In the hazy consciousness, the sound of squeaking and squeaking always surrounds my ears.

The girl's whispers were sometimes far and near, and the steps of strolling through the house were sometimes loud and sometimes low. The warm palm caressed his forehead, and he wanted to open his eyes, but he was imprisoned by the darkness and could not escape, until the sunlight outside the window shone on his face.

"It's time to get up~"

Opening his eyes, Randy rubbed the futon on his chest with a helpless expression.

"You weren't going out for a drink last night, were you? I woke up this morning and smelled the smell of wine, and I didn't wake up after fiddling next to you for a long time, and I thought you were unwell! Randy muttered as he brought him clothes.

Felote got up and took it, put it on, and then sat down on the bed and thought back to yesterday's events. He rarely slept as peacefully as he did today, and he didn't wake up because of the strange noise next to him. When he glanced at the bedside, he was surprised to find that the money bag he had placed there last night was gone, and his heart jumped.

"Anyway, when you went out last night, where did you bring back such a bag of coins? While you were asleep, I counted 490 silver coins in it. Randy tossed the purse to Felot, playing with one of the silver coins.

That's when Felote remembered what had happened last night. As he left, Willian gave him a bag of coins, and when he returned to the inn and did not see the owner, he took out a few silver coins for rent.

Standing up to take the silver coin from Randy's hand and fastening it in his purse, Felot explained to her what had happened to her the previous night.

"Really?"

Randy said lightly, and sat down on the bed with a heavy heart.

The atmosphere in the room suddenly fell to freezing point. What Randy didn't know was that, according to the statistics given by the soldiers, many of the soldiers and civilians who died died from drowning. At the time of discovery, their remains were swollen and deformed.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door outside. After the two looked at each other, Randy got up and walked to the door, while Felot grabbed his weapon and went into a state of alert.

Outside the door, the two of them were soon talking, and soon Randy brought a tray full of food.

"This is the breakfast that Old Man Pato prepared for us, and said that after coming back this morning and seeing the silver coins on the counter, he took out some of them to improve the meal." Randy placed the tray on the bed table and was the first to pick up a piece of food and taste it.

Seeing her full of praise, Felote couldn't help but laugh. Under her repeated urging, the two happily shared breakfast like this.

"Finally, I don't have to eat that choking noodle bag anymore! I'll see, let's go there and eat in the evening! ”

Randy yells excitedly down the street, and after a lot of inquiry, she finally decides on a restaurant to go to for dinner, a curserie roadside stall.

On the road that is not very wide, the freight wagons that come from it occupy half of the road, but fortunately there are not many people walking on the road at present.

Whenever the carriage came to the door of a house, the owner would come out and talk to the people in the carriage, and then take a small cloth bag and a large basket of fruits and vegetables from the carriage.

This was the first time he had seen it in any other city where Ferrot lived, and he watched with interest the dealings between the owners of the houses and the wagons. It wasn't until Randy found a clothing store and dragged him to the store to measure his measurements that he learned the truth from the owner.

"Well, that's the Earl's daily allowance from the city to ensure the basic life here, and distribute it to everyone. If you are a refugee who has just entered the city, then at the end of this road there is a tall and magnificent building, which is the refugee shelter here, also known as the Cathedral of Hiromerser. Once you go there to register your identity, you will also get the necessary protection provided by the town. ”

After paying 1 silver coin in advance, they followed the owner's instructions to the cathedral. On the way, you can see many people receiving training in a wide area, and in front of the tent on the other side, many middle-aged men resolutely collect weapons and walk to the training ground after saying goodbye to their relatives.

Felote paused and gazed silently at the magnificent building at the end of the road. There, behind the long queue to the houses that are out of sight, from time to time many workers with meals come out of the church to bring food to the people who have been waiting for a long time.

"Is there anything unusual?" Randy stared into the distance side by side.

"It's nothing, it's just that after I came here, I've been wondering what the meaning of life is." Felote sighed and looked farther into the walls.

"The people who live here may not belong here, and the city we are in is not the destination of this trip, but after getting along with each other in the past few days, I have a deep nostalgia for this city, and even want to stay and contribute to this city."

The two walked slowly down the street, looking around at this strange and silent city. Young men are rarely seen on the streets, and more often they follow the sound of percussion to see some middle-aged men building houses.

The chatter took the two to the back of the house. A group of women in beautiful new clothes are surrounding the land, and the three old men in the middle are teaching the land to plow the land and sow seeds, each of them is watching and listening carefully, and then they each pick up their hoes and return to the land to operate on the ground.

The scorching sun was slowly overhead, and everyone struggled to swing their hoes, their necklines and sleeves soaked with sweat. After the old man had finished inspecting the land, if no one had any questions, they would rest for a while and then go to the next piece of land to teach the women who had been waiting there for a long time.

A group of five or six-year-olds lead their toddler siblings to bring tea to their mothers, and to prevent the children from getting together and fighting during their breaks. After taking the tea set and taking the siblings away, they returned to their respective houses to prepare their meals.

The two of them stared at everything wordlessly, and the maturity of the children and the hard work of their backs made their hearts extremely heavy. After a long pause, just as they were leaving, a lady named Gina appeared in front of them.

"Presumably these two are heroic adventurers!" Gina said with a smile and motioned for the two to follow.

Although they had doubts, they considered that the other party could see their identity, so the two followed him to a house.

"Shiling Snack Bar?" Randy looked at the sign on the eaves.

"This is the second store I've opened here, following in their footsteps." Gina pushed open the door and motioned for the two to enter first.

A young girl in an apron hurried forward and led them to the second floor at Gina's instructions. The interior is not very spacious, but the reasonable furnishings make the overall appearance less crowded. After looking around, Felot sat down by the window, where he could see the people working behind the house.

The childish voice and brisk pace reached the ears, and just as she was about to go downstairs to check, Gina came up with a dinner plate, and the girl behind her with a kettle.

"Her name is Lizi, and she is the eldest of the children, so I put her in charge of the reception." Gina put down her plate and placed the food on the table one by one.

"Today's ingredients are relatively simple, there is nothing to entertain you, please forgive me." Gina looked at the two with a wry smile, and Lizi immediately stepped forward to pour cold water for the two.

Felote smiled and nodded at her, then picked up the spoon to taste. A bowl of vegetable soup that is so light that only a few leaves float in it tastes only a little more than ordinary drinking water; The slightly chewy bread is not unpalatable, but you can feel the chef's heart; Only the potato stew tastes bland, but even so, the lack of ingredients is evident (regardless of the presence or absence of meat, the potatoes in Randy's bowl and the potatoes in his own bowl are clearly one and the same).

"The ones out there?"

Randy put down the spoon in his hand and looked out the window in a depressed mood.

"Those are refugees who have chosen to stay here after they have been granted a residence permit. You may wonder why all the people who farm are women, but you must have your own answer in your heart. Gina said this, looking into the distance with a sad expression.

Just as he was about to say something, there was a children's fight downstairs. After apologizing to the two of them, Gina turned and ran downstairs. I don't know if I am affectionate, but when she turned to leave, it was like raising her hand to wipe the tears from the corners of her eyes.

After a while, Gina's scolding voice came from downstairs, and Lizi on the side looked worriedly in the direction of the stairs. After looking at each other, Felott and Randy decided to go downstairs to check on the situation.

I saw two boys standing in front of Gina with their heads bowed, and in the middle of them lay a piece of bacon that had been bitten off. What made them feel unbelievable was that dozens of children under the age of ten leaned out from all corners of the building.

Later, I learned that Gina was the owner of a snack bar in the city of Alomele, and later came to live in the city of Meloses with the refugees at that time under the harassment of the nobles and the continuous oppression and exploitation of the powerful, and most of the children were adopted orphans.

When talking about her husband, she looked out the window with tears in her eyes and told about the hard life in the city. In order to pay off his debts as soon as possible, Ronald quit his job as a ranger and made connections to join a merchant's remote escort team, and has rarely returned to live with him since.

When it comes to her children, Gina is tight-lipped and just calls them to her side and caresses them. Instead of blaming the two children who made the mistake in front of her, she picked up the bacon on the ground, patted the dust on it, and hung it back on the beam.

"Makes you laugh." Gina stopped talking, and after seeing the children's gaze, she turned around and left the house in a low mood.

Randy followed with concern, leaving Felot alone to look after the children.

The once silent streets were now overcrowded, and the convoys escorted by soldiers were covered with red-dyed white cloth. Mournful cries echoed through the crowd, and missionaries in robes walked ahead, guiding those on the path of the dead to their homeland.

"The old man often said that those who died on the battlefield will eventually turn into stars, guarding the well-being and prosperity of their grandparents. For this reason, the boys, who were in their youth, took up arms one after another and embarked on the road of no return. Gina said lightly.

Whenever you settle in a town or village, you can hear a similar language. But in fact, everyone knows that it is just a reassuring lie. At least in your own life, whether you are in trouble or ask for the salvation of others, you can only rely on yourself in the end.

Since the departure of the first emperor, the kingdom of mankind has fallen apart, and the prosperity and prosperity of the past have been reduced to dust with the backlash of frenzied expansion and oppression. In today's world, only the strong deserve everything, and the weak deserve to survive in the flames of war and oppression.

Although it has not been long since I arrived in this city, everyone is constantly working hard for tomorrow. One group fell, and another got back on its feet. The new city will always be built in blood and crying, and when it stands through all the hardships, it is destined to become an extraordinary city.

The beating heartbeat and the spontaneous sense of mission give Randy a strong urge to run to the abyss to redeem the needy. It is a kind of recognition of the people who have selflessly contributed to the city.

"You're coming to us for the sake of those kids!" Randy walked to his side, "As much as I would love to help you, the final decision is in Felot's hands. ”

Gina looked at Randy in disbelief, and then bowed to her with a smile a moment. At this time, Felote led Lizi to their side.

"I have learned the general situation, and I have received the children's voices exactly. But in the coming days, we'll need to go to Alomel to get some business, and when the dust settles, we'll be back here again, and we'll talk about the rest of the story. ”

With a faint smile, Felotte gave Lizi a glimmer of time to Gina, glanced at Randy and turned to walk towards the street.

The children crowded in front of the door to watch them, and after Randy's hurried goodbye, Lizi carefully handed the bag in her arms to Gina. After opening and checking the items inside, she knelt on the ground excitedly, hugged Lizi in front of her and cried bitterly.

"What happened inside after I went out?" After looking back, Randy asks in confusion.

As he reached the middle of the avenue, Felote stopped and stared into the distance, where many old men, women and children were coming out of the Cathedral of Hiromersor.

"After hearing the thoughts and experiences of those children, my inner sense of belonging and mission made me even more determined to choose to stay here. Together, we can make this city better, and those children will be strong enough to deal with danger when they are in danger. Felot turned to look at Randy, "Maybe you feel it too!" ”

The two smiled wordlessly, and then discussed what to eat for lunch, after all, they chose to leave before they could enjoy it.

A week later, at the town hall of Alomel, after receiving two foreign adventurers, a secret letter was urgently sent to the supreme ruler of Anseburg.

"Whoa!? It's interesting, if I have the chance, I'd like to meet them! Count Andrew sighed as he handed the letter to the woman behind him.

"Form an Adventurer's Guild?" Looking at the dense contents of the letters, Heatrice fell into deep thought.

Under the gaze of dozens of eyes, Earl Andrew stood up and paced back and forth around the table and chairs full of dignitaries. The people below whispered, the nobles didn't know what the meeting was, and the dignitaries looked at the paperwork in their hands and were silent.

After returning to his seat in a circle, Earl Andrew convened the meeting, and after learning about the current situation in the city of Meloses, he listened to the reports of the various military districts, the opinions and feedback of the nobles and members of the Chamber of Commerce, and the work reports, and then the affairs officer summarized them and handed them over to the earl.

Thinking that this meeting was over, one would have thought that the always approachable and amiable Earl Andrew would simply glance at the paper and throw it on the table after getting it. He glanced at everyone in the room with an extremely cold gaze, and then issued a decree that shocked everyone—the Forced Levy Order.

An expropriation order is a compulsory order taken by the supreme ruler of an inherent territory in response to a special situation. Once issued, everything that belongs to its territory will be under the leadership and command of the supreme ruler. The means by which this order is carried out is absolute strength and authority.

"Wait... Wait, Lord Count!! One of the nobles stood up in horror, "Is there something important that caused you to make this decision?" We believe that we are now in a good period of development, and we should not make a big move. If something happens, you don't have to worry about it, we will be able to handle it properly and solve your problems! ”

When the magnates on one side heard this, they immediately agreed and stood up to express their opinions, but they were quickly vetoed by Earl Andrew.

In order to recognize those who have performed greatly, and to ease the pressure on their own governance, the ruler of one side will often grant them corresponding titles and fiefs. As long as it is allowed, the ruler grants them a high degree of autonomy, and they only need to pay the corresponding military service and taxes.

"I guess you know something about Meloses City!" Count Andrew looked around with a faint smile, "As a lord of the human world, the kingdom has long been disintegrated, and the struggle with foreign races has led to the displacement of a large number of people. Whether they died of hunger and cold, or were reduced to slavery and food for other people, it was a blessing from heaven to be here. ”

Earl Andrew walked up and down in front of the crowd with emotion.

"In response to their wishes, I ordered the construction of what is now the city of Meloses, where the refugees could live in peace. However, the wolf hunters of the Southern Forest frequently attacked, causing immeasurable damage to passing caravans and people. In order not to bother us, in addition to the soldiers who were initially sent to the border, the subsequent source of troops came from the security brigade they formed spontaneously. ”

At this, Earl Andrew angrily picked up the paper in front of the table and threw it at you.

"While you are immersed in a life of drunkenness, drunkenness, and death, the people of the lower city are living in dire straits. Would you have been able to live your present life if they hadn't turned into a barrier for you to keep out the attacks??? ”

A heavy punch resounded in the sky, and in addition to the generals, all the powerful people sitting there were all startled by the count's action, and even the maid standing at the door almost fell to their knees in fright.

Perhaps realizing that he had made a slight gaffe, Earl Andrew straightened up and straightened his somewhat messy collar and picked up two papers from the messy table.

"Your report shows that the people of the lower city live in peace and contentment, but what I see is that in the long struggle, the men in their prime are almost extinct, and the women are forced to work in the fields for food. In order to ensure the improvement of their living standards, I have provided a lot of financial and technical support to your chamber of commerce, but the supplies sent to the city of Meloses have been repeatedly reduced, and the children have even caused disputes over a piece of meat??? ”

The roar echoed in everyone's ears, and the nobles and members of the Chamber of Commerce all lowered their heads and trembled, and the generals did not know how to answer. The atmosphere inside is like a snow-capped mountain in the far north, and the exhaled heat can be frozen in an instant.

Seeing that everyone was silent, Earl Andrew sat back in his seat with a sigh, closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead lightly with his hands on his forehead. Sitting first on the left, the Consul General of the Town Hall, Viscount Lauderville, was the first to stand up for self-examination and submit a work order. Later, Viscount Heimbain, the commander of the military command, who sat first on the right, consulted Earl Andrew on the "forced conscription order", and then expressed his views and battle plan.

Seeing that the atmosphere in the room gradually eased, the nobles and members of the Chamber of Commerce began to express their opinions on the "forced conscription order", which was collected and unified by Lawrdevi, and handed over to Heimbain and his military leaders to formulate the final plan.

Just when things were going in a good direction, the man sitting in the last row on the left let out an untimely laugh, even a little harsh and arrogant.

"Sorry, sorry! I couldn't help but laugh when I heard you guys discussing something very interesting. A personable man stood up and saluted everyone present.

Nezvog, a count from the northern frontier of Mantiwan, was forcibly displaced by the constant erosion and corruption of the Bloods. Two years ago, he was rescued by members of the Parrot Land Caravan and brought back to the city of Aromelle. Known for his military prowess and political skills, he was one of the youngest counts.

"I didn't disagree with the Count's decision, but I couldn't help laughing out loud when I saw the way they tried to perform. This is my gaffe and rudeness, and I sincerely apologize to you. ”

Niezvog walked to the back of the table and bowed slightly to Andrew, bowing his head in apology. The magnates were clearly hostile and dissatisfied with him, and after receiving the Count's forgiveness, they began to accuse him of his actions in the fiefdom, in a vain attempt to use the "law" to make him a despicable and cruel foreign dictator.

"If there are some people who do not intend to surrender their military power and power when it is finally implemented, what should the Earl do?" Nezvog did not pay attention to them, but threw an extremely sensitive and explosive question.

Once given power and profit, the accompanying ambition and sense of loss will also expand over time. When there is no interest involved, all issues can be negotiated and smiling, but what if they are involved?

For example, with the approval and appreciation of Count Andrew, Nezvog temporarily sealed the region of Silos to him, and the consequences led to many powerful people holding grudges, and the generals in the army did not obey the control. The subsequent reforms also touched the interests of the aristocracy, and the political struggle behind it intensified. In the whirlpool of struggle, Nezvog was well aware of what these people were doing.

"Even if you are an earl, you are only an earl of the Mantiwan region, and you don't speak wildly in our region! It is our honor to go to the soup for the Earl, and it is our honor to be slandered and stained by others. One of the barons reproached Nezvog with an impassioned expression, while the nobles secretly agreed with him.

As the argument heats up, Lawrde and Heimbain try to calm the situation, as the blood on the forehead of Earl Andrew, who sits in chief, expands. Many people will be deceived by Count Andrew's gentle appearance, or rather, Count Andrew treats everyone kindly and kindly, so he grants the nobles a high degree of autonomy. But this does not mean that he is weak and can be bullied, on the contrary, after seeing the other side of the count, no one is willing to challenge his bottom line, and no one is willing to face his anger.

"Count Nezvog, do you have any concerns about listening to you?" Count Andrew asked kindly, and all eyes fell on Niezvog.

"Back to the earl, I think that the military power of the various places should be withdrawn from now on to ensure that the battle is foolproof." Nezvog said firmly, but the nobles blew up.

The region of Alomele is located on the northern border of the Autonomous Region of Ansáses, and when the city of Meloses was not yet built, it had to face not only the alien attacks of the southern forests, but also the invasion of the sea tribes in the eastern and Silos regions. Therefore, in order to better coordinate the overall situation, in addition to giving the nobles fiefs, they were also allowed to develop their own armies to resist foreign attacks.

"Now that a forced conscription order has been issued, I guess you will try your best to cooperate with me, right?" Earl Andrew looked around you kindly, but in the eyes of his cronies, he showed a sharp edge.

The nobles and their relatives immediately nodded their heads to show their cooperation, and the members of the chamber of commerce expressed their strong support to ensure their logistical supply and demand. Seeing this, Nezvog didn't say much, so he glanced at the swordsman beside him.

"What if we're not willing to cooperate?" The swordsman stood up and said in understanding, his eyes full of arrogance and disdain.

But to Nezvog's surprise, everyone present showed horror and uneasiness about his words and deeds, and the first Raudvi stood up excitedly to stop him.

The aristocratic masters, who did not know the details, were still watching the jokes, but soon they felt an unusually oppressive atmosphere, and began to become impatient and restless. Someone tried to get up and leave on the pretext of going out, but no matter how hard he struggled, he couldn't get out of his seat, like a guinea pig on the operating table, struggling desperately under the eyes of everyone.

The swordsman named Roth sensed the ominous aura and tried to do something when a strong pressure crushed him to the table, and he fell to the ground with a wail and amazement as the table shattered. The wind howled through the windows and raged through the house, driving the fine curtains to blow the papers on the table and the sparse hair of the nobles into a mess, except for the position of Count Andrew.

The new nobleman who was still snickering one second was pressed on the table by the wind the next second. The instigator of the incident, Nezvog, was not much better, and fell to one knee under great pressure, and the crack on the table where his arm rested was gradually revealed.

"Please wait a moment, Count Andrew!! ——”

With the last ounce of strength, Nezvog shouted out the words, not knowing if they could reach his ears. But fortunately, the moment he completely fell to the ground, the wind stopped howling, and the huge pressure on his shoulders dissipated.

"Come on, drag that swordsman out! The rest of us will go back and get their things ready, and I'll arrange for someone else to do the handover. ”

Before he could catch his breath, he watched as the guards carried his best men away, and the nobles staggered out of the house with the support of their cronies. He was left alone in the room with Andrew and a lady behind him.

Nezvog tried to stand up, but the sharp pain in the knee of his right leg made it difficult for him to get up. After groping for a long time, he tried to get up with the help of the table, but at the moment of exertion, the stressed desktop Peng cracked, and he was about to fall to the ground with the failure.

Surprisingly, at the moment when it was about to touch the ground, the body floated in the air and gradually adjusted its posture, and the moment the feet hit the ground, the chair also came to the feet.

After seeing the lady behind Andrew, Nezvog had an epiphany, the blonde woman with the appearance of the elves, who was probably replaced by a terrifying monster inside. This is why Andrew was able to allow some nobles to develop at will, even if he knew what they were doing, and still gave them a large degree of autonomy, even connivance.

That's right, behind the city of Alomele, in addition to Count Andrew's personal and political methods, the most powerful backing is the woman named Heatrice.

Nezvog nervously wiped the sweat from his forehead and sat down at Andrew's behest. After a long silence, Nezvog explained his intentions and what had happened in the land.