In the warm study, the words of the old kingdom made the backs of the middle-aged Kebot and the young Meru feel a little cold, and at the same time, the anger rushed to the top of their heads like a flame rising in a furnace.

It was a very special feeling, and it was a feeling that Kebot remembered vividly, a anger suppressed in fear, which made his scalp and cheeks crawl like thousands of ants, and he remained silent with a humble and calm expression.

But the young Prince Meru couldn't control his anger, he gasped and looked at his father, "Abdication?

"Yes, they just want to humiliate us in this way in order to show their absolute leadership. Sakdo's anger had long since been vented, so he seemed calm when he said these words.

"This is ridiculous!" said Meru, who longed to ascend to the throne sooner, refused to do so.

"Your Majesty. Kebot frowned and looked at the old king, "With what I know about Pedy Reagan, and the shrewd profit-seeking nature of the goblins, I don't think I'll make such a request... I believe that there are more reasonable ways for them to show their power while still protecting their interests. ”

Sakdo looked at Kebot in surprise, "It seems that you are indeed studying our opponent carefully. Then, he looked at his reluctant son and sighed, "Pedy Reagan is willing to lend us money so that we can afford to repay half a million crowns." He spread his hands, "Interest is the trade tariff of the Balu Kingdom for the next five years. ”

Kebot raised an eyebrow, "Well, it's a good choice... Pedy Reagan wants to overpower us so that we can surrender to him one day in the future. He looked at the monarch to whom he was loyal and said with certainty: "This is his purpose, and you abdicate just so that we have no choice." ”

"They knocked us out of the Trade Alliance, and they're going to make us pay for their losses?" said Meru clenched his fists, his face flushed with excitement.

Sakdo looked at his son, "If you feel humiliated, then remember how you feel now, always remember, and never forget it for the rest of your life!"

"Trade tariffs for the next five years are not a small amount... Moreover, to hand over the customs duties to the Kingdom of Kruria is to hand over our future. Kebot had to interrupt the old king to educate his son, "We will be completely reduced to vassals of the Kingdom of Kruria in the next five years... Five years later, our impoverished kingdom had to continue to vassalize them. ”

"I should be held accountable for my faults..."

"Father, it's better to quit the common trade circle. Meru looked at his father, "We've been here for two hundred years, and we're going for another two hundred years... If they need war, then war!" he stood up and slammed his fists on the wooden table, "Let them come, I will make them understand that we Togolese Canadians are real hunters in this ice and snow!"

"In the beginning, I thought about doing this..."

"Then do it, I'll go and expel all the instructors and envoys sent by the Kingdom of Kruria now!"

"Sit down for me!"

"Father," Prince Meru was a little stubborn, "what are you hesitating about?"

"I said," the old king's voice suddenly increased, pointing to the chair in front of his desk, "you sit down for me." ”

Meru looked at his father in anger, and the two scripts could move to the chair and sit back down, but the anger in his eyes could not be controlled.

Obviously, the young prince was not convinced!

The old king looked at his son, looked at the anger rising in his son's eyes and sighed, "For the past five years, every winter you have gone to various tribes on my behalf to inspect how our people survive in the harsh winter, and help the tribes in need survive this terrible winter. ”

"So, my child, did you notice anything different this winter?"

Meru's eyes flashed with rage, and he subconsciously recalled the difference between the past winter and this winter... In fact, before returning to Snow Castle, he was like a child when he talked to Kebot about ocean trade.

He was well aware of the changes that ocean trade had brought to the kingdom, but now he didn't want to talk about it.

Seeing that his son was silent, Sakdo asked himself, "Our furs and abundant purple gold ore have been exchanged for large quantities of flour and fruits, tools and weapons through the ocean trade... The developed artisanal techniques of the southerners make our clothes more insulating, and their tools can help us push away the snow. ”

"Our armies used to fight with stone spears and animal skins, but now we have iron and hard leather armor, and a small amount of steel armor... Moreover, trade will not only bring us abundant goods, but also technology that we do not have, and I believe that in a few years we will be able to produce iron and leather armor ourselves. ”

"So, we can't interrupt trade with them. The old king's expression was solemn, "We are already two hundred years behind, and if we don't learn the technology of the southerners, we will be three or four hundred years behind, so that in the end we will be completely reduced to vassals of the southerners." ”

"If we accede to their request, we will become their vassals in advance!" Prince Meru muttered, his head lowered.

Although his voice was small, Sakdo could hear it clearly, and the wrinkles on his face were piled up because of these words, and he subconsciously wanted to reprimand his son.

But just at this moment, the roar of the nearby stove and the cold wind whistling outside the window suddenly broke out, and the intersection of cold and heat made Sakdo swallow the words of reprimand for his son back into his stomach.

"I know what you're thinking, I think the Southerners are nothing great as you were when I was my age, and I even think my father is so useless that even the Southerners can't beat a few thousand soldiers in the Koren Fortress. The old king's tone was very soft, as if he was talking to an old friend, "But when I was crowned and enthroned, I found that the southerners are indeed amazing, they are indeed very powerful, and we are indeed inferior to them!"

"It took me twenty years to break the defenses of the Koren Fortress, and I believe that if it weren't for the Orc War and the Imperial Civil Strife, I would not have been able to capture the Koren Fortress in my lifetime. "Later, I realized that we couldn't continue like this... It is the most stupid thing to fight against an opponent who knows that he is not the enemy. ”

"So, I tried to integrate into the civilization of the southerners, but both the orcs and the imperials looked at us with a condescending expression, and we were called 'barbarians', a bunch of barbarians who only wielded their corpse spears indiscriminately!"

"To this end, I began to learn the lingua franca, orc language, and goblin language, and I began to study their culture... I didn't expose you to the culture and etiquette of the Togolese, you have been learning the lingua franca and the orc language since you were born, learning their culture, why? ”

"I'm disappointed by your performance. Sakdo sat down in his chair and looked at Kebot, "Your education doesn't seem to be useful, he's still like an ordinary Togolese..." ”

"Your Majesty, Your Highness is only dominated by anger, so..."

"A king is never dominated by anger!"

"Father!" Meru suddenly stood up and looked at the old king, the anger in his eyes had subsided, and his face was a little panicked and uneasy, "I'm very sorry..." he apologized and knelt on one knee, "I really shouldn't be dominated by anger, I have forgotten my duty and mission, and I have forgotten that my people are still suffering, and I am willing to accept your punishment." ”

As he spoke, he ripped off his clothes, revealing the hideous scars on his chest and back... This is the scar of being whipped.

In the entire kingdom of Baru, who would dare to whip this noble prince?

Only his father, the king of the kingdom of Baru, Sakdo!

"I know you're not convinced. Sakdo looked at the scar on his son's body, and the corners of his eyes trembled slightly, "But today, I don't intend to convince you, but I will make you remember everything that happened today..."

"Bang!" the old king was so powerful that he pulled the hand holding the pulse of his son's left hand against the desk.

Miru was unbalanced by the sudden pull, and he collapsed on the edge of his desk with a bewildered expression on his face.

Under the frightened eyes of the prince, the old king pushed his body away ...

Kebot looked at the king's movements and instantly understood the other party's plan, his face changed and he subconsciously took a step forward, and exclaimed: "Your Majesty, you..."

"Bang!" the old king ignored Kebot's shout, he drew the short knife he carried with him, and in the shocked gaze of Kebot and the surprise of Prince Meru before he could react, he raised the short knife that was brightly lit by the light, and... Suddenly.

"Poof!" blood spilled on King Sakdor's face!

Half of the blade of the short knife was embedded in the tabletop, and a bloodied palm was separated...

It's Prince Meru's left hand!

"Ahh

"Don't scream!" the old king scolded, looked at Kebot next to him and said, "Stop the bleeding for him..."

"Uhh

"Whew... The young prince gasped for breath in pain, but did not dare to utter any cry under the old king's sharp gaze.

King Sakdo grabbed him by the chest, "It hurts, you have to remember the pain now, your people hurt more than you! Remember your duty, the duty you were born with, your duty is to lead the Togolese out of the cold and poverty!"

"Remember?"

"Remember... Remember!" Meru replied, gritting his teeth.

"Very well!" Sakdo returned to his seat and pulled a sealed document with a little blood stain from the table, "Everybody will think I'm going to take out a loan from Pedy Reagan, but I'm not going to do that...", the old king looked at his young son, "and in two hours, I'll be announcing my abdication... So, get ready, the afternoon is your coronation. ”

"Your Majesty..."

"After the coronation, you will travel as a king to the kingdom of Cruria. Sakdo ignored Kebot and gave the order directly, "Use your eyes to take a good look at other people's countries, and see the gap between us and them." ”

...

The confrontation continues inside the city of Crane and outside the Mortan bunker.

Before you know it, it's December, and the weather is even colder, and the biting cold wind has frozen the whole city.

On December 1st, there was one day left before the day when the besieging coalition forces agreed to storm the bunker.

While the Duchy of Rigrock and the Twak Collar were preparing to storm the plan, the barbarians' huge army and more than 10,000 troops of Perus suddenly withdrew from the city without warning.

Subsequently, the barbarian commander Amdani sent a letter of explanation to Trofil and Andy...

His letter reads:

The order to retreat is a death order from King Sakdor, and our war in the city of Crane has angered some people, some people who can change our fate, and our esteemed King Sakdo has abdicated because of it!

If I do not follow the order to withdraw my army from the city, the forces from within the kingdom will put all the high-ranking commanders, including me, to death. So, my friends, honorable Duke Trofil and Duke Andy, I can only regret to inform you that the armies of the barbarians will not be able to help you in the next war, and the agreement we have signed will be null and void.

...

Andy Barrett took Amdanny's letter of explanation and read it countless times.

When night fell, his intelligence officer brought the information of the past few days in the Kingdom of Baru, and Andy Barrett fell into a long silence after reading the information.

Looking at the silent Andy Barrett, Sir Claire picked up the intel that had slipped from Andy's hand onto the table.

Then, Sir Claire looked at the map and fell silent.

Soon, the advisors and generals in the command post learned the contents of the information.

Count Banda Hibbert, who was in the advisory group, looked at the contents of the information and subconsciously said, "Oh my God, is Sakdo an idiot?"

"Since when was the Reagan family able to influence the change of throne among the barbarians?" Caseffel-Buck frowned, "and when did this so-called common circle of trade appear?"

Andy Barrett slowly sobered up from his distraction, suppressing the shock and the hint of trepidation in his heart and whispered, "Now, that cousin of mine must be proud...", he looked at his generals, "Do I have to write a letter to congratulate him, and respectfully address him 'Your Majesty'?"

"Sakdo is not a fool, he is smarter than most people, and he is more resolute than most people. Sir Claire was no longer silent, he scanned everyone in the command post with a solemn expression, and finally looked at Andy Barrett, who was in the first place, and said:

"After the start of the Orc War, all parts of the old empire have been mired in war, but except for the initial attack by the Orc Expeditionary Force, Kru Territory has been in a relatively stable situation at the rest of the time. ”

"When the orcs were in a civil war, the elves and the empire were entangled in the territory of Illuk, and we were in confrontation with Cize-Dewen, Pedi Reagan actively carried out commercial reform of his territory, recovering the rights of local territories to achieve his dictatorship, and then united with the goblins to monopolize the ocean-going trade between the eastern and western continents, and in order to control the commercial market of the entire continent, he even did not hesitate to get rid of the Lockton family of the Heron territory!"

"When the empire fell, Pedy Reagan joined forces with goblins, orcs, and barbarians to convince us and the dwarves who were busy building their country in the Western Continent to introduce the crown coins instead of the Empire's gold coins. In the months that followed, elves and werewolves signed armistice agreements and trade treaties with the Reagan family, which further strengthened the Reagan family's trade control over the entire continent. ”

"Sakdo's abdication in exchange for a seat in the Common Trade Circle is a surefire deal for the Balu Kingdom!"

"So, sir. Andy Barrett said, "Do you mean that we too should enter the so-called 'common circle' as soon as possible and bow down to Pedy Reagan?"