Kestrel slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window beside the bed. The summer sunshine was like liquid gold, spreading evenly between the ancient trees and stone bricks. The crisp birdsong echoed constantly, making everything look very beautiful.
It's calm.
Half a month has passed since the night of suffering. After returning to Old Dunling, Kestrel has been living here these days, a branch of Black Mountain Hospital.
In fact, it is not a branch hospital. After the Black Mountain Hospital incident, because the original site needed to be repaired, with the consent of President Abigail, Black Mountain Hospital was temporarily split apart, waiting for the reconstruction of the original site.
This is a branch hospital located in the countryside. According to the sharing of functions, it is quite normal. It is a sanatorium, specially responsible for taking in injured knights. The half-dead Kestrel received complete treatment here.
Kestrel still remembered what the doctors said to him. They said that Kestrel was really lucky. There were no serious fatal injuries on his body, but he had lost a lot of blood and was mentally and physically exhausted. After treatment and recuperation, except for those broken bones,
Apart from the bones that have not yet healed, Kestrel is almost healed.
The body was still a little weak, but he could move freely without delay. Kestrel leaned on his arm and slowly sat up. The other arm was put in a plaster, and the doctor said it would take at least half a month to remove it.
Picking up the mirror on the cabinet, Kestrel looked at his face, with a look of distress in his eyes.
"Uuuuuuuuuah, there are still scars."
Kestrel looked at the scars on his cheeks, which were left behind during the battle in Theater Square. Logically speaking, scars on the face would make people look more vicious, but there was an inexplicable look on Kestrel's face.
It was so funny, and he couldn't figure out why.
"Scars are the testimony of men. Only cowards are afraid of these."
The voice came from the side. There was another bed not far from Kestrel. Haybold turned over and said to Kestrel with his head on the pillow.
"So I think you Vikings have something wrong with your brains."
This kind of conflict in values? Kestrel still couldn't accept it.
After returning to Inverg, Hebold's injury was not serious? It could even be considered a minor injury. However, he was still admitted to the Black Mountain Hospital for corrosion testing.
Thinking of this, Kestrel's relaxed expression turned serious? Although his memory had begun to blur due to injury at that time, he still vaguely remembered that scene.
In that burning hell? Angels descend.
Countless, pure white steel wings unfolded one after another? They cut all the living creatures they encountered, the flesh and blood fell apart in front of them, and the hot blood dyed them red.
What are those things? Kestrel couldn't figure it out. They just appeared out of thin air? It was like a nightmare that broke through dimensions.
Thinking of this, Kestrel turned its eyes to Highbould? Everyone saw that scene, and they were all frightened by this strange existence.
Of course, the one who deserves more fear and doubt is him, Lorenzo Holmes. Although no one said it, and he didn't admit it, everyone knew it and could vaguely guess in their hearts that those strange things were Yin Luo.
Renzo appears.
However, everyone maintained the tacit understanding until they returned to Inverg? No one asked Lorenzo this.
"By the way, Lorenzo has been gone for a long time."
Kestrel then thought? He muttered to himself.
"It will take a week, right?"
Haybold looked at the calendar beside him.
After being taken in, Lorenzo was assigned a separate room. He had to report various intelligence and conduct tests every day. It seemed that the matter was really serious. Kestrel saw Merlin walking in front of his door several times.
Pass.
Lorenzo would still visit them from time to time. He said he lived next door and always brought what the doctors said was contraband when he came.
"Ah... living a peaceful life like this for too long becomes a little uncomfortable."
Kestrel probably didn't want the room to fall into silence, so he added.
"What's wrong?"
Haybold asked, still holding the knight he borrowed from Kestrel in his hand. This quiet time gave Haybold enough time to read these stories.
"It's just... very uncomfortable. It feels like the battle not long ago was like a dream. It's like you Vikings will not arrive at the Hall of Valor after death, but a place similar to here, warm and comfortable, without fighting or...
Fighting, everyone just lies in bed doing nothing every day, wasting time."
Kestrel was thinking with a smile on his face.
"Think about it, this ending is not bad."
The voice faded again, Kestrel thought for a while, and suddenly said to Haybold.
"But I still have to thank you, Haybold. If you hadn't carried me out, I probably would have died there."
In response to Kestrel's thanks, Haybold's expression did not change much. He continued to read the book and answered casually.
"nothing."
"It's so good to be alive..."
Kestrel looked out the window and felt.
With a bang, the door was pushed open. Both Kestrel and Haybold were attracted by the sound and looked outside the door. They saw Eve standing outside the door panting in hospital clothes, with a hand in her hand.
Roll newspaper.
"Something big happened!"
Eve took a breath and shouted loudly.
"What's wrong?"
Kestrel looked confused, and saw Eve quickly walking to Kestrel's bed and spreading out the newspaper in her hand.
"This is today's report. The king of Gaulnaro has passed away."
"What... happened?"
Kestrel couldn't figure it out for a moment, but Haibold's expression on the side had changed slightly.
"Before his death, the King of Gaulnaro confirmed his successor as his son, Cornel Garrel, and appointed the director of the Iron Law Bureau, Cory Ferre, as his minister."
Eve quickly explained that this could be regarded as a political earthquake in Nalo, and it happened very quickly. By the time a few people saw the newspaper, the new king had already succeeded.
"Cory Ferey? That's the guy?"
Kestrel thought of this name and the person it represented.
"It's him. Now that he has come from behind the scenes to the stage, they must be making some big move," Eve panicked. "What's more important is that before the death of the old king, a large number of old nobles and ministers were liquidated.
Already."
As Eve spoke, she pointed to the corner of the newspaper. It only occupied a small page and contained only a few lines of text. However, just these few lines were more important than the information revealed in the previous news.
A new voice sounded, and Irene walked over from behind the door. She was barely considered a member of the team, and was admitted to the Black Mountain Hospital after arriving in Inverg. These days, she and Eve were roommates, living next door.
.
"During the years when the old king was seriously ill, on the surface he was loosening his control over the country. The noble ministers secretly conducted many dirty transactions, thinking that they would not be discovered. In fact, all this was under the prying eyes of the Iron Law Bureau.
, at the end of the old king's life, he launched an internal purge. The evidence of the crime that had been collected long ago was brought to light, and most of the old nobles were eliminated with strong methods. Only those who survived were
They will tremble, and they will surrender to the new king so that their families can survive the wrath."
Erin read the newspaper solemnly.
"The old king reunited the country before his death and handed it over to his son in its entirety."
"They are preparing for war, preparing for our war. Only in this way can a united country fight against us." Hebold said.
His words were a bit depressing, making everyone in the room feel a little uncomfortable.
Whether it is Kestrel or Eve, everyone knows one thing very well. With the death of Ivar, war is inevitable, and this time they initiated the war on their own initiative. Everything now is just the calm before the storm.
"Looks like I have to leave."
Haybold said, turning around and packing up his clothes.
"Where are you going?"
Kestrel asked his temporary roommate. To be honest, it was nice to have someone to chat with him in the middle of the night. Although Heibald was very disgusted with this, he couldn't understand why a guy wanted to go to bed and talk so much.
.
"Viking Kingdoms. I should have left a long time ago. The doctor said that I am mentally stable and can leave at any time. But as you said, such peaceful leisure is hard-won. I still have to enjoy it if I can enjoy it for a few more days."
War is not a joke, these things are very serious. There are some things that Hebold has to report in person, such as the death of Ivar. After all, he is also the child of the Ice King.
"I'll take these books with me."
Haybold said as he picked up a few more unfinished books.
"The Rhine League, the Viking nations and Inverg, the combined strength... this will be a war that sweeps the entire Western world!"
Screams rang out, and only then did a few people notice that there was another person in the room.
Hercule was tied to the bed, lifted up forcefully, and screamed at several people.
"Conspiracy! It's all a conspiracy! They want to kill everyone!"
A chaotic storm seemed to have arisen in his mind, and Hercule instantly deduced an extremely bad future, in which the entire ocean would be dyed red with countless blood.
"what happened to him?"
Eve ignored Hercule's words and asked Kestrel, her roommate.
Kestrel shook his head helplessly and said.
"I don't know. In short, Hercule said he could talk to mice... Poirot to be precise. He could understand what Poirot was saying. In addition, he had to undergo a mental examination. The doctors suspected that he was suffering from mental illness.
Erosion, but he shows no signs of alienation... In short, it is a quite special case."
Kestrel thought of the follow-up again and continued.
"The doctor also did a lot of examinations on Poirot and confirmed that it was just an ordinary chinchilla. There was nothing abnormal at all. In the end, he performed an operation on him."
"Operation?"
Eve didn't understand. Usually everyone gathered in the garden in the afternoon, just like a group of old men and women. This was the first time Eve found Hercule here.
The cage shook violently, interrupting Eve's question. Poirot was seen banging against the cage angrily and squeaking something.
"Damn, you actually scolded me! Who bought you back from the fur trader, have you forgotten?"
Hercule raised his head vigorously, and it seemed that he and Poirot were scolding each other.
"What does it have to do with me? Didn't you see that I am also tied up?"
"Squeak, squeak, squeak!"
"They sterilized you so cheaply, what can I do?"
The squeaking sound stopped for a moment, then became more violent.
Eve looked at this somewhat strange scolding battle with a complicated expression.
"Are they usually like this?"
"Pretty much, but the doctor said if he gets too noisy, he can be given a shot of sedative."
Kestrel raised his eyebrows and opened the drawer.
…
Haybold left, and Eve left with him. She also expressed confusion about the conspiracy of this operation. Now Eve's mental test has stabilized and she is allowed to leave. She is going to complete her internship.
And go ask Arthur what's going on.
The room fell silent, quite quickly, just like when he returned to Inverg from Nalo in Gaul.
Everything happened too fast, without any preparation. Kestrel only remembered a group of people shouting his name, and then various bright lights flashed in front of his eyes. When he woke up again, he was in the Black Mountain Hospital.
, the whole person was tightly wrapped in bandages.
After injecting a shot of sedative, Hercule became more honest, and Poirot also fell asleep. The too quiet room made Kestrel a little uncomfortable, just like the end of a carnival, deserted.
"You're recovering well, Moon."
The sound sounded, startling Kestrel. He turned his head and remembered that Irene had not left yet.
To be honest, after going through so much, even though Kestrel didn't want to admit it, he didn't hate Irene so much anymore, just like he could talk to Hebold now, no matter what happened before
, now we are more or less considered brothers who have passed away.
These guys brought him back alive from Nalo, but due to some shyness, Kestrel could not express his gratitude. The most he could do was promise Heibald that if there was a sequel, he would mail it to him.
In the Viking countries, he paid for the postage.
"What...what happened?"
Kestrel looked at Eileen and backed away a few times in fear, but he was already leaning against the wall and had no way to retreat.
"I just feel that many people may never see them again in this life."
Eileen said a little lonely.
"Like Haybold, do you think you'll ever see him again?"
Kestrel was startled, not understanding what Irene said.
"He has returned to the Viking Kingdoms, that distant and cold place. He will return to his post and join the wave of war. And you will do the same. You will return to the purification mechanism and join this huge machine, saying
Maybe that look just now was the last in your life."
Kestrel opened his mouth, he wanted to say something, but suddenly Eileen came over and grabbed his face.
There was no exciting plot, and no intoxicating scenes. Irene just grabbed Kestrel's head roughly and prevented him from moving.
Eileen stared at Kestrel expressionlessly. Kestrel could even see his own reflection in Eileen's eyes. He could feel the power coming from his eyes, as if he wanted to keep the picture he was looking at forever.