The black sun hangs high

Chapter 84 Snow Night Manor
What will happen if I answer 'I mind' now?

Hughes muttered something to himself, but outwardly nodded in agreement.

After receiving permission from the guards and old Zeke, Hugh took the revolver and, surrounded by the guards, walked out of the hotel lobby with Zeke Ernst.

The glass shards that had been scattered on the ground during the accident had not yet been completely cleaned up. As the wheelchair drove over the ground, the glass shards, along with snowflakes, made a slight clattering sound under the wheelchair's tires.

It was very cold outside, and snowflakes were steadily piling up on the ground, though they hadn't yet reached a significant size.

Ernst Manor remained very quiet. The three gunshots fired by Hughes earlier did not seem to have any effect on the manor itself. The guards responsible for patrolling the edge of the woods remained silent. They only gave a brief salute when old Zeke's team passed by, and then continued their work mechanically.

Zeke Ernst was indeed very old. He was huddled in a wheelchair, wearing not only a thick coat but also a blanket for warmth. In addition, Hugh noticed that the wheelchair he was sitting in was very heavy, with a set of intricate mechanical decorations on the back and a series of magical crystals embedded in the armrests.

Clearly, this is a special device created by combining two different technologies: steam and magic.

As an elderly man, Zek Ernst appeared silent and weak on this cold winter night. He placed his hands on the armrests of his wheelchair, enjoying the warmth that the machine provided.

Ernst Manor is indeed very large.

It was bigger than what Hugh saw in the memories of this body.

After walking for quite some time, he finally saw the symbol of this ancient family—a huge mansion with a vast area and an architectural style that differed from the existing houses in Walter. It did not have such sharp spires, and the overall structure was more solid and robust. The color was not the gray and black tone commonly seen in the Kingdom of Walter, but rather pure white.

Illuminated by the many magical lamps erected beside the mansion, the white stone bricks that make up the huge mansion stand out. Over the long years, although the entire Ernst Manor has undergone many maintenance and renovations, these weathered stone bricks still inevitably reveal a sense of age and vicissitude.

But they remain magnificent and awe-inspiring.

It stands amidst that vast meadow and garden, just as the Kingdom of Walter stands on the Lovi Plateau.

Ernst's family history predates even the Kingdom of Walter.

Some say this family migrated from the plains, while others say they were once residents of the western coast, but these are just folk tales and rumors.

According to the Ernst family’s own records, they were already rooted here, infusing ancient traditions, customs and culture into the changing seasons, allowing their noble status and lineage to flow through this land.

Some may wonder why such a powerful and long-established family would always willingly become vassals of the kingdoms that rose and fell on the Lovi Plateau, rather than becoming the true rulers themselves. The Ernst family has never given a direct answer to this question, but on different occasions, the Ernst family leaders and spokespeople have expressed their and the family's views more than once—the Ernst family has no interest in acquiring supreme secular power; they care more about the continuation and prosperity of the family.

Hughes agrees with this view.

Because he knew that even two hundred years later, in the stories he was familiar with, the presence of Ernst family members would still be widespread in the world of Vaan.

But that's a distant future story. After his previous experience, Hugh no longer dared to take the developments he knew about as absolute references.

After all, the concept of fate itself is full of contradictions.

Believe it or not, conform to it or not, change it or not... all of this seems to be changing at any time and in any place.

Hugh's gaze passed over the aged figure in front of him, then shifted from the Ernst family mansion to the night sky where snowflakes were falling continuously. In that boundless darkness, it seemed as if a hand was manipulating and manipulating everything in this world.

But Hughes still refused to believe in so-called gods and fate.

As a human being with free will, he did not want to obey any predetermined arrangement. From this point of view, he could actually agree with what Theseus said during their meeting.

"Instead of following the script, I'd rather do some improvisation... I'm not the same person as that unfortunate guy who's been incorporated into a statue two hundred years from now."

As his thoughts were put into practice, Hughes exhaled a long breath, which turned into a long, narrow white mist in the cold air and then disappeared without a trace in the wind.

"Is it cold in Borden?"

An aged voice suddenly came from ahead: "This winter has come more suddenly than usual. It never snowed so frequently in the past."

Old Zeke didn't seem to expect any response from Hugh, and continued on his own: "It won't be long before the cold winds reach the plains, and the rivers and lakes there will freeze over, making life difficult for the soldiers."

Hugh hesitated for a moment before replying, "When I visited the Fifth Regiment, I saw many new types of equipment. Perhaps with the help of steam technology, our soldiers will be much more comfortable than before."

"Heh, I'm not just talking about our soldiers."

Old Zeke shook his head: "No matter how excellent and innovative those equipment are, it will be difficult to equip every legion and every unit in a short period of time... The allies of Votel may be able to adapt to this cold climate to some extent, but for the soldiers on the plains, it will be very difficult and painful to be on duty and fighting in winter."

His tone was sincere, even tinged with a hint of wistfulness, which surprised Hugh.

How could a marshal known for his iron will and ruthlessness in the Kingdom of Votel feel compassion for the enemy's soldiers?
"War, child, are you familiar with war? Do you understand it?"

Hughes chose to remain silent at this moment.

In his past life, he had certainly seen many texts and images related to war, and even the land that nurtured him had struggled to be reborn amidst the raging flames of war. But in the end, he was still just an ordinary person born in a peaceful era and a peaceful country.

Therefore, his understanding of war was always incomplete and one-sided.

Even though he gained access to the soldiers' memories through the Dark Abyss offspring, he still couldn't comprehend true war. After all, peace in a broad sense had indeed lasted for far too long, and even professional soldiers rarely had the opportunity to step onto the battlefield.

"Well... when I was young, I was once obsessed with social dances, so for a long time I felt that human activities were like one dance after another, and war was the largest and most intense kind of one."

The old man stated his views in a somewhat peculiar tone: "There are always many reasons for holding a ball, or rather, we can always find different reasons, big and small, for this event. And once it starts, all sorts of people, organizations, or countries will get involved... And the content of the ball is often not limited to dancing. People always take this opportunity to chat, exchange information, and even do some business."

At this point, Zeke Ernst sighed slowly: "Kid, you probably haven't been to many social occasions in the past, have you? Don't worry, there will be opportunities in the future. As a young person, don't be too dull."

The servants pushed the wheelchair forward, and finally, as Old Zeke had said, Hugh and the others arrived in front of the mansion.

The mansion was brightly lit.

"At least from the outside, it doesn't look like it's been renovated... or maybe it hasn't even started yet?"

Hugh carefully observed his surroundings, afraid of missing any details about Ernst's mansion.

Here, he dared not cast spells or mobilize magic at will, because from the moment he stepped into the mansion, Hugh had already sensed a large number of complex and independent rituals operating here.

He was certain that this was absolutely not in line with the so-called mansion renovation plan.

Even though he was only a beginner in magic, he knew that when inspecting or renovating a building, both the protective rituals inscribed in the building's walls and the special secrets buried deep beneath the building must be stopped in advance, otherwise it could very likely cause irreversible accidents. This content was mentioned in the basic "textbook".

There are many elderly people in the Ernst family, and many of them, like Zeke Ernst, need to rely on wheelchairs to get around. Therefore, the mansion is not only equipped with elevators, but also with ramps on the stairs that wheelchairs can use to move forward and climb.

Various works commemorating the Ernst family's glorious past are hung and displayed in the mansion's corridors and living rooms. The portraits painted in different eras and the huge scrolls recording different events seem to deeply engrave every experience and every important figure of this ancient family into the hearts of everyone who walks through this place.

The guards dispersed, and two armed maids came over. One of them took the wheelchair, while the other bowed and took the revolver from Hugh.

Hughes sensed a similar aura about them to that of the sword-wielding hermits of the Legal Committee.

That dangerous aura emanating from it after being modified by a large number of potions and magical rituals.

He followed old Zeke up to the second floor, and after stepping over a series of stairs and stone bricks inscribed with magical rituals, they entered a bright hall.

Hugh's eyes lit up involuntarily, because this was actually an exhibition hall.

An exhibition hall displaying and displaying a wide variety of weapons.

From simple sticks to swords, to the earliest crystal guns, and then to the new firearms that have appeared recently... Among them, Hugh also saw many mage items that should only exist within the Law Council system, such as old-fashioned magic scrolls, the first edition of spellbooks that Merlinle and the reformed version began to promote, and swords, shields and crossbows made of stun silver specifically for targeting wild mages...

As for standardized alchemical supplies, there's no need to mention them.

Hugh glanced at it briefly; the Magic Path Pendulum, used to find traces of magic, filled two entire display cases.

What truly captivates the eye are the heavy weapons displayed in the very center of the hall, surrounded by massive glass cases and barbed wire.

The old-fashioned crystal cannon that had been widely used for hundreds of years, the groundbreaking throwing metal magic cannon that incorporated various magical rituals, the prototype of the 'Saint Steel Cannon' that appeared a hundred years ago and represented the evolution of new crystal cannons, and the magic cannon with multiple rows of small barrels that used deadly crystal fragments as scattering bullets, specially made to deal with dense infantry formations...

It is not hard to see from these bizarre and varied weapons that people still have a great passion for how to destroy their own kind and other living beings.

At the very front, Hugh saw a colossal object forged from complex metal, inlaid with numerous magical crystals, and combined with a giant steam engine.

"Muchi Type 3... Steam Crystallization Cannon".

Old Zeke's voice came from the side: "That's the one that bombarded Seren."

"Not only is the firing principle very different from the crystal cannons of the past, but its range and the types of shells it can use have also made amazing progress..."

The wheelchair slowly pulled up beside Hugh, and old Zeke said, "The Muqi family has really shone this time. Perhaps it won't be long before their workshop becomes the exclusive workshop of the Walter royal family. Orders from Saint Steel and Hein are piling up in their warehouses, hehe..."

Hugh turned his head and saw Zeke Ernst's incredibly bright eyes. Then he heard the old man in front of him say, "I really want to hear your insights on Seren City and the relationship between Water and Delan."

"I don't know much about this."

"Oh? Really?"

Old Zeke smiled, but his tone was full of doubt: "Son, if you really didn't know anything, then my student wouldn't have wanted to see you in the first place."

“I know that your family has caused you a lot of unpleasantness in the past, so I think it’s okay for you to hate your father, hate those who have treated you unfairly, and even want to take revenge on them.”

The aged three-clawed falcon held his cane, his wrinkled fingers gently rubbing the eagle pattern on the top of the cane: "As Ernst's current ruler and your elder, my only request of you is that you let go of your resistance to everything at hand, accept it, and embrace it."

...

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(End of this chapter)