Laing and Teresa walked along the street. Laing's face was very gloomy, as if covered with a layer of dust. He casually pulled out the sword he picked up from the dock and threw it aside. This action caused a commotion among the local residents, but Laing did not care. He seemed to hesitate for a moment, but he still pulled out his one-handed sword in front of Teresa and carried it on his back. "I was so stupid. I actually thought that there would be no fighting in the town."
Teresa paid special attention to Laing's one-handed sword because in her memory, from the first time she met Laing, this sword had been by his side, but she had never seen him pull it out. Compared to a weapon, it was more like an ornament.
The scabbard of the sword was decorated with gold and silver patterns, and there was a passage of scripture on it sealed with wax. Teresa could not understand what was written on it, but she knew what language it was.
This extremely complicated language was High Gothic, the sacred language used by the Carolingian knights led by Charlemagne during the founding of the Empire. Unlike Low Gothic, this High Gothic was very complicated, and it took years of hard work to master it. Only the great nobles of the Empire knew how to use this language, and it was strictly forbidden to spread it outside. Being able to speak High Gothic was a symbol of status and glory. Teresa remembered that Laing's Godfather was indeed the one in the Empire … She forced herself to turn her attention back to the sword.
This sword was longer and bigger than a standard sword, about 1.3 meters. It should be a two-handed greatsword, but the style was in the shape of a one-handed sword.
The blade was hidden in the scabbard and could not be seen. Only the hilt and the blade were connected by a strange golden square box engraved with various runes. She did not know what it was for. The black hilt was deep and solemn, and the sword head was made into a silver skull-shaped ball.
"Is your sword a ritual sword custom-made by a craftsman for you? I don't think you have ever used it before. "The sorceress asked casually, but she was actually a little interested.
"Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? I'm still thinking about that damn mercenary and this damn custom of Nord. "
Seeing that the man did not want to talk about this, the sorceress knew that now was not the time to stir up trouble. So she said gently, "Why do you care about a mercenary? If you really don't like him, just kill him. What's so difficult about it? "
"After the end of the Second War of Chaos, the first group of veterans who followed His Majesty Ludwig's army agreed to gather in Brunswick's Griffin Square every ten years to talk about the past together." Instead, Laing didn't answer to Teresa's question..... the first ten years, the second, and the third........... but...... of the first ten years, the second decade, the third, of the third........ but...... and they.............. of...
. "Just like that, in the fourth, fifth, and sixth decade, the number of people gradually decreased. Some people gradually left them.
"After the ninth decade, there were only a few old people left who could come to the square. They were all strong people who had broken through the threshold of Legendary. But after ninety years, they also began to grow old. More of the veterans had turned into the dust of history.
"Then the tenth decade, the eleventh decade, the twelfth decade …"
Teresa was silent. If one couldn't break through the Sanctuary-level, one's life would always come to an end. This was an eternal truth.
"In the fourteenth decade, in the morning of another appointed day, when Baron Manuel Rudy was pushed to the Griffin Square by his servant in a wheelchair, he didn't see any of his comrades.
"At first, he thought that he had arrived early, so he signaled the servant not to leave and waited patiently.
"Just like that, the morning sun rose. The sun gradually rose into the sky until it was late in the morning, and then the sun shone brightly.
"In the end, no one came.
"Tears soaked Baron Manuel's military uniform and covered the medals on his chest. He knew that he was the last one of his brothers who had survived.
"No one else would come.
"Just like that, Baron Manuel sat in the square for a long time. When the afternoon sun shone on him, he seemed to have given up.
"But at this moment, an accident happened.
"Countless troops of the Empire poured out and poured into the Griffin Square from all directions. Spears were everywhere, and swords were raining down. The Empire's halberd division, the Empire's elite sword division, the Empire's firearms division, and the Empire's knights all poured into the square from all directions.
"Then came the Inner Circle Royal Guards and the Royal Wizards, which were the most powerful. Then came the Battle Court Guards, which only existed in legends and were responsible for protecting the emperor and the Kurfürsten. The emperor came, the Kurfürsten came, and the great nobles of the Empire all came.
"The emperor of the Empire, Franz Frey Friedrich, who had just ascended to the throne, walked to Baron Manuel, stood at attention, and saluted him. Then, all the Kurfürsten, the dukes, the generals and the ministers of the Empire, and all the great nobles and soldiers of the Empire saluted Baron Manuel. His Majesty said that in person.
"The Empire will never forget your contributions. We will always remember your contributions to the Empire. It was your sacrifice that built the glory of the Empire today. Here, on behalf of all the people of the Empire, I would like to extend the highest respect and sincere gratitude to you and the veterans of the Empire."
After saying that, Laing's eyes turned a little red. He paused for a moment, and then said, "Look at Nord again. They humiliate the veterans as the source of joy, and sympathize with the veterans as a sign of their kindness. "
"Yes, indeed. Nord is a place where the strong preys on the weak. The status of these retired soldiers is very low. At most, they can only get a pension and go home to retire. Unlike the Empire, retired soldiers can enter the army as instructors, and also become police officers in charge of public security." Teresa said casually. It was obvious that the sorceress was not very interested in this topic. Although the previous story had touched her, her path was ultimately to pursue the path of arcane magic, and not to care about the lives of these civilians.
"Sigh, forget it. Let's not talk about this. Lord Villard will be holding a banquet in a while. Do you want to come?" After Laing forced the mercenary named Simon to apologize, the Blood Axe Mercenaries' impression of him decreased a lot. Therefore, he did not plan to stay at the dock any longer and planned to go back to the inn to rest for a while.
"Before I go to the banquet, can you tell me what kind of banquets are held by nobles in the countryside?" The sorceress stared at Laing with her slender phoenix eyes, and the corner of her mouth slightly raised. "Mr. Know-It-All, Mr. Laing?"
"Know-It-All my ass!" Laing rolled his eyes.
"Then, Mr. Sledgehammer?"
"…" Laing's facial muscles kept twitching. He was really annoyed by the nickname "Sledgehammer."
It reminded him of a certain skit in the Celestial Empire: "Sledgehammer 80, Sledgehammer 40."
But there was no way around it. In this world, nicknames were given by others, not by oneself. Generally speaking, for low-level nobles like him, nicknames were often derogatory and unpleasant. This was not to say that the nickname "Sledgehammer" was derogatory, but that nicknames were often given in this way because they were often given in order to show their inferiority to the gods and the people of the world.
Among the eight virtues of a knight, humility was also an important virtue, wasn't it?
If he wanted a nice nickname, Laing's current level was far from enough. He had to become stronger and have a higher reputation.
"The banquets of the feudal lords in the countryside are usually a group of people in the house enjoying barbecue, stew, and wine. Everyone is either standing or sitting, eating and talking. Everyone will discuss the recent situation together and some business deals." Laing nodded first, and then shook his head self-mockingly. "But some feudal lords' banquets are different. They will … be more open. For example, well, that's what it means."
"What do you mean?" The sorceress obviously did not understand.
Laing snickered and made a gesture. The man's right thumb and index finger pinched together in the air in the middle of winter to form a circle. Then the man's left index finger passed through the circle and made a quick pile-driving action. He blinked.
"… I really want to cut your head off directly from your neck with a Frost Arrow." The sorceress immediately understood what the man meant. Her cold and beautiful face suddenly turned red, and then immediately turned black. Those smelly men should die as far away as possible.
She suddenly did not want to attend the banquet. "Then you go tonight. I won't go."
"Then you go and see that little mercenary? That Banda who tried to be brave in front of you and ended up with a broken arm? " Laing pinched his chin and said with interest, "Oh, the beautiful Madam Teresa personally came to visit the brave mercenary and gave him a hot kiss. Our cute little mercenary will be so touched that he will wet the bed. I'm sure."
"Tsk, the people who admire me can line up from the Chaos Sea to the Ridge of the World. There is no lack of my suitors. That mercenary, Banda? What does he have to do with me? " Theresa's face was full of disdain. To a female Warlock, a small mercenary with only ordinary strength was definitely classified as a 'useless man'. Thus, to her, even if a small mercenary was willing to die for her, he wouldn't be able to leave a shadow in her heart.
The women of the Marvel Blue Parliament were all like this. They were realistic and cruel. This made many people dislike them.
Laing actually felt that this was quite simple. 'You don't want to talk to me? Do you think I want to talk to you?'
If it weren't for the Church's cooperation and his father's life-saving grace, Laing wouldn't have wanted to have anything to do with this group of female mages.
That was because the Marvel Blue Parliament always liked to interfere in politics. Some of the female mages were married to nobles of the kingdom and then used their status as madams to give orders. They would constantly use meetings as "madam" diplomacy and then form their own network of connections in order to obtain more political power.
"Then you don't intend to attend the banquet?"
"Do you think I should attend?" The sorceress suddenly stopped in her tracks. Her tall and slender figure stood in place as she looked at Laing with her beautiful phoenix eyes.
"If you're willing to listen to my advice, you should attend. Teresa, meeting some stinky men and learning about the outside world is much better than locking yourself up in your own hotel room and admiring yourself. Don't you think so?" Considering her mother's request, Laing could only give his own suggestion. "Of course, I'm only giving you a suggestion. Whether or not you want to go is up to you. The path of arcane magic doesn't mean hiding in a high tower and doing endless research."
"Alright. See you tonight, Laing." The female Warlock finally nodded. She moved her proud figure, her pair of long legs wrapped in tight pants and long boots swaying as she disappeared around the corner of the street.
"See you tonight."
After packing up his things, Laing walked towards the other side of the town. The Empire's merchant Oliver's caravan was here. He had booked the entire hotel, including a small farmhouse nearby. Laing was staying at his place because he didn't plan to stay in this town for too long.
There were many people in the caravan, and there were constantly workers and guards moving things around. It should be some goods. Laing noticed that most of them were ores and furs, but there were also some other goods.
Loading and unloading goods had always been a troublesome matter.
Laing walked into the lobby of the hotel and noticed that Oliver was talking to another man in luxurious clothes.
The half-elf Astaire was standing behind the man, so if Laing guessed correctly, this man should be the half-elf's employer — the merchant Martz.
Speaking of which, Martz wasn't a very nice name. It meant butt cushion.
"Mr. Laing! You're back? I heard that there was a group of water ghosts that attacked the pier. It was Mr. Ryan who showed his might and killed the leader of the water ghosts. That was how the water ghosts were forced to retreat? Mr. Laing, you're really amazing. " Oliver stood up when he saw Laing walk in. The Empire's merchant seemed to have some lingering fear, but Laing could tell at a glance that he was faking it.
How could a large town be conquered by a group of water ghosts?
"Your battle skills don't look like they were learned here in Nord. I think they look like … Griffin Steps?" Astaire suddenly said, and the half-elf's face showed some curiosity.
"You've been to the Empire?" Laing raised his head. He didn't know why, but he didn't have a good impression of this half-elf.
Perhaps it was because this half-elf with a handsome face and an elegant and intellectual aura was easier to win over than him. Men despised each other, so it was inevitable that there would be some hostility between them.
"Ha, I worked for the Empire's Elector Corleone for eight years, and he still couldn't bear to give up the title of a knight. Don't you think I understand the Empire?" Astaire sneered. The half-elf found a place to sit down. "So, if I'm not wrong, Mr. Laing, your battle skills must have been learned from that elder, right?"
"What does it have to do with you who I learned from? After hearing what you said, I think I understand why you, Mr. Astaire, haven't been able to find a stable job after working for Corleone for eight years. " Laing sized up the handsome half-elf ranger and suddenly sneered. "Having long ears isn't an honor, half-elf."
"You!" The half-elf stood up, but he immediately realized something. His face turned pale. "Forget it. In the name of Asuyan, I won't argue with you. Please don't be confused, Knight of Nord."
Asuyan was the main god of the elven pantheon, the God of the Phoenix.
This surprised Oliver and Martz. The proud half-elf actually didn't care about this kind of thing with Laing? Elves didn't like it when people referred to them with long ears.
What surprised them even more was Laing's expression. This Knight of Nord had a very strange expression. There was anger, surprise, and even a trace of … happiness and relief?
"I'll go back to my room first! Don't disturb me. If there's anything, wait until I come out! " After a pause, Laing immediately said to the two merchants present. Oliver and Martz nodded subconsciously.
After saying that, Laing rushed to his room without looking back. He closed the door and closed all the windows and doors.
The man stood alone in his room as if he was welcoming something.
Gradually, in the cold and quiet room, a faint golden energy slowly appeared. An energy filled with unparalleled majesty and holiness flashed through the room.
Laing was gradually surrounded by this mysterious energy.
In his sea of consciousness, endless golden light flowed around Laing. The flashing golden light was like flowing water, constantly rotating, colliding, and fusing together. Laing only felt his consciousness shining among the stars, but it also felt as if Mount Tai was pressing down on him.
It wasn't until a golden figure flashed out of the light that the terrifying pressure subsided slightly.
"I'm talking to you from afar, my son!"
"I really don't want to be your son! I have a father on Earth, an adoptive father here, and a Godfather. Now you're telling me that I'm your son. How many fathers do you want me to have?! " Laing said to the golden figure in a self-deprecating manner. There was some dissatisfaction on his face, but more than that, there was a sense of relief.
"You're my son. From the moment you accepted my genes, Laing, you're my son. The youngest of my sons, the youngest one." The golden figure didn't waver at all. He only continued speaking in a gentle tone.
"… Alright, I finally have a place where I can surpass someone from the Celestial Empire." Laing didn't have a choice. He could even feel the strong feeling of the blood in his body resonating. His blood was cheering, his bones were making sounds due to excitement, his muscles were playing a resonating melody, and the feeling of being connected by blood echoed in Laing's body.
He was his son.
That's right.
He was his father.
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