After five days of traveling along the Rick River, the group of people gradually approached the capital of the Empire, Brunswick.
It was the end of November, and the weather was very cold. The amount of water in the Rick River was decreasing, and the further upstream they traveled, the dirtier the water became. There were countless merchant ships, ferries, and fishing boats in the river. The river was the lifeline of the Empire. It connected half of the Empire's river transportation, and the water helped the people of the Empire to transport goods and catch fish.
Looking at the muddy and rancid water, as well as the rubbish that was washed up, Tegris frowned. He rode on a pure-blooded Elven warhorse and rode side by side with the Emperor of the Empire. The High Elves and the Empire's army followed behind. Looking at the chaos and filth in the human territory, many High Elves couldn't help but show disdain.
Compared to Brittany's vast fields and castles, the Empire was much dirtier. Many villages and cities were like patched clothes, which made the High Elves who liked aesthetics uncomfortable.
"Many people are going upstream," Tegris said to Emperor Karl-franz.
Other than the army, the long line was also filled with people. They formed a long line of black and grey, heading straight for the upper reaches of the Rick River. Clearly, they had the same destination as the Emperor and the Great Mage, which was the capital of the upper class.
"The Empire is facing too many threats. The Green Dwarfs and Goblins in the mountains, the bandits and Orcs in the forest, the high taxes of some lords and nobles, and the war in the North." Emperor Karl-franz said in a low voice, "Some villages can survive the winter, some can't … People always want to go to the capital to find an opportunity, a job, or a share of the relief food."
"The war in the North can affect here?" Tegris looked at the Emperor of the Empire with his dead fish eyes.
"A year ago, King Egil of the Skalins led his tribe south to Nord to plunder. They went all the way to Hackendorf, where King Harald Frank led his army to stop the Skalins' advance," the Great Mage said to the Great Mage. "Even so, thousands of Nords have lost their homes, and many have chosen to come to the south to see if they can find a job," the Emperor said to the Great Mage.
"…" Many thoughts flashed through Tegris's mind, but he didn't say anything on the surface. He just nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
Hundreds of Rick's Praetorian Guards were neat and tidy. Their silver armor, white crowns, and red feathers were the knights of the Empire's Emperor. Although they were relatively young (the history of the Order of Knights began after Ludwig the Savior's abdication), this Order of Knights had been one of the most powerful Knights of the Empire since its establishment. Many people thought that their strength was second only to the Griffin Knights, and some people thought that the strength of the Rick's Praetorian Guards was completely on par with the Griffin Knights.
Seeing that Tegris did not intend to speak, the Emperor continued, "But now, the pressure on the North is much less. Egil is dead, and the Northland that was finally united is divided again. Countless tribes rose up, and without a leader, they rashly went south. They were all wiped out by Helberg's army and Nord's army. This time, we killed tens of thousands of barbarians, and these barbarians will have to rest for a while."
"It won't be too long. Any victory against the Chaos is only temporary." Tegris did not hold back. "Tens of thousands of barbarians is indeed a great loss to the barbarians in the North, but with the blessing of the Evil God, they will be able to recover in at least five years."
"Then we have at least bought five years of time." The Emperor's face was still smiling. "Five years is not short for humans."
Thinking about the human's reproductive ability and the fact that twenty years was equivalent to a generation, Tegris did not deny this notion. Many elven scholars studied the rise of the humans after the War of the Long Beard, and the main conclusion was that they were too good at reproducing!
After a period of time, the capital of the Empire was right in front of them.
Brunswick, the capital of the Empire and the first city of the human kingdoms, rose up from the ground in the Rickwood Forest. The city walls were more than twenty meters tall, and the city covered an area of forty square kilometers. This miracle city of the humans had stood firmly in the heart of the Empire since the founding of the Empire. Although this city was not always the capital of the Empire, it was without a doubt the symbol of the Empire. Its existence was like a blessing from the gods.
The tall walls were filled with cannons and patrolling troops, and the buildings within the walls had long surpassed the height of the walls. In the two thousand years of development, every inch of the empty space in Brunswick was filled with buildings. When the land was used up, the residents began to build up until it surpassed the height of the walls.
"Brunswick used to be called Rickdorf. It was the place where Emperor Charlemagne was born and grew up. This city has a permanent population of two hundred thousand, and it is said that the floating population is close to a million." Laing introduced the city to Suria and Silvia. He also repeated the introduction to Veronica and Teresa. "In the history of the Empire, Brunswick has faced many invasions from powerful enemies. For example, the famous green-skinned warlord 'Iron Claw' Gobard once fought his way to Brunswick and killed the emperor at the time, but in the end, he failed. The famous vampire Frey Von Karstein also once forced the city into a desperate situation.
On the towering walls, the coat of arms of the Empire's crown, the golden double-headed eagle that symbolized the Empire, and the golden griffin Karl-franz family coat of arms holding a war hammer appeared on both sides of the city gate. Although the city gate was wide, there were still dozens of carriages and close to a thousand people gathered at the entrance, all waiting to enter the city.
As the group approached the city gate, the Rick Guards began to carry out their mission. These knights galloped on their horses, and the sound of hooves thundered.
“Makewayfortheemperor！”
“MakewayfortheKarlFranz！”
“Makewayfortheemperor！！！”
The city gate opened wide, and all the residents moved to the sides of the road, allowing the large group to enter the city quickly.
Seeing the appearance of the High Elf army, the human residents were shocked and even a little fearful.
No one cared about the feelings of the civilians. Under the protection of the Rick Guards, Tegris and Emperor Karl-franz took the lead and entered the city first.
Laing and the rest followed.
The moment Laing and the rest entered the city, a gloomy and dark atmosphere completely enveloped them.
The sun completely disappeared behind the tall houses and walls. The sudden change in light made Laing feel very uncomfortable. After his vision adjusted for a moment, he saw a dirty and chaotic street.
On both sides of the street were workers, vendors, and beggars. Most of them were dressed in simple and dirty clothes. In the face of the Emperor's personal arrival, no matter what these civilians thought, most of them bowed respectfully and made way for the group of people.
There was a stench in the city, obviously caused by the dumping of household waste. Laing tried to look around and could see hundreds of heads. The streets were much more crowded than expected. Even some corners were crowded with people. Everywhere in the dirty alleys, there were pieces of clothes drying. There were people of all ages. As people retreated from the streets, they scrambled to poke their heads out to see the Emperor and the army, as well as the rare High Elves.
There were small rivers and channels everywhere in the city. Many man-made channels could be seen everywhere. These channels were used by the residents to get water, wash clothes, and even as sewers. The tall buildings occupied Laing's vision. He found that he could barely see the sky because the smoke from the chimneys of the houses covered the sky. The sound of people and noise drowned out his hearing.
This was Brunswick, the capital of the Empire, a great and glorious city. At the same time, it was also a city surrounded by slums and muddy ponds. The buildings were messy, damp and dirty, and full of bad habits and order. It was a city that cruelly and gently welcomed everyone who came here.
No other city could better express the nature of human beings. Noble and despicable, kind and insidious, wise and stupid, virtue and sin intertwined. This was Brunswick, the capital of the Empire and the place where Charlemagne was born.
After passing through a dozen streets, the Empire's Royal Palace appeared in front of them.
On the dome of the 50-meter-tall golden palace hall was a statue of a golden griffin holding a war hammer. That was the coat of arms of the Franz family. Strong and great granite walls rose from the ground. Marble floors and silver-inlaid columns formed the tallest and most sacred building in Brunswick. Since the abdication of Ludwig the Savior, Emperor Leopold presided over the further addition of the Empire's Royal Palace.
The golden griffin family coat of arms was the family coat of arms of Ludwig the Savior, and the griffin holding a war hammer represented the family's ownership of the Empire's throne. In such a sacred place, the mortals looked quite small in front of the tall Royal Palace. At least, Suria, Veronica, and Teresa were shocked.
Only the High Elves led by Tegris did not change their expressions. To the High Elves, human buildings were nothing. However, to Laing, which country in the West had he not been to? Holy Tayla's throne room was much higher than the Empire's Royal Palace. It was difficult for him to feel shocked.
However, he still respected it because the Royal Palace was surrounded by statues of heroes who had sacrificed themselves. Since the establishment of the Empire, endless wars had surrounded this great country in the flames of war. Under the countless sacrifices, countless human heroes emerged. Their names would be praised by the world until the end of the world.
It was these precious sacrifices that allowed the mortals to survive under the threat of Chaos, Green Skin, and the Undead.
"Your Excellency Tegris, Your Excellency Laing, we need some time to convene the meeting … Yes, the Kurfürsten can directly teleport to the capital through magic, but they still need to settle the affairs in the territory first … or at least to the extent that they can leave." Karl-franz said to Tegris and Laing, "You need to wait here for a few days. It won't be too long. During this time, you can walk around the city. My soldiers will ensure your safety, or rather, my soldiers will ensure the safety of the civilians in front of you."
"Are there any places that we can't go?" Laing asked deliberately.
"Haha, there are many taboo books and magic books sealed in the basement of the Royal Palace, but these are not a problem for you and Your Excellency Tegris. There are many secret equipment under the Church of Justice. If you want to visit them, you have to discuss with Archbishop Vickma. Also, there are many powerful monsters sealed in the Royal Wizard Academy of the Empire." Emperor Karl-franz nodded. "It's not that you can't visit these places, but before you and Your Excellency Tegris visit, please inform the people involved so that they can make sufficient preparations."
The secrets of the Empire were not secrets to Tegris at all, because many of the taboo books and seals were completed under the supervision of Tegris.
Laing thought that this was the benefit of having a strong sense of legitimacy. He was the rightful emperor of the Empire, so he wasn't afraid of Tegris and Laing. "I heard there are many rare beasts in the Royal Zoo?"
"Yes. If Your Excellency Laing wants to visit, we can arrange it later," Karl-franz said generously.
"Let's rest first." Tegris shook his head. He wasn't too interested in these things. "Tomorrow, Laing, Miss Trovic, Madam Bernadotte, and I will visit the Royal Wizard Academy. Your Majesty, who is the current chief wizard?"
"The current chief wizard is Thernus Gehrman, the principal of the Royal Wizard Academy and the principal of the Flame Academy. However, I would like to introduce you to Balshazer Gelt, Ordo, and Gregg Matak," the emperor said as he dismounted. The attendants came up and he continued, "You will be staying in the Royal Guesthouse next to the palace. I've already arranged rooms for you."
"Your Excellency Tegris, Your Excellency Laing, please come with me." A general of the Empire stepped forward. "I am Heinrich Frings. You can call me Frings."
Two hours later, in the Royal Guesthouse of the Empire.
In the luxurious suite, the door to the bathroom was opened. Suria was carried out by Laing. Her face was flushed and her body was too sore to walk. Suria leaned weakly in her husband's arms. Her long, curly blonde hair brushed against the luxurious carpet. "Laing, you … you're bad …" She mumbled in a daze.
"My wife, it's because you're too beautiful." Laing kissed his wife's lips gently. He carried her out of the bathroom as if she was a piece of flawless, fragile jade.
He liked it when Suria was like this. The noble female knight would only show this kind of expression in front of Laing when they were alone. This expression was very special. Laing liked it very much because this was what a sweet new wife should have.
The guesthouse that Laing and his wife were staying in was the most luxurious suite for nobles. It had all the necessary facilities.
"It's because you're too bad." Suria barely came back to her senses. The female knight was about to say something when she saw a beautiful figure sitting on the white bed. Her long blonde hair covered the entire bed sheet. "Oh! No! "
Suria was so embarrassed that she almost fainted.
The Fairy of the Lake was wearing a pink corduroy strapless evening gown. She was sitting on the soft bed in the room. Her face was suspiciously flushed, and her beautiful legs were shaking unnaturally as she spoke in a sour tone.
"Laing, you seem to be having a good time recently?"
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
