Six years have passed since that shocking change that changed the color of the world. After experiencing civil strife in the imperial capital, changes in power, and various struggles and chaos, the entire country has finally stabilized for the time being.
Although the old nobles have not been overthrown, their strength and influence are not as good as before. Under the promotion of the new emperor, a large number of military lords have entered the country's high-level and key positions. Most of them were born in the grasslands and are naturally different from the great nobles.
and, in recent years, have eroded a lot of the power and interests that originally belonged to the great nobility.
Faced with this situation, the great nobles were prepared to unite to fight, but under the superb power of the new emperor, some of the great nobles were bribed and appointed as representatives of the new Parliament of Nobles, and their power became even greater than before. In this way
Later, there was also a split within the nobles. There was an undercurrent, and rebellions that were faintly breaking out in various places were exposed by insiders.
After receiving the news, the emperor sent his legions to various places to suppress the rebellion, collecting the land, wealth, and power of the rebellious nobles, and then distributed part of it as rewards to the legions who countered the rebellion. In this way, he firmly grasped the support of the military.
.
But he did not completely lose his mind and knocked down all the big nobles. After gradually establishing his position, he gradually adopted a soft policy and won over many big nobles to balance the power of the upper echelons of the country and not completely favor one side.
In this way, after six years, the emperor, who was only in his twenties, firmly took control of this huge empire and implemented his will throughout the empire.
With the implementation of the new military merit system, more and more civilians and aristocratic children entered the military, imitating the rise of the empire hundreds of years ago.
This year, another round of imperial propaganda teams set off from the imperial capital to local areas. They were dressed in long crimson robes and holding codes and scepters to promote the emperor's will.
Since the new emperor ascended the throne, the country's appearance has undergone tremendous changes. The previous oppression and injustice have been greatly alleviated under the forced implementation and trials of the army. Many old dignitaries have been liquidated and overthrown. The entire country has begun to
New vitality was radiated. Those who had been reduced by famine and poverty were also recruited into the army, gradually improving public security.
The great southern city, Seratis.
Eight maroon war horses pulled slowly in front, and the car behind them was like a trapezoidal staircase. A ceremonial officer in a gorgeous red robe and a golden crown stood on top of it, shouting loudly.
In front of and around the carriage, there were sergeants wearing steel armor. They wore dark red cloaks and held high halberds and flags in their hands. The bright red rose pattern was fluttering fiercely in the wind.
This ceremonial officer from the imperial capital conveyed the emperor's words and will, and his voice spread far and wide under the influence of extraordinary power, attracting residents from all over the city.
"In order to end this thousand years of turmoil, to open up more land, and to allow the people of the empire to live a more comfortable life."
"We, the people of the Cang Red Empire, will use our swords to plow out the land and everything the empire needs!" The ceremony official read the emperor's words loudly, and as the vehicle moved forward, bursts of bright red petals followed the wind.
Float, fly in the air.
The streets were packed with people in the city. Adults, children, men and women, merchants and vendors, nobles and commoners all looked at the neat and majestic advancing phalanx. Some of them cheered, some talked, and the scene was lively and noisy.
There was reverence and enthusiasm in both eyes.
Since the new emperor ascended the throne, this kind of religious worship has become more and more prosperous, and some big nobles even suspected that this was secretly promoted by the new emperor to consolidate his power and rule.
But it has to be said that because the timing of launching the coup was too coincidental, and the sun and moon shining together at the critical moment, the entire balance was completely on the side of the Edelman brothers, allowing them to clear the obstacles with overwhelming force.
, obtained the throne.
This also gave them a sense of destiny, which also led to the spread of folk worship.
On the tall car, the gorgeously dressed ceremonial officer was still shouting loudly, and his voice was like thunder, spreading in all directions.
"Then, for the supreme glory of the empire, and for yourselves."
"Are you willing to fight with all your might?"
"willing!"
The fanatical and unified voice overwhelmed everything, and this huge and powerful empire finally burned like a flame.
——————
Old Rurna, now Haoshi County, Liuli Province, Clancia.
The backing mine is full of prisoners dressed in coarse linen and gray clothes. He is holding a mining tool and laboriously and carefully digging out the ore on the mountain wall.
This mine produces a kind of fragile hyacinth zircon, which is an extraordinary material required for certain alchemical creations. However, because of its fragile texture, it cannot be mined violently, so miners collect it manually.
Under the scorching sun, many mines are exposed to direct sunlight, making the working environment very harsh.
A man in his forties was still bending over and carefully digging for a small hyacinth zircon he found, which was hidden and embedded in the rock and soil.
The light red soil and gravel gradually peeled off, and the stone, which was as big as a quail egg, was slowly revealed. The man then carefully removed it and put it into a small jar on the side, which had already been padded with dusty cotton to prevent
It was smashed.
"Huh, it's not easy." He exhaled and wiped his forehead with his dusty arm to prevent sweat from entering his eyes.
The man straightened his waist slowly to prevent his waist from bending too quickly. Since the world changed, he has lost his extraordinary strength and is now just a fragile middle-aged man.
After breathing for a while, he picked up the small jar next to him again, looked at the three small shiny stones, and a smile appeared on his dark face. It seemed that he could eat a few more big steamed buns today.
Looking back at his surroundings, he spotted a figure sitting in the shadow of the mountain wall, and then limped over.
"Hey, Lao Lak, how's the harvest today?" He greeted, then sat down against the mountain wall, ignoring the gravel and dust on the ground, which he had long been used to.
"It's okay, I found one." The man called Lao Lak was about 50 years old. He had a lot of wrinkles on his face and his eyes were a little cloudy. He squatted on the ground, his eyes half-open and half-closed, looking at the sun shining brightly in the distance.
area.
"When will days like this end..." Lao Lak slowly uttered a sentence, with a sigh and sadness in it.
"Hey, don't think about it. Just live your life slowly like this. One day is a day to live." The middle-aged man next to him advised him. He put the small jar in his arms like a treasure, leaned against the stone wall, and prepared to open it.
Take a nap to get through the hottest part of the day.
"You should be open-minded, but I can't. I've been dreaming again recently." Old Luck's voice was full of nostalgia.
"What did you dream about?"
"I dreamed that when I was young, around 19 years old at that time, I was pursuing a beautiful elf lady in Emenas. She was so beautiful and strong, just like the morning rain and dew, making people want to get close and touch her."
"What happened next? I remember that your wife was the third daughter of the Phoenix family at that time."
"Indeed, my pursuit failed. Later, I returned to Mozwa, followed my grandfather's arrangement, and married the daughter of the Fenike family. And now, more than thirty years have passed." Lao Lak recalled the past, his eyes drifting towards
distance.
"But now, I am alone again, with no wife or children..."
"Moreover, I am still a prisoner now, and the wealth and power I had in the past are gone. I really can't find anything worth remembering, so I can continue to live..." Old Luck's voice gradually became lower.
"When I dreamed about being young, all I felt was deep despair, because I could never go back..." As he spoke, Lao Lak's voice was choked with sobs, and there were two lines of tears on his face.
The man next to him was afraid and patted him on the back, and said slowly: "I know, I understand, live a good life, don't think too much..."
"No, you don't understand. After all, there are still people in your Shelia family who are not involved, and I, our Walter family, have no descendants." He buried his face deeply into his hands, and his warm tears mixed with the black ashes.
It flows from the fingers.
"Alas..." The man next to him shook his head slightly and said nothing.
The two sat like this for a while, and then a soldier wearing armor and holding a gun came over.
"Which of you is Vitre Shelia?"
"I am." The man in his forties stood up holding on to the stone wall.
The soldier looked at him up and down, and then said, "Follow me."
Witre held the jar and followed the soldier in small steps. In the huge mine, there were many prisoners squatting in the shadows. Looking at the two people walking in the sun, there was a bit of numbness in their eyes.
There is also a bit of envy.
The two of them walked to a hut at the edge of the mine. Two soldiers in heavy armor looked at them before waving to let them go.
The soldier brought Vitre into the small room and said, "You have half an hour to communicate."
He placed a worn brass clock on the table and backed out.
Only then did Witre see another woman in the room. She was probably in her 20s, wearing a simple white cotton skirt, standing at the table.
"Are you... Letis?" Witley said with hesitation. After all, there were many differences between this girl and her memory.
The Letis in her memory was so proud and beautiful, but the girl in front of her had dusty and tired eyes and simple clothes.
"Yes, Uncle Witre." A long-lost smile appeared on Letis' tired face.
"Long time no see." She said slowly, and then asked Whitley to sit down.
In the simple hut, wisps of sunlight shine through the gaps in the roof and fall on the table. Dust floats slowly in the light, and a few quiet cicadas chirp from the window, highlighting the heat of midsummer.
"Are you okay, Letis? Did they do anything to you?" Verrett looked at the girl in front of him with concern.
"I'm okay, because I was still in school when the war broke out, and later the Crancia military let me go. But the rest of the family..." When she said this, Letis gradually lowered her head, her voice
It also gradually became depressed.
"I know, I understand, there are some things that I have been mentally prepared for a long time ago." Willett comforted the girl in front of him.
"I'm afraid all the family's wealth has disappeared, and those friends are probably gone too. Now that I can see a living relative, I'm satisfied." Willett leaned back in his chair and said slowly, this former
The Master of Magic Sequence 8 is now very skinny, and his skin has been tanned, and the whiteness of the past cannot be seen.
"Besides you, is anyone else alive in the family?" Willette asked with concern.
"No more..." Letis lowered her head and said, drops of water falling on her knees.
"Alas...it's so..."
"Maybe this is punishment..." He sighed.
"How are you doing lately? Is your life good?" He stretched out his hand to comfort his only niece, but when he reached halfway, he saw the black ash on it and slowly lowered it.
"I'm currently working in a textile factory in Liuli Province, and it's pretty good." Letis wiped her tears and slowly raised her head.
"Is that so? Is anyone bullying you?" Verrett asked slightly worriedly. After all, with the appearance of Letis, with a little dressing up, she is a stunning girl. If the public security in Nuo is not good, then...
"Fortunately, no one bullied me. All counties in Liuli Province have strict control, and no one dares to mess around."
Verrett recalled the soldiers in the mining area, whose strict discipline once surprised him. Now that he thought about it, other areas were not too bad either.
"That's good."
The room fell into silence for a while. Willet wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say at the moment. He could only look at the girl in front of him silently, the former jewel in the family's eye.
Thinking back to a few years ago, Letis was the eldest lady who was sought after and envied by everyone among the top management in Lurna, but now she was reduced to working in a textile factory. The gap was probably beyond what his uncle could have imagined. After all, she was the only one who
In my twenties, unlike myself, I have already experienced too many hardships and have looked away.
"Can alchemy and extraordinary sequences still be practiced?" Willet asked carefully after a long time.
"Perhaps, times are different now, and new ways of practice have changed a lot. Those of us with less honorable status are not allowed to enter the academy to study, so we can only explore by ourselves." Letis looked at the table.
Texture, now she is only at Magic Sequence 2. This is still the result of her own private exploration, which is very slow.
"It will get better, take your time."
"As long as the official doesn't ban it, you can eventually figure it out. Then live a good life and don't forget your childhood dream." Willett crossed his hands uneasily, rubbing his rough palms against each other.
In this prisoner mine, all prisoners are prohibited from practicing. Any actions found to gather extraordinary magic power will be punished, even if they were once high-ranking magic masters and high-ranking officials in Lurna.
While the two were talking, the brass clock on the table rang, and the soldier standing outside the door came in.
"It's time to leave." His voice was calm, as if he had long been used to such tragic scenes that made people cry.
Verrett stood up slowly, holding his body and speaking intermittently.
"Live a good life and marry into a peaceful family in the future. Even if your surname is not Shelia, it's fine. As long as you're safe."
"You want your life to be stable and your uncle to feel at ease..." Willett was taken outside the house by the soldier.
Letis looked at the limping and thin figure under the scorching sun, and her eyes gradually filled with liquid.
Once upon a time, this uncle was also a genius in the family. He was extremely handsome and charming, and was regarded by Rurna as the future Sequence 9, the pillar of the Shelia family.
But now, everything has dissipated like a dream, turning into a painful and painful reality.