The black sun hangs high

Chapter 52 The Changes in Seren (Part 1)

Like all ancient kingdoms in Vaan, built by intelligent beings, the Kingdom of Wotel has always been filled with various internal conflicts and struggles throughout its long history and development.

Compared to its biggest rival, the Kingdom of Delan, the nobles of the Kingdom of Wotel were extremely demanding, even cruel, in their selection of successors.

Someone once used this phrase to describe the fierce competition within the Borden aristocratic circle.

"The eagles of Borden only rest in the arena."

The Ernst family and other noble families of Walter have always adhered to an extremely cruel system for selecting successors, and the Judit family, as the royal family of Walter, is naturally no exception.

The Water people worship the giant eagles of the plateau.

Legend has it that these ancient magical eagles begin a bloody battle from the moment they hatch. To ensure the concentration of magic within their bodies, the first to hatch will devour its brothers and sisters as its first meal. The eaglets that survive the battles in the nest will be nourished by the rich magic and possess steel-like talons and feathers that can be used as blades. Their eyes can easily pierce through thick clouds, and their ears can detect the slightest sound on the ground...

In the past, the highland kingdoms worshipped and believed in this magical and ferocious creature as if it were a god. Now, they have transferred their reverence and hope for the highland eagle to the rulers of their own countries.

In such an environment, if one does not want to become a sacrifice for one's brothers and sisters, one should take the initiative to give up and leave one's family circle forever. Those who have certain resources and are eager to succeed their brothers and sisters are willing to pay any price for it.

What is even more awe-inspiring to outsiders is that these fighters, in the process of competing, still strictly adhere to an ironclad rule in their culture—that all struggles should not undermine the interests of the kingdom!
This is also a major reason why the plains nations feel so resistant to the Votels. They cannot understand the Votel nobles' enthusiasm for this bloody struggle, nor can they understand their rigid adherence to certain rules.

Prince Harvid is one such example.

Everyone knows that visiting Seren at this stage is extremely dangerous. After all, the military exercises of the highland kingdoms are about to begin, and no one knows whether such an exercise might suddenly turn into a real war at some point. If that happens, nobles who are far from the kingdom's sphere of influence could become targets for assassination or hostages.

But Harvid felt he had no choice.

He was at a disadvantage in the competition for the throne of the kingdom and desperately needed an event that could demonstrate his importance and legitimacy to boost his support among the people. Therefore, in his view, a celebration that would allow him to confront potential enemies alone in a dangerous area was the best choice.

Harvid was neither a fool nor a reckless man. He was well aware of how delicate the situation in Seren City and the surrounding area was. However, compared to his sister, who already had a very high reputation in the Kingdom of Votel, and who had made great achievements in the military field after being taught by the former Imperial Marshal Zeke Ernst, his disadvantage was too obvious.

Although Harvid had already received recognition and an invitation from his sister after demonstrating his outstanding abilities in the field of diplomacy, he did not want to devote the rest of his life to Walter's diplomatic affairs.

What he sought was never the title of Foreign Minister.

So he brought his wife and, representing the Kingdom of Walter, came to Peace Hill.

Everything went smoothly. Prince Henry of the Kingdom of Deland was also a diplomatic talent with excellent social skills and wide connections. After a brief period of probing and communication, the two reached a consensus without realizing it. Thus, they created a harmonious conversation with great tacit understanding. Harvid knew that his performance these past few days would be publicized throughout the entire Kingdom of Walter. People would know that as a noble descendant of the Great Eagle, he was able to display the finest noble qualities and secure the greatest benefits for the kingdom even when taking great risks!

Some of the things that happened in Seren did not escape his ears.

But he didn't care about that; he even expected more serious unrest to break out in Seren.

"Nothing will stop us from going... Relax, honey, it's just passing through a city."

On the way to the south gate of Seren, Havid gently took his wife's hand and whispered in her ear.

Harvid chose this woman from a common background, and marrying this etiquette teacher was the most genuine choice Harvid made in his life. He never hesitated to express his love for his wife in any situation or occasion.

If circumstances allowed, Harved would never have brought her here, but feelings are always reciprocal. This strong woman, who had been the subject of much controversy in Walter, resolutely chose to follow Harved after hearing about his adventurous plans. She did not want her absence to diminish her husband's adventure.

"I know, you've arranged everything."

She was still a little nervous, so her smile looked a bit stiff.

Harvid didn't blame her. Instead, he reached out and knocked on the car door next to him. It was a brand-new model vehicle. According to the designer's concept, the magic conversion rate of this steam car had been exaggeratedly improved, which greatly reduced the consumption of magic crystals. In other words, this was a vehicle that best reflected the current technological trend of Walter!

"Please rest assured, Madam!"

The person driving the vehicle was not an ordinary driver, but a Valley-level spellcaster belonging to the Walter royal family.

He was not only the driver, but also Harvid's most trusted magical guard. He explained in an extremely calm voice, "Every part of this vehicle is mixed with stun silver. Any destructive magic will be neutralized the moment it hits the vehicle. You may still feel a slight vibration, but believe me, the vibration will be no different from driving through a small puddle."

Harvid smiled and raised his hand to salute the soldiers guarding the convoy.

The mage's guard continued his explanation: "As for the crystal gun, there's even less to worry about. This vehicle is inscribed with and equipped with the Royal Society's latest secret instruments... You know, those were originally mounted on the city walls. To shrink them down and install them on the vehicle, and to ensure that they operate simultaneously with the Demon-Suppressing Silver, is no simple task."

Hearing this, the princess finally smiled: "So I think you mean we can safely pass through the hail of bullets?" "Of course you can think that way."

The meticulous mage guard affirmed, "Any crystal bullet will shatter upon approaching the Mystic, and to exhaust the Mystic's power... well, unless we're facing an entire shooting legion."

All doubts were dispelled, and the princess, who had been somewhat uneasy, smiled. She took her husband's arm and together they greeted the people outside.

Although the independent government managed to clear the main streets of Seren at the last minute and barely completed the festive decorations along the entire street, the whole city of Seren was still shrouded in a heavy atmosphere of oppression.

At exactly nine o'clock in the morning, to the tune of "Ceremony Minor," a piece composed by Walter and Deland that had been in use for two hundred years, the carriages of the two princes entered the gates of Serem simultaneously. Prince Havid of Walter's carriage was on the left, while Prince Henry of Deland's carriage was on the right. Havid's carriage was slightly ahead of the other side, which was proof that the Kingdom of Walter had the upper hand in the great battle two hundred years ago.

Officials from the independent government gave a somewhat hasty speech, while specially organized crowds gathered on both sides of the road and erupted in "enthusiastic cheers."

The clock tower on the central axis rang out loudly in the sunlight.

Just like the armistice celebrations of previous years, this ancient and massive clock tower will ring 168 times on this day to commemorate the fierce siege that ended the era of war and successfully ushered in a period of peace for the Love Plateau and the Goddess Plain.

This marks the 299th anniversary of the signing of the armistice agreement.

There's only one year left until the 300th anniversary.

……

Although the city of Seren is not large, it is not small either. When the princes arrived at the south gate and were about to begin their procession, Hugh and his companions had already successfully reached their first destination under the cover of magic and with the help of the sprinting rats leading the way. This destination was the incense shop, which made its living by smuggling prohibited alchemical drugs.

A few unexpected things happened upon their arrival at the shop. Perhaps the recent changes in Seren City had made these audacious smugglers somewhat uneasy, and in order to protect their hard-earned property, they all gathered inside the shop.

When Hugh appeared in their sights, these guys were drinking and playing cards. Two of them were quite drunk and even mistook Hugh for a newcomer, almost trying to drag him onto the card table.

Hugh actually quite liked Dragon Tooth Cards, mainly because this card game was somewhat similar to another game in his memory. Although the two worlds were not very related, they both had the magical function of "making friends all over the world with a deck of cards".

Unfortunately, Hugh doesn't want to play cards with these smugglers right now.

After confirming that all the shop members were in front of him, Hugh gave the order to the sprinting rat hidden in the shadows amidst a mocking laugh. As this crazed magical creature, on which Hugh had placed his hopes, rushed into the crowd, the Touch of Karron began to wreak havoc within the enclosed shop.

Although these smugglers were usually brave and fierce, they had no experience in confronting spellcasters head-on. Several of them who dared to take out steel crossbows and old-fashioned crystal guns to attack were targeted by Hugh and Snicky. The writhing black tentacles and the rampaging rats spreading corrosive poison caused them to scream in agony in an instant. The two who suffered the most were hit by the impact of Calron's Touch and had their arms broken. Snicky then blinded them as he followed closely behind.

Hugh wasn't entirely confident he could eliminate all the smugglers in the incense shop on his own, but he wasn't the only spellcaster there. When the smugglers, whose minds and wills were severely damaged by the twisting black tentacles, screamed in terror and tried to escape from the shop, they discovered that all the doors and windows were sealed by an invisible force.

Moreover, the smugglers who tried to break down the door and escape outdoors felt a strong sense of suffocation, as if the air around them was being rapidly sucked away. In the agony of being unable to breathe, they collapsed to the ground one by one and completely lost consciousness from suffocation.

Vera led the trembling Sally and Schubert through the chaotic store, rolling her eyes at Hugh, who stood amidst the mess: "Mr. Hugh, you should really expand your magical repertoire... Trust me, it's not that difficult. You can't keep making such a mess every time, can you?"

Hugh didn't have time to respond to Villin. He was trying his best to control Sniggy. Although it had indeed become much more obedient after getting a name, the thirst for flesh and blood and killing hidden in its body was so strong. If Hugh had given the order a little later, it probably would have already pounced on the wounded and started "enjoying a meal".

Old Schubert can no longer bear to look at Hughes; he cannot reconcile the spellcaster capable of wielding terrifying magic with the young writer who excels at creating works "that everyone loves."

At this point, Hugh didn't care what others thought of him. After Verin sealed off the incense shop, he led everyone to the warehouse at the back. Based on the results of Sniggy's previous investigation, Hugh quickly moved several stacked spice boxes and then pulled off a straw mat covering the ground, revealing a trapdoor that was almost exactly the same color as the ground.

As soon as the trapdoor opened, a foul odor became immediately noticeable, so everyone quickly put on the masks that Hugh had bought, and only then did they feel a little more comfortable.

If given the choice, no one would want to walk through the stench-filled city sewers.

According to the plan, everyone was only one step away from successfully leaving Seren City... But for some reason, standing at the entrance of the underground waterway, Hugh felt a sense of panic and unease for no apparent reason.

Am I being too nervous?

Hugh took a couple of deep breaths, feeling his heart pounding faster and faster, but he couldn't help turning his head to look outside the warehouse.

The bells tolled from the central clock tower of Seren.

The parade began.

(End of this chapter)