Chapter 31: The Land of Crimson

Western Continent, Canghong Empire.

It has been 6 years since the sudden change in the color of the world. After experiencing the civil strife in the imperial capital, the change of power, and other chaotic struggles, the entire country finally stabilized for the time being.

Although the old nobles have not been defeated, their strength and influence are not as good as before. Under the promotion of the new emperor, a large number of military lords entered high-level and key positions in the country. Most of them were born in Kusano, and were born at odds with the great nobles. In recent years, they have eroded the power and interests originally belonging to the great nobles.

Faced with this situation, the great nobles were planning to unite against each other, but under the new emperor's superb power, some of the great nobles were bribed and elected as representatives of the new noble council, and their power was even greater than before. As a result, there was also a division within the nobles. The original dark tide was surging, and the rebellions that broke out in various places were also confessed by the ghosts.

After receiving the news, the emperor sent his legions to go to various places to suppress them, gather the land, wealth, and power of the rebel nobles, and distribute some of them as rewards to those corps that suppressed the rebellion. In this way, firmly grasp the support of the military. .

But he didn't completely lose his mind and knocked down all the great nobles. After taking a firm seat, he gradually adopted the policy of empathy, attracting many big nobles, in order to balance the power of the upper echelons of the country, so as not to be completely biased towards one side.

In this way, after six years, the emperor, who was only in his twenties, firmly grasped this huge empire and let his will be implemented throughout the empire.

With the implementation of the new military merit system, more and more civilians and children of nobles entered the army, imitating the old story of the rise of the empire hundreds of years ago.

This year, another round of the imperial propaganda procession was drawn from the imperial capital to the local area. They were dressed in crimson robes, holding a code and a scepter, and proclaimed the emperor's will.

Since the new emperor ascended the throne, the country's appearance has undergone tremendous changes. The previous oppression and injustice have been greatly alleviated under the coercive enforcement and trial of the army. Many old dignitaries have been liquidated and overthrown, and the entire country has begun to radiate new life. And those who had fallen due to famine and poverty were also recruited into the army, which gradually improved the law and order.

The great southern city, Celatis.

Eight jujube red military horses are slowly pulling in front, and the rear body is like a trapezoidal staircase. A ceremonial officer dressed in a gorgeous red robe and a golden crown stands on it, shouting loudly.

In front of and around the carriage were sergeants in steel armor, wearing dark red cloaks, holding halberds and flags high in their hands, and the bright red rose pattern violently flipped in the wind.

This ceremonial officer from the capital of the empire conveyed the words and will of the emperor, and his voice traveled far away under the influence of extraordinary power, and residents from all over the city were attracted by it.

"In order to end the turmoil of the past thousand years, in order to open up more land, in order to allow the people of the empire to live a better life."

"We, the people of the Canghong Empire, will surely use our swords to plow out the land and everything needed by the empire!" The ceremonial officer read out the emperor's words aloud. As the vehicle moved forward, bursts of bright red petals followed the wind. Floating, flying in the air.

The people in the city made the streets crowded with water. Adults and children, men and women, traders and hawkers, nobles and commoners, all looked at the neat and majestic advancing phalanx. Some of them cheered, some talked, and the scene was lively and noisy. There was reverence and enthusiasm in those eyes.

Since the new emperor ascended the throne, this kind of religious-like worship has become more and more prosperous, and even some great nobles suspect that this is secretly promoted by the new emperor to stabilize his power and rule.

But I have to say, because the timing of the coup was too coincidental, and the sun and the moon at the critical moment also put the entire balance on the Edelman Brothers side, allowing them to clear the obstacles with a destructive force. , won the throne.

As a result, they also shrouded a bit of destiny, which also caused the spread of folk worship.

On the tall body, the gorgeously dressed ceremonial officer was still shouting loudly, and his voice was like thunder, spreading to all directions.

"Then, for the supreme glory of the empire, but also for yourselves."

"You, you, will, will, send, move, fully, face, fight, fight!"

"willing!"

The fanatical and unified voice overwhelmed everything, and this huge and powerful empire finally burned like a flame.

——————

Old Lourna, now Krancia Glazed Province, Haoshi County.

There are prisoners in burlap and gray clothes everywhere in the Kuoshan mine.

This mine produces a brittle hyacinth zircon, an extraordinary material for some alchemical creations. However, because of its fragile texture, it cannot be mined violently, so miners are all collected by hand.

Under the scorching sun, many mines were directly exposed to the sun, and the working environment was very harsh.

A man in his 40s was still bent over and carefully digging out a small hyacinth zircon that was hidden and embedded in the rock.

The light red soil and gravel were gradually peeled off, and the stone the size of a quail egg was slowly revealed. Then the man carefully removed it and put it into a small jar on the side. Its broken.

"Huh, it's not easy." He exhaled and wiped his forehead with his grey arm to prevent sweat from getting into his eyes.

The man slowly straightened his waist to prevent his waist from flashing too fast. Since the world has changed, he has lost his extraordinary power and is now just a fragile middle-aged man.

After breathing for a while, he picked up the small jar beside him again and looked at it.

There were three bright little stones in the middle, and a smile appeared on the dark face. It seems that I can eat a few more big buns today.

Looking around, he swept across a figure sitting in the shadow of a mountain wall, and then limped over.

"Hey, old Luck, how's the harvest today." He greeted and sat down beside the mountain wall, disregarding the gravel and dust on the ground, which he was used to.

"It's alright, I found one." The man called Old Luck was probably in his 50s, with many wrinkles on his face and cloudy eyes. He squatted on the ground, his eyes half-open and half-closed, looking at the brightly lit area in the distance.

"When is a day like this..." Old Luck slowly spit out a sentence, with sighs and sadness in it.

"Hey, don't think about it, just take it slow, one day is a day if you can live." The middle-aged man next to him persuaded, putting the small jar in his arms like a treasure, leaning against the stone wall, ready to fight Take a nap to get through the hottest part of the day.

"You can read it, I can't do it. I've been dreaming again recently." Old Luck's voice was full of nostalgia.

"What did you dream about?"

"I dreamed that when I was young, when I was only about 19 years old, I pursued a beautiful elf lady in Emenas. She was so beautiful and vigorous, like the dew of the morning sun, making people want to approach and touch."

"What happened later, I remember that your wife was the third daughter of the Phoenix family at that time."

"Indeed, my pursuit failed. Later, I went back to Mozwa, obeyed my grandfather's arrangement, and married the daughter of the Phoenix family. More than 30 years have passed since then." Old Luck recalled the past, his eyes drifting towards distance.

"But now, I'm alone again, with no wife and children..."

"Moreover, I am still a prisoner now, and the wealth and power of the past are gone. I really can't find anything worth remembering, let me continue to live..." Old Luck's voice gradually became lower.

"When I dreamed of being young, all I felt was deep despair, because I could never go back..." As he spoke, Old Luck's voice choked, and there were two lines of tears on his face.

The man next to him was scared and patted his back, and said slowly, "I know, I understand, live well, don't think too much..."

"No, you don't understand, there are still people in your Shelia family who are not involved, and I, our Walter family, have no descendants." He buried his face deeply in his palm, warm tears mixed with the black and gray Flow down from the fingers.

"Hey..." The man next to him shook his head slightly and stopped talking.

The two sat like this for a while, and a soldier with a gun in armor came over.

"Who are you Wetley Shelia?"

"I am." The man in his forties stood up against the stone wall.

The soldier watched him look up and down, and then said, "Follow me."

Witley took the jar and followed the soldier in small steps. In the huge mine, many prisoners squatted in the shadows, looking at the two people walking in the sun, their eyes were a bit numb, There is also a bit of envy.

The two walked to a hut on the edge of the mine, and two soldiers in heavy armor looked at the two before waving their hands to let go.

The soldier brought Whitley into the hut and said, "You have half an hour to communicate."

He put a worn brass clock on the table and backed out.

Only then did Whitley see another woman in the room, about 20 years old, wearing a simple white cotton dress, standing at the table.

"Are you...Letice?" Whitley hesitated, after all, there are many differences between this girl and her memory.

The memory of Letis was so proud and beautiful, while the girl in front of her was dusty and tired, dressed simply.

"Yes, Uncle Whitley." Letice's tired face showed a long-lost smile.

"Long time no see," she said slowly, and sat Whitley down.

In the humble hut, the sun shines in through the cracks in the roof and falls on the table, the dust slowly floats in the light, and there are a few quiet cicadas outside the window, highlighting the heat of midsummer.

"Are you okay, Letis, have they treated you?" Willett looked at the girl in front of him with concern.

"I'm okay, because I was still in school when the war broke out, and the Crancia military also let me go because of this. It's just that the rest of the family..." When she said this, Letice gradually lowered her head, her voice also gradually lowered.

"I know, I understand, I was mentally prepared for some things a long time ago." Willett comforted the girl in front of him.

"I am afraid that the family's wealth has all disappeared, and those friends are probably gone. Now I can see a living relative, and I am satisfied." Willett leaned back in the chair and said slowly, the old man The Master of Magic Sequence 8 is now skinny and tanned, and he can't see the whiteness he used to be.

"Apart from you, does anyone else survive at home?" Willett asked with concern.

"No more..." Letice lowered her head and said, drops of water falling on her knees.

"Alas...it's so..."

"Maybe this is the punishment..." He sighed.

"How have you been recently? Is your life good?" He stretched out his hand, trying to comfort the only niece, but he stretched out his hand halfway, saw the black ash on it, and slowly put it down again.

"I'm working in a textile factory in Liuli Province now, so it's okay." Lettis wiped her tears and slowly raised her head.

"Is that so, is someone bullying you?" Willett asked with a little worry. After all, with Letis's appearance and a little dress up, she is a stunning girl. If the law and order is not good, then...

"Fortunately, no one bullied me. The counties in Liuli Province are strictly controlled, and no one dares to mess around."

Willett recalled the soldiers in the mining area. His strict discipline once surprised him. Now that he thinks about it, other areas are not too bad.

"That's fine."

The house fell into silence for a while. Willett wanted to say something, but he didn't know what to say for a while, so he could only silently look at the girl in front of him, the former jewel of the family.

Recalling that a few years ago, Lettis was the eldest young lady who was sought after and envied by everyone in the high-level ranks of Luerna, but now she has been reduced to working in a textile factory. The gap is probably not what his uncle could imagine. After all, she was only in her twenties, and unlike herself, she had already experienced too many winds and frosts and looked away.

"Can alchemy and transcendent sequences still be practiced?" Willett asked carefully after a long time.

"Perhaps, the times are different now, and the new practice methods have changed a lot, and those of us who are not very honorable are forbidden to enter the academy to study. We can only explore by ourselves." Lettis looked at the table on the table. Texture, now she is only Magic Sequence 2, this is the result of her own private exploration, very slow.

"It's going to get better, take your time."

"As long as the government doesn't ban it, I can finally figure it out slowly, and live a good life, don't forget my childhood dreams." Willett crossed his hands uneasily, his rough palms rubbing against each other.

In this prisoner mine, all prisoners are forbidden to practice, and they will be punished if they find any act of gathering extraordinary magic power, even if they used to be high-level magic masters, former high-ranking members of Luerna.

Just as the two were talking, the brass clock on the table beeped, and the soldier standing outside the door also came in.

"The time is up, it's time to go." His voice was indifferent, as if he had long been used to this kind of tragic scene that made people cry.

Willett stood up slowly with his body propped up, speaking intermittently.

"Live well and marry a safe family in the future, even if you don't have the surname Shelia, as long as you are safe."

"You want your life to be stable, and your uncle is at ease..." Willett was taken outside the house by the soldier.

Lettis looked at the limping back under the scorching sun, her eyes gradually filled with fluid.

Once upon a time, this uncle was also a genius in the family, extremely handsome and suave, and was regarded by Luerna as the future Sequence 9, the pillar of the Shelia family.

But now, everything dissipates like a dream and becomes a painful reality.