The weather has obviously turned a lot colder.
It's November in the north, and when I wake up in the morning, many outdoor objects are already covered with a light layer of hoarfrost. Due to the wind and waves during the voyage, the white frost formed by water vapor splashing on the sides of the ship began to melt after the sun came up. The crystal clear picture under the sun, combined with the gray-blue sky and deep blue sea in the distance, makes people feel extremely fascinated.
The smell of sea breeze.
It's fishy.
This is the first time he has seen the ocean in his life. But unlike other members of the Knights, he did not keep vomiting because of the difficult sea wind and the rocking of the voyage.
Some people are born to be sailors. Even without training, his performance is not much worse than that of experienced sailors.
The progress of the mission was delayed for a full three months. Because the Silver Guards have been in the limelight in the past few years and due to the characteristics of this mission, this time the other eleven knights are also competing hard.
Although they finally got what they wanted with the help of strong backstage, the delay of time also made many things more urgent. One of these is the unyielding cult organization - the Imperial Intelligence Department obtained relevant information and discovered that the true origin of the cultists who were exterminated in the Empire came from Suomir.
This is also one of the arguments used by Crown Prince Hermes to help the Silver Guard fight for this opportunity. After all, the Silver Guard has experience in dealing with cults. Several years of large and small battles have made the new members of this knighthood grow rapidly, but they have also left countless wounds.
"Tap, tap! -" footsteps sounded behind him, one soft and two loud, obviously coming from a seasick team member.
"Whew—" Liccardo, with a livid face, had just stepped out and wanted to take a breath of fresh air, but the fishy smell of the sea breeze made him even more unbearable. He lay down next to the side of the boat and started retching. After vomiting for a long time and nothing came out, his face looked listless.
"I really envy your kid's ability to adapt." Even though he has become the current leader, Haimirning does not show any airs. Among the Knights, respect is gained from others based on seniority and ability. This is also a unique atmosphere among a group with a large number of civilians. The tendency of nobles to compare with their family background is relatively rare here, but for this reason, the Silver Guard's armor and equipment are always the simplest.
Even though the equipment of Hymelning as the leader is indeed the latest cutting-edge, such armor is actually available to everyone in other knights. Because the aristocratic children of the Knights are quite wealthy, using brass on the edge of the mail is only the lowest class. Gold plating or even pure gold to add color to the edge is considered the wealthy upper class.
The Silver Guard is composed of lower-class nobles and citizens. The funds for the operation of the group come from allocations from the Imperial Treasury and private donations initiated by the church. Although there have been a lot more donations from the public due to its rise in fame in recent years, overall they are still barely supporting the organization.
No one in the other knights would take this money seriously. The noble children all purchased equipment and horses with their own money. They use this money more to send their subordinates to repair the equipment of the group, while the Silver Guard Knights rely on it for everything.
Purchase of new equipment, maintenance and repairs in all aspects. As well as the cost of medical treatment and comfort for the dead and injured, all of this needs to be divided from the only source of income. Thanks to the diversity of members, there are also members of the Knights who are good at financial management, so even though they are just barely surviving, they are still doing well.
The money you get is only slightly more, but the dirty work is basically done by the Knights of the Silver Guard. This group, which is incompatible with the other 11 knights, was destined to have this fate from the beginning, but no one who joined it complained.
"It is important to know what you are fighting for." The former regiment leader always emphasized this sentence: "We come from the people, so we should also defend the people."
It is different from those high-ranking aristocratic children who join the Knights to achieve gilding, and the purpose is to gain fame and fiefdom. The Silver Guard, who is closely connected with the church, is what most ordinary people yearn for in this world.
real.
A hero at your fingertips.
But it doesn't come without a price.
"Cough cough cough -" Liccardo coughed again, and Haimirning turned back to look at his friend who was already 34 but still considered in his prime. "It's okay, it's okay." He waved his hands, but it was obvious that his body was somewhat affected by the cold weather.
The red-haired senior knight turned his head, and at this time, Haymelin could no longer only see the left side of his face.
The right side of Ricardo's face was covered with three crooked scratches. He originally had the face of a handsome Laman young man, but now he would scare a child into silence if he stood in the dark.
This was the result of the monsters driven by the cultists. After his helmet was knocked off, he received a claw. Although it was extremely lucky that the blow extending from the forehead to the neck happened to bypass the eyes and carotid arteries, the trauma caused on the face could never be erased.
Almost all the senior members were injured, and including subordinate soldiers, more than 60 people were killed during the battle.
"Why, you kid are influenced by my handsomeness? I have no interest in that. Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha--"ahemaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa,"" Liccardo joked, pointing to his scar, but at the end he gasped. Out of breath, he began to cough loudly.
"You should stay in the south." Haimirning looked at him worriedly. "I should, but without you and Gedo arguing with me, I'm too quiet alone." Liccardo shrugged, then held on to the side of the ship and coughed while returning to the cabin.
Since there were no ships large enough, the Knights advanced in two groups.
They were the first batch, and after disembarking from the ship, they had to go straight to their destination and start to kill the local cultists.
Four years have passed, and even though he has been fighting them day and night, Heimerning still doesn't know what these people want.
The Padrosi Empire is the most powerful nation in the world today. With the size of the entire country, there is nothing in this world that can truly compete with it. After the crown prince was initially attacked by these cultists, the powerful imperial intelligence agency, combined with the magisters of the Royal Institute of Mystery and Astrology, immediately figured out that they were using ancient dark magic.
This magic is even older than the Padrosi Empire itself, a product of primitive paganism that preceded the schism of the Lamanite Empire. But just like the theory of equivalent exchange that magicians believe in, such a powerful and dangerous spell also requires a very high price. The materials required for casting spells include gold and many expensive rare magic ores. As long as these are strictly controlled, the actions of the cultists can be restricted.
This is how the Knights of the Silver Guard followed the example and wiped out their nest in the northern part of the empire. But even with the suppression of the most powerful state machine in the world today, these guys can always find sources of funds from unknown places and continue their activities.
This will be a long and protracted war, Haimirning has a vague premonition.
When discussing this issue with the previous leader, he said that "Although the empire is powerful, there are also many enemies" - the hidden meaning of this sentence more or less explains the purpose of the cultists' actions. If it is to give Pad If the Rossi Empire brings chaos, then many things can indeed be explained.
Including the assassination of the crown prince.
“Woo————” There was fog in the harbor of South Aurora in the early morning of November. The whale oil lighthouse could not penetrate it, so the direction could only be determined through the fog angle. The experienced crew began to move the ship closer to the port, while the knights lay half-dead on the bed, while Haymelin stood alone by the side of the ship, thinking quietly.
His Highness Hermes is a unique royal family.
He is different from His Majesty the Emperor, who is still vigorous at the age of 82 and has single-handedly created this empire that is so huge that it covers almost the entire east coast. His Royal Highness Crown Prince Hermes has never been known for his fondness for war. Most of the good things about him among the people are his support for the arts and the academy. He also obviously prefers playing chess, calligraphy and painting to build civilization rather than fighting and killing.
In the early years, there were even rumors that the crown prince had no royal blood at all. Because not only his personality was very different from that of the emperor, but his eyes also followed his mother's. She has gray-blue eyes like the Suomir concubine, instead of the common emerald blue or dark brown eyes of the Padrosi people.
Although His Majesty Emperor Sigsumund was full of energy and had many concubines, except for Hermes, there was no boy who could grow up smoothly. All the princes before him died young, and the only one who survived was the princess. In the huge palace, Hermes had been alone since he was a child. In the absence of competition from other brothers, he was destined to become the crown prince, but this did not happen when he was 11 years old as usual, but was delayed until he was 19 years old.
His Majesty the Emperor himself seems to be resisting all this, and the reason is naturally unknown to the outside world.
Now he is 43 years old. He has stayed in the position of crown prince for 24 years, and it seems that he will never be able to become emperor in the future.
In two years' time, the eldest princess's son will be 11 years old. It is well known that His Majesty the Emperor loves this grandson, and even takes him with him instead of the Crown Prince Hermes on many important occasions. After all, the former is obviously more similar to the emperor. He was very interested in military affairs and conquest at a young age. It is said that since he was 6 years old, the emperor would customize a set of armor for him as a gift every year.
The object of neglect by those in power is praised and loved by the people. His Majesty Emperor Higsumund may have opened up the territory and created a great empire, but much of the work that kept it alive and prosperous was done by Crown Prince Hermes.
Unlike his father, who was good at wielding weapons and commanding battles, the crown prince seemed to be born to be a great speaker. He is good at and is committed to solving problems without bloodshed. This idea resonates with the White Church, and with the efforts of both parties, countless academies for cultivating outstanding talents have been built in the empire.
Within the territory, build infrastructure, pacify dissatisfied nobles, and give commoners and poor people a chance to get ahead.
Outside the country, appease foreign enemies, maintain diplomatic relations with other countries, and ensure the existence of allies.
His fathers opened up the territory, but he maintained it silently. Even though he is not loved by the emperor, the Crown Prince is indeed a conscientious person.
This may be the reason why those cultists are targeting him. As for the so-called blasphemous people, if this reason could be understood, Haimirning would be as crazy as those cultists.
"Ka-" The sound of the ship docking sounded, and Haimirning was awakened from his thoughts. The moment he raised his head, he heard the man above shouting "Varo (beware)!" He couldn't understand the Suomir language, but as a warrior, his reaction speed was extremely fast, and he stepped back to distance himself.
"Dang——!" The thing that fell was a hammer. It hit the side of the ship and made a dent, then it fell into the sea. Fortunately, Haymelin, who had quick eyes and quick hands, rushed forward and grabbed the end of the hammer.
"Paolila, Paolila (I'm sorry, I'm sorry)!" There was a young man on the upper trestle looking up through the fog, covering his hands and talking nonstop, and next to him he looked like a supervisor. The man came over and slapped him hard on the head: "Assi!"
"You are from Padrosi, right? This kid can't speak Lamani. He is apologizing to you!" The supervisor kept apologizing for him, and Haymelin shook the hammer in his hand. Throw it upward.
"Hey!" The supervisor uncle caught him: "Thank you, Sir Knight!" "Assi!" He then turned around and patted the apprentice who accidentally hit himself, then let go to cover the pain and dropped the hammer. Haimelning nodded and said with some concern: "Let him rest, his hands look swollen."
"The knight's eyesight is really good. He can see such details clearly at such a height. Assi, why don't you thank the knight quickly!" The supervisor pressed the young man's head and asked him to bow repeatedly, while Haimirning waved his hands and moved away. Topic: "Your Lamani language is pretty good. Have you ever been to the Empire?" he asked, and the other party nodded: "Yes, although I am of Suomir descent, I grew up in Padrosi. This The trestle was also built with donations from our great Emperor, and because I have Suomir blood, I became the contractor of the project."
"The great trestle that no one has ever seen on the East Coast, hahaha. Look, the commemorative sign that will be put up is hanging next to it!"
"On one side is the lily of the valley representing Suomir, and on the other side is the daisy of Padrosi. May the friendship between the two countries last forever!" the supervisor uncle said, and Haimirning followed him and looked over there. It was a piece of The rather large wooden sign has a horizon blue background color, and the fonts have been gilded. It looks like it was newly painted and is still shining.
He softly read out the text written in Raman script: "In the year 1338 of the Raman New Calendar, in the name of our Emperor Sigsumund Voznorion Seksiyutu I, in order to reconcile with Suo Mir repaired and built this trestle. May the friendship between the two countries last forever, just like the permafrost between His Majesty Crown Prince Hermes Gesu Sekesiutu and the late Suomir Bishop Ella Elingonnan An indestructible friendship is common. Long live the East Coast of the united North and South, long live the Empire, long live Suomir!"
Below this paragraph, there was the same content written in Suomir. Heimirnin did not recognize the Suomir language. Only the second line and the second paragraph of the second line recognized the name because of the punctuation, which he could not move away from for a long time. look.
"Haimiers..." He moved his eyes away, and the ship had completely docked, so that the pained knights could finally step onto solid ground.
"Oh!" The moment the soles of his feet touched the ground, a voice sounded in the direction of the empty port.
"It seems that you are the ones I'm waiting for?" Haimirning turned around, as did the other knights who had just come off the boat and were sorting out their bags.
It was a woman dressed in white, about 1.7 meters tall. He wears a red badge on his waist and has short silver hair, looking very capable.
"I'm Erica." She walked over and stretched out her hand towards Haimirning: "Head of the Mercenary Union, we have also received a commission from the empire regarding the cultists this time. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will personally Promulgated, I hope that we locals can serve as your partners and guides. We look forward to sincere cooperation with you."
"Okay..." Hearing that it was the crown prince who did it, Haimirning felt a little complicated, but he still held the hand.
"Hey, are there such cute girls in the mercenary union!" Liccardo's voice sounded from behind, interrupting the conversation that the two were about to have. The red-haired knight's seasickness seemed to disappear the moment he saw Erica. But just as he was about to take steps and run towards this side, Gedo grabbed his collar from behind.
"Stop, don't scare people with your face." Gedo was as ruthless as ever, but Ricardo, who was exhausted after vomiting for a long time, couldn't break free and collapsed. But Erica raised her eyebrows: "Men with scars are more handsome. And Mr. Knight, please don't think of me as a weak woman with no strength." She retracted her hand and held Hymir's hand. Ning's hand opened the distance and at the same time pulled out the dagger from his waist, changing the grip many times between flips.
Coupled with the pace and body skills, it shows considerable speed and beauty.
"Oh——" Many knights and accompanying soldiers sighed. Although this is a trick rather than a technique that can be used in actual combat, it cannot be used by anyone who is not absolutely confident in weapons.
"Introducing myself again, I am Erica. One of the thirteen red-card mercenaries of the Mercenary Guild." She put the dagger back on her waist with a graceful gesture, and then faced her with Raman-style knight etiquette instead of lady etiquette. Everyone salutes.
"Red card, what is that?" Liccardo stared with confusion on his face.
"The grading system has just been introduced." Erica spread her hands: "It hasn't been promoted yet, and now the founders, including me, have assigned a red card for the highest grade. Obviously, the other grades below have not been assigned yet. "
"Oh, is Miss Erica still the founder of the union?" Liccardo came closer and started chatting, and Erica glanced at him, nodded and shook her head: "To be precise, my family is the founder. One of the guys, I just took over the position.”
"Let's go, rest first, and then carry out the mission briefing." Haimirning turned around and said to the knights who were carrying armor and weapons in large and small bags, while Erica and Liccardo in front were already there. Started walking.
"Miss Erica, who has this silver hair?"
"Huh? Well, it is said that my ancestors have elven blood, which is unique."
"It's so beautiful, like starlight——"
"uh-huh."
"This guy is completely controlled by the other party." Gedo said next to Haimirning: "Be careful, you have never heard of the mercenary union, and you can't completely trust it even if you have the same interests. "
"Yeah." Hemelin nodded absently, Gedo noticed this but said nothing. A group of dozens of people walked forward together with their equipment.
