In the city of Twak, the battle is nearing its end.

Battle flags embroidered with highland horses hunted and fluttered in the cold wind, and columns of soldiers in armor entered the city amid the cheers of the citizens. They welcomed their army into the city in the ruins, and the soldiers reunited with their loved ones in the ruins to reminisce about the bustling city of Twak before the war.

This New Year is unforgettable for the citizens who stayed in the city!

On the eastern wall of the city, on the tower under the billowing smoke of gunpowder, Andy Barrett looked up at the snowflakes falling in the deep sky, feeling the cold feeling of falling snow to remind himself that he was not in a dream.

Nishizawa Devin was defeated suddenly, and Andy Barrett also won suddenly, and the siege battle he had planned for half a month ended in just half a day!

This victory was so incredible for him...

"This is the will of the people, my lord. Claire wrapped in a thick cotton jacket, "Look at their cheers, this victory belongs to them!" He obviously couldn't stand the cold of the highland winter, and kept rubbing his hands as he spoke, "The rule of the aristocracy has long since declined, the popularization of basic knowledge and the prosperity of the trade economy have allowed ordinary people to have the wealth and knowledge that only nobles should have, they have long been able to think about all problems independently, and the high-pressure rule of the aristocracy will only make them disgusted from the heart." ”

"My friends, they are nothing more than new nobles born of a new environment. Andy Barrett has a mind of his own, and he grinned, "Aristocratic rule will never fall, only in a different way, and we are trying to change the way we rule." ”

Claire was stunned, her hands that kept rubbing together stopped, and after thinking for a while, she whispered, "This is a question worth pondering...", he did not deny Andy Barrett's words, but he also did not admit it.

As the two spoke, nearby soldiers set up a bonfire in the middle of the tower. When the warm flame rose, Claire immediately leaned in, and Andy Barrett ripped off his belly and leg armor and sat down directly next to the campfire.

"After taking Twak City, we have a lot more to do. Claire sat by the campfire, her mind seemed to spin faster, "Bolenburg's huge idle population can finally be housed... But there's a lot more that needs to be done to restore Twak City's former prosperity, and that requires a huge amount of money!"

"I also want to continue to push towards Sharptown, and with the forces we have, it will be easy to break through Sharptown. Andy Barrett, though resolute, spoke with uncertainty in his tone, unsure whether it was right or wrong.

"Shikan-Silver Axe is not easy to deal with. Claire reminded in a whisper, his tone uncertain, because he didn't have to know what the tolerance line of the orcs was, or the tolerance bottom line of Shikan-Silver Axe.

"It is precisely because Shikan-Silver Axe is difficult to deal with that we should take back everything we originally had while he was busy with the war in the Western Continent. Andy Barrett looked at his chief of staff, "Do you naïve enough to think that when the Stone-Silver Axe ends the orc civil war, he will spend the rest of his life in the castle of the Clans?"

"His ambitions are known to people all over the continent. Claire shook her head, "But the supplies we loot from Fort Herien can't sustain a long war, and if the war against Sharptown lasts more than two months, we'll be in a passive position after the winter is over." ”

"You've forgotten something!" Andy Barrett grinned, "In the wild mountains west of the fortress of Coron, there is a man who calls himself the 'King of Light', who has at least ten thousand warriors in his hands and hundreds of thousands of people who support his rule, based on the amount of grain trade in the Barbarians in Crewe. ”

"You want to contact him?" Claire frowned, "The Empire didn't recognize them at all..."

"Who cares about the will of the Central Empire now. Andy Barrett laughed "hehe": "If Duke Nick still continues to be the Prime Minister of the Empire, maybe I will listen carefully to the orders of the cabinet, but now Woz Pedro and Sinda Danediv have no convincing reasons at all." ”

"The 'King of Light' seems to have some sort of agreement with the barbarians, and I guess their terms will make it difficult for us to choose. Claire looked at the growing flames and said, "They will let us cede the area of the fortress of Cologne." ”

Andy Barrett said without hesitation: "The Koren Fortress never came back into our hands, give it to them if they want it." ”

"If you're going to do that, it's a lot easier. Claire grinned, her white teeth glowing golden under the flames, "We can promise the 'King of Light' that the Koren Fortress will be given to him first, and then mortgage that area to the barbarians!"

"Good idea. Andy Barrett's eyes lit up, "That way, even if they both know that we are deliberately instigating, there is nothing they can do." With that, he looked at Claire, "So, it's decided... Although arranging for contact with the 'King of Light' and the barbarians, and at the same time pressuring my army to be stationed around Sharptown. ”

"Try the orc reaction first?"

"Yes!"

...

Peruth, a paladin who was once abandoned by the 'Radiant Power', has no noble blood, and was even a wanderer until he met his mentor, Hanina.

Because of his wandering career as a child, and later the teaching of 'Radiant Power', Perus firmly believed in absolute justice, and he had a persistent belief in chivalric dogma.

However, the split of the 'Radiant Power' led to what the organization did during the war for the throne, causing Perus's faith to collapse rapidly, so that he lost the favor of the Holy Power for a while.

During his thirteen years as sheriff in Hattis Town, he lived like a walking corpse.

The town of Tyre was the case where he saw his revered mentor stand up when he aimed his holy power at an innocent person.

So, he followed in the footsteps of his predecessors in the Radiant Power, intending to rediscover his faith.

After the outbreak of the Orc War, he regained his faith in despair!

The Holy Force, purer than ever, favored him again!

Since then, he seems to have a lifelong goal...

The renewed faith allowed him to save some people in last year's war, but it also led him to kill countless people!

In the midst of killing and redemption, he became lost again.

Nowadays, people call him the 'King of Light', which means the king who brings light to people.

The title of 'King' was the source of Peru's confusion, and he hated it, because the thirteen-year split of the 'Radiant Force' and the collapse of his faith were due to the so-called 'King', and he was now being given such a title.

At night, his ears are always accompanied by all kinds of whispers,

It was the sycophancy of the people during the day, and the self-spurring of redemption in his heart.

The voices made him almost insane.

So a month ago, he locked himself in his room and refused to meet everyone.

Soon, the whispers in my ears quickly disappeared, and the uneasiness in my heart gradually dissipated. Slowly, Perus became obsessed with prayer and communication with the Holy Power.

It was as if he had found true spiritual sustenance.

But it was as if something was drifting away from him.

At the beginning of the new year, the constant laughter outside the house reminds Peru of the arrival of the new year. He wanted to join them and share in their joy, but at the same time he was afraid that he would be lost again.

The celebration lasted for three days and three nights!

On the morning of the fourth day, while Perus was praying, he welcomed his first guest in half a month. It was Judith, a stubborn female knight who followed him all the way through his wanderings and established a shelter.

The knightess sat beside Perus and prayed with him.

Half an hour later, Perus opened his eyes and said in a hoarse voice that reminiscent of the legendary Night Watchman: "Is something happening?"

"Come and see you..."Judith's expression was calm, her cheeks were red from the cold of her thin clothes, and she whispered, "How long are you going to stay here?"

"Is there anything going on?" Perus continued to ask the question.

"I'm asking how long you're going to stay here?" the knight continued her question.

Then, the two fell silent.

Judith could not understand the beliefs of Perus, but as a knight she had her own understanding, and after a short silence she said, "I don't know what you're confused... But when you're confused, you should think about the oath you took up arms at that time, and the oath can help you see the path ahead. ”

"The oath only makes me more confused. Perus's deep voice was like that of a sinner confessing to the goddess, "I find that I cannot fulfill my vow, because before I can fulfill it, I must first break it." ”

"It's a real problem. Judith shrugged, a special smile on her face, a mockery with a hint of sarcasm, a hint of sincerity in the sarcasm, "This is reality, you can't put yourself in fantasy, each of us has to face reality!"

She sat down on one of the few stools in the room, "But even if this is reality, we should not run away, it will not solve any problems, but will make them more troublesome..."

Between the four eyes, the female knight said in an indifferent tone: "You have locked yourself up here for more than a month, what I want to ask you is, have you come up with a solution?"

"I..."

"You think this question clearly, I don't need a coward's answer. Judith stood up from her stool, "People are pushing you king, but you are abandoning yourself like a beggar in this room... You're like a stone in a stinking gutter, as disgusting as!"

"Who are you doing to show the gods?" the knight roared in a low voice, "The gods are always on high!" she pointed to Perus, "look at your expression now, do you think I am here to comfort you and encourage you?I will comfort you and encourage you, who will comfort me and comfort the others?" She suppressed her anger and suppressed the voice that she could have roared, "Have you ever thought about the people who follow you? Have you ever thought about the feelings of the hundreds of thousands of your compatriots who have pushed you king? You selfish and disgusting hypocrite!"

The knightess's face flushed, and her cathartic words were followed by violent gasps. Peruth, on the other side, was speechless by her scolding, and looked at Judith with a look of disbelief.

Perus's expression now is like that of a child who doesn't know that he was wrong after making a mistake!

Perhaps, he is just a child who has not yet matured,

He has been training as a paladin since he was very young, and his mentor Hanina treats him as if he were family. His purity of faith made him one of the three strongest paladins in the Radiant Force, and to the cheers of the crowd, he became the leader of the organization as a young adult.

When his faith was shattered, his life of thirteen walking corpses did not mature him,

He was immersed in the glory and faith of his youth!

The cruelty of the orc war opened the bloody memories that he had sealed for thirteen years, and while he regained his faith, it was more of a pursuit of the glory of the past.

He's really like a little kid!

"I know what you're thinking. Judith's tone softened suddenly, "I have the same thoughts as you, our upbringing from a young age has made us resentful of what we are doing now. She let out a sigh, "I sometimes look at the camps full of mountains, and I wonder if it is legal for us to do this, and whether we will be classified as rebels by the Empire!"

"As a nobleman, I hate the rebels..."

"I don't care about the rebels and the Empire!" Perus whispered, "I don't care who is right and who is wrong, but the title of 'King of Light' weighs me down." ”

"So, that's why you locked yourself in the house?"

"I am disgusted by people's sycophants, I hate to be called 'king', I hate it from the bottom of my heart!" The title of 'king' made Perus resound the bloody scene of thirteen years, and the flattery of the people always made his ears unconsciously sound the screams of that time.

"But people need kings, those who are homeless need you to lead them out of their predicament, and you saved them when the empire abandoned them, so in their eyes you are their king and their hope!"

"I hate it, it makes me feel like it's a deal. ”

"Are you nervous about what other people think of you? Why should you care about other people's opinions?" said Judith, "You should get out of this room now and look at your people, who are the root of what you are fighting for, and we don't have to pay attention to anything else." She leaned sideways and pointed to the door, "I told them that you are sick and that you should see the piety with which your people pray for you, which will untie your heart." ”

So saying, the knightess walked to the door as fast as she could, and opened the door.

The icy breeze made Peru's whole person subconsciously straighten his back, and Judith's words about 'your people' made him a little unhappy, and he hated such words, because it reminded him of some of the words of the 'Radiant Force' when it split.

"My king. As Pelus pondered, there was suddenly a crowd of people standing outside his door, not his so-called retinue, but ordinary peasants, shivering in the snow outside, but their eyes shining strangely at Pelus.

Perus was attracted by these eyes, and he walked towards the door uncontrollably with his feet, but when he walked to the door, he was stunned again, and at the same time a special sense of shock appeared on his face, and soon this shocking feeling turned into a certain touch!

The people who prayed for Perus were not only the farmers at the door, but the streets farther away, on the cols in the distance, and almost all of them were full of people standing beside the giant trees and dense forests.

Tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of people were exposed to the snow under the white snow, and there was no extra bonfire for them to keep warm, they could only lean on each other, trembling and praying for their 'king'!

.。 m.