.
Neat footsteps sounded behind Cohen Keda, and with an unusually slow and solemn rhythm, six Guards major generals in full uniforms walked out of the hatch, carrying a body on their shoulders.
The entirely blue spar coffin was covered with a Sibia Empire flag, and a broken black iron sword was placed on top of the flag.
With a sound of "Hoo!", the soldiers present saluted the crystal coffin at the same time, and the noble officials remained silent. At this time, even the most stupid people should know who is in the crystal coffin.
That's Field Marshal Martin Luther.
The spar coffin stopped beside Emperor Sbia, and Cohen held the front handle with his right hand.
"All..." The commander of the honor guard raised the saber in his hand and then slashed it down: "Salute!"
Six hundred honor guards standing at the edge of the carpet drew out their sabers at the same time. The sharp blade drew a full circle in the air, and then settled firmly between the owner's eyebrows. Behind them, the Sibia Empire flag bearer, close by
The standard bearers of the Guards Army and the Expeditionary Force all raised their flags high.
The low wind whimpered, and a touch of sadness lingered on the pier, spreading along the parade avenue to the entire city.
The envoys were surprised to find that until this moment, no Sibian people present had paid tribute to their emperor! Could it be that this was a triumphal ceremony that put the emperor in a secondary position?
With a solemn expression, Cohen Keda led the six generals carefully down the cabin door, step by step, towards the prince, his wife and the two princesses. When they got closer, the latter already had tears in his eyes. The other three generals led by
For a carriage, first board the carriage from the other side, then steadily lift the crystal sarcophagus up and place it carefully.
Emperor Sibia and his concubine were on the left, and the prince and his wife were on the right. Several ministers and nobles of the highest rank stood behind the carriage, and a group of honor guards surrounded the two sides.
With a crisp crack of the whip, the carriage moved forward, as if the four white horses also understood the owner's intention, and their steps were particularly gentle. The generals and honor guards guarding the spirits on both sides followed at the same speed, even pressing their hands.
His Majesty the Emperor followed the sword hilt on foot... The envoys were very surprised and depressed, because from the moment the fleet docked, during the entire process, no one spoke, either the returning emperor or the princes and ministers who greeted them.
The rhetoric they had prepared before was completely useless.
Not long after, the carriage arrived at the square and came to the first set of flags.
"Salute!" the flag bearer who stood upright shouted, and the imperial flag held high in his hand gradually lowered. Finally, the flagpole was parallel to the ground, and the tassel at one end of the flag touched the ground.
"Salute!" The royal flag gradually lowered.
"Salute!" The military flag gradually lowered.
The carriages passed by among the low-hanging flags, and at this moment, the crowd at the dock began to cry slightly. More people did not make a sound, letting tears flow down their cheeks.
Hundreds of luxury carriages parked on the side drove up the bright red carpet one after another and stopped at the hatches of each ship... The family members in the second area stepped forward one after another to help their relatives get into the carriage. The little boy captured by the Lieutenant Colonel
Riding on a metal coffin, she let out hoarse cries, and fumbled with her two little hands to open the panel. The lady in the dress had fainted, and two elves were using magic to comfort her.
The carriage in front moved very slowly, and the carriage behind it was easy to keep up. In addition to family members, each carriage was followed by officials and nobles of equal rank, plus honor guards holding knives outside the carpet, one after another.
It became a huge motorcade. Then came the officers and soldiers who returned with the emperor. They were all dressed in neat military uniforms, with a sword or saber in one hand and a military cap held flat in the other hand.
When the carriage carrying Marshal Martin Luther just drove out of the dock square, countless military flags of the demonic coalition and the divine coalition were raised on both sides of the parade avenue, and rows of captured generals and nobles were pushed to the roadside.
"Salute!" As the Sibia Empire flag moved down, countless military flags of the Demonic Alliance Army and the Divine Alliance Army were thrown to the carpet, and were run over by the slowly approaching carriage one by one, and were beaten by the honor guard.
Leather boots stepped on.
"Kneel down!" The captured generals and nobles were kicked in the knees by the Guards soldiers behind them. "Plop!" they knelt down on the ground. Many people knelt down and heard the sound of bones cracking at their knees. Behind them,
The soldiers took another step forward, stepped on the backs of their necks, and pressed their heads to the street. Occasionally, if someone screamed or struggled, the Guards soldiers would directly crush their neck bones.
This scene made the envoys from various countries standing on the edge of the square feel chilled in their hearts, but no one dared to protest because no one among them had enough courage to face the anger and sadness of the Sibian people at this time.
.
For the last time, the huge flag of the commander-in-chief of the Divine Alliance was unfolded in front of Prince Carl Ulysses, and the next moment it was thrown on the carpet. When the carriage passed by, when the wheels pressed over the pattern on the flag, the carriage on both sides
The royal family of Sibia didn't even look at him.
Step by step, the motorcade moved forward, passing through the forest of flags, through the silent rain of tears, and gradually approaching the tall and majestic city gate of the Holy Capital. There were no cheers, no long live, only white petals flying all over the sky, and only sad eyes.
Condensing...
Passing through the gate, the convoy entered the Holy Capital City.
Although I had prepared for it, when I saw the victims of the war actually appearing in front of my eyes, the cries on both sides of the parade avenue became louder. Under the uncontrollable grief, the crowd surged forward, wearing black uniforms.
The security guards held hands and formed a human wall, trying their best to maintain order.
Either because of the majestic salutes or the sight of His Majesty the Emperor with a solemn expression, the crowd never broke through the cordon, but more tears shed and more people fell powerless.
The silent motorcade advanced all the way, passing through the square in front of the palace, crossing the entire Holy Capital City, and finally exited the city gate and entered the newly completed cemetery.
The martyrs who died in this war and were originally from the Holy City will be buried here.
The carriage stopped outside the cemetery gate. Cohen and the six major generals lifted the coffin again, as carefully and gently as when they got off the boat, and slowly walked towards the center of the cemetery. The difference was that this time, waiting in front was not Yu Yu.
Princess Feline Rona and Princess Kelly Rona - the first princess leaned on her sister, barely maintaining her standing position.
On the platform surrounded by flowers, the crystal sarcophagus was slowly lowered, and the two princesses slowly knelt down. As they whispered, crystal tears fell bit by bit on the smooth panel, Martin...
Marshal Luther's face looked so blurry.
Cohen opened his mouth and suddenly raised his head to the sky. After a long time, he knelt down on one leg.
As soon as the emperor knelt down, everyone except the prince and his wife followed him and knelt down.
"I will let your enemies and opponents watch with their own eyes, watching your ambition come true, while the world belonging to them is heading towards destruction step by step without being able to stop it..." The people around His Majesty Cohen only heard this sentence clearly: "RIP
Come on, Grandpa Martin."
After speaking, Cohen helped the first imperial concubine and turned to face the ministers and officers.
At this time, the subsequent coffins were already in place, and the accompanying troops were neatly arranged in the open space in front of the cemetery. The honor guards stood on both sides of each passage. Everyone stopped crying and looked at their emperor.
His Majesty.
"Today, as comrades and partners, we bid farewell to all the martyrs who died in the war. Only a small part of them are here. The other martyrs will be sent back to their hometown for burial in the provincial capital." Cohen
Keda took a few steps forward and walked into a small flower bed: "Our hearts are surrounded by sadness because we have all lost our loved ones."
"Of all the wars that the Sibia Empire participated in, this was the one with the greatest sacrifices! But at the same time, this was also the one with the most complete victory! They defended the Sibia Empire with their lives and blood, and defended their and our ideals.
, completely wiped out the Demonic Alliance Army and the Divine Alliance Army! Their merits will be forever recorded in the history of the empire, and will always be recorded in our hearts. As long as humans exist for one day, this memory will not disappear!"
Everyone knows the meaning of sacrifice and the merits of the martyrs, but they still want to hear His Majesty the Emperor say it again, as if only in this way, their sacrifice will be more valuable and will not be forgotten soon.
"The reason why they went to the battlefield may be for one reason or another, but in the final analysis, they are to keep us away from war and to make our lives better." Cohen's eyes moved, passing through groups of sad people.
Family members: "The father who sacrificed does not want to see his children hiding and refuses to acknowledge that his father has sacrificed; the fiancé who sacrificed does not want to see his lover fainting in front of his tombstone again and again and swearing not to fall in love again. They just
I simply hope you can live a happier life..."
Low sobs sounded again as the emperor's voice sounded.
"Now, the war is over. The best way to commemorate them is to live happily. Today, you can shed tears and cry, but tomorrow, you have to smile and live happily. Only in this way can we be worthy of it.
them!"
"Sibiya Empire will not forget them! Cohen Keda - will not forget them!" After finishing speaking, Cohen nodded to the honor guard officer beside him.
"All - salute!"
This was the last salute. Under the watchful eyes of relatives, the flag covering the coffin was put away and the coffin was slowly lowered.
After the ceremony, the sad atmosphere continued, but the emperor's duties did not allow Cohen to have time to comfort everyone. He only talked to a few family members, touched the heads of a few children, and hurried to his carriage.
.
This time, His Majesty, contrary to his usual practice, traveled with his father and the President of the Royal Academy.
"We have discussed your Majesty's decision carefully." As the carriage approached the palace, Dean Lorenzo broke the silence in the carriage: "The final conclusion is that although it is risky, it is still feasible."
"You can't do it without taking risks. Things have come to this point." Cohen finally showed a smile, diluting the gloom on his face: "Dean, your spirit is still so strong!"
"Your Majesty praised you." Of course Dean Lorenzo knew the emperor's intention of interrupting: "We still need to find a time to talk about some of your Majesty's actions during the war..."
"Envoys from both alliances have arrived in the Holy Capital, including representatives from the Temple and the Demon Temple. Based on previous contacts, they should have full authority to handle post-war matters." The prince smiled and refused to let the court know.
The leader continued to make trouble: "But they didn't expect that the empire would make such a request... Chaos is inevitable. In fact, the most important thing is the reaction of the gods and demons."
"On the way back, I have thought about it again and again." Cohen said: "I am sure that this matter has not reached the limit of gods and demons. According to the past records provided by several red priests, similar things have happened. It's just that
The scale is not that big..."
"Then..." The dean frowned: "The Gods will always do something, right?"
"It's for sure that a messenger will be sent to ask for guilt. No matter who comes, I will deal with it when the time comes." Cohen is not worried about this: "On the contrary, specific matters need to be arranged more carefully.
"
"The specific affairs have been arranged, please rest assured the emperor." The prince said: "Do we want our officials to be notified in advance?"
"Our people can inform us one day before the meeting. As for the date of the meeting, let the envoys wait for a few days before we can tell..."
"Ah, speaking of this meeting, I found a name on the list. In fact, this demon noble was accidentally injured by our intelligence personnel late in the war. I feel that he should not be sent." The prince took out a book.
Handed a document to Cohen: "I thought it was strange, so I investigated it, and I didn't expect to find out something interesting."
"This...an acquaintance!" Cohen looked through the documents with a very strange expression on his face: "You are so ignorant! You are so ignorant! This disguise is too inferior!"
"What is the emperor going to do?" The expression on the prince's face was quite interesting.
"I'll handle it." Cohen nodded weakly: "Leave it to me..."
The document was casually placed on the chair, and the opened page showed the portrait of a young nobleman, lifelike and lifelike. (To be continued)