Chapter 143: Under the Apple Tree

In the spring of 1968, the army of the empire's western expedition was reorganized and continued to march towards the hinterland of Crancia. Due to the large number of legions, this time it was the Imperial Prime Minister Edron and the Red Dragon Duke Leodore who each led an army and attacked in two directions.

Among them, the Duke of Red Dragon led the army north, preparing to cross the hills and enter the former Westerly hinterland, while Edron led the army to continue westward, intending to completely annex the Verga Verga area, and then advance to the Falcon.

In May of the same year, the two armies fought against Crancia's army several times. Although there were many casualties, they still relied on several times the strength of the opponent and won the victory.

At this stage of the war, there were about 2.6 million troops in the empire's westward expedition, of which nearly 200,000 were stationed on the occupied land and on the coast to prevent the opponent's counterattack and the login support of the Young Moon Council.

While Edron led an army of 800,000 troops to the city of Hopeland and began to besiege, while the Dragon of Evil led a black and red army of 1.6 million troops to slowly cross the hills of the southern border of the former west wind.

On the Crancia side, 200,000 regular troops and 150,000 troops supported by Falcons were stationed in Hopelander, a seaport city on the key road. In addition, the main domestic forces gathered in the mainland to confront the Duke of Red Dragon, and the number of coalition forces was about 900,000.

In the strangulation battle in the past year, the empire has suffered nearly 600,000 casualties, while the Starlight Alliance has about 300,000. Although the exchange rate is good, a new round of conscription has begun within the empire. It is expected that there will be another 150 in the second half of the year. The army of about 10,000 gathered to the south and headed to the front line.

According to the estimates of scholars in Crancia, after this conscription support, the Canghong Empire still has the energy to instigate the last wave of support, and this is the limit.

In the face of this great situation, the veteran nobles in the Canghong Empire who had been on the sidelines gradually became excited and expressed their willingness to participate in the empire's westward expedition. As a result, among the 1.5 million support troops, many elite corps led by big nobles emerged.

To celebrate, but also to negotiate and distribute the interests of the occupied territories, the Emperor of the Empire arrived in the southern province of Chixin, the center of the Baska fief, in early July, to prepare a grand banquet here. This banquet also invited many new military nobles and veteran nobles, etc., with the intention of harmonizing the relationship between the two parties and making arrangements for future wars.

On July 15, the banquet was held at the Ducal Palace of Baska.

The crimson gradation dragon flapped its wings and soared under the setting sun, pulling the luxurious rose airship across the sky. Its pale silver metal deck reflects golden light in the setting sun.

The original smooth metal shell is now decorated with bright red and lifelike rose vines, which spread all over the edges, corners and planes of the airship, adding an elegant atmosphere.

The owner of this airship is the youngest daughter of the current Crimson Duke, Evetina Cang Baska. Although she does not have the title of princess, this princess is more like a princess than any other princess. She has a famous appearance among the southern aristocrats, but what is more famous is her willful and self-willed character.

Although it is not easy to get along with, there are still many nobles who say that this is the style of the Baska family, bold and direct, and countless people are rushing to pursue the daughter of the duke.

The airship descended slowly, and a girl in a long court dress with layers of flowers walked out of the cabin door and walked to the Duke's courtyard with the support of many maids.

In the hall of the tall mansion, a ball is being held, and groups of noble men and women are dancing in luxurious dresses.

Under the splendid light, the transparent and delicate wine glasses were filled with intoxicating liquids. As the glass collided slightly, these rich and expensive guests chatted with each other and laughed cheerfully from time to time. The whole band on the high platform on the side is playing soothing music, adding a pleasant atmosphere to the dance.

"Oh, this thing seems good."

A wealthy noble looked at the small loudspeaker beside him and said with admiration.

"This was made by those masters from the south. How about me, do you want me to send you a few. A few years ago, I recruited a few masters who escaped and worked for me in my manor. These people are actually very obedient. "A blond man with a white silk scarf on his chest turned the small alchemy tool with his fingers.

"By the way, I also asked them to make some boxes that can produce ice and alchemy creations that can boil water by themselves. These are very comfortable to use in winter and summer."

"The Earl of Eslan will really enjoy it, and I am also moved by what he said. Unfortunately, I am in the north, and I didn't grasp the opportunity of the previous years. Not to mention, these alchemists are still very useful to sit on these gadgets." The wealthy aristocrat continued to play with the small audio player at hand.

"Of course, it's not bad to make money."

"In the future, I will have to find a few alchemists as servants to decorate the facade."

......

"Status? Hahaha, aren't you just a craftsman who fiddles with gadgets, what kind of status do you need, it's a gift to let them live in the empire."

"I see that this is no different from those gardeners and masons who make houses. These lower-class people have only learned a little skill, and they think they are superior. It's too childish and funny."

"Noble blood, honor, is everything."

The banquet was an hour old, and after the atmosphere gradually picked up, several pairs of red-clothed attendants walked down the inner stairs. Although they looked young, all of these people were rare elites and extraordinary people, and almost all of them were above Sequence 5.

"His Royal Highness arrives~"

The inner attendant's sharp and bright voice sounded, and then the music in the venue stopped, and everyone respectfully separated from each other.

Before attending the banquet, many people knew that the Emperor of the Empire would

But at this time, many people were still a little excited.

A young man in a luxurious gold-red dress led a beautifully dressed noble girl slowly down the stairs and into the hall.

This is the current emperor of the empire, Emanque, and the youngest daughter of the Baska family, Evetina. The two also met when they were young and knew each other. Now that the head of the Baska family is not in the fief, it is naturally his wife. Mrs. Torrantesa entertains the guests, and the task of accompanying the emperor's crown is handed over to Evetina. Perhaps it is also the intention of the two sides to match the idea of ​​​​this pair.

If the emperor and the Baska family marry, the politics within the empire will be further stabilized.

After entering the hall, the emperor first briefly said a few words, describing the glorious expedition, the glorious situation, and the glorious victory.

"For this reason, I would like to commend a general, that is, the commander of the Blood Lance Knights, Darcy." The emperor raised the sleeve of his luxurious military uniform and pointed to an officer not far from him. This well-dressed man has a determined face. Although he has been commended, his expression remains the same, calm and stable, which makes people admire and trust him.

"Congratulations~"

"Congratulations to General Darcy."

There was a burst of warm applause. Although many nobles still despised Darcy's humble background, they were also smart people and naturally would not refute the emperor's opinion on the spot. And some nobles with far-sightedness also understand that this is the emperor's hope for the soldiers and officers of civilian origin, so that these expedition soldiers can trust and feel at ease.

Since Darcy, a commoner, can climb to the top of the empire step by step with his military exploits, why can't you. Compared to the past, the new emperor is indeed very happy in the field of commending meritorious deeds, and it is also the case that there are a large number of legions standing by his side and obeying orders for him.

The banquet was still going on. The emperor first danced a few dances on the dance floor with the daughter of the Baska family, and then talked and communicated with many great nobles in the south to win over and get acquainted.

At this time, the sky gradually darkened.

In a remote garden not far from the ball, in the midsummer season, flowers of various colors bloom quietly in the garden, most of which are roses and roses.

Aimanke came here at a fast pace, at this time he had taken off his sultry and complicated coat and cloak, wearing a simple and breathable shirt, followed by several red-clothed guards behind him. Suddenly, he stopped.

"Okay, let's go here, Ronald. Edron must have something important to report when he asked you to come here." He looked back at an officer behind him. It was the close friend beside his brother Edron.

The officer looked around and saw no one, so he spoke slowly.

"Your Majesty, His Highness Edron asked me to remind you of some matters." Immediately afterwards, he approached Amanke's ear and whispered.

"Duke Baska led the main army northward, constantly integrating the army under his command along the way, and once he finally captured a large area of ​​Crancia, the follow-up..."

The Baska family is originally a branch of the royal family. If the last expedition is completed, it has a heavy army and has a vast territory. It is difficult to guarantee that it will not have any dissent.

After Amanke listened, he looked at the orange sunset in the distance and remained silent for a while. "I see."

Seeing that the emperor's back was motionless, Ronald was not sure what the other party was thinking for a while, and with the creed of doing less and making fewer mistakes, he retire and left.

"Prepare the golden scale red dragon of the royal family for Ronald, and let it quickly return to the Prime Minister's side." Aymanke instructed before leaving.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The guard behind him bowed his head and responded, then stepped back and left quickly.

Looking at the dozen or so guards left around, Aimanke continued: "You all retreat, I want to walk in the garden alone."

"This..."

Among them, the leader of the guards, De Rosa, that is, the rare Sequence Seven in the current empire, hesitated slightly. The 30-year-old courtier gave Aimank a wink and glanced at an apple tree in the garden.

Emank nodded, then waved his hand to let him continue to retreat.

"Your Excellency knows, I will wait for His Majesty's call at the exit of the garden." The man held the long sword around his waist and led a dozen or so guards out of the garden.

After everyone left, Aimanke took a few deep breaths before slowly strolling through the courtyard full of flowers.

This is a relatively remote place in the Ducal Palace of Baska, and it is not the most popular garden in the Ducal Palace. Many of the flowers and categories are popular in the last century, and they are naturally not popular with those eldest ladies who follow the trend. But because it is the Duke's mansion, it has not been abandoned, and it has always been maintained by gardeners.

Picking off a light pink rose, Amanke sat on the horizontal bench, looked up at the flowing clouds reflected by the red glow in the sky, and leaned on the back of the chair to relax.

Although in the eyes of outsiders, this emperor is wise and martial, decisive and extremely strong, but it is undeniable that he is still a young man in his 20s. It's just the halo and glory of that body that made everyone forget this.

As he was in charge of this huge empire, he had to decide and manage countless matters. After a long time, it was inevitable that he would be tired.

The eldest daughter of the Baska family is really moving, but unfortunately Amanke doesn't have any special feeling, and it's not even as amazing as the first time she visited the Duke's Mansion when she was 9 years old.

That year, he and Edron, Brother Ansiel, Sister Desslyn.... and other princes and princesses came with their parents to celebrate the wedding of the eldest son of the Baska family.

Looking back now, almost 16 years have passed before I know it.

Time is really ruthless. For a while, he misses the innocence of his childhood.

Carefree days.

The Ansi Er brothers are actually good people. If they ascend the throne, it is estimated that they will also become a pair of emperors with good reputation. But since he has come this far today, he will not regret it.

Aimanke closed his eyes and rested for a while, then stood up and continued to walk slowly towards the depths of the garden.

Then, he stopped under the apple tree and looked at it with interest.

"Aren't you coming down yet?" Aimanke looked at the light-colored skirt looming between the branches.

"Wow!" came the girl's nervous and surprised voice.

"Who are you? How did you find me? Actually, I just wanted to pick an apple, and then I didn't dare to come down when a large group of you came over." The girl whispered.

"Hehe, actually, I also think that the dance is a little boring to come out and walk around. Besides, is the apple delicious, can you give me one." Aimanke suddenly didn't want to reveal his identity.

"This one, it's still sweeter, it feels better than my own." The girl threw down a red apple.

After catching the apple, Aimanke wiped it casually with his sleeve and nibbled it down, not worried about any accident.

Seeing the aristocratic young man eating the apple that she threw away, the girl seemed to feel a lot more at ease, at least now the two are accomplices.

"How did you climb up? I don't think the Baska family likes outsiders to enter their garden." Amanke looked at the girl, who obviously didn't look like a descendant of the Dragon of Evil.

"This.... this, I'm actually just curious for a while, because the banquet is boring. Our family is not a big aristocrat, and the eldest ladies are all very powerful. I can't speak, so I have to come for a walk."

"And then went up to see an apple tree?" Aimanke felt a little amused.

"Yes, in fact, my strength is not bad, I still graduated from Emenas." The girl said slightly.

"Is Emenas stealing apples from the garden after graduation?"

"How can it be called stealing, you really can't speak!" The girl retorted slightly angrily.

"I'm just here to pick apples, and by the way, sit on the tree and enjoy the shade."

The sunlight between the branches and leaves fell on the girl's caramel-colored hair, her young face was mottled and moving, and the light pink and white dress set off her slender figure, making people feel a kind of green and pure beauty.

"Oh, did Emenas really graduate? I don't believe it, why don't I test you?"

"You ask, hum~" The girl's calf wrapped in white gauze swayed gently between the branches.

"Then I started. If a 100-pound object is placed on a beam, and the beam is only supported by columns on one side, and its junction is 20 inches away, how much stress will the column beside it?"

"Ah, this, I think about it, it's relatively simple..." The girl turned her head to think, and then reported a number.

After hearing the answer, Emank continued to ask a few more questions.

"Hey, why do you keep asking math questions, I'm too tired to count." After listening to this, the girl pouted in dissatisfaction.

"No, no." Immediately afterwards, she seemed to find something and shook her head again and again.

"Are you saying that I am heavy? Why do all the questions use data such as my weight and height." She finally found that there was a problem with the data hidden in the questions.

"Haha, did you find out now?" After teasing the girl, Aimank also seemed to feel a special pleasure and relaxation.

"You bad guy." Looking at the laughing noble young man below, the girl jumped down from the tree, ready to step on that arrogant face.

It's a pity that Aiman's skills are superior, so he can easily dodge without saying a word, and catch the girl who jumped off with both hands.

Feeling the close mind and breath, the girl also became a little flustered and uneasy. What should I do if this young man from a great noble family is not good for him?

Looking at the face so close at hand, Aimanke asked softly, "What's your name?"

"I, my name is Lily Esther."

In the midsummer season, the young man's face seemed to merge with the blue sky behind him, beautiful and reassuring.