After several days of marching, Loren's party finally arrived at the Broken Mountain Fortress as scheduled, albeit with a slight irony.

Although the Bloodborne Valley army, which returned "as scheduled", blocked the attack of the monster army, it missed the battle of the Broken Mountain Fortress, which was also one of the inducements for the fall of the fortress in a sense;

And by the time they arrived at the Broken Mountain Fortress, there was no longer any meaning of "Broken Mountain Fortress".

Yes, it's just a ruin that blocks the only road in the mountains.

Standing on a battlefield covered by snow, Loren and his entourage, who were in different moods, looked at the various ice and snow ruins piled up by rubble and rubble in the mountains.

Some places have been completely buried by the falling rubble, and the original shape is not visible, some can faintly see the original parapet walls and collapsed towers, but most of them are only a little rubble, some are full of corpses that look like they have been recently cleared, and some of the shorter, sturdy towers are still intact and stand alone......

The ruins of different shapes are dyed the same color by the falling snow and ice, and you can even vaguely see the majesty and style of her past.

Once......

Construction began in the second generation, the fourth generation was completely completed, and the subsequent generations continued to refine the processing, the indestructible northern gate of the empire for hundreds of years, the fortress of Broken Mountain... was added by a dozen wizards and not much material, and turned into a ruin in front of him.

While there were many factors in this – the landslide, the good knowledge of the fortress, and the fact that the emperor had turned on the final switch, the mere phrase "it was all made by the sorcerers" was enough to be amazing.

Wizards represent the future... This is the collective wish of Master Corona and the entire Nine-Pointed Star Wizard Tower, and it would be very gratifying if they could see this scene in front of them, and see the fortress representing the "past" being reduced to rubble by the "future".

But whether such a future is good or bad is difficult to say.

After all, although the destruction of the Dragon Kingdom is full of conspiracy behind it, and even deliberately guided by certain forces, the wizards still have to bear a large part of the responsibility.

Too much power, even if it is limited and costly, is still feared, feared, and wary, both for those who have power and those who do not.

If this problem cannot be solved, I am afraid that in the end, the Imperial Wizard will still end up on the same end as the Dragon Kingdom.

Not to mention the fact that the Holy Cross, the enemy of wizards... It's also the work of wizards.

Looking at the Iron Crown banner fluttering in the ruins in the distance, the black-haired wizard couldn't help but sigh.

No matter how cranky you think, from today onwards, as long as you have seen the ruins in front of you, you will no longer underestimate the wizards, or at least begin to value the power of this group.

It is no longer a trick, no longer just "insignificant", no longer a "dispensable freak heresy", but a group of people who have special knowledge and power and should be valued more seriously.

Void weapons, floating cities, earthquake magic arrays that destroy fortresses... Isaac Grantham, perhaps the fate of the wizards of the Empire could really be turned upside down in his hands.

"The makeshift camp is just ahead, and the Rangers, who have returned early, have already informed us of our arrival. ”

The figure of Edward, the night watchman, stepped out from Brandon's side and whispered behind the group, "Blankets, tents, hot food, boiling water, and firewood for heating have been prepared for them, and the army can rest here for a while." ”

"In that case, what are we waiting for?"

Brandon's expression was surprisingly indifferent, and he didn't even glance behind him before he said coldly, "Speed up, don't make the soldiers wait." ”

After speaking, His Royal Highness the Prince ignored the people beside him and walked alone, and the people behind him had no choice but to follow closely towards the camp of the ruins of Broken Boundary Mountain.

Edward, the night watchman, followed the prince in his footsteps, and did not forget to glance at the black-haired wizard on one side, hinting at something.

The silent Loren only slightly hooked the corners of his mouth.

Passing through the ruins and a few improvised earthen walls and makeshift fortifications, Loren and his party finally returned to the Broken Mountain Fortress, where a shadowy crowd awaited their arrival in the camp.

There was no sound in the dead camp and everyone was standing silently on both sides, forming a seemingly dense human wall, leaving a passage for His Royal Highness the Prince and the accompanying knights to pass through.

A narrow road leads straight in the direction of the center of the camp, and through the crowd of people, a stacked platform can be faintly seen.

The platform was there, isolated from the rest of the camp's ruins and buildings, alone, and dozens of scarred veterans stood in a circle.

Loren, who was faintly aware of something, instinctively reached out to stop Brandon, who was still moving forward, but was pushed away by His Royal Highness the Prince.

"What if... This is the last time I will meet that guy, and I don't want to be the guy who hides and doesn't dare to see him. Brandon's voice was soft, but you could hear the firmness in his heart

"I've got to go, Loren, I've got to go... I need to tell him that I'm not afraid of him and that he has nothing to fear... I have to look him in the eye, you know, I have to look into his eye to... to make him ......"

"To let him know... I'm back, there's nothing to worry about. ”

Fiery eyes and obsidian pupils met each other, scorching gazes filled with the strength of a certain unwavering determination.

After a few seconds, the black-haired wizard let go of his hand, only to be grabbed by Brandon again.

"Come with me, please, I know this but... I don't want to go and see him by myself. His Royal Highness pursed his lips and sniffled vigorously

"The hero who won the Battle of the Valley of the Blood... I think you should be qualified for this. ”

Loren had no choice but to agree.

The two slowly walked to the platform under the gaze of the surrounding eyes, and the atmosphere was depressing and solemn.

In the crowd near the platform, Loren saw Charlotte's figure, and the countess of Crimson Castle looked as serious as her surroundings, but the dust and dust were completely lacking in her usual demeanor, and even a little tired—something that would have been absolutely unimaginable before.

The moment she saw the figure of the black-haired wizard, Charlotte's eyes immediately lit up, but it didn't even take half a second to hold back the momentum of the pounce, and she naturally straightened her chest forward, and her eyes became serious again, just bowing slightly towards Loren.

For some reason, he didn't see Salika Jonah, Grand Duke of Boi.

The dark-haired wizard, who raised his eyebrows, followed Brandon onto the platform.

Conod's body lay on it, a thick cloak and black linen over his body.

Brandon stepped aside, his pace steady, his right hand raised several times and then lowered again and again, and finally made up his mind to pinch the black cloth, but he couldn't bear to open it.

"Loren... You know I've always envied him. Brandon suddenly whispered, "Since the day I was born, I have always envied him, even jealous of him. ”

"I am jealous of his attention, of the admiration he is given by Sister-in-law Fitlonay, of the fact that he has so many people willing to be loyal to him, even to the point of dying for him... I didn't experience that feeling. ”

"But at the end of the day... It's not that I'm jealous of, it's my father's dedication to him — the kind of attentive and caring look that lets me know that I and him... There is a difference. ”

"I hate that difference, even though I know it's not what I want. Brandon muttered to himself, "But now... Don't know why... I feel a little sorry for him again. ”

"The 'ideal' on the lips, the eyes of the crowd, the expectations of my father, the faith that persists until death... Tell me about this guy who makes people envious and hateful, has he ever had a day... Do you live for yourself?"

"If what he does, all his choices are based on ideals......" Looking at Conod's corpse, the black-haired wizard said in a deep voice, "then he is not living for himself all the time." ”

Silently looking at the black-haired wizard's expression, Brandon, who had been thinking hard for a while, finally smiled slightly.

"yes, that's Conod, no... This is the Emperor. ”

"Either turn the 'ideal' of the empire into your own strength, or your 'will' into the will of the empire - the Iron Crown is such a chain that turns the two into one. ”

"By putting on the chains, you can transcend and become the empire itself, but on another level, you are just a mortal. ”

"The Emperor... It's such a human-inhuman, half-human, half-god monster, hahaha. ”

Brandon smiled, but finally the smile froze on his face, looking a little lonely and a little desolate, and his trance-like gaze seemed to be able to see through the black linen and see Conod's remains.

"But... Dear Imperial Brother, I have not come to see you to say this. ”

His expression changed, and Brandon stopped looking at Loren, staring at Conrad's cheek under the black cloth.

"I'm never going to be like you, I can't kill me, I don't want to—I'm never going to be a slave to some kind of 'faith' or 'ideal' or whatever, I won't, and you know I won't!"

"I'm Brandon de Salion, I always will be, I'm not going to be Conrad I or the 'Supreme Emperor of the Thirteenth Generation' like you, I'm not going to be fourteen or a few tenths, I... That's me. ”

"I want the Empire to remember my name even after thousands of generations, just like Brandon the Sage and Charlotte the Dragon, not the 'another Brandon'. ”

"For this purpose, I will never let the empire perish - the empire will never die in my hands, that's what you're for, right, and I'd rather die than preserve the dignity of the de Salion family, as if that thing were more important than living......"

Brandon kept talking, his speech was fast, as if he was deliberately pressing his nervousness, pretending that everything was normal and that he was still calm.

The black-haired wizard stood silently beside him, his lowered gaze could clearly see his trembling arms hidden in his sleeves, which could not be restrained even if he clenched his fists.

"Bang ————!"

At this moment, there was a neat sound in the camp under the earthen platform.

"Bang————!bang————!bang————!"

The solemn-faced legionnaires suddenly began to beat their halberds and shields in the snow beneath their feet rhythmically, at first a little messy, and soon the sound gradually became uniform and neat.

"Bang————!bang————!bang————!"

The sound of uniform beating soon spread throughout the camp, and the warriors of the Valley of Blood, who had just returned with Loren, looked around vigilantly with different expressions.

Some of the older veterans' faces changed, and their eyes were alert as they remembered something, while other young knights were stunned at first, and then involuntarily began to beat their weapons, and by the time the men around them remembered to stop them, it was too late.

The entire ruined camp of Fault Mountain has turned into a "sensational" ocean.

"Bang————!bang————!bang————!"

In the midst of the loud noise, Edward, the expressionless Night Watchman, held a black iron crown banner in his hands, and a long sword and a crown lay horizontally on the banner.

Mithril Sword, Kingship.

Crown, Iron Crown.

The former represents the status of the De Salion family in the Knights of Edgeworth, and the latter represents the jurisprudence that has been passed down from the union of the First Emperor to Queen Brunhilde of the Dragon Kingdom.

Edward, the night watchman with two treasures in his hand, walked step by step through the wall of soldiers and walked to the platform under the watchful eye of all the people, held the treasure aloft and knelt down on one knee.

As if they had practiced countless times, the veterans on either side raised their kite-shaped shields with one hand above their heads, knelt down in pairs and faced each other, forming a shield-based "passage" in front of the platform, extending from Brandon's feet to Edward, who was holding the treasure.

The ruined camp, which was "lively" a moment ago, suddenly fell into dead silence for a while, and all of them quieted down.

"The old emperor is dead, the crown is vacant, the throne is un......," echoed in the muffled voice of the indifferent night watchman Edward, echoing through the dead silence of the camp

"We remember His Majesty Connad I, the thirteenth generation of the glory he bringed, the confronting of tens of thousands of brutal Azorean elves from above the tower - his spirit, his courage, his perseverance, his determination... We will always remember, but...!"

"No matter how much we remember, the Empire... There must be an emperor, there must be a man who can take up the burden of Conod I and usher in the fourteenth generation, stand before us, lead us, rule over us, teach us ......"

"We... The Empire begs you, His Highness Brandon de Salion, Honorable Prince of East Sacraland, Crown Prince of the Empire, and the rightful and legitimate successor, to take up this burden and become our Emperor!"

"We implore you to... Coronation as Emperor!"