Blood tax

Chapter 234 One Light
July 1444, 7, at nine o'clock in the morning.The funeral of the Qiming Town militia martyrs killed in the battle against Bessalius was held at the Qiming Town Martyrs Cemetery.

This is a relatively high gentle slope, white stone monuments stand one after another in the green grass.The lawns are perfectly manicured and the fresh smell of grass leaves is calming.The poplars and maples rustled in the distance.

On the gentle slope surrounded by green grass and shade, names are engraved on the marble walls.

The top of the stone wall is engraved with the words "Tomb of Qiming Heroes and Martyrs".The martyrs who died in the construction and defense of Qiming Town are buried here.

The banner of the fist and the morning star was lowered in half, and Roland got off his horse far away, and walked slowly to the tomb of heroes and martyrs surrounded by green grass.The soldiers paid tribute to him and asked him to officiate at the funeral.The 22 artillerymen who died in the battle with Bessarius and the two civilian husbands who died in transportation accidents on the way will be buried here.

Griffith and everyone came to today's funeral. If it weren't for these brave fighters, he would be buried in the ground.A plainly dressed but dignified officer stood up and recited the hero's name and deeds aloud.Most of the soldiers who died in the battle were sacrificed by Bessarius' magical counterattack, and many of them never recovered their remains.

Sonia felt her throat was so dry that she couldn't speak.She didn't know any of the soldiers and civilian husbands who died, but she felt a deep sadness and sadness, as if someone had tightened her throat.

Residents of the town gathered in the hundreds, mourning in low voices.There is no mournful music and no chant and prayers of priests and priests.The bugle player blew the sound of the trumpet like weeping, and as the sound of the trumpet sounded, the mourning crowd fell silent.

Roland's phalanx sent out a squadron, dressed in clean starched gray uniforms.They came with a solemn and slow goose step, carrying their spears and muskets.As the sound of the trumpet stopped, the soldiers slowly started following the drumbeat.

The pikemen were divided into two rows on the left and right, and they raised their gleaming long spears to stagger above, while the other two raised their matchlock guns and lined up in a horizontal line.

The army drum was beating slowly, and 24 horses were pulling [-] black carriages slowly passing through the forest of guns. Two simple coffins were placed on each carriage.In the solemn and slow beating of the drums, the hooves of the horses beat the stone road.Sorrowful but full of respect, admiration and emotion surged in people's hearts.There is nothing more mournful and mournful than all these, and the solemn atmosphere is almost suffocating.

As the coffin was slowly lowered into the grave, an officer shouted:
"Raise the gun and let it go!"

The arquebus soldiers lined up raised their guns and fired into the air at the same time. Intensive gunfire and white smoke lingered above the grass.Griffith took off his helmet and Lana drew his sword, saluting the buried soldier.

There was silence all around, and in the silence, the bugler slowly blew the lights-out horn, and as the 24 syllables were played slowly, all the girls present began to cry.

The ceremony was brief, the coffin began to be covered with soil, and the soldiers present filed away.Roland stood aside with a solemn face, staring at his soldiers, and sighed softly.

"Is the war dead a good friend of Knight Roland?" Fiona asked, wiping her tears.

"No, they are all ordinary militiamen and sergeants." Lana said in a low voice.

"Ah, why?" Fiona asked almost subconsciously.Such a solemn ceremony, attended by the lord and his noble guests, how could it not be a noble person or friend?

Griffith glanced at her, but quickly saw that no explanation was necessary.Because the romantic knight in the story became a bald uncle, he was disillusioned and sulked all the time. Fiona, who had been mocking Roland since the meeting, stopped talking.

After the victory in the battle of Verona, she left in a hurry with everyone.She was sure that the family and the government would properly handle these soldiers, pay bonuses as agreed, restrain the war dead, and take care of their families.

At this moment, she bit her lip and said nothing.

……

"Bessarius used to be an upright and wise elf purifier. But he was already occupied by other beings at the beginning of the spread of the mutated pollution, and his consciousness has long since died. What you encountered and fought underground was the An existence that sleeps underground.

"When you first came to the swamp, you saw the distorted breath. The mutated beasts came from ancient mysterious creatures underground. After you went to the ruins, I found a clue from the remains of the mutated creatures, and tried to find you in the ruins. But , when I arrived, the entrance had caved in.

"I judged that the target of the darkness is not you but me. I immediately asked Nephis for help, and after receiving powerful divination assistance, I arranged an ambush to meet you."

Knight Roland explained what he knew to the investigation team that had returned to Qiming Town.He looked out of the window, and on the table at hand were Bessarius' war blade, dice, and the remaining Beyonder characteristics.

Everyone looked at him silently, and suddenly, Galadia stood up: "Knight Roland, didn't my people send someone to meet him? Where's my cousin?"

"She came here, but she quarreled with me and went back," Roland shrugged. "However, even without her and I, there will be more powerful people to support you."

Sonia asked: "What is the Lord of the Underground Dreamland? An evil god?"

"Hey, little girl, it's better not to know. Curiosity is the easiest to touch the tentacles of evil, and the evil plots are endless, so how can you know?" Roland said, "This is a common thing. In the past In the past ten years or so, this has been a common occurrence.”

The leader of Qiming Town stood up and opened the door for everyone:

"Will the repeated adventures of one brave man after another brave man succeed in purging evil?
"How is the story of each hero different? Mystery persists, and the soil that breeds evil has ever changed? I'm tired of killing them one by one.

"Come on, young friends, let me show you around."

Everyone followed Roland through the grove.In the chrysanthemum dusk, the distant river is brightly lit, like a galaxy falling on the ground.From time to time, the tall chimneys spew out a beam of sparks towards the gradually falling dark sky, like fireworks in a festival.There was the hoarse, monotonous roar of steam, the howling of great buckets and levers, and the intermittent screeching of capstans.

There was a loud clanging sound and the creak of sawing wood.

At dusk, a giant beast is waking up. Its huge body crawls between the hills and the river, breathing out clouds and mist with its steel lungs.

Surprise and admiration flashed in Griffith's eyes. He turned his head and found that everyone was overwhelmed by the sight he had never seen before, silently staring at this terrifying beast made of metal, wood, coal, masonry and strange components. composed of monsters.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Roland smiled, "This is,

"my choice."

"This is your power to fight against evil, isn't it?" Sonia said admiringly, "Thank you for your generosity, we will strictly keep all of this a secret."

"Strictly keep secrets? No, little girl, there is no need," Roland said with a smile, "I have spread the secret, and soon, the whole world will be subdued and infiltrated by this power, and then irreversibly intoxicated by it. Civilization will eventually will benefit from it.”

Under everyone's gaze, Roland turned around:
"This is me, Roland's way of the brave.

"After all, I am only a human body. When my friends and comrades leave me, time has passed, and sooner or later I will be unable to do anything to the demon king who can never finish killing.
"However, my true inheritance will put down armor and banners, leave the glorious temple, and go to the world in common clothes.

"Look, gentlemen,

"At that time, the world will be our temple, and the temple will become a cage for the descendants of the demon king's disciples."

……

According to the townspeople, the strange mutant smell of the Turan Swamp is dissipating.Like frightened animals, they quietly hid in the deep underground.

To celebrate the victory of the battle, the town will hold a party for the militiamen who participated in the battle.Everyone must mourn for the soldiers who died, but the living must muster courage and find happiness again.

The three girls from Homemonwarts were determined to dedicate a song to everyone.Although there is no suitable jewelry to dress up here, they have changed into long white dresses and garlands so that everyone in Qimin Town can't take their eyes off.

Griffith sat with Roland.The knight looked at the girls on stage, and commented softly: "Not bad, but it's better to wear a plaid skirt."

"Plaid skirt?" Griffith asked in surprise.

Roland went on to say: "Yes, a short skirt that is at least ten centimeters above the knee. The color should be bright, and it would be better to match it with a white shirt and a checked tie of the same color."

Tsk, you bastard!Griffith exclaimed inwardly.How can I make Galadia stand on stage in such a short skirt, unless I am the only one in the audience!

Roland then made some weird comments, such as everyone's hairstyle is different, the idioms are different, the aura and personality are different, as if he understands it very well.He babbled on and on and sounded very critical, but his eyes sparkled and you could tell he was very happy.Griffith pressed his head, An An didn't know how to proceed.

That's when the girls started.Fiona stood up first and said to the audience: "We dedicate this song - "One Light" to Roland Knight and the heroes of Qimin Town."

Roland nodded calmly in the audience, and muttered a few comments saying that the title of the song is good or something.However, when the singing sounded, he suddenly lost his words.

"The soul that met you is unique,

"It was never a mistake,
"Because we all have the same dream,

"Contemplating our divergent paths,
"Lift again the longing that was abandoned,

"Advance in the wilderness!"

This was supposed to be a new song reserved for the Frost Festival in Hormonwarts.Fiona, who has always played the alto, seems to have switched her personality. She is no longer a countess, but a warrior trekking on an adventure.Her singing voice is moving and powerful, overpowering Galadia's treble, releasing unruly wildness.

"That smile is good, that tear is good,

"Exalt the holy,
"The nameless me and your banner,
"Beyond this road that continues without end in sight,
"That one ray of light!
"Already shining in thousands of hearts.

"Looking up at the sky, believing
"The morning star twinkling high in the east—"

This song seems to be written for Roland.Griffith lost his mind, he seemed to see the figure of Roland in the past, resonating with his ideal.

"You sigh softly.

"A closed night is like not being tempted,
"Even if my chest hurts so much, I still want to move forward—"

The singing voices of the girls are sometimes high-pitched, sometimes beautiful and melodious, penetrating the soul and intoxicating everyone.

When Griffith looked at the speechless Roland, he found that his expression was first bursts of shock, mixed with dream-like daze, and then almost crazy ecstasy and emotion, and even wanted to kneel down.

He looked up at the endless starry sky beyond, with an extremely satisfied smile.

Tears pierced the eyes of the middle-aged knight.Roland, who had been muttering about it just now, covered his face, and wept uncontrollably beside Griffith:
"Return my K regiment."

……

The atmosphere of the party reached its climax in the singing.Even the soldiers standing guard in the distance were deeply attracted and couldn't look away for a moment.

They stood there blankly with muskets and long guns on their backs.It wasn't until the end of the song that they realized that a girl wrapped in a burqa appeared beside them.

Her whole body was covered by a light blue robe, and under the hood, only her soft blond hair, delicate corners of her mouth and small bridge of nose were exposed.Just because of this, the soldiers on guard also decided that there must be a beautiful girl under the burqa.

The girl appeared next to them at some point, and one step ahead was the venue of the party.Although residents are not prohibited from watching, they need to verify their identities before that.

"Stop," said a soldier, "please show your identification."

His attitude is very gentle, after all, what danger can a lovely girl be in?

"I'm just here to take a look from afar, okay?" the girl asked in a sweet voice.

The soldiers immediately felt guilty for no reason, feeling extremely ashamed and terrified that they hindered her.They backed away in panic, not daring to give her any more trouble.

She just looked forward from afar, not paying attention to the beautiful singing and beautiful girls on the stage, but searching among the crowd in the audience.Finally, she was delighted to see a familiar figure, stood on tiptoe excitedly, and stretched out her hand subconsciously.

"clang--!"

There was a metal crash from behind her, like a thunderbolt knocking on the heart, directly hitting the soul.The ice-blue blade was sharp enough to burn the eyes, and the lightning-like light flashed in the darkness, and then hid in the scabbard.

The girl turned around as if she had been electrocuted, and stared at the shadows in the alley behind her.

"who are you?"

The sword-bearer heard her question and emerged from the darkness.His imposing manner is extraordinary, his charm is irresistible but full of arrogance and cruelty: "Sidious Villanoy, Sequence 5 Keeper and Star Knight.

"Go to death as soon as possible, little girl. If you stay in the world again, you can't even ask for death."

　This volume is over, double update tomorrow

　　
　
(End of this chapter)