The black sun hangs high

Chapter 395 Moon Heir Artmir
A new war is now inevitable.

Even ignorant children would shut their mouths in fear at the sight of marching troops, vehicles, and heavy trains rolling along the tracks—a situation that had occurred not long ago, with everyone still vividly remembering the war that had caused countless deaths.

But now, before the stench of blood has even dissipated, a new killing is already waiting outside the door.

Unlike in the past, this time, even the Votel people, who have never had much resistance or fear of war, began to feel uneasy.

This situation was unavoidable.

An ordinary officer who graduated from the Votel Military Academy can quickly make a series of judgments based on his own knowledge and experience regarding the surrounding situation, battlefield dynamics, and the latest developments in the war. On the other hand, a senior officer who has worked in the Votel military system for a long time can keenly perceive subtle changes in the form of war and can conduct a lot of divergent thinking based on this.

As for those leaders in the decision-making level who have received countless resources and long-term elite training, it goes without saying that they are not only commanders on the battlefield, but also often hold other important positions.

Magical advisor, war scholar, master craftsman...

In addition, the Voltel people's instilled belief in the supremacy of the military from birth allowed them to leave a significant mark on Vaan's history.

But now, even these "masters of war" have lost control of what is about to happen.

the reason is simple.

They did not understand what kind of enemy they were facing.

During this period of time, the Waterlings have been closely monitoring two different directions, the first of which is naturally the rugged hills.

Since the appearance of the Black Sun, this area, which was once used by the Votel military to monitor the plains and serve as an important artillery outpost, has now become a huge hidden danger for the Votel Kingdom.

The Voltel military has stationed two legions here, working with the council mages to conduct long-term, continuous surveillance of the rugged hills and its surrounding areas. The towns that have evacuated all their residents have now become their camps and strongholds, and exploration and research on the rugged hills have been ongoing.

However, compared to the colors of life and the black sun, the research progress on the rugged hills is incredibly slow.

The main reason is that almost no one can successfully step into this terrible area. The light emanating from the terrifying cracks is deadly to any living being. Anyone who touches them at close range will be transformed into a miserable and horrifying humanoid crystal in a very short time, and this process is irreversible.

The second direction is naturally the border between the Kingdom of Water and the Kingdom of Saint Steel.

In the memory of the Votel, their homeland had not been so vigilant toward the North for a very long time. For the past hundred years or so, relations between the two countries had been very mild, even friendly.

But now, with the Black Sun Society declaring actual control over Saint-St., all the veils have been torn off.

The situation is changing so fast that it's suffocating for ordinary people. They have a relatively limited understanding of politics and international relations, and many simply cannot understand why the "Cowards of the Plains," who were once considered the kingdom's greatest enemies, and the Legal Council, which is based in the North and constantly shrinks Walter's living space, have become the kingdom's allies.

For the Water people, deeply influenced by old ideas, such developments were quite shocking, but now, the rulers and officials of Water were in no mood to care about the thoughts of their people, as more and more strange signs were spreading along the northern border.

The number of soldiers claiming to have seen "eagles" at night is increasing. The most troublesome incident occurred during the early morning shift change when fifty soldiers, including two officers, simultaneously witnessed several huge shadows streaking across the sky.

What terrified the soldiers even more was that these ominous shadows were chasing their target—several giant eagles that lived in the surrounding mountains.

These majestic birds, which have always served as totems and spiritual symbols of the plateau people, now appear as weak and pitiful sparrows, while those indistinguishable, enormous figures are preying on them.

The chase didn't last long, because soon the fleeing giant eagles rushed into the nearby forests, and the enormous shadows naturally gave up their pursuit. They circled twice above the forests before silently disappearing into the terrifying shadows of the black sun.

"What exactly is that?"

The soldiers desperately wanted answers from the council mages accompanying the army, but the wise and learned spellcasters were also clueless. They could only tell the soldiers that these terrifying shadows might be some evil magic of the Black Sun Society, or perhaps they were ancient magical creatures summoned by them through ritual.

After careful assessment, officers on the border submitted an urgent report requesting the military to transport more of the new weapons previously used to counter armed airships to the border. They believed that it was necessary to be wary of these strange entities, both for the sake of the Votel people's spiritual beliefs and for the security of the border.

……

Unlike the tense soldiers of Votel, Hugh, who was in Watchtower and “strictly following” Krzlov’s orders, had successfully earned himself the opportunity to “observe” these giant shadows up close thanks to his “hard work” over the past ten days since the rally.

If the "Asharu" used as mounts by the Black Sun Society were a kind of beast with bird-like characteristics, then Hugh now believed that what he was seeing was probably some kind of strange bird of prey that mixed together many terrifying animal characteristics.

It has huge claws that are strong enough to grip large vehicles and are covered with a lot of hard bone.

The "feathers" covered the body like thin iron plates and exuded a faint magical aura.

The four wings, with their extremely exaggerated wingspans, were powerful enough to easily cover almost half of the street.

In addition, there is a long tail extending from behind it, also covered in "feathers," and six eyes in two pairs on either side of its head. Although it looks rather strange, compared to other ancient creations, this giant eagle appears more majestic; at least the aura of a top predator emanating from it completely overshadows the eeriness of its appearance.

Hugh was certain that their aura was extremely "pure".

Unlike the court hounds, the raging rats, and the creatures summoned by the Black Sun Society, these four-winged giant eagles did not bear many traces of origin from any particular lost deity. If it weren't for their terrifying appearance, Hugh would almost have thought that these giant eagles were some kind of exceptionally large and rare magical creature.

When three four-winged giant eagles appeared in the same open space at the same time, Hugh felt his vision narrow, and everything around him, whether it was the ritual sculptures or the buildings, seemed low and simple.

"It's amazing, isn't it?"

Tatiana, who was in charge of showing Hugh the "tour," looked fascinated at the three four-winged giant eagles standing in the open space: "These are the last remaining retinue of the great Moon Eagle in this world. Fortunately, we have successfully awakened them, and they are willing to join us... Praise be to the Moon Eagle."

As she spoke, Tatiana's fingers kept rubbing the metal pendant in front of her, which was carved into the shape of a strange giant eagle with six wings.

However, like the three four-winged giant eagles in front of Hugh, the image on the pendant also has many features that are different from those of ordinary birds of prey. Its six outstretched wings have many strange patterns that resemble moons and eyes, and its rear half of its body has a long tail that is more like a "flying dragon".

The Moon Eagle, a deity who once ruled the skies and controlled all winged creatures in ancient times, still has a considerable number of followers within the Black Sun Society today.

Tatiana is one of them.

Hugh squinted and carefully observed the three giant eagles, while trying to keep his presence as low as possible. He was worried that these keen predators would detect the hidden aura on his body and cause some unnecessary trouble.

He then said, "They are truly magnificent... What should I call them?"

"Atmir."

Tatiana replied solemnly, “Or you could call them the Heirs of the Moon… They are not the same as the other servants of the Moonhawk. Artmir is a divine being born directly from the Moonhawk’s grace and bloodline, a true descendant of the Lord of the Sky.”

As Tatiana explained, she focused intently on the three giant eagles: "Mr. Kerzlov found a huge cave ruin on the Lovi Plateau, and these three Atmirs slumber in that ruin... That ruin is very likely the place where the Moon Eagle was sacrificed in the past, and a powerful force protected it, keeping it from the harassment of the false god and her followers in the past."

Hugh nodded, carefully examining the ancient ritual patterns that extended from the multiple Black Sun Ritual Vessels, covering the entire open space and even spreading to the buildings. He then asked, "So... can we command them now?"

"Command? What are you talking about?"

Tatiana glanced at Hugh with displeasure: "Fiolando, you need to understand that the Artmirs are noble beings who are superior to us... We have neither the means nor the authority to give them any orders... These ancient rituals were found by Mr. Kzlov in the ruins. They are the will left behind by the Moonhawk and the last favor the Moonhawk bestowed upon its followers."

"Only through this ritual can we convey our thoughts to the Artmirs and guide them in their pursuit of prey and enemies."

Hughes raised his eyebrows slightly.

Ultimately, it's just the same old method of manipulating and commanding through rituals. Of course, he can't just say that out loud now.

So he asked, “Well, I understand what you mean… They do look very noble. Now can you tell me why Mr. Kezlov sent me here?”

"This is related to the task you are about to perform."

Tatiana suppressed the pious expression she had shown while observing the four-winged giant eagles. She turned to Hugh and said, “Fiorlando, you have performed exceptionally well since the gathering, and Mr. Krzlov is very satisfied. But this is not enough. Don’t forget the important task and objective that the Society has given you—to find those dangerous individuals who have infiltrated our ranks, especially their leaders.”

“Shug Ernst, right? I’ve tried so many methods, and even been attacked twice because of it, but he’s obviously very careful. Under normal circumstances, there’s no way to lure him out!”

"The Society is well aware of this, so now, Mr. Kezlov has decided to offer you a valuable additional opportunity."

Tatiana whispered, "The enemy's assembly is almost complete, and they are now steadily advancing towards our lines... The war is about to begin, so we must also resolve our internal problems as soon as possible!"

Upon hearing this, Hugh's face also showed a serious and focused expression. He took two steps closer to Tatiana and then gestured for her to continue.

“Fiolando, think about it. In the past period of time, we have dealt with several groups of suspected targets and cleaned up five or six hidden spy bases. By all accounts, the blows they have suffered have been quite severe…”

Tatiana said slowly, "However, despite the casualties of our allies, Hugh Ernst has not made any move. This suggests that he may already know our plans and ideas, which is why he has been patient. So now, Mr. Kerzlov has decided to adopt a new strategy."

She paused slightly, her gaze shifting once more to the three Atmir four-winged giant eagles: "Let our Moonbringers launch a surprise attack on the enemy, welcoming these fools with devastating casualties."

“An exciting plan…but what does that have to do with Hugh Ernst, whom we were just talking about?”

Tatiana smiled. "We will release some intelligence related to them within Watchtower City, including the possible targets, locations, and methods of attack... Mr. Kerzlov wants to see if that young 'legend' can remain patient under these circumstances..."

(End of this chapter)