The weather is noticeably colder.

As you walk into the north in November, you wake up in the morning with a faint layer of hoarfrost on many objects outside. Because of the wind and waves, the hoarfrost that was splashed on both sides of the ship began to melt when the sun came out. The crystal clear picture in the sunlight and the gray-blue sky and deep blue sea in the distance make people feel extremely mesmerized.

The smell of the sea breeze.

It's fishy.

It was the first time he had seen the ocean at such an age. But unlike the rest of the Order, he didn't vomit from the unaccustomed sea breeze and the shaking of the voyage.

Some people are born crew members. Even without training, he was no worse than a seasoned sailor.

The march of the mission was delayed for a full 3 months, because of the fact that the Silver Guard had been in the limelight in the past few years, and the characteristics of this mission, this time the other eleven knights also competed hard.

Although they were able to get their wish in the end with the help of a strong backstage, the delay in time also made many things more urgent. One of them is the Immortal Cult - Imperial Intelligence has obtained information and discovered that the true root of the cult that was exterminated in the Empire in the first place came from Suomir.

This is also one of the arguments that Crown Prince Hermes has helped Silver Guard to fight for this opportunity. After all, the Silver Guard has experience in dealing with cults, and the new members of this knight order have grown rapidly over the years, but the wounds left behind are also numerous.

The sound of footsteps of "step, step, step ——" sounded behind him, one light and two heavy, apparently from a seasick team member.

"Evil whin—" The iron-faced Licardo had just come out to breathe in the fresh air, but the smell of the sea breeze made it even more unbearable. He fell next to the side of the boat and began to retch, vomiting for a long time without throwing up anything, and then his face was full of listlessness.

"I really envy your kid's adaptability. Even though he has become the current head of the regiment, Hamirinen does not put on a show. The Knights are respected by seniority and ability, which is also a unique atmosphere in a group with a large number of civilians. It is rare for nobles to compare their family backgrounds here, but for this reason, the armor and equipment of the Silver Guard are always the most modest.

Even though the Captain of the Regiment's Hamirins is indeed the most advanced equipment of the moment, such armor is actually a set of armor among other knights. Because the noble children of the members of the Order were quite wealthy, the use of brass on the edges of the chain mail was only the lowest, and the gilding and even the edges of pure gold were considered to be rich and upper-class.

The Silver Guard, which was composed of the lower nobles and the burghers, was funded by appropriations from the Imperial Treasury and private donations initiated by the Church. Although there have been many more donations from the private sector due to the fame of the past few years, on the whole, it is still barely supported.

None of the other knights took the money seriously, and the children of the nobles paid for their own equipment and horses. This money is used more by them to send their subordinates to repair the equipment of the group, while the Silver Guard Knights rely on it for everything.

Purchase of new equipment, maintenance and repair in all aspects. and the cost of medical care and comfort for the dead and wounded, all of which need to be split from the sole source of income. Fortunately, the members are diverse, but there are also members of the Order who are good at managing money, so although they are only barely maintaining, they are quite passable.

The money is only a little bit more, but the dirty work is basically from the Silver Guard Knights. This group, which was alien to the other 11 Knights, was destined to have this fate from the beginning, but none of the members who joined it complained.

"It's important to know what you're fighting for. The former head of the regiment always emphasized this sentence: "We come from the people, so it is the people who should be defended." ”

Unlike those high-ranking nobles who joined the Knights to gild their reputations with the fiefdom. The silver guard, who is closely connected with the church, is the yearning of most ordinary people, and it is in this world.

True.

Heroes at your fingertips.

But it doesn't come without a price.

"Ahem-ahem-" Licardo coughed again, and Hamirnin looked back at her friend, who was now 34 years old but still in his prime. "It's okay, it's okay. He waved his hand, but it was obvious that his body was being affected by the colder.

The red-haired veteran knight turned his head, and at this point Hymirnine could no longer see only his face on the left side.

The right side of Licardo's face was covered by three crooked scratches, and he used to have the face of a handsome young Raman, but now he would be so frightened that children could not make a sound if he stood in the dark.

It was the result of the cultists' monsters, who were clawed after his helmet was knocked off. Although it was lucky that the blow that extended from the forehead to the neck happened to bypass the eyes and carotid arteries, the wound on the face could never be erased.

Almost all of the senior regimental members were wounded, and counting the soldiers under them during the battle, the number of casualties had exceeded 60.

"Why, you kid has been affected by my heroic handsomeness? I don't have any interest over there, hahahaa

"You should stay in the South. Hymirnin looked at him with some concern. "I deserved, but without you and Gedo arguing with me, it was too quiet to be alone. Licardo shrugged, then grabbed the side of the ship and coughed as he returned to the cabin.

Because there were no large enough ships, the Knights marched in two groups.

They were the first to disembark, and after disembarking the ship, they had to go straight to their destination and set out to exterminate the local cultists.

Four years later, even after fighting them day and night, Helmirning still didn't know what these people wanted.

The Padrosi Empire is the most powerful country in the world today. With the size of the entire country, there is nothing in this world that can truly compete with it. After the crown prince was initially attacked by these cultists, the powerful Imperial Intelligence Agency, together with the Magus of the Royal Esoteric and Astrology Institutes, immediately figured out that they were using ancient dark magic.

This magic is even older than the Padrossi Empire itself, a primitive pagan product before the division of the Lamanite Empire. But as magicians believe in the theory of equivalent exchange, such a powerful and dangerous spell also comes at a very high price. The materials required to cast spells involved gold and a lot of expensive and rare magic ores, which only need to be strictly controlled to restrict the Cultist's movements.

That's how the Silver Guard Knights took their nest in the northern part of the empire. But even with the most powerful state apparatus in the world today, these guys are always able to find funding sources in the unknown place and continue to operate.

This will be a long and protracted war, Hamiring has a vague premonition.

When discussing this issue with the previous chief, he said that "although the empire is strong, there are many enemies" - the hidden meaning of this sentence more or less explains the purpose of the cultists' actions, and if it is to bring chaos to the Padrossi Empire, then many things can indeed be explained.

Including the assassination of the crown prince.

————In the early morning of November, the harbor of Southern Europe was foggy, and the whale oil lighthouse could not see through it, so the direction could only be judged by the fog corners. The seasoned crew began to move the ship closer to the harbor, the knights lay half-dead in bed, and Hamilnin stood alone by the side of the ship, silently thinking.

His Royal Highness Hermes is a royal family like no other.

Unlike His Majesty the Emperor, who was 82 years old but still energetic, he single-handedly created an empire that was so vast that it encompassed almost the entire East Coast. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince Hermes has never been known for his penchant for war, and most of the popular talk about him is his support for the arts and the academy. He also obviously prefers piano, chess, calligraphy and painting to build civilization rather than fighting, killing and killing.

In the early years, there were even rumors that the crown prince had no royal blood at all. Because not only is his personality very different from that of the emperor, but his eyes also follow his mother. The Suomir concubine had gray-blue eyes, not the emerald blue or black-brown usual of the Patrosi.

His Majesty the Emperor Sigsumond, despite his vigor and many concubines, has never had a boy who has been able to grow up smoothly except for Hermes. Several princes before him all died, and the only one who could survive was the princess. In the huge palace, Hermes has been alone since he was a child. He was destined to become crown prince in the absence of other brothers to compete, but this did not happen at the age of 11, as is customary, but until he was 19.

His Majesty the Emperor himself seems to be resisting all this, and the reason is naturally unknown to the outside world.

And now he is 43 years old, he has been in the position of crown prince for 24 years, and it seems that he will not be able to take the throne after that.

In two years, the eldest princess's son will be 11 years old. His Majesty the Emperor was well known for his affection for this grandson, and even on many important occasions he was brought with him instead of the crown prince Hermes. After all, the former is obviously more like the emperor in comparison, and he was very interested in military affairs and conquest at a young age, and it is said that every year since he was 6 years old, the emperor would customize a set of armor for him as a gift.

Those in power are being snubbed by the people. His Majesty the Emperor Sigsumond may have carved out territory and created a great empire, but much of the work that kept it alive and prosperous was done by the crown prince Hermes.

Unlike his father, who was adept at wielding weapons and commanding battles, the crown prince seems to have been born to be an amazing orator. He was adept at and committed to solving problems without blood, and this idea was in line with the White Church, and as a result of the efforts of both parties, countless academies were established in the empire to train outstanding talents.

In the territory, infrastructure was built, disgruntled nobles were pacified, and commoners and poor people were given the opportunity to get ahead.

Outside the borders, it appeases foreign enemies, maintains diplomatic relations with other countries, and ensures the existence of allies.

His father opened up territory, and he maintained it silently. Even if he is not favored by the emperor, His Excellency the crown prince is indeed a conscientious person.

This may be the reason why the cultists are targeting him, and as for the so-called blasphemous, if this reason can be understood, Hamirinin should be as crazy as the cultists.

"Click—" The sound of the ship landing on the shore sounded, and Hamirinen was awakened from her thoughts. And the moment he raised his head, he heard the people above shouting "Valo (beware)!" He didn't understand Suomir, but as a warrior, he reacted extremely quickly, and he took a step back to widen the distance.

The thing that "Knock ——!" smashed down was a hammer that hit the side of the ship and hit a dent before falling into the sea. Fortunately, the quick-eyed Hymirning rushed up and grabbed the end of the hammer with a lunge.

"Paolira, Paorlila (I'm sorry, I'm sorry)!" a young man was holding his hand and talking from the pier above the pier looking through the fog, and the overseer-like man next to him came over and slapped him on the head: "Asi!"

"You're Patrosi, this kid doesn't speak Lamani, he's apologizing to you!" said Uncle Overseer, apologizing for him, and Hamirning shook the hammer in his hand and threw it upwards.

"Ahh And Hamirnin nodded, and said with some concern: "Let him go and rest, his hands look swollen." ”

"The knight's eyesight is really good, and he can see such details clearly at such a height. Asi, thank you Lord Knight!" The overseer bowed to the young man's head, while Hamirinen waved his hand and changed the subject: "Your Lamanite language is good, have you ever been to the Empire?" he asked, and the other man nodded: "Yes, although I am of Suomir blood, I grew up in Padrosi. This trestle was also built with the donation of His Majesty the Great Emperor, who became the contractor of the project because of his Suomir blood. ”

"A great trestle that no one on the East Coast has ever seen, hahaha. You see, the commemorative plaque that is going to be hung is hanging next to it!"

"On one side is the lily of the valley representing Suomir, and on the other side is the daisy of Padrossi. May the friendship between the two countries endure!" said Uncle Overseer, and Hamirinen looked over him, a rather large wooden plaque, with a horizon blue background, and a gilded font, and it looked like it had been freshly painted, and it was still shining.

He read aloud the inscription in Lamanic script: "In the year 1338 of the Lamanite calendar, this pier was built in the name of Emperor Sigsumond Wotsnorion Saxiyutu I for the purpose of reconciliation with Suomir. May the friendship between the two countries endure, just as the friendship between His Crown Princess, Crown Prince Hermes Gesu Seksiyutu, and the late Bishop of Suomir, Ella Irene Gonnan, is as indestructible as permafrost. Long live the east coast of the union of the North and the South, long live the Empire, long live Suomir!"

Underneath this paragraph was the same text written in Suomir, which Hamirin did not recognize, except for the part of the second paragraph of the second line that was recognizable as a name because of the punctuation, which kept him looking away for a long time.

"Highmills ......" he looked away, and the ship was now completely ashore, so that the pained knights could finally set foot on solid ground.

"Oh-yo—" As soon as the soles of his feet touched the ground, a voice sounded in the direction of the empty harbor.

"Looks like you're the one I'm waiting for?" Hymirnine turned around, as well as the other knights who had just come down from the ship and were sorting out their large bags.

It was a woman dressed in white, about 1.7 meters tall. He wears a red badge on his waist, and his silver hair is short, which looks very capable.

"I'm Erica. She walked over and stretched out her hand to Hermilin: "The head of the mercenary union, we have also received a commission from the imperial side about the cultist this time. Issued by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince himself, I hope that we, the locals, will be your companions and guides. We look forward to working with you. ”

"Okay....." Hearing that it was the crown prince who did it, Hamirin's mood was a little complicated, but he still held the hand.

"Hey, is there such a cute girl in the mercenary union!" Licardo's voice sounded behind him, interrupting the next conversation between the two men. The seasickness of the red-haired knight all the way seems to be swept away the moment he sees Erica. But he was about to take a step and run this way, but Gedo grabbed him by the collar behind him.

"Stop, don't scare people with your face. Gedo was as merciless as ever, and Licardo, who was already exhausted after vomiting for a long time, couldn't break free, and the whole person went down. However, Erica raised her eyebrows: "Men with scars are more handsome." And this knight, don't think of me as a weak woman who has no power to tie me. She retracted her grip on Hamirin's hand, pulling the distance away as she pulled out the dagger at her back, flipping between flips and shifts of grip.

With the pace and body style, it shows a considerable speed and beauty.

"Oh-" exclaimed many of the knights and accompanying soldiers. Although this is a trick rather than a skill that can be used in real combat, it cannot be used by anyone who is not absolutely confident in the weapon.

"Again, I'm Erica. One of the thirteen red-carded mercenaries of the Mercenary Guild. She tucked the dagger back into her waist in a graceful posture and saluted the crowd with a Lamanic knightly courtesy rather than a lady's courtesy.

"Red card, what's that?" Licardo glared with a confused look in his eyes.

"The grading system that has just been introduced. Erica spread her hands: "It hasn't been promoted yet, and now the founders, including me, have been assigned the highest level of red cards, and obviously even the other levels below have not been divided." ”

"Oh, is Miss Erica still the founder of the union?" Licardo leaned in and began to talk, and Erica glanced at him, nodded and shook her head, "To be exact, my family is one of the founders, and I just took the position." ”

"Let's go, let's go rest, and then we will have a mission briefing. Hymirnine turned to the knights who were carrying their armor and weapons, while Erica and Licardo in front of them had already walked.

"Miss Erica, what's that silver hair?"

"Well, it's said that my ancestors have elven blood, which is unique. ”

"It's beautiful, like starlight—"

"Uh-huh. ”

"This guy is completely controlled by the other side. Gedo said from Hymirin's side, "Be careful, the mercenary guild has never heard of anything, and even if the interests are aligned, they can't be fully trusted. ”

"Hmm. Hymirinn nodded absentmindedly, and Gedo noticed this but said nothing. A group of dozens of people walked forward with their equipment.