While Charles II was excited about his grand plans, the atmosphere in the city of Houlier was much colder.
The royal city had entered spring in mid-April, but Hollier, which was located in the northwest, was obviously slower. Unlike Elsen City, there was a constant temperature enchantment here. After a few spring rains, the roads in the city were muddy and dirty, and the temperature had almost dropped to zero due to the cold air. There was no one on the streets during the day, and only the smoke rising from the chimneys seemed to prove that the city was still "alive."
Compared to the poor civilians and farmers, the nobles' lives were naturally much better. However, in this era, there were limited ways of entertainment. Other than hunting, they preferred to find a reason to drink to their heart's content indoors. Just like at this moment, the young nobles in the city gathered in a count's mansion, chatting and laughing. They were all young people in their teens and twenties. When men and women gathered together, the topic often developed in the direction of ambiguity. When they were singing and dancing, they could not wait to go upstairs to release their energy when they saw someone they liked. Naturally, no one would criticize such things behind closed doors. However, compared to the past, a few nobles who understood the situation were obviously not in a good mood.
"I heard that the conscription order will be issued in a few days?"
The banquet hall on the first floor was a place for people to dance. When they were tired of dancing, they would find a table nearby and sit down to drink and chat. The one who spoke was the son of a viscount. He was no more than nineteen years old, and was still at the age of fantasizing and even looking forward to "war," so his words were vaguely excited.
"Nurak, do you think war is a good thing? Don't you know how many nobles died in Efta in the past two years? The lords in the east were even worse. Their entire territories were slaughtered. "
Pagos, who was holding a glass of red wine, glanced at him and shook his head. "And if we have to fight now, how should we fight? Efta's area and population is only a quarter of the size of the royal family. Do you really think we can win? "
He was twenty-five years old. His father, Baron Rosta, was seriously injured in the war against the orcs last year. Although he had recovered a lot, it was obvious that he could not mount a horse and fight again in this life. Therefore, if there was really a conscription, Pagos would have to mount a horse and join the army in his father's place and fight on the frontline. Precisely because he knew so much about the military, he was not as blindly optimistic as Nurak. Instead, he was downright pessimistic. Of course, the main reason was that he did not want to risk his life to fight.
"What are you saying? War wasn't just about numbers. How many Beastmen had charged into the Eastern Territory last year? The territories of millions of people were ravaged by the orcs without any power to resist. In the end, they only took the initiative to withdraw their troops to save face for the royal family. Otherwise, what could Charles II do? "
The one who interrupted was Little John. His name was ordinary, and his family background was not very good. However, because he had always been "well-informed" in the circle, he was able to hang out with these young nobles of higher status.
"Beastmen are beastmen. They are different from humans. My father has faced them before, so I know very well how big the gap is between us ordinary people and beastmen."
Pagos was the leader of the small group, so he didn't mince his words. He made a chopping gesture and said to John, "If the orcs slash at you head-on, you'll end up the same whether you wear armor or not, understand? So don't think that it was easy for the orcs to torture Charles II. If it was Efta's army, they could achieve the same effect. "
He took a sip of wine and pointed at Nurak, "Don't think that I'm just trying to scare you. On the real battlefield, most of the time you don't die on the way, but because of bad food, bad weather, and bad diseases. Even if you don't take care of your wounds from riding horses, you might lose your life … In the forest, a bite from a poisonous snake or spider can kill you. Do you think that war is about wielding a sword and performing those fancy swordsmanship?"
The latter couldn't help but swallow his saliva after being scolded. He was too young, and he usually respected Pagos, his big brother, so his face turned a little pale. He said in a low voice, "Isn't that so?"
"Let me tell you! From the moment you go to battle to the end of the war, at least half a year, at most two years, or even longer, you usually have no more than five chances to swing your sword and slash people – and this is when you're lucky. " Pagos said excitedly. He took another sip of wine and his voice became slightly louder, "The rest of the time, you're on standby all day, on the road, and eating those rubbish things – steak? Red wine? Dream on! You can't even eat eggs and cheese. Most of the time, you're hugging black bread to satisfy your hunger, and you even have to catch mice to improve your diet, understand? "
Nurak, whose head was full of glory and hot blood, was splashed with cold water. He looked at John as if asking for help, "Re-really?"
John sighed, "Actually … it's more or less like this. If you follow the lord to battle and unify the logistics, the food you eat is often very poor. Those who prepare their own food … How should I put it, they often encounter some 'accident' on the way, and then they get robbed. "
These were all real things that had happened, and were definitely not made up to scare Nurak. The young man, who was originally full of hot blood, was hit hard by the ruthless reality. He leaned back in his chair like a wilted flower.
"So if this war is to be fought, the result is not optimistic. After all, most people understand that fighting with the royal family will not end well. "
Pagos sighed, "But that Prime Minister doesn't understand the truth at all. He's a guy who used to be a scout, how can he deal with such a complicated war?"
Although this was said by Pagos, it also represented the thoughts of most of the nobles behind – when facing the Orc army, Roddy's stance was always to rely on the city's defense. This tactic, to put it bluntly, did not have any technical content, and anyone could do it. But if it was against the royal family, from assembling troops to coordinating and planning to fight in an area hundreds of kilometers away, the complexity of it would be very deep …
"But, according to the usual practice in previous wars, the conscription order should have been issued long ago. But the Prime Minister doesn't seem to be in a hurry to start this war – Pagos, has your father received the order? Not on the surface, but that kind of hint. "
Hardedef lowered his voice, trying to find clues about the conscription, but Pagos shook his head without hesitation. "No, there is no news until now. That's why I feel that this kind of war is simply child's play. Will the Prime Minister only spend a month to conscript and assemble troops? How is that possible? Now, the royal family seems to want to take the initiative to attack. If things really get out of hand, we will be completely in a passive position … "
"What are you afraid of? Even if they fight their way to Hollier, can they cross the city walls? "
Hardedef's words were considered a comfort. In fact, if the enemy's troops really fought their way to Hollier, it meant that everyone had actually reached the final moment, which was no different from losing. But the current situation was obviously not so pessimistic. He threw out a new piece of news. "I heard that a new fleet has arrived from the south … A lot of goods have been shipped in for trade. I heard that the total value of this shipment alone is equivalent to the annual income of several great feudal lords."
"The fleet of the Lachiman Kingdom, right? It's spread like wildfire, but no one has actually seen it … Lord Duke has delegated all power to the 'cabinet,' but in fact, it's just given to Prime Minister Roddy. Who knows what he can do … Anyway, it's true that our days are getting harder and harder. "
"Lower your voice. Don't think that no one can hear you just because you complain."
Hardedef pulled him back, because Pagos's voice was involuntarily a little loud after drinking too much. Fortunately, most of the young people around were drunk, and no one cared about the few fellows who were having a serious conversation.
These young nobles, more or less, felt the oppressive atmosphere of the city, so the banquets that used to last all night ended in the early hours of the morning. If it was in the past, it would not be unusual for everyone to drink for three days and three nights.
Pagos put on a thick cloak with the help of the butler. Dizzy from drinking, he walked out of the mansion. When his eyes swept across the dark street, he suddenly shivered when he saw the black Magic Tower not far away …
The Helsinki Magic Tower had stood here for more than half a month. It was now not only the tallest and most conspicuous building in Hollier, but also the place where Sally and Duke lived and handled government affairs. In other words, it was the new "Ducal Palace" in Hollier.
This was not a big deal in itself, but then several assassins who tried to sneak into the Magic Tower were caught and beheaded, which really made people feel nervous …
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