It was the last few days of the Month of Frost, and the weather outside was so cold that it made one's teeth chatter. The deciduous forests around Macsen and Schafflund couldn't escape the bleak scene. The trees were starting to become bare, and a thick layer of withered leaves had fallen on the ground since late autumn. It was as if a grey carpet had been laid out in layers between the trees. There were even a few light snowfalls in the northern regions. Although it wasn't to the extent of being covered in snow, it was at least an omen of winter in the Year of the Sword.
This was the worst month of the year to start a war, but the holy war just had to start at this time. History was always so unreasonable, and sometimes it was even more whimsical than the stories described.
In Abies, only the Black Pine Forest outside the baron's castle was still tall and green in the midst of the solemn atmosphere of war. However, there was a faint black colour between the canopy of the trees, as if the entire shade of the trees was a ghost hovering overhead. When the cold wind whistled past the tips of the pine trees, it made a strange whistling sound that made one's hair stand on end. Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation The guests of Trentheim were stomping their feet and rubbing their hands as they complained about the horrible weather. Most of them were dressed in bright clothes and had the air of a big city. They didn't look like locals at all. A dozen or so carriages were parked outside the courtyard, their bodies painted with all kinds of emblems. Each one represented the glorious history of a family. These nobles came from all over the Erouine, and most of them were here for the first time in Tónigel.
They were here for only one purpose: to go on a diplomatic mission to the Cruz Empire.
It was also a rare time for Abies Castle to be lively, although it didn't matter if the owner was willing to receive these guests.
Although Brando was nominally the head of the diplomatic mission to the Cruz Empire, and he could choose any members to accompany him, an ancient tradition dictated that there must be some fixed seats in the diplomatic mission, and these seats were those that Brando couldn't specify. Among them, there was one representative of the royal family, and Prince Haruz would represent the House of Corvado. In addition, he could also choose two maids, an attendant, and an accompanying Knight. The original list included Madam Windsor and Madam Sigma, the two wet nurses of His Royal Highness when he was in Winterclaw Castle. However, Haruz asked Brando to replace Madam Windsor with Medusa Lysemeka at the last minute, which made Brando wonder if the prince had reached the age of love.
As for his attendant, he was a young man from Corvado, whom Brando had never heard of before. He must be a member of the royal family, and the accompanying Knight was naturally the most trusted candidate of Her Royal Highness Maynild.
In addition to the Corvado royal family, according to the agreement of the Holy Cathedral, the former royal family of Erouine, the Seifer royal family should also send a representative. However, this representative naturally couldn't travel thousands of miles across Ampere Seale for a week or two to meet them here. The princess' brother had already sent a letter to tell them that he had chosen a candidate. The envoy and his entourage would meet them in Gray Mountain, so his sister and the count didn't have to worry too much.
Then came the four dukes, Viero, Grinoires, Lantonilan, and Karsuk, and the three counts, Janilassoup, Yanbao, and Graymont, with the Marquis of Balta, each with a representative. Originally, there should have been a representative of Arreck and Radner, but now these two territories had been removed and became part of the royal family's territory and Tónigel. The Arreck family was few in number, and after the battle of Ampere Seale, they were basically wiped out. Count Radner and his family were still eating prison food in Magitan's dungeon, so it was naturally impossible for them to send a representative.
Among the four Dukes, Duke Viero directly sent his youngest daughter, Duke Tolannilan's envoy, Duke Eke, and Duke Karsuk sent a meatball, who was said to be his second son. As for Duke Grinoires, he also sent a daughter, but she was only a little girl of seven or eight years old. Count Janilassu was a believer of the Silver Lion Association. He did not have a wife, so naturally, he did not have any children. He sent a sergeant whom he thought highly of, a very energetic young man. The envoy of the Gray Mountain did not come to Tónigel either, so naturally, he was waiting with the envoy of Seifer to meet them in Gray Mountain.
In the end, there was a small twist in the choice of Count Yanbao's envoy, because there was no news of Count Yanbao for a long time. In the middle of the Month of Frost, Baron Dahl sent an envoy himself, but he was directly driven away by the angry princess. In the end, Dilferi decided to personally serve as Yanbao's envoy. Firstly, she could leave an impression on the future successor of Yanbao in the Holy Cathedral of Fire, and secondly, she could thwart Baron Dahl's conspiracy. Brando considered her physical condition and specially prepared a larger carriage for her.
Most of these nobles had their own attendants, ranging from one to three. Thus, when added together, it was a bloated group of twenty or so people and five or six carriages. However, if one thought that this group was large enough, then one would be gravely mistaken. Brando soon found that there were some unexpected guests in this team. One of them was Princess Magadal. As the princess of Antoburo, she naturally had to represent her duchy to Cruz. Originally, the Empire thought that she had died in the war in Ampere Seale, so the order was also passed to the duchy, hoping that the duchy could send another envoy to Cruz. But this news somehow reached the ears of the Nun Princess, and after she heard the news, she insisted on being the envoy of Antoburo to the Empire. She also privately communicated with the Antoburo royal family, so Brando naturally could not stop her.
After all, the princess was recuperating in Tónigel, not under house arrest, so he had no reason to restrict her freedom to contact the outside world.
And another uninvited guest was now in front of Brando.
At this moment, Brando was staring at the merchant lady in front of him, who was wearing a thick fur coat, boots, gloves, a scarf, and a bearskin hat. Her small face was almost only revealing a pair of black eyes. He looked at the large suitcase in her small hands, and finally couldn't help but ask, "Well, now can you tell me, what are you planning to do here?"
"Go to the Empire with Brando, I haven't been there yet." The little Roman raised her chin, revealing her small mouth from under the scarf, and answered matter-of-factly.
Brando rolled his eyes, "Of course I know that, but I already said that there are no more places for the diplomatic group. Also, you don't seem to remember, I told you to stay in Tónigel obediently, and leave yourself in a safer place. Don't make me worry, understand?" He couldn't help but facepalm, this girl clearly promised him yesterday that there were no more places for the diplomatic group, and told him to stay in the territory obediently and support Amandina. She clearly promised that she would never take up a place in the diplomatic group.
Wait, Brando suddenly froze in place, then reacted and glared at the young lady, "Oh, damn it, you're playing word games with me again!"
"Nope," the little Roman blew a white breath on her hand, and answered with a smile, "I'm perfectly justified."
"Justified my ass," Brando pinched her face, "Listen to me obediently, stay in Tónigel, you're not allowed to go anywhere."
"Wuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!"
Brando pinched the merchant girl's face for a while, but seeing her waving her hands and trying to break free from his hand, he couldn't help but feel a little suspicious. This was not in line with the young lady's temperament, he couldn't help but let go, and asked doubtfully, "Alright, tell me, why are you going to the Empire?"
The little Roman rubbed her red cheeks, and showed a fierce look, "I've been invited by the Holy Cathedral of Fire, as the president of the Seven Seas Merchant Guild, and as a distinguished guest of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, I'm going to the Cruz Empire to participate in the ceremony of the Holy War."
She deliberately emphasized the word 'distinguished guest', and then handed the invitation to Brando. Brando opened the parchment letter, and almost blacked out and fell to the ground. The Holy Cathedral of Fire did invite some famous businessmen, poets, and even artists and scholars of various fields to participate in the annual large-scale celebration, or in commemoration of the opening of the Holy War, but he never dreamed that the Roman would be on the list — his somewhat muddle-headed and unreliable fiancée.
He couldn't help but read the letter several times, and finally confirmed that the magic wax seal on the letter was the real emblem of the Holy Cathedral. After confirming that there was no mistake, he had to admit that this thing didn't look fake.
He raised his head and looked at the Roman as if he was looking at an alien, "When did your business become so big?"
"Very long ago. The Holy Cathedral of Fire invited me to the Harvest Festival this year, but at that time they were going to Ampere Seale. I've already been there, so I don't want to go anymore. It's not fun at all." The little Roman replied casually, as if the invitation from the Holy Cathedral of Fire was just an invitation for her to go on a trip, and whether she would go or not depended on her mood. Brando almost knelt down to her. The Holy Cathedral of Fire's tradition of inviting celebrities had always existed in the game. At that time, there were some famous merchant guilds among the players in Erouine. Until the second era, these merchant guilds with major sponsors behind them would often break their heads over such an invitation letter. There were even a few instances where it almost led to a war between the merchant guilds. At least, Brando had seen it happen a few times.
Brando carefully looked at his almighty fiancée, and felt that there must be something like Martha's daughter behind this.
But in the end, it was Amandina who cleared his doubts. It turned out that many of the resources produced in the Black Forest, including some precious magic materials and magic crystals, were strategic resources that the Holy Cathedral of Fire urgently needed, especially during the period before the start of the Holy War. Tónigel's large exports in the past year had long made it an important partner in the eyes of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, so it was not surprising that the Roman, the nominal president of the Seven Seas Merchant Guild, was valued by the Holy Cathedral.
But Brando shook his head, still thinking that Amandina had used a cheat. One must know that to become a merchant that could trade with the Holy Cathedral of Fire, it was not only enough to have a supply of goods, but also required a considerable network of contacts. He did not have to think to guess that the Roman must have used the connections of the merchant guilds in Ampere Seale. But as for how she did it, it was a bit ridiculous.
Because this could only be explained by a miracle in Amandina's opinion.
"Can I go now, Brando?" The little Roman covered her face and asked pitifully, but there was clearly a little pride in her voice.
"Up to you-" Brando replied in a bad mood. He felt that in front of this little fiancée, his intelligence and sense of existence as a count had been severely devalued, and this made him feel very hurt.
"Then Brando, help me prepare a carriage. I want the one I usually use, and there's a stove on it that can put charcoal."
"No, go to my carriage obediently!"
"Oh!"
After sending away the Roman lady and the second son of Duke Karsuk, who was almost the same height and width, who had been trying to get close to him, Brando finally broke away from the group of young masters and ladies. He walked to the side of the carriage and just happened to see Ferlyn coming out of the castle with a notebook in her hand. He saw the elder of the Wild Elf sisters and knew that the things she had prepared were probably done. He hurriedly greeted her: "Ferlyn!"
"My Lord."
"Are Brunhilda and the others ready?"
The elder of the Wild Elf sisters nodded.
"Very good," Brendel finally let out a sigh of relief in his heart. This trip was not really to bring these young ladies and young masters out for a vacation, it was just a pretense on the surface. Moreover, Princess Gryphine had appointed him as the leader of the envoy group and the Commander of the Southern Legion. This appointment had arrived earlier, and it was obvious that she wanted him to transfer the elites from Tónigel to form the accompanying guards for this envoy group.
This was a tradition that had been tacitly agreed upon.
Before the start of the Holy War, the Empire had summoned the envoys of the various kingdoms and duchies. This had become a tradition since the first Holy War. Today, this was not only a way for the Holy Cathedral of Fire to confirm the confidence of the participants, but also a way for the vassal states to compete with each other to obtain a higher status in the Holy Cathedral of Fire. In this envoy group, first of all, the noble families had to greet the representatives of the Empire. This in itself represented a kind of respectful submission, and was also a way for the vassal states to pledge their loyalty to the Holy Cathedral. Of course, this kind of greeting was not so blatant and was a little more reserved.
On the other hand, there was the accompanying guards of the envoy group. After all, the Holy War was a war, and every country needed to show their strength to the Holy Cathedral of Fire to obtain a corresponding status in the war and even after. The guards of the envoy group were a means of showing off. Generally speaking, the guards of the envoy group were the most elite forces of each country, representing the highest standard of the duchies and kingdoms, and also the face of the nobles and the royal family. In order to maintain this face and glory, these guards of the envoy group would even compete with each other in the Cruz Empire and clash with each other. Of course, this kind of conflict rarely led to bloodshed, but the side that lost face most of the time would not have a good time after returning to their country.
The most powerful guard group of the envoy group in all the previous Holy Wars should be from the Black Raven Duchy in the west of the Empire. This duchy was adjacent to the Hazel people and the Holy Cathedral of Earth. Although the duchy accepted the faith of the Holy Cathedral of Fire, most of the inhabitants were half-orcs and half-beastmen, and the people were very valiant, and the nobles were also very martial. At that time, they sent out a guard group composed of bear warriors, and whether it was in terms of quantity or quality, they crushed the guards of the other countries. Unfortunately, they met the Erouine people of that era.
In that Holy War, the envoy group sent out by the Erouine people could be regarded as the most shabby one in all the previous Holy Wars. Other than the nobles' representatives, the envoy group was made up of the officers of the White Lion Legion, and there were less than 20 people in total. However, the problem was that the captain of this group of 20 people was the Earth Sword Saint Darius, and the vice-captain was the scholar of the Mithril Fortress, Tulman. These two people swept away everyone, including the people of Cruz.
As for how Brando's famous grandfather later became the marshal of the allied forces, that was another story.
The envoy group was the face of Erouine, and Tónigel was now the strongest territory in the entire Erouine Empire. Therefore, when the princess chose Brando as the leader of the envoy group, although the Royal Faction had objections, they did not dare to oppose too much. As for Brando and Her Royal Highness, the two of them had reached a tacit understanding, and they used this as an excuse to brazenly stuff people into this so-called guard group. As for what these people would do in Cruz in the end.
That was hard to say.
Brando took the notebook from Felaern's hand, and casually flipped through it, then looked up at the entire convoy and said softly, "Then let's go, we'll see you in Cruz."
Finally, he added in a low voice, "Holy War.
"Holy War, here I come."
… …
(PS: You promised to be the second update, and by the way, ask for next month's monthly votes, students. Also, vote for Blackie and help him keep the sixth place in the classification.)
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