The imperial capital, Zesétoria, is also known as the "peak capital".

As the name suggests, it is a city built on top of a mountain.

Legend has it that when the empire was founded, it experienced an unprecedented catastrophe.

At that time, a Cataclysmic (S+-class) demon dragon descended from the sky and drove the human race to extinction at that time, until a hero was born, who slew the demon dragon with the power of one person and reigned on this land.

And this "peak capital" is the site of the dragon slaying battle.

It's just that these stories have been passed down for thousands of years, and the authenticity has long been difficult to verify, not so much a historical fact as a myth.

If there is any credible evidence left today, it is the imperial capital itself.

The reason why the city can be built on the mountain is because in the ancient dragon slaying war, the entire mountain landscape was ravaged by the demon dragon, and the earth has changed dramatically.

The summit was neatly shaved off, and the mountainside to the foot of the mountain was split into steps like steps.

Eventually, the terraces became the foundation of the building, and the imposing Imperial City replaced the original peak and sat on the top of the mountain.

Originally, it was all about showing the feats created by humans, but also to celebrate the founding emperor, the hero of mankind, the holy king who slayed the dragon.

But to this day, it is ironic that this terrace-like imperial capital has become the epitome of corruption in imperial society.

Today's empire, like the shape of the peaks, is deeply classified.

The same race, just the difference in the status of nobles and commoners, creates a vastly different gap between the rich and the poor.

At the foot of the mountain is the lower town where civilians gather.

Poor men and women were huddled in small huts, poorly dressed, poorly fed, the streets were filthy and shabby, and disease was rife.

The commoners lived without any entertainment or freedom, and the peasants in the outermost circle had to plough the barren land every day, and most of the harvest was expropriated by the nobles of the upper city.

The people who live in the inner city are laborers, who work hard every day but do not get paid for it, and the knowledge is endlessly cattle and horses in order to satisfy the luxurious desires of the aristocracy.

And those nobles, right above their heads, above the mountainside, in the upper city.

Between the upper and lower towns, if you take the cable car driven by the magic guide, it only takes dozens of minutes. However, the difference between these short tens of minutes is in essence a stark contrast between heaven and hell.

The Upper Town was clean and well-organized, and was full of magic guides inlaid with various expensive magic cores, and the nobles relied on these luxuries to live a comfortable and prosperous day.

In fact, the total number of nobles was less than 10% of the commoners, but they controlled more than 90% of the wealth of the imperial capital.

Unfair, extreme class disparities. But despite this, no one can resist this intolerable reality, and if the civilians have the slightest idea of rebellion, they will be brutally suppressed on the trumped-up charge of "shaking the imperial power".

Because behind the Imperial Capital, there is one of the strongest armed groups that symbolizes the continent, that is, the Imperial Capital Imperial Guard Knights - the Legendary Blade.

They will be ruthless in their efforts to wipe out all signs of resistance.

Those knights who were dressed in silver armor and exuded a noble light were all the strongest men with the most powerful power on the continent, and they were also the most loyal servants of the imperial power, and they had no mercy for their mission.

Loyal dogs, puppets, these are not enough to describe them, it can only be said that they are the real knights of the royal family, and their existence itself represents the will of the emperor.

In the former Changlong era, under the rule of Emperor Xian, the 'Legendary Blade' fought bloodily for the people countless times, and they were all invincible. As long as the knights of silver descend on the battlefield, the Imperial army will never be defeated.

However, after the death of the previous emperor and the reign of the faint king, the blade of the 'Blade of Legend' will not hesitate to point at the people.

All in all, as long as these knights are in the imperial capital, no one can disobey the emperor's orders, and the people can only swallow their anger.

Although imperial law did not endorse slavery, these commoners were more than slaves.

But in fact, the high-pressure politics of terror cannot intellite the vast territory of the entire empire, and the 'Legendary Blades' may be extremely powerful, but their number is limited after all, and the imperial army in many other places is not overwhelmingly strong. So, this has put many cities far away from the imperial capital into a rather tense situation.

The revolts that sprung up everywhere gradually plunged the entire empire into the scourge of civil strife.

The neighboring countries did not miss this golden opportunity and sent troops one after another to put pressure on the border.

This caused many nobles near the border to abandon their territories and flee to the upper city of the imperial capital, where they immersed themselves in a erosive but self-deceptive luxury life with the corrupt nobles of the imperial capital.

And the reason why the empire has fallen to this tragic situation in front of us is that everyone thinks that it is caused by the current faint king.

To say that it is a faint monarch may be to exalt him, and this emperor is an idiot at all, and it is a pity that this is not some kind of metaphor, the emperor is a real retard.

In the royal family, in order to maintain the purity of the royal bloodline, it is not uncommon for in-laws to be close to each other.

However, there is a very obvious disadvantage of consanguineous marriages, which is that since ancient times, it is easy to produce children who are physically deformed or intellectually disabled.

The current emperor is also one of the tragedies caused by this.

Originally, it was not the turn of the mentally retarded to inherit Huang Wei, and even if he inherited the throne, it should be a reliable minister, or a senator of the empire, to assist him.

But it was very unfortunate, because the death of the first emperor was too sudden, and he didn't even have time to set up the crown prince, so it triggered a bloody storm for the throne.

At the end of that fierce struggle for the throne, all the crown princes and ministers who could be able to do so were killed. All that was left of the distribution battle were the nobles with some wine bags and rice bags, and the mentally retarded prince.

The aristocracy happily put the mentally handicapped prince on the throne and used him as a puppet to tamper with the laws of the empire, and in just two years, this group of moths has corrupted the once glorious country on the continent beyond recognition.

Rutega Crusnier.

Medium build, light blonde crisp short hair, good facial features, twenty-eight years old border nobleman this year, with the title of earl.

His title is not hereditary, but a title that was rewarded by the emperor for his repeated exploits on the battlefield.

Before becoming a noble lord, he was a knight of the 'Legendary Blade'.

In the hall, Baron Lutga knelt on one knee and raised his right hand to his chest, bowing to the emperor on the throne.

His etiquette was different from other aristocratic etiquette, but exclusive to knights.

"Oh oh, isn't this Rutega, I remember you, remember you!"

On the throne, the young man with a round figure and a dazzling golden crown on his head is the emperor, but unfortunately, there is no trace of the majesty of the king from him, and some are only full of oil and lazy posture.

"Your Majesty, Lord Rutega Crusner, lord of the region of Silia under the Emperor's command. ”

"Hahaha! You used to be your father's most trusted knight!"

The Emperor laughed and stretched exaggeratedly, showing a look of joy, but his body still sat lazily on the throne.

"Count Lutga, this time I have summoned you all the way back to the Imperial City, not for anything else, but to order you to return to the 'Legendary Blade' and become the blade that guards the imperial capital again!"

Before the emperor could finish his words, he was interrupted by a middle-aged nobleman present.

Interrupting the oracle for no reason, which was once a great disrespect, but seemed emboldened to the huffy aristocratic man, swaggered in front of Count Lutga, and continued in a condescending manner.

"Count Lutga, now that the empire is making trouble everywhere, and the surrounding wilderness is also trying to invade my territory, His Majesty the Emperor is worried about this day and night, I think you must be willing to contribute to quelling the rebellion in various parts of the empire!"

"Lord Duke, I have been in the battle formation for a long time, and I have been wholeheartedly taking care of my territory for more than ten years, and now I am afraid that it will not be enough to return to the knight's seat that symbolizes the strongest banner of the empire...... In addition, bandits have been rampant around the territory recently, and the matter has not been resolved...... Ah, I wonder if I can ask the imperial capital to send troops to help exterminate the bandits?"

"Whoa...... Count Lutga, even if you have been out of battle for a long time, you have been a member of the 'Legendary Blade', and even a little thief is helpless?"

"Lord Duke, with all due respect, the wandering pirates will not confront the subordinates, and the mountains and forests where they lurk are inhabited by very dangerous magical beasts, and I do not have sufficient manpower to destroy the nests of the other party. ”

"If you are short of manpower, you can hire mercenaries! You don't need to cry to Your Majesty, right? As an Imperial Knight, what is the dignity of the Imperial Nobles?"

"Dignity...... I'm ashamed. However, if you let go of your personal dignity, you can protect the safety of the people. Remember that in the revised new Imperial Decree, the Imperial Army should give priority to the rights and interests of the nobility, right? ”

"This ...... This ......"

Lutga poked at the duke's weakness without humility or arrogance, and it was the imperial capital aristocracy represented by the duke in front of him who implemented the new law and used it to protect himself.

"Please don't underestimate the danger of bandits, although Silia is only an agricultural town that is not worth talking about, but there are many main routes for trade and transportation to and from the imperial capital in the surrounding area, if you ignore it for a long time, I am afraid it will cause a lot of pressure on the commercial circulation of the empire. At that time, it will directly affect the material security of the imperial capital, and I think that the reasonable Duke should also want to enjoy a full life in the imperial capital as always, right?"

"Eh, Count Lutga, you have not been summoned to discuss how to exterminate the bandits, but if you look at him left and right, is he the same as the rebels who are swarming up in various places?"

The naked threat is, in short, that if you resign, you will be arrested as a rebel.

In fact, these are just excuses, and the duke is dissatisfied with a young nobleman like Lutga, who is from a commoner background and has been rewarded for his martial arts.

In his deep-rooted voter mentality, these new aristocrats are at best nouveau riche, without noble family history, but they look like they are on an equal footing with themselves, which is really unsightly.

"Lord Duke, please don't get me wrong, the territory below is far from the town in turmoil, and Celeia is not a military location, and there are no soldiers strong enough to coordinate the rebellion...... What's more, there are three daughters in the next family, who are eight years old. These children have lost their mothers since they were young, and they really can't be separated from them...... Therefore, for the matter of returning to the knight's seat, I will excuse you, and please be considerate. ”

"Hmph, don't quibble! Someone, arrest Count Lutga Crusnell!"

From beginning to end, the emperor didn't say a word, only this duke had no one in his eyes, and he was good at making decisions, so it was impossible to tell which side was the emperor.

"Lord Duke...... please don't go too far. ”

Lutga's tone intensified, he put away his knightly salute and stood up, although he was not carrying a weapon by his side, the momentum exuded by his bare hands was enough to force the Duke back in an instant.

After taking a few steps back, the Duke fell to the ground unsteadily, his feet facing the air in embarrassment. He could hear the other nobles around him, making a slight laugh, which made him even more angry.

At this moment, suddenly, four figures ...... No, it should be said that four knights' armor is more appropriate. Unable to see how they appeared in the hall, in the blink of an eye, they surrounded Baron Lutga from all four directions.

"Rutega, don't resist, just take it. ”

The man at the head said in a solemn voice.

"Chris...... Stan, Little, and Lloyd...... I see, don't come unharmed. ”

For Lutga, these knights in silver armor are familiar faces, former colleagues, and comrades who rely on each other on the battlefield.

They were once formidable companions, but now they are the toughest of opponents.

Lutga has considerable strength as a knight, but as he himself said before, he is no match for them after a long absence.

Even if Lutga still has the strength of the peak of the year, these men are each a strong man who is difficult to win one-on-one, and a one-on-four is simply a fantasy.

"Is it an order from His Majesty the Emperor to arrest me?"

As if to confirm something, Rutega asked.

"That's right, we, the Legendary Blades, are only fighting for the Emperor's destiny. If you insist on resisting, even if you are a former comrade-in-arms, this is your place of death. ”

The short-haired young man with chestnut hair answered clearly word by word.

A long sword tucked at his waist was emitting a faint beeping sound, as if even the air around him was vibrating gently, making the bright red cloak behind him flutter gently in the room without a trace of air flowing.

"Help, Rutega, I don't want to go toe-to-toe with you. ”

The blonde hedgehog-headed youth on the left also made a sincere request.

This young knight, with his upright and piercing eyes, seemed to have a burning flame in his body.

The long sword hanging horizontally behind his back also seemed to emit heat, and the scenery around the scabbard was slightly distorted due to the change in the temperature in the air.

"Ahhh~~ If you resist, you can only correct the Fa~~ Although it is troublesome, there is no way to do it. ”

Behind him, the young man with bright red hair and a slightly short stature held his hands high behind his head, closed his eyes slightly, made a bored expression, and let out frivolous words.

Unlike the previous two, he feels far from an upright knight, but it makes it impossible to doubt his strength.

The standing, the movements, the atmosphere, all of this reveals a natural wildness and domineering, giving people the feeling of being like a tiger sitting idly on the ground.

“......”

On the right hand, the young man with his medium-long brown hair standing up behind his head and revealing a broad forehead looked apologetic and moved his eyes to the downward slope.

On either side of the young man's waist, a one-handed sword hung diagonally, but the color of the hilt was completely different.

One stalk is as bright red as a blooming fire lotus, and the other is as blue as condensed ice.

"Huh...... All of them are still the same...... Speaking of which, in order to catch me, a wrecked in the countryside, four people were actually dispatched, which is really flattering. Well, I surrender. ”

After saying that, Lutga chuckled, put away the compelling battle intent on his body, and then raised his hands high and put on a surrender posture.

In this way, the hearing of Count Lutga came to an end in a form that was difficult to foresee beforehand.

"Your Excellency Duke Celtic, you really worked hard just now. ”

Surrounded by the four men of the 'Legendary Blade', Count Lutga is "nominally" on his way to the dungeons of the Imperial City.

At this time, the leader of the five was the Duke of Celtic, who made many troubles in the hall of the audience, and finally ordered his arrest.

Originally, a nobleman of such a high position and power as him had no obligation to personally escort criminals.

What's even more incredible is that Count Lutga actually thanked the Duke of Celtic who framed him, and not only did there be no irony at all, but also full of sincerity and gratitude, and there was no trace of-for-tat atmosphere between the two in the meeting hall.

"Hmph...... Don't get me wrong, stinky boy! Everything is the instructions of His Majesty the Emperor. Benjue is only acting on orders!Otherwise, an upstart like you, who has no aristocratic glory to speak of, and no respect, would have been really sent to the dungeon a long time ago!"

Although the duke's side still has a prickly appearance in his words.

"Haha, Lord Duke is also very hard-working, but the acting skills are really bad, you who are moderate suddenly jumped out and pointed fingers, it is enough to be fake, how can there be such a tough person to put people in a dungeon?"

Behind Rutga, the short-haired knight Litt laughed in his usual cowardly tone.

"Hmph! That was the last chance, if we didn't take this stinky boy by some forceful means, when the meeting was over, we would have no chance at all!"

"Uncle, don't underestimate a few of us. If you want to rob someone, no one can stop us!"

"Be quiet, Little, and be careful that the wall has ears. ”

Chris, the chestnut-haired knight, still had a serious face, reminding his companions to be cautious in a serious tone.

"Anla, there is no one nearby~~ Now that Edward's old man is not here, there is no one in the imperial city who can hide his breath under our noses. Even the knights who are seated at the same table as the Legendary Blade. ”

"That...... I have a problem. ”

On the left-hand side, the knight with the golden hedgehog head, Stan raised his hand blankly, "From what I said just now...... Didn't Uncle Celtic really plan to arrest Rutega?"

It turned out that the tall knight was still kept in the dark from beginning to end.

"That's the case, Stein, don't you know? Even I, who didn't know it beforehand, immediately noticed it?"

"You guys are too much!

Lutga's surprised rhetorical question made the blonde knight cry out loud.

"No, Stan, this kind of thing can be guessed with a little brain, why do you think you deliberately chose a few of us to be on call outside the hall? I was surprised just now, I wonder when your acting skills became so exquisite, especially the sentence 'I don't want to face you'...... with a knife' that seems to be frustrated by love, I was moved. ”

"No one guessed it! You should explain it well! Just the kind of random order that 'something big is going to happen today, you stay at the door of the hall and improvise', guess the ghost! Hey, Lloyd, you can say a few words too!"

"Of course Lloyd guessed it, right, Lloyd~~?"

"Ah......h

"Huh......?"

Stan and Lloyd looked at each other, and the subtle silence lasted for several seconds.

"Haha, hey, it's really fake, Lloyd, don't you ...... this guy too"

"How is that possible! Don't compare my IQ to Stein!

The brown-haired knight with twin swords hurriedly spoke out to prove his innocence.

"You're the one who is rude, right! No matter how you look at your expression just now, you're also in the dark!"

"Hey...... Okay, okay, a few of you are arguing, and you will go to His Majesty's bedroom soon, it's too presumptuous. ”

Finally, even Chris couldn't stand the noise of his colleagues, and his tense expression couldn't be maintained for a long time, and he complained helplessly.

It turned out that their route had gone in the opposite direction to the dungeon from the halfway point.

Along the way, the knights of the 'Legendary Blade' are contrary to the image of the demon who has no blood and tears in the eyes of the people, and if you put aside the noble silver knight armor, they are just a few ordinary and humane young people in the market.

Soon, the crowd came to a luxuriously decorated door.

"That's a stinky boy, I'm going to say goodbye here...... Even if you are a saint in private, you have to pay attention to your attitude and abide by the character that is in line with the knights and nobles, understand?"

Outside the door of the dormitory, the Duke of Celtic said proudly, but this attitude was not full of malice, it was just the normal way for the old nobles to treat people and things.

"Got it, please be careful. ”

"Hmph......" The Duke didn't respond, just snorted and walked away, still looking dissatisfied.

"Haha, Your Excellency the Duke is still the same......"

Lutega looked at the fat back in the distance, smiled wryly and shook his head.

I remember that when I was still serving in the imperial capital, this old duke had this stubborn and prickly attitude.

"There's no way, Lord Duke should be very unwilling, and he has to put national affairs on the shoulders of us stunned young people. Rutega, don't take it to heart. ”

Chris said.

"Ahh ”

"Then a few of us will also go first, soon, what will become of the empire, we don't know, in short, do your duty to each other and work hard. ”

Giving encouraging words to his friend, the chestnut-haired knight held out his right hand.

"No matter what happens, I will stand by your side...... Remember, I've always been a member of the Legendary Blade, no matter where I am. ”

Lutga squeezed Chris's palm hard.

Smack-

Then, two more palms quickly covered it.

"Don't forget me, brother!"

"I'll help you even if it's troublesome, but don't expect too much. ”

But at this time, no one could have imagined how cruel chaos and flames the friendship of the young knights would be.