Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Song of the Setting Sun

May 19, 1093 in the mainland calendar.From Onogul, the capital of the Mafal Empire, to the east, this vast area with a radius of about 250 stadia (about 50 kilometers) is shrouded in a thin mist.This is the result of the icy undercurrent gushing out, reducing the water temperature of the inland sea, and the sun shining brightly in early summer, causing water vapor to permeate into the atmosphere.A low mist curled over the ground, making the scene look like a flock of white sheep moving across the pasture. Fog not only confuses people's feelings, but also affects people's thinking to some extent.The soldiers facing each other couldn't help thinking that if they could use this fog, they might be able to win.However, in the history of warfare, there have also been examples of troops encountering fatal attacks due to the sudden dispersal of fog during secret and roundabout operations. After all, this accidental element cannot be relied upon.

This is a land called "Lutsen Plain".It extends from the southern shore of the Mafar Inner Sea, a great lake that is often mistaken for a sea. There are endless, undulating and gentle grasslands, as well as some low-lying and damp places.In history, the places called battlefields were often determined by the coincidence of the schemes of the two camps, and the same is true for this day.On the surface, it seemed that the emperor's army was marching towards the territory of the Principality of the Golden Crow, but when the Golden Crow army poured out of the city of Onogur and began to catch up from the rear, the whole army moved ingeniously and re-emerged. Organized the formation and adopted the posture of a frontal decisive battle.And the Golden Crow Army, which had been expected for a long time, also quickly completed their formation and faced the Emperor's Army face to face.

The late General Lasalle of the Yerudi Kingdom, in order to realize his own ambitions, once drew up such a plan: "The armies of various countries waited for an opportunity to invade the territory of Mafar from all directions, which could make Karman II exhausted. Even after driving straight into the interior of Mafar and capturing the imperial capital Onogur, Karman could have nowhere to go. In this way , Mafar will naturally fall directly from the peak of prosperity to the bottom of the valley." Such a powerful strategic concept may be enough to prove that Lasalle, an ambitious man, has extraordinary talents.However, the result of later practice was not as perfect as the original idea.Because there are several objective conditions that are not sufficient at the beginning.For one thing, LaSalle couldn't get enough authority to push through all of his ideas at the last minute.The fate of Lasalle is controlled by King Jigu Morton VII of Yeludi, but the psychology of King Jigu Morton VII is often indirectly influenced by Munchell, the Duke of the Golden Crow, as long as Munchell can control Jigu Morton VII The psychology of Morton VII can restrain Lasalle's actions.And Munchell did.In a near-self-destructive situation, LaSalle vanished from the face of the earth.Because of Munchell's scheme and Ridvan's sword, this ambitious young man can no longer regard Mafar as the object of his ambition.

The emperor's army has a total of more than 70,000 soldiers.The main force is the Black Sheep Army, commanded by the Duke and his wife.Karman did not order the army, which was more than half of the entire army, to submit to his direct command, but completely handed it over to the command of Ridwan and Angelina.Because for Kalman, even if he is still trying to prevent the two from betraying, it will not help in the end. Before the war was about to start, Lidwan and Angelina entrusted Palto to the care of the former Duke Almoxiu. "It's about to start soon, right?" "Yes, but anyway, this seemingly contest of wits has turned into such a stupid war."

"There is no war that is not stupid, Lidwan. All the wars I know are the product of stupidity, without exception." When the blind old nobleman recalled the past, he couldn't help showing a slightly bitter expression.And his bitterness may be due to a deep realization that human beings will never be able to escape their own stupidity.Although he knows the stupidity of war, the old man still has the fiery emotion of "if I were ten years younger" jumping in his chest.At this time, the adopted son will take his wife with him to replace him who is old and blind, and command the army on the battlefield for the emperor.The old man will watch the battle situation of the emperor's army from the rear, accompanied by five hundred guards, along with his righteous grandson Parr.In addition, since Holdy and four bulldogs were accompanying them, they felt a lot more at ease.

"Then, it's time for you to go to battle. The emperor has probably been waiting for his reliable comrade-in-arms for a long time, so Paar will leave it to me." "Then here we go, sir." After saluting to the elder, the duke and his wife jumped on the horse, greeted Holdy who raised his hand, and galloped away quickly.The elder stroked Yisun's head and said to him: "Pal, my eyes can't see, so tell me what you saw. Tell me about your father and stepmother fighting heroically." "Yes, Grandpa." The seven-year-old boy replied energetically, and then stood beside the blind old nobleman.He was almost clutching the old man's shoulders while looking up from the seat of the carriage.In the child's sight, the figures of father and stepmother riding horses disappeared into the silver wave formed by the piece of armor, swords and guns.

The Golden Crow Army has a total of 55,000 soldiers, plus reinforcements from the original territory. Ironically, in the Golden Crow camp, there are also Urukal King Jebram III who came together. Rukar troops.Munchell thought indifferently, although this Urukal army cannot be used as a reliable combat force, but if it is used as a wall to defend against arrows, it is not bad. General Matthias reports to the lord: "Lidvan, the heir of the Black Sheep Principality, and his wife, Angelina, stood by Emperor Karman's side, and the army under his command exceeded half of the entire army."

"I think that's probably the case. This is what the two of them are doing. But in this way, they plan to fight with Kallman until the last moment." After the Duke of the Golden Crow answered in this way, although General Matthias hesitated, he still had to try to put forward his own suggestion.Is there no way to maintain a fusion relationship with Wang Mei?Munchell didn't feel angry when he heard what General Matthias said, but he didn't seem to be moved at all, maybe he pretended to be like this on purpose: "I am very grateful for your concern, Matthias. But if you have such an optimistic idea, you can't beat my sister. She is a goddess of war. Even if I seriously want to fight her, I won't see you." You must be able to defeat her!"

Although Mafar is a country with strong soldiers, there are only four people who really know how to use soldiers skillfully, Munchell thought so.And among these four people, three are enemies with Munchell. For such a situation, Munchell does not feel that it is unfair at all.But despite this, he still doesn't think he's going to fail.There were 150 states originally controlled by the emperor, while the Golden Crow Principality only had 15 states.However, under his strategy, he was finally able to make the two fight head-on with comparable strength.On March 1st of this year, when the emperor held a wedding ceremony, who could have imagined that today's May 19th would turn into such a situation?

"After this battle, everything can be decided. It would be great if the situation could go a little better, but, hehe, wouldn't such a hope be too extravagant?" After a short smile, Munchell changed his expression.At this time, the two armies were in a roughly concave formation, maintaining a distance of about three stadia (about 600 meters) from each other.When the wind started to blow from northeast to southwest, and the fog began to blow against the wind, the horn flutes in front of the two armies sounded at the same time as if they had said it in advance.The loud sound of the horn flute announced to the world that this war with tens of thousands of lives as sacrifices had begun.

"...Just like that, the sound of the horn flutes of the two armies resounded across the plains of Lutsen. The swords and spears seemed to become a glowing forest, trying to overturn the entire ground. All soldiers knew deeply that this war would determine the fate of the empire. destiny." This is recorded in the chronicles. Originally, no matter whether it was Kalman or Munchell, before going to war, these two generals would organize their generals in detail, plan their strategies in detail, and make a perfect choice for the battlefield, and then they would win steadily. win.However, when they confronted each other, they had no choice but to choose the plains of Lutsen as the battlefield, and were even forced to give up their ingenious military tactics and rely on pure force.However, after one's own side gave up the ingenious strategy of using troops, it worried about whether the opponent would adopt some superior strategy. Therefore, at the beginning of the war, both sides seemed a little blunt and unsmooth.However, using soldiers is like flowing water. Once the water flows out, it will naturally take shape.So after the initial bow and arrow tactics came to an end, a cavalry team that was originally in the center of the emperor's army rushed out of the formation.Because he was worried about the strength that the site could withstand, the speed when he rushed out was not particularly alarming, but then he gradually accelerated the horse's pace, and the soil smoke raised by the eight thousand horseshoes was flying in the air, and even the original mist was also stained. The color of soil smoke. "Let the enemy approach." The orders of the Golden Crow King Munchell were very short, and there was calmness and stability in his voice. The hoplites of the Golden Crows still clutched their shields, motionless. The cavalry of the Emperor's Army was still charging forward, getting closer and closer. When the distance between the two sides was only about a quarter of Stadia (about 50 meters), there was a strange noise in the camp of the Golden Crow Army. It sounded like swarms of locusts flying across the sky.It turned out that there were 1,500 arrow feathers, and they were all shot out at one command.The imperial army's cavalry, which was galloping at close range and under accelerated conditions, was already impossible to dodge after encountering this salvo.After being shot in the throat and abdomen by the thick arrow feathers, the army horses fell to the ground with a bang.After being thrown out of their saddles, the cavalry also fell one by one, and the cries of men and horses seemed to break through the fog that shrouded the ground.After the second order was issued, the hoplites immediately moved out, throwing spears at the imperial army.These fallen cavalrymen were entangled with each other, unable to advance or retreat at this time, they could only be knocked down one by one under the attack of the Golden Crow Army's spears.Seeing this scene through the mist, the emperor's army immediately blew their horns to retreat.Although the Golden Crow Army pursued, the Emperor's Army immediately pushed out the heavy infantry on both wings to cover the retreat of the cavalry, and did not give the Golden Crow Army a chance. Finally, the cavalry attacks of the Emperor's Army were twice repulsed by the hoplites of the Golden Crows.Just as the emperor's army was unable to exert the mobility and destructive power of its cavalry, the time had gradually passed from morning to noon. "Countermeasures, countermeasures, all of them have been taken first!" Lidwan let out a sigh.Although he tried to send troops to disrupt the enemy's camp in various ways, every time it seemed as if he had already expected it, and he was still unable to expand the results of the battle.And the Golden Crow Army also repeatedly launched approaching attacks, but with the Emperor Army's lineup showing no flaws, although the overall battle situation became more and more fierce, it was still impossible to see which side was in favor. Near noon, a big change happened.A unit of the Golden Crow Army, mainly light infantry, launched an attack from the right side of the Emperor's Army.The offensive was very fierce, and within nearly two hours, more than a thousand people were killed or injured by the emperor's army, and some flaws were exposed in the formation. The emperor's army did not expect such a powerful side attack at all, and it was completely unpredictable.Because these 3,000 soldiers were secretly dispatched by Munchell from the other city gate opposite the battlefield the night before, and ambushed near the battlefield. "Although it's a small trick, it should have some effect!" When Munchell was riding on the horse and whispering to himself, Angelina, who was standing in front of the emperor's army, spat and said: "It's really not my brother's style to play such a trick. However, if it is played like this, then I am not like the original me." "Small gimmicks are gimmicks. But the real confrontation is to bring down the opponent from the front." Half of Ridwan's answer was self-warning.However, no matter what, the most important thing now is to quickly make up for the loopholes in the formation.So Lidwan and Angelina led 1,500 light cavalry and rushed towards the right flank, dispersing the Golden Crow Army that was gnawing at the formation of the Emperor's Army and trying to tear it apart. After Lidwan's long sword roared, he saw an arm still holding the battle ax flying into the air, with a bloody tail trailing behind it.At the same time, Angelina's long sword also emitted a sharp flash, and the knight who was stabbed in the throat disappeared from the saddle while wailing briefly.After the rider fell to the ground, the army horse, with its undulating reins, escaped from the cloud of earth smoke. "Ah, it's Princess Angelina...!" The knights couldn't continue talking halfway through, but just showed cowardly expressions. "I am Angelina from the Black Sheep Principality. Anyone who is confident in their swordsmanship, please report to me!" Angelina placed the blood-stained long sword horizontally on the saddle soil, and then jumped on the horse.The knights of the Golden Crow Principality were not cowards who would be afraid of this, but driven by awe, they still avoided the sharp blade in the hands of the bravest female knight in the empire.Although there are slightly different levels of tactics, under the influence that only Angelina can exert, the Golden Crow Army also became timid, and the light cavalry commanded by Lidwan launched an attack at this time .After the Golden Crow Army was repelled, they were unable to move together with their own army, thus missing a good opportunity to win. Lidvan, who was saving his side in distress, suddenly felt that there seemed to be an invisible strange bird of fatigue perching on his shoulders.The sharp giant claws slammed into the muscles from his shoulders to his neck, making him almost feel pain.Of course, this is not due to fatigue.Whether as a warrior or a warlord, Ridvan is capable and full of vigor.At this time, it was only because he had doubts about the meaning of war in his heart that his heart seemed to be corroded by strong acid.Although this war is about the dominance of the Mafar Empire and will also affect the hegemony of the continental countries, but, "What is the value of this?" Not only did Lidwan have this thought in his heart, but he impulsively Almost wanted to shout at the entire battlefield.However, at the same time, he also had this thought in his heart, that is, if the blood was not completely shed at this time, Mafar would have no possibility of regeneration. In any case, I absolutely cannot back down at this moment.Lidvan regained his energy, and turned his original attacking state to a counterattack.Under his command, the Emperor's Army followed closely behind these enemy troops who attempted to join the army, and drove the enemy into a dead end in a curved line, and then beat the enemy's own army with cavalry combat power.That's a great wrist.The solid formation originally formed by the heavy infantry of the Golden Crow Army was broken through by someone, and the cavalry of the Emperor Army invaded the formation. "Good job! Lidwan..." Kalman and Munchell both gave admiration at the same time. After the arrow feathers are shot, the archers who are immediately involved in hand-to-hand combat are lamentable.Driven frantically by bloody intoxication and vengeance, the cavalrymen swung swords and axes from above their heads, creating fountains of blood and wailing.However, this unilateral killing did not last long.When the archers turned into puddles of blood and muddy pieces of meat on the ground and were completely wiped out, the cavalry of the Golden Crow Army arrived almost unscathed amidst the flickering lights of chaotic knives. The cavalry clashed fiercely with each other, and the forty thousand horseshoes almost shook the axis of the earth.The sound of swords and swords continued, spears entangled with each other, hammers and spears beat hard on helmets, and battle axes gnawed away at armor.In the roaring and mourning of human beings, mixed with the neighing of war horses, an unbearable sound filled the entire battlefield. The body chopped up by the sword, the bloody head, and the severed arm kept piling up in the muddy blood, and then they were kicked away by the horseshoes.The newly produced corpses and the newly gushed blood hit the ground together. Although the thin mist has a certain degree of concealment effect on these miserable scenes, but at this time, the mist seems to be inversely proportional to the intensity of the sun. Gradually dissipated, and by noon, it had completely disappeared.As a result, the stench of blood shrouded the smell of summer grass, and the smell of sweat and leather permeated the atmosphere, which actually made it difficult for people and horses to breathe. When the fog completely dissipated, the temperature rose rapidly like a bird flying high.At this time, the sun is gradually moving from the center of the sky to the west.After the battle lasted for half a day, the total number of people killed by the two armies has exceeded 10,000. Even so, it is still impossible to judge which side the balance of victory and defeat will lean towards.Among the soldiers, some even tremblingly wondered if there would be no end to this mutual killing as long as there were still people on the battlefield who hadn't breathed their last breath?The Mafar people are the most valiant and brave people among the continental countries, but their bravery seems to be exhausted in this day's miserable war. However, the Mafars were not the only ones sinking into frenzy at this time.In the history of the continental countries, there was a foreign army that once invaded the innermost part of the Marfar Empire, that is, the 33,000 soldiers of the Kurland Army.The reason why they were able to go deep into the interior of Mafar was not relying on their own strength, but taking advantage of Mafar's current state of anarchy and the guidance of the old prime minister Song Ertan.But no matter what, at this time the Kurland Army has indeed arrived at a place about one day away from the imperial capital Onogol, and was able to see the battle between the Emperor Army and the Golden Crow Army on the Lutsen Plain. Intense fighting.The Courland army had been defeated by the Mafar army many times in the past, so the civil war in Mafar at this time should be worthy of their applause. However, while applauding, it also aroused a strong desire in their hearts.That is to say, when the two armies are engaged in a mortal duel, they can reap the benefits of the fisherman. "This is an opportunity for us. We can cut off the heads of Kalman and Munchell at the same time. In this way, everyone can kill as much as they like, until Mafar becomes nobody Realm!" If Lasalle, the nine-pillar general of the Yerudi Kingdom, was still alive, he should be reining in the reins of his ambitions while weighing the most appropriate time to invest his troops. However, the Kurlandt army is obviously impatient.Perhaps this was a reaction to the humiliation of losing consecutive defeats in the past.When the Mafars unexpectedly noticed that a large group of armor and war horses appeared outside the battlefield, and were suddenly pouring into their field of vision like lava, they couldn't help being stunned and speechless. "...how stupid!" Munchell, the Duke of the Golden Crow, made such a criticism of his current situation, and his clear voice had obviously lost his original composure. He couldn't help but laugh out loud. .This is the stage where he and the Emperor Kalman fought to the death in order to win the power of the world. The Kurlandt army broke in with a lot of noise. What the hell is this!However, since the situation has been like this, it is impossible to stand by and watch. At this time, Onogur, the imperial capital of Mafar, is showing up in front of the Courland army without any defense.If the Kurlandt army seized the imperial capital of Mafar while they were fighting to the death, then as long as there is history in the world, the Mafar people will always be the laughing stock of people. Munchell then gave the order to attack from the rear.Although the order itself was taken for granted, Munchell lacked careful consideration when ordering.Because at this time, it was Mikroson who was standing behind him, and he was not a general. If Munchell, the Duke of the Golden Crow, can win the throne of the Marfar Empire, then Mikrosun should be a figure who becomes the prime minister.In the governments of the principalities there is not a single useful man of so many talents as Miklosen.Whether it is in finance, civil engineering, law, etc., he has outstanding talents, but this day is the first time he wears armor and sword on the battlefield, and this first time also becomes his last time. When the Kurland army broke into the battlefield like a storm of steel, Miklosson tried to stop the enemy's offensive.The action, bold as it is, is fruitless.It would be great if he could open up the formation first, let the Kurland army pass through first, and then launch an arrow attack from the back to drive the enemy into the lake; The judgment of a general.For him, the establishment of the "Golden Crow Dynasty" is a dream he bet Monchel will definitely achieve.Miklosun is naturally full of hatred and anger for the Kurland army who is trying to trample on this lofty dream with muddy feet at this time.But the sudden intrusion of the Kurland army quickly shattered his emotions.Miklosun's defensive position was broken at once, and the phantom-like prime minister Miklosun was stabbed by four spears all over his body and then fell off his horse.And when his body touched the ground, his breath had also been cut off. The news of Miklosson's death was swallowed up by the fierce battle that followed, and it has not yet reached Munchell's ears.But when Munchell finally received the report, he couldn't help closing his eyes and didn't even say a word.Because some of the future visions he keeps drawing have suffered permanent damage at this time. In this battle, the Golden Crow Army also lost Matthias, a veteran general. After being hit by six arrow feathers and two spears all over his body, he died heroically and tragically.According to the chronicle, "even the shadow of the sun has not had time to move." In a very short period of time, Munchell lost its important town of civil and military affairs.And it was not the emperor's army who fought the Golden Crow Army from the front that caused such heavy losses, but the intruders who broke in without knowing the place and timing. The turbid current of the melee has swallowed the entire battlefield, and it seems meaningless to talk about any formation now.Among the various troops, or even among each individual, there are soldiers of the enemy and one's own side, mixed together in a complex manner, and merciless killings are going on everywhere.Angelina, who had been wielding her long sword in the vortex of the melee, was staring ahead with breathless concentration. "elder brother……" After shouting this sentence, Mrs. Heiyang, who could no longer make a sound, saw the riding shadow of the Golden Crow flashing past her, and seemed to have shifted her gaze to An Jie for a split second. Lena's side, but this might just be Angelina's illusion. Due to the intrusion of Kurland's army, the situation at this time is very chaotic. If anyone wants to predict the victory or defeat, it is really stupid.Originally, the Courland Army should have an overwhelming advantage, but in this case, the party being attacked is far stronger than the party launching the attack.What's more ironic is that both the Emperor's Army and the Golden Crow Army have the same awareness of resisting foreign aggression at this time, so they both point at each other for the time being and shift the spearhead to the Kurland Army to launch a fierce blow. In the camp of the Golden Crow Army, a strange incident also happened at this time.Among the Golden Crow camp, there are two "noble captives", that is, the "Orthodox Emperor" Lushait, and King Jebram III of Urukal.Yebram III seems to have been looking for opportunities since the beginning of the war.When the cavalry in charge of monitoring him was partially distracted by the intrusion of the Courland army, Jebram III seized the gap and rushed towards Prince Rouchette unprepared. When the knight was stunned, the small body of Prince Lushait had already been held hostage by the left arm of King Urukal.King Urukal pinched the baby's thin throat with his right hand, and then shouted: "No, don't move, don't move, if you move again, I will crush the child's throat!" King Urukal's voice was very stiff, and there was a panic-like gleam in his eyes.Due to the sharp and high-pitched cries of the child, the knights of the Golden Crow Army could not continue to draw out the half-drawn sword completely.Yebram III's eyes sparkled with excitement, he squinted at the knights, and shouted at them to back off.As soon as the knight tried to approach, the king of Urukal shouted loudly: "No, don't approach, don't approach...!" The knight side couldn't get close because they were worried about what might happen to the prince.But at this moment, King Urukal had completely lost his composure. He desperately held Prince Lushait hostage, and his arms were so strong that the little hostage was almost suffocated, and could only breathe weakly. "Send, send this king back to Urukal safely. After the king returns to the country, he will send the prince back. You immediately prepare a fast horse for the king. This farce is long enough!" Suddenly, there was a sharp cry in the air, and then Yebram III's right ear was pierced by arrow feathers.The king of the neighboring country fell to the ground without even uttering a wail, and the prince, who was on the verge of suffocation, was saved from death. "The farce is long enough, isn't it? It seems that people can always say something right before they die." The person whispering to herself was Princess Angelina, and she shot an arrow from a quarter of Stadia (approximately fifty meters) away from her horse.Facing the panicked knight who hurriedly built a human wall around the prince, Angelina only cast a wry smile, then turned her horse's head and plunged into the vortex of war again. When noon and dusk began to confront each other, this seemingly endless slaughter finally began to show signs of change. In the entire war, it was the Kurland army that ended in extreme misery.As an army dominated by a Germanless king and commanded by an incompetent general, they are beginning to show their sorrow to the world.The Courland army moved along the edge of the inner sea, trying to launch a flank attack on the two mutually killing armies of Mafar.If only from the superficial terrain, the army's military strategy may be called superb, but they don't know that this lake is called the Mafar Inner Sea, and the change of water level is a matter of course.When the Kurland army rushed to the edge of the inner sea, what they were stepping on was the wet and soft soil that was originally covered under the lake, so naturally it could not bear the weight of the horses and armor.Every time you step forward, the horseshoes and military boots will sink deep into the soft mud. As a result, the Kurland army will gather around the edge of the inner sea to form a large group of people and horses. When they can't move a step, they have to stand in the original position. not moving.For the Mafar people, when they saw the foreign bandits unexpectedly getting into trouble, there was naturally no reason to sympathize with them.So thousands of arrow feathers full of ridicule and murderous intent shot at them from the camp of the Emperor Army and the Golden Crow Army, and the thrown spears also appeared above them.As a result, under the perfect linkage of Mafar's two armies, this group of uninvited and violent guests learned a bloody lesson.As if being slapped on the left and right cheeks in turn, the Courland Army began to collapse after being severely beaten from both sides.In the storm of attack, Simeon, who was the guest of Kurlandt, died in battle, and mixed his own blood in the lake water of this inner sea.As for whether he would call for the beautiful woman who had influenced his life before he died, it is impossible to know from the chronicles. However, what happened to Simeon may be considered lucky.Under the corpse wearing his own battle armor, a man was pulled out by force.This squirrel-like man was forcibly pulled in front of the Duke by the knights of the Golden Crow Army.He was Song Ertan who was still serving as prime minister in Mafar's court until last year. "You are useless. Between heaven and earth, there is no meaning for your existence. In order to match your personality, let the dark and damp soil be your permanent nest!" When Munchell announced coldly, Song Ertan panted with a pale face.The reason why Song Ertan led Kurland's army to invade Mafar was the result of a part of the plan he had originally drawn up with the Yerudi Lassalle.But Song Ertan didn't know that La Salle was actually indirectly influenced by Munchell.When he learned the news of La Salle's death, he had already invaded Mafar with the Kurland Army. Under such circumstances, Song Ertan had to entrust his fate to the Kurland Army.When the fate entrusted to others appeared ominous, Song Ertan had no other choice but to cry. "Don't kill me, please save me, as long as you can spare my life, I will definitely do my best for the Duke of the Golden Crow..." "Do you want to serve me? Then you go to die. Apart from this, you have no other way to serve me." Munchell waved lightly with one hand.After seeing this signal, several soldiers raised their blades high above their heads at the same time, and slashed at the target at the same time.After a while, Song Ertan's body turned into a pile of bloody flesh and piled up on the ground.And in this way, Munchell also replaced his opponent Kalman, and fulfilled his wish to avenge his lover. With the collapse of Kurland's army, the Emperor's Army and the Golden Crow Army were finally freed from the heavy burden of the strange two-front battle.But after they were freed, they began to fight each other again.Because of this, the Kurland army fleeing in all directions was able to avoid being pursued, but it also led to an accident.Some Kurland soldiers who sneaked into the rear of the emperor's army attacked a carriage in which a noble lady was riding and a few Marfar soldiers guarding the carriage in order to seize the escaped horses and carriages.After the guard was killed, the woman who was resisted by the enemy soldier with a white knife showed no fear at all. She looked around at the brutal soldier in front of her and said: "My name is Yadel Huduo, and I am the wife of Emperor Karman, the queen of the Marfar Empire." When the woman puffed out her chest and revealed her identity, the Kurland army was taken aback.Although she did look like a very noble woman, she did not expect that she would be the queen of a country. "If you kill me, the emperor will never spare you. I will not care about your rough behavior, and leave now." In terms of age, this woman is just a little girl, but her arrogant majesty and awe-inspiring aura overwhelmed this group of violent soldiers.So they flinched, and under the aura of this defenseless woman, they were about to flee in all directions, but the balance between thinking and action was broken due to a small amount of toxin.The violent soldiers who were about to flee suddenly realized that if they took Queen Mafar as a hostage, not only would they be able to ensure their own safety, but they could even demand relative property from Mafar, right?After reaching a consensus in tacit understanding, the rioters turned back to attack the young queen.But with a flash of the Queen's sword, blood gushed from the jaw of one of the rioters, and then fell to the ground.A female official who managed to escape from the spot staggered into the guard formation of Almoxiu, the former Duke of the Black Sheep, and informed the queen that she was in dire straits.Holdy then led two bulldogs and ten soldiers to slash and disperse the group of Kurland rioters, but by this time the queen had already turned into a cold corpse.The queen pierced her own throat with her bosom sword.In order to avoid being humiliated by this group of violent soldiers, Yadelhuo risked her life to maintain her dignity as a queen. "Is Yadelhodo dead?" When Kalman received the report not long after, there was a painful but dry aftertaste in his voice: "It's such a pity. If I live for another three years, I might be able to use my power to my heart's content among the continental countries. I died too early, no, maybe I was born too late!" There wasn't a single word in Kallman's words that seemed like what a husband should say.Ordinary emotions flitted over a corner of Kallman's chest.他没有回想起亚德尔荷朵还活着时的情景，内心之中只对那惨遭毒杀的艾菲米雅有着哀惜之情。但是，亚德尔荷朵的处境又何尝不悲哀呢。在她痛丧祖国之后成为她丈夫的这名男子，虽然并无不忠、但是却无情。虽然想施展自己的权力与谋术，但是却时不我与。而卡尔曼这边也未曾有足够的时间，来认识她真正的价值。在帝都被占领之后她所表现出来的态度；在战争发生时，尽管皇帝己示意她可以远离战场，但是她仍在后方秘密地看护着全军的战况；以及她拼命为维护马法尔皇后的地位与矜持所作的各种努力，都是卡尔曼应该要更加以珍惜重视的。卡尔曼的心开始痛了起来，痛得连他自己都感到意外。而这份心痛只能当作是对他的一种责罚。在两年之间，卡尔曼重复了两次愚蠢的行为，就是在失去他身边的女子之后，才开始了解到她真正的价值。一个甚至无法让一名女子获得幸福的男人，算什么英雄，又称得上什么雷霆大帝？自己终究还是没有能够尽到身为一个男人所应尽的责任…… 在这一天当中，究竟有多少勇者在这个琉特森平野上丧命呢，为了记载主要的战死者姓名，年代志上甚至得耗费四页的篇幅才能写完。 接近黄昏的时刻，金鸦公国军终于溃散了。所有人的体力与气力都已经达到了极限。纵然手里还有弓，箭翎却已经耗尽；纵然手里还有剑，刀刃却早已有了缺口；纵然还有长枪与战斧，却因沾满了血肉而不堪使用。一旦没有了可用的兵力，也没有了堪以使用的武器，国公蒙契尔的智略便也无从发挥起了。拉萨尔、宋尔坦、西米恩、以及蒙契尔此刻还不知道的亚德尔荷朵，这些人都在满怀的野心、阴谋、与智略尚未获得发挥以前，便被迫无奈地死去。而这不就是历史的面貌吗？在无数的野心中，能够获得实现的只有一个，而其余的在历史中，不过是构成时间与人心的碎片，这些时间与人心并没有获得历史的传述、甚至也没有具体的成形。而历史的里程碑便是耸立在这些不断累积起来的破片之上。蒙契尔以怜恤的声音对他身旁仅剩的部下们说道： “各位辛苦了，现在大家各自逃命去吧。我自会思考我拉开序幕的方式。” 但是当蒙契尔承认败北时，皇帝军也已经死伤殆尽，血流成河，陷入了无以为继的困境。 视野中全是一片红色，仿佛是由鲜血所形成的天盖正遮覆着天地。眺望西方之时，那宛如一道伤口般穿过一部份天空的落日，正缓缓往帝都的方向下沉。天空中央牵引着一条淡紫色的线，在线的西边闪耀着金黄色的光芒，而线的东方似乎每隔一瞬间，就从原本的湛蓝更加深成靛蓝。但是这些色彩却像是完全被红色的天盖给遮掩了似地，视野之中净是一片赤红。这凄惨、愚蠢、但是又无可避免的一天似乎终于要结束了。利德宛对于自己居然还活着的这个事实，竟然感到有些不可思议。在战争之中，他失去了头盔，战甲上布满了无数的龟裂痕迹，而在战甲底下的肉体更由于痛裂的打击而伤痕累累。长枪折断了两枝，马已经换了第三匹。在这一场完全与用兵、智略扯不上关系的战争当中，他不知道自己到底斩杀了多少敌人。尽管利德宛已经疲倦不堪，但是为了寻找他最贵重的东西，他还是继续在尸臭之中策马前进。当狗儿以叫声呼唤他的时候，利德宛感受到心脏的跳跃。狗儿们跑上前来，在马的脚下兜着圈子跑。 “利德！” 帕尔一面呼喊着父亲的名字，一面从大老的马车当中跳下，拼命从草地上奔跑过来。利德宛也从马上跃下，但是全身的撞打、刀伤却一致地发出痛苦的叫声。在一阵剧痛的袭击之下，利德宛就这么跌坐在地面上。孩子扑了过来。利德宛抱起他、拥抱他，眼光仍然在搜寻他心中另一个最重要的人物，那是他在战乱之中走失的人生精华。这时，听觉又再一次比视觉抢先到达了利德宛的身边。那呼唤他的声音，飘过了充满尸臭的空气，而且正逐渐在靠近当中： “利德！利德！” 安洁莉娜感觉到自己仿佛又回到了孩提时代。对她来说，这名既是情人，也是丈夫，同时又是同僚主将的黑发骑士，一直都走在自己的身边，所以他的存在已经变得理所当然，一旦他不在身旁的时候，就会感到强烈的不安。回音消失之后，安洁莉娜正要在孤独的深井之中蜷缩起身子的时候，不知是谁的声音将她给拉上了地面： “安洁莉娜！” 原来是帕尔的声音，她看见孩子正奔向自己，而孩子的父亲也跟着从后面走过来。安洁莉娜迈开脚步跑了起来，她一边跑，一边脱下令人郁闷的头盔，让她那头冬日落阳般的头发随风飘散。孩子扑进她的胸膛，而她则扑进丈夫的怀里，胄甲相互撞击的声音便成了重逢的第一声招呼。 在一片介于红色的天与红色的地当中的狭隘隙缝上，卡尔曼此刻正一动也不动地坐着。浑身的疮痍丝毫不下于利德宛。堆积在他周遭的正是忠实骑士的尸体，只有随身侍从菲连兹，在负伤之后仍随侍在皇帝身边。卡尔曼此时的思絮正驰骋在他周遭几个人的生死之间，不久当他终于大大地吐出一口气之后，他感觉到有一个人来到了他的附近。卡尔曼缓缓地转动他那张已然被飞溅的鲜血以及砂尘给脏污的脸，对着那位正逐渐在走近自己的昔日旧友笑了笑： “哦，你没事哪，蒙契尔国公。” “你也是啊，皇帝陛下！” 言词之间并没有讽刺的意味。两人都觉得幸好对方还能够活着出现在自己面前。蒙契尔身上的胄甲发出金属的响声，脚步又更前进一些，他们两人面对面地坐了下来。菲连兹原本想握起他那沾满血迹的长剑，但是被皇帝给制止了。蒙契尔在重重地吐了口气之后，感慨地说： “……看来，我们两个如果不直接把对方给杀了的话，这事情就没法了结了。” “应该是这样吧！” 但是两个人都无意立刻拿起剑来一较长短。虽然他们不得不相互残杀，可是彼此之间却没有丝毫的憎恶。反倒有一种奇妙的感慨，那就是他们两人终于还是走到这般田地来了。如果说这就是命运的话，或许他们的命运也真是如此，但是这两人彼此都知道，这条路不是别人押着他们走，而是他们自己所选择的。一方弑杀亲父，另一方则背叛主君，明知这是人世间重大的罪行，却仍然执意地犯下，而且无怨无悔。除此之外，他两人不知是否还有其他经营生命的方式呢？不过百分之百可以确定的，就是在年代志的篇幅当中，他两人的人生肯定是用鲜血来记载的。 “兵法和策略都已经无用。我们就以剑术来一决胜负，帝国的皇冠就由胜的人来接掌。” “还是单纯一点好哪。或许最初一开始的时候，我们就应该这么作了！” “那么，我们这就开始吧！” "OK!" “……陛下！” 菲连兹急忙地喊了一声，皇帝却面露笑容，对忠实的少年说道： “对不起了，菲连兹，朕可能无法履行约定，把银狼公国还给你了。” 菲连兹此时的表情，已经快要哭出来了。他死去的父亲便是银狼国公柯斯德亚，由于反叛卡尔曼而遭到诛杀，银狼公国的领地也因而被没收。然而皇帝曾与菲连兹约定，待菲连兹成年之后，便将银狼公国还给他，让他重整银狼公国。 两人于是同时从地上站起来，并且把剑重新握好，完全一致的动作就仿佛在照着镜子一般，但是就在这时候，另一个人的声音飞进了他俩的意识范畴之中，原来是他们共同的旧友，黑羊国公利德宛急忙在呼喊着：“陛下！蒙契尔国公！” “利德宛，你不要插手！安洁莉娜也是一样！” 当蒙契尔冷漠地丢出这一句话之后，他的敌手卡尔曼也理所当然地接着说道： “你就是证人，我希望你告诉世人，这场争斗虽然愚蠢，不过却是最公正且毫无疑问的。” 此时当然无须出声来加以回答。安洁莉娜屏息地靠向利德宛，而利德宛则一面用手抱住妻子的肩膀，一面凝视着两位旧友的决斗。从一同在王立学院里研习文学武艺的那时候开始，他们三个人其实都已经知道，他们之间的友谊将会以这样的形式结束。这个想法突然在利德宛胸中萌芽，不过这或许只是因为一时的感伤，而导致记忆扭曲的一个例子罢。 激烈的刀剑撞击声开始铿锵地响了起来。开始第一回合的交手之后，马法尔皇帝与金鸦国公都改变了彼此所在的位置。 刀刃又再度交锋，迸裂出的火花劈开了落日的微弱光芒。刀刃与刀刃在相互摩擦时所发出的回响，宛如是凶恶怪鸟的叫声。两人跳开一段距离之后，为了找出攻击敌手的下一个间隙，于是在地面上呈圆弧形地移动着。在他们俩人的眼中，已经完全没有安洁莉娜或利德宛的存在，这一点是利德宛所能够了解的。在他们俩人当中，不管是何人登上皇位，都是足以叫大陆列国国王屈膝臣服的男子，而他们此时就是把映照在镜子当中的自己当成了交战的敌手。他们两人都是当今世上无与伦比的剑士，如果要强加以区分的话，大概只能区分出卡尔曼的刚、与蒙契尔的柔。双方你来我往地，似乎就要这样永无止境地持续下去，分不出一个上下。在两人砍过去、被拨开、抵挡住、再推回去、刺出、然后再横扫的打斗中，持续迸裂的火花与刀剑声，正以虚无的美感装饰着皇帝与大贵族之间的生死大决斗。事实上，单纯的一场杀伐竟能够以如此的壮丽，叫旁观者摒息的，也算是绝无仅有了。虽然彼此的刀刃也曾经数度掠过对方的身体，但是都没有能够造成致命伤。在不知不觉间，夕阳的下半部已经逐渐在溶入地平线上的黑影之中了。 两人交手大概已经超过一百回合了吧。一瞬间，蒙契尔猛烈的刺击，终于穿过了卡尔曼的胸甲，钢轮弹迸开来，剑尖深入他的左胸。而卡尔曼的剑也在同时劈开了金鸦国公的左肩，击碎了锁骨，到达肋骨。这一天最后的鲜血仿佛骤雨般拍打着草地，而两具躯体也随之倒在草地上。 为咒语镇住的墙壁无声无息地破碎了。安洁莉娜仿佛弹起来似地跑向前去，弯身跪在哥哥的身旁。她低声地喊着：“哥哥！”这时只见蒙契尔微微地张开眼睑与嘴唇，用力挤出微弱的眼光与声音！ “……我无悔。除此以外，我再没有其他的选择。就算生在不同的时代、不同的国家，我还是只能有这样的生活方式。啊，拜托你，安洁莉娜，不要哭好吗？” 蒙契尔以微弱但温柔的声音安慰着妹妹。他举起一只手，想要抚摸妹妹的头发，但是却连一根手指头也无法动弹。 “只是，帕萨罗威兹家族的人完全没有什么过错。希望请皇帝能够善发慈悲。即使被拒绝，也没资格好抱不平，不过这是我唯一的请求……” 说完之后，蒙契尔就闭了双眼，微弱的呼吸虽然持续了三次，但是之后就永远停止了。金鸦国公蒙契尔未曾当上马法尔皇帝就过世了。 将企图篡夺皇位的野心家杀死之后，在另一边的皇帝也正处在垂死的边缘。鲜血虽然如泉水般不停从胸部的伤口涌出，但是随着心脏鼓动逐渐地减弱，出血量也一直在减少当中。卡尔曼感觉到有人用布压在他的伤口上，当他从微明的视野中，看见与菲连兹并肩的旧友时，他张开嘴唇说道：“蒙契尔怎么了？” “已经气绝了。” 听见利德宛的回答之后，卡尔曼皱了眉头，他一直以为自己的伤势比蒙契尔还来得严重。 “那么，我大概会在通往黄泉的路上，看见蒙契尔的背影。自王立学院以来……哼哼，真是奇妙的因缘哪！” “我去找医生来！” 菲连兹搀杂着哭声的话，让垂死的人不禁苦笑： "it's useless." 马法尔的雷霆大帝像是要斩去侍从少年那依恋不舍的情谊似地，断然地放言说道。不过他随即调整着自己的呼吸，露出无畏的笑容： “不说这个，对了，利德宛，有一件事要命令你，不，是要拜托你。现在皇位空了，就由你坐上去。” “陛下……！” “反正总要有个人坐在皇帝的位置上。如果由你来坐的话，应该不会变成一个坏君主才是。” “我拒绝。我没有足够的才干来担当这个大任。鲁谢特皇子仍平安无事，请您让位给皇子。” “我是不知道鲁谢特的才干如何，不过却了解你的才干……利德宛，我就要死了，如果你拒绝旧友在临死前所提出的请求，未免太不近人情了吧？” 说完之后，卡尔曼就咽下最后一口气了，在时间上大约比蒙契尔迟了五十秒。 阿尔摩修大老、以及霍尔第，再加上帕尔，将两具遗体并排，然后对着死去的灵魂致沉重的默祷。接着安洁莉娜回过头来注视着丈夫说道： “利德，陛下的遗言我也听见了。虽然是情非得已，但是你除了即位以外，似乎别无选择。” “这太严重了，我没有办法！” 利德宛痛苦地呻吟着。一旦利德宛登上皇位，那么一些不明事理的人们，可能就开始要议论纷纷，说他是趁着二人同归于尽之际，篡夺了皇位，这种毁谤，又岂是利德宛所能够忍受的？ 这时，安洁莉娜似乎愤怒地摇摇头。紫水晶般的眼眸正视着丈夫，眼眶之中即将形成泪水的湿润，使得她声音有些颤抖： “你总是这样，在面对自己所必须担负之责任与义务的时候，总是先考虑着别人会怎么想，或想干脆抛开一切，随心所欲到各处去旅游，总是光想着这些事。你就试着主动多承担些劳苦的义务好吗？” “公主……” “也不会只有你一个人辛苦。我多少也能够帮得上一些忙。等劳苦的义务尽了，才是谈归隐的时候。到时，不管是森林中、或者异国他乡，我都会跟着你一起去！” "..." “或者，有我一起去反而是你的累赘？” “没这种事的，公主！” 利德宛慌忙地摇头。阿尔摩修大老此时笑了，笑他养子的笨拙。虽然皇帝的死已经濡湿大老的心，不过人总是能以笑脸迎向未来的。 “鲁谢特皇子就交给老朽吧。入僧院应该是对他最好的安排了。只要一日活在这世上，可能有坏事发生、也可能有好事发生。利德宛只要能尽量为皇子作到最好的安排也就可以了。” 阿尔摩修大老这么一说，霍尔第也摇摇他手臂中帕尔的身体，一边赞同地说道： “不管是历代的皇帝也好，国王也好，其中不乏比利德宛大人更不成材的人。只要照一般来做就行了，而且也足够了。” “……我明白了，不要再说了。” 利德宛并没有完全接受了他两位旧友在临终前所说的话，因为他们在迈向远大野心的途中被击倒，不可能毫无悔恨与遗憾。而碰巧存活下来的利德宛，不得不承接他两人所遗留下来的野心，似乎他们三个人都奇妙地步上了无奈的人生，直到了人生的尽头。 “公主，你愿意一起来吗？” “直到你厌烦为止。” 利德宛点点头，搂住妻子的肩膀，缓缓朝帝都奥诺古尔的方向走去。眼前他所必须要作的事情，比内海里的水量还要多。先将皇后亚德尔荷朵的遗体与皇帝并排着举行葬礼，并且埋葬死去的人们，还必须要摒除存活的人内心所蕴藏的憎恶与不安。帝国失去伟大的皇帝之后，列国很可能会趁机张牙舞爪地前来袭击。为了排除外敌，为国内谋求和平与统一，就算只是暂时的，利德宛必须要代替死者再继续战斗下去。在利德宛与安洁莉娜的后头，跟着帕尔、阿尔摩修大老、霍尔第、菲连兹少年，以及四头猛犬。在死者所吹奏之角笛声的护送下，活着的人的身影，正逐渐溶入落日最后的闪耀余晖之中。
马法尔帝国的再度统一，此后还有六年的岁月、与更多的人血，才能够全部完成。大陆历一○九九年五月三十一日，两名男女以联合君主的形式登上了皇位，十三岁的长子便成了皇太子。马法尔帝国的黑羊王朝，这才要正式开始……