Sauron looked at Gaia with flickering eyes, and his breathing became heavier and heavier. From time to time, there was a thin streak of electric fire floating around the clenched hand, which was caused by Sauron's emotional fluctuations and unable to control his strength. Gaia just put his hand on the hilt of the sword, not moving at all, but looked at Sauron with interest. He didn't even increase his strength, and at such a short distance, Sauron felt as if he could reach him with his hands.
But in the end, the light in Sauron's eyes dimmed, and the hand he held loosened. He sighed in his heart, knowing that he would never want to resist Gaia in the future. In this competition of will, he has already lost completely.
"You made a wise choice."
Obviously sitting in front, but Gaia's voice came from behind. Sauron broke out in a cold sweat, knowing that if he had acted rashly just now, he would have fallen into Gaia's trick. I couldn't help but secretly rejoice, thanking myself for my wise decision. But he forgot that if he was fifteen years ago, he wouldn't have cared much. But now, he didn't even have the courage to give it a go.
Sauron subconsciously avoided this question. He lowered his head and said respectfully, "The distance between me and my lord is insurmountable. There is still some self-knowledge."
"Very well, in order to reward your 'loyalty', let me give you two ninth ranks." Gaia's voice finally came from the front: "It seems that you have two regiment leaders who attended the meeting, send them Call in, and I will give them power."
Sauron's eyes shot out a fiery light, and he said, "My lord, I..."
"Don't worry, I won't forget you. As long as you bring that man back, I will advance you to the tenth rank." Gaia said lazily.
Sauron had no choice but to lower his head, answered "Yes" and then left the palace. Outside, he called Wessel to call Leo and the others. Not long after, the two army commanders, Leo and Frank, arrived. When they saw Sauron outside the palace, the two were obviously a little surprised, and they immediately bowed to salute.
Sauron looked at them and said, "Come with me. Don't be surprised no matter what you see later. Some secrets should be known to you now. All I can say is that when you come out again, you will be with me." A strong man of the same level."
Li Ao and the two were shocked, and looked at Sauron in disbelief. At the same level as him, he is also a ninth-level powerhouse. It seems like a fairy tale to be able to advance to the ninth rank by just entering the palace. But Zoro didn't look like he was joking, so Leo glanced at Frank, who hesitated for a moment, then nodded. In any case, being able to advance is a good thing.
It's just that there is no free lunch in the world, and the two of them faintly felt that they might have to pay some price for this promotion.
But for a powerhouse of their level, it is a lifelong dream to be able to advance to another level, so what is it to pay some price? The thirst for power made them follow Sauron into a palace like a devil's lair.
When the door closed, Weatherall was a little envious, a little jealous. He himself is already a seventh-level ability user, and he can enter the high-level threshold with just one step forward. Following Sauron, he knew that the palace had changed hands, but he never thought that the mysterious figure there would have the power to elevate the rank of the capable person. Now that such a good thing happened to Leo and Frank, Weatherall was envious and jealous, thinking of finding a chance for Sauron to intercede on his behalf, to see if the lord could make an exception and use his abilities as well. Take it up a notch.
But when Wessel faintly heard the screams of Leo and Li Ao from the palace, the face of the commander of the personal guard turned green. It sounds like the two paid a lot for being promoted to the rank of Li Ao. At least Wessel didn't know how much pain it took to make the two senior officials scream like pigs. Anyway, this kind of pain is estimated to be unbearable for him. Weissel thought for a while, then quickly bowed his head and backed out.
Go as far as you can.
The city of Rome today is very lively, and a speech is being held in the small square to the north. The speaker is the current young Pope. Paul VI seems to be very keen on speeches recently, and he always holds them once or twice a month. When His Highness the Pope gives a speech, there will always be free drinks, which attracts a large number of people, especially the middle and lower class citizens.
The small square has been completely surrounded, so an unmarked car can only stop at the corner of the street. The car door opened, and a man covered in a cloak got out of the car quietly, and walked with his head bowed low-key. People like this seldom attract the attention of others, not to mention that the pope's youthful voice was shouting loudly not far away, attracting the attention of passing citizens, who would pay attention to such a person.
The man turned into a small alley and walked out on the Avenue of Truth. Go straight across the street and end up in a bar down the street. It was still daytime and the bar had just opened. There were very few guests inside, and a waiter greeted them. Before he could speak, the cloaked man stretched out his hand. A little bit of milky white light overflowed from the fingers. He flicked his fingers quickly, and the milky white light outlined a tree crown pattern with the movement of his fingertips.
The waiter understood immediately, and tapped three times on the bar counter. After two long and one short voices came out, he walked away. The cloaked man waved away the white light remaining in the air, and walked straight towards the kitchen. The kitchen door was already open, and there was a kitchen inside preparing bread and food. When the cloaked man came in, the chef didn't even look at him, just pretending that he was transparent.
So the cloaked man was able to go directly through the kitchen to the warehouse at the back. After entering the warehouse, he removed a closet, and behind him was a hidden door. The cloaked man pushed open the door, and there was a room inside the door. The room is not big, about twenty square meters. There was a table and three or four chairs, an electric light was on, and someone was already sitting in the room. He was also wearing a cloak, but under the cloak he could faintly see the appearance of a silver armor stomach.
As soon as he entered the door, he lifted the cloak, revealing a middle-aged face. This face reveals the majesty of being in a high position for a long time, and the sense of vicissitudes after years of immersion. He was Mendriza, father of Jabes, one of several cardinals in the Pope's hall.
Mendriza sat down on one of the chairs, took out a bag of gold coins from his pocket and threw it at the man's hand. The breathing of the person wrapped in the cloak became obviously heavy, and he reached out and quickly fished the bag over. He opened the bag and looked tiredly, the eyes in the hood revealed a greedy light. Immediately put away the bag, and hurriedly said: "Lambonis and the others never came out after entering Sauron's palace. I don't know exactly what happened. The only thing that is certain is that the palace There is another person hidden, a person that even Sauron would not dare to offend."
After hearing this, Mendriza nodded and said, "You can go."
The man immediately stood up, opened the door and left.
"Even Lambonis was killed, Sauron, I really underestimated you." Mendriza murmured.
A voice came in: "There is nothing more dangerous than a mad dog that has broken free from its collar."
The door opened again, and a person walked in. Under the light, it was still a cloaked man. He lifted his hat, revealing the face of a one-eyed old man. He has a gray beard and looks much older than Mendriza. The old man went to sit next to Mendriza, took out a glass from the plate on the table, and poured a glass of water.
"Mendreza, maybe we should find another new investor."
"Old Joseph, I'm curious, do we have a better choice besides Sauron?" Mendrisa closed his eyes and said indifferently: "Who else is worthy of our investment now? The whole His Royal Highness Paul who can only speak and ride horses? Or Istar who has been maimed by Sauron?"
Joseph is also the name of an old man, and this name is also an important figure in the city of Rome. Because this is the name of the head of the contemporary Odson family, but now, the heads of the two big families in New Rome are gathered in a room that is extremely simple. It seems absurd, but it is actually happening.
Joseph took a sip of water, moistened his dry lips, and said, "No, we have a better choice now."
Mendrisa's eyebrows jumped: "Are you talking about those who occupy Canon? Are you crazy, old Joseph. Who are those people? They are pirates. And they killed Habes, and your Canonmon The murderer! You actually intend to invest resources in those people, so I might as well choose His Highness the Pope!"
"Honestly speaking, Sauron is still the best choice. It's a pity that he shouldn't have killed Lambonis. These functions of Sauron have shaken the cornerstone of our original cooperation. Facing a mad dog that can bite you at any time , old man, I don’t think it’s a big deal to cooperate with the enemy.” Joseph said quietly: “Don’t forget that you and I are sitting in this position. Continuation is the key point. Both Carlomon and Habes are talents, which is undeniable. But as long as the blood is still there, we still have the opportunity to have such talents. Conversely, if Sauron is allowed to fight against Lamb If our two families attack and the bloodline is cut off, then there will be no more chances."
Mendriza stood up abruptly, glaring at Joseph. After a while, he sighed dejectedly and sat back down again. Standing and sitting, Mendrisa seems to be ten years older. He sighed again, and said, "Then are you really optimistic about those pirates? Although they occupied the fortress Kanon, in my opinion, the good times don't last long."
"I just think they have a chance. Don't forget that they still have Istar's weapons in their hands. What does this mean, old man, you should be very clear." Joseph smiled lightly: "If Istar joins hands with them If so, it’s hard to guarantee that Sauron won’t be surprised, right? Of course, it’s too early to talk about investment. If they can hit the Rock City, then I will bet the fate of the family on them!”
Mendriza closed his eyes. As the patriarch of the Karki family, he knew very well what his responsibility was. Like Joseph, they had to think about their family first and themselves second. As patriarchs, their more important task is to lead the family on the right path of destiny. Just like fifteen years ago, the sharp-edged Sauron made them foresee the fate of today, so they would not hesitate to betray the sacred oath and stand on Sauron's side.
But today, facing Sauron's ruthlessness, Mendriza knew that it was time to face another choice.
In the end, Mendriza nodded, agreeing with Joseph.
"Then let's wait and see. If we can see them outside the Rock City, then it's time for Sauron to step down from that position. Just like the one fifteen years ago, I hope this time, we can still hold hands." Tighten the rope of fate." Mendrisa said lightly.
It was almost dusk, and the afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled large swathes of radiation clouds on the horizon, making the sky there seem to be on fire. As a result, a gorgeous belt of light was also woven on the surface of the sea, embellishing the radiant sea reflecting the rays of the sun even more beautifully.
On the island of yellow sand, several fishing boats docked. The fishermen who jumped out of the boat were not happy at all. They looked depressed and had very little harvest today. Even Kedar, the most experienced fisherman, was no exception. He and his son Jorah were only better than other fishermen in catching a few big fish.
A lingering cloud of gloom hangs over the small village. As winter approaches, there are fewer and fewer fish kings around the island. To catch more fish, you have to venture out to sea. But with only the small fishing boat they have, entering the open sea is no different from courting death.
Winter is coming, and winter is the season when you can't work. If enough food cannot be stocked before winter, many people will starve to death again this year. In a small village, only Kedar's family is better. They had already stockpiled some food when the fish production was plentiful, and with the recent harvest, it should be enough to barely survive the winter. But other people save at most two-thirds, or even only one-third of their food.
These foods will be given priority to men and children, and the elderly and women will be last. It's cruel, but men have the labor force, and children are the hope for the continuation of the blood. In contrast, the elderly without labor force are completely relinquished members. As for women, they are treated only slightly better than the elderly.
Even with this cruelty, no one protested. Because everyone knows that only in this way can the bloodline continue in this increasingly cruel environment. Therefore, in recent days, some families whose families do not have enough food for the winter, the elderly in the family have left the village one after another. They will enter the center of the sand island and become food for sand lizards or fire ants.
Voluntary separation from the family is the way these elderly people can make their last contribution to their family.
That night, Jorah didn't sleep well. I have been unable to sleep for many nights. Every night, when the world becomes extremely silent. I could always hear low-pitched weeping coming from somewhere. Jorah was still young and didn't have time to experience the desolation and helplessness of life, but he had seen this fact countless times. Every time he wished that he could be stronger, so that at least the people in the village could live better.
When he thinks like this, he always thinks of that wonderful outsider.
If only I could be a man like him... .
This is a wish that Jorah has often thought of recently, but he knows that this wish may not have any hope of being realized. In tossing and turning, Jorah spent another difficult night. When it was still daylight, he had already gotten up, and was going to continue his work at sea with his father Kedar today. It's always good to be able to stock up on as much food as you can before winter hits.
Even if there is enough for one's own family, it can be distributed to other people in need.
But today seems to be very special. When Kedar's family was ready to set sail, a medium-sized ship was sailing towards the island of yellow sand. The ship flew a banner that no one had ever seen before, and the portrait of Poseidon, the god of the sea, was painted on the banner, which aroused people's suspicions.
Soon, this special ship arrived at the island of yellow sand. People came down from the boat one after another, and they seemed to be well-trained soldiers. They came to convey important news, and the new lord of Canon Fortress issued recruitment messages on various outer islands. The recruits were workers and soldiers. When they heard the news, the residents on the island were stunned. The Pope's Hall has also had similar recruitment, but the target is the inner island, like the Outer Island, which seems to be abandoned by the mainland, and the ships of the Pope's Hall have never been seen once in normal times.
However, people soon learned another amazing deed from this news. Fort Canon has always belonged to the Pope's Hall, and now it has changed its owner. Doesn't it mean that the Kanon Fortress, which claims to be impenetrable, has fallen
It's just that this news has limited impact on the people on the outer island. After all, they can't even take care of their lives, so they don't have time to care about whether Canon has changed hands. Even if the pope's hall is taken over tomorrow, it's none of their business. In the eyes of the residents of the outer islands, they are just a group of abandoned people. It is not easy to be alive, who has the spare time to pay attention to what happened on the mainland.
Villagers also worry when they see fully armed recruits. Plundering slaves is nothing new, as the Vatican has done a lot. It's called recruitment, but it's actually slave hunting. There are always one or two rumors like this every year. However, the conditions announced by the soldiers next made the villagers think that there was something wrong with their ears.
The new lord of Kanon was so generous. He paid ordinary workers ten silver coins a day. Food was not provided separately and had to be deducted from the wages. Calculated, after deducting the food, you can earn seven silver coins a day. One month is equivalent to earning about two gold coins, and two gold coins are already enough for a family's living needs for one month.
As for soldiers, it is settled on an annual basis. The annual salary is 50 gold coins, which is a large amount, and it is not much different from the treatment of soldiers of the Holy Seal Knights. Moreover, soldiers can be promoted, and the treatment of each rank is different. It's just that if you choose to be a soldier, you need to go through three months of training before deciding whether you are qualified. After qualifying, he must serve for three years and must not leave the army during these three years.
When the service period expires after three years, you can choose to stay in the original position or leave. The natural treatment of those who stay remains unchanged, and those who leave can also get a retirement pay.
In order to gain the trust of the villagers, as long as you sign up and fill in your name at the recruiting station, you can receive food worth about five gold coins from the soldiers in advance. This allows the villagers to avoid worries. If they fail to fulfill their obligations after signing up and receiving the advance food payment, the violators themselves, including their families, will be uprooted through the continuous sitting system.
Judging from the iron-blooded aura emanating from the soldiers on the boat, the villagers did not doubt whether they had this ability.
Give both grace and power, this is Ling's way of imperial power.