Even at noon, the study in Holly Castle was still a little dim. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info sunlight shines through the narrow window on the wall and passes above the desk, leaving a circular spot of light on the floor. A worm scurried over the brick walls, and Sean glanced at it, letting it disappear behind the bookshelves.

He has the typical lake-blue eyes of the Imperials, a young handsome face with well-defined lines, and a faint smile on the corner of his mouth at all times. He wore a long elaborate leather coat, shiny wolfskin boots, and his long brilliant blond hair was tied in a ponytail and hung down at the back of his head. If it weren't for the smear of the chain mail peeking through the neckline, and the traces of the sword in his right hand over the years, he might have looked more like the son of a noble family than the grand master of the Knights.

He picked up the crystal glass on the table, shook it gently, and took a sip of the bright red liquor. The slightly sour aroma of grapes spreads in his mouth, which relaxes his mood a little.

Unlike the monks who usually advocated frugality and giving, the monastic belief in Protodis, the Marish belief was that "all things will die once, and they should rejoice in time." They are not afraid of death, but they do not place their hopes in salvation after death. Of course, as a strictly managed military organization, the Crow Knights will never compromise their bodies or waste their training by indulging in pleasures.

"Go and inform the commanders and cadres of the corps and assemble in the council chamber." He put down his cup and looked at the squire knight standing aside, "I'll be there later." ”

The squire knight saluted and turned to leave.

Sean stood up and looked out of the study window. At this time, the Ella Hills are still full of greenery - the leaves of the maple trees are just beginning to turn red, and they are like stars among the large fields of boxwood and ash trees. The mercenaries below the hillside seemed to have gathered together to practice swordsmanship in pairs, but that didn't interest him.

He withdrew his gaze and stepped into the dim, slightly damp corridors of the castle, where the bottoms of his boots collided with the bluestone floor, playing a rhythmic drum beat. A row of portraits hung neatly spaced on the walls of the passage, with figures half male and half female, mostly with serious faces, but also a few smiling, their gaze as if through the canvas at the figure of the blonde man. In addition to Sean, the previous leaders of the Crow Knights, since the establishment of the Knights three hundred and fifty years ago, there have been a total of thirteen people.

Sean silently stared at the faces of the previous captains, dispelling a trace of uneasiness hidden in his heart.

He walked into the council chamber and found that all the Order's top officials had arrived—less than a quarter of an hour before he had given the order. Sean nodded in satisfaction and walked through the hall to the end of the long table.

"You should understand the purpose of my calling people here." He slowly swept the room, his tone calm, "What do you think of that Guild's, or more accurately, the crusade order from the Empire? ”

"Huh? Rogman, that old man, has a convulsion, what else could it be? "Pierce, the commander of the Second Legion, is a sharp-eyed middle-aged man with red hair and a fiery temperament. He let out of his nostrils, "There are more than one or two people who came to fight us before, and the result?" ”

"That's not the point." The Third Legionnaire Alaya tapped on the table, she was one of two female legionnaires, her shoulder-length bright silver hair was her most striking feature as a northern Arna. "What the regimental commander means, why would the Empire decide to attack us."

"I want to grab money." Marco, the logistics manager, rolled his eyes, "Look at what excuse they use, 'expropriating and brutalizing the people', when have we ever done such a thing?" Besides, it seems that collecting a few taxes has become a heinous crime, and I don't want to think about how many years we have been operating this entire territory-"

"That's not right." Alaya shook her head, "Let's not talk about whether the empire is short of money, but if you just want money, it is much easier to set up a name and add some taxes than to start a war." Moreover, although the Knights have a good income, their expenses are also not low. If they're really here for the money,...... she chuckled, "I'm afraid they'll find out that they don't get as much as they spend." ”

"What? Alaya, you mean, they have what it takes to take this down? Or do you have the ability to force us to pay compensation? Pierce raised his voice, "Can they still find the legendary king of mercenaries?" ”

"It's just, what's so scary, it's just a rabble!" Gustin, the commander of the Fourth Legion, slammed the table so hard that he nearly knocked the vase over it. He is more than two meters tall, with a tiger's back and a bear's waist, and even when he sits, he looks like an iron tower. "Watch Lao Tzu take a team of people out and kill him!"

"Quiet." Sean's voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for everyone in the noise to hear. The quarrel quickly subsided, and the Legion Commanders turned their eyes to Sean, waiting for his opinion.

"There's no need to be impatient." He put his hand on the table and looked at Gustein, "Those mercenary groups are stationed in the nearby woods, and the war horses can't be used there. Their individual force is not weak, and if we get caught in a scuffle, we may have something to lose. Mercenaries are usually impatient, and as long as we stand still, they will disperse on their own when they find that they will not be able to reap the fruits in a short time. ”

"As for their purpose." He held his chin and muttered for a moment, "It sounds a little outrageous, but maybe it really has something to do with another reason they typed." ”

"Are you saying that we are being attacked as a 'cult' -- or as infidels?" Isaac, the commander of the First Legion, frowned, he was eighty-nine years old with a long gray beard, he was currently the oldest legion commander, and he had always been steady. "But I have never heard that Rogman III was a devout disciple of Protodis. To be honest, if the Church sent troops, I am afraid this reason is a little more credible. ”

The rest of the corps commanders nodded in agreement. Sean sighed secretly, knowing that the question was not answered yet. As the 14th Grand Master, it is his responsibility to ensure the survival of the Crow Knights and the safety of their members. Let's hope his uneasiness is wrong, Sean thought to himself.

"We'll talk about that later." He tapped lightly on the table, "What else have you noticed about this incident?" ”

"Commander, have you heard of their commander?" The answer to him was the thirty-one-year-old Cathy, who was promoted to the position of commander of the Fifth Army after nine years of joining the regiment with her outstanding swordsmanship and bold command style. She had just been married two months earlier, and her husband was Harun, who belonged to her legion, "and was said to be a very powerful person." ”

Incidentally, the monks of Mar naturally do not forbid marriage. Members of the Order who conceive and raise children are sent to the manor in the realm, where they raise their children until they are about three years old, and then return to their original stronghold. After that, the children were raised by the Order and learned the necessary cultural knowledge, etiquette, Marish teachings, and basic combat skills. As adults, they can leave the Order to live independently, but the vast majority choose to become members of the Order - one of the most important sources of personnel for the Order.

However, in order to avoid affecting the affairs of the Order, the high-ranking members of the Order often postpone the time of childbirth. Anyway, for the Kamal people, before the age of 60 is considered the best time to have children. The congregation also has experienced medical staff to ensure the maximum safety of mothers and children.

"Barak Einhardt, a former member of the Brigade, is the man known as the Wolf Wrangler." Sean remembered the information provided by the intelligence agencies, his face was slightly gloomy, but his voice remained calm. "That's a tricky enemy, but don't be too nervous."

He raised his head and looked at everyone with a confident gaze, "No matter how strong Barack is, he is just one person. The soldiers he brought with him might have been able to stop our assault, but they would have done nothing to capture the castle. ”

"Exactly. The walls of the Holly Castle were so fortified that even if they used rams, trebuchets or mortars, they would not be able to shake the fortress for half a minute. Moore, the chief priest, said slowly. At the age of 120, he rarely spoke up at meetings, but every time he spoke, he gave confidence to all members of the regiment, including the top bras.

"Perhaps their original purpose was to besiege this place and then attack the rest of our strongholds and possessions. This is probably why they dug trenches on the hillside and set up obstacles. Sean looked at the intelligence director on the other end of the long table and made up his mind. Payne, tonight, while it is night, send a few messengers and pigeons to inform the members of the other strongholds to guard their territory and not act rashly. As for us—"

He took a slow breath and stood up, "I must let those barbarians understand that Holly Castle's reputation for never falling is not a lie. ”