In the early hours of the next morning, when Loren appeared outside Brandon's tent, the night watchmen Edward, Dalton Kander, and Yuri Wirtz had been waiting for a long time, and it was not surprising that they watched the black-haired wizard arrive.

"He knows?"

Edward, with a stiff expression, bowed slightly, and did not forget to glance at Dalton at his side while answering Loren.

"Peter Fasa and Vera are moving forward an hour ago, and they're trying to figure out what the whole thing really is... Or history, tell Your Majesty in detail, it should be almost over. Looking at Dalton's unresponsive face, Edward snorted coldly:

"As for how far Your Majesty can know, and whether he will be willing to believe it... It's hard to say. ”

Loren nodded, he was not surprised at all with Brandon's character: "Mentor, what about Al Yin and Isaac?"

It's not surprising that the little wizard didn't show up, but Isaac was a little abnormal.

"Grantham is more steady than you think, and he's gone back to rest. Dalton said in a deep voice, "Ayn, Lusen, and Carl Colin and others have been sent by me to pacify the wizards in the camp. ”

"This time the Void reaction is so strong that ordinary people can also perceive it - it is necessary to make sure that the wizards in the barracks do not talk nonsense and destroy morale first, and now that Ain is in charge of the medical and logistical affairs in the camp, all the wizards must be at her disposal, and with her assistance, it is not difficult to pacify the wizards. ”

"How long can you hide it?"

"This kind of thing, the more you hide it, the more terrible it is. Dalton shook his head: "It is enough for everyone to remain silent until His Majesty officially announces his decision." ”

"Yes, that's the most important thing right now. Yuri Wirtz agreed, and his solemn gaze never left Brandon's tent:

"The Azorean elves are evil, the evil gods sealed under the city of Eberden... All kinds of rumors, if you don't come forward to clarify things as soon as possible, it will become impossible to clean up. ”

"I have sent an order to all the Grand Dukes and Legion Commanders, and the counts from all over the country should hold a meeting at noon, which will somewhat stabilize the morale of the army temporarily. The Grand Duke of Ellemont frowned slightly, but he couldn't help but look at Loren behind him:

"The situation... Is it really serious?"

Facing the confused Yuri Wirtz, the black-haired wizard can understand his mood at the moment, but he really doesn't know how to explain it to him.

Just like the "Loren the Traverser" who hadn't met Asrael yet, the "Squire Loren" appeared in front of him, and Loren didn't know how to explain to him the evil god, the void, the Holy Cross... and the relationship between all of this, which was completely beyond the scope of his knowledge.

Black Cross... It was something on another level that even many wizards couldn't understand.

Yuri Wirtz looked sideways, and he saw that the problem was not easy to explain: "Black Cross... Powerful?"

"It doesn't matter if it's strong or not, if he can, he probably won't kill anyone. Loren shook his head: "But if he succeeds, then he can wipe out any of us at will." ”

"Obliteration?"

"Yes, not to kill you, but to make you non-existent—the traces of your existence, your memories in other people's hearts, your soul, your body, everything you have touched and what has happened to you, he can erase it with a single thought. Loren said softly:

"It's not just you, even the world can be changed if he doesn't like it; history, civilization, the world... For him, it will be a story or an oil painting, if he likes it, he will keep it, if he doesn't like it, he will throw it away, and start again, it will be just a thought. ”

The voice fell... Not only Yuri Wirtz, but even Edward on the side also changed color.

"Loren, listening to your tone, it doesn't look like describing an enemy, but more like ......" After a slight pause, the face of the Grand Duke of Ellemont turned a little pale, and he hesitated for a long time:

“...... God. ”

"Who's to say it isn't?"

Loren nodded, but his gaze had already turned in the direction of the tent, and the sound behind the curtain had died down, proving that the people inside had finished talking.

A minute later, Peter Fasa and Vera walked out of the tent with complicated expressions, and Edward, who was always vigilant standing nearby, was relieved only after he made sure they were not injured.

"Brandon... Your Majesty is waiting for you inside, Duke of Loren. Raising his gaze, Peter looked at the black-haired wizard: "Your Majesty's mood is not very stable now, please be cautious." ”

"I see, thanks. ”

As soon as the words fell, the crowd was about to step forward, but Peter stopped them.

"Your Majesty Brandon... He only wanted to see Duke Loren alone now. ”

The group exchanged glances and nodded in understanding—the celebration was not over before the end of the incident, if it could, Brandon probably wouldn't want to see anyone now.

A person should be his limit.

Loren said no more, bowed slightly to the crowd, and then walked straight past Peter's small back and into the tent.

........................

The last time I saw such a decadent Brandon seemed to be when Eckhart II died... Already, almost a year ago.

He was in pain, in fear, and in a little uneasy—no matter how much he resented Eckhart II, it was his father, the father who gave him all privileges, status, and life.

Eckhart II struggled to survive while he was alive, dying under his brother's growing power and his father's authority, and even Brandon himself knew that he had little hope of competing for the throne with Conod, but he still had to fight for his own life, his freedom, and some small ambitions.

But when Eckhart really died, he lost his father Brandon and didn't know how to live, and he was very uneasy for a while.

Later, Conod succeeded to the throne, and because he was closer to the throne, Brandon, who was "resurrected with full blood", found the motivation to continue to live and began to attack the throne of the Supreme Emperor.

The name of the Ebotden War, the Sacland civil strife took the advantage, and the Broken Mountain Fortress seized the military power in one fell swoop, and then relied on the strategic planning left by Eckhart and Conrad to complete the Azorean Elven War step by step, crowned emperor on the battlefield, and "self-proclaimed" Brandon II the Dragon Rider.

According to Brandon's idea, his next step should be to win a great victory, overpower the Heavenly Dome Palace and the Imperial Council, become a true and righteous Emperor, rely on Byrne's mutual compromise to complete the reforms he planned, and leave a strong mark in the fourteenth generation... That's what he can do in the future.

And now, this future has been torn to shreds by the news of "Serol".

But this time Brandon was no longer afraid, no pain, and no uneasiness... Rather, they are confused and overwhelmed.

No one ever told him, and when he did, he "both" reminded him by the way that this powerful enemy was not something we could defeat.

He was confused, and even more overwhelmed—he knew that he or the Empire was about to be in trouble, but it seemed that he could not do anything.

Maybe there used to be something that could have been done, but now it's too late, anyway.

It's too late, you can only watch everything happen, end, and wait for death.

"Anything to say?"

Brandon, who was slumped in front of the map table and stared at the scarlet-eyed man who hadn't slept all night, heard footsteps behind him and spoke weakly.

Glancing around the tent, Loren picked up the flask in the corner, poured himself and Brandon a glass each, and sat down unceremoniously across from him, holding the glass without saying a word.

You let me come, you say it first.

"Well, whatever you want. Shrugging, Brandon looked indifferent.

His eyes were as red as blood, but he was always staring at the map in front of him.

"Twenty years ago, I thought the Desarion family was a great family—it was us! who had put an end to the chaotic Old Kingdom and built an empire that could resist monsters and alien invasions; He is a hero who guards the world!"

"Hey, hey, hey... Twenty years ago, you may not have imagined that I even regarded Emperor Conod as a hero—he would become the Emperor, and I would be the most trusted person around the Emperor, and I would assist him, help him and even his heirs, and establish an unbreakable Imperial Family of the Heavenly Dome. ”

"Well, it's not hard to think of, and that's what you're doing now, isn't that?"

"Really?!"

Brandon, excited, drank the wine down.

"Ten years ago... I know it's just a legend, a Mongolian thing - de Salion, Turin, Fried, Wirtz... We don't make a difference, all we want is the same thing, except that the most powerful de Salion has taken the lead. ”

"What about the Knight King, and what about the Lord of the Great Green Sea, Akhart I has come to their aid and a warning to defeat the Centaurs and Dwarves who will be burned to ashes if they dare to refuse. ”

"They were clever and afraid of death, so they chose to surrender - not to the ambitions of Eckhart I, but to his dragons and military might, and that's it. ”

With a sneer, Brandon's expression became lonely again: "Five years ago... I know more about the Holy Cross, the Dragon Kingdom, the Wizard, the Evil God, the origin of the Dragon, the destruction of the Dragon Kingdom...... Finally understood that the De Salion family was not a big fist, but lucky enough to marry the dragon queen and become the dragon king family. ”

"At that time, I almost thought that I knew the truth of this world, I thought that I would become a special emperor! I would do something different from any previous emperor, I would do something that they might have thought about, but did not dare to do, could not do!"

"I don't want to live in the shadow of my father and brother for the rest of my life, and let myself become like a 'Tyream' - everybody knows the Dragon Empress, and a few know the Empress's son, what the Eleventh Generation Supreme Emperor is called; ”

"I don't want to be Brandon II, I don't want to be the second Brandon, I want to be the 'Dragon Rider' Brandon;

Talking to himself excitedly, Brandon picked up the flask again and took a big sip.

"Now... It's already impossible, right?"

"Along the lines of Eckhart II... The route designed by my great, anticipatory father, no matter how much I struggle, is meaningless... Right?"

"Deliberately letting Peter Fasa know everything, waiting until this moment to tell me everything, is that what he expected, right?"

The black-haired wizard tilted his head and looked at the wine in his glass.

"Done complaining?"

"No, I still have a lot of grumbling to talk about, a lot of boredom and nowhere to complain - why didn't anyone tell me that fighting the evil gods and the Black Cross was the true mission of the Emperor? Why didn't anyone mention to me the pact between the dragon and the House de Salion, why didn't my omniscient father tell me the truth until he died? Why did ......?"

"Why didn't you tell me until now?!"

Brandon hysterical: "It's time like this, do I know this is still useful?!ahhhh

"It's all come to this, what else can I do, what can I change?Wait for death?!"

"Since it's all to the point of waiting for death, why don't you just lie to me and let me die happily and happily?!"

"It's fun to see me go up and down, isn't it ridiculous?

Panting, Brandon glared at the black-haired wizard with a murderous gaze, as if this was the only way to express his mood at the moment.

Anyone can lie to themselves, anyone can hide from themselves, lies, incomplete truths...... You're the only one, no.

I treat you as a friend, share everything I get with you, then at least you shouldn't lie to me about this kind of thing, don't tell me - Brandon's eyes, convey such feelings.

"Peter Fasa told me that you haven't been at least for more than a year... By the time you come back from Dragon King, you should already know. Brandon, who was agitated, suddenly calmed down, and calmed down to the point of being terrible:

"Loren Turin, you owe me an explanation. ”

"Explain what?"

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it's not necessary. ”

"Not necessary?" Brandon's voice slowed, but the chill was heavier:

"You're trying to say... Even if I knew, it wouldn't help, wouldn't it be of any use at all, would it?

Or in the eyes of you, Loren Turin, I... Brandon De Salion... Your friend... Emperor... Even know the qualifications... None of them?"

Brandon, who gritted his teeth, almost said word by word in a cannibalistic tone.

"Of course not. Loren shook his head:

"That's why I said it's not necessary... It's because this war has nothing to do with the Supreme Emperor of the Sakran Empire, it's not your enemy, and you won't even have any conflict with it, because you don't belong to the same world at all, so what's the point of me telling you?"

"You mean ......"

"Black Cross Serol... He is my enemy. ”

。