The bright moon hangs high in the sky, casting soft moonlight on the earth.
The night was supposed to be quiet, but this night, the city of Wijnal was a little more chaotic in the quiet.
Because there is a war in the city taking advantage of the night.
Under the leadership of the dignitaries in the city, the followers of the Taoism lurking in the city secretly opened the city gates, greeted their companions who had already been squatting outside the city, and were aggressively preparing for a big fight in the city.
Rush into the homes of the residents of the city, snatch finances, rob women and children, deal with ignorant guys on the spot, and listen to the wailing of the weak.
These bloodthirsty fanatics disguised as thieves are gearing up and ready to rush to their feast of the night—
However, before their carnival began, they were strangled in the cradle.
They even just entered the city, and before the gate of a city citizen could kick open, they found that their group was surrounded by a group of heavily armed cavalry.
Needless to say what happened next, these mad believers were naturally defeated when they encountered the regular army, especially the elite guards who had been with King Camos in battles.
The fanatics who wore black robes were all killed mercilessly by the knights, and the subordinates of the powerful were pressed to identify their masters. The rotten officials were all dug out of the silt!
Many officials were still in their sleep when they were arrested by the knights who rushed through the gate.
The townspeople of Vernal City didn't even know that such a terrible war was taking place outside their doors, and were immersed in their dreamland ignorantly.
I'm afraid they won't find out about it until the next morning, and then they're terrified.
King Aaron Landis, with brown hair like a lion's mane, stood on horseback in the night, with the dark horse under him proudly holding his head high, standing still on the ground.
Except for the running sound of horses' hooves around, there is no other sound. These specially trained warhorses will not neigh easily in the middle of war.
King Camos was looking around, watching his knights execute his orders in an orderly manner, and deal with complicated matters one by one. There were also nearly a hundred knights standing quietly behind him on horseback, waiting for his next order.
He thought for a while and felt that there was nothing to add for the time being, so he dismounted and planned to torture the prisoners in person. However, he took a few steps, and before he reached the front of the prisoners, the grass under his feet suddenly moved, and a small black figure came out of it and squeaked at him.
As soon as he saw the familiar little black mouse, Camos subconsciously frowned.
Generally speaking, if there is no emergency, the knight will not release the little black rat to report to him.
He reached out and grabbed the black mouse, took off the copper pipe tied around its neck, opened the letter hidden inside and read it.
Before looking at it, Camosben just frowned slightly, and the next second, his face suddenly changed.
Heimos was originally standing on the prisoner's side, and when King Camos stopped halfway, he saw the little black mouse, and suddenly had a bad feeling.
He remembered that the little black mouse was tamed by the knight who was left behind. Did he send the letter so late because something happened in Ayr Town
With that in mind, he subconsciously walked over to King Camos.
As soon as he came here, he saw that King Camos, who had read the letter, changed his face.
"What happened to Garland?"
King Camos didn't speak, just shoved the note into Heimos's hand.
Then, turn around and trot back to the dark horse, and get on the horse.
He swept away the less than 100 knights who were still beside him, turned his head again, and his eyes fell on a middle-aged knight commander who was giving orders not far away.
"Will!"
He shouted the name of the knight commander who was known for his steadiness, and said, "You will take care of the rest of Vernal City!"
After ordering the person in charge of this place, Camos pulled the reins and turned to shout to the knight behind him.
"There's a rebellion in Ayrtown! Everyone here comes with me!"
Before he could finish speaking, the pitch-black horse under him had already rushed into the night like an arrow from the string following his thoughts.
And just the next second Camos rushed out, another steed almost followed the front, carrying Heimos into the night.
…
…
Contrary to the peaceful city of Werner, the town of Ayr, which had been flooded with all kinds of noisy sounds in the first half of the night, was strangely quiet at this moment. Only the edge of the town, the houses that had been set on fire on the road out of the town, were still burning, crackling, and the flames reddened the night sky.
The nearly 1,000 rioting refugees have gathered in the center of the town at this moment, and around a mansion, they who were still shouting and killing with passion just a moment ago were inexplicably quiet.
Holding torches, they surrounded the house in silence, watching what was going on in the little courtyard.
Looking at the past from a distance, his eyes passed over the fiery flames from the edge of the town. When Garlan retracted his gaze, he had already walked over to Kerry and the old man, the refugee leader named Gia. in front of you.
As long as the man stretched out his hand, he could easily grab the little child.
"...Aren't you afraid that I will take you as a hostage?"
Looking at Prince Garlan who walked in front of him, the man was silent for a few seconds before asking.
Surrounded by thousands of people, can he still give birth to wings and fly out
These commoners believe in the gods, but according to his own experience as a so-called favored person by the gods, Gallan is very clear that the so-called Aaron Landis gods can never reach out to humans, nor can they perform miracles on earth.
Otherwise, the so-called Son of Destiny wouldn't have died four times, okay
Of course, it is impossible for Garlan to say the above words of the gods in public.
Garlan stood there with a light expression on his face and said lightly.
"If you have this plan, it makes no difference whether I stand there or stand here."
This seemingly understated sentence, not surprisingly, won the admiration of everyone waiting for "As expected of a prince".
Even the leader of the refugees was no exception. He gave Garlan a deep look, his eyes becoming more and more complicated.
Then, he leaned over, knelt down on one knee, and knelt in front of Garlan.
"His Royal Highness," said Gia, "under the witness of the gods, I swear to you that what I say next will never be false."
"If I tell the gods and you a lie, even if it's just one sentence, I will be punished by thousands of swords, and my soul will be burned by fire after death, and I will never rest in peace."
The man kneeling on the ground made an oath that shocked everyone when they heard it, causing a small disturbance among the surrounding refugees.
The little girl on the side grabbed Grandpa's hand nervously, and the old man sighed softly and said nothing.
"it is good."
Garlan looked at the man kneeling in front of him and answered him.
"I will listen to what you have to say, and then tell Brother Camos what you have said."
"...Yes, His Royal Highness."
Gia took a deep breath, then raised her head and looked at Gallan.
"I am from the city of Vernal, I have been from birth. I am a mercenary, and I have always been hired by the caravan with my companions to escort the caravan between cities. My wife and children are Living in the city of Wijnal and meeting briefly every month with my wife and children is my greatest joy.”
He raised his hand and pointed at the people behind him.
"These people are just like me, an ordinary Wiener city. We have always lived our lives honestly and dutifully. Although it is difficult, as long as we can live in peace with our families, We are satisfied."
As Gia said, the words that had been sighing with nostalgia suddenly changed at this moment, and the tone became sharp, with anger and hatred.
"But all this was destroyed! More than a month ago! The day the flood broke out in the city of Wijnal—"
After that day, countless ordinary but peaceful families were destroyed.
Countless people have lost loved ones and friends and watched their loved ones die.
On that day, the city of Vernal was like hell.
"If it's really a natural disaster, if it's really just a punishment from the gods on us ungodly people, we'll recognize it." He gritted his teeth and said, "But it's not like that! It's not a natural disaster, and it's not a punishment from the gods! The Vinale should not have burst its banks, our cities should not have been submerged, our loved ones should not have died—"
His voice suddenly became high-pitched, and there was deep hatred in his eyes.
"The Vinal River has not been rested since the second half of last year! The embankment has not been maintained for more than half a year! How can it not burst?"
"During this period, we went to the Consulate many times together and asked the Consul to repair the river embankment as soon as possible, but every time we were driven out. The old people have always been very uneasy, and we have discussed whether to make it ahead of schedule during the flood season. Avoid it, but I didn't expect that the flood season of the Vinal River was earlier this time, so the embankment broke and the city was flooded. My wife and children were washed away by the flood at that time, and even the bones have not been found until now. —"
Speaking of which, this strong man who could lead the refugees to attack Ayr Town could not help but blushed, and his voice choked up.
His words resonated with the refugees around him who were suffering like him, and even some refugees who had also lost their loved ones could not help but sob in a low voice.
Thinking of the dead aunt and brother, Kelly also rubbed her red eyes hard. The old man turned his head sideways, unable to bear to see his son's painful appearance.
Gia took a deep breath and suppressed her excitement.
He calmed down for a while, and then continued speaking despite his grief.
"More than that, it's obviously the powerful people in the city who caused this disaster, but instead of reflecting on them, they intensified their efforts. They even swallowed the relief food and life-saving medicines for us displaced refugees."
"They unceremoniously regarded us who lost our home as garbage and drove them out of Wijnal City."
"We have lost everything and left our country, but that's not enough. They will also make their soldiers pretend to be thieves, take our wives, and send our children to the altar as sacrifices."
Having said that, his red eyes stared at Garlan, and every word he said seemed to be torn apart.
"His Royal Highness, in the eyes of those powerful people, have you ever cared about our lives?!"
Hearing Jiyana's bloody and tearful accusation, Garlan was silent for a long time.
He looked around, looking at the sad and angry eyes of the refugees, and the people who couldn't control their crying, and his mood became very heavy for a while.
Those officials and dignitaries in the city of Vernal... The so-called knocking on the bones and sucking the marrow, I am afraid that is the case.
In their eyes, civilians are like grass and mustards, and at most they are livestock that they keep in captivity.
Their endless greed like a bottomless pit made them, who were supposed to protect the people, become blood-sucking worms that made the people's disgust. For their own wealth, they could not wait to drain the last drop of blood and bone marrow of these civilians and suck them up.
"I have heard your accusation, and I have also found out most of what the officials of Vernal City and the nobles did."
Garlan took a deep breath and replied.
"Brother Wang is on his way to the city of Vernal, and he will arrive soon. When that time comes, he will make a fair judgment, and those people will also receive the punishment they deserve."
The prestige of King Camos caused a commotion. Hearing that King Camos was about to visit Vener City, the eyes of countless people lit up.
However, after this moment, those bright eyes turned into panic and fear one by one.
They attacked the town of Ayr and they are now a mob, a rebel.
The just King Camos will definitely execute those corrupt officials, but the rebels will also be executed, and at the same time, they will also implicate their wives, children and relatives.
Everyone who thought of this panicked.
However, no matter how frightened, no one ever thought of confronting King Camos.
To them, the king is the incarnation of God on earth.
To fight King Camos is to fight a god - something that is absolutely impossible to do.
Everyone turned their panicked eyes to their leader, the man who was kneeling on the ground.
Gallan also looked at Gia, and he knew very well that Gia's words were not finished, or should be said, the next words were what Gia really wanted to say.
Under the gazes of everyone, Gia spoke.
"King Camos... Will he come in person?"
"Yes, if there is no accident, he will be here tomorrow."
Garlan saw Gia's hand clenched suddenly, and then slowly released it after a while.
"His Royal Highness, how will you treat us?"
"… "
Garland looked at him without answering.
"We did attack the town of Ayr, and by law we have become rebels..."
Gia knelt on the ground, raised her head, and looked at Garlan with burning eyes.
"But you should know that we were forced! Under the pressure of those corrupt officials and nobles, in order to survive, we had to do such a thing!"
He said hurriedly, "Even if we attacked you, but we don't know if you are a prince, or because of the misunderstanding caused by your subordinates taking away those children, it's not our fault!"
"In that flood, we have lost countless relatives. Next, our wives and children were taken away one by one. Many people are still alive and dead... We have experienced so much suffering, you ... and King Camos to execute us who have suffered so much?"
Garlan was silent for a while, then spoke.
"Gia, are you asking me to forgive you now?"
"Yes." Gia looked at him eagerly, "We didn't mean to rebel against Aaron Landis, we were just against the officials and nobles who oppressed us. We are not rebels, are we?"
"No one gives us justice, we can only find justice by ourselves, and punish those wicked by ourselves, don't we—"
This is Gia's purpose.
He wanted a promise from Gallan that the prince of Aaron Landis would not hold them accountable, the refugees.
He believes that they are the victims, they are the righteous party, they are just resisting those evil powers, and they are innocent.
Behind, the knight who lost one eye gritted his teeth.
Half of his face was covered in blood, and there was still severe pain in his eye sockets. He knelt on the ground holding his dead Tong Ze and looked down. His friend closed his eyes and was silent, dying in front of his eyes in order to help him block the arrows shot by the refugees.
This mighty knight did not die on the battlefield, but in such a place—
And now, those who killed him demand absolution.
He was not reconciled.
He was very unwilling.
But he also knew that the prince should agree to the refugees' request, because once they refused, those people would simply feel that death was imminent, and they and the prince would be in danger again.
So, agreeing to exonerate those civilians from rebellion is indeed the wisest thing to do at the moment.
…
But even if he understood this in his heart - he still felt extremely uncomfortable in his heart, as if something was digging into his heart.
He suffered terribly.
Because those who killed his Tongze will be forgiven and will not be punished, and his Tongze will die in vain, at the hands of the people of Aaron Landis who they had fought to protect together.
Just when the knight closed his remaining eye in pain and lowered his head, he suddenly felt someone standing in front of him.
He raised his head subconsciously, and what caught his eyes was Prince Garlan who was standing in front of him at some point.
When Gia made that request, Gallan didn't answer immediately. After staring at Gia for a while, he turned around and walked to the knight.
Under the watchful eyes of the knight, he reached out his hand and touched the blood-stained cheek of the knight.
"Does it hurt?"
asked the little prince softly.
The knight was stunned and terrified.
"King... prince, I..."
"I'm talking nonsense, how can it not hurt."
Before he could finish stammering, Garlan answered in a muttered voice.
Then, he looked down at the dead knight held by the one-eyed knight.
He watched for a while, then leaned down.
In the silent moonlight, the dead knight's forehead was covered with blood and dust, but the little prince bowed his head and kissed his forehead.
"...Thank you for your loyalty, the gods will take your soul to the kingdom of the gods."
Kiss the forehead of the deceased, mourn and bless the deceased.
It was a ritual peculiar to Aaron Landis.
It was a ceremony that only knights who died in glory could obtain.
What's more, this was made by the prince of Aaron Landis himself, and it was the highest honor for the knights who were loyal to the royal family.
The one-eyed knight stared blankly at this scene, and felt some comfort in his uneasy heart.
He spoke to his friend silently in the bottom of his heart.
Ghana, if your soul is still guarding the prince here, you must be very happy to see this scene...
After doing all this under everyone's attention, Garlan turned his head.
He looked at the people behind him.
"Do you know who the knight you killed was?"
He asked, obviously a child, but his eyes suddenly sharpened.
Gia froze for a moment and replied.
"I know that this knight must be a nobleman, but..."
"No, I'm not referring to his identity, not to his birth."
Garland interrupted Gia's words.
"A few years ago, the enemy countries joined forces to attack Aaron Landis. The brother took 50,000 troops to the border and defended it for more than 90 days. Only then did Aaron Landis be saved."
"Five thousand troops, less than half of them are left, all of them died in battle to protect Aaron Landis. If it weren't for those warriors, you who are standing here would have already lost your country and your family, and have been taken captive and become slaves of other countries."
Everyone looked at Garlan in confusion, wondering why the prince suddenly brought this up.
Garlan looked at Gia deeply, at the crowd who threw stones at these knights not long ago.
His gaze was so calm at this moment that it was trembling.
He said, "The knight who desperately defended Aaron Landis and also guarded you, is now here, killed by your own hands."
Gia's pupils contracted violently at this moment.
At this moment, he was dumbfounded and almost forgot to breathe.
"Now, do you still want to ask me to absolve you of your sins?"
The child's voice remained calm.
But it was this kind of peace that made Gia's heart hurt sharply.
Countless people bowed their heads, and some even knelt down, facing the direction of the dead knight.
Anger and remorse were written on their faces as they threw stones at the knights who guarded them with their own hands.
It was terrifyingly silent in the dark night, no one spoke, and everyone's throats seemed to be caught by an invisible big hand, unable to make a sound.
In this near-death silence, the one-eyed knight bowed his head and couldn't say why. He was called a member of the Jagged Army who never shed blood or tears, but his eyes were sore at the moment.
He opened his eyes wide, gritted his teeth, and tried his best to hold back the moisture in his eyes.
The child's voice continued to sound in the quiet night.
"Gia, look at that firelight."
Garlan looked up and looked at the flames that were still burning on the edge of the town.
He said, "Are those that you set on fire the homes of officials and powerful people who persecuted you?"
"… "
Gia opened her mouth, but couldn't answer.
What will be on the edge of the town's road are just the homes of ordinary residents.
"You attacked the town, knocked down the townspeople's houses, and the ruling house... Tell me, have all the officials in Ayr bullied you?"
"… "
"Those officials who have not bullied you, such as the consul who has been working hard to rescue you and even mobilize grain forage in Ayr Town, have you let go?"
"… "
The man's breathing became heavier.
"Even if you don't talk about officials, they are just servants and maids working in the ruling house or the families of the lower nobles. These are commoners like you. Did you let them go when you attacked the house?"
"… "
Every time Garland asked a question, Gia's face turned pale.
He looked at Garlan with a pale face, opened his mouth but was speechless.
How can you let it go
When the town was wreaking havoc, when the crowd was furious and everyone had lost their minds, how could they, who were slaughtered, let go of any enemy in their eyes
Even if the servants of the nobles and the clerks of the consulate are commoners like them, but they are the lackeys of the officials and nobles, they are equally damned—
At that time, they thought like this, and they killed those civilian slaves together.
Gia was kneeling with her back straight, like a rooted pine tree. Even when she faced the prince, her back never bent at all.
But at this moment, his body swayed for a while, and he, who had a resolute expression at the moment, seemed to be unsteady on his knees, shaky.
"It's not... this is... "
He wanted to refute something, but he opened his mouth to find that he couldn't refute anything.
He finally reacted, why, why would he do such a cruel thing
Why would he do the same thing as the nobles he hates
"I sympathize with you, Gia, but I will not forgive your sins."
"You are not justice, you are just doing crimes like venting hatred against innocent people in the name of justice."
"Especially the rebels who killed the innocent people of Aaron Landis with your own hands, like you, will never be forgiven."
Garlan said, word by word, unequivocal, with no room for change.
"You are victims, but it does not mean that you can be forgiven for doing wrong. Rebels are punished, and innocent people are executed. This is a national law that must be enforced."
"National law will not tolerate it."
"The only thing I can promise you is that your relatives who were not involved in this rebellion will not be implicated, and your innocent wives and children will be properly accommodated," he said.
The pale-faced Gia's eyes were confused for a while, and suddenly he gritted his teeth. He who was kneeling suddenly stood up and approached Garlan.
"Prince, please promise here to absolve me of my sins!"
"No, I won't promise."
"Prince, I'm waiting to die. Instead of being executed as a rebel, it's better to take you as a hostage and escape from here."
The man seemed to have completely broken the pot and began to threaten Garlan.
His words made the people around him show surprised expressions, and the old man was even more anxious to rush forward.
"Jia, you son of a bitch, how could you—"
"No! Gia, how is this possible?"
"That way, wouldn't we be thieves?"
Once they become thieves, their descendants are filthy thieves who have been spurned by people and expelled by the state for generations.
"not like this-"
Gia pushed the old man away, and roared with a twisted face: "If we don't do that, we will only have a dead end! Do you want to die!"
He turned his head and stared straight at Garlan.
"Prince, people are forced to do anything, if you don't forgive us our sins... Then, even if we will eventually be wiped out by King Camos, but before that, use your noble life, Prince, to back it up. , it's worth it for us too!"
He moved forward, approaching Garland again.
"Please forgive my sins!"
The child's small body stood in front of the man who was almost twice his height.
He raised his head.
He looked at the man with no fear in his eyes.
"The laws of Aaron Landis shall not be trampled upon," he said.
His voice was loud.
This is the moment when the air is almost breathless.
The atmosphere was tense like a taut string, and it would break completely in the next second.
The confrontation between the intimidating tall man and the unflinching little child was so tense that one could not breathe at this moment.
However, in the next second, the tense air suddenly melted.
The man's twisted face suddenly stretched out.
He looked at the little prince who raised his head and confronted him, suddenly, and smiled relievedly.
Then, he took two steps back.
He smiled and said, "If you agree to my request, prince... I think, I probably won't believe your promise, and will choose to take them and our family to escape from here."
Gia said so, then leaned down on her knees.
This time, he knelt on both knees, pressed his hands to the ground, and bowed his head deeply to the little prince.
"Prince of Aaron Landis, future king, I and other sinners are willing to accept your judgment."
His forehead was pressed tightly to the soil, as devout as a prayer.
"However, wise prince like a god, please use your kindness to forgive our innocent relatives such as sinners."
In a moment of silence, the others also moved.
Like his son, the old man knelt down in tears, and the girl beside him knelt down with red eyes.
The refugees were silent, or sobbing in a low voice, bowed their heads, bent over, and fell to their knees on the ground.
Like Gia, they bowed their heads deeply and pressed their foreheads to the soil.
One by one, they knelt down, and all those present knelt down and bowed their heads deeply to the young blond prince.
That is the most solemn etiquette.
That is also the most devout worship.
They will submit to Prince Garland's trial for their crimes.
…
A ray of morning sun jumped out from the horizon and shone on the people who were galloping on horses.
After running without sleep in the middle of the night, King Camos and his party finally arrived at the top of a small hill next to Ayr Town at the moment when the sun was about to rise.
After descending this hill, we arrived at the town of Ayr.
Camos was about to continue galloping down the mountain, when suddenly he seemed to see something, and there was a hint of consternation on his face. Then, he raised his hand and stopped the cavalry behind him.
He didn't speak, and just rode on the top of the hill, quietly looking down at the town of Ayr not far below.
The impatient Huymos saw that Camos suddenly stopped and did not move, and immediately stepped forward, wanting to speak.
King Camos glanced at him, then pointed downwards.
Heimos looked in the direction he pointed, and the whole person was stunned.
I saw the center of the town at the foot of the mountain, the crowd of black people fell to the ground, bowed their heads deeply, and faced one direction.
The first rays of the morning sun set, illuminating the earth.
Countless people fell to their knees on the ground illuminated by the rising sun.
In that place, only the young prince stood on the ground in front of countless people kneeling before him.
The night is about to leave, and the day is about to come to the earth.
The young prince's golden hair reflected the first rays of sunlight in the morning, as bright as the first-born morning sun.
…
…
According to historical records, in the long history of Aaron Landis, there was a young king who was known for his wise and fair judgment, and who loved the people and was loved by all Aaron Landis.
According to ancient history books, this King Aaron Landis, who was dubbed 'the wise king', was the first time when he was a young prince, and the rioting rebels surrendered to him with a fair trial. great deeds.