Time passed, and before I knew it, it was the middle of February. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

Winters in Avenella are as peaceful as ever, with the exception of the year-round winds in Acasta, where the rest of the day is only a little chilly in the early morning and late afternoon, but on weekdays, it is as comfortable and pleasant as usual.

In the 191 - oh no, 192 years since the founding of the country, there have only been three recorded winters in which the snow line reached the Inznir plain in neighbouring West Valiers.

And this is exactly the topic that the common people of Avenella in the Plains of Acasta have talked about the most this year - "This kind of thing will never happen again, thanks to our dear prince." As they said this, the smile on their faces was from the bottom of their hearts, and they really saw the signs of everything getting better, and even if they wanted to, they couldn't hide it.

It's been a year. It's been a year since Henry and Mira left the land where they had left many stories.

The world does not revolve around them, and even though they did play a vital role in the great drama that had been played out a year earlier, it was the common efforts of the ordinary people who lived in the land, their yearning for a new life, and the wise and genuine intentions of the monarch who cared about the country and its people, that kept it all the better for the better.

And that's one of the big things that bothers our Royal Highness - things are getting better, but it's not just going to work out unhindered. The "Covenant of Equality" reached with the Ottolo Empire, which was separated by a mountain with Henry's help, protected the dignity of the Kingdom of Avenella itself and made it still an independent country, but having an equal alliance with such an empire that was far more powerful than its own was as ridiculous from the beginning as a rat befriending a wurm. His Majesty the Emperor was persuaded by the sage to agree on a whim, but as long as Avenella did not grow stronger, the covenant would always be in a state where it was easy to be torn apart by the Ottolons.

- If Avenella wants to develop and sell the various magical materials and minerals that are abundant in the kingdom due to its proximity to the Tambur Mountains to a larger trading market, it will have to rely on the powerful caravans of the Ottolo Empire and the border policy that has become favored by the alliance. However, the relationship between the two countries cannot be reciprocal and peaceful in the true sense, a paper covenant cannot change the gap in national strength, small frictions will not end, and how to deal with these things is a very headache.

Coupled with the sights of the Padrosi Empire across the river, although they have not launched any real offensive so far, and the vast empire on the other side has been quiet since the alliance with Ottolo, the clever Edward did not believe that the Padrosi people were not secretly engaged in some tricks, although he did not know it, but this concern has always been in his mind - but all of the above is actually not comparable to the chaos caused by the neighboring Sivaliers.

The death of King Philip II of West Valier more than half a year ago brought a political earthquake to the entire West Coast region that continues to this day, and Isabel Day Avalon, the only legitimate heir to the official recognition of royal status and not an illegitimate child, is a princess rather than a prince. To add insult to injury, some of the great nobles and bishops of Sivalier, as if they didn't think it was messy enough, found several illegitimate sons and collateral cousins who were related to each other and tried to put them on the throne.

Before the war, the two sides did not even have a border, and the peasants could cross from one country to another in the strongest neighbor on the west coast, and the great turmoil that occurred in the strongest neighbor on the west coast, the royal family and nobles were already related to them, and it was naturally impossible for Avenella, who was already related to them, to avoid it, except for the Sivalier refugees who fled to the border from time to time and became rogue robbers who attacked the caravans of Ottolo and Avenella, it was probably his noble father who felt great pressure on Prince Edward, who was already having a headache.

Ashbourne II's coveting of the throne of Sivalier was the most important factor in the conflict between the two countries, which turned into war. While this war, which Edward united his people had won with great difficulty, while Ahibon II was delighted, it also made him further inclined to send troops directly into the territory of Sivalier, and to take possession of the vast kingdom that he considered to belong to himself, making himself the king of the strongest kingdom on the west coast.

But these things are not easy to say, and what Avenella needs to do now is to recuperate and develop rapidly. Fortunately, Edward was the favorite son of Ashbern II, and because his previous victory had greatly increased the face of the Avenella people, he was able to repeatedly excuse himself on the grounds that Ashbern II could not refuse, such as being busy with business and having to deal with relations with the Ottolo Empire, and not to send troops against Inznir.

But if this series of problems dragged on like this, it was obvious that one day it would erupt, and our royal highness, who was only in his twenties, was still full of blonde hair a year ago, and now some white threads appeared, although exhaustion and melancholy made him more mature in the eyes of others, more like a great prince, but only Edward himself and a few cronies could truly understand that the situation of this small kingdom in the period of change and development was already on the cusp.

Yes, they did win the previous wars.

Yes, they did solve another crisis, and with the support of a powerful ally, they began to enter a state of rapid development - but all this did not mean more than good, the nobles of the southern part of the kingdom, who were far more conservative than the young prince, and were educated by the traditional Sivalier aristocracy, are still waiting to see if Edward can only be influenced by the nobles and commoners who fought with him near the Great Grigory Rift. The conservative aristocracy in the south of the kingdom did not intend to join the trade and complained to the king that the people were moving to the north, and these internal and external troubles accumulated together, making this small kingdom look vibrant, but in fact there was a huge pressure that could not be handled properly, and when the pressure erupted, everything was bound to fall apart.

"I thought I could handle it properly...... Really, I realized my own insignificance and powerlessness. Rubbing his messy hair, Edward whispered in the bright sunlight of the window and the breeze that made the soft curtains sway slightly.

"Sir...... Where the hell are you now......"

......

......

- Time returned to a month ago, in the glade south of Soradin.

Our Sage, who had subdued eight elite warriors from the Great Clan with his bare hands, was given a chance to talk as he wished, and just as he always did, Henry got straight to the point as soon as he spoke, and after a few words, everyone's eyes widened, including Muna.

“...... You're right. The samurai captain, whose hair was shaved on both sides, whom Henry knew his name was Muhammad after introducing himself, sighed helplessly and said, "I have advised our young lady, but perhaps you can tell that she is not the type to listen. ”

"The man named Albenny met her at a bonfire, and as a man of a small clan, he took the initiative to come to this kind of bonfire party between large clans, and his ambition was exposed, which is why I objected to Mademoiselle contacting him in the first place. But there was no way, the man spoke very well, and the young lady soon looked at him and admired him very much. Muhammad went on to say that the conversation between him and Henry was in Sumu, but the wording was not as rude and primitive as that of ordinary warriors of small and medium-sized clans or even high-ranking steppe nobles.

Suave and calm and reasonable, if he were not a half-breed like Barrett whom he had met before, then the samurai leader who used the name "Muhammad", which was quite noble among the steppe people, which was only attained by nobles, was obviously also of high steppe aristocratic origin - this further strengthened the possibility that Muna had the royal blood of the steppe, and it was obvious that only the nobler would have served the nobles of the more noble royal family - Muhammad continued: " He came to tell Mademoiselle that as long as he could use Absgunti's tracking abilities to capture the exiled royal family of Loan, he would be able to manage to make the remaining Roan slaves on the steppe available to Mademoiselle, and thus fight for Absgunti's independence......"

The tough steppe warrior glanced up at Henry, and then continued, "I think you guessed it, the young lady is very noble. And her heart is the same, she has always wanted to fight for a better life for the Absgents who have become vassals and cannot gain independence, and can only survive among the major clans, as well as other small and medium-sized clans who have been conquered by the big clans. ”

"Naturally, she wanted to use her noble blood to command the crowd, but such a little girl—I don't mean to offend you—" Muhammad turned to Muna on the other side, and then continued: If such a little girl wants to be the leader, who will listen to it, even if we are loyal to the young lady herself, and have the support of experienced Absgunti, this little bit of strength, in the face of dozens of other powerful competitors who also have ancient noble bloodlines, will only be easily erased like a light rain in the dry season. ”

"So when the young lady listened to the words of that dangerous man and came after you, to be honest, even we may have hoped that such a thing would come true. Muhammad raised his head as he said this, looked at Henry earnestly, and said: "This is the case on the steppe, the weak can only always be the mouth of the strong, and if you do not take the slightest opportunity to fight with all your might, there will not even be any evidence of existence." ”

"I don't expect you inhabitants to understand this cruelty, but—" Muhammad continued, though more mature than Muna, but apparently still a steppe man with a natural sense of discrimination and prejudice against the sedentary peoples of the civilized world, but Henry's interruption made all the steppe people present stunned.

"Aeda Amir, Mahamsidun Ihashir. As he said this, Mira and Lena, who could not understand Sumu, looked puzzled, while everyone, including the four old Absgunti hunters, became serious.

"You...... Who is it?" and although she still could not understand the words, Mira could notice that Muhammad's expression had become more serious than before, his tone had become very cautious, and his movements were no longer as relaxed and proud as before, but rather restrained.

"Amir is an interesting person, and it's a shame that I didn't get to see him really unify the steppe. Henry smiled and continued: "I remember that he liked to listen to the soft singing of the Isim, and to drink mare's milk wine in the evening, watching the endless steppes under the sunset, and talking about himself walking from one end of the coast to the other. ”

At such times Sopha would stand quietly beside him, not saying anything, just like that, and if Amir's mare's milk wine was finished, she would add some to him, and the two of them would remain together until the sky was completely covered with stars. A look of nostalgia appeared on the sage's face, and all the steppe people fell into a stupor at his words—these things could not be known by just one person.

"I remember their daughter, who also had short hair and was full of energy, always running around on the grass. Amir said that the steppe was too big, and he might not be able to conquer it in his whole life, but if he could, he would do his best, just to see a unified steppe, just to impress those Lamanites and leave a small hope for the steppe people. Henry turned his head to look at the noble lady of the steppe who was still being held hostage by Mira, and at some point the brown-skinned stubborn princess had two lines of tears in the corners of her eyes.

That's why he named his daughter Muna. Henry said this, and his words were in Lamani so that Mila could understand them, and Muna cried out with a "wow-" cry, so frightened that the white-haired Roan girl immediately took the scimitar in her hand aside so as not to hurt her.

"What the hell ......are you," Muhammad asked, rubbing the corners of his eyes, then looking over at this side, in a tone that no longer contained any discrimination.

"My steppe name is Nadim, Wahid Nadim. Henry turned his head to them and said this, while Muna, who had stopped crying and raised her face behind her, whispered the meaning of the name: "My only best friend......"

"Really...... You are ......" Muhammad bowed his head, and Muna, who had inherited the title of daughter of the steppes as the only true king, wiped away her tears and stood up again.

"Well, the nostalgia ends here, so you can lead the team out of the clan without permission, and you can't go back. Henry said to Muhammad and the eleven other steppe warriors: "Even if Muna and the hunters of Absgunti were able to save their lives because of their status and value, you warriors, from the moment you left without permission, would have been doomed to be executed even if you returned." ”

"Muhammad?" as soon as Henry's words fell, Muna, who had wiped away her tears, asked the warrior leader with wide eyes, the incredulity in her voice was obvious, and Muhammad nodded when he saw that he couldn't hide it, and admitted this fact: "Our lives have been used by the young lady, and no one will complain about this sacrifice." ”

He said this, and the other eleven nodded.

"How so...... I ......" Muna clenched her fists, then let go again, gritting her teeth to say something but unable to say a word.

"Even if you succeed in capturing Her Royal Highness the Roans, what Ebenny told you to be able to summon the exiled Roans of the steppe to help them is a complete lie, I don't know how he told you, but Lena she-" Henry pointed to the skinny Princess Roan, who was hiding behind Mira, and continued, "We rescued the Red-billed Sparrow from us, and if he really had the ability, Albenny would have done it a long time ago." ”

"Tsk—that damn scavenging hyena!" Muna cursed in what seemed to be her characteristic animal, while Muhammad and the others in front of them let out a long sigh, feeling helpless that they had been taken advantage of by Ebenny.

"Now, the clan can't go back......" "Why do you say that, Miss, if you're alone-" "Without your support, I'm nothing, Miss, just a little girl who no one cares about!" Seeing that the quarrel began to fill the woods, Henry clapped his hands and made a loud noise to attract everyone's attention.

"If you return to the south with a lot of suffering, why don't you go in the opposite direction?"

"I have a proposal. He said this with a calm smile on his face. (To be continued.) )