Gou is a dark elf in Warhammer

Soon, the group arrived at the door of the throne room. When the heavy door of the throne room slowly opened with a low roar, Daqius still nodded to the melancholy prince sitting on the throne as he did yesterday.

Malekith's joining did not affect the group's continued walking in the Black Tower, but the formation of the team subtly changed. He walked side by side with Dacus at the front, while Hirsis and Dacus's lieutenants kept a perfect distance, hanging behind, ready to be called at any time without affecting the conversation between the two.

"Do you remember your father's birthday?" After walking for a while, Dacus suddenly spoke.

Malekith paused, his iron boots rubbing against the floor tiles making a frightening sound. He tilted his head slightly, and the flames on his metal mask flickered quietly. He did not answer immediately, but looked at Daquus with deep eyes, trying to discern the true intention behind his words.

After a moment, he asked slowly, his voice low and with a hint of caution.

"What do you want to do again?"

He knew Dacus too well, and he knew that he had no good intentions in asking this question. Dacus never spoke without a purpose, and behind every topic he raised, there was usually some far-reaching plan.

"What do you mean again? I just want to set up a festival? Preferably at the end of the year?"

Daxus raised his eyebrows and raised the corners of his mouth slightly. He was well aware of Malekith's doubts. He spoke in a brisk tone, seemingly casual, but with a hint of deliberate guidance.

There was no way, Aenarion's birthday had always been a mystery. Malekith had never mentioned it, and Dacuus had never asked Morathi for confirmation. Now there was no chance to ask Morathi, even if he wanted to summon her.

Caledor in the Maelstrom?

Why bother?

The Asur have a festival called the Festival of Light. At dawn on this day, each Asur will repeat the Song of the Creator five times to pay respect to Aenarion and commemorate his sacrifice. Afterwards, they will eat by the bonfire, light candles and pray, with bells ringing, incense burning, dancing and chanting, creating a peaceful atmosphere of midsummer celebration.

The problem is that the Festival of Light is held on Midsummer Day, around the end of June, and this day is full of warmth, hope and praise. But the festival is not entirely centered around Aenarion, and the commemoration of Aenarion is only an important part of it.

What Dacus wanted was a commemoration day that was in line with the Duruchi temperament and had stronger symbolic significance.

How do you live?
It was simple. There was nothing to do on this day. No parades, no cheers, nothing. It was the coldest time in Naggaroth. Just stay at home, enjoy the holiday, and thank Aenarion for everything.

At the same time, this festival does not conflict with the Festival of Light. After Druki moves back to Ulthuan, Midsummer Day should be celebrated, as should his birthday.

Elves don't have the concept of birthdays. Time is irrelevant to them. The passing of time will not leave any traces on them as immortals. But festivals are different. Festivals carry meanings. They will be engraved in the long river of history and become part of culture.

"October 12th?"

Malekith was silent for a long time, as if he was thinking, recalling, and weighing. After a long time, he finally sighed and spoke slowly in an uncertain tone.

Daxus's expression suddenly became a little subtle, and he suspected for a moment that he had heard it wrong.

"?"

He stared at Malekith with a hint of surprise and complex inquiry in his eyes. He was certainly not naive enough to think that Malekith really remembered Aenarion's birthday. There was no doubt that Malekith had made up this date according to his own needs.

The issue is……

December 12rd?
It's too rough!

No matter how he looked at it, this date reminded him of a popular festival in a certain world in his previous life. Although that festival did not exist in this world, judging from the numbers alone, this time point was too exciting for him to imagine.

Was this a coincidence of fate? Or did Malekith just say something and hit the right spot?
No, neither.

Learn about the sun god, Mithra.

The belief in Mithras can be traced back to the Indo-European peoples around 2000 BC. In stone tablets dating back to the 14th century BC, Mithras was mentioned together with the god of the universe, and he symbolized contract and justice.

After spreading and evolving, Mithra became the god of light and justice in Zoroastrianism, responsible for judgment and protection. With the migration of the Aryans, the worship of Mithra spread to the Persian Empire and became part of the state religion in the Achaemenid Dynasty, closely tied to the royal power. During the Hellenistic period, the belief in Mithra merged with the culture of Asia Minor and gradually acquired the attributes of a sun god.

December 12 was originally the end of the Roman winter solstice festival, symbolizing the rebirth of the sun and the lengthening of the day. Pagan religions such as Persian Mithraism and the Syrian sun god Surya also celebrated the birthday of their gods on this day.

Aurelian, who was born in the military, was a devout believer in Mithraism. He brought back a huge statue of the sun god from Palmyra, now Syria. He placed the statue in Rome and built a new temple to the sun god. The "unconquered and victorious sun god" was officially declared the official religion of Rome.

In 274 AD, the day was officially designated as the birthday of the sun god. This move was intended to strengthen the cohesion of the empire by unifying the sun worship, use the universality of the sun god to counter the Shouyoudong sect, and consolidate the legitimacy of the divine right of the emperor.

Not long after, Aurelian was assassinated, and then... those who understand will understand. Otherwise, according to some scholars, the sun god will burst into brilliance and swallow everything.

On the other hand, the Aryans migrated and brought the early Mithraic beliefs to South Asia. The etymology of Mithra is Mithra, and those who understand Mithra will understand.

"Asuryan's birthday is January 1th. (Made up, just a joke.)" Daxus nodded first, then counted on his fingers while muttering.

After hearing the date, Malekith nodded without asking. He already knew what Dacreus was going to do. Dacreus was going to connect his father's birthday with Asuryan's birthday to form a complete winter festival cycle.

This is not just about creating a festival, but also about weaving a new cultural identity, binding the past and the future, his father and Asuryan together in the name of the festival. The timing is just right, his father at the end of the year and Asuryan next year.

"In winter, we should enjoy... our vacation? Yes, vacation."

Dacus originally wanted to say that he should reunite with his family, but when the words came to his lips, he adjusted his wording in time.

This sentence is not suitable to be said in front of Malekith. Malekith's family no longer exists, and he has no children. He only has a bunch of distant relatives with whom he has a bad relationship. Reunion is just an unattainable luxury for him.

"Three weeks? Twenty-four days of vacation? Keep some holidays, but cancel the holidays!" He looked at Malekith thoughtfully and tentatively put forward a preliminary idea.

After thinking for a moment, Malekith nodded again, approving of Daquus's new plan.

Despite the harsh environment of Naggaroth and the ruthless operation of the Duruchi society, festivals are never absent. The Duruchi people have their own celebrations, the annual Twilight Tide, Midnight of Death, and other large and small festivals. But unlike the festivals of Asur that are full of ritual and peaceful atmosphere, Duruchi festivals are often accompanied by killing, revelry, blood and fire, and ominous...

An incident occurred during the Night of Joy and Pain in the year 2452 of the Imperial Calendar. When the celebration of Asati reached its climax, Malekith was still meditating on the throne. The desire for revenge had long since consumed his desire for pleasure. Of course, he did not have the conditions to do so. He could neither eat nor drink, nor work.

However, as time went by, the Witch King realized that something was wrong. The screams on the street became more desperate, and the laughter became dark and full of sadistic pleasure. He observed and soon he saw a keeper with a broken horn. He immediately recognized who this keeper was - Nakali!

This was his third encounter with Nakali. The first was in the year 2300 of the Imperial Calendar, when he was controlling Nakali. The second was after he escaped into the Chaos Realm during the Battle of Finuwa Plains. The broken horn was cut off when he encountered Nakali in the Chaos Realm. (This is mentioned in Chapters 120 and 257)
After the battle, Malekith stood in front of the Black Tower and announced that to celebrate the victory, the carnival ceremony in praise of Asati would continue for another day and night.

However, many festivals will not be held as scheduled for many reasons, such as the continuation of war, the bad mood of the Witch King, the shortage of resources, or even simple political or religious considerations.

Now, there is no more midnight of death...

With the advent of a new era, the festival system of Duruchi has also reached a point where it must be reintegrated. In the past, Duruchi festivals were mostly accompanied by blood, sacrifice, and carnival, and were the product of the interweaving of religion, rule, and social control. However, in Dacus's view, this model is no longer applicable to the coming new era.

His plan is very clear. While retaining some traditional festivals, he will adjust the holiday structure and integrate the originally scattered and fragmented holidays to form a coherent winter rest period.

This will not only improve the overall efficiency of social operations, but also give Druch and others a chance to take a break after a year of hard work and fighting. In his opinion, a 24-day holiday is not long at all. After all, there are 400 days in a year in this world, and there is no such thing as a GDP indicator, so there is no need to worry about the so-called economic growth problem.

In his vision, the entire society will come to a complete standstill during the winter holidays. Except for some key areas, such as hospitals and other necessary public service departments that need to remain in operation, even industrial facilities such as smelting furnaces will be completely shut down, taking this opportunity to overhaul equipment and restart production after the New Year.

In any case, these key industries are controlled by the government rather than individuals, and the core economic lifeline of Duruchi society is a sharp sword in the hands of the rulers.

As for the catering and service industries run by individuals, that is another matter. The government does not interfere with private industries. It only needs to set the overtime pay standard, so that those who are willing to work overtime to earn money can work, and those who are willing to rest can rest. In this way, it can ensure the operation of society without affecting the holiday experience of most people.

Eating, playing and shopping, the Duruchis will usher in an unprecedented new experience.

"Then it's settled."

After the discussion of the festival came to an end, Malekith and Daxus walked side by side to the lower level of the Black Tower. One of the arrangements for today was to inspect the newly built office area of ​​the Black Tower and accept the work of Hirsis.

"Do you have any other suggestions on military construction?" After entering a relatively large office, Malekith suddenly spoke, his tone casual, but his eyes were a little scrutinizing. "You know, I don't want to interfere in the military, especially the army's affairs." Dacus was leaning over and touching the surface of the long table to check the smoothness of the wood. Hearing this, he raised his head and frowned slightly. He paused, then sighed and spread his hands, "If possible, I want to get rid of the logistics work and don't want to care about it at all, but you also know..."

"In the entire Naggaroth, you are the only one with so many ideas." After hearing Daquus's statement, Malekith sneered, and the sound he made was like two pieces of metal colliding violently.

"Then... no beating, scolding, corporal punishment, or whipping of soldiers?" Dacus smiled and looked at them with a playful look. This matter was not discussed in Asheril, but perhaps it can be taken up now.

"Oh?" Malekith paused, the firework flickering slightly, as if to confirm whether he had heard it wrongly. He turned his head to look at Daquus, his eyes showing a bit of curiosity, a bit of inquiry, and a hint of hidden interest.

"This is very important. Next, we will recruit soldiers according to their personal wishes, rather than continuing with the past model of compulsory conscription." Dacus' tone became serious, his eyes swept over Malekith, and then he continued slowly, "If the military environment is too bad, no one will voluntarily join the army. Even if someone comes reluctantly, it will also plant many hidden dangers."

Malekith did not respond, but just stared at Dacus, waiting for Dacus to continue his point.

"Think about it, a father serving in the army experiences endless torture and humiliation. He endures beatings and whippings every day and is used like a slave." Dacus spread out his hands and slowly painted a realistic and cold picture. "Would he want his son to embark on the same path? Maybe some mentally twisted fathers would? But if it were me, I would definitely not!"

He raised his head slightly and looked at the high ceiling. His tone became more and more steady. "If I were that father, I would try my best to let my child go to the factory? To the navy? Or to engage in other industries? As long as I can avoid this abyss. No matter what, I will not let him set foot in the army."

He paused, raised his hands and made an open gesture, "When everything is stable, there will be visit days in the future. We will open military camps, factories and docks for visit days. Children will board ships, enter military camps, visit factories, and see how their parents and brothers work and train. They will see how soldiers live and how they train. They should see soldiers holding their heads high, being strictly disciplined, and enjoying honor and dignity, instead of being tied to pillars and whipped to pieces!"

Malekith was silent. He certainly understood what Dacus meant, and he also knew that Dacus's concerns were justified.

The tradition of the Duruchi Army is based on fear, violence, and ruthless iron rules. It is known for its ruthless and cruel training methods. New recruits will be subjected to extreme training and punishment at the beginning of their enlistment. They must temper their will in pain and blood, otherwise they cannot be considered qualified warriors.

In many military camps, the mortality rate of new recruits is horrific, as they die from torture or are eliminated in the cruel selection process. Only the strongest can survive, and only the most cruel can climb to the top.

This pattern has continued for thousands of years without changing.

But now, times have changed, and Daxus plans to change all that.

Of course, things can be simpler and more brutal. Force conscription after adulthood, stuff all suitable young people into the army first, and then assign them to other industries when there are enough soldiers, even if they are unwilling. Only one order is needed to solve the so-called recruitment problem.

But Malekith knew that Dacuus would not do that.

"Think back to what happened after we came to Naggaroth." Daxus changed the subject, his tone sharp and meaningful, hitting Malekith's sore spot.

Malekith was silent, his eyes flickering slightly. He certainly understood what Daquus meant.

Malekith could blame others for what happened during the Sundering, after all, it was his mother who was in charge, he was a hot chicken, and when he put on the midnight armor and got out of bed, it was already late. He could blame the chaos on the betrayal of others, on the rejection of Asur, or even on the weakness of those who were weak.

But when he led Druch to Naggaroth, everything was under his control, and he could no longer shift the responsibility to others.

The darkness, cruelty, and cold-bloodedness of the Duruchi society were all imprinted under his governance. When he realized the problem, he wanted to change it, but it was too late. The social structure of Naggaroth had solidified, and the faith of Cain had penetrated all levels. He tried, but ultimately failed. The pressure from the Cain sect, the powerful, and the entire Duruchi society forced him to succumb. Then he gave up, was forced to compromise, joined, and became the incarnation of Cain in the mortal world.

In the years since then, the social structure of Druk has never changed in the true sense, and it has fallen into a closed, cruel, and stagnant cycle. If it weren't for Dacus's sudden appearance, everything would continue to be the same as it had been for the past thousand years, without any change until the end.

"Think about it again. When we rule Ulthuan..." Daxus' tone became heavier, his voice steady and penetrating. "Some of the old soldiers will retire and run their farms. We need fresh blood. Where will this fresh blood come from? We..."

"Okay, you don't have to say anything." Malekith suddenly spoke up, decisively interrupting the long speech that Dacus was about to launch. The fireworks on the mask disappeared, and he took a deep breath. Then the fireworks reappeared, and his eyes were deep, casting on Dacus, "You should have shown up earlier, of course, now is a good time, isn't it? Take a look after the re-enactment."

"Yes, my Witch King." After seeing Malekith's statement, Dacreus pretended to be exaggerated and began to sing a long tune. He bowed exaggeratedly and looked at Malekith with a teasing look.

He knew in his heart that he would not interfere in the specific affairs of the army.

In the future, he might occasionally inspect the army, see the soldiers' training, and check the food, but that's all. He really doesn't plan to interfere in the army's affairs. One reason is that he has a lot of things to do. He has never been the kind of workaholic who torments himself to a state of exhaustion, getting up at five in the morning to review documents, and staying up until late at night to barely close his eyes. He will not, and does not want to, live this kind of life.

Power can indeed make people addicted and lose themselves, but for him, power has never been an end but a means.

He needs power, but not because of the desire for control, but because he needs this tool to do what he wants. This is fundamentally different from those who are obsessed with power and want to hold everything firmly in their hands.

He always knew where his anchor was: freedom, enjoyment, and a way to escape unscathed at any time.

That's why he had the idea of ​​leaving after the matter was done.

Just like what he said to Marlene and the others when he was in Chapeiuto, he would open a dental clinic in Lothern, entertain old friends, cook a few dishes, have a few drinks, go fishing, take a vacation, and travel...

He wasn't kidding, this was what he really thought.

He has always been a hedonist. He would rather stand than sit when he can sit, and would rather sit than lie down. He would never do any work that he could let others do.

When the sky falls, there is someone taller to hold it up, but there is nothing you can do, he is the taller one...

In addition to personal attitudes, there are also political considerations.

He didn't want to be a ghost lying on Malekith's back, didn't want to be the one putting pressure on him, telling Malekith he couldn't do this or that, and that this was not right and that was not right, until in the end the two of them couldn't even be friends anymore.

Moreover, his meaning was obvious. After they came to rule Ulthuan, they could not only draw troops from Nagarythe. No matter how strong Nagarythe's blood was, they could not draw troops indefinitely.

Besides, what's the point of always beating Nagarythe? What about the other elves? The elves of Ulthuan, Asheril, Athel Loren, and Lauren Loren, they are also elves. Are they only responsible for farming, eating dry food, waving flags and shouting 666? What's the point of ruling Ulthuan?

If the military environment is so bad that it discourages people, then who would be willing to join the army? Who would be willing to volunteer to be tortured? No matter how big the pie is, it will be useless.

Separate them and form them according to kingdoms and regions as before. What's the point of King of Ulthuan? If it's just to let Druki return to Nagarythe, why would he bother to go to Elsing Arwen?

Daxus knew very well that if it were him, he would not chop off his fingers or ears, because there was magic in this world, but he could run, run in the crater or in the forest.

At that time, in order to catch these deserters, would we have to send troops to search all over the world to hunt them down? To exterminate those elves who are unwilling to join the army?
That would be a real mess. We can't give Naggaroth to the greenskins and barbarians. We have to leave a way out.

In the following time, the two did not continue to talk, but continued to walk around in the black tower. Daxus was still checking the details of the office area, while Malekith stood quietly by the side without saying anything more.

They had discussed the issue of military discipline when they were in Asheril before, and they should still be strict where necessary. Dacuus didn't say anything about not allowing borrowing money, didn't Malekith say that he would let him take a look at it when the time comes?

As for the soldiers' pay and the distribution of spoils, that was the responsibility of the logistics department, which was directly under the jurisdiction of Dacus.

This line will not change, and officers and dignitaries will not have the opportunity to interfere.

This is a red line. If you touch it, you will die.

There are plenty of people who can fight, and there is never a shortage of people who want to get to the top.

Soon, after a round of inspection, it was found that there were no major problems. Hirsis had invested a lot of effort in the reconstruction of the interior of the Black Tower. He almost did it all himself and personally supervised many projects. He even wrote to Dacus to seek his opinion on some key issues.

But there are a lot of small problems. The most prominent one is the lighting problem inside the black tower. The sunlight cannot penetrate in, causing some areas to be dark and damp all year round, giving people an oppressive feeling of eternal night, which is too depressing after working for a long time.

But this is not a problem for Drucci.

As for other minor issues, such as the ventilation system, reserved pipe positions, room distribution, traffic flow planning, etc., although there is room for improvement, the merits outweigh the flaws. Overall, Hillsis's work performance is quite good.

After the inspection, Malekith took Daquus to a room, not a torture chamber, nor any other messy place. After entering the door, he was greeted by a smell of dust, cloth fibers, and residual magic. The room was not big, but it was quite messy, with cloth piled on the floor and the table.

"How?" Malekith suddenly spoke, his tone calm, but with some expectation in his eyes.

"It seems that I should change my robe." Daxus raised his eyebrows, touched his chin thoughtfully, then curled the corners of his mouth with a hint of teasing, complimenting in an alternative way.

Malekith did not speak, but the fireworks jumped slightly. He was very satisfied with this answer. (End of this chapter)