Childhood Anime Grand Tour

The boatman is old, and the men aren't young either, but they're all good people! They still want to go to battle and fight the enemy; they're like an old horse in its stall, still eager to gallop a thousand miles.

War is usually a matter for young people, but because of the alliance treaty, King Wu's control over the surrounding area is extremely loose, to the point that everyone tacitly chooses to go through the motions without putting in any real effort.

The same goes for Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Apart from Nausicaä, the others, like Mito, are all from the grandfather generation!

The Valley of the Wind made this choice, and naturally, everyone else did the same. Kushana, on Peget's side, was practically numb after learning of this; she should have expected this.

"Damn it, these scumbags!!"

Kushana rarely loses her composure, and she's even less likely to get angry about things she's already thought of; her anger has another reason.

This all started with her previous conquest of Pejite. Pejite was an ally of Dorumechia, so Kushana encountered little trouble during her surprise attack. However, King U was extremely well-prepared, so Kushana's forces were quite powerful and well-equipped beforehand.

But then she suddenly received news that her army had been incorporated into the army by the Second Prince in the name of the King of Wu. Kushana naturally strongly opposed this, but in the end she only kept some equipment.

As an emperor, King Wu naturally understood the situation of his children, so he had been trying to maintain a balance over the years. However, with the outbreak of war with the Tu Gui Kingdom, this balance was broken.

With the three princes launching attacks and reporting frequent victories, he also granted Kushana permission to summon allies in the name of war.

Actually, everyone can see that the current form of warfare in this world is somewhat similar to the Sengoku period in Japan.

"How is that girl?"

"Your Highness, the expedition has already begun!!"

Hearing that Nausicaä had actually come out, Kushana was slightly surprised. Then a smile bloomed on her face. The soldier couldn't decipher the meaning of that smile, but out of loyalty, he still boldly offered his advice:

"Your Highness, with our current strength, we are simply not capable of launching an expedition. Your Highness, you should return to the capital and meet with King Wu!"

Kushana looked at the captain of the guard before her. If she didn't know him well, these words would have been presumptuous, but Kushana remained silent, only smiling faintly:

"Hehe, now that we have these ragtag troops, if we go back now, we'll become easy prey for Brother Wang!"

"Your Highness..."

"Alright, I won't forgive you if you continue to speak ill of the royal family! Now that the wise men have arrived, they should be able to assemble in about two days."

Kushana's idea was correct. Going back at this time would definitely get her protection from King U, but it also meant that Kushana had to admit defeat. Although it wasn't as cruel as her brothers' defeat, losing was equivalent to death.

But the outcome won't be much better. By then, Kushana, though still a princess, will have been reduced to a mere tool in a royal marriage. What was Kushana doing all this for? Wasn't it simply to escape this cage?

Unfortunately, she didn't know one thing: the cage broken by power will eventually be trapped in an even larger cage. The difference is that one is forced, and the other is voluntary. Indeed, Kushana still retains a free spirit, but she is also being corrupted by Torumekia's power.

One day, humanity will willingly put on shackles for what it pursues.

Meanwhile, Crotova, who had been following Kushana, was now heading towards a military castle. Hidden there lay Pejite's most important secret, the very secret that led to Pejite's tragic demise.

"This is outrageous! Such a beautiful city, all destroyed into ruins! It seems impossible to rebuild! Sigh!"

As the industrial jewel of the nation, Crotova still felt regret over the fall of Pejite, and of course, that was all!

"Halt! Who are you?"

Two mysterious figures, wearing masks and carrying medicine baskets on their backs, suddenly stepped forward and blocked Crotova's path. Upon seeing their attire, Crotova instinctively took two steps back, covering her mouth and nose, and mumbled:

"I am Captain Crotova, His Highness's chief of staff. Take me to the underground immediately!!"

Crotova's actions were not due to the smell emanating from the two individuals, but rather because they were insect trainers, a highly undesirable profession. In fact, such people were a scourge across the entire continent, capable of wreaking havoc on everything around them if one was not careful.

Insect trainers, as the name suggests, are those who use special techniques to train the insects of the Sea of ​​Decay, enabling them to work for humans like trained dogs. This profession is very ancient, dating back to a civilization from a bygone era.

But this profession is not respectable. After all, insects are much more deadly than cats and dogs, so in most people's eyes, these people are representatives of filth and evil.

Crotova also spoke frankly about this:

"That's strange, why would the kingdom employ people like you?"

The two insect trainers offered no explanation, but coldly stated:

"A royal decree!!"

The insect trainer didn't care about Crotova's tone. Actually, his tone was quite good; he just expressed dislike verbally. However, most people felt disgust on a spiritual level. In other words, although Crotova disliked them verbally, he at least treated them as human beings.

This was also thanks to Crotova's own experience rising from the bottom, which taught him that so-called dignity is utterly insignificant in the face of survival.

Crotova quickly produced a piece of paper, and after two days of inspection, it was cleared for passage! Crotova also took out two gold coins from his pocket and said with a smile:

"You two have worked hard, buy me a pot of water!"

Seeing Crotova's actions, the two insect trainers' expressions softened.

That's why Crotova is so worldly-wise. He'll give small favors to the most insignificant people, because you never know when you might need their help.

Only someone of his humble origins could see through such things, which is why Crotova was always generous to his subordinates. Unfortunately, in this world, two gold coins could only buy two bottles of clean water.

Upon entering, Crotova discovered that the place had already been taken over by the insect tamers! She watched as the insect tamers continued their search.

"Hehe, I thought I was shrewd enough, but Your Highness is quite adaptable! Is the reward for being a guard the opportunity to search for treasure here?"

After speaking, Crotova didn't say anything more, because the guards who were protecting him had already arrived. They were professional soldiers and naturally recognized Crotova.

"Captain, what brings you here?"

Because they hadn't received any prior notification, the team leader was somewhat puzzled!

"Take me downstairs to see the paperwork!!"

The guard instinctively reached for it, but Crotova, however, said with a strange twist of fate:

"Those insect masters have already handled this thing. Are you sure you want to see it?!"

The captain was startled and immediately withdrew his right hand. Although he was wearing armor and a pair of decent white gloves, he still dared not risk touching anything that the Insect Master had touched.

Seeing that the captain had backed down, Crotova immediately revealed a meaningful smile, then ignored him and walked directly into the elevator.

Calling it a lift is an understatement; it's more like a material handling machine, basically just a cylindrical container with a chain. Watching Crotova sink rapidly, the captain behind him finally couldn't help but spit at him.

This is a deep pit, much like a mine. It is said that for five hundred years, the rulers of Pejite have been digging downwards. After so many years of digging, the mine is now just like the bottom of Balu's Slag Valley. Once you get lost, it is very difficult to find your way out.

Unlike Saga Valley, which no longer holds treasures underground, Pejite still contains vast mineral deposits. However, this year, the King of Pejite suddenly ordered a halt to mining operations and even shut down the mines.

Unfortunately, some things cannot be hidden forever, and the treasure beneath Pejite eventually brought disaster to the people of Pejite.

Crotova had arrived at an open area underground, where a colossal mechanical statue stood prominently in the center. It was the Colossus!

Of course, the statue was only Crotova's first impression, but his second impression revealed the colossus surrounded by pipes, with liquid flowing inside like blood.

*Kiss...Kiss...*

"How could this be? Is that a heartbeat? This thing has been buried underground for thousands of years, and it's still alive?"

The existence of the Colossus, or the Seven Days of Fire, is common knowledge in this world, but it's mostly hearsay. Even Crotova's eyes lit up with excitement when he saw it with his own eyes.

The Colossus had many skeletal fossils on its surface, but this Colossus in front of us looked brand new.

"The Pejite people feared this power, and to prevent his resurrection, they deliberately removed the secret stone, leaving him in eternal slumber! It seems the intelligence was indeed correct... No... no, it's not that simple. Something is still missing. It's a pity about those royals..."

Crotova immediately realized the problem: if the goal was simply to prevent the monster from waking up, why didn't they just revive the Titan when Peget faced a crisis, since they possessed the Secret Stone?

If that were the case, Pejite wouldn't have suffered the calamity of national destruction. Just as Crotova was deep in thought, a pair of hands slowly approached his back, and suddenly he was shoved.

"Oh!!"

"what!"

Crotova seemed to have anticipated this, turning around to dodge the sneak attack, while the man, unable to dissipate the force, fell directly into the pit.

Crotova leaned down to look, but smiled and said:

"Heh, what a joke. I've heard that several chiefs of staff died mysteriously. They must have suffered quite a bit at your hands, kid!"

As he spoke, he slowly raised his head, looked once more at the towering Colossus, and murmured:

"Legend has it that this thing can turn the old world to ashes within seven days. If I could control it, I could become the ruler of a new dynasty! Hahaha, aside from ambition, has this poor soldier with no fixed assets finally had a stroke of good luck? Or has he embarked on a path of no return?"

Crotova, a clown-like character, is hard to dislike based on his behavior since his appearance, but he is undoubtedly the most clear-headed person.

He knows exactly what he needs, and that's why he's been able to navigate social situations skillfully, get along with everyone, and climb his way up to his current position.