In a secret private house in Tozes, the big businessmen who are heavyweights in Tozes are gathering here to discuss important matters.
"Your Excellency Taka didn't come?"
"His Royal Highness is here. It's better to keep a low profile recently. He won't come forward to contact us for the time being."
"fair enough."
An older businessman with gray temples nodded.
He said, "So, how are things going?"
"Everything is going smooth."
"Isn't it supposed to be arranged on the second night of the inauguration ceremony of the temple? On the night of the ceremony..."
The talking businessman said a vague word.
"This is a rare celebration, isn't this a bit of a spoiler?"
On the other side, the middle-aged butler's confidant, who was sent by the consul to attend this private meeting, answered.
"There is no way, no matter how the consul is persuaded, that His Highness has decided to return to the royal city early the next morning."
"Therefore, the time can only be advanced to the evening of the day," he said.
"If that's the case, that's all it can do."
The slightly older businessman shook his head regretfully.
"Then, everyone, get ready." He said with a smile, "We Tozes have to resist pirates all year round, but it's very hard work, and the Navy has suffered a lot of casualties."
"That's right." Bertola also smiled and said, "So, the amount of naval maintenance in previous years is no longer enough. Tozes City must leave more taxes in order to continue to resist pirates."
He crossed one leg, clasped his hands on his knees, and sat upright on the chair, a smug smile on his lips.
"We have to make that clear to the prince."
He spread his hands and laughed.
"What better way to realize this than to have the prince experience first-hand the city being attacked by pirates?"
When he said this, everyone in this luxuriously decorated room burst into laughter.
Vicious pirates attack Tozes.
The Tozes navy and pirates engage in a fierce battle in the middle of the night.
The young prince, who is said to have never fought even once, must have been frightened by this terrible war.
It is said that this prince is called 'the wise prince' and has a pure and kind heart.
As long as the prince realizes the horror of pirates, he and others will join the consul to cry to him, and then let him see the soldiers who were wounded or killed in battle, it will surely arouse the other side's pity, and he will take the opportunity to increase military spending. , withholding more taxes—
perfect process.
perfect result.
Satisfied, Bertola finished laughing and looked to the side of the room.
There was a thin man standing in the corner, shrouded in shadows, looking very inconspicuous.
He looks ordinary and has no sense of existence. When everyone was talking, he kept his head down, with a wide hat on his head, which covered his face so tightly that he couldn't see his face at all.
"Advance the action time to tomorrow night, is there any problem on your side?"
"Please don't worry, adults."
The man put one hand on his chest, bowed slightly to answer, and only a humble smile appeared on the corner of his mouth under the wide brim of his hat.
"Our boss said that we will never delay the affairs of the adults."
"That's good."
Bertola nodded in satisfaction.
Although there is darkness to cover up in the middle of the night, since it is necessary to pretend to have a fierce battle with the pirates and communicate with each other, it cannot be done without the cooperation of the other party.
Everyone is satisfied.
Since the pirate leader gave a guarantee, they were relieved.
After all, over the years, the two of them have been working together very well. The reputation of those pirates sounded appalling, but they were actually quite trustworthy.
They gave the pirates enough money to satisfy their appetite in exchange for not attacking their merchant ships.
At the same time, let Tozes become a pirate's loot spot, providing them with all kinds of loot-selling conveniences.
Anyway, these merchants also feel that large sums of goods can also promote the prosperity of Tozes and increase taxes. As for whether the origins of those goods and slaves are stained with blood... Hehe, it's none of their business, just don't delay their making money.
In order not to make the people above suspect, collude with the pirates, and let them pretend to attack Tozes every once in a while.
Give the pirates some sweetness, and you'll be better able to bribe them and drive them.
Although they are a group of hungry wolves, they can still be as obedient as dogs when they are raised.
The big businessman thought with such satisfaction.
Sometimes, these merchants will deliberately pretend to be unable to resist the Tozes navy already under their control, allowing the pirates to invade the city.
Anyway, the city of Tozes near the coast is the lower city, where some poor people, slaves and ordinary civilians live. These big businessmen live in the upper city.
As for the pirates who came in, they raped, looted, burned, looted and looted in the lower city... Well, they didn't kill them anyway, so it's none of their business.
Moreover, the pirates robbed the property of those civilians, and after they left, those civilians who could not survive the disaster could only sell their children, relatives, or even themselves, or sell their houses to them, in exchange for meager money The possessions barely survive.
In this way, they easily obtained a large number of slaves, and they could also buy a large number of real estate in the city at extremely cheap prices, thus increasing their assets by a large amount.
It's really nice to just sit and make money.
If they weren't worried about attracting attention from the above, and considering the problem of exhausting the fish, they even wanted the pirates to come so many times.
****
The inauguration of the Shamash Shrine takes place at noon, when the sun is at its brightest.
The sun has been very hot since the morning, and the bright sun hangs high in the sky.
The temple is located by the sea, close to the sea side of the city wall of Tozes.
Originally it belonged to a low-lying place, but when it was built, a solid high platform was piled up with stones and soil.
The huge and beautiful temple is located on the high platform, overlooking this large area of the lower city condescendingly.
On one side of the high platform, there was a row of golden chairs, and behind each chair was a strong male servant holding a parasol.
Garlan sat on the central seat, Kaihos did not sit, standing behind him, so did the little fat Tal. That team of guards stood upright at the back, and one of them held the parasol.
Although there was a row of seats, the chairs on both sides of Garlan were empty.
Originally, according to the consul and the big businessmen, they had to sit on the chairs next to them.
However, the blond knight who was taller than them did not sit, but stood behind Garlan. Naturally, it was not easy for them to sit down, so they had to stand beside them.
Unlike knights with strong bodies, they hardly exercised much, and they began to complain a lot after standing up for a long time.
But when they glanced at Prince Garlan, there was no response, and they could only forcefully stand on their feet full of grievances.
The noon sun was so scorchingly hot that Garlan looked up and saw the huge statue of Shamash standing in the center of the temple square.
A full tens of meters in height, even higher than the temple.
Shamash held a sword in one hand and pressed the other hand on the head of the lion beside him. He was wearing golden armor and was extremely mighty.
He stood on the ground, condescending, his golden eyes refracting the sun and looking down at the ground.
Behind his tall body is a splendid and gorgeous temple.
Shamash, the sun god, the righteous and wise god.
God of Justice, God of Judgment.
I don't know if his golden eyes, which are said to be able to see through all darkness, can see the sins concealed under the prosperous city of Tozes.
Garlan turned his head, on the high platform near the sea, and when he looked up, he could see the endless sea.
The weather was just right, and a clear sea horizon could be clearly seen where that day met the earth.
The solemn ceremony had begun, and the horn sounded from the sea.
The heavy gate of the military port has been slowly pulled up, the gate opened, and huge warships sailed out of the port towards the seaside on this side.
The long and low horn sounded from the warship, from far to near, resounding through the entire coastline.
On the giant warship that was leading, Taka, the commander of the Tozes navy, was standing at the bow of the ship in high spirits wearing a gorgeous military dress.
The sea breeze blew the thick cloak behind him into the air.
Behind him is a row of sailors who are playing horns.
The rows of huge warships will circle around the temple, symbolizing the guardianship of the temple, and they will guard the city of Tozes under the watchful eyes of Shamash.
It was a moment of immense honor for the soldiers of Aaron Landis.
Garlan looked at the small figure who couldn't see clearly because it was too far away, and remembered the message Seth sent him last night.
Seth was excluded from the task of guarding the temple ritual.
The order given by Taka, let him and his fleet stay in the naval port, cannot obtain such glory.
He was watching when suddenly, the back of his hand got cold.
When he lowered his head, he saw a little water mark.
Where does the water come from
Garlan looked up at the sky, only to see the sun shining brightly in the blue sky.
…
Just when the inauguration ceremony of the temple was being held solemnly, the upper city seemed a little empty at the moment.
After all, almost all the powerful and influential people attended the inauguration ceremony of the temple, so the upper city was much quieter than usual when it was empty.
In a wide open space deep in the jungle, nearly a hundred people gathered here.
The clothes of these people are shabby, the complexion is dark and rough, and most of them have mottled scars left on their bodies, most of which have been whipped out.
Their faces are full of vicissitudes and dark colors, but each one has thick hands and feet, strong bodies, and strong physiques.
Because those who are in poor health among them have already died of exhaustion or been beaten to death.
The people gathered here are big and small, old and young, with different skin colors and different accents, but the only thing in common is that they have a clear brand on their faces or bodies.
That's the mark of a slave.
The leader of these slaves is a stout man, who is bowing his head in silence, as if hesitating for something.
And the few people standing opposite the man were trying to convince him with their tongues shining.
"What are you waiting for? If you miss this opportunity, you will only be slaves in your life!"
"There will never be a better chance than this time! As long as you succeed, you will be freed from the hands of those noble masters and vicious businessmen."
"Look at your injuries, how long will you be enslaved by those black-hearted guys?"
"You are not cheap, you have the power to subvert this unfair world."
The man's words stirred people's hearts, and a little bit stirred the blood of the slaves who were still hesitating.
"Now, resist, it's time to bring down those who oppressed you!"
"Those cruel ones who don't care about your life—those who brutally kill your loved ones—"
"Let them know how powerful you are! Let them know that even slaves have powerful powers that can resist them!"
It was a very passionate voice.
"Hit them! Make them out of control of you!"
"We will distribute their property, house and land to you. From now on, you can live a life of never being beaten and scolded again, and you can eat and drink well."
The man's promise gave the slaves a longing for the future.
"The Tozes Navy will be dragged by the enemy outside, and it will be too late to come here. The city guards are all gathered in the lower city. Those black-hearted and cowardly guys need them to protect themselves and will not let them come over."
"So, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."
The man suddenly raised the volume.
"Don't hesitate any longer, now is the time for you to free yourself from your slave status!"
Numerous slaves looked at each other, and at this moment, they saw the blazing flames in each other's eyes.
Filled with pent-up anger, hatred of the guys who enslaved them, and longing for a better future promised by these people—
It all comes together, almost burns everything to ashes—
…
…
pat pat pat.
The waves slapped the hull one after another, and the tall warship swayed in the sea.
On the edge of a small island not far from Tozes, a large number of warships moored here, as if waiting for something.
On the largest warship in the lead, everyone was busy preparing for the battle.
Only a tall man sat lazily on the deck chair on the deck, swaying leisurely, basking in the sun with a leisurely look. He also held a green apple in his hand, which he nibbled at every now and then.
When he opened his mouth to eat the fruit, his teeth were exposed, reflecting a golden light in the sunlight.
Among the mouthful of white teeth, there was a golden incisor inlaid.
A thin man suddenly came over and asked him.
"Boss, do you really want to do that?"
"Nonsense, I have given orders, can it still be fake?"
"Hey, after all, we've been working together for so many years, and you suddenly said that you would take them... I'm not used to it."
The man smiled at the man like a dog.
"After all, what you said at the beginning, even if you are a pirate, you have to be faithful."
"Pooh!"
The man spit out a mouthful of saliva on the floor, and an apple core hit the man's forehead. He raised his eyes and looked at his own idiot with contempt.
"Aren't you stupid, you preach faith with your pigs?"
"What?"
The man snorted twice and lay lazily on the rocking chair.
He looked at the direction of Tozes City over there with a half-smile, and said, "Pig fat."
He said: "While someone helps, we have to slaughter them quickly."
…
…
pat.
Garlan snorted and raised his head. The sun didn't know when it had weakened, and a thin cloud layer blocked the hot sun just now, making people feel much cooler.
The wind began to pick up, blowing from the sea with thick moisture.
He felt a drop of water fall on his calf again.
Is it going to rain
But the sun is still bright.
Garlan thought, turned his head to look at the sea, the sea as far as he could see was still calm, and the waves were rippling softly in the blue color.
The fleet of the Tozes Navy has completed the ceremony they are responsible for, and is slowly retreating, moored on the side of the coast, quietly waiting for the completion of the temple's inauguration ceremony before returning to port.
Suddenly, there was a commotion in the solemn ceremony, the chaotic sound was small at first, and then became louder.
"What happened over there?!"
someone shouted.
At this time, the eyes of everyone present had already turned to that direction, and from this piled up high platform, one could see the upper city of the highland.
I saw that the place that was originally quiet and peaceful was now billowing with thick smoke, and there were more than one place.
It could be vaguely seen that some houses in the upper city had been set on fire.
Just when everyone was stunned, a captain of the city guard ran over quickly and whispered a few words in the ear of the consul.
The consul showed an unbelievable look, and when he saw the big businessmen coming over with a bad expression, he quickly said it in a low voice.
Garlan sat there, only vaguely hearing the word 'slave' float by.
At this time, one of the personal guards under Kaihos also hurried over and knelt down in front of Garlan.
"His Royal Highness, Lord Cayhorth, the slaves in the upper city have rioted!"
As soon as the guard's words fell, Kaihos and Tarr's eyes swept to Garlan.
They looked at Garlan with confusion in their eyes, obviously remembering what Garlan had said a few days ago, 'Continuing to treat those slaves harshly may cause trouble'.
At that time, they still thought it was impossible. It was the prince who thought too much. How dare those humble slaves have the courage, who would have dared to—
Garlan frowned and stood up.
He was about to speak when suddenly a voice interrupted.
"Hahaha, it's too exaggerated."
Bertola came over, her slightly fat face still smiling.
"Prince, your subordinates are too exaggerated. What kind of riot is just a few slaves making trouble."
He said he didn't care.
"Please don't worry, we have already sent someone over."
The consul also walked over with a smile, with the same relaxed expression on his face.
"That's right, the city guards want to maintain order here, so the fleet that stayed in the naval port was dispatched."
"Prince, you don't need to worry at all, we can continue the ceremony." He said, understatement, "I think, when the temple inauguration ceremony is over, things over there will probably be resolved."
pat, pat, pat.
The raindrops fell suddenly and fell on Garlan's face.
Ignoring the two beside him, he raised his head.
Not long ago, the sky was bright and sunny, and the sky was covered with thick clouds. It was gloomy, and the huge raindrops fell from the dark clouds.
The sea, which was calm and waveless just now, was also turbulent, the wind whistled past, and the waves were lifted, and the waves were higher than the waves.
At first glance, it was as if the entire sea was shaking.
It was like a monster that had been sleeping all the time. It was awakened by someone, so it began to shake its huge body violently.
The waves surged, and huge waves swept in, beating heavily on the high platform beside the city wall.
There was a loud bang, and the city walls seemed to be shaken by this huge wave.
Boom.
The sky seemed to be as loud as the waves.
I saw a snort, and a blazing white lightning lit up the gloomy sky.
The pouring rain poured down, and in just an instant, the group of people on the high platform was poured over their heads as if they were picked up from the water, and they were soaked all over.
The umbrella cover behind the chair has long been blown by the strong wind.
"His Royal Highness, hurry up and go to the temple to avoid the rain?"
The Archon anxiously persuaded Garlan.
Garlan ignored him, he lifted his feet up the steps and looked up at the statue of Shamash standing on the high platform.
The rain poured down, and the rain fell down the statue like a waterfall.
In the darkness, the golden eyes of the statue looking down at the city seemed to dim at this moment.
The boy stood in the rain curtain, drenched all over, his soaked blond hair pressed tightly against his raised neck and on his soaked clothes.
The rain hit his raised face, and water droplets kept falling from his cheeks.
In this panic, suddenly there was another scream.
"pirate!!!"
The scream was hoarse, but it was so small in the pouring rain.
When the hurricane hit, Garlan turned his head sharply.
In the rainstorm, in the gloomy sky, dozens of boulders attacked where he was like cannonballs.
They roared in the wind, accompanied by the rumbling of thunder.
boom!
A boulder fell from the sky and smashed heavily on the leg of the standing statue of Shamash.
With a click, a crack opened in the place where it was hit.
Then, the crack quickly extended to the other side, and in just an instant, it burst open—
The majestic statue in golden armor collapsed suddenly.
With a loud bang, the stone statue smashed heavily on the high platform, and in front of Garlan's side, it shattered into a pile of ugly rubble.
A terrified scream sounded behind Garland.
The fat big businessman was so startled by the stone statue that collapsed beside him that he almost fell to the ground. He was held by the servants around him and didn't fall down. step back.
When the stone statue collapsed and fell to the ground, the stone that burst out splashed from the side of Garlan's face, who was standing there, and wiped a bloodstain on his face.
He stood there, not moving.
Dark red blood seeped from the split scar, mixed with rain, and stained his side cheeks red.
He was so soaked that he stood on the high platform covered with broken stones and looked into the distance.
The gust of wind whistled, and his wet golden hair was lifted from the neck, and it flew messily in the air.
There was a roar of thunder, and lightning tore the entire sky.
Snow-white light illuminated the boy's suddenly enlarged golden pupils.
After that heavy rain curtain, countless warships flying pirate flags rushed towards Tozes City like greedy hungry wolves—