ps. Here's the update for May 1st. Don't rush off to play after reading; remember to vote for a monthly ticket first. Starting now, the Qidian 515 Fan Festival offers double monthly tickets, and you can also check out other activities for红包.
The firewood pile was burning fiercely, but Goron Wimbledon couldn't feel much warmth.
Even though this was a large tent sewn from cowhide, and the bottom was firmly pressed down with soil, so there shouldn't be any drafts, he still felt cold all over, especially his toes, which were so frozen they were about to lose sensation.
"This damn place, even pissing can freeze," he spat, stood up, clasped the table with both hands, and lifted it with force. Veins popped out on the back of his hands as he raised the six-foot square solid wood table off the ground.
Placing the table near the fire pit, Goron felt much more comfortable. He took off his shoes and placed his feet on the fire to bake, unfolding a paper roll in his hand to continue the unfinished letter.
"To my dearest Livia,"
"I've been in Hermes for over a month now. Of course, those guys from the church prefer to call it New Holy City. If it weren't for the Evil Moon Pact, I wouldn't want to stay here for a moment. I just want to return to your cottage and share a warm bed with you."
"Thanks to the pact, the armies that were monitoring the church's every move have become their allies in support. It's quite an irony, isn't it? Speaking of the church, I have to admit, everything they've done is truly amazing. I remember the first time I came here, twenty years ago, Hermes had nothing but mountains and stones. The towns built by the church were all at the foot of the mountain. But now, they've not only opened up roads for carriages to go up the mountain, but they've also built a massive fortress city on the summit."
"If it were summer, you should really come and see it with me. The New Holy City, as they call it, is even more majestic than Greycastle. Remember the theater in the capital of Greycastle? We went there to see Hamlet, and you marveled at how cleverly the theater was designed, and how spacious it was inside."
"But if you saw the martial arts arena in the New Holy City, you'd find that the Greycastle theater is nothing in comparison. Instead of a building, I'd say it's more like an exquisite work of art. A space that's the size of five theaters, but without a single pillar for support. The outer walls protrude with things that look like the bones of giant beasts, and the curved bones are connected by many branches and ropes, suspending the entire roof in the air, like a crane. How did they come up with that?"
"And those bones, if they were stripped from Evil Beasts, I bet the creature must have been over a hundred feet long. I guess you can only encounter such monsters in Hermes. But don't worry, my dear, even if the Evil Beasts are huge, they are just the minions of hellish devils. In the face of the God's Punishment Stone, no evil can escape divine justice, whether it's Evil Beasts, witches, or the devils themselves. Their fate is only to be reduced to ashes."
Writing this, Goron Wimbledon put down his pen and shook his slightly sore hand. It's strange, he could wield a fifteen-pound greatsword all day long, but he felt tired after writing so little with a pen. He smiled self-deprecatingly, I'm really more suited for rough work.
"Speaking of Evil Beasts, I suddenly remembered that my fourth brother was assigned to a poor place like Border Town. I'm afraid he's already tucked his tail between his legs and fled into Longsong Stronghold – even though the Evil Beasts there can't compare to those on the Hermes defense line. I can't blame him. Even if I were in that place, I'd have to take refuge. From this, you can see how unfair my father is, deciding to let my second brother inherit the throne just because he's been particularly clever since he was a child? Father has forgotten that he didn't win the throne of Greycastle through cleverness. Since Mother passed away, it's become increasingly difficult for me to figure out what he's thinking."
The following content made Goron hesitate. He didn't know if he should tell Livia his true intentions. After a moment of pause, he decided to write it down. If the plan goes smoothly, he should have already arrived at the Greycastle Palace when this letter is delivered.
"My dear, Academic Ang is right. If I do nothing, the throne will definitely not belong to me in the end. He has observed this from the constellations. '启明星 is moving away from 炽日, and will completely leave 炽日's orbit in at most four months.' The Academic told me. Obviously, there is not much time left, and I can no longer wait idly."
"After today's great battle, I will quietly return to the capital with my loyal warriors. Coldwind Ridge is far less fertile than Goldensheaf City, but it is not lacking in brave warriors. As long as I throw out some coins and promises, they will pounce on my target like hungry wolves. Of course, I don't want to do that. I just want to personally ask my father why he issued such a frivolous Edict of the King's Challenge. What made him forget that I am the one with the first right of inheritance?"
"Academic Ang has arranged everything for me. Livia, my love, wait a little longer. The day I become king will be the day I marry you as queen. If I unfortunately fail… then don't return to the capital and live a good life in Coldwind Ridge."
"Yours, Goron."
He carefully folded the letter and placed it in an envelope, then sealed it with wax. After checking it several times, he tapped the table, and a personal guard quickly walked into the tent.
"Send this letter to Rose in Coldwind Ridge. You don't have to travel day and night, or ride a horse. Dress up as an ordinary traveler and take the commercial caravan that travels back and forth between the two places. There is only one thing you must remember: this letter must be delivered personally."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
"Very good, go." Goron waved away the personal guard and simply sat on the table, dangling both feet over the fire pit.
In this way, he had no way back.
He closed his eyes and recalled his childhood. At that time, he led his second brother and third sister in playing hide-and-seek in the royal garden. His third sister fell, and the two of them insisted on falling once with her before stopping. When did the three of them gradually become so estranged as they are now?
Goron shook his head, casting aside his distracting thoughts. Sentimentality is not for him, he thought. These confusions will eventually have an answer – after he sits on the throne.
Just then, a dull horn sounded outside the tent.
"呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜呜———————"
Here it comes! He jumped off the table and put on his shoes. Stepping out of the tent, the entire camp was already moving. Running soldiers and flags converged into torrents, gathering towards the designated battlefield. A turbid echo came from the distant mountains, stretching endlessly.
The horns blared, the Evil Beasts were attacking.
"Follow me!" He mounted the warhorse led by his personal guard and trotted towards the top of the city wall.
Only by standing on the walls of the Holy City can you feel its magnificence – it is like an insurmountable chasm, standing horizontally at the break of the Endless Mountains. The top is flat and wide, allowing dozens of people to walk side by side. In front of it is a cliff formed by glaciers, and behind it is a flat plateau.
This is why the church is desperately trying to build the New Holy City on the mountain top.
Using this difference in terrain, they have built a defense line that is almost impossible to break through.
But Goron Wimbledon wanted to see further. To transport so much stone and wood from the foot of the mountain to the top, and to build a city on Hermes in just twenty years, the strength shown by the church is already staggering.
But even if he hated these clergymen, there was one thing Goron had to admit: if they weren't supported in defending Hermes, all the countries on the continent would face a catastrophe. This is also the basis for the Evil Moon Pact.
When the Evil Moon descends, the four kingdoms bordering Hermes must send troops to support the church and fight alongside the church's Judgment Army.
Four flags stood against the wind on the city wall: the "Dawn" of the Snake Staff, the "Wolf Heart" of the crossed knife and shield, the "Eternal Winter" of the iceberg rose –
And the "Greycastle" of the tower spear.
Looking at the black dots appearing in the distant sky, Goron Wimbledon gripped his greatsword tightly.
Thank you for your continued support. This time, I hope you can support the Writer's Hall of Fame and the Work's General Election at the Qidian 515 Fan Festival. In addition, there are some红包 gift packages at the Fan Festival, so please collect them and continue to subscribe!
Welcome all friends to visit and read. The latest, fastest, and most popular serialized works are all on the original!