The black sun hangs high

Chapter 141 Recruitment Notice
"The compilation of this book is, to some extent, to fulfill the last wish left by my mentor."

"For many years, we have regarded the events of the city of Seren at the end of the year 2699 of the Kal't calendar as the true beginning of a new era. However, the public still knows very little about what happened that year. After repeated verification of a large number of textual materials and interviews with some insiders, we can confirm that the details of the events of the city of Seren are far more complicated than we imagined."

"What caused this event and triggered its serious consequences was not only the conflict between magic and steam, nor just the clash between nations and alliances of interests. Many factors collided, connected, and ultimately intertwined in a very short period of time. Together, they caused the world war that ended the nearly three hundred years of peace in the Katel calendar and Vaan, and ultimately confirmed the ancient prophecy that people feared."

"At the time this introduction was written, many of the problems left over from Vaan's past still existed widely."

"These problems are national, ethnic, and racial... Although the hostility between many different groups has eased to this day, it is still rooted in every corner of the world because of history and culture... When the Dark Abyss tide comes again, these contradictions and emotions will once again sweep through Vaan, which is something none of us want to see."

"The changes in Seren are just the beginning of this book. Our aim is to reveal the inseparable connections between the various countries, peoples and races in Vaan, and we hope that the content of this book will give readers a more macro-level understanding of the changes and development of the various countries and races in Vaan."

"As the mentor said: The cycle of the Sea of ​​Sinar is endless, but Vaan is always moving forward."

"Let us all strive together."

"—Compiled by the scholars of the Vain Magic Society in the year 99 of the Black Sun."

"Excerpted from 'The Dark Abyss, Vaan, and the Races'."

……

Winter Solstice.

The most important festival on the Lovi Plateau, this festival is imbued with many special meanings by a wealth of ancient traditions, fables, and stories.

The people of St. Steer believe that the Winter Solstice is the day when the god of life sleeps. Therefore, after the Winter Solstice, the whole world will become colder until the god of life awakens again and spring will arrive. So they will perform very traditional prayers and sacrificial rites on this day to express their respect for life and hope that the god of life will awaken again.

The inhabitants of the Goddess Plain believe that the Winter Festival is a test set by the gods for humankind. As long as they successfully survive the cruel winter, they will be able to welcome the spring when all things revive...

Even the mages of Merlinle and the North follow the traditions of the spellcasters, regarding the Winter Festival as the most important day for magical rituals—on this day, the magic in Vaan will be more stable than ever before, making it ideal for performing certain important and solemn ceremonies.

But this year's winter festival was an exception.

Because local battles had already broken out ahead of schedule in the Isa River basin, which is close to the northern border.

With the Isa River completely frozen over, the front line, which had been handed over to the army of Saint St. Steel, began to stir.

Initially, only a few teams tentatively crossed the frozen river and scouted the opposite bank of the Isa River. However, as the weather worsened, the St. Steel people became increasingly daring. They deliberately erected temporary watchtowers in some delicate locations and even deliberately entered plain villages near the border, ruthlessly plundering some of the supplies stored there.

This behavior had already posed a threat to the defensive line itself, so the army of the Principality of Imep responsible for the defense naturally took countermeasures.

Violent bloodshed erupted in two forests in the Isa River basin, resulting in casualties on both sides.

In the past, such a situation would have inevitably involved a long and drawn-out negotiation, but this time, the Kingdom of Saint Steel was clearly itching to act, and immediately took the initiative to escalate and exacerbate the situation after the bloodshed occurred.

Taking advantage of their superior weaponry, two days before the arrival of the winter festival, the Saint-St. artillery positions on the west bank of the Isa River launched a fierce bombardment that directly violated the "etiquette of war" towards their designated positions. In this bombardment, the Saint-St. army brought out their world-famous "snowfield cannons".

This extremely heavy magic crystal cannon has an exaggerated range and amazing power that far exceeds that of ordinary crystal cannon weapons. However, it is too cumbersome to be easily transported and can only be used as a city defense weapon.

Hughes had some expectations about the power of this special weapon, but when he learned about its true performance from others, he couldn't help but be astonished.

According to reports, a single bombardment by the Snowfield Cannon triggered a magical explosion that successfully destroyed half of the Imep Duchy's artillery positions. The terrifying impact and the resulting casualties prevented the defenders from mounting an effective counterattack with their crystal cannons. Under these circumstances, Saint Steel's army pressed forward and directly destroyed the Imep Duchy's forward positions, thus pushing the line of control forward.

If the upheaval in Seren was the trigger for this great war...

The "Issa Bombardment," which occurred in the Issa River basin before the winter festival, marked the official start of this grand war.

Although everyone had previously believed that the war would break out completely after the Winter Solstice, when it was brought forward for one reason or another, everyone chose to remain silent.

Strange sights appeared on the city streets.

The decorations, sculptures, banners, or huge picture frames used to celebrate the Winter Solstice are still there, but nearby, you can always find various propaganda posters about conscription, war bonds, and wartime regulations.

The giant-eared goblins in the city are now living in constant fear.

As "white gloves" kept by various families and officials, they were destined to be discarded one day because they were stained with blood and filth, and now was the time—for treason, betrayal, smuggling of important alchemical materials, leaking intelligence, and military equipment development secrets...

Such accusations, which could terrify anyone just by hearing them, came one after another. In Borden alone, more than a hundred "key criminals" were subjected to spiritual interrogation or execution in the past week. Among them were abandoned giant-eared goblins, but there were also many unfortunate people who were brought to the forefront.

In this atmosphere, everyone will be psychologically prepared for what is about to happen.

Therefore, when a recruitment notice jointly signed by the council and the military was delivered to Hugh, he remained remarkably calm, after all, he had already received definite information from Verin.

This is destined to be a war that will involve everyone.

Even though he now holds a special status and is under the dual scrutiny of the Walter royal family and the Ernst family, once his name appears on the Mage Council's roster, he is destined to be caught up in this large-scale recruitment drive. "This is a good thing! This is a good thing!"

When Hugh told old Zeke that he had received the recruitment notice, the old man was extremely open and satisfied. As a very typical Votel soldier, he did not think that joining the army and going to the front lines would be a bad thing.

On the contrary, this is the best way to truly hone one's abilities and fully integrate into a country.

Of course, the old man did not hide from Hughes the extent of his coordination and operations in this regard—with the power and connections of the Ernst family, plus the support provided by the Walter royal family, the Ernst family's journey on the battlefield would be safer than that of most others.

"Go see the battlefield, go see this era of change... Only after seeing it with your own eyes can you understand more things."

That's what old Zeke said when he saw Hugh out of the study.

At his level, even sending younger generations to the battlefield to gain experience could be done openly and legitimately. Xiu Ge believed that he himself could not do such a calm and composed demeanor without decades of experience.

On almost the same day, a significant number of mages, alchemy apprentices, and healers throughout the city of Borden received similar recruitment notices. The military did not give these recruits much time to adjust or ease up due to the approaching winter festival. The notice clearly stated that recruits were required to register and report to the Alchemy Physicians Academy located on the outskirts of Borden within three days of receiving the notice.

"Alchemy Physicians Academy..."

Hugh read it aloud, then turned to look at Duden, the guard beside him. This guy had been following Hugh for the past few days, and the two had become quite familiar with each other. Although Duden would still adhere to his discipline and duties as a guard most of the time, their conversations were not filled with formalities or tact.

Duden looked at the recruitment notice in Hugh's hand, a somewhat complicated expression on his face: "I didn't expect you to actually enlist."

"What? This is beyond your expectations?"

"That's not..."

Duden scratched his head: "Although your family should make comprehensive arrangements, the battlefield is the battlefield. Sometimes a misfired crystal shell can be fatal... Back in the military camp, many people were discussing you. They thought it was a waste to send someone like you to the battlefield."

"What do you mean?"

"If you just stay in the back and write more... that will be an encouragement to everyone. Without your works, people don't really like to hoard those magazines anymore; it's pointless."

“I will have time to write even while I am in the military camp, since my work may not be as busy then.”

"Wow."

As they spoke, the two arrived at the manor gate by carriage. Their next destination was the Alchemy Physicians Academy. Hugh planned to get things done as soon as possible, since he still had a lot of magic topics to work on.

Without exception, all these topics were thrown at her by Verin. After discovering that Hugh's efficiency in learning magic was extremely amazing and that his control over magic power had also improved, she immediately entered "strict teacher" mode. All sorts of books, notes, and magical problems would "appear" on Hugh's desk every day, while she herself immersed herself in the study of "The Poem of the Night" and evil magic.

Speaking of which, Hugh hadn't seen her for several days, but he knew without a doubt that Vera's current appearance was probably not much different from the workaholic female colleagues he knew in his previous life.

On the streets thick with the atmosphere of war, the Ernst family's vehicle sped along. Hugh, looking out the window, asked, "Duden, I remember you mentioned before that Miss Sally is at the Alchemist Medical Academy?"

"Yes, the Alchemy Physicians Academy is very close to our mercenary regiment's base, and we should be supporting this recruitment effort as well... However, Miss Sally has only been studying for a short time, and I'm not sure if she will be accompanying the army this time."

"I'll ask her again when I see her later."

"Sir, Miss Sally must miss you very much; many people in the camp are quite envious of that..."

Hughes smiled but didn't reply.

For a long time, the Borden Alchemist Academy was jokingly referred to as "Melinle, the Highland Physician," which, while obviously an exaggeration, was enough to illustrate the importance of this academy to alchemists.

The vehicle stopped some distance from the academy because the large number of people there affected its movement, so Hugh had to get out and walk.

Although the Kingdom of Walter was strict with its soldiers, it was also very considerate in providing them with good treatment. After walking a few steps, Hugh saw people carrying their issued uniforms, firearms, and personal tools and supplies coming out of the academy.

Some of these people also received small subsidies, and most of them were only children from ordinary families.

Here, Hugh not only saw humans, but also figures such as giant-eared goblins, mountain elves, and highland dwarves. They were also residents of the kingdom officially recognized by Wotel, so while enjoying the benefits, they would naturally also bear the responsibility of enlisting in the army.

"I thought I was going to see cannibals."

“Those big guys are too violent and unstable, so the army usually recruits them directly… You’ll see later.”

Duden answered softly, then pointed in a direction: “We should go there. You are a spellcaster, and the recruitment must be conducted under the supervision of the council… I will wait for you here.”

Hugh nodded, took out his council mage certificate and recruitment notice, and followed the signs placed by the roadside toward the location where the mage council was recruiting.

Compared to the other passages, there were far fewer people here, so Hugh's appearance naturally attracted the attention of the college students who were assisting with the recruitment work. Some of them recognized Hugh's skin and hair color, so they turned their backs and secretly discussed it.

(End of this chapter)