In the year 1093 of the mainland calendar, before the spring of nature came to the world, people's hearts were already full of warmth.On March 1st of this year, the mountains and fields of Mafar in the northern country have not yet taken off their coats of ice and snow, and the buds of flowers have not yet awakened from their sleep. The ice and water are still competing for each other's possession in the river. power.The earth struggled desperately to escape from the embrace of frost and cold, and the sound of avalanches came from the distant mountains, proving that the thick armor of ice and snow had cracked.All these phenomena are telling people that the coming of spring is close at hand.If the hunters who have traveled all over the mountains can find black bears who have been liberated from the long winter hibernation, then the timid goddess of spring will soon visit each house in turn, and the beautiful flowers will also The mountains and plains will begin to be decorated with every color known to man.

At this moment, artificial flowers are gathering in a place in the imperial city of Onogur, and the wedding ceremony and wedding banquet of Emperor Karman II are being held in the palace.There were as many as 4,000 men and women attending the banquet, including nobles, knights, celebrities who had outstanding performance in various fields such as academics and industries among the common people, as well as ambassadors and ministers from various countries.In addition, more than 100,000 people lined the streets of the imperial capital, cheering loudly for the emperor's carriage.In order to entertain the people of the imperial capital, the royal family also specially prepared wine, honey fruit, and hot chocolate for everyone to take for free.

The 28-year-old Emperor Karman is young and full of vigor. After annexing Zrunagra in the south last year, he expanded Mafar's territory from 130 states to 200 states.And the woman who became his bride today is none other than Princess Yadelhodo, the inner prince of the former Zrunagra Kingdom.If there is a child between Karman and Yadelhodo, then the emperor who inherits the blood of the Zrunagra royal family should rule the territory of the 200 states of the Damafar Empire. "It may not be more than 200 states. The day Kallman's heir inherits the throne, Mafar's territory may have expanded to 300 states, or even 400 states..."

Such a whisper of fear and terror that the ambassadors of the nations shook like dead trees.Conquering Zrunagra, a fertile country in the south, in just one battle, Karman's might made the neighboring countries tremble.Which country will play the Elegy of Subjugation after Zrunagra?Uneasiness and vacillation disturbed their thoughts, and a secret alliance was formed to fight Mafar.There are a total of seven participating countries, that is, the Kingdom of Yerudi, the Kingdom of Zara, the Kingdom of Lysiania, the Kingdom of Kurland, the Kingdom of Ulukal, the Grand Duchy of Lavonia, and the leader of the Western Knights.All the countries whose borders are adjacent to Mafar have jointly signed this covenant called "Zaicher League".It was Yerudi's Lassalle ambassador in Onogur who persuaded the nations and prompted the establishment of the alliance.

Lasalle is a twenty-six-year-old young man with a slender scar on his right cheek and a head of bronze-colored hair. He is one of the most senior military generals in the Yerudi Kingdom, known as the Nine-Pillar General, but his ambition is even greater. More than the high-level status he holds.In Lassalle's eyes, Karman, the greatest overlord in the history of the Marfar Empire, is nothing more than a competitor on his equal.In the Marfar Empire, there are only two people who can see into his unruly ambition and dangerous nature, that is, the Emperor Karman and the Duke of the Golden Crow Munchell. From this we can see the inner world of the two of them. In fact, it is very similar to Lasalle, which is exactly what Lasalle himself thought.

"Kalman, you're really proud of yourself and you've reached the top. But immediately after the top, there must be a downhill road. Even I will go downhill one day, so let's take this as a Be on guard against yourself!" In front of Lasalle's line of sight was Mafar's emperor and new queen.Surrounded by silks, gems, gold and silver, and furs, they look gorgeous, but even without these outward wear, this is still a pair that attracts people's attention.Kallman is a slender and handsome man. As the emperor of the territory of two hundred states, his self-confidence and temperament are like invisible armor guarding his whole body.Although Yadelhuo is a princess who has lost her country, she shows no signs of timidity, and stands proudly beside the conqueror who reduced her country to a historical term.With perfectly balanced limbs like artistic sculptures, a white egg-shaped face, hazel hair, and dark brown eyes, the new queen is nine years younger than her husband, and this year is nineteen.Against the backdrop of her wedding dress, which was as light as cherry blossoms, her charming smile looked even more charming.However, the light hidden in the depths of her eyes is not just owned by a mediocre woman who shows off her beauty and prays for ease.

The last king of Zrunagra, Danilo IV, died on September 18 last year.Prince Yadelhodone mourned his father until the end of last year.Of course, Kalman also mourned the man who would become his father-in-law, but after returning from the funeral, he wore a black veil and immediately took charge of state affairs.Since Kalman has always been a dictator, as long as he is on the throne, he must be in charge, and if he is on a horse, he must be in charge. If he is in mourning for a long time, he will not be able to rule the territory of two hundred states.Since Prime Minister Song Ertan fled abroad, Karman no longer set up the position of prime minister and took over all the state affairs.The duties and powers of the important court officials were also clearly limited to various specialized fields such as finance, agriculture, water conservancy, and trade. It would not be an exaggeration to say that they were the emperor's foreign affairs staff.

The emperor has extremely powerful power today. Although the power and force possessed by the six electors in the past were almost comparable to the emperor, the present electorate seems to be just a simple nobleman.The Duke of the Golden Crow is the only one who can have a more superior position than in the past.Almoxiu, the Duke of the Black Sheep, is blind due to old illness, and is about to transfer the authority of the Duke to his successor, Lidwan.The Duke of Tiger Wings is vacant, and the position of Duke Silver Wolf is also vacant.As for the Duke of Longya, Oda, and the Duke of Bronze Sparrow, Lacusta, were originally Kallman's confidantes, and they were military generals who made great contributions in the past. Their current status is all bestowed by the new emperor.In the territory of the two hundred states of Mafar, there is no one who can stand up to the mighty power of the emperor——

It should not exist anymore. When Karman responded to everyone's congratulations, his eyes moved.At this time, he saw the figure of Munchell, the Duke of the Golden Crow.When the eyes met, the slender young man with golden-brown hair bowed to the emperor, but his blue-gray eyes were covered with a faint mist.Unpleasant feelings bubbled up in the emperor's heart like bubbles. "Among the crowd in this room, how many are really happy for me?" Kalman didn't say this, but just muttered in his heart.At this time, a man and a woman came to greet the groom. They turned out to be a black-haired knight and a princess with hair color like a winter sunset.Although these were two very familiar faces, Kallman was momentarily confused, probably because in his mind, the impression of this pair of men and women wearing armor on the battlefield was too strong!Karman smiled, and patted the black-haired knight's shoulder affectionately:

"Next time it will be my turn to attend your wedding banquet, Lidwan, I can look forward to it!" "Your Majesty, I am ashamed of you." "Whatever, if it's you, it doesn't matter, I'm just waiting to see Princess Angelina's appearance as a bride!" Lidwan, the heir of the Black Sheep Principality, and Angelina, the princess of the Golden Crow Principality, are scheduled to have their wedding ceremony on May 31st of this year.The wedding of Emperor Karman II was about three months away.Lidwan and his dead ex-wife had a seven-year-old boy, and Angelina became the boy's mother when they got married.

"Your Majesty, Mafal will have the most beautiful and kind stepmother. Pal will be happy in the future, because he has been abused by a careless and bad father in the past." Princess Angelina laughed as she spoke.Kallman looked at this 21-year-old princess who should be a good mother with a favorable eye.At this moment he wanted to introduce Yadelhodo to the two of them, but the new wife, surrounded by several nobles and diplomats, was greeting everyone cautiously and politely.Just before the emperor went to call the queen in person, Princess Angelina exhaled lightly, and then said with a suspicious expression: "It's really strange, why didn't you see the shadow of the Duke of Oda? This man can be said to be the most reliable confidant of His Majesty, and he should be very happy to see him in today's ceremony!" Angelina turned her body a little bored.Today she wears a luxurious silk gown that matches her winter sunset hair color, combining purple and golden yellow, but this brave princess prefers armor to gowns. Between carriages and horses, she would rather ride a horse . "This venue is large and there are so many people, it must be somewhere. Let's not talk about it, princess, do you hate wearing dresses so much?" The open-minded princess frowned her beautiful eyebrows at her fiancé: "Hey, Lide, do you think we can wear battle armor instead of a formal dress during our wedding ceremony?" When Lidwan was still struggling to answer, Emperor Karman returned with his new wife.When the Queen heard the names of Lidvan, the Principality of the Black Sheep, and Angelina, the Principality of the Golden Crow, her dark brown eyes seemed to darken a little. "Lord Lidwan, Princess Angelina, I have heard about your two names for a long time. No matter what, I still need you two to help the royal family a lot in the future!" The new Empress of Yadelhodo smiled at them both in perfect form, for this man and woman were worthy of her courtesy.Lidwan and Angelina will soon rule the territory of the ten states of the Principality of Black Sheep, commanding more than 50,000 soldiers.Moreover, Lidvan is a good friend of the emperor, and Angelina is the younger sister of Munchell, the Duke of the Golden Crow who governs the territory of the fifteen states.If the forces of the Black Sheep and the Golden Crow duchies are combined, they will take up one-eighth of the entire territory of Mafar.Regardless of whether they are enemies or friends in the future, this force cannot be ignored. The incomprehensible noise appeared at the wedding at this time.Roars and shouts were heard in and out of the hall, and the ladies screamed.Angelina's sensitive ears could tell that it was the metal clashing of battle armor. Even though she was wearing a luxurious dress, she still immediately adopted a posture of contingency.At this time, a knight wrapped in battle armor walked through the group of well-dressed ladies and gentlemen and came to the emperor.The moment he saw the face of the emperor, he seemed to immediately understand that this person was the emperor, so he knelt down on one knee and respectfully saluted the emperor.The armor on his body was covered with dust, and his voice seemed to be dripping with sweat: "It was an important moment for His Majesty the Emperor to hold a grand wedding ceremony. His subordinates, wearing battle armor and long swords, came to request His Majesty's face-to-face performance. I will report the details first and then give the punishment." "Okay, tell me." With a sideways wave of the emperor's hand, the courtiers were stopped from trying to approach the impolite man.The knight bowed deeply as if praising the magnanimity of the monarch, and adjusted his breathing and voice: "An urgent report came from the northeast border. A few days ago, an army holding high the Kurland army flag broke through our border and came to invade. They burned villages, plundered people, and robbed property. They ravaged wantonly and did whatever they wanted." If the team has more than 10,000 soldiers and horses, it will be a major event, so each post station sent several fast horses one after another to the imperial capital to report the emergency situation.When listening to the knight's report, the audience was silent as if in a cemetery, and some nobles were even pale and trembling with fright. "It turns out there was a war, Lied." Angelina's eyes radiated an amethyst-colored light.Angelina is difficult to be a daughter, but if you look at her performance as a soldier or general, even in Mafar, a country that advocates martial arts, there are few outstanding talents like her.In the eyes of everyone, whether it is quelling internal strife or conquering the outside world, she has made countless military exploits. If she is a man, she can also obtain the status of electing the emperor by virtue of her strength. "I like Zhan Luan, she is such a troublesome princess." In fact, Lidwan's answer was not frank.Because Angelina's beautiful expression full of vitality and vitality is what he finds cute.However, the action he took at this time was to quickly stretch out his feet, causing the man who was trying to escape from the banquet hall to hit and fall.The man who uttered a distressed cry and then fell was Kurant's ambassador.The eyes of the attendees concentrated in this direction, and the ambassador, who was arrested by the guards, was looking up with abject eyes, his face flushed like red ink.Standing in front of him, the young emperor dressed up, ignored the other's expression. "Ambassador Kurlandt, if you have any complaints, please tell me. Take advantage of your tongue while it is still moving!" The emperor's voice was very steady, but the vigor and sense of coercion contained in it surrounded Ambassador Kurland's spirit like a white knife.Ambassador Kurlandt was about to faint, his huge body lay prostrate on the marble floor, gasping for breath while repeating what he really didn't know. "I understand that it is easier to let your head fall to the ground than to drink a thousand glasses of wine. But I may not kill you. From the fact that you attended the banquet, it can probably prove that you are indeed ignorant!" Karman's eyes fluttered.It was the face of Yarudi Ambassador Lassalle that the emperor's eyes caught, a bold and dangerous face inlaid with long, thin scars.No matter how formal and frightened the makeup is, Kalman can still read his true face under the heavy makeup.If you compare him to a dangerous nocturnal beast, then someone like Kurlandt poop is just a well-fed duck. "Ambassador, sooner or later I will need an envoy to persuade the Kurland army to surrender. This day won't be too long. You should go back to the mansion for the time being and recharge your energy." In addition to saving his life, the announcement also meant that Ambassador Courant was under house arrest.The ambassador touched his forehead to the ground in gratitude and kowtowed to the emperor.In fact, Kalman has completely seen through that Kurland knew that the ambassador was attending the emperor's wedding ceremony, but still sent troops to invade Mafar's border, obviously to sacrifice the ambassador.The unfortunate ambassador could no longer return to his motherland, and if he did not obey Kallman's orders, it would be tantamount to ruining the little future he had.The emperor looked around the audience again. "My lords, there is no need to feel any uneasiness about this prank. I have already guessed that some jealous villains might take the opportunity to make trouble. I have sent Longya Duke Oda to lead 30,000 soldiers to guard the imperial capital. Outside. The despicable enemy is coming, he can resist it first, and within a few days, I will personally lead the army to support the Duke of Oda." "...It turns out that the reason why the Duke of Oda is not at the wedding venue is that the emperor had already expected this to happen." Princess Angelina whispered in her heart in an admiring tone to the emperor, then turned her gaze to Ridwan, staring at him as if asking for his approval.Lidwan responded to the princess' gaze and nodded silently, but felt a big dark cloud before the thunderstorm emerging deep in his heart.Of course, Lidvan was not aware of the plot of Ambassador Yarudi Lassalle, but he did hear the vicious and piercing wings of the fierce bird ringing in his ears. Not only did the sound of the wings of this fierce bird not disappear, but it became even more ferocious and sharp when the emperor summoned his ministers.Karman's voice resounded throughout the hall, calling for his old friends who were the same age as the emperor. "I want to hear the opinion of the Duke of Munchell. The hungry wolf Kurland dared to invade our country's borders during this period. I don't know what reason you think this is?" Munchell, Duke of the Golden Crow, is a good friend of the emperor and the most powerful nobleman in the country. He is not only a well-known monarch in the territory, but also led the troops to make countless achievements.If the emperor wants to ask for advice, the Duke of the Golden Crow is naturally the most competent and appropriate candidate.But is there any political meaning in seeking the opinion of the Duke of the Golden Crow at this grand meeting attended by ambassadors from various countries? With a calm expression, Munchell bowed to the monarch who once read with his classmate: "With your Majesty's permission, I hereby report. No matter how greedy and irrational King Kurland is, he should also know the power of Marfar and the power of his elite soldiers. Even so, he dared to raise his troops to attack and offend our entire country. Up and down, there must be quite a plan in the chest!" Having said that, Munchell temporarily stopped and stared at the emperor, and when he saw from the emperor's eyes that he wanted to continue talking, he spoke again: "It is absolutely impossible to defeat Mafar with the force of Kurlandt alone. Therefore, according to what I see, the country's aggressive actions appear to be reckless on the surface, but the real purpose may be to Through our connections with other countries, our country has been harmed in many ways." "Well, so this attack is a fake move to deceive the enemy?" "That's not necessarily the case. If our side regards it as an act of deceiving the enemy and ignores it, the enemy may gain an inch and try to launch a formal invasion..." "All in all, what lies before our eyes is the fact that our country has been invaded by enemy troops and our people have been persecuted." Kalman concluded the situation in this way, and then looked around at the group of silent courtiers in front of him: "We must not sit idly by. If it is true what the Duke of the Golden Crow said, if Kurland dared to conspire with other countries to invade our country, we must teach them a lesson." Kalman's rhetoric, tone, and expression all showed his decisive and heroic character. "We are going to attack Kurland! All princes and generals, get ready to send troops immediately. It seems that the heavens don't want to see me, Karman, taking any rest!" This bold declaration of dispatching troops made the air in the hall tremble.Some of the courtiers looked excited, some looked nervous, and they all looked at each other in dismay. "Go to war! Your Majesty the Emperor, the imperial conquest. The ministers are willing to follow His Majesty's martial power and conquer the enemies!" The very young voice of Lacusta, the king of the steel sparrow, shouted excitedly, and most of the people present at the feast also echoed.People began to move, first of all, they solemnly sent the ambassadors of various countries away.And Kurland's ambassador was also surrounded by the surrounding soldiers during this wave of actions, and left quietly. Such a situation is really pitiful. At this moment, Princess Angelina suddenly whispered to her soon-to-be husband: "Your Majesty's face, have you seen it? Lied." "Of course, did the princess notice anything?" Faced with her fiancé's nonchalant answer, Princess Angelina felt a little strange, she looked back at her fiancé and said: "You don't feel anything?" "Nothing special..." "Men are like this. Once they see a beautiful woman, they can't tell whether there is something hidden under the other's skin." Princess Angelina said sarcastically, but it was only for a moment, and then she regained her serious expression, put her fingertips on her beautiful chin, and said while thinking: "We wiped out Her Majesty's motherland. Speaking of which, we are her enemies. But when we met face to face, Her Majesty's face was actually smiling." "Do you want to say that this is unnatural? But from the queen's standpoint, she can only laugh when facing us. After all, she is now the queen of the Marfar Empire." Princess Angelina nodded, but not because she accepted what Ridvan said. "That's right, she can't do anything except laugh. But, it's strange, I don't find her sympathetic. I always feel that Her Majesty has other plans in her heart." These ambiguous words don't seem to come from Princess Angelina's mouth at all, but if the new queen has other plans in her heart, then this intention must be to avenge her hatred of subjugation. Thinking of this, one A shudder ran through Ridwan's whole body.Lidwan then turned his eyes and stared at the figure of Queen Yadelhodo.At this time, Kallman was wrapping his arms around her shoulders, lowering his head, not knowing what to say.It was a shame that a new war broke out at the same time as the wedding. Perhaps Kalman was apologizing to his new wife for this incident, or was there something else? After Kallman gently pushed Yadelhodo towards the maid, he turned his head and looked at Lidwan and the others with a smile. The smile on his face did not belong to the groom, but to a warrior. "Lidwan, Princess Angelina, I have something to ask of you." It was the voice of a man who already knew victory was within reach. During the period from the end of February to the 5th of March, the military operation launched by the Courland Army against Mafar appeared to be successful.The Kurlandt Army, consisting of 12,000 cavalry and 45,000 infantry, has already broken through the border of the Marfar Empire.Their commander is Duke Boleslaw, a famous nobleman who has a deep relationship with the Kurland royal family.Under his leadership, at the end of the night battle, the Courland army finally broke through the checkpoint on a street called Rumerick connecting the two countries of Courland and Mafar. is brilliant.The remnant snow on the peak was stained red with blood, and the Kurland army invaded the territory of Mafar, which was nearly a hundred stadia (about 20 kilometers) away from the national border. In order to boast of their victory, they even used The spears stabbed the heads of more than 400 Mafar soldiers who were killed and killed.The Kurant army set fire to the villages along the streets, killing those who resisted and those who had no time to escape, raped the women, and plundered the people's grain, livestock, and wine storage.In this world, there is nothing more vicious than an army that has lost self-control, and what the Kurland army did at this time is a vivid portrayal of this viciousness.The traces left behind after their actions have accumulated the deep lamentation and hatred of the people. Just when the Kurlandt army was invading Mafar, Dragon Tooth Lord Oda was the first defensive wall that the Kurlandt army encountered.After receiving the order from Emperor Karman II, Oda, a military commander with a good commanding skill, immediately dispatched troops from the camp on the outskirts of Onogur and marched towards the northeast border. There are muddy and splashed snow everywhere.It would take about four days to march from where the Kurlandt army was at this time. If Karman marched in person, no matter how fast it would be, it would take two more days to organize the army.During this period, the Kurlandt Army can still wreak havoc in other countries, the leader of the Kurlandt Army, Duke Boleslaw, thought so in his heart, and this idea was also the reason why General Yerudi Nine Pillars The wishful thinking in Lasalle's heart seemed to come to the correct answer before the emperor's army arrived. However, when this abacus was being fiddled with, miscalculations also began to occur. The time when the Dragon Tooth Principality Army led by Oda appeared in front of the Kurland Army was even faster than originally expected. two days.It turned out that Oda led the cavalry to march rapidly from the imperial capital first, set up the formation in front of the Kurland army, and then summoned the slower-moving infantry.Outnumbered, Kurland's army repeatedly launched rapid attacks, but Oda fought tenaciously to the end.The cavalry even jumped off their horses, gathered the ice, snow and mud on the ground to build a defensive wall, and then shot bows and arrows from behind the wall.The Kurlandt army was at a loss for a while, so they gave up the idea of ​​attacking. When they were about to retreat, Oda actually drove forward, biting the Kurlandt army.
In this way, Kurland's army missed the opportunity to retreat.Although Oda's persistent attacks were the reason why they couldn't retreat, but before Karman approached, the Kurland army actually had a reason why they couldn't retreat.And this reason is exactly the answer given by Munchell, the Duke of the Golden Crow, when he faced the emperor's question.In other words, the real purpose of the Courland Army's joint operations with other countries' troops is to lure out Karman.And all of this was carried out under the secret instruction of General Lasalle of the Nine Pillars of Yerudi. For Lassalle, the anti-Mafar coalition did not need to win the war completely.It is enough for all countries to mobilize huge forces to exhaust Karman and consume the strength of the Mafar army.After the Kurlandt army lured Kalman out, the troops of other countries invaded the territory of Mafar from another direction where the troops were weaker.Although the method itself is very simple, it is to fully link the seven countries and continue stubbornly, but if it is carried out during the busy farming period or harvest period of Mafar, it will not only exhaust the Mafar army, but also reduce the number of Mafar troops. The agricultural production shakes Mafar's heart.If this method of warfare continues for two years, Kallman will definitely be overwhelmed, and then, knowing that he is overwhelmed, he will mobilize his army and try his best to find a solution.At that point, LaSalle thought, the sun began to sink over Kalman's head. In fact, Kurland is just a pawn on the chessboard for Lasalle, and so are other countries, even his home country, Yerudi.In Lassalle's eyes, the seven countries participating in the "Zaicher League" are just little birds that appear weak and powerless under the sound of the flapping wings of giant birds of prey. "Kalman's force will sweep the entire continent sooner or later. We are like a group of weak chicks, panicked and helpless in front of the big snake. The only thing we can wait for is the day when we are swallowed by the big snake. " Under the instigation of Lassalle's three-inch tongue, the fear of being annexed by various countries intensified and expanded more rapidly, and finally the seven-nation alliance against Mafar was established.However, this alliance is nothing but a temporary organization established by various countries based on their own self-interested purposes.Although the existence of the so-called alliance of nations is essentially based on self-interested purposes, it is probably rare in the world to have such an explicit purpose like the "Zaychel League" of the seven nations.In fact, this alliance was established entirely because of the ingenious, not to say fraudulent, diplomacy of Lassalle the Yerudi, which would have collapsed on the spot if his tongue and hands stopped working. However, in any case, the fact at hand is that the "Zaicher Alliance" has been established, and the Kurland Army has therefore sent troops to violate the border of Mafar.So, on March 3rd, Emperor Karman personally led 36,000 cavalry and 80,000 infantry, and set off from the imperial capital Onogur.Since last year, Kalman has continued to set up food and weapon gathering places in key streets across the country. As soon as the formation of the army is completed, the whole army can start immediately, without worrying about backup supplies.In addition to this function, these gathering places can also be used as a gathering place for armies, so it is also very convenient for the armies of the principalities to meet.With all these settings and preparations, Karman's military operations became even faster.However, after Kallman fluttered his wings like a vulture bird and set off from Onogul, ominous news came from the southwest border immediately. There are 20,000 cavalry and 45,000 infantry, and the chief general is the Marquis of Karakur. Before dawn on March 5th, the Ulukal army broke through the national border and invaded the territory of the Mafar Empire.The 8,000 Mafar garrison stationed on the border of the country were completely crushed by the majority of the Urukar army when they were outnumbered. The territory of ten stadia (about twelve kilometers).As the Ulukal army advanced, they burned the passing villages and carried out various atrocities such as plundering and massacres. What they did was exactly the various ugly actions carried out by the Kurland army on the northeast border of Mafar. a replica ofAlthough the excuse is to anger the Mafar army, they are actually demonstrating to the world unconsciously, that is, a demonstration of how cruel people with weapons can be to unarmed people. On the day of March 6th, it has been cloudy since the morning, but after noon, the faint sunlight began to shine on the ground.This may be a symbolic phenomenon.The Ulukal army, who was drunk under the thick bloody drunkenness, found that there was a slightly high hill ahead of their marching route, and on the ridge of the slightly high hill, there appeared a A single-handed rider. "You jackals who are searching for carrion everywhere, why did you invade my Mafar border? I am Emperor Karman, you have to answer my question carefully!" When the generals of the Ulukal army heard the sound, they immediately stopped the horses under them in shock. When they saw the emperor's flag of the Mafar army flying under the leaden sky, they were even more unconscious. I was taken aback.A group of soldiers in armor had ambushed at the left and right of their marching ranks at some point, and a wave of metallic light was rippling on both sides of them.Only then did the Ulukal army realize that they had been lured into the center of the deep formation arranged by the Mafar army without knowing it.The armored threat was approaching them tightly from three directions. "What a joke! Shouldn't Karman go to the northeast border to fight the Kurlandt army at this time?" The Marquis of Karajuel moaned, but after a short moment of silence, he immediately let out a cry of defeat: "Why, how did this happen? Ah—! We were all played by Kallman!" He finally understood now.It turned out that when Kalman announced to everyone that he was "crusating against the Courland Army", it was actually a fake move to deceive the enemy.In fact, it was Kallman's real intention to find out that he was in collusion with the Kurland army to invade the Marfar invaders, and then to give him a head-on blow with a hammer.Originally, they wanted Karman to fall into the trap, but it was the Urukar army itself who was actually trapped by the trap. "Retreat, retreat!" Karajuel roared hoarsely, his voice seemed to slip down from a musical scale.The original conspiracy of the Ulukal army was to take advantage of the brave and unparalleled Karman's expedition to the northeast border to plunder Mafar's land without fear.But Mafar the Thunder Emperor, wearing a crown, is fully armed at this time, with his feet spread apart, blocking the group of thieves who are eager to lick their lips and swallow their saliva in front of the delicious food?The bloody drunk has been completely swept away, replaced by a stream of icy water full of terror, which is pouring down on the head of the Urukal Army. After the chief general of the Urukal army turned his horse's head, the rest of the generals also followed the general in a panic, trying to escape from the scene.But how could the Mafar army magnanimously allow this group of brazen enemy troops to escape from their eyes.So the hooves of the fighting spirit immediately surrounded the Urukaer army. "This group of rats who are overwhelmed by their own strength have also imitated human beings and put on armor. Now where do they want to escape to avoid the punishment of crime?" After the sharp crackling sound, there was a burst of sword clashing sounds. After Kallman's sword swept down two or three enemy cavalrymen, a scuffle ensued.The white blade stabbed fiercely, and the arrow feathers were like a heavy rain, converging into a silver horizontal torrent.The horses collided with each other with their bodies, blood splashed everywhere like a spring, and human bodies rolled to the ground one after another.There were roars and wailing sounds in both languages, and life and death danced around the soldiers. However, the scuffle did not last long. From the moment the general tried to escape, the Ulukal army began to fight.However, since the Ulukal army was at a psychological disadvantage at the very beginning, all the generals panicked before the formation. After the Mafar army launched the second wave attack, they could no longer resist.整个阵势一下子溃决。骑兵纷纷掉转马头，步兵则一面对父母生给他们的双脚大声吆喝，死命地从战场上逃走。这时的乌鲁喀尔士兵，与其说是军队，倒不如说是盗贼集团还来得恰当些。当面对卡尔曼所亲自统率的马法尔精英时，自然是无从抵挡起。败阵的士兵纷纷扔下手中的剑，离弃自己的袍泽于不顾，只拼命从战场上逃走。 “一兵一卒都不可放过！”卡尔曼的号令可说是极度严苛，但士兵们对于皇帝的命令与自己本身的愤怒都非常忠实。他们用长枪朝企图逃走的乌鲁喀尔兵背后刺去，也有的用白刃砍向敌兵的后脑勺和肩膀。 这场剑击一直持续到太阳沉没到厚厚云层的另一端时才宣告结束。只是这整个过程早已脱离了战斗的性质，反而更像是单方面的杀戮。乌鲁喀尔军原有的六万五干名将兵，能够勉强从马法尔的包围中逃脱、摆脱追兵追击，最后回到祖国的生还者还不到二万人。三分之二以上的出征将兵没能回归祖国是个相当惨痛的战果，就算翻遍大陆各国的战史也是相当罕见的。这场战役在卡拉裘尔侯爵因身中三箭而落马成为俘虏之后，终于宣告结束。总计投降与被俘虏的人超过一万名，不过他们的命运却比那些战死沙场的人更为悲惨，因为卡尔曼将这些俘虏交给了当地深受侵略之害的农民。 “这些就是毁坏你们田地与牧场的外国士兵。你们有权力可以报复，现在我把这些士兵交给你们，任凭你们自由处置。” 投降者一起发出了悲惨的哀号声。尽管口里不断请求慈悲的待遇，但是胸中充满愤怒与憎恶的农民哪里听得见？根据年代志上的记载，在这些侵略者所受到的报复之中，最可怕的似乎就是活埋。尽管如此，大约还是有二千名的幸运者并没有丧失性命，只是被带到许多村庄去从事重劳役的工作。也有更幸运的则是在几年之后，便被释放回到祖国去，或者就此在异国成为平凡的农民，渡过了他们的余生。 卡拉裘尔侯爵并没有被交到愤怒地发狂的复仇者手中。不仅如此，他甚至还受到马法尔随军医师非常仔细的看护，但是卡拉裘尔侯爵始终无法对自己的幸运感到高兴。因为他在受了箭伤之后，不久便失去神志，在意识还没有恢复以前，又并发了败血症，以致最后终于还是加入了死者的行列。 卡尔曼接见了农民的代表，抚慰他们所遭遇到的迫害，并且承诺将从国库拨出慰问金、种子、与家畜，送给这些受害的农民。 “卡尔曼万岁！” 全体军民在铅灰色的天空下欢呼着。这个从婚礼宴席上直接赶往战场的年轻皇帝，已经完全消灭了西南方的敌人，再度将马法尔军的强悍展现在世人的面前。卡尔曼举起一只手一面回应着士兵们的欢呼，一面召唤军队当中的一名将军，对他下达了这样的命令： “伊利亚逊，连络留守帝都的拉库斯塔，马上逮捕耶鲁迪国的大使拉萨尔。” “臣遵旨，但是否可请陛下说明逮捕耶鲁迪国大使拉萨尔的理由呢？” “理由很明白，拉萨尔这狡猾的家伙，怂恿库尔兰特与乌鲁喀尔两国来侵犯我马法尔帝国的边境，他的所作所为，罪该万死。逮捕拉萨尔这家伙之后，接下来就轮到对耶鲁迪王室，进行适当的外交处置。” 卡尔曼的座驹低声地嘶啼着，卡尔曼一面轻拍着座驹的颈部，一面继续说道： “乌鲁喀尔军的主将卡拉裘尔侯爵，已经告发了拉萨尔的罪状。侯爵此时负伤正在我军阵营中。整件事情就是这样，明白了吧？” 伊利亚逊明白了。他于是向皇帝恭谨地低头行一鞠躬，然后匆忙从皇帝御前退下，迅速准备一匹快马好即刻出发。卡尔曼作了个深呼吸，然后才回过头来命随身侍卫菲连兹，为他斟来一杯葡萄酒。卡尔曼从少年手中接过那银杯之后，便开始将酒杯送到嘴边，脸上绽放出一种属于霸者的无畏表情。 卡尔曼已经厌倦了，厌倦让一只像拉萨尔这么样危险、而且犀利的毒蛇，继续在自己的脚底下自由爬行。卡尔曼确信库尔兰特与乌鲁喀尔两国这回的妄动，完全是因为拉萨尔的怂恿才发生的。在这个关节上，就算自己的判断有误也不会碍事。卡尔曼在胸中已经决定，应该利用两国军队非法入侵本国的这个好机会，把最危险潜伏的敌人给解决掉。 “陛下，您对乌鲁喀尔会采取怎样的处置呢？” 菲连兹恭谨地发问。卡尔曼笑着一面将空了的银杯递还给少年，一面回答道： “不管了，随他们去。他们之所以前来侵犯我国国境，到底不是出自他们自主的意思。只要战败的消息一传回去，乌鲁喀尔国王那家伙，大概要吓得毛骨悚然，连饭也吞不下去了吧！” 不过，迟早还是会让乌鲁喀尔的王室和政府，打从骨子里知道他们轻举妄动会有什么样的下场，马法尔年轻的霸王用表情这么说着，一面又饮干重新斟满的葡萄酒，然后在心里低声自语： “现在这个时候，库尔兰特那批夜贼大概也因为他们的贪欲与罪状，受到相当的惩罚了吧！” 库尔兰特军的遭遇只比乌鲁喀尔军稍微幸运一些，因为他们的胜利推进在时间上稍微久了一点。不过，他们迟早所要翻落的那个洞穴，无论在深度、或者漆黑的程度上，一点也不比乌鲁喀尔军来得逊色。三月六日这一天，整个东北国境都笼罩在密厚黑云的支配之下。或许是渥达已经没劲儿再持续执拗的抗战了吧，此时的马法尔军竟开始撤退了，而库尔兰特军也因此而得以更前进五十斯塔迪亚（约十公里）的距离。不过，就在黑夜即将来临之际，前行的先锋部队将下述的报告传回了本营： “弗拉马修桥的上方，有两名马法尔骑士在防守，由于他们的缘故，致使我军无法再继续前进。” 这个报告传回之后，立刻惹起主将的怒气。区区的两名敌军，怎可能阻挠我大军的前进？好不容易才把龙牙公国军的抵抗给排除掉，大军总算得以再继续前进，现在这说的是什么话呀？ 波雷斯瓦夫将军一面斥责部下的懦弱无能，一面驱马向前去确认那两名骑士究竟是何方神圣。难不成是卡尔曼皇帝？这么一想的时候，波雷斯瓦夫的心里突然一阵紧缩，不过他随即又摇摇头，把这个想法从脑子里给甩开，因为依照常理来推断，卡尔曼那家伙现在应该还在二百斯塔迪亚（约四十公里）距离远的地方。只要卡尔曼一出现，己方就赶紧撤退。这么一来的话，就可以无所畏惧地顺利进行了。 街道的幅度开始变得狭窄，然后一直延续到弗拉马修桥。这是一座具有一百二十年历史、有名的砂岩桥梁。超过二十名以上的库尔兰特将兵，此时已经变成一具具的尸体，从桥畔到街道四处散乱着。扎在他们身上的箭，正为敌手的弓箭技巧作着无言的证明。 顿时闪现的雷光，将一件苍蓝色的薄纱铺撒在地面上。将士身上的盔甲闪耀着苍银色的光芒，桥上的两名骑士似乎已经将死亡具体地呈现出来了。 一阵寒风吹拂过波雷斯瓦夫将军的巨大身躯，这时他终于和部下们拥有相同的恐惧感了。马法尔是强兵之国，除了皇帝卡尔曼之外，其他多的是骁勇的战士。波雷斯瓦夫环顾左右，对着稍迟才跟上来的部下们下达命令，命他们在他面前筑起一道盔甲的壁垒。而这幕景象也清楚地映入桥上敌人的眼帘。 “来到那边的，可是库尔兰特军的主将？”这仿佛带有韵律的美妙声音，乃是属于女子所有。波雷斯瓦夫将军一听，原有的恐惧感便反射性地降低，但是仅只一刹那间，这感觉又马上急遽上升。因为在马法尔帝国当中，确实有一名即便是他这个异国人也耳熟能详的武勇女子。 “我叫安洁莉娜。是金鸦国公蒙契尔的妹妹，与利德宛大人同为黑羊公国军的统帅。应该是个足以与你交手的敌人。来单打独斗吧！” 眼看着那战马高高地抬起前脚，细长的长剑反射着远处的雷光，马上就向前逼近过来。波雷斯瓦夫将军全身的毛孔一下子张开，冷汗从那毛孔里喷泄出来，他甚至无法将身上的配剑拔出来应战，只知用两手使劲地扯住缰绳，掉转马头，死命往相反方向冲。在这同时，原本寂静的黑夜顿时发出一阵响彻云霄的喧扰声，包括胄甲的金属撞击声、军马的嘶啼声，以及几千枝箭翎像是扯开褴褛布疋似地，撕开了整片夜气，朝库尔兰特军飞来的声音。 弥漫着恐怖气氛的寂静，突然转变成一片恐慌与狂躁。库尔兰特军陷入了一个与乌鲁喀尔军所曾经遭遇相同的陷阱，整个行军行列已经被诱入一个纵深阵势的正中央。沿着街道呈纵长形进军的库尔兰特军，自动形成了一个容易遭敌人夹击与分断的形势。库尔兰特军原本以为已经将龙牙公国军的抵抗给排除掉，正值志得意满的时候，如果再有一天的时间，待骄傲的狂热稍稍减退，同时也将卡尔曼的来袭一并列入考虑的话，库尔兰特军或许就可以几乎全然无伤地撤退了。但是整个事态的进展并没有库尔兰特军所想像的那么顺利。因为黑羊公国继承人利德宛与安洁莉娜公主在接获皇帝的口谕之后，突如其来地率领了一万名骑兵，赶来支援渥达的龙牙公国军。 而且渥达也配合着援军的行动，刻意作出退却的姿态，将士兵埋伏在街道的两旁，布置成一个巧妙的阵势，将库尔兰特军引诱到利德宛等人的面前。 波雷斯瓦夫将军舍弃了他的部下，独自从安洁莉娜公主的剑下逃走了。经过一阵快跑，波雷斯瓦夫将军以为自己好不容易逃离了死神的下巴。然而就在这个时候，突然传来一声冰冷无情的宣告： “你的血不配弄脏公主的剑！” 这声宣告像一把冰刃似地，砍中了波雷斯瓦夫将军的颈项。遭此恐慌袭击之余，波雷斯瓦失仍转过身来，企图挥剑反抗，但利德宛漆黑的骑影就在此时与波雷斯瓦夫的影子完全重叠。 一阵钝重的剑击声之后，波雷斯瓦夫将军的首级随着飞溅的暗色血柱，呈抛物线地画出一道弧形，随即落入路旁的草丛当中。失去头颅的躯体呈大幅度地摇摆，然后自马鞍上落下，发出胄甲落地的沉重声响。 库尔兰特军原本早已经陷入溃乱的状态，此时更因为主将的死而完全失去应有的秩序。在马法尔军充满强烈复仇心的刀剑与弓箭之下，血淋淋的尸体愈堆愈高了。不久，浓厚的云层开始对地面洒下雨水的帘幕，形成一片揉和着雨水与血液的凄惨泥泞。 露梅里克街道上，到处堆积着残兵败将的尸体。黑羊公国继承人利德宛、与他的未婚妻安洁莉娜公主，在作法上与皇帝卡尔曼二世有所不同的，是他们并没有特别对士兵发出格杀勿论、不可放过一兵一卒的严苛命令。不过却也没有伪善地要求士兵，让这群迫杀民众、奸淫妇女、烧毁村庄的侵略者安然无恙地逃走，所以这群恣意行凶逞暴的库尔兰特士兵，在马法尔士兵与民众的围剿之下，也为他们的罪行付出了充份的代价。从三月六日到七日这段期间，约有超过两万名的库尔兰特军，成了永远无法落叶归根的异国死者。 “一日之中击溃二国军队。” 年代志上这么记载着。库尔兰特军与乌鲁喀尔军两国串联的作战，原本是七国同盟对付马法尔之壮大战略中的一环，但是在一天之内，却转眼成了“壮大的愚蠢举动”。马法尔军自豪的捷战宣言，无疑是给了列国心头上重重的一击。 经由这么一个血淋淋的教训，邻近诸国不得不被迫地进一步承认，马法尔帝国的确是一个拥有无数强兵与勇将的国度。对于这个事实最有深切体认的，或许就是勉强才从马法尔的逮捕与帝都奥诺古尔当中逃脱出来的耶鲁迪大使拉萨尔了。乌鲁喀尔国的大使由于逃脱的脚步稍微慢了一些，于是落入一个与库尔兰特国大使相同的境遇，共同拥有彼此的恐惧。
到此为止所发生的种种事件，尽管蒙契尔人已经回到金鸦公国的领土之中，但一切仍在他冷静的观察之中。虽然他并没有被派上前线，但这并不意味他会就此在一旁享受安逸。 蒙契尔为夺取皇位所筹划的计谋并非十分具有独创性，不过，其实也不需要什么独创性，只要是“历史上所常有的事情”就可以了。首先是把卡尔曼赶下皇帝的宝座，然后扶植卡尔曼年幼的侄子鲁谢特即皇帝位，接着再让鲁谢特把皇位让给蒙契尔就可以了。所以，于此时蒙契尔所需要的，当然就是历史上司空见惯的前例。 蒙契尔的心腹手下米克罗逊，为了实现君主庞大的野心，一直依照主公的指示在进行着一些秘密活动。为了从铜雀国公拉库斯塔这个负责监视的人手中救出鲁谢特，然后把鲁谢特带到蒙契尔的身边，米克罗逊一直秘密地拟订计划，然后将所有参预此计划的人组织起来。行动所需的时间虽然很短，但是整体准备与计划却需要耗费相当长的时日。 鲁谢特是个五岁的幼儿，如果硬要把他从母亲的身边拉开，肯定是一种违反人道的作法。但是，这名幼儿并不是一般百姓的儿子，虽然这孩子本身是无罪的，但是他个人的存在却具有政治性的意义与罪恶。鲁谢特的母亲爱蓓谢特大公妃虽然也同样遭到禁锢，但是蒙契尔不认为有必要特意将她从软禁之中解放出来。因为一个有野心的母亲，不论是对年幼的皇帝、或者是对于摄政大臣来说，绝对是有百害而无一益的。 “不管怎么说，拉萨尔这个家伙倒是把能动的都动了，只是到头来还是徒劳无功。” 蒙契尔冷冷地嘲讽着。拉萨尔首先在东北方面挑起事端，接着又在西南方向，就因为方位完全是在一个对角方向，反而让卡尔曼看出了整体的动态。虽然拉萨尔研判阴谋已经东窗事发、以及逃亡的速度之快，着实叫蒙契尔佩服，不过，拉萨尔接下来会怎么作呢？蒙契尔暗暗希望，拉萨尔仍能够尽最大努力在暗地里活动，这样才能够对蒙契尔有所帮助。 蒙契尔早已经完成了金鸦公国六万名将兵的调动。接着下来，便是慎重地研拟着计划，思考着如何发挥、活用这六万的兵力。他非常清楚地知道，一旦这次行动失败了，就绝对不会再有第二次挑战的机会。
耶鲁迪王国的首都普勒逊，有超过一万名的外国人居住在其中，这些人有的从事交易、有的在学院中研究学问、也有的流亡自外地而睡卧在街头上。普勒逊这里有家叫做“牡鹿亭”的小酒馆，是最多这类外国人聚集的地方，这时就有一名蹲在角落圆桌旁的客人，对着另一名酒客搭讪地说道：“你不就是过去曾经统率马法尔虎翼公国的西米恩大人吗？” 低沉、而且具有试探性的声音，将尘封已久的过去给重新挖掘了出来，西米恩抬起了他那张深埋在手臂之中，被烈酒给醺得通红、髭须不整、而且两眼浑浊无光的脸。 "who are you?" “好久不见了，西米恩国公，我是宋尔坦呀！” 自从去年在萤火虫原野上夜谈之后，这是他们两人第一次见面。然而在西米恩内心油然升起的，是一股充满不悦的愠怒，而非是昔日的怀旧之情。如果不是因为这个长得像松鼠的矮小男子在背后煽动，西米恩也不至于兵败潦倒，陷入丢官弃国的窘境。但是在他的愠怒还没有化作具体的声音之前，这个长得像松鼠的男人立刻就开始发挥他缠绕舌头的工夫了： “我有话要告诉你，是有关虎翼国公格尔特露特夫人的下落唷……” “格尔特露特……”西米恩的两只眼睛，开始浮现出沾满油脂的油光。宋尔坦在看到西米恩的反应之后，嘴唇的两端便开始向上扬，嘴角旁的皮肤嵌入一个薄得大约只有二根头发厚度的微笑。