VI

On the night of April 29, 1666, on the outskirts of Kengrad, the capital of the Julok Republic

The Holy Empire has the world's best magical combat power. This fact has been recognized by Denica many times, but each time there will be an updated fact to make her realize it. This time it was the town in front of her that surprised her.

"What are these corrupt nobles doing......" said the princess, who was at the top of the aristocratic pyramid, to herself at an inopportune time.

She had expected the soldiers to decorate the largest building in the area as a ball venue, but that was not the case at all.

The truth is...... They spent an afternoon building a new palace in the center of the town. She couldn't imagine that this place had been a battlefield of ruins just a few hours ago.

It was a real palace, with a luxurious ivory color throughout. The building occupies the civic square in the center, with twenty-four Comanian columns supporting its ceiling, each of which rises above the church spire on the side. The ornaments on it are almost all real reliefs, and they don't look like the perfunctory things made by magicians at all. Curious, she leaned in and touched it, realizing that it was all real hardened opal. The texture of these stones is uneven, and the texture is beautiful, not at all like a work that has been randomly processed with transformation magic. The maker even made the name of the palace in the corner, "Hall of Illusions" and the nameplate of the builder, and she approached the nameplate and looked at the signature on it.

"Director Ionette Hartmann......"

"Your Royal Highness, are you calling me?"

A tall figure ghostly appeared behind her, causing Danika to take two steps back. It was a young man with long white hair, handsome enough to be described as "beautiful", more than a head taller than her. He wears the silver uniform of the Guards, carries a silver-white sword at his waist, and wears a badge consisting of a church star and a pickaxe on his chest and arms.

Danika didn't recognize what the badge was for a moment, but the man quickly introduced himself: "I'm Cardinal Ionette Hartmann, Associate Director of Magical Engineering, who was transferred here due to the fiasco at Fort Still. His smile carried a hint of mockery, "Your Highness, do you like this palace?"

"Very well, I like it......" Danika reacted suddenly, "you said you were ...... Cardinal?!One of the Twelve Cardinals?!?!Associate Director of Engineering?!?!?

"Why is everyone asking this question?" the white-haired man scratched at the back of his head, "Well, what the Minister of Security proposed, is a kind of ...... Punish it. ”

Danika realized she had asked the wrong question and quickly digressed the subject: "It's a huge project. How many people were used?"

"Not as much as you might think. Most of the components of this hall of illusions are fixed with shrinking magic or fixed magic, and the ontology of these components is in another dimension, and the labor really needed is not much. The Guards attacked the town and its environs with more than 10,000 men, who came to help build it after the battle. ”

The man had gathered more than 10,000 guards in the town to build the palace, and they had completed such a huge project while repelling the enemy forces in the town! One of her suggestions could change the fate of millions of people, just because she was "Olya Hugh Kirman".

"What a huge power ...... attached to her blood" There was a strange feeling stirring in her heart, she was not used to this kind of thing.

"Yo, Io. Interested in our First Princess, you will disappoint Your Majesty and be excommunicated. You are the youngest cardinal in the history of the Holy See. ”

Xiulan's voice came, and Danika hurriedly closed her mouth. For the first time, she had seen this frivolous creature with a combat sword: a strange greatsword that was too long for what it was said to be a one-handed sword, and too narrow for a two-handed sword. If I had to describe it, it would be like widening an ordinary rapier five times wider, and increasing its length by one and a half times. The wooden scabbard was as round as the raiser, wrapped in black leather, and the silver glow of the incantation on the sheath could be faintly seen from underneath the leather.

"I'm now in charge of the Guard's job – security. Sid's bastard's handpick. Xiulan winked at Danika and then turned to Io, "Is the project all done?"

Ionette shrugged: "Don't worry, it's absolutely foolproof here." By the way, Her Royal Highness knows about this plan, right?"

Xiu Lan smiled: "Of course, it is said that she came up with this plan. The Free Army will put in all its reserves tonight. ”

"Added to the supernumerary second division 'Interre', more than 20,000 of the best mercenaries. They also had between 30,000 and 50,000 local troops to maintain the defensive line, but only this force was the real main force. Of course, they also know that our guards are here. The cardinal patted the rapier at his waist, "No matter how many hours their night attack lasts, we'll wait." ”

"yes, no matter how many hours there are. "Xiulan Yinghedao, who has been observing the continuous tug-of-war on the front line for several days.

Danica understood what they were talking about. The lavish palace around her was brightly lit, and just a short distance away, the countryside farmland and endless darkness. The last rays of the setting sun had just passed, leaving only the glorious magical light reflected on the earth. In the darkness of the night not far away, there may be countless Free Army soldiers making the final preparations before the attack......

The waltz sounded. She shook her head and walked into the palace.

The road leading to the hall of the inner sanctum is like a labyrinth. Visitors have to go through a variety of cordons, ranging from "Detect Weapons" to "Detect Magic Reactions", punctuated by at least six strong defensive spells, each with a squad of Silver Guards guarded. At first, Danika was too embarrassed to let them lead the way, but when she passed the same intersection for the fourth time, some of the knights finally couldn't hold back. Two guards stepped forward and humbly led her to the main hall, the nobles' social arena – or rather, hunting ground.

Elves of colourful candy flew around the hall, giant statues carved into dragons, phoenixes and unicorns divided the dance hall into sections, and long tables in the corners were filled with exotic dishes he couldn't name. Countless maids and waiters weaved through the crowd, all equally neatly dressed, most of whom had even a faint enchanted halo visible on their costumes. Unlike the open-air banquets of Lennie's wealthy merchants, Danica could tell at a glance that none of them had even one of the animate or illusion attendants involved. Scattered around the large hall, the three bands played marches, waltzes, and Teressa, their tunes sometimes complementing each other, sometimes fighting, again without even the slightest reinforcement of the illusionary sound magic. This pomp and circumstance may not be as fantastical and glamorous as Lenny's rich, but it is simple and extravagant.

"O corrupt aristocrats. "It dawned on Danika that true luxury was not the use of all magic, but the use of almost no magic.

Richly dressed aristocratic ladies weave between plates, eating gracefully, talking to the opposite sex from time to time, and dancing with a nearby man whenever the dance music plays. Emperor Gustav was already sitting on the special throne, watching the warblers singing and dancing below, still with a majestic expression on his face, in contrast to Sid Nasser, who was also with a straight face beside him. She was about to step forward to greet her, when someone suddenly grabbed her crimson silk gloves.

"It's hard to get here, so enjoy it all, Your Highness. ”

Danica paused for a moment before recognizing the man. After Viscount Vlasol Rasta was relieved of his mission as an Imperial Emissary, she had not seen him again.

Rasta today is not wearing armor or carrying a sword, but is dressed in a black military dress. Now Danika knows his identity: he is the illegitimate son of the Minister of War, Duke Figota. When the two heirs of the duke led the army on the Eastern Front, he followed the duke to guard at all times. Of course, he is also one of the few people who knows Denika's true identity.

"Then I'm bothering you. Danika playfully followed his dance steps, learning the movements of the lady next to her, "It's much easier than magic gestures......

There was a soft "snap", and the viscount's facial muscles tightened. Danica's face turned red, and she hurriedly changed the subject: "What about your father?"

"Over there, more than a dozen ladies and ladies have been invited today, and his blade is far from rusty. Rasta, who was stepped on, smiled bitterly, "Old bastard." Today's ball was made possible thanks to your proposal, Your Highness, and I would like to express my gratitude on behalf of my colleagues. ”

"Those people?" said Danica's high heels tripped over the cashmere carpet and stumbled around a week and a half before turning around to see them. There were many officers in black or silver military uniforms like Rasta standing by the wall, symbolically eating a little bit of food. Almost all of the male guests in the dance hall have their own dresses, and no one wears military uniforms, only these people are particularly eye-catching.

"Black is for the Second Army, silver is for the Guards. Rasta squeezed his eyes, "This kick is a little lighter than just now, and His Highness is making rapid progress." ”

"Uh, sorry...... Why don't they invite people to dance?"

"Evening dresses are too expensive, and military dresses are cheaper for some people. Rasta, who was also dressed in a military uniform, replied, "I do have one, but I didn't bring it with me when I traveled as a secret envoy." ”

"Actually, it's because you've put yourself on the side of a civilian officer, right?"

Rasta looked away, "Your technology is advancing rapidly, Your Highness. ”

"Memory is my virtue......" Danika was coping with it, when the music near the end of the dance music suddenly turned, and her shoe stomped on the other's foot for the third time. “...... I'm sorry. ”

"Okay, that's the end. Next time, I'll dance half a beat faster, Your Highness. Rasta let go of her hand, bent back and smiled.

Hearing this, Danika realized that she had been slowing down for half a beat, and her face was red all the way to the base of her ears. The ladies around her laughed and the men smiled "kindly", and she didn't want to stay on the dance floor any longer, so she hurried to the table to the side, using her food to isolate herself from the swarm of young nobles. During this time, the emperor only occasionally chatted with a few ministers around him, and from time to time turned his head to look at the big clock in the room.

An hour passed quickly. She frowned, looked at the civilian officers huddled in the corner, then at the nobles in fancy costumes dancing in the room, and shook her head with her lips.

Her feeling was getting stronger.

"May I have the pleasure of inviting you to a dance, Your Highness?" a nobleman approached as she had just laid down her tray.

"Sorry, not right now. ”

Danika shook off the bewildered nobleman beside her, strode up to the group of soldiers, and took a deep breath.

"Are you going to huddle in the corner and eat the barbecue until the dance is over, guys?!"

"Your Highness!" Rasta was the first to kneel down on one knee, and the officers around him followed suit.

"Don't you plan to come down and dance a dance? Today's dance party is for all the officers, and everyone is fighting desperately, so are you willing to watch?"

The civilian officers stood up, you look at me, I look at you, and no one moved. The attention of the entire venue was drawn to Danica, and even Gustav rose from his throne. There was a moment of silence in the dance hall, and even the band stopped to look at the little aftershow that was happening in the corner.

Danica felt a little nervous, but she didn't regret it. In fact, even she didn't understand why she did it—there seemed to be a force that provoked the most secret impulses in her heart. The instinct called "justice" is possessed by all those who grow under the banner of freedom.

"This, Your Highness...... Are you mistaken?" Rasta whispered as she leaned closer to her, "Actually, all the men here are officers, not just us. ”

"All of them, those people, and those people?" said Danica, pointing to the aristocrats who were dressed not like soldiers but like playboys, and her mouth opened in surprise.

Rasta's voice was lowered. "Your Highness, almost all of the people you are talking about are the commanders or magic commanders of the front-line troops, and they will charge at the front of the line, taking on the next defense and counterattack tasks. ”

Danika was silent, not knowing what to say for a moment.

In this silence, the person who stood up to solve the siege was a person she couldn't have imagined at all.

The person she always thought had no emotion to speak of, the person she had been afraid of until she stayed away—

The Minister of Security, Sid Nasser, stepped out of the shadows behind the Emperor and took her gloved hand.

"If Your Highness wants to dance with an officer, let me represent you. After all, you can't dance with everyone, and there are so many beauties here. I suggest that the next piece of music be dedicated to all the soldiers who fought bloodily. ”

"Ah...... Thank you, thank you. The alarm bell rang in Denica's heart.

Almost everyone she knew was there...... This was clearly arranged by someone. It is almost impossible for anyone other than the Secretary of State to have this ability.

This time, the band chose a fast dance music with a strong ethnic style.

To Denika's surprise, Sid danced quite well, and even guided her, who was not very skilled in fast dancing, intentionally or unintentionally. The level of dance and dance teaching of this indifferent man is no less than that of Rasta, and even better than that - the proof is that no matter how hard she tries, Danika can't step on his feet.

"You're dancing pretty well, Your Highness. Even better than before you traveled. ”

"Where, I'm pretty much the worst of the people here. ”

It was also a young and outstanding man, and the compliment of the man in front of him could not make people happy at all. The same words could have made Danika feel a little vanity in the mouths of others, but in this person's mouth, they could only make her cold sweat soak the straps of her evening gown.

"But to the officers present, no matter how beautiful the dancing of those noble ladies is, it is not as good as your Highness. You've mastered how to make your dance look the most beautiful, Your Highness. ”

Why did this person keep complimenting her, why did he take the initiative to invite dancers, did he know who she really was?

"You've won too much, Natherqing. I'm used to the coarse South, and it's hard to compare with the ladies of the North. ”

Danika tried to continue her dance, but Sid held up her forearms, stopping her own awkward struggles and guiding her to a beautiful one-and-a-half spin. It looked like Danika had done it herself, and the ladies around her were a little surprised and put away the contempt in their eyes.

"It's just that you've been away from the court for too long, and you may be a little unfamiliar with everything here. If there's anything that can help you, please ask us. ”

What was he trying to do? To whom was this promise, to Olya, to Danika herself? She didn't know how to react, but replied, "Thank you." ”

Sid had an unfathomable smile on his face. "Try to stay as far away from the front as possible, your proposal today is too dangerous. The enemy is not just on the other side, it is more likely to be among us. ”

As if to annotate his words, when the music reached its highest point, a piercing high pitch came from outside the palace—

It was the sound of the trumpets and the roaring arrows. The Charger marked the main assembly of the Free Army, and the high-pitched arrows guided their way. In the sky above all this, there is the cacophony of cannonballs and meteorites rubbing against the atmosphere!

"Shelling? How many shells can they penetrate the defenses here......"

One of the Guards knights scoffed, but his mockery instantly froze in his throat. Fragments of tiles flew in the air, the earth shook, chandeliers flickered, and candles flickered. The light of the defensive magic turned red and flickered fragilely, as if it was about to collapse at any moment.

The Emperor's face turned pale. In the tug-of-war for more than a week, the Free Army did not use any heavy artillery at all, and the night attack was also a "night attack" in the true sense of the word. If all this was done to create the mentality that "the Central Army lacks heavy artillery", they did it very successfully. Or maybe it's just because they brought in heavy artillery by some means......

"Officers, stay here with me, wait for reinforcements to outflank you......"

Everyone stopped dancing and looked up at the ceiling - except Sid Nasser and "Olya Hugh Kirman".

"Please rest assured, Your Highness. Sid Nasser's rare smile attracted all of Danika's attention.

She saw him shake his wrist, and a corner of the palace ceiling exploded. Half of the ceiling was blown off, revealing the night sky and the pouring moonlight.

No, not moonlight, it's iridescent rays that illuminate the night sky like day. Thousands of shells were flying, guided by colorful magical tracers, signals used by artillery observers to correct their trajectory.

"Oh. I was wrong again. Danika suddenly felt that her strength was so small in front of this scene, and the blood on her face faded. The ladies and ladies were already screaming to their heart's content—the Freers were no weaker in magical combat than the Imperial Army, they just used it rarely.

"Rest assured, Your Highness, you are right. ”

A strong arm grabbed Danika's waist and lifted her up. She felt the power of some kind of magic, which caused her body to float in the air as limply as a lark, unfolding into a beautiful curve of a bow. The girl's gaze was fixed on the cluster of falling cannonballs like a meteor shower, and she could only listen to the whistling of their falling.

Instead of screaming or crying, Danika calmly began to whisper a defensive spell with her arms pointing to the sky. A violent explosion sounded, accompanied by a sky-high yellow dust. In the loud enough noise to cause deafness, only one voice pierced through all the noise and whispered in her ear.

"The purpose of our existence is to ensure order, peace and security for the Kirman family. As long as you are willing to accept my help, the entire Royal Department of Security will be on call at any time. Secrets are always just secrets. ”

In the midst of this sudden bombardment, Sid Nasser suddenly issued a declaration of loyalty to her. She knew she had only one choice - the Royal Department of Security would keep her safe, in every way.

"Deal. She replied habitually in Lenny's voice, "It's a good deal." ”

As she said this, the shell that was supposed to hit her vanished.

The Minister of Security gently lowered her, only to realize that none of the shells had actually landed on the cashmere carpets.

"Your Majesty. No one needs to leave, and this is the safest place to be. Sid let go of Danika's hand and walked to the throne and bowed his head to the Emperor.

The Emperor paused. "What the hell is going on, Natherqing?"

"Although if you want to deceive the enemy, you must first deceive your own people, but this time no one deceived Your Majesty. Isn't the name of this palace an 'illusion'? The place where we are standing is not in it. ”

Sid explained, looking at Ionette and Shulan as they strode into the arena with some appreciation in their eyes. The emperor suddenly realized that these guys were all colluding. He simply stopped talking, wanting to see what these ministers had arranged.

"Yes, we don't expect the enemy to attack the town, we just hope that we will have time to finish off their artillery units. We are the army in charge of this task. Xiulan, dressed in military uniform, walked to the middle of the venue and said in a deep voice.

"One of the defensive spells you've passed through before is the transfer magic. The core of the palace, which is actually located five kilometers west of the town, was built by the second officers and soldiers who had withdrawn from it. What remained in that town was really just a shell. Io's expression was smuggling, "The interior part of this building isn't there. The bombs were actually five kilometers away, and the shaking here was just an illusion created by the illusion magic. ”

With a wave of his hand, the cardinal dispels the illusion. The remaining canopies were also abruptly removed, revealing the starry sky for its true face. It was a cold, transparent, immaculate transparent ceiling, and even the wind was blowing down from above. This is a palace where you can hear the sound of cannons, you can hear the shouts of killing, but you can't see blood.

"It is the responsibility of our courtiers to share your Majesty's worries and not put Your Majesty in danger. Sorry for not informing you in advance, but if you want to fool your enemies, you have to fool your own people first. Order, Your Majesty!"

Huran Dimatel and the entire Guards knelt down on one knee with the officers of the Guard, waiting for the final order.

"What do you mean...... I understand. ”

Gustav looked up with an appreciative expression. The light of the moon and the stars cast on his face, and the color of everything was holy and cold, like the kind of oil paintings of saints and elect that hang in churches. He raised the scepter in his hand, and the band spontaneously played the tune of the national anthem.

"It's now. Attack, Lords!"

The Chief Guard Knight walked to the wall and picked up his sword, while the Cardinal raised his hand and drew a looming magic circle in the air, modifying the correspondence between the waypoints.

"All the officers of the Guards, stand upright! We are the reserve of the General Reserve, the elite of the elite!"

Xiulan roared. His voice was so loud that it even drowned out the sound of shelling outside the house. The people in evening and military dresses stood solemnly and saluted the emperor with their hands on their chests.

"Our target is the enemy's main artillery positions and headquarters!

"Yes!" all the officers rushed out, and disappeared into the teleportation circles outside the various gates, following the instructions of Io's mage.

Danika could guess what these people were going to do. For many of them, it may be the last meal, and they will run to their deaths with the memory of this meal and the last dance.

She looked up and stared blankly at the sky. Those who died under the bullets were in two different worlds from those who commanded them, and those who commanded them and those who remained in the palace were in two different worlds. The chasm between the worlds cannot be bridged by outstanding performance and righteous rhetoric, nor can it be dissolved by excellent and heroic model aristocrats. No, the question is not what the nobility is like, but ......

She suddenly understood the real reason why she had done what she had done before—it wasn't the nobles she was used to.

What she is not used to is the hierarchy itself, and the indifference to the hierarchy that she is accustomed to. Only the military puts inequality most evident in this way: generals and officers are different, officers and non-commissioned officers are different, non-commissioned officers and soldiers are different, and the difference in their value is directly reflected in the chances of survival.

She knew that there was the same injustice in her country, if not more than that. She knew that the superior of her homeland might not be better than these nobles, but ......

No matter what organization she was in, no matter what country she was in, she could never allow herself to accept this indifference.

"I hate this kind of thing. She told herself softly. There is no doubt about that.

She approached the excited-faced Emperor and gently grabbed his arm. No one noticed that her fists were clenched so tightly.

"We ought to be glad that we have the bravest soldiers and the best generals, Your Majesty. They are the soul of our empire. ”

"As long as the main force of the Central Army is defeated here, we will be able to hold a ball in Lenny in a month. We can do it. ”

Hearing the emperor's new promise, Danika glanced at Gustav coldly: "Your Majesty doesn't know what a lesson is?

"We still had to pay for the enemy before they fell. The long tug-of-war must end, and our elite soldiers cannot be consumed here with the conscripts from the South. You should know that their sacrifice was meaningful and honorable. "Gustav wasn't speaking to her, he was speaking to himself.

Now Danika already knows that under that mask full of confidence, there is actually an unforgettable fear. It is because of fear that he stands here burning with his life and talents. She smiled wryly and gave up on convincing the emperor. The empire is also no better than her homeland, but ......

She remembered the mysterious promise of the Minister of Security. Danika barely slept that night, and she spent the night in a chair in the corner of the ballroom that had become the headquarters of the General Headquarters.

The sound of gunfire and explosions never stopped, and the sound only faded away.

On April 30, 1666, MDay+29 Julokk, capital Kengrad

Early in the morning of the eighth day of the Battle of Kengrad, Princess Olya was woken up by the Signal Corps' morning report.

"Your Majesty, our forward troops have taken Kengrad directly. There was not a single Free Army stationed in Kengrad, and even the Self-Police were running out. ”

The Free Army on the front, under the command of Hull, retreated thirty kilometers overnight. Not only did they lose the command and artillery positions at the front, but they even abandoned Kengrad, and it looked like they were going to retreat all the way to Lenny. The Guards are marching in high spirits, and there will certainly be no chance to rest until dusk falls today.

The source of the enemy's heavy artillery was answered, and the high-powered artillery they captured outside the town was the city defense artillery of Kengrad. At some point, the Free Army emptied the capital of all equipment, supplies, troops, and population. After months of scuffle, only one-fifth of the city's population was full, and the emperor got almost an empty city. Such an empty city can be said to be of no logistical benefit, and the rest of the people are the poorest of the poor, providing only a very limited amount of taxes and supplies. It will be difficult for the ancient capital to regain control over the whole of Julok, at least this summer.

But a victory is a victory. The main forces and the general reserve of the Central Army, which the Central Army was proud of, had already suffered heavy losses, and it was obvious that it would not be possible to launch another counteroffensive in the short term.

"So the Stillburg army lost its supply. They had plenty of food, but ammunition and materials were not just stockpiled. The Minister of War, Duke Figota, stroked his slightly white beard and said, "When will the Fourth Army move south from Newcastle?"

A staff officer continued: "It just so happened that the Fourth Army of Newcastle sent an urgent message through the teleportation magician. They said...... They said......"

The emperor raised his eyebrows, "What did they say?"

"They say......" replied the staff officer, hesitantly, "the Republican Division at Fort Stille has made a northward attack, and the Fourth Army has suffered a slight defeat in the battle and has retreated to Newcastle. ”

The news was like a thunderbolt from the sky, and it swept through the General Headquarters, which was celebrating the victory. The staff officer who was placing the flag on the sand table accidentally flattened a city, and there was a dead silence.

"A small setback! A small setback, they dare to give up the Oss River Danger? Behind them is the entire Corman alluvial plain! How many losses?!" Gustav could not control himself, and pointed the scepter in his hand at the staff officer who had brought bad news in.

"He—they didn't say it, Your Majesty. The detailed damage should arrive with the supply convoy. ”

"Please be angry, Your Majesty. "Security Secretary Sid's lips twitched imperceptibly," Pluto Luther ...... The Fourth Army couldn't stop that person, and it was a matter of course. After all, they had more than 30,000 troops on hand, including the notorious 1st Division. Too much pressure for the Fourth Army. ”

The Emperor stared at the map and pulled up the banner nailed to the enemy capital, Teresa. "Do you want to use the General Reserve?"

"It's to be used, but not to the Fourth Army. Sid took the flag and planted it on the territory of the Republic of Phaedes on the Eastern Front, "Send it to Kren von Fegota, the Fegota army needs reinforcements even more." Your Excellency the Minister of War is not easy to talk about, let me tell you. ”

"Defeat the Eastern Front first?" the Emperor nodded, "You're right, Naserqing. Move south along the west bank of the edge river and crush the main force of Vena Betsy. ”

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Duke Figota glanced at the Emperor gratefully.

But another staff officer objected: "What about Fort Stillburg and Fort Gustav?"

"Those who have lost supplies don't have a chance! We have already broken the Second Division, and we are about to defeat the First and Fourth Divisions. In any case, it is impossible for us to turn back. Gustav's voice was soaked with determination. His self-confidence was contagious to everyone around him. "We're going to Lenny! No difficulty can stop us! Our victory is there!"

When she heard the name of her hometown, Danika shuddered. The generals shouted long live, and the emperor's scepter was held high.

"There are only two options in front of us - one is to die in battle, and the other is to win!"

The road to Lennie really opened.

Welcome to the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, and hottest serialized works are all here!

Welcome the majority of book friends to come and read, the latest, fastest, the hottest serialized works are all here!