The magnificent royal palace stands in the royal city, standing at the highest point, and it has been so for thousands of years, overlooking the city it rules and the endless land of Aaron Landis.
The vast ocean tumbled and surged behind it, slamming the turbulent waves against the steep cliffs again and again. The Enki River, one of the two mother rivers, came to an end here after flowing through the whole of Aaron Landis, crashing down from the cliff, forming a spectacular small waterfall.
The white column with the thick lotus top supports this huge palace, and the thick pure white masonry wall surrounds it, and the fiery red carvings are wrapped around it, like clusters of flames burning on it.
Snow-white semicircular arches stand on the ground, picking out the rune patterns of the gods layer by layer, allowing the erected columns to support the vast interior space.
The style of the entire palace is majestic and dignified, standing on the highest ground, majestic.
The crisscrossed vaults are like the sky, covered with a layer of broken gold, bathed in bright sunlight, shining with a dazzling golden brilliance, making people dare not look up.
A young man dressed in a brand-new guard costume stood in front of this magnificent and beautiful palace, wide-eyed watching all this shocking.
Lakdi is the new bodyguard chosen from thousands of competitors.
Although he could see the palace from outside before, this was the first time he approached it, and he could even walk into it right away—this made his heart beat violently, and he could not change his face even in the face of the slaughtering battlefield. He couldn't help but get nervous at this moment.
Taking a deep breath, suppressing his inner uneasiness, he followed closely behind the senior, forcing his composure, walked up the long steps on the oblique side, and walked into this gorgeous and solemn palace.
The wind from the sea to the south swept across the land of Aaron Landis, spreading the heat.
The sun is also at its hottest and brightest time of year, blanketing the ground in light and heat.
Summer has come, and the pleasant warmth of spring has left with the goddess of spring, and the temperature of the entire land of Aaron Landis is rapidly rising and becoming hot.
The first thing that caught the eyes of the young guard was a courtyard so vast that it was almost impossible to see the end, with hundreds of flowers in full bloom and proud greenery.
The foliage of cypress and palm trees was lush, laurels stood in the courtyard, and the green olive trees swayed slightly in the hot wind. The ivy climbs and wraps around the tall trees, forming large swathes of shade.
Several pools are dotted everywhere, or surrounded by hyacinths, or lotus flowers are blooming in them. The water of the fountain splashed down, making the sparkling water ripple in circles.
Countless flowers bloom under the scorching sun, reflecting the bright sunlight, making them more beautiful and moving.
Seeing that a companion who was also new to him couldn't hold back his curiosity and turned his head to look around, and then was reprimanded sharply by the senior guard who led them, Lakdi quickly followed his nose and nose and followed his heart. Don't dare to look around.
Follow the lead guard around the huge courtyard from the side, walk through the winding promenade, and then come to a small Shamash temple in a royal palace.
A Shamash priest was standing inside, looking solemnly waiting for their arrival.
Behind him, the statue of Shamash stands in awe.
This stone statue of Shamash has a shawl robe in one hand, and one hand stretched out in front of him, palm down, fist clenched.
It was a gesture that symbolized an oath.
These dozens of young guards who were newly selected to enter the palace all knelt down in front of the statue of Shamash's oath, restrained their excitement, and swore to Shamash, the God of Judgment in charge of the oath.
They will serve Aaron Landis with their lives and souls.
They will do their utmost to serve their king until the body turns to powder and the soul returns to the underworld.
Priest Shamash used bright red cinnabar to slash a vertical mark between their brows.
That was proof that Shamash had witnessed their oath.
The Aaronandeans believed that the center of a person's eyebrows was closely connected to the soul.
The engraving between the eyebrows is the engraving of the soul.
…
With one hand tightly pressing the sword unique to the palace guards that he had just obtained on his waist, Lakdi raised his chest and straightened his back, trying his best to show a majestic momentum.
He increased his vigilance to everything around him by 120,000 points, and his face was on guard, as if an enemy would kill him at any time.
The older guard beside him looked at him like this and couldn't help but want to laugh.
But after thinking about it, I was not much better than him when I entered the palace, so I held back and just patted the young colleague on the shoulder.
"Don't be nervous, our task today is just to patrol around the main hall."
He comforted the young man by saying,
"Because today is the day when the king is in the hall to discuss politics, there are guards guarding here. It's almost impossible for anything to go wrong. Take it easy."
It's okay if the older guard doesn't talk about it, but when he talks about it, Lakdi is even more nervous.
"You, you mean, king, king... uh, that one, the king is here right now?"
he stammered,
"Then, wait, can he, see, see me?"
Thinking of this possibility, he hurriedly lowered his head to see if his clothes were clean or messy.
Seeing that the new junior was so nervous that he started to stutter, and then tried his best to play with his clothes, the older guard finally couldn't hold back and laughed out loud.
He smiled and patted the young man on the shoulder.
"Don't be nervous, we can only take a look from a distance outside. It is very far away and surrounded by people, it is impossible for Wang to see you."
"Is that so..."
Lackdy let out a sigh of relief, so he wasn't so nervous.
However, there was a little bit of disappointment in my heart.
Indeed, if you think about it carefully, there will definitely be many big people around the young king, and it is impossible for him to be seen as an inconspicuous little guard.
Don't be delusional, and honestly perform your duty of patrolling the palace.
As long as you work hard, you will be promoted to the captain of the bodyguard in the future, transferred to the inner palace, and if you stay at the gate of the main hall, you will be very close to the king.
Thinking of this, he immediately got rid of the loss in his heart. Lakdi only felt that his whole body was full of strength, so he raised his chest and continued to follow the senior to carry out the task.
The older guard shook his head amusingly and continued to walk with him.
When he came to the vicinity of the main hall, Lakdi saw two rows of guards in black and red armor standing like cypress trees on both sides outside the main hall.
They stood upright, without looking sideways, with awe-inspiring expressions, holding silver guns whose heads shone coldly in the sunlight.
The young guard froze in his heart.
Even if the two groups of guards just stood there, motionless and silent, an invisible mighty power radiated silently, and the terrifying suffocating that had been fighting in the bloody sea of the battlefield all year round rushed to the face, which made people feel deep in their hearts. cold.
They stood there as if they were where the soldiers were.
The older guard led Lakete away from the side, teaching him as he went around.
"Usually, when there is no court meeting, we can patrol around the hall, but when the king's guards are here, it's better to go around the outside like now. Those guards won't tell you any favors."
He warned in a serious tone, "Also, you should never try to approach the king with a face like you, as long as you approach the past, even if you wear the clothes of the palace guards, you will be regarded as wrong by the guards. The molecules were arrested without saying a word."
Lakdi didn't listen to the senior's teaching at all. Although he followed the older guards step by step, his heart was already drifting away. He stared hard at the hall with his eyes, desperately trying to see the inside.
King of Garland.
The new king of Aaron Landis.
He succeeded to the throne at the age of a teenager more than a year ago, and now, like him, he has just turned eighteen years old.
It is said that when the young king was still a prince, he was called a 'wise prince' and was loved by many people in the royal city.
A little over a year ago, the brutal Gasdadians invaded Aaron Landis and came under the king's city. Aaron Landis was in danger of being destroyed for a time.
It was this King Garland, who was still the crown prince at the time, who turned the tide at a critical moment, led a large army to defeat the enemy army, saved Aaron Landis, and drove the invaders Gasdadians out of the country.
From then on, the reputation of the young king spread throughout the continent.
Inheriting the throne of the Lion King, he also became the new patron saint of Aaron Landis.
—Gallan, son of the gods, Aaronlandis was reborn because of you, you are the king of Aaronlandis, you are the immortal glory of Aaronlandis—
The song that resounded through the earth thus praised the young king.
Save Aaron Landis and save millions of Aaron Landis from ruin.
This alone makes people admire and respect him from the bottom of their hearts.
So is Lardy.
With his full admiration for this young king, he tried hard to take a look at that distant figure.
Passing over the two rows of guard soldiers standing on both sides of the main hall gate like cypress wood, passed through the huge arc-shaped arched white jade gate with exquisite patterns.
The sun shines through the skylights on the cross vaults, brightening the whole hall.
Ignoring the countless crowds on both sides of the hall, his gaze followed the long red carpet on the bluestone floor of the hall to the end.
Countless great people he didn't even dare to imagine bowed respectfully under them.
The unreachable distance made Lakdi barely able to see the figure sitting on the huge golden throne.
The beams of light falling from the skylight intertwined and converged on the throne, making the person sitting on it look like it was radiating golden light all over.
Like a god descending.
…
Just when Lakete was in a surging mood and his eyes were staring straight at the distant and vague yet majestic figure, he suddenly found that the figure moved.
He thought that he was staring too hard and his eyes were blurred, so he rubbed his eyes hard and looked at it again.
He was sure that his eyes were not blurred, the figure did move and walked down from the golden throne.
He was stunned to see the figure walking across the red carpet in the main hall and walking towards the door of the main hall.
Where the figure passed, the guards and female officials on both sides of the hall leaned down and knelt down.
At this moment, the guards standing on both sides of the gate of the main hall bowed slightly, bowed their heads respectfully, and welcomed the arrival of their king.
Before he could react, the elder guard who led him pressed him down.
"Don't be in a daze!"
Radee was pressed down to his knees.
Pfft!
puff puff!
Raddy felt like his heart was beating like crazy, and it could almost burst his chest.
Goddess of Luck Isdar, thank you for your blessings!
Thank you for allowing me to witness the majesty of the king with my own eyes on my first day in the palace.
He kept praising Goddess Isdar in his heart, and out of the corner of his eyes, Lakdi, who lowered his head, saw a pair of feet coming out of the gate, followed by dozens of feet.
He took a deep breath, raised his head secretly, and glanced up.
At this glance, Lakdi suddenly suffocated.
The golden long hair like flowing gold scattered behind the young king, shining in the sunlight, like the golden throne at the end of the hall, emitting golden brilliance.
He is at the forefront of everyone.
Behind him, the sky-blue cloak with the color of the sky flew behind him with his pace.
The young king is like a legend, with a face as beautiful as light.
It is a beauty that cannot be desecrated.
His face is very young, and there is even a bit of immaturity left. He does not look tall, but rather long, especially compared to the tall and burly people who are close to him. .
But among the crowd, he was born to give people a feeling of overpowering everyone.
It was an indescribable aura, as if as long as the young king stood there, all the people around him would invisibly dwarf him.
Raddy's heart suddenly tightened, and his body was stiff for a while, and he didn't dare to take a second peek, and quickly lowered his head deeply.
He couldn't give a reason.
Even if he just looked at it from such a distance, that invisible aura was overwhelmed.
The self-evident power of the young king made Lakti feel breathless.
It was not until the crowd left, and even the soldiers of the Guards followed, that Lakdi breathed a sigh of relief, raised his head, and looked at the direction in which his king was leaving from a distance.
That is... King Garland.
He thought dazedly.
out of reach.
unattainable.
Exist like a god.
…
…
In a blink of an eye, a day passed.
The new guards have just entered the palace today, and they are unfamiliar with many things, so it is impossible to arrange night shift tasks for them, so it is time for them to leave the palace.
Although the older bodyguard who led him told him that he could return, Raddy had been loathing to leave.
Seeing that the patrol was about to reach the starting point, and he was about to finish today's mission and leave the palace, he couldn't help but feel a little lost.
He looked around, pointed to the corridor where he turned into a place, and said, "That's where we patrol too, right? We don't seem to have been there."
The older guard glanced at it indifferently and replied, "Oh, there's a small garden there, there's nothing in it, and generally no one goes there, and it's fine if you don't go..."
"I'll go on a tour!"
Before the elder guard could finish speaking, Lakdi, who was dawdling and did not want to leave the palace, lit up, and ran there happily without waiting for the other party to answer.
Realizing the mentality of these young guards entering the palace for the first time, they were so excited that they could not wait to walk around every corner of the palace, the older guards couldn't help laughing and shook their heads.
never mind.
Young people are energetic.
It is good to be considerate as a senior.
The older guard was just smiling when a loud noise came from behind him.
He turned his head and saw a group of guards hurriedly running, scattered in groups, as if they were anxiously looking for something, and the atmosphere was very tense.
Looking at the leader again, it's actually the one—
The old guard's heart suddenly became tight.
problem occurs
…
…
Lackdy ran happily through the winding corridor, and the end of the corridor was a small garden, as the old guard said.
Although there are no luxurious buildings, it is surrounded by streams, tree-lined, lush grass like a carpet of green velvet, and the hot sun is blocked by the lush tree canopy.
Coupled with the approaching evening, when the wind blows, the breeze is breezy, giving people a very comfortable and comfortable feeling.
Although he has been patrolling for a long time, the young guard who is still full of energy at this moment begins to walk around the grass. At this moment, the senior is no longer staring at the side, and he does not need to be detained any more. Take a look right.
The wind blew, and the lush tree crown above his head swayed, and the sunlight cast from the gaps in the branches and leaves swayed, reflecting a light, which was reflected in Laketee's eyes.
Raddy was startled.
He saw what seemed to be glowing on the grass in the distance near the stone wall.
He fixed his eyes and saw that the sun was shining again.
… Golden
Lakdi walked over subconsciously, and when he saw it, he was stunned.
The luminous thing he saw turned out to be long golden hair spread on the grass. The light spots leaking from the branches and leaves shone on the golden hair, and the owner of the golden long hair was lying sideways on the soft grass. It looks like it's sleeping.
He looked like a teenager, but because his back was just turned to him, Raddy couldn't see the blond teenager's face.
Maybe some young attendant or a young student from the Solgar Temple School came here lazily
Lackdy thought so, somewhat amused, squatted down, stretched out his hand and nudged the blond boy's shoulder lightly.
"Hey, wake up."
He shouted, "It's already evening, if you don't get up again, you won't be able to leave the palace."
It seemed that he was pushed awake, and the boy moved.
With this move, Raddy saw the cape that the boy was pressing under him.
The sky-blue cloak, the soft and smooth fabric, and the looming golden threads in the fabric all revealed its rarity and value.
uh... this cape... looks like...
…
…somewhat familiar
Just when Radek was still trying to think about where he had seen the cape, the boy who was pushed awake by him finally sat up.
The long golden hair slid from the boy's shoulders like velvet and spread out in the air.
The boy who sat up on the cloak on the grass raised his hands and stretched his waist vigorously, while opening his mouth and yawning.
The action is arbitrary, the kind that has no image.
Then, the boy continued to sit on the grass and turned his head.
Like a golden gem, he glanced at the person who woke him up beside him.
The young guard squatting on the grass was petrified the moment the boy got up.
The hand he pushed on the boy's shoulder just now was still frozen in the air.
Although he can't wait to chop off his extremely rude hand right now—
Glancing at those golden pupils, Rakdy's heart trembled.
He took a step back abruptly, fell to his knees on the grass, his hands were on the ground, almost prostrate, and his forehead was pressed against the grass.
"Please, please forgive my offense, Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I, I... That, I don't know it's you, I, I dare to touch your noble body, no, I mean, I, I..."
The panic-stricken Raddy was already incoherent.
His mind went blank, and he only felt that his heart had stopped beating.
A hand reached out and patted the back of his head.
Raddy looked up in horror.
Then, he saw that the young king who was squatting in front of him suddenly turned his eyes and smiled brightly at him.
Raddy was a little confused by that smile, and looked at each other blankly.
"You do one thing now."
Blinking slightly, Garlan said,
"When it's done, I'll forgive you for offending me."
"Er?... Yes, yes! Please tell me!"
Just as Garlan was about to open his mouth to speak, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a familiar figure in the distance from the corner of his eye.
Too late to say more.
He quickly threw the cape into Lakde's hand and stood up.
"Listen, Xie Mu'er is coming soon, go and trick him away from me, don't let him know I'm here."
Xie, Xie Muer
The high priest of Shamash
That cold-faced, ruthless and stern High Priest His Excellency? !
"Wait, wait, Your Majesty, this - this subordinate can't do it - how dare I deceive Your Excellency the High Priest?"
Raddy was eager to get up, but a finger was pressed against his forehead.
He didn't dare to move immediately.
Garlan, who had stood up, put a finger on his forehead.
The young man looked at him with a smile, his smile was bright, but for some reason it made his heart sink.
"This is the king's life."
"Uh… "
After hesitating for a while, Lakdi saw Garlan's figure quickly disappearing into the depths of the dense bushes, and then there was no movement, presumably hiding there.
He held the cloak in his hands and stood there blankly.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?"
A stern voice came from far behind.
Raddy was shocked and turned around suddenly.
A tall man in a priest Shamash costume was walking towards him with a solemn expression, looking at him coldly, holding a golden scepter in his hand.
High Priest of Shemuel!
Raddy hurriedly knelt down.
"I'm the bodyguard who just entered the palace today, and I'm in charge of patrolling this area."
"What are you holding in your hand?"
Xie Mu'er's powerful eyes stared at the young guard kneeling at his feet and the cloak in the other's hand.
Raddy was so nervous that he was almost speechless, but the smiling face of the young man suddenly appeared in his mind, and he suddenly felt blessed.
"His Excellency High Priest, I was going out to report to the top. When I was patrolling here, I saw someone lying on the grass and didn't know what they were doing. I walked over to interrogate him, but as soon as I approached, he put The cloak was thrown on my head, and by the time I reacted, he had already run away."
He said anxiously, "His High Priest, that person is very suspicious and must be found as soon as possible."
The corner of Xie Mu'er's eyes twitched slightly.
"I see." He said coldly, "Your patrol mission has been completed. Now, it's time for you to leave the palace."
"But that suspicious person..."
Radek said hesitantly, pointing in a certain direction—that was the exact opposite of the direction Garlan was hiding in.
"I'll take over this matter, okay, guard, you can go."
The high priest mercilessly interrupted the guard's words and stretched out his hand.
"Give me the cape."
"Yes."
Honestly handed the cloak to the high priest, and the young guard obeyed the order and got up and left.
When he walked out of the corridor and confirmed that the people on the high priest's side would definitely not see him, his feet softened and he fell to the ground.
Forcing his composure to deceive the High Priest just now had exhausted his lifelong courage, and now he was sitting on the ground and his hands were shaking while supporting his upper body.
He opened his mouth and gasped, and his heart was pounding so fast that it almost came out of his mouth.
He couldn't believe that those words just came out of his own mouth.
That's the high priest, the high priest who represents Shamash's will—
The just sun god Shamash.
I hope you will forgive me for deceiving your priests for the sole purpose of faithfully carrying out the king's mandate.
Raddy was out of breath for a long time, and finally recovered.
My feet are still weak and I can't stand up.
He continued to sit on the ground, raised his head, and looked at the red sunset on the horizon.
He remembered the young king who was unattainable like a god at the first sight.
He remembered the young boy who smiled cleanly and brightly like a child just now.
Which one is real.
still…
are all true
…
…
The guard did a great job.
Garlan hid in the bushes, watching Xie Muer lead the people to chase in the other direction, and he was relieved.
If Xie Muer caught him on the spot, he would definitely be reprimanded by Xie Muer for three full hours.
The horror of that magical sound...
Garland looked up at the sky.
The sun was almost approaching the horizon, and it was almost evening. Garlan rubbed his temples, thinking that he had escaped for a long time, and it was almost time to go back.
Through the thick bushes, he glanced outside.
There are only two entrances and exits to this small garden, one is the promenade where Xie Muer comes in. With Xie Muer's obsessive-compulsive disorder, people will definitely stay at the exit of the corridor. And the other is where Xie Muer is chasing now, and he naturally won't be stupid enough to throw himself into the trap.
Then, there is only one option left.
As it happened, the cloak that was in the way was also taken away by Xie Muer.
Looking up at the tall white stone wall in front of him, Garlan took a few steps back.
He looked at a tall olive tree beside him and reached for the shortest branch.
One jumped up and jumped up.
After a few more jumps, he jumped up the canopy nimbly.
Kneeling and half kneeling on a sturdy branch, the fine sunlight fell on Garlan through the dense canopy.
Just when the flowers were blooming, clusters of tiny white flowers bloomed on the green branches and leaves. When the wind blew, the tiny branches and leaves shook, and the tiny white petals rustled.
He was half-squatting on the thick branch, and the light fragrance surrounded him.
The tall olive tree had already crossed the high wall, and many branches and leaves were sticking out of the wall, and the thick branch he was on was also sticking out of the wall.
As long as he jumps down, he can jump out of the wall.
Just as Garlan was about to stick his head out of the dense canopy to look at the scene outside the wall, he suddenly heard an angry shout coming from behind.
He looked back subconsciously, and saw that his deceived high priest was walking towards him angrily, his eyes like swords.
Facing Xie Muer's fierce staring eyes, Garlan blinked innocently and smiled at his high priest.
Then, he turned back.
Without saying a word, he jumped decisively.
Suddenly a strong wind blew, and the crown of the olive tree shook and rustled.
The tiny petals scattered like tiny white snowflakes, as if they were chasing the boy who jumped off in the wind.
A pair of large brown hands suddenly stretched out from the wind.
He grabbed the waist of the boy who fell from the air exactly.
Catch it firmly in the air.
The long pale blond hair like melted gold slid down from Gallan's white cheeks, passed over the strong brown arm, and fell on the dark shoulder armor of the man who had caught him.
The golden eyes opened slightly, revealing a bit of surprise, reflecting the slightly raised lips of the other party.
Heimos raised his head.
The tiny petals that follow the boy with the wind are like pure white snowflakes, rustling from the air.
One of the petals fell gently on his jet-black forehead.
Black hair scattered from the corners of his slightly raised eyes, and a gentle smile appeared in the golden red eyes staring at Garlan.
He waited outside the wall for a long time.
When the wind picked up, he stretched out his hand.
Then, he caught the boy who fell from the sky with the rustling rain of flowers.