Chapter 231 The blood-stained king (thanks to the leader of Dabameng)
Scattered snow particles fell in the wind, blew onto the cold armor, and then slid off. Only a few particles could remain in the texture of the armor, accumulating a shallow "white velvet".
The armored body stood in the wind and snow, looking at the traces, bloodstains, horse corpses, broken spears, and torn remains on the snow in the distance, motionless.
"General Darcy, the inspection and search have been completed." A coroner wearing a spherical hood reported behind him.
Such positions often involve contact with dead people and harsh environments. In order to avoid unnecessary trouble, they often wear closed hoods that filter out odors and cover their faces.
"The person who died was Viscount Vansden of the Adoni family. His remaining gray hair, magical properties, armor, war horse, etc. all indicate his identity."
"The other corpses should also be knights of the Adoni family. The extraordinary profession they practiced is the same, which is the low-level profession leading to the 'Sequence of War 6: Knight of the Blade'."
"No bodies of children or women have been found so far. Her Majesty the Queen is still alive. According to the survey results on the ground, they still have the only carriage left and no other riders."
"That is to say, apart from the queen and her son, there are only 1-2 guards left at most, and they have to cross the 'Crocodile Tooth Ridge' with a harsh climate."
'Crocodile Tooth Ridge' is the boundary between the Northern Territory and the central part of the empire. The peaks there are dense and steep, just like crocodile teeth, hence the name. Generally speaking, when entering the Northern Territory, you will choose the two sides of 'Crocodile Tooth Ridge'
Although the road is a bit far, it is better than the gentle terrain.
But for those fleeing, the highways on both sides also mean that the route is fixed, making it easier to fortify. At the same time, the distance is long, and it is easier to be overtaken by cavalry in the open wilderness.
Today, the cold disaster in the north has not stopped. There are constant wind and snow in the "Crocodile Tooth Ridge", and the snow-sliding mountains are steep, which will only make it more difficult to travel.
"I understand." Darcy, standing in the wind and snow, simply nodded and then stopped talking.
The coroners saw him, bowed respectfully, and then slowly stepped back.
Several elite cavalrymen guarded the man's back without saying a word. They saw his back standing like steel for a long time, letting the wind and snow blow up and down the dark red cloak.
After a long time, the man turned around like an ice sculpture cracking.
"You divide into two teams, advance from the avenues on both sides, take down all the checkpoints along the way, and seal the city gate. I will lead a few people directly into the 'Crocodile Tooth Ridge'."
"Yes, sir." Several standing elite cavalry saluted, then immediately got on their horses and began to blow their horns in the wind and snow.
The cavalrymen who were resting on the ground not far away opened their eyes after hearing this. They immediately stood up, wiped their faces with snow water to wake themselves up, then mounted their horses and began to follow the call of the horn to detach and set off.
Black and red armors and cloaks were arranged in the snow, and then headed in two different directions.
Finally, Darcy also mounted his own horse, flicked the reins, and headed in the direction of due north. In the distance where the sky and the earth meet, the snow-capped peaks were vaguely visible.
In a world full of wind and snow, there are cold stones and snow everywhere. Lily, wearing a gray cloak, leads her child on the rugged mountain road.
The carriage had separated at the intersection half a day ago. The coachman would drive the horse in another direction, that is, the direction of the main road, to attract their attention. On the remaining journey, only one guard was left to help the village.
Lily.
The three of them walked slowly along the rugged road in the mountains. From noon to evening, snowflakes gradually accumulated on their coats, making them clammy and uncomfortable.
When it got dark, the danger of slipping in the snow from time to time forced several people to stop temporarily and find a corner sheltered from the wind.
In the cracks between the rocks, the guard found nearby dead branches and finally ignited the wet and cold firewood, giving off a little fire.
A burst of white smoke continued to rise, and a small flickering flame illuminated the cold and silent space, bringing some warmth.
"Ugh...hungry..." Hells said something unclear. He hid in his mother's arms, looking at the only burning flame, his cheeks already turned red from the cold.
Lily was slightly surprised when she heard the voice of the child in her arms, and then hurriedly took out the few wheat cakes left in the package and tried to feed him.
It's a pity that such cold and hard food made Hells shake his head for a while, as if he didn't want to eat it. He didn't understand why he had to walk so much today, why the food he ate was completely different from usual, and why his mother's hands were so cold today.
Not warm either.
"Your Majesty, maybe heat the food so that the prince will eat it." The young guard couldn't help but remind him.
"But, here." Lily looked around and couldn't find anything suitable to heat the food.
"Use my armor." The guard also noticed the problem. He took off his chest armor and set it up with wooden branches, turning the slightly curved chest armor into a temporary iron pot.
The wheat cakes were put into it, and Lily thought about it, found some snow, put it in, and waited for it to melt into drinking water.
"How about I try to tear the cake into pieces, so that the texture will be much softer." The guard suggested again.
"Well, it's true, but let me do it. You take a rest first. During the day, you are the one leading the way and pulling the road. You also spend time collecting firewood. You must be very tired." Lily shook her head,
Holding Hulls in front of him, he began to tear open the compacted cold wheat cake with both hands.
Watching the wheat cake gradually break into pieces and melt into the melting snow, Lily also retracted her aching arms and hugged the child again.
At this time, she turned her gaze to the figure opposite. Looking at the slightly childish face, Lily curiously asked his age.
"I just turned 24 this year."
"Very young." It was strange that 24 years old was already young in her eyes, Lily's thoughts were wandering.
"Compared to other guards, he is indeed younger." The other party didn't seem surprised. This opinion was often said by teammates in the palace before.
Most of those red-clad guards were over 30 years old, and most of them were cronies who followed Emperor Aimanke's coup.
"I actually took my brother's place and entered the palace."
"Because my eldest brother died in the expedition, the seniors in the military were sympathetic and compassionate, so they also recommended me and allowed me to join the imperial guard."
"That is also the result of your hard work. I heard them say that the guards not only need loyalty, but also have strict strength assessment." Lily recalled what Amanke had revealed in a casual chat with her.
"A little talent, but that's not important." The other party shook his head, and then added some new firewood to the fire.
"In the family, my eldest brother has the best talent. He is 6 years older than me. I have grown up with his back."
"However, despite his talent, the eldest brother can only be an ordinary soldier. It is difficult to be promoted and he cannot obtain advanced resources."
"Her Majesty the Queen should also understand that reaching Sequence 5 and above often requires some precious resources, and civilians cannot afford and often cannot buy such things."
"In the private armies of nobles everywhere, the officers are basically the side branches of the master's family, or the housekeeper, the hostess, and other relatives."
"They have their own reasons. After all, they are supported by their own money, so naturally they need to be led by their own people."
"What about the empire's military?" Lily asked curiously. She didn't know much about the system before the coup. Before she married Amanke, he had already drastically changed the empire's military reform.
"At that time, I mean in the past, the empire's direct armies were controlled by the military council led by the emperor. There would be some royal branches serving as generals or ministers to take command. A small number of them were directly from outside the royal family, and most of them came from the royal family.
Graduates of the Military Academy and Emenas.”
"They can obtain official positions as soon as they enter the army, and their starting point is not comparable to that of people like us."
"Without war and military success, people like us will never be able to rise to the top. In other words, no matter how talented you are, you can only be a small soldier."
"The only advantage is that the legions directly under the empire often receive fairly good treatment and will not deliberately deduct benefits."
"This seems to make outsiders feel that this kind of life is not bad."
"That's true for some people, but for my eldest brother, he was unbearable."
"When he was about 16 years old, he advanced to Sequence 3 with the help of that simple training manual, and then went to work in the army. It took him three years to barely learn the knowledge to advance to the next stage."
"Extraordinary knowledge is precious and rare, and those who possess the secrets will not teach it easily."
"As for Sequence 4, it is the pinnacle that most civilians can access. Sequence 5 not only requires complicated knowledge and theory, but also requires special resources depending on the job. It may be some kind of extraordinary metal, Warcraft,
Plants, potions, etc.”
"At this point, if you don't have a certain wealth, you can't get it at all. This is also an important factor that restricts the strength of civilians."
"I don't know how many talented people can only be stuck here, watching those aristocratic children who are not as talented as themselves, and even less diligent than themselves, surpassing them step by step, and then looking at you with contempt, laughing and teasing you.
.”
"The world is unfair, and it's very uncomfortable to know this." He slowly stopped adding firewood and slowly spoke while looking at the crimson flames.
"On the southern border of the empire, there are the most directly-affiliated legions deployed by the empire. They are stationed at the border. Their members come from all over the empire, and most of them are talented people who can endure hardships."
"Originally, when everyone saw the turmoil in the Seven Kingdoms of Xuehua, they all thought that the empire would take action, and they were preparing to strive for military glory in the future and get the chance to change their fate."
"However, the upper echelons of the empire have long forgotten about the expansion of territory and have indulged in pleasure. Such aloof indifference has made many people gradually unbearable."
"At this time, Aimanke, no, I mean His Majesty the Emperor went to the southern border regiment?" Lily asked.
"Yes, although I didn't see the scene with my own eyes, my brother said that after listening to His Majesty's speech that day, he was so excited that he couldn't sleep for several days."
"His Majesty responded to our expectations. He overturned the original system and vigorously promoted reforms. He made some practice methods public to the military. Even if you don't have property, you can apply for advanced resources from the military. The price is that you need to serve in the military. 10 years.”
"It's only ten years, and there are military pay and salary. For us who have no hope, this is an unprecedented smooth door."
"Countless talented people began to pour into the army, and the establishment of the legion expanded rapidly. At this time, launching a war was inevitable." He slowly recounted the magnificent era ten years ago.
"The empire needs war, and countless people at the bottom need to break through their shackles. They need to prove their excellence, strength, strength, etc."
"Maybe it seems like a mistake now, but at that time, everyone didn't think so."
"I think, if, if the empire succeeds in that expedition, His Majesty may become the greatest monarch in the history of the empire."
"A large amount of new land, new nobles, new positions, and new space will allow the empire to regain its vitality and usher in a glorious era." He murmured in his voice, seeming to be more willing to immerse himself in that beautiful dream.
Looking at the appearance of the young guard, Lily slowly stroked Hells' head and rubbed his cheek.
Before she married Emmanuelle, the reform was gradually coming to an end, and the expedition had already begun. In fact, she did not know the true identity of the lover on her pillow until shortly before the marriage was discussed.
Recalling the way Ai Manke confessed with a smile that day, she sometimes even wanted to hit him a few times, but because the other person was the emperor, she did not dare to do so.
Almost overwhelmed by the warm praises and words, she married Aimanke in a daze, and then became the queen of the empire. Such an incredible scene made her often wonder if it was a dream.
Finally, I asked Aimanke for confirmation over and over again, and then he smiled and patted his head, looking at me like a fool.
These sweet scenes were recalled one by one, and then put together with the scenes described by Fein Siden, the guard, and others. It was not until today that Lily gradually saw the true appearance of the emperor.
As a child, he grew up peacefully in the south. When he was a boy, he played in the imperial capital with his aristocratic friends. When he was young, he united with the Paskar family to launch a coup. He stepped onto the throne step by step, radically changed the empire, pushed it onto a chariot, and burned it to the end. , like a meteor, streaking across the empire's thousand-year history.
Gentleness and coldness, wisdom and madness, several different temperaments are perfectly blended in this emperor.
He made countless people feel hope and expectation, he broke countless families and made rivers of blood flow. He broke the upward path blocked by nobles and high-level officials in the past. He used this path to create a road to hell, and made countless people willingly become him. Chess piece in hand.
So admirable and followed, yet so detestable and despairing.