On the Gorgon River, on the wide-deck armored cargo ship "Nabil", the captain Nabil pulled an iron-gray lever. The roar and tremor of mechanical operation came from under his feet, and the surging power pushed the A powerful mechanical ship slowly accelerated, and on the open river ahead, several ships similar to the Nabir also raised their magic energy wings, exuding shimmering magic dust and mist over the entire river. Slowly drift away.
The voice of the mechanical captain came from the copper pipe next to him: "The mechanical cabin is operating normally, captain!"
The wind with sufficient water vapor was blowing head-on, and Cecil's flag was fluttering on the bow of the Nabil. The middle-aged captain left the cabin and came to the small upper deck. Looking at the huge ship under his feet slowly accelerating, feeling the surging power in its body, he exhaled lightly.
At any moment, the feeling of riding the waves calms the man who has spent half his life with ships.
He never thought that one day he would set foot on the battlefield. He was just a captain swimming on the White Water River. The three wooden cargo ships were his pride. His life had no relationship with the battlefield, but the war came to him— The Cecil family rose suddenly, and Earl Pepper conscripted a large number of ships to fight against this suddenly rising family, including Nabil's two ships and almost all his crew members.
After a war, "Nabil on the Whitewater" lost most of his family property, leaving only one of the oldest cargo ships and half a lifetime of sailing experience.
Then, the Principality of Cecil was established, the river channel became unimpeded again, business flourished, all kinds of new things emerged one after another, new-style mechanical ships began to replace old-style cargo ships, generous compensation and many expected benefits made one's heart discouraged The frustrated captain was moved. He got a new ship, and he named it the same as his first ship back then, the Nabil—name the ship after himself, which is very common among captains.
Then, when a new war came, the government affairs office began to recruit ships from the people, and at the same time recruited experienced captains. They promised generous conditions, so Nabil was moved again—of course, perhaps part of the reason was because of "Serene" The honor of the citizens of Searle", he responded to the enlistment and went to the front line with his men and boats.
The world seems to be changing so fast suddenly that Nabil has no time to think about when it became like this. Maybe most ordinary people live like this, living in a world that they don't fully understand , walking forward in a hurry, and when I turned my head occasionally, every step I took was so surprising.
Nabil took a deep breath of the fresh air on the Gorgon River. He saw a group of soldiers walking across the deck. They were inspecting the tarpaulins on the chariots, and the hooks and cables used to secure the chariots. His waist is straight, his walk seems to be windy, he is brave and confident, all of them are the best guys.
They have parents and family members, relatives and friends, and perhaps their own lovers and children. They left their hometowns wearing bright armor. When they left, they might have hugged their families and kissed their lovers goodbye. They still carried small tokens or For the letters that were not sent in time, there was an iron plate with the name and number on it together with the keepsake. They've fought many battles and are lucky enough to be alive today - some of them may fall in the next battle, and some of them will return to their hometown with glory (and possible injury and disability)...
A few years later, those who are still alive may start to tell their children about the battlefields they have experienced in their lives, which may include this time, and may even include the armored cargo ship that transported them, including A sentimental and adventurous captain...
Nabil turned his head and looked at the misty river in the distance. The mighty and majestic figure of the Pioneer was riding the wind and waves ahead, and Cecil's flag could be vaguely seen fluttering in the wind.
On the upper deck of the Trailblazer, Victoria stood under the swooshing flag. After standing for a long time, she averted her gaze to the north, then turned back to the bridge, back to the "heart" of this amazing war beast. Here, Gawain is standing in front of a spread out map, discussing with Byron the point where the fleet is most likely to be attacked on the northern section of the Gorgon River, and the situation that the capital of San Sunil will face.
"We will pass the Stone River Estuary in two hours." Gawain raised his head and looked at Victoria who was in front of the map, "That is the first river mouth that needs to slow down, and it is also the first stop for completely breaking away from the main force on the ground. The Gryphon Scouts are in the air, and I'm waiting for word from them."
"This will be a very risky operation, but to be honest, I quite like taking risks," Byron winked. "After I go back, I can brag to my daughter for ten days."
"I told Baldwin that Saint-Sunil needs to be guarded for at least another seven days." Victoria looked at the map that covered the entire desktop, and brushed her fingers over the edge of the royal capital. ', as long as the two fortresses attached to the outside of the city wall are not breached within these seven days, they can wait for reinforcements."
Gawain closed his eyes slightly, and the bird's-eye view from the satellite perspective moved and zoomed rapidly in his mind, and the capital of San Sunil appeared in the center of his field of vision.
That huge and ancient city still stands on the plain. It is covered with a layer of dense magic shield. The shimmer of the shield slightly expands and shrinks due to the flow of magic power, making the entire capital seem like a slowly beating heart. , and outside the walls in the southwest and southeast of this "heart", the sky above the two fortified fortresses was constantly shining.
Outside the city, a twisted and wriggling "tide" is slowly devouring San Sunil's defense line, but it is resisted again and again by the flashes of light poured out from the two fortresses—those flashes are flaming stone bombs, enchanted The crossbow arrows, and the magic missiles released by the battle mage tower.
Saint-Sunil, which has accumulated hundreds of years of heritage, is facing the most difficult test since it was founded.
…
A frightened bird flitted across the gloomy sky of Saint-Sunil, and a piece of fallen tail feathers fluttered into the courtyard of Silver Castle. Stopping on the trail, he stretched out his hand, caught the falling tail feather, and then let it go with a blank expression.
Behind him, the heavily armed deputy head of the Royal Knights, Cohen Rollen, stopped, and the armors of several knights who stopped together made a sound of metal clashing.
Cohen Rollen asked in a low voice: "Your Highness?"
"Even the birds are starting to flee the city," Welsh Moen said softly. "This is supposed to be the white-tailed sparrow's nesting season."
Cohen Rollen lowered his head: "But people are not birds."
Wales nodded slightly: "Go."
"Yes." Cohen Rollen straightened his body, tapped his left chest, then turned around, and led the knights away quickly.
Wales turned his head slowly after the deputy head left, and looked into the depths of the shadow not far away.
Baldwin Franklin slowly walked out from there: "Your Highness, your perception is sharper than I imagined."
"Duke Franklin," Wales said, looking at the Duke Regent in front of him, "what are you doing here?"
"The meeting in the Golden Oak Hall has begun, and the nobles are waiting for you to appear."
Wales was silent for two seconds, then nodded slightly: "Seven days, is it?"
"Yes, seven days."
Wales didn't speak any more, he passed Duke Baldwin and walked forward.
Baldwin Franklin's voice came from behind him: "Your Highness, is your goal clear?"
"It's clear," Welsh paused slightly, "I'm going to strengthen the city wall."
In the golden oak hall, the noisy discussions are getting more and more intense. The nobles of the capital, the representatives of the knight families, and the people in charge of the power are arguing in this supposedly solemn hall—everyone Before expressing their opinions, everyone is trying to gain control of the situation. Discussions have gradually turned into arguments, and arguments have gradually approached quarrels. In the face of life and death, the core of power in the kingdom is falling apart, and the military power has collapsed. With the complete collapse of the external command function, the last power holders in this city seem to have finally reached their limit.
There are more and more monsters outside the city, the situation has become hopeless, and it seems meaningless to guard the king's capital. Facing this situation, the voices of righteous Lingran are extremely weak, and there is only a practical plan for self-protection is gaining the upper hand.
But all of a sudden, the attendants sang a little bit sharply and broke the quarrel in the Golden Oak Hall. The heavy gold-clad oak door was pushed open from the outside, and with a loud bang, the door opened, and Wales Mo En appeared in front of everyone.
The crown prince was late, almost an hour late.
But even if it is the crown prince who is not valued by others, no one will jump out to question his lateness at this time. Welsh Moen just looked around the hall quietly, and then stepped forward, taking his time Go to the tall chair at the end of the hall.
The atmosphere seemed a bit weird. Everyone in the Golden Oak Hall subconsciously fell silent. Many nobles looked at me and I looked at you, and they all felt that today's Prince of Wales seems to be a little different from usual, while others left quietly. Taking his own seat, he quietly came to the prince's side.
Wales stopped in the middle of the walk. He was standing in the middle of the hall. Amidst the whispers gradually sounding around him, he glanced at several people and said, "We will defend this city with all our strength. Whoever opposes it?" ?”
The nobles around suddenly clamored, and someone shouted loudly: "Your Highness! If you keep on tight, you will only die!"
"We have reinforcements," Wales looked towards the direction of the voice, and when he spoke, the surroundings became quiet again, "Reinforcements are on the way and will arrive in seven days. They are the Cecil Legion in the south, and the Grand Duchess Victoria is also there. in."
This time, the clamor of the surrounding nobles was even stronger than before. Countless people were shocked by this unbelievable news. ?! Your Highness, is this news true?"
Wales once again looked in the direction of the voice.
People's hearts are as he expected.
It's not that Saint-Sunil will become a piece of iron as long as there is news of reinforcements. In this sunken, decayed, and disintegrated city, the royal family has long lost its majesty. Today, even the Duke Regent can hardly subdue all the noble families. , what anyone says will not be believed by everyone, even if the person who speaks has the blood of Moen—on the contrary, some people will think that this news is spread deliberately by him, in order to make other people defend the city desperately, Buy enough time so that the royal family can transfer their largest property.
Even if the news came from Baldwin Franklin.
Because if someone was in the same position, they would 100% do it.
Wales just looked at the nobleman who was shouting quietly, and said slowly: "Defend the city with all your strength and wait for the support in seven days. This is an order."
"Your Highness, you are not a king yet, you can't directly issue such an order!" The nobles of the royal capital, who were watched by Wales, exclaimed, "At least you have to wait..."
"Lord Lucret," Wales interrupted, "where are your family, your mistress, your jewels, and the knights who were supposed to be guarding the city walls?"
Earl Lucre's eyes widened, as if he finally felt a bit of pressure and shock from this "nominal crown prince" who lacked majesty and presence: "I... I..."
Wales said calmly, "Earl Lucret, you shouldn't have sent them out of the city. This is treason."
Earl Lucret opened his mouth, as if he wanted to utter a few words of defense, but he only had time to squeeze out a few meaningless syllables from his throat—a royal sword decorated with golden patterns had pierced through him at some point. The throat is precise, silent, and instantly deadly.
Wales slightly turned his body sideways, watching the royal noble fell to the ground like a torn sack, a spurt of blood splashed on his cheeks, and the surface of the long sword hanging beside him was already stained with a layer of blood. Dazzling blood.
The surroundings were silent for a moment, only the unbearable dead silence and a pair of eyes that implied shock and fear intertwined in the air. Almost half of the people did not realize what happened, because this fact was beyond their imagination : In this golden oak hall, the most sacred and solemn place in the Ansu Kingdom, Wales Moen actually executed an earl with his own hands in front of dozens of nobles in the royal capital? !
The other half of the people in the hall watched all this calmly.
Wales shook off the blood stained on the long sword, and walked towards the seat at the end of the hall. Only then did the shocked nobles suddenly realize that they all exclaimed and agitated, but bursts of heavy iron The sound of boots suddenly sounded, interrupting every voice that wanted to question—
A large number of heavily armed knights rushed into the Golden Oak Hall, quickly controlled all the entrances and exits of the hall, and surrounded the long conference table in the center of the hall. Cohen Rollen, who was wearing a blue battle mage robe and lined with mail armor, entered the hall afterward. Announced loudly: "Herak Borg, the former head of the Royal Knights, was deprived of his post of head because he connived at the soldiers fleeing, and will be under house arrest from now on.
"According to the military system, I have taken over the position of head of the Royal Knights.
"The Royal Knights swear allegiance to His Majesty Wales Morne!"
His Majesty Wales Morene? !
A pair of shocked eyes watched the unexpected change in the situation before them. They watched the "deputy" head of the knight order who was already famous for possessing both the power of an extraordinary knight and a mage striding into the hall. Stepping over the body of Earl Lucret, as if finally beginning to understand what was going to happen here today, at this moment Wales Moen had already arrived at the seat at the deepest part of the hall, the man who had left Silver Castle for twenty years The crown prince turned around and slowly sat in his own seat, his gaze sweeping over everyone.
Earl Lucret's blood was stained on his face, and that face that had been despised by everyone for twenty years looked horrifying at this moment.
"As of today, I am crowned King Ansu."
Hearing Welsh Moen's plain voice, there were whispers in the hall, and people looked at each other in surprise. Some people still doubted the authenticity of all this, while some people subconsciously raised questions: Who To hold this coronation
At this moment, a nobleman near the entrance of the hall exclaimed in a low voice: "Duke Franklin is here!"
People craned their necks, their eyes fixed on Baldwin Franklin who was walking through the door. A figurative silence enveloped everyone.
Baldwin Franklin held the king's golden crown in his hand.
The Duke of the Western Territory stood at the door for a moment, then he started to walk step by step towards the throne at the end of the hall.
Someone just reacted at this time:
This is the Golden Oak Hall, not only the place where the most senior nobles are held, but also the place where the king is crowned;
Welsh Morne's splendid attire was, in fact, the king's coronation dress;
The emblazoned sword that had killed Lord Lucret was the ceremonial sword of the king when he was crowned.
Under the gaze of eyes full of complex emotions such as tension, fear, expectation, and astonishment, Baldwin Franklin crossed the last distance, and he came to Welsh Moen, slightly raising the golden crown in his hand to mid-air.
But here his motion stood still, did not go on, did not place the golden crown on the head of the new king.
Wales himself reached out, took the heavy crown, and slowly placed it on top of his head.
In the hall, every noble in the royal capital knew what this meant.
From today, Ansu will no longer have a Duke Regent.
Wearing the new crown he had prepared for Edmund, Wales Moen silently watched everything in the hall. After a few seconds, he stood up and slowly raised the blood-stained sword of the king:
"Hold San Sunil!
"This is the king's order!!"