Serving such a commander who is fair in rewards and punishments is Glory that any soldier dreams of. Although they are just ordinary soldiers, and no one would care about their lives under normal circumstances, deep in their humble hearts they also yearn to be recognized and respected. They don't need much and are not greedy. Even a simple word of praise or a smile of encouragement would make them feel that the blood they shed or even the lives they gave were not in vain.
The soldiers silently drank the wine in their cups, tears streaming down their faces.
The flavor is so rich and delicious.
"The second cup of wine is dedicated to the two hundred and thirty-eight imperial warriors who returned from their bloody battle. Your blood will not have been shed in vain, and your deeds will never be forgotten." Sun Fei raised his cup high. "Each of you will be rewarded with 50 gold coins for each merit you have earned."
The soldiers excitedly raised their heads and drank their second cup of wine.
"The third cup of wine..." Sun Fei paused, glancing at the soldiers in the hall, then his tone shifted, becoming calm. "The third cup of wine is for this damned war. Like you, I also hope this war ends soon. No one likes war. Perhaps some hope to prove their military achievements on the battlefield, to accumulate titles and Glory by stepping on mountains of corpses and seas of blood, but that person is definitely not me. I would much rather my soldiers be able to live peacefully with their families, wives, children, and friends, instead of spending their days and nights with cold swords, constantly facing the threat of death... I hope that after the war ends, I can still sit here alive and drinking with each and every one of you."
After saying that, Sun Fei drank the wine in his glass in one gulp.
The atmosphere in the hall fell silent after His King's words, but this silence was by no means passive. The soldiers looked at the tall and dashing figure sitting in the center of the hall with burning eyes. Even officers such as Ribery and Shevchenko raised their heads and drank their wine, looking at Sun Fei as if he were an unscalable distant peak!
The main hall was still brightly lit, and the sounds of people playing drinking games and laughing could be heard continuously.
Sun Fei withdrew, knowing that the soldiers couldn't fully enjoy themselves with him, the commander present. So, after three toasts, Sun Fei tactfully left the hall.
Standing before the crenellations of the West Gate, feeling the biting wind, Sun Fei's emotions surged like a turbulent ocean. Logically, in the midst of such a tense battle, soldiers shouldn't be allowed to indulge in such drunken revelry, as it would corrupt the army's morale. However, when Sun Fei saw the dense wounds on the bodies of the soldiers returning from the bloody battle, some even missing limbs and becoming permanently disabled, he couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. He wanted to indulge them just this once. His words just now were, in fact, a reflection of His Majesty the King's own feelings.
"My lord, we encountered something strange on our way back, and we must report it to you." Footsteps approached, Shevchenko emerged from the main hall.
Shevchenko recounted in detail the mysterious middle-aged man and the adorable yet terrifying little boy named Arthur that he and his group had encountered on their way back.
"Disappeared with a wave of his hand?" Sun Fei frowned and slowly said, "According to your description, that middle-aged mage was at least a Moon Class expert, and that exquisitely beautiful little boy was probably also an extremely terrifying being, with completely black pupils? That's truly rare..."
"I think so too. The whereabouts of these two are too strange, and the location they appeared in is very close to Twin Flag City. Although they don't seem to be any particularly evil people, I think we still have to be wary of them." Shevchenko was very cautious.
"Such powerful individuals, if not for their status, would most likely not get involved in the struggle between the two great empires. Besides, even if we are on guard, it will be futile; their strength is too overwhelming." Sun Fei had already connected the burly man and the young man with the powerful individuals who had scanned the underground waters today. Perhaps the two were one of those seven or eight incredibly powerful energy fluctuations. His Majesty the King had a premonition that something big was about to happen near Twin Flag City, and more and more experts were gathering there.
"Of course, this matter should be announced throughout the city. If these two are found in the city, let them be and do not provoke them," Sun Fei said after thinking for a moment. According to the stories told by many wandering poets and some unofficial histories, most of these senior masters were eccentric and behaved differently from ordinary people. If soldiers were to discover them and question them, it might only cause trouble.
Shevchenko nodded, indicating that he understood.
His King realized that his strength was still too low and he had to play the submissive role. He needed to find a way to improve his strength as soon as possible. In this world, only the strong have the right to speak. If Sun Fei's strength was strong enough, he could kill all potential threats in their infancy with a single punch.
Just then, the sound of galloping hooves suddenly came from afar.
As the scattered lights drew ever closer from the darkness of the night, Sun Fei's gaze sharpened, and a surge of power emanated from him. He finally discerned that the approaching force was a cavalry of over thirty men. Even more astonishingly, this cavalry practically swaggered through the Ajax encirclement, and after the initial commotion, no one offered any resistance. The Ajax forces parted to make way for the group, allowing them to pass through their camp.
Shevchenko, his expression grave, waved behind him, signaling the soldiers on the city wall to remain vigilant.
Everyone was watching the mysterious horse caravan that had suddenly appeared with bated breath.
As they drew closer, Sun Fei finally saw clearly that the extremely arrogant cavalry was actually carrying the banner of the Holy Church.
The knights on horseback wore the silver armor and cloaks of the Holy Church, and a dozen or so weary priests also rode on horseback. At the very back was a hovering carriage imbued with advanced wind magic. The entire group exuded a powerful aura, Sun Fei's gaze was fixed on the last magical carriage. Although the people inside were not visible, His Majesty the King sensed the most terrifying threat from there.
"So they're from the Church, no wonder..." Shevchenko whispered from behind.
Only a behemoth like the Holy Church could force the inherently cruel and bloodthirsty Ajax to yield and make way for them. If it were any other force, no matter how strong your group was, if you tried to storm their camp, conflict would be inevitable.
Soon, the Church entourage arrived at the walls of Twin Flag City.
"Listen up, you on the city Western Church 'Divine Judgment Squad Pellegrini, has arrived! Open the gates to welcome him!" A silver-armored knight rode up to the city gate, cracking his whip and shouting, his tone imperious and commanding.
On the city wall, Shevchenko and the soldiers looked at Sun Fei with questioning eyes.
Opening the city gates at this moment would undoubtedly be extremely dangerous. If the Ajax forces seized the opportunity to launch a surprise attack, the city could be overrun by the enemy, rendering all the previous efforts of the army in defending the city futile. Moreover, who could guarantee that this group was truly from the Holy Church? What if they were actually skilled Ajax warriors in disguise?
It should be noted that when the more than two hundred warriors who had raided the Ajax supply lines returned, they all climbed up the city walls using ropes. Even the bodies of those who died outside were pulled up using ropes and winches. Apart from the two times when reinforcements from the Wolf Fang Legion arrived, the gates of Twin Flag City had never been opened.
"You audacious fools, open the gates now!" The knight below the city wall was enraged when he saw that even after he revealed his identity as a member of the Church, the soldiers on the walls still hesitated and refused to open the gates. He pointed at the city walls and cursed, "A bunch of stupid pigs! Hearing that the Church's Divine Judgment Squad has arrived, you dare to dawdle? Are you courting death?"
Seeing the knight's arrogance, Sun Fei, a level 99 Barbarian, unleashed his power slightly. He glanced down at the divine knight, and the knight immediately felt as if a massive ancient mountain was pressing down on him. His voice choked, and he could no longer utter a curse.
"Open the city gates." Sun Fei withdrew his gaze, smiled faintly, and ordered the soldiers to open the gates.
"My lord, we must be careful, in case..." Shevchenko, being a mature and prudent man, quickly suggested upon hearing Sun Fei's words, "We can order the soldiers to lower the gondola and let them ride up in it."
"Hmph, how could these noble gentlemen of the Church condescend to enter the city in a gondola? They would never agree. However, judging from their luxurious attire and considerable strength, they are unlikely to be Ajax people in disguise. I doubt Fairenton would dare to order his experts to impersonate members of the Holy Church. Impersonating the Church's Divine Judgment Squad is a crime punishable by burning at the stake in the Church Judgment Department. Besides, one of them is a high-ranking red-robed deacon... Hehe, letting them in might actually benefit our defense of the city."
Sun Fei's eyes gleamed, as if he had thought of something.
"Yes, sir." Hearing Sun Fei's confident expression, Shevchenko felt somewhat relieved and turned around to say loudly, "The lord has ordered that the city gates be opened immediately."
Click click click click--!
Amidst the piercing sounds of whirring mechanisms and turning winches, more than twenty densely packed small magic circles released faint flames. Then, the massive steel fence of the west gate, weighing over ten thousand pounds, slowly rose, followed by the slow opening of two enormous steel gates.
Tap tap tap tap!
The loud, rapid sound of horses' hooves rang out as the Church party spurred their horses into the city.
"Let's go down and take a look." Sun Fei led Shevchenko down the city wall.
"Close the city gates!" The officers on the city walls shouted as all the Church members entered the city. The steel bars slowly lowered, and the city gates began to close again.
Sun Fei and Shevchenko descended the city gate along the parapet, walking slowly. His King was trying to figure out the group's intentions, hoping to use them as an asset in the defense. However, before they even reached the city walls, they heard a series of agonizing screams from below, interspersed with angry curses and the cracking of whips...
Second update.
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