Curse of the Stars

Part 4 Crossing the Fog and the Strange Relationship between Mountains and Seas

"When you are truly honest about the evil thoughts and sins in your heart, you will find that this jungle is so beautiful."

1 Launching the "Plan"

On April 8, 1806 in the imperial calendar, the capital of the Spreite Empire, Anleicester City, had just experienced a baptism of spring rain, and people talked freely in the cold air about some recent major events: the war in the south was deadlocked, neither side had the intention of taking the initiative to attack, and peace talks were on the agenda; The civil strife in the Aube Empire ended, and the specialties of the Eastern Empire were finally able to flow into Spellet normally again; When the Spratite refugees who fled to the Dragonon Empire due to the Djinn crisis finally returned to their homeland, more than half of the refugees died due to the plague, and the survivors were greeted with a grand ceremony...... In these topics, the "Shaling Crisis" is rarely heard, as if it had never happened.

The "Split Sun Flag" embroidered with the royal emblem fluttered above the castle, and in the castle, it was still that inconspicuous little room, and the Emperor of Sprout sat alone at the round table, one hand holding his chin, his eyes were misty, as if he was waiting for someone, as if he was resting, or thinking.

The wooden door creaked open, and the Minister of the Interior and the Commander of the Imperial Army entered. "Glory to Splet!" The two of them said together, "I'm really sorry Your Majesty, it's raining outside, and we're late." ”

"It's better than not coming," said the Emperor to the two of them, holding his chin in his hand, "sit down, report back to the news you've gathered, and we'll decide what to do next." The Emperor said, but his eyes were not fixed on the two men who had come in—he was blind after all.

The two ministers saluted and sat down (even though they knew the Emperor couldn't see it), "Let's get to the point," said the Secretary of State, spreading out the stack of papers in his hand, which was mixed with a few letters from foreign countries, "this time dust...... Or rather, the 'Shaling Crisis', which caused us a miscalculation, it did not pose a real threat, and it was completely over a month ago. There is no chance of a resurgence, so it should not be the 'real' crisis we think it is. ”

"Is that a vignette?" The Emperor said, his eyelids raised, as if to recall what the Minister of the Interior had just said.

The Home Secretary nodded in response: "Yes for us, but ...... for Windwalk"

"Let this topic be over," the Emperor interrupted, "since we misjudged the threat of sand, have our 'plans' been affected?" ”

"Not at all, Your Majesty. We have only changed the deployment of some of the troops, and the 'plan' has not been opened, let alone exposed. The Imperial Commander took over.

"Okay." The emperor answered, his body relaxed, and leaned back on the back of the chair, "What is the news from other aspects?" ”

The Home Secretary looked at the envelope in front of him, pulled out one, and said with a frown: "Your Majesty, are you sure that you want to make peace with the United Kingdom?" ”

"Yes," replied the Emperor with a blank face, "and I will negotiate peace myself." ”

The Home Secretary pursed his lips and nodded, and put the envelope back.

"Once the peace is successful, will we start our 'plan'?" The Imperial Army Commander asked.

The Emperor fell into a moment's thought, but quickly raised his head and decisively ordered: "It will be activated after the adjournment of the meeting, and you will be fully responsible for this matter." The two ministers looked at each other, and the emperor's words seemed to hang a thousand pounds of weighing on the two of them, which made them breathless, and they were silent for a long time before they replied, "I understand." ”

Both know what it means to start a "plan".

"Your Majesty," said the commander of the Imperial Army, "what do you think our chances of victory are once the real crisis comes?" ”

"Like I said before, there's no win." The cold response made the two ministers shudder, "But - there is still a chance to resist fate, and if you give up resistance, you will lose everything." "It seems to tell the two not to despair," the emperor added.

"Oh, Your Majesty," the Secretary of State suddenly pulled out another paper, "about Savia Anselson...... "Hearing the name, the Emperor's eyelids lifted and his head leaned slightly to this side. "There is no action on Savia Anseison at the moment, and we still can't judge his position."

"Isn't he the man we're looking for?" The Imperial Army Commander interjected.

"Whether he is or not," said the Emperor, "in the end we will have to rely on our own strength." He turned in the direction of the Home Secretary, "Continue to keep an eye on Saivia's movements, and if you find out that he is here to speed up the process of the crisis, you don't need to report to me if necessary, just do it." ”

"Yes."

"Any other news?" The emperor owes a debt and seems to be a little tired from sitting.

"Hmm...... There was one, but ......" the Minister of the Interior seemed to hesitate until the Imperial Commander-in-Chief gave him a look, "There is news that the people of Windrun are investigating the sand, and they seem to have found a way into the heart of the desperate desert, and the latest news indicates that they are coming from the sea, using a steamship seconded by Pete Akayi. ”

"Well, don't interfere with them, we don't have the time to care about what has already settled now, if they can investigate something useful, of course it would be better. But now our immediate priority is to start the 'plan'. The Emperor's response was the same as that of the Imperial Commander, and the three of them did not continue on the topic.

There was nothing new, the meeting was coming to an end, and the two ministers were getting up and leaving.

"Two loyal friends," the Emperor called to them, "though it is too early to say this, but ...... Thank you for your support over the years. As soon as the 'plan' is launched, we have no way out, and we have already gambled on the fate of the whole world, so you can just spread your hands. ”

The two ministers were speechless when they heard this, and after a moment they saluted the emperor and said, "Your Majesty, glory belongs to you, and glory belongs to Splet." In the tone of their voices, there was an inexplicable sadness and indescribable sadness, as if the Splallow Empire was ...... No, the whole world as they know it – it's coming to an end.

Go - the emperor gestured as a farewell.

After the two ministers left the room, the emperor sat alone for a long time. He took off his crown and rubbed it repeatedly, touching the delicate pattern on it and touching the lines inside...... Finally, he solemnly placed the crown on the round table in front of him, and said to himself, "Why me? The words reveal hardship and helplessness.

When the two ministers walked out of the castle, it began to rain outside, and the mist covered the city of Ann Leicester, and the cold wind blew like a whisper. The thin rain dripped on the documents of the Home Secretary, and he didn't care, didn't cover it at all, because the "plan" that was about to be launched made everything in front of him seem insignificant.

"Look at the fog," said the Imperial Commander to the Minister of the Interior, "reminds me of the Misty Jungle, which I heard is like this. ”

"I don't know, I don't dare to go to the kind of place where I can't get out as soon as I enter." The Home Secretary said nonchalantly, "However, when you talk about the Misty Jungle, you think of Duke Xiafei. ”

"Oh, by the way, he's exiled there. If he hadn't been exiled, he would have been a rare talent in the 'plan'. ”

"Don't mention it, blame him for his own bad mind."

……

The two of them walked together for a while, and then they were busy with their respective work.

The rain is falling heavily before you know it. The breeze swept the raindrops, the fog covered the city, the castle loomed into its place, the mud and cold drove people home, the streets and alleys, the green tiles and red bricks, the smoke and rain engulfed the most ordinary scene.

People are still talking about the hot topics of the last month, repeating and circulating their daily routines day after day.

Under the gloom, not many people know how many people's fate and what kind of future they opened up in that inconspicuous little room in the castle......

The "plan" has been launched, and this daily scene will soon be no longer visible.

The "Cracked Sun Flag" on the castle was wet again, fluttering and swaying weakly with the breeze, and the fate of the Spellet Empire, like a waving flag, could not decide where to float - and the fate of the whole world, how could it not be?

The rain continues to fall, and I don't know when it will stop.