22 Peace Celebrations

On July 15, 1806, the city of Pitts, near the northern border of the United Kingdom, was crowded with thousands of people, and the people in the city flocked to the central square of the city, with smiles and anticipation on their faces, waving their hats and flags, and focusing on the huge round table on the stone platform in the center of the square - on the round table, the king of the United Kingdom, the emperor of the Splett Empire, the emperor of the Dragon Empire, the emperor of the Aube Empire, and the Grand Duke of the Duchy of Komet...... There are also more than a dozen heads of state of small and medium-sized countries sitting around the table. Leaders of almost all the nations of the world will gather here to witness the signing of the peace agreement between the Spreite Empire and the United Kingdom, and to listen to an important speech by the Spreite Emperor about the fate of the planet. Similarly, the tens of thousands of people in the square will also be witnesses and witnesses of this rare spectacle.

Preparations for the signing of the peace agreement began several months ago, and Emperor Splett wrote a personal letter in advance to send to the leaders of all countries, and even the Emperor of the Dragon, who was at odds with him, put aside his previous suspicions and put down his posture to participate in this event, which could not help but make people admire and sigh at the emperor's personal charm and deep sincerity. And Milo and the others were running around the continent of the Aube Empire at that time, and they didn't have time to understand this information after that, so they naturally didn't know the changes in the current international situation.

The signing of the peace agreement was solemn and quiet, and when the Emperor Split and the King of the United Kingdom held up the signed instrument hand in hand, the square immediately erupted in deafening applause, and for a time, applause, laughter of celebration, and weeping of emotion...... All kinds of sounds are mixed together, expressing the hope and yearning for peace-

After more than a year of war, which was instigated by traitors to the Sprelet Empire, the truce and peace finally ushered in.

Amid loud applause, the King of the United Kingdom tried to help the blind Emperor Sprout return to his seat, but the latter gestured and still stood in front of the stone platform, following the sound to face the people in the square. The Emperor raised his hands and signaled the crowd to be quiet, although he was not facing his own people, his energetic appearance and powerful aura caused the tens of thousands of people present to die down almost at the same time. At this time, whether it was the leaders at the round table or the onlookers on and off the stage, all eyes were on this old man with extraordinary temperament, in their hearts, Emperor Split always seemed to be hidden in mystery and fear, but at this time, this old man did not have any arrogance and majesty that an emperor should have, but it made the people around him more curious and admired - who would have thought that this wise emperor was so approachable, reasonable, and disabled...... He, like the masses, is just an ordinary person.

The Emperor cleared his throat and said in a voice as loud as a bell, "Friends of the United Kingdom, I propose: let us observe a moment of silence for the lives that have unfortunately lost in this war between our two countries, may their souls rest in peace, and may there be no more tragic war between our two countries and all the nations of the world." ”

As if a tacit agreement was reached, all the people in the square and the leaders at the round table hung their heads, and some put their hands together to mourn the deceased......

"Thank you, friends." The Emperor ended the moment of silence with these words, "I am as pleased as you are to see this war ended by our agreement today before it can cause more damage, and I am glad to hear your cheers and celebrations, which show that I and you have much in common in our love for peace...... Historically, it was war, expansion, and annexation that made Spellet strong, but every time we experience a war, we are reflecting, do those innocent people really like and desire war? The answer is self-explanatory. The world is so big that it can accommodate all of our countries. We firmly believe that every war is a tragedy without a victor, and there may be people who use casualty figures, territorial gains and losses, and historical influences to evaluate and judge the so-called 'victors', but that is absurd and irresponsible. Even with our truce today, I believe there are still people who will argue about who is the so-called 'winner', but I think that if there is a winner, it will certainly not be Splett, nor the United Kingdom, nor other countries that 'sit back and reap' – the real victory belongs only to those who love peace." ”

Thunderous applause rang out again, and the leaders at the round table all nodded or showed admiration.

"We love peace, and we will do our best to protect it. But now...... "the Emperor turned his head and gestured to the leaders of the round table, "as I mentioned in my previous handwritten letter to you: the legend 'Curse of the Stars,' which has been passed down for a long time but has never been taken seriously, has been proven to be completely true—the stars of the sky will kill us with a force that we are completely unable to resist, and kill all the humans on our planet!" The djinn before us was the one they brought us suffering to test our strength and find a more efficient way to destroy us. The same story has been repeated many times, and more than a dozen civilizations and countless lives have been completely wiped out by these unknown enemies before us. ”

The crowd screamed, and some even cried sadly, but doubts abounded......

"Unbelievable? But that's the truth, it's very cruel and ruthless. At the beginning of July next year, these unknown enemies will land in our world, killing as wild as the djinn before them, but their power is even greater than that of the djinn. Although the Sprelet Empire has been preparing for this catastrophe for a long time, we still do not have enough strength and self-confidence to stand up to these formidable enemies. Therefore, I invite all the kings and leaders to come here in order to tell you the truth and express the sincerity of the Sprelet Empire. ”

A group of officials from Spreett held various books and drawings in their hands and distributed them to the leaders at the round table.

"These are the technical descriptions and drawings of all the equipment that the Sprelet Empire has mastered and developed, and we have also prepared enough equipment and materials and production machinery to have arrived outside the city, and we will give these equipment to all countries free of charge. Also, in the nearest port, there are steamships that we have built, and each coastal nation will receive at least one ......"

More exclamations rang out, and various voices of discussion began to erupt in the crowd.

"We will not hesitate to share these technologies and even equipment, because when the 'Curse of the Stars' actually comes next year, no amount of equipment will necessarily defeat the enemy...... I know, it sounds hopeless, but it's not without a solution. Thanks to the blessing of the God of Sources, we are lucky enough to find a way to destroy our enemies once and for all, and if all goes well, we will be able to put an end to the Curse of the Stars and save ourselves!" ”

"Hooray!" "Glory to Splitter!" "Tell me what's going on!" The noise came and went, but it quickly fell silent when the emperor was about to speak.

"I'd love to say that this method can take effect now, but unfortunately, due to the time it takes to prepare and implement, it will take more than half a year to completely eliminate the 'Curse of the Stars' - counting from the day it started, that is, we will have to fight desperately against the 'Curse of the Stars', and we only need to survive for half a year, and the victory will truly be ours! Belong to us who love peace! ”

When the emperor's words fell, people's expressions were complicated, not knowing whether they were hit by "half a year", or full of despair about the unknown of the next year, or whether they were suspicious of the emperor's words or not......

“…… So, friends, please assist your country to prepare with us for the fight against the 'Curse of the Stars' next July, produce weapons and equipment, and do a good job of fleeing and taking refuge for civilians, so that enough people can survive this catastrophe so that life and civilization on the planet can continue...... I pledge here that the Spreite Empire will spare no effort to assist all nations in their fight against the Curse of the Stars...... May the God of All Sources bless us, glory to all nations, glory to all of you! ”

Sporadic applause began in the silent crowd, followed by more applause, and finally—

The whole square was boiling again......

On the same day, Emperor Spreett's call to fight against the "Curse of the Stars" reached most of the planet, and the fight against the "Curse of the Stars" became the most important task and theme on the planet.

……

That evening, Pete Akay finally returned to Port Wall by boat, having been adrift for more than a month before re-embarking on land due to previous vessel scheduling and weather problems.

"It feels so good to be home," Pete said as he stepped off the deck, taking in the solid ground, "and I can finally forget the shaky feeling...... Strange, where have the people gone. Perhaps like his sister, seasickness was commonplace, and he noticed that the once busy port was deserted, and even the idle people who usually gathered here to pass the time were completely gone.

The port dispatcher walked over at this time and looked at the family crest on Pete's clothes: "Someone from the Akay family?" Pete Akay? ”

"Exactly down there."

"There's a message for you here."

Taking the note, Pete learns where his sister lives, along with Milo's name and information that the two are married.

"Hmph, the God of Ten Thousand Sources has finally favored them." Not in a hurry to return to his residence, Pete decided to take a stroll around the city to see if the previous rebellion had any impact and damage, and then visit his sister's house, where the palace was located.

Leaving the port, Pete discovers the reason for the silence of the port from the places where people talk and the flow of people gathers: the city is holding a peace celebration, the square is bustling with people, and entertainers from Dragon and elsewhere are showing their talents and bringing peace and joy to the people of the city. Pete was finally relieved that the city had not been seriously scarred by Sevia's rebellion, but had become an important hub for the restoration of diplomatic relations with Dragon, and he was naturally happy to be in it.

At this moment, the lively street suddenly fell silent, and a pleasant and light song came from the center of the crowd—

……

Today is destined to be a memorable day in a century,

The setting of the sun has not erased the light and color,

Even the night is full of hope and joy,

The war that had never ended, ushered in a truce today,

People raise their celebratory glasses, drink and enjoy peace.

The dragon and the sun, the moon and the sky, the fire and the sea,

The vastness of the world can accommodate things that seem to be mismatched,

Tonight's stars will see the beauty of the day.

Everyone is insisting on their own justice,

The occasional quarrel makes our position helpless,

Even though they are estranged from each other, they understand their own reasons,

The original endless quarrel is also ushered in reconciliation today,

We sang together like friends, dancing and sowing friendship.

……

The singing continued, the crowd sang and danced to the music, but Pete was savoring the charm of the lyrics - having experienced the Djinn crisis and many wars, he could appreciate the preciousness of peace, and tears couldn't help but stay...... I don't know who it is, but he kindly shared his wine and gave Pete a bottle. Picking up the wine glass handed by others, he accepted everyone's toast one by one, and he saluted and saluted again...... People from all over the world who don't know each other indulge in this celebration together, forgetting the time, forgetting to go home, forgetting all the old and new grudges......

At the end of the song and the end of the celebration, the street is quiet after the messy footsteps, and Pete is drunk on the seat by the roadside. In the darkness, he saw the Imperial soldiers sweeping the streets, transporting equipment, putting up new notices in the night, and vaguely heard the soldiers talking about the weapons being shipped from "underground factories", but none of this had anything to do with him.

……

The morning light slowly lights up the streets, the hangovers on the streets begin to rejuvenate, the revelry of last night is gone, and people are starting to work at sunrise. When Pete woke up and saw the conscription notice posted on the street wall and the mobilization order calling for the "curse of the stars", he understood-

A new day begins –

At the same time -

-- A new era has begun.