As a reserve officer, my father occasionally envied the ordinary soldiers.

At the garrison by the military port, when the instructors took the last roll call according to the roster, my father and Cesar could hear the cheerful voices of the soldiers in the distance. The soldiers were given three hours of free time each night, enough time to spend their meager salaries and roam the streets with the smell of alcohol and lipstick on their faces. Whenever the cadets were resting in the barracks tents, they could always hear the soldiers returning in droves soon after they fell asleep.

This is a common problem in the army, and for ordinary soldiers, there is no special means to maintain discipline in peacetime. This is true of almost all countries on the continent, so an important indicator of a country's military quality is how long it takes to restore discipline and morale to an acceptable level after war comes.

After the end of the daily training, they returned to the barracks to play a few games of chess with their comrades, read books on the campfire, and wrote a few letters home in the tent. There is nothing else to do. Now they camp in the field from Monday to Wednesday with the soldiers, and from Thursday to Saturday they go back to the Naval Academy.

Such days are boring and boring. When he first put on the armor, his father would be very proud, and he would stand on the edge of the bronze mirror in the hall and slowly put the helmet on his head to admire himself. But afterwards, the cotton lining in his armor was full of sweat, and under the high-intensity training, the new sweat soaked the cotton clothes again and again, until the cotton clothes became soft and coarse yellow. Whenever he returned to the garrison and unfastened his armor with the help of the servants, he would feel that the smell of his body was strong and smoky, so the bath every night became their best entertainment.

This armor was still a light type of armor, which made my father astonished, because in many of the battle notes he read, it was common for hundreds of hoplites to march for a few hours before arriving at the battlefield, then fighting in array for half a day or even a day, and finally leaving the battlefield under cover. These dozens of hours of high-intensity combat made my father dare not imagine. Running with weights is still a hard thing for him now, but what makes him feel the improvement is that when he is allowed to run, he no longer feels unattainable, but he will feel weak after running, and he can recover after a little rest.

This has to do with the requirements of the instructors, for speed, the march is not too demanding, the instructors mainly require them to maintain formation. Keeping in line sounds simple, but if you think it's just a long queue slowly walking forward, you're wrong. There are only a handful of armies that can really maintain a high degree of formation, and those are often the elite troops of various countries. This kind of team can completely numb its spirit during long marches, and the Nord royal guards are such an elite that they have even learned to keep up with the queue during the march, sleeping as they go.

At first, my father thought this kind of story was a fantasy.

His martial arts coach is a Nord. He went to find the Nord one night. His father could speak some Nord dialect, which made the Nord man feel very kind, and he asked him where he had learned it. Father briefly talked about the matter of the White Dove Valley, and the Nord man smiled and cushioned his head, knowing in his heart that it was not appropriate to ask any further, because it would almost certainly bring embarrassment to both parties.

At the end, the topic that my father opened up expressed his doubts, can people really sleep while marching? Father said he thought the Nords were exaggerated and wanted to hear their explanations.

The Nord man, who was heating a piece of venison with a thick fat on a bonfire with a small iron drill, said as he turned his food: "Young man, there are situations that you may think impossible according to ordinary thinking, but if you add in the factor of life and death, then even the most ordinary person can burst out with amazing vitality. You must know that although the Nord people's bravery is famous throughout the continent, it is because the Nord people live in a harsh environment and are surrounded by strong enemies. This was the case when our people were in their home country, and the situation did not improve after arriving on this continent. ”

"Maybe this is the fate of the Nord people, those miracle-like things, in fact, the Nord people feel more helpless in addition to pride. If our farmers can take care of a pumpkin field in the countryside in peace, then how can they pick up an axe and fight hard; If our elders can sit at home and teach their children to chant sakya, how can they teach them how to use knives? If our woman could lazily wait for her man and son on the ground with a jar of water while harvesting wheat, how could she string small iron rings together every day and make them into a chain mail coat? We don't want heroic people, because behind this empty vocabulary are countless burning villages and women's tears, countless barren farmlands and men's blood. ”

"Young man, I hate war. But I had to suppress my disgust and stay on the battlefield all year round. Because behind me are my mother and woman, my brother and child. I must defend them with an axe. Now that I'm here, I'm doing my duty. I have trained you to make our allies stronger, and a strong ally can contain more enemies. One less Swadian in the north would allow one more Nord to go home and grow food; One more farmer's food, one less hunger for our compatriots. That's why I'm going to tell you about these things with all seriousness, and I'm not going to say anything exaggerated. You should trust my knowledge of human potential. I have seen a teenager who was hit by an arrow in the chest and had his stomach cut open, and he waited for two days on the battlefield to wait for our people to bring a message to his mother. Once a person's potential is stimulated, that power is endless. ”

"Another point is that the army can't be trained. All we can teach you are the basics. A real farmer can only dig out a hoe and hoe in the field; A real blacksmith can only be smashed out of the workshop with a hammer; A real warrior can only be slashed out on the battlefield with a sword! All we're doing is so that once you go to war, you can die less and have more chances to live. You must know that when you go to war, you will face death at any time. Don't be lazy in training, don't be lazy, only you know how you are training, in addition, the role of others is really not big, in order to return to your hometown one day, you people, it is best to give me the strength to take out the strength to eat milk and train well. Well, it's time for you to finish asking questions. Return to the team, cadet. ”

After listening to this, my father thought silently for a long time.

"Sir?" Father couldn't help but ask the coach before leaving.

"Anything else?" Nords.

"What did the young man you say about the last thing he brought to his mother?"

The Nords were pinching the venison with their fingers, feeling its firmness. Hearing this, the man was stunned, and he looked at the prosperous bonfire in front of him, as if he had returned to the cold battlefield: the faint mist in the dark night, the low moan, the occasional sound of the churning of the armor, one or two lost horses guarding the corpse of their master, and in vain warming the already cold body with their breath'''

"Sir? Did you hear me? ”

"What the young man who held on for two days was saying", the Nord man took a soft breath,

"'Mom, the wheat is yellow, I can't go back'"

Inside those days. Cesar and his father were becoming more and more estranged from the rest of their classmates in class, and while the college students from Djerkhala were lamenting boredom, his father and Cesar were learning all kinds of conducting skills day and night. In the chapter on Supply, they learned that if food was transported by land, the transportation of a hundred swadiali would cause a loss of half the weight of the grain; And in the case of water transport, this loss is less than one-twentieth. Therefore, a qualified commander should learn how to use land and water to transport his baggage, food and even soldiers.

When it comes to supplies, Svadia didn't fail because their soldiers weren't brave enough; It's not because their armor isn't thick enough and their weapons aren't sharp enough; It's not because their intelligence isn't accurate enough and their response isn't fast enough--- but it's their supplies, which is a very simple summary. On a deeper level, Svadia lost out on strategy. Even when they finally withdrew from Rhodok, there were many officers who opposed this, and they even thought that after a few more clearances, the situation in Rhodok would always be better, but in fact, from the day of the war, from the time of the tragedy in the valley, Svadia had already been defeated. Of course, this kind of macro-strategic matter is of little significance to a reserve officer at present, and can only bring some inspiration to himself.

My father's weight began to increase, but after a certain number it stabilized. Almost all of the people around him did the same. This was expected by the instructor, who told them that if they kept their daily routines as precise as the ringing of church bells throughout the year, then their weight would be the most accurate of a doctor's weight. As soon as something changes, a person who understands his or her body can quickly identify the crux of the problem. The dual training of academic and military made it difficult for my father to adapt at first, but after adapting, he felt that this simple life was also very good, simple and efficient. Before winter came, the goblin told him and Cesar that they had learned much more than their classmates. While making great strides in this academic journey, my father also systematically learned fencing, combat and archery in the army, as well as various command skills and camping knowledge.

Coach Nord told them that being good is a habit of life. The Nords say that as long as they maintain this habit, within a few years, they will be able to feel a kind of manhood even if they stand quietly in the crowd. My father remembered that when they were in practice, more than a hundred students were riding horses from the beach and stepping on the sea, when suddenly there was a fight, and the instructor stopped him a little, after all, as young people, these guys are indeed too little fun. More than a hundred horses stepped on the sea, supporting more than a hundred young knights in the silhouette of the setting sun, the galloping horses' hooves stirred up the white waves, the sea breeze blew them, the western sunset was like a glowing fireball slowly extinguished in the sea, the entire horizon was a line of bright red edges, and the fire clouds extended from the sky to the top of the head, burning through the sky at dusk. The sound of horses laughing makes the deserted seaside seem lively in late autumn. This is the masculinity of young people.

As a navy, my father had a lot to learn. They're about to learn meteorology and astrology. He didn't know why he was studying geometry and all sorts of abstract things, such as how to calculate when a stone thrown into the sky hits the ground, how far an arrow can fly, how to measure the height of a house with shadows. But with the experience that the Goblin Teacher had told him, he no longer dared to underestimate anything that he had previously thought was a minutiae. Maybe a little theory can weigh this orange-like world, who knows.

He immersed himself in learning a lot of things that Cithar derided as "tricks and tricks", and Cesar preferred Sabel's classes, which never brought a textbook, and spoke from beginning to end, and which was particularly appealing in politics.

Sisara was impressed by one of Sabel's lessons, which was about "tyranny", in which Sabel asked the students to analyze what tyranny was, and the students described it in a variety of ways, some saying that they did not respect the rights of the common people, and some said that they did not care about the well-being of the people.

When there were enough answers, Sabel motioned for the students to stop speaking first, saying, "I've noticed that most of the definition of tyranny you are talking about is a regime that violates the rights of the weak, but is that really it? Is a regime that protects the rights of the nobility and the king necessarily tyranny? ”

The students were stunned, the generation that grew up after the Rhodok war had long been accustomed to the suppression of power and sympathy for the people, and Sabel's words were equivalent to refuting this public opinion.

One student asked, "Isn't it tyranny to collude with the aristocracy to oppress the people?" ”

"Who remembers the history of Svadia?" Sabel abruptly changed the subject.

A student stood up and recounted the legendary war from more than 1,000 years ago. When he finished speaking, Sabel was very happy and nodded and asked him to sit down: "You said very well, you can not take the test in history", and there was a buzz of envy from the students below.

"Remember, 'The king cut off the head of a demon, the man who defiled the throne of the Kallad Empire, a monster with a bull head and a human body', do any of you know what this monster is?"

"A monster", laughed.

"Well, do you really think that there are monsters in the world you live in? Some people may think that there is, but I really haven't seen it, if any of you see it one day, please bring it to me. Well, have you ever wondered, what exactly are these monsters? ”

The students were at a loss.

"I can tell you that this is the rightful emperor of the Karad Empire, the last king of the royal family. It is vaguely recorded in the history books that this is a kind and generous king, but when he ascended the throne, the empire was already difficult to return."

Before he finished speaking, the students below were in an uproar of opposition.

Sabel waited for the students' objections to subside before resuming his story: "You are all people with your own minds, and there are many things that you should try to decipher yourself. Why did the history of the fall of the Karad Empire suddenly appear with a group of demons and monsters, and then the Svadia Empire was born on its ruins? Quite simply, this is the rise of a new group of nobles, and naturally, they can get rid of all the problems they encounter, as long as they easily attribute these problems to the old regime. Did you know? Even hundreds of years after the founding of the state, when mudslides hit the Parabun region, those in power blamed the disaster on the wanton deforestation of the ancient Kalad tyrants. Over time, the old regime was conceptualized as 'evil', the old elites were deprived of all right to speak, and the new forces quickly took over everything. This is the reason why the young abdicated emperor was slandered as a monster. ”

"It's not over yet. History seems to be stuck in a cycle in which people drive out a group of tyrants, and soon a new one will come. After each group of people takes power, they define the previous group as illegal. Then, in order to reduce the pressure on their own governance, they declared tyranny everything that was different from themselves, and the Great Purge began. After a decaying old house was torn down, a new one was immediately erected. But this new house is so big that it quickly forgets the story of how the previous one was decaying. Because it has everything under control, all opposing voices are slowly disappearing. ”

"In the beginning, the new rising people will respect everyone's opinion when they oppose the old forces, and they will be cautious and walk on thin ice. They patiently listened to opposing opinions, and after making trade-offs, they constantly revised their policies so that they could serve the people and the country. This is the reason why the emperors of some countries can do exceptionally beautiful at the beginning of their rise. But once these regimes have a complete grasp of the state, it doesn't matter what other people think. There is no legal requirement that they need to listen to all opinions, and at this time, some of the opposition, even if it is a good word, becomes gradually unbearable. Gradually, some of the sounds weakened, vanished, and were no more, as if they had never existed. But is that really the case? No, the memory of the people is almost eternal, and if what they want to say and express cannot be released, this power will be like the bowstring of a crossbow being slowly tightened and filled with power, and once there is an opportunity, this resentment will be released overwhelmingly, enough to pierce all self-righteous armor. Thus, the old story began, and the cycle of all tragedies began again. A new tyranny was born. ”

"Students, it is very difficult to change this status quo, and it is not something that can be changed by one or two generations. What I want to say is that everyone's kind of protection for the weak is correct, but once this kind of person is in power, everyone should be vigilant about whether this will be the next tyranny. Everyone should be clear-headed. It is known that in Rhodok, the lords and nobles of the old estates were badly damaged in the war, and the new nobles and burghers quickly raised their rights, and now they have reached the same level as the rulers of the past. However, these people still cleverly describe themselves as members of the poor people, who do the same thing as the nobles of the past, but who call on the people to constantly fight against the officials and lords who have lost power. They tie themselves to the state, and to question them is to question the state. ”

"The disparity in strength between these two factions has become great because the people have clearly supported one of the parties. In the long run, Rhodok's old power will disappear. Students, do you think this is the beginning of a new era? On the contrary, it is a precursor to the beginning of yet another dark age. ”

"There is a saying that once there is a chance, everyone is like an emperor. If one faction is dominant, then in the absence of opposition and supervision, many people will choose to go to autocracy. This kind of thing must be vigilant. You can hate the majesty of the people of the past, but there is no need to exterminate them when they are down. Everyone has their own right to live, each faction has its own reason for existence, and the elimination of one group of people will inevitably bring about the expansion of another. To clear the way for a regime is to condone it to the tyranny of the future. ”

"The basis of all extreme autocracy is connivance and compromise in the smallest details. We can simply refine this thing, when someone says something that becomes insignificant, this is tyranny; When someone's rights are trampled on by forces higher than the law, this is tyranny. Tyranny is only mild and severe, but in essence they are all cancers born of the weakness and appeasement of the people, and they are the tools used by the few to rip out the marrow of the many. ”

"Does anyone remember the political system of Gucarade?" Sabel asked.

"The Council of 500," said Cesara reflexively.

"Very well, Mr. Cesar. Council of 500 people. The wisdom of our ancestors was great, they knew how to limit those in power, how to use the wisdom of many people to prevent the ambition of a certain person or group of people. That is to always respect people's right to speak, to divide the power among everyone, and let them elect their own tribunes. The head of the household, elected by several villagers, will speak for his villagers; The head of the village, elected by the head of the household, will speak for his village; The mayor of the town, elected by the village chief, will speak for his people; The mayor elected by the mayor, the governor elected by the mayor, and so on, all the way up to the top, the people of this system will wholeheartedly think about the most basic people, which makes it impossible for him to turn the regime into tyranny. Because his rights come from below. And once someone interrupts this process, once the power is directly kidnapped in a small circle, once the legal power only comes from the negotiation of a few people in the secret room, then no matter how good their original intentions are, they will eventually embark on the road of tyranny, inevitable, inevitable! ”

"What is tyranny, must it be brutal and incomprehensible to be called tyranny? No! The so-called tyranny is already tyranny from the very beginning, when people's words and decisions are ignored. “

"The Council of Five Hundred used the ballots given to them by the peasants, townspeople, merchants, and soldiers they represented as a weapon to express their will. So, the Kalad Empire, no, it should be called the Republic of Kallad, it has existed for two thousand years but has never been called a tyranny, because what he does is the voice of the people. But when it was turned into an empire by a few careerists, it became synonymous with tyranny, and its last kings were even called monsters because it no longer listened to people. ”

"For ordinary people, it is very simple to discern what tyranny is."

Sabel paused: "The people pay taxes and have no right to decide on the state, this is tyranny!" ”

Sisar was so impressed by Sabel's lessons that he began to wonder if he had become an invisibly abusive person. But most of the students scoffed at Sabel's sensational lectures and were no longer willing to listen to his lectures, as Sabel had already encountered at Djerkhara University, a place known for freedom of thought, and even there Sabel was often regarded as a radical outlier, and in Aaron, the most powerful of traditions, he was inevitably the target of public criticism. Sabel is widely believed to be the author of the pamphlet "Government Conspiracy Theories," and Sabel shrugged, "Give me the manuscript fee, and I'll admit that I wrote it even if it was a fiction." ”

My father didn't say too much, he no longer has some inexplicable feelings now, he has gradually developed a down-to-earth and responsible character in the army, and has become more and more stable. And Sabel's words are actually very similar to what his grandfather taught him in the final analysis, so it will not be difficult for him to accept it. Even when it comes to disagreements with him, my father doesn't find it strange most of the time, but takes it as the norm. It is a virtue not to interfere with what others think or do.

The days were getting colder, and in the last few days of the year, he received a letter from Wright.

The postmark reads Fort Lentia.

My father groped his frozen fingers around the map for the fort, and when he ran his fingers across most of the map, he saw a fortress marked with a red pen, Fort Lundia.

A small line of annotation written below

"Close to Kugit, a place of great soldiers."