The next morning, the loggers returned to the logging site, only to be horrified to find a large number of dead trees in the rainforest before them.
Most of the trees had already fallen, and the trunks showed obvious signs of decay. Even in this rainforest, it would take some time for a tree to die and become like this.
They had only rested for one day...
The puzzled loggers looked up again and, once again, found the canopies of the trees shyly hidden among the still-living ones.
Apart from the fact that many good-looking trees died, everything seemed as if it had never happened.
However, if you zoom out, you can see that several spiderweb-like cracks are faintly visible at the edge of the deep green rainforest...
World of Disorder, the Starlight Empire, outside the capital.
This is the largest civilian district in the entire empire, or you could call it a slum. It is packed with civilians from all over the empire who have come to the capital to make a living.
They either committed crimes in their hometowns, didn't want to live a predictable life, or believed certain stories about getting rich by coming to the capital.
In short, they set off from their hometowns to this world-class metropolis, only to be met with a rebuff and eventually settle in a slum outside the city, barely surviving and waiting for an opportunity that might never come.
Opportunities can arise from many sources: perhaps the city's bigwigs need a new batch of servants, perhaps the shops of wealthy merchants are short of shop assistants, or perhaps some gangsters, like stray dogs fighting over food, urgently need to replenish their ranks.
Some are genuine opportunities, while others are traps disguised as opportunities.
These "opportunities" are like whirlpools, constantly engulfing the people in the civilian areas, keeping their numbers within a reasonable range to prevent the vast majority from freezing to death in a cold snap.
After the outbreak of the Demonic Tide, the overall rules of the western territory of the empire became more favorable to the survival of various animals, and most people chose the path of Animal Compatibility.
Therefore, a large number of people means a large number of animals, and a large number of animals means a large amount of... history.
The weather in June was already quite hot, and the entire working-class area, under the scorching sun, resembled a giant cesspool, constantly emitting a foul odor.
A messenger, dressed in a smart jacket and covering his nose, arrived at the only notice board in this dilapidated urban area.
He tucked a large sheet of paper under his arm, smeared the paste in his right hand onto the bulletin board covered in tattered paper, then used his right hand to smear the notice under his arm onto it, before turning and leaving.
Throughout the entire process, he never loosened his left hand, which was pinching his nose, let alone stayed there to read aloud and explain to the common people.
Although his actions were irregular by any standard, this did not actually prevent the announcement's message from being conveyed.
Among the tens of thousands of ordinary people, there are always a few who can read.
After the messenger left, a number of people quickly approached the notice board.
Although they were illiterate, they recognized the wax seal in the lower right corner of the notice—a six-pointed star with alternating light and shadow, the symbol of the Starlight Empire.
This is the official announcement!
A large group of illiterate people who only recognized the sealing wax stamp immediately began to circle around the bulletin board like monkeys, constantly shouting to spread the word about their discovery.
The crowd quieted down only after a man claiming to be literate pushed his way through the crowd to the notice board.
The man's gaze swept over the notice board, and as he raised an eyebrow, he read aloud:
"Ahem, Imperial Army auxiliary soldier conscription order--"
He had barely begun reading when the crowd that had gathered around him erupted in uproar:
"Recruiting! Recruiting!"
"No way! Get out of my way and let me pass!"
"I'm leaving too, don't drag me off to my death..."
"I want to sign up. If I can kill a few people, I might get a reward."
"Where did this idiot come from?"
"Hey, what are you all yelling about? This is a conscription of auxiliary soldiers. Do you even know what auxiliary soldiers are?"
One of them shouted indignantly, only to find the surroundings suddenly quiet, as if this group of people really didn't know what auxiliary soldiers were.
The man was speechless for a moment, then loudly explained:
"Those who can fight are called combat soldiers, those who dig ditches, feed Hoofed Beast, cook, and sharpen weapons are called auxiliary soldiers. These are auxiliary soldiers, so what are you all yelling about?"
"Oh~"
The people around him all exclaimed in sudden realization.
Having understood what auxiliary troops were, the person who initially wanted to kill the enemy looked somewhat forlorn.
But many who had already turned away turned back:
"Oh dear, you should have said you were recruiting auxiliary soldiers. I am utterly loyal to the Empire and His Majesty; this is simply my duty..."
He was halfway through his sentence when he suddenly realized something and quickly looked at the literate man, shouting:
"Read out the military pay first!"
Yes, yes!
"Read it quickly, hurry up!"
A large group of illiterate and semi-literate people immediately realized that military pay was what they should be concerned about, and they immediately started making a fuss.
The literate commoner had no choice but to skim through the text.
This is a standard imperial proclamation. The first half mainly recounts the glorious history of the empire and briefly describes the duties of auxiliary soldiers, but it does not clearly state whether the recruitment of auxiliary soldiers is for war or simply for military expansion.
In the second half of the announcement, the benefits for auxiliary soldiers were finally revealed.
Amidst everyone's anticipation, the man slowly recited:
"Those who pass the assessment to become auxiliary soldiers will receive a set of auxiliary soldier uniform, a pair of shoes, and a daily military pay of twenty full-weight copper coins, plus two meals. There will be additional rewards for winning battles..."
"The conscription order was issued by: Lord Keeper of the Seals, Luokenuosuos i."
Everyone listened carefully, and each of them felt a slight stirring in their hearts.
Two meals a day, and twenty copper coins, and most importantly, the weight is correct!
The mere presence of this term indicates that the copper coins issued will definitely not be any cheap, chipped or broken items.
It seems this time the Minister in charge of the Imperial Seal is actually quite human...
Among the crowd whose mouths were watering from the thought of two meals a day, there was one person who didn't seem so tempted.
Although this person was also disheveled, his overall spirit and energy were much better than those around him, and his eyes were bright and piercing.
Listening to the man read out the announcement, and seeing the moved civilians around him, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly:
As expected of the evil Middle Ages, as long as you provide food and real money, you can quickly assemble a weak auxiliary force.
If they survive several battles, they can even be converted into combat soldiers if given enough money and supplies.
Human life is so cheap...
"Woof woof woof."
A low bark interrupted his thoughts. The man looked down at his feet and asked in confusion:
"What's wrong, Bruce?"