There was a faint smell of spices in the air, and if you carefully distinguish it, you could distinguish the smell of paint, and the neatness of the entire space without a trace of dust made it easy to imagine that this battleship should be a newly built battleship not long after it was outfitted, in stark contrast to the small and smelly cabin of the Endeavour, which was also a newly-built ship.

Normally, Minerva would carefully observe and record every detail of the ship, and although every comparison to Charlemagne's ship would frustrate her, she would still be relentless in collecting every detail of her potential opponents.

At this moment, Minerva just hugged her legs tightly and buried her face deep in her knees.

Foil stamping wallpaper, alabaster carvings, ivory stationery, high-end furniture - adhering to the elves' consistent pursuit of the nouveau riche mentality, the Emperor's officer cabin is also extremely luxurious, full of baroque staff cabins for those school officers and staff officers, even for Charlemagne's noble generals are too luxurious. But no amount of comfort could change the fact that the room was serving as a prison, with the gilded clock making a dull and monotonous sound, and the heartbeat and breathing ringing on the eardrum to the beat of the clock.

No one could connect the decadent girl who looked like a living corpse in front of her with the resolute princess who was full of initiative, but since she had lunch with Li Lin, she had remained like this, and desperate questions were constantly churning in her shocked head.

What exactly is Li Lin? What are we human beings to the Mother Goddess, and where should we go from here?

The three issues are interrelated, and from a certain point of view, they are actually one problem -- Li Lin.

At first, Minerva, like everyone else, thought of him as a mercenary mercenary, a merchant of death who counted money with his blood-stained hands. He didn't crave war because it would help Charlemagne get better or worse. He didn't care about that, nor did he care about the lives and deaths of the civilians caught up in the war, whether it was humans or orcs, Charlemagne or Albians who died in the war - he only cared about the profits of war, and he kept writing a grand script full of blood and flames, and then putting it into practice. It is not an exaggeration to call him the source of the distortion of the world.

However, the moment when Roland revealed that Li Lin was the agent of divine will. Linking his words and actions, Minerva felt nothing but chill and fear that penetrated her bones.

What's going on with that apathy?

Analysing affairs from an absolutely rational and sober point of view, choosing the most correct means to carry them out, and maintaining an almost cold calmness at all times - at first glance it may seem that good politicians have this quality, and Queen Richelieu and Queen Elisabeth have implemented this very well. As for not treating people as human beings, Minerva's royal brothers are probably not inferior to Li Lin in this regard, and those two are so paranoid about their own values that they regard everything except themselves as a single object. This also includes blood relatives. In terms of Li Lin's position overlooking everything, it seems to be even more natural to regard all living beings as objects.

Li Lin's words and deeds make people feel that everything is possible in him, and there is nothing he can't do, in fact, it is true, but there is only no enthusiasm in this seemingly omnipotent divine will agent.

Richelieu, Elisabeth, the Dauphin, the Second Prince—almost all the people in power can kill and betray without changing their faces, and they will not feel guilty or conscience for it. However, after all, they act with a certain goal and a certain hope, and the legitimacy of their ends and means is questionable, but their feelings can be understood. There are enemies you want to hit. There are opponents to vent their hatred and goals to pursue. Talent will have a sense of fulfillment. Only when chasing those things can you forget despair. But what about Li Lin? What did he believe? What did he chase? Did the man who described his group and the future of the world speak in a tone like a scholar observing insects?

A fierce chill hit his body, and his body shrank even more. The pair of red eyes with an inhuman aura swept through his mind, not a metaphor, and it was definitely not a human being who was talking to him. What was he? Where were those red eyes, which were devoured by despair and hope, born? Thoughts eroded by fear cast out even more terrifying questions. Minerva felt goosebumps all over her body, and her fists clenched hard.

The sound of the hatch unlocking mixed in the suffocating space, and the reflexive gaze turned to the open doorway, and when the question of "is it the interrogator or some other trick" appeared in the idling head, a face that was not too unfamiliar appeared in front of him. Facing Caspar's tense expression. Not knowing what to do, the girl buried her face back in her safe lap.

It's not yet meal time, and the person in charge of the inquiry is not wearing a black uniform, nor is it an orc. What is this man doing here?

The question flashed, and was quickly filtered out by the empty head, and just as the mind was about to take off again, a gloomy voice and the sound of the hatch closing entered the ear.

"It's ridiculous......"

Cold anger evaporated into the air, and Minerva, who was sure that the other party was not here for business, clenched her fist that was about to tremble, and continued in a voice like a self-muttering voice.

“...... It's unbelievable that such a decadent woman is actually the princess of a country. You'll think that guy is fascinated by women...... Am I thinking something is wrong? I knew that guy couldn't have been a good soldier. ”

"Excellent...... Soldiers?"

Glancing at the girl who was still curled up, Caspar took off his military cap, scratched his hair a few times, and when he put it back on, his eyes under the brim were no longer confused and anxious.

"Yes, the duty of a soldier is obedience, and all his skills and strength are used to dedicate himself to the country and the organization. Once an order is given, whether it is against feelings or unethical, we will carry it out to the letter. The army is such a violent machine, and a guy who can't do this, no matter how good he is, can't be called a good soldier. ”

After a pause, Caspar spoke:

"Just like Roland. ”

From the first sight of Roland, Caspar saw the boy with the determined eye as his biggest rival. Later in Alfheim, Caspar set Roland as a goal he had to surpass.

It's better to say it's to get attention. Whether it's a child's stubborn temper, or just an inexplicable relationship with him, in short, Caspar just doesn't want to lose to Roland. In order to achieve this, he silently sweated and finally reaped the rewards after going through hardships. Became a glorious second lieutenant of the Pro-Guards and could often appear in front of the consuls. Take on important tasks. In the eyes of others, Caspar's future is bright, and even if he can't enter the General Staff in the future, he can still fight for his own world. But only Caspar himself knew that this was not satisfying, because none of this could be proof that he had surpassed Roland.

He was not discouraged, because he knew that one day he would meet Roland on the battlefield.

"He's a very simple man, a good old man. ”

This kind of personality is actually not a problem. But there is no room for good people in the political world, and Roland's special status, his political leanings, and his values are all the more doomed to a conflict between him and the consuls - Caspar is well aware of this, and has been working hard to prove that he is superior to Roland at that moment.

As he expected, Roland finally took a rebellious action, and the stage for a showdown with Roland came as he wished.

Everything went as expected, and there was nothing wrong with saying that it was going well.

Can...... Why?

Prepare yourself mentally early tomorrow.

Removing his gloves and staring at the palm of his left hand, the seemingly smooth and tender fingers still have some traces of a slight callus.

I've long been used to killing.

Why really face Roland. Can't get started?

- Why didn't you notice it?

What flashed through Caspar's mind was Nidhogg's accusation against himself.

Roland dodged among the floating rocks. The location of the reflex unit and the maneuvering radar was captured, the maneuvering loop of the reflex unit was successfully intruded, and the main reconnaissance force of the fleet was disrupted. From the beginning of the fight, Roland had already been aware of the presence of the mobile radar, and the subsequent scuffle was to confirm its location. If you had been slightly suspicious of Roland's actions at that time, and recorded and analyzed his movements. It may be possible to take steps in advance to prevent a series of mistakes that follow.

――Have you checked yet?

No.

Caspar had never thought of such a thing.

Find out the mobile radars hiding in different positions, lock the location of the reflection unit, plan the path of the counterattack, demonstrate its feasibility, and choose the right time. Adjust the induced wavelength of brain quantum waves...... Even in peacetime, the above work is a huge undertaking that requires considerable time and energy to complete, let alone a single person in a battle that cannot be fought.

Roland broke through the barriers of common sense, planned beautifully and completed the counterattack.

If Caspar realizes this-

"It's your gaffe. ”

In memory, Nidhogg summed it up in a cold tone.

In the pro-guard team surrounded by the halo of glory, "gaffes" are often closely linked to "dismissal" and "expulsion", and the incompetent and the brand of the lost dog will accompany them for the rest of their lives.

Is it because of naivety, or is it because of weakness? Or is it just that you are not mature enough, and you are not far from being an excellent and qualified soldier?

That's impossible.

This will not be tolerated.

(I am...... Excellent soldier, better than anyone, better than Roland......!!)

The dark voice churned in the corner of his mind, Caspar took a deep breath, the emotions that were about to attack were suppressed, and his cold eyes looked at the motionless girl again.

"Then again......"

Caspar leaned in his waist and looked down at Minerva and said:

"Wait for that good old man to see the woman he loves...... What kind of expression will you show?"

Caspar tugged at his tie, a twisted smile on his face, and snow-white canine teeth peeking out between his lips.

＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃

An eerie silence pervades the detention cell, and sound-absorbing materials and anti-self-harm cushions not only isolate the outside world, but also seem to drain the room out. The vacuum-like room suddenly sounded the sound of locking and unlocking, and the airtight door lined with cushions slid open, and a familiar figure appeared in the doorway.

"Legal ......"

"You look good. ”

Valrhona raised her arms to stop Roland from talking, turned and glanced behind her, and the corner of the black uniform flashed around the corner at the end of the passage.

"If you want to hear it. It's okay to come and listen to it openly, but the Black Dragons who are keen on being moles and voyeurs still like to use eavesdropping, right?"

There was silence for a moment, and with a smack of the lips, the hostility that even the detention cell could feel slowly disappeared.

"Cut. It's also a dragon clan anyway, and after becoming the captain of the pro-guard, he has a urine sex with a dog. ”

"That. Her Royal Highness Valrhona ......"

"Drop 'Your Highness, I'm just a prisoner eating on this boat, and you're still calling'Your Highness or something, is you trying to make fun of me?'

Valrhona put on a wry smile and winked at the stunned Roland.

"Your adoptive father is still somewhat concerned about the covenant with the dragons, and I still have a little freedom of movement on this boat. ”

"Really......"

Following the low voice, Roland sat back on the mattress.

It's to be expected, but now, it doesn't matter.

"The technology of the elven camp is really speechless, and traveling on a human ship used to be like a nightmare. Not to mention the vomit, the ship is still full of pickled food. At least the desserts on this ship are not bad, and the chef's craftsmanship is also good, but the variety is a little monotonous. ”

The corners of Roland's mouth curled. As the flagship of the National Defense Force, the food of the Emperor will not be lost even if it is brought to the table of a high-end hotel. Considering that the Pro-Guard might ride with the Archon, and considering the Captain's near-insane penchant for sweets, the size of the storage vault and the configuration of professional chefs have been raised to a higher level. That's not too many desserts...... Are dragons all aliens who have nothing to do with diabetes?

"Do you have a favorite dessert?"

Roland asked, and Valrhona blinked. From time to time, the thoughtful face flashed the difficulty of making a choice.

"Is it called ...... 'Buffy or' the kind of ice fruit of the chocolate sundae? ”

The first time he heard her utter such a green tone, Roland leaned out at once and said:

"I know of a good ice cream shop. On Unter den den Linden in Alfheim......"

The voice suddenly lowered, and the expression of anticipation that had been shown a moment ago dimmed again, and the boy put his hands back on his knees.

- Everything is meaningless, give up.

The echo of emptiness sounded in the tired body and mind again, and after leaving the restaurant, this murmur kept echoing in the bottom of my heart.

"And that guy...... Li Lin has talked, right?"

Feel the other person sitting down next to you. A gentle voice and a sweet aroma came.

"Ah...... Oh, yes. ”

"He's right. ”

There is no doubt that it is in the affirmative form, and anyone else would say the same.

No one can be more correct than Li Lin, he is always right, and he can always find something aphoristic to prove his correctness. And in the end, every time the facts will prove him right.

Such Li Lin told Roland what he hoped for a mutual understanding would eventually lead to - even if there was a slight possibility, humanity would not change, and the possibility would be an abominable chaos in the eyes of the beneficiaries of the rules who were obsessed with immediate interests, and the resulting contradictions and conflicts would accumulate until one or all of them fell, and would eventually lead to a total war, a bloody slaughter that would not end until one or all of them fell.

This is just a hypothesis, but if you think about it, you will understand that it is an inevitability that cannot be refuted.

What intelligent beings, including humans, have learned from history is that they have learned nothing. In order to maintain the status quo, to bury the possibility of coexistence with elves for the sake of many lives - this is probably the most appropriate and realistic response in the eyes of humans and orcs, and no one will dispute this. Acknowledging the elves and involving them in the making of the rules of the world - no one can tolerate it, no one dares to imagine.

"It's like that every time, every time I want to do something, it backfires. No matter how hard I struggled......"

Challenging reality, but being overwhelmed by reality again and again, and finally trapped in the cage of reality and unable to move. Even the accusations pale in the face of the fact that elves, humans, orcs, those who want to change the world, those who want to maintain order, those who are as detached as Li Lin, who are only hypothetical, who speak of only possibilities, and who no one can affirm the "future that should be", all of them have the same distrust and choose the option they think is the most appropriate. Roland can't blame these actions to protect the world, everyone has their own position, everyone has everyone's justice, he doesn't feel that he is qualified to deny the idea that he is different from himself, let alone the fact that "Li Lin's strategy is most likely to eradicate strife under the current conditions".

Because it is not the "right" side, can it only end up like this? Everything in the world can only circulate under a system of closed possibilities, and everything else will only end up tragically? If this is the only truth and truth, it would be too sad?

"Reality is always cruel. ”

The gentle arms wrapped around the young man, and his fingers clumsily and gently stroked the chestnut-colored hair, and the feeling of peace of mind was transmitted to the young man's heart along with the other party's body temperature.

"In the past, when I was still in the dragon clan, I always thought that as long as it was carried out according to the principles and rules, there would be no strife in the world, and I didn't even understand this at all, and the intelligent species that fought and plundered each other were no different from wild beasts. ”

There was no tension in the words, and there was no distance from the usual conversations, and a warmth welled up in the frustrated heart.

"Later, I took on the task of observing the intelligent society, and for 120 years, I traveled around the world and came into contact with different people and things. Slowly, I learned that words alone can't change or save, and that being right doesn't necessarily mean that things go smoothly. There are some things that you will not understand if you don't try your best to collide, if you don't understand the pain of losing and the heaviness of carrying things. ”

The whisper in her ear overlapped with Li Lin's back, and I am afraid that Valrhona also thought that everything Li Lin said was indeed reasonable, and in the face of the world and people who did not want to change, only strong measures could achieve results.

Just as Roland was chewing on the bitterness, the murmur of "Maybe that's right" came to his ears.

It was a secret whisper that deliberately lowered his voice, the sweet smell of sweat teased his nose, and his cheeks came with a plump and soft touch.

"But the world is not achieved overnight, let alone achieved in self-style, and it is precisely because there is compassion that allows 'immaturity and' naivety in addition to the cruel reality that the world has come to this point step by step. So—"

As Valrhona said, maybe life can't completely wash away innocence and naivety, and all kinds of ideals always exist at such a distance from reality, but even so-

The world is not a product of overnight creation, but an existence that can be gradually realized through the connection between life and the accumulation of efforts. What can sustain such an existence must not be the "absolute rightness" that refuses to believe and closes the possibility.

"Believe in your choice and go on with dignity. The opportunity will come soon, so don't hesitate to hop on your 'unicorn'. ”

The whisper in his ear was gentle but contained the determination to make up his mind, and before Roland could answer, his cherry lips fell on his forehead. (To be continued......)