She Is Not a Witch Chapter 228: The Iron Gray Banner
Northern border, cold leaf collar.
The world is full of snow and frost. This scene has lasted for nearly three years. Everything is withered, and it is difficult to see traces of animal activities even in the mountains and forests.
On the frozen lake, several locals wearing thick winter clothes and covered in snow are using hoes and pickaxes to beat the ice and dig out big holes.
Come out in such cold weather because there are frozen fish at the bottom of this lake, which can be used as a scarce food source today.
Bursts of white air, they have been working like this for several days, but the harvest is always not enough, there are too many people in the villages and towns that need to be fed, some old people can't survive the long winter, and died silently in a certain night.
"Huh, I can't dig anymore." A villager slumped on the ground exhaustedly, and his voice seemed to be relatively young, probably in his twenties.
"You can't do this, Barron, haha." Although the conditions are difficult now, the uncle on the side still laughed. .
"When I was young, I experienced a worse situation than now. At that time, migrating winter wolves came to the territory. I fled into the mountains and almost got lost and died inside."
"When you are extremely hungry, you will even eat grass roots and bark. How can you care so much."
"Although there is a shortage of food, at least there are still fish, and we can persist."
"Eating grass roots and bark, can you really survive?" The young man was a little unbelievable, and then looked at the big fish dug out of the ice pit.
"It's getting more and more difficult to dig fish. The shallow ones have been almost dug by the people nearby. If you go further down, it will be full of mud." His voice was worried and lost.
"When will such a day be the end?" Holding the frozen lake surface with both hands, he looked up at the faint sun, while the icy wind was still blowing around.
Hearing his call like this, the few people who were working on the side were also affected by their depressed mood, and they stopped slowly and sat aside to rest.
Yes, when will such a situation be the first, is it really necessary to freeze to death and starve to death on this land.
"If, if the south is really as warm as everyone says, why don't we go there." One of them murmured.
"Don't think wildly, people's land is also owned by others, if we run over, it's probably almost like starting a war." The uncle stopped this dangerous topic.
"Heh, people are going to die, how can I care so much."
"If the empire can't solve the problem in the north, then we have to solve it ourselves."
The young man clenched his fingers into a fist and slammed into the ice beside him.
"Isn't it the southern border? It wasn't brought down by our ancestors. When we conquered the country of Oz, we, the remnants of the Everdark Isle, rushed to the forefront. Gave them the royal family's own people, and we ended up with this poor and barren place in the North."
The several great nobles in the northern region headed by the Trey family are basically the survivors of Eternal Darkness Island, that is, the descendants of the former Mercury Dynasty. As the most resolute and disciplined army, they stood at the forefront of the army and fought fiercely with the army of Oz.
The iron-gray flag, the never-falling wisteria and crescent moon, and the warriors who look at death as home, represent the will and inheritance of the Mercury Dynasty. In the end, the great witch of the country of Oz was also crucified on the city gate by the knights of the Trey family.
"Don't talk about the past." The uncle waved his hands slowly.
"We are outsiders after all, and at that time the upper echelon of the empire was full of distrust and wariness towards us, that is because our ancestors' fiefdom was in the north, and the blood of the Trey family withered in large numbers during the battle, almost extinct, This made the empire gradually relieved."
"The northern border cannot be said to be very good, but at least in the past few hundred years, everyone has gradually gotten used to such a stable life."
What he said was not unreasonable, and the others didn't know how to refute for a while. There was a brief silence between them, and the uncle took out the little tobacco left in his arms and lit it up, slowly in the cold wind. It seems that in this uncomfortable life, only this small moment can make him relax and calm down.
The sun is slowly reaching the position of noon, but it is still cold here, and there is no joy.
Just as these people were resting for a short time, there was a rush of horseshoes stepping across the road by the lake and galloping towards the town not far away.
"That's it?"
"It looks like it's from the south, and the clothes and attire should be a messenger or a cavalry."
"Are you in such a hurry, I think the horse is almost running to death."
"Maybe something happened."
"Why don't we call it a day early and go back and have a look?" One person suggested, and the others nodded after a little hesitation, and they all agreed.
In this depressing and difficult environment, I always hope for some changes, and things can't be worse than they are now.
Shortly after, the group dug out the fish, dragged by a snowmobile, and began to return.
After staying for more than an hour, they arrived in the town again, and the street was full of noise, which was completely different from the usual deserted appearance.
"Is there a mutiny in the imperial capital?"
"No, it seems that the new emperor has ascended the throne."
"What about the regent and queen?"
"Should be dead, after all, it's a power grab, so of course you have to be ruthless."
"How does the empire feel like it's about to end?"
"Hey, who's to say it's not? Our northern border is almost unbearable. I hope the new emperor can send more food over here this time."
"I don't think so. The throne has just been replaced, and there is probably another war against the rebellion. The food has been given to the army, so how can it be provided to us. Besides, the south is also lost, and the royal family probably doesn't have enough to support their own people."
People were discussing the unfamiliar things of these few people on the street, and after inquiring for a while, they found out that there was another coup d'etat in the empire.
"The internal affairs of their royal family have nothing to do with us. But this time it depends on whether the Trey family can get food from the new emperor, otherwise we can't survive on our own." Several villagers talked like this.
Unlike other places in the northern border, the relationship between nobles and commoners is very harmonious, because they need to unite to fight against the harsh natural environment and climate.
On weekdays, many nobles would even personally participate in the spring plowing, because it is indeed very important to produce more grain.
This place is not like other places, where the land is vast and sparsely populated. If the nobles treat the common people badly, if they run away, no one will even pay taxes in the territory.
No one will immigrate here. If they really want to immigrate, most of them will choose the rich eastern region, or the prosperous central and southern regions.
Although such an environment allows the people in the northern border to live a poor life, it is relatively stable, and neighbors often help each other, because no one knows whether they will suffer the same disaster in the future.
Cold wind, monsters, barrenness, desolation, frost and snow, these together constitute the impression of most people in the empire on the northern border, and people from the northern border also have different characteristics from other parts of the empire.
Most of them are dark-haired, with flat and straight accents, they pay more attention to promises, they will be very united outside, and they respect witches, believe in fate, and they also have a strong hometown plot, and they rarely wander outside for a lifetime.
The villagers in the town are talking about this important event, and Hanyeling is already the most remote place in the northern part of the empire. If they all know, it means that basically all towns in the northern border have received this message .
In the castle in the mountains, a man in armor is packing his luggage, and his wife is still dissuading him.
"Heitlin, are you really going?"
"Well, I'll go."
He answered like this almost without thinking, put on the black knight helmet slowly, and then tightened it in front of the mirror.
"Your Majesty the Queen has been kind to us, you should never forget it."
A year and a half ago, he received an order from the lord to go to the south with a group of companions to purchase food, and encountered many difficulties. Fortunately, he finally got enough food from the western border.
But even so, when they returned, they still encountered insurmountable difficulties. Some greedy nobles set up checkpoints in the fief, requiring them to hand over half of the food in order to pass.
Because of this kind of trouble, they fled in embarrassment several times, and had to change direction again and again, hoping to return to their hometown safely.
But such actions also lead to the continuous loss of transported food, and the time is gradually running out.
The Han Ye Territory is located in the remote northwest corner of the northern border, and there are almost no food producing places around. If they go back late, I am afraid that a large number of people in the territory will not be able to survive that winter.
Not only will the lord be furious, but the people in the territory will not forgive them. This situation almost drives them into a desperate situation.
Fortunately, in the end, a ceremonial officer brought Her Majesty's order and opened the way for them, which allowed them to walk in a straight line and rush back to Hanyeling in the shortest time, relieving the urgent need.
"Now, I have received news that Her Majesty the Queen and the prince are fleeing to Needle Forest County in Wolf Howl Province, so I want to rush there to help."
"Are you crazy? Now that the new emperor has ascended the throne and controlled the center of the empire, even Duke Raven has acquiesced in his identity, you still jump out at this time!?"
"Her Majesty's honor comes from her husband and children, but now that the Amanke brothers are gone, and the little prince can't take the throne, you go to save them, what can you change by yourself, it's just...it's just Suicide, don't you care about everything in the family?" The wife's voice was full of earnest persuasion, for the future panic, she wanted to stop this foolish and crazy man.
But the knight kept moving, put on the black knight armor one by one, went to the bedroom, opened the bed board, and took out the excellent weapon wrapped in oiled paper under the bed.
Slowly wiped the fuzzy and blunted blade, and re-sharpened it to a bright shine. The man fastened the scabbard firmly, and then pushed open the door. The temperature dropped suddenly.
He took his only remaining friend, his warhorse, and rolled over, while the wife rushed out of the house with the child in her arms, who grabbed him by the cloak and saddle.
"No, don't go, Dad." The child made a childish voice, and his movements finally slowed down.
"Look, he's only 5 years old, don't you have the heart for the child to have no father!" The wife's voice was already a little hoarse.
Scattered snow particles fell in the cold wind. The man sat on the saddle and stood upright, silent, like a statue.
He didn't look back, but looked outside at the snow-covered mountains, houses, frozen lakes, and the withered and cold world.
After a long time, he finally spoke, his voice full of difficulty, like a frozen river.
"No, he will have a father who is brave and keeps his word."
After speaking, he shook the reins, and one man and one horse, like black steel, sailed towards the world covered with frost and snow.
The iron-gray flag shook rapidly in the cold wind, and a group of people waited quietly at the intersection, waiting for those comrades who were rushing to death with them.
The black war horse hurriedly trod across the snow, bringing with it splashes of snow powder and mud. The last companion arrived and stopped the group of people. Go south.
This group of people does not have any organization, nor the name of the legion. The only thing they have is the iron-grey flag, which was waved by the remnants of the Eternal Darkness Island when they returned to the mainland.
On the gray and barren island, there is no paint, and no rare water source to wash it off. It can only use the dirtiest gray as the base, dye it with precious purple vine flower juice, and roughly draw the appearance of a crescent moon. .
Yes, people on the mainland do not trust them, and the empire is wary of these remnants, allowing them to undertake the most difficult and dangerous tasks, but it is undeniable that the empire finally kept its promise, granting them land to live for generations, and Overcome all objections and make the Undead Sequence, this extraordinary sequence that has been spurned and slandered, be accepted by the world again.
Giving these survivors who have made military exploits noble status, allowing them to gain dignity and recognition, this is the kindness bestowed by the upper echelons of the empire.
People in the northern border have never forgotten these things, so generations have stuck to this barren land, built ships in the severe cold land, cruised the North Sea, and guarded against the possible southward movement of ice elves.
Now ~IndoMTL.com~ Even if the master of the empire changes, this oath will still not change.
The northern border will not betray the empire, but they cannot forget the favor of the royal family in the past. Some knights have begun to separate from the northern border legion or their past identities.
They will no longer belong to any family, nor will they belong to any force. They just shout for the promise of the past, and gallop towards the road of death.
After the coup d'état in the upper echelon of the empire, many nobles in the northern border kept silent about it, but they would not stop these subordinates or knights from leaving, and ran to an agreed place. This is the tradition of the northern border, and countless people An ancient tradition to believe in and follow.
Promises must be kept, even if they face visible death.
During the long wind and snow, these soldiers gradually gathered together, and the dilapidated iron-gray flag became their only common symbol.
With gray battle flags and spears, these well-trained warriors are like cold steel, constantly advancing in the wind and snow. They are living machines, warriors who are about to turn into undead, the afterglow of the mercury dynasty.