On April 3rd, it was supposed to be the day when the Emperor canonized Count Swain Noe Jericho at Cape Cathedral. But because of the sudden rebellion, this ceremony had to be postponed.

When the Empire revealed that Prince Pritown led the Southern Princes of Corgas, the Duke of Rois, the Duke of Charolaini, the Duke of Pois, the Count of Amarnac, the Earl of Casson, the Grand Mayor of Port Bis, the Southern Legion and other southern princes and the largest army of the Empire, they unanimously demanded that the Emperor return the Midnight Fort and the Governor of Orknis to the Prince of Pritown, and to take the form of military advice to sweep away those "traitors who oppress and exploit the people of the South and endanger the security of the principalities and large cities of the South" After the news, the whole world was drawn to the rebels from Prytown to Kogas.

Not long ago, the Mahdia Empire had just declared war on the Kingdom of Leon, and the fleet of the Mahdia Empire carried 100,000 new troops of the desert people to land on the cape. After receiving a reply from the suzerain, the Kingdom of Leon fully understood that this time they could only rely on themselves. The king of León exerted all his strength and gathered 20,000 standing troops, 38,000 local troops, and more than 30,000 militia reserves, which were about the same number as the vanguard of the Mahdia Empire, which was storming the cape.

However, the 100,000 men were only the vanguard of the Mahdia, and more pagan armies were crossing the Ronal Strait. When the Leviathan fleet commanded by Admiral Dönitz bypassed the Bay of Bes and blockaded the Lonnal Strait, an army of 400,000 deserters had already landed on the Badajoz Peninsula, not to mention the small kingdom of Leon, even the current Cyruel Empire. Fortunately, after the Imperial fleet blockaded the Lonal Strait, the Mahdia Empire's supply lines for the front-line troops were basically cut off, and the desert people could only use the materials brought in advance and the food looted locally to replenish. However, these 400,000 people were not completely deprived of logistical supplies, and Dönitz urgently blocked the strait, but allowed the Mahdia Empire to pass through the strait. The Southern Fleet that landed on Cape is still eyeing Port Leon in Pritown and Port Bess in Biss Bay, although now Prince Pryton and the Mahdia Empire have not expressed any public relationship, but the timing of their troops is so consistent, it is obvious that it was premeditated, even if Prince Pryton can't ally with the infidels on the surface, but it is still possible to secretly support some supplies, after all, Dönitz's Leviathan fleet only blocked the Lonnar Strait, because he did not dare to rush into a decisive battle with the Southern Fleet, he did not send ships in the Bay of Beas Bay in the northwest of the Badajoz Peninsula and the Leviathan Ocean in the west。

The sudden great change made the people of the imperial capital panic, although the empire has proved its strength through strong strength for hundreds of years, but for the people of the imperial capital who have been peaceful for a long time, the war around them seems to have been a matter of the last era, and it only takes a few days for the troops of Pritown to reach Dweide, if the troops are transported quickly by train, then even one day Prydun's soldiers will appear in the sight of the people of Dweid.

In such a situation, His Majesty Emperor Nicholas I must stabilize the hearts of the people. He immediately declared that he would never accede to the traitor's demands, and declared that the Prince of Pritton, Michel Noy Knoiille, and those who followed him in rebellion, were the real scourge of the Empire, and that the rebels should be punished according to the Imperial Code. The 180,000-strong standing army from Connaught to Belgre was urgently mobilized and quickly assembled towards Dweid and Arles, preparing to launch an offensive against the rebels from both the Kingdom of Pritown and the Duchy of Charolalene.

The territory of the empire is too vast, and the provinces of Connaught in the west are still relatively close to the imperial capital, but Belgray on the eastern border is too far away from Arles, and the large number of troops also leads to the long assembly time, and before the 180,000 men are assembled, the rebels may have entered Deweide. Therefore, on the one hand, the emperor issued an order to the War Department, allowing the western provinces of Connaught, Munster, Yanwan and Alston close to Deweide to gather troops in Deweide to defend the imperial capital, and at the same time preparing to summon Swain Noe Jericho, the Earl of Midnight, after all, the rebels are still fighting to recover the de jure territory of Midnight Fort, and the emperor must first stabilize the owner of Midnight Fort. The Emperor had agreed to the Marquis of Metternich's suggestion, which was a small blockade for the Count, and if the Count had been dizzy at midnight and had thrown himself into the rebels—although Swain was not such a dizzy young man in the Emperor's eyes—then the face of the Empire would have really been lost, and the suppression and recovery of aristocratic power by generations of emperors after the Revolution would have been ruined.

Early in the morning, Swain was ready, dressed in his costume and wearing a ribbon on his chest, and rode in a carriage to the Tiamat Palace. This time it was a formal summons, no less than a formal meeting with foreign ministers, attended by all the cabinet ministers, and in the majestic Imperial Hall were attended by representatives of all the nobles of the imperial capital and foreign ministers, including those of Hadrian's empire. Such a big show is not because the empire and the emperor really value the small territory and almost no army of the Earl of Midnight, but to show the world the attitude of the empire and the emperor, and the determination to put down the rebellion.

"Earl Swain no Jericho met at midnight. ”

After the court steward's roll call, two guards opened the ornate three-meter-high door of the Imperial Hall for Swain. Walking into the largest hall of the Tiamat Palace, it was like stepping into the temple of Thor, and as Swain walked the crimson carpet, the royal band immediately played a solemn march. Looking up, the ceiling of the Imperial Hall was as high as the sky, a full five stories high, compared to the three-meter-high gate, which could be understood, if it weren't for the fear that the door would be too high for the guards to push open, probably Empress Karin I, who rebuilt the palace, would have wanted to open the door as high as the roof.

Swain walked slowly towards the emperor with unhurried and steady steps, and this section of the road was probably worth the length of the White Shield Bridge. The nobles on either side bowed their heads slightly in respect, but some of them occasionally raised their eyes, but they didn't look too respectful of Swain. After all, Swain is just a provincial earl, and for some of the top gate valves in the imperial capital who are above the top, the bloodline and influence of the Jericho family are not enough.

The emperor sits on the throne left over from the time of Midletus I, this seat is a stone seat, not ornate, without too much decoration, the only thing that can reflect the majesty of the monarch is the back of the chair that is more than two meters high, showing the monarch's father-like imperial power.

When Swain walked up to His Majesty and bowed to the Emperor, the playing of the royal band stopped, and the courtiers and nobles stopped whispering. The Emperor sat on his knees, like an awe-inspiring statue of a majestic god, looking down at Swain in front of him.

"Salute to you, Your Majesty. Heaven bless Siliul, your faithful servant, Count Midnight, Swain Noe Jerichault, has been summoned. ”

The Emperor was half-open, this was the first time he had seen Swain with his own eyes. Although he had heard of the young man from many people before, and had learned something about the young man from Manfred's report, it was only when he saw Swain with his own eyes that some vague memories finally came back to his mind.

Winston No. Jerichault, the man whose appearance and outline had been forgotten by the emperor, appeared in memory. The Emperor remembered the man who had met for the first and only time with the Earl of Midnight in his ancestors, on a similar occasion. By the way, it was in the Cape Cathedral, but at that time I was still watching the crown prince below. The appearance and silhouette of the forgotten are like pieces of fragments, and with the appearance of Sven, they are gradually put together.

Old Winston must have been more mature at that time, he was already married, and he still had a mustache on his mouth. The man always had a confident smile on his face, a smile that was annoying at first sight, as if he had lost first, not only his smile, but his every move was like this, that is, he took a step, and the way he walked also made people feel jealous, as if he was born perfect. I really don't like that kind of excessive self-confidence, but it's really the same as Oliver said, that man is born with the charm to attract others, the kind of innate aura that can make people involuntarily close to him and worship him, and now that I think about it, it is also so jealous and unwilling. Why can't I even remember his face when such a person is like this?

The emperor, who was immersed in memories for a while, forgot that he was now looking at him with hundreds of eyes. However, with the exception of Swain, those below felt that the Emperor's silence was a sign of his majesty. If the first Earl of Midnight, Winston, had a natural charismatic aura to attract others, then the Emperor also acquired an aura of awe that he cultivated after decades of mastering the empire.

The Emperor, who had recovered a little from his memories, looked at Swain in front of him again, and he couldn't even see a smile on the young man's face. The new Midnight Earl was not at all as attractive as his grandfather, his presence was like a fog, utterly unpredictable. The Emperor remembered Manfred's assessment of the man again, and despised everything, and the old man tried to see his arrogance in those black eyes, but even though he was accustomed to seeing all kinds of people, he still could not use his rich experience to see the attitude in Swain's eyes.

Not at all. This is the emperor's evaluation of Swain, this young man is not at all like his grandfather, but for some reason, the first time the emperor sees Swain, he will think of the previous earl that he has almost forgotten.

Is there anything in common about them that impresses me? But why, why can't I remember?

Although the emperor still has doubts in his heart, he has been silent for a long time, and if he continues to be silent, it will not show harshness, but will become a deliberate insult, which is not what he wants to show in front of the world today.

The Emperor raised his hand, his broad white gloved palm half-hanging in the air, clenching the heart like a saving hand from God to the world.

"Come closer. ”

The Emperor's deep bass echoed through the Imperial Hall, like the low voice of an old lion, and even if he was just teasing his lion cub, it would be understood as a manifestation of majesty.

Swain bowed again, then took a few steps forward, walked up the steps, and walked to the Emperor, kneeling on one knee before the old lion.

"May the glory of Siliul be forever, and may the tide of the sea at sunset be long. ”

Swain lowered his head and said words of blessing to the Empire, and until now, his performance had not made the Emperor feel any disrespect, and the Emperor began to wonder if that Manfred was overexaggerating, after all, that man was becoming more and more timid and cautious now,

"The glory of Siliel shines with your loyalty, and the tides of the sunset sea do not cease to rise and fall with the rebels and thieves. I will remember Jericho's loyalty, and the Empire will remember everyone who gave her sweat and blood. Whether he was a Siliur, a Pridun, an Orc, a Rosa, or a Polis, the Empire treated her subjects equally. ”

The Emperor's hand was on Swain's shoulder, like an elder encouraging and acknowledging the afterlife.

"Thank you for your trust, Your Majesty, Fort Midnight will do its best to fight for the Empire, even if there is only one soldier left, whether the enemy is a traitor, an infidel, or a sinister one. ”

The Emperor's thick eyebrows twitched imperceptibly, he didn't really like Swain's words. The so-called "only one soldier remains", which means that Midnight Castle and the Jericho family still want to maintain the same status as lords for hundreds of years. Although the emperor did not like to continue to retain those semi-independent noble lords, and planned to take advantage of this collective rebellion of the southern nobles to completely bring the southern land under the jurisdiction of the royal family, complete the bureaucratization and complete centralization of the empire, but Midnight Castle was always a problem that he could not avoid, and it was a problem that he could not solve.

There was a thorn in his heart, and Sven's performance was difficult for the emperor to have a good impression of him, and finally endured the discomfort in his heart, and the emperor only patted Swain on the shoulder again, looking like he was encouraging and approving Sven, at least it seemed.

"I regret that your canonization ceremony had to be postponed because of the war. Of course, I will compensate you, and when Michel VII's traitors have been brought to justice, and peace has been restored to the Empire, and she has received the respect she deserves, I will make up the formal and grand ceremony for you. ”

As he spoke, the emperor stood up, and the court attendants on the side handed him the symbol of the empire and the emperor, the treasure of the royal family, and the devouring of the holy sword Mamotius. The Emperor took the sword, which was older than the Gion family, and tapped the blade on Swain's shoulders and on the top of his head, and finally pressed it on Swain's right shoulder.

"Today, I, Emperor Silul, Nicholas Joy Ivan Alexander No. Gion-Godunov, recognize and confer upon Sven no Jericho the status of Count Midnight, and henceforth you will be my vassal, the valiant knight of the Empire, against the infidels and anyone who endangers our country, God bless Silyur!"

Sven also repeated in a low voice:

"God bless Siliul. ”

This was not a formal canonization ceremony, but at least it showed that the Empire and the Emperor recognized the status of Count Swayn Midnight, and at the same time expressed a strong determination to take charge of Midnight Castle under the direct control of the Imperial Family. After this brief ceremony, Swain was considered a full-fledged vassal, and in the current situation, the Imperial Government and the Emperor still needed him as a façade.

On such a formal occasion, many things could not be said, so the emperor could only understand Sven No. Jericho through the most superficial observations. The results he saw with his own eyes made him a little disappointed, maybe the previous evaluation was a little high, the emperor's first impression of Swain was not very good, he did not see Swin's characteristics, and he did not think that he could be worthy of those overestimates, whether it was positive or derogatory.

But none of this was able to show up in this audience. Originally, it was not too troublesome to continue to hold the canonization ceremony that had been prepared, although the emperor's time is limited now, but if the procedure is more streamlined, it is still possible, and the ceremony of the Cape Cathedral can also express the attitude of the royal family and the Jericho family. However, considering the current attitude of the Church, the Emperor still did not do so. It was too late for him to send news to the ministers in the church state, and the Pope and the Cardinal Conference had already learned that the Emperor was going to revoke the power of the Grand Bishop to teach the sword, just as he had learned of the astonishing news of the rebellion in the south of the Silius Empire. In order not to provoke the Pope and the Ecclesiastical States, the Emperor finally decided to follow the advice of the Marquis de Metternich and only formally received Swain, instead of continuing the ceremony at the Cape Cathedral.

Also on April 3, the Reich War Office had completed its advance battle plan, and the troops assembled on the side of Deweide would be commanded by the elder Marshal Rudolf No. Guderian, brother of War Minister Reinhard No. Guderian and the current head of the Guderian family, the first objective of which was to defend against attacks from the direction of Pritown and to find fighters to attack Pritown.

Although this force was assembled in Germany, it was impossible for the imperial capital to be used as a camp for 40,000 troops, and in addition to half of the soldiers stationed in the temporary camp on the outskirts of Germany, the other half of the army would be manned by Field Marshal Guderian himself in Glamorgan to guard against attacks from the east.

After receiving Swain, the Emperor went to the Glory of Justice Square in front of Tiamat Palace almost non-stop to inspect the 40,000 troops coming through the Triumphal Boulevard. The 40,000 men had assembled in the imperial capital in just two days through the most advanced railway network in the world possessed by the Empire, and now most of them had not been able to sleep on the train last night, and were dragged by the governors early in the morning to the triumphal avenue where they had never set foot before, to be inspected by the emperor himself. This glory made the soldiers completely forget their fatigue, but with excitement, lined up in a square and marched through the Triumphal Avenue with neat steps.

They may not be able to see what Emperor Nicholas I looked like on the tower of Tiamat's palace, but they could hear the Emperor's loud shouts.

"For the Empire, for Silul!"