Chapter 1082 4. The gathering red stars will start a prairie fire
Victory, what a wonderful word, a word that countless people long for, can even cover up the countless sorrows behind it.
But the price is there, no matter how hard you pretend not to see it, it still exists.
So compared to failure and victory, what is better is the "tranquility" where nothing happens.
Facing death, different races have different views: Elves believe that death means returning to the World Tree and starting a new life. Vampires treat death as eternal sleep. Skaven regard death as a curse from the gods upon the holy race. The orcs made vessels from the bones of their enemies and comrades and wore them on their bodies.
Even humans differ within themselves. For example, the Empire regards death in battle as a high honor. You can fail miserably, but you can't take a step back.
The practice of Liberty City is to engrave the names of the war dead on stone tablets so that everyone can respect, remember, and serve as a warning.
In Liberty City, where every inch of land is precious, there is a vast cemetery.
The heroes who died for Liberty City are buried here. The person guarding the cemetery is one of the heroic spirits.
The next day, on a slightly gloomy afternoon, Liberty City held a memorial ceremony for those who died in this war.
The heroic spirit stood in front of a newly erected tall stone obelisk. Compared with the first stone obelisk, it was taller and thicker because the names of the war dead were engraved all over the obelisk.
Lame Barr, Darwin... there are countless anonymous people who have no names, no names left, and can only be represented by a slanted notch.
"They sacrificed themselves for the happiness of others. Is it all worth it?"
The crowd standing in the cemetery in darkness was silent, with only crows hovering in the air.
“Some people will laugh at them for being stupid and for not cherishing life. But I say, until they sacrifice, they are burning for their ideals, the future of Liberty City, and the happiness of the people!”
"There is a red star on both obelisks. There will be one on every obelisk in the future. There will be more and more red stars until the day when a single spark ignites the prairie fire!"
The shouts of the heroic spirits are in echoed over the cemetery.
Annan, the eldest sister and Olmedo stood in front with a group of Free City officials and placed a bouquet of flowers in front of the obelisk one after another.
“Want to go for a walk?” Olmedo, who put on a black classical dress that highlighted her tall figure, asked Annan.
“Okay.”
Annan pushed the wheelchair and followed Olmedo away from the obelisk and walked in the cemetery.
Standing on the cemetery path, Annan felt calm and safe as never before, because they were all heroic spirits who died to protect themselves, Free City and the people.
"Olmedo, I have a question, is the Congressman a good person or a bad person?"
"Uncle... I don't know much about him. If it weren't for the war, I would have thought I will never cross paths with him again in this life."
"No wonder you never mentioned him." Itilia whispered.
"But I think he cares about you very much." Annan recalled the details of getting along with the chairman of the parliament, as well as the talking staff's attitude towards him.
"Would you not contact the people you care about once in more than ten years?" Olmedo showed a bitter smile.
“Perhaps I have no choice but to do so...”
However, the chairman of the parliament has disappeared, so there is no point in guessing. Let’s ask Oulin to help find out the inside story.
Annan shook his head: "Everyone in your family loves to play riddles."
"I don't do that." Olmedo defended himself.
"You have always been like this. Do you remember? In Breeze City..."
Annan and Olmedo talked about the past. The eldest sister listened quietly, fleshing out the image of Annan's past.
"Dad, why are these two stones not the same size?"
Unconsciously, they walked back to the main entrance of the cemetery, and a conversation between a father and his daughter caught their attention.
"The small obelisk represents our first war, and the big obelisk represents the second war. Because we lost so many people in this war, we need a larger obelisk to write their names on it. ."
"Dad, did we lose?"
"No, we won in the end." The little girl didn't understand, and pointed to the square tip with the names of the victims. The monument asked: "What about them?"
"They have become that heroic uncle and continue to protect us."
The little girl made a sound in surprise, as if a heroic spirit was floating above her head. She fumbled around in her pocket, and finally found a hairpin, and raised it up precariously on tiptoes.
Annan, who saw this scene not far away, tore open a magic scroll. The invisible hand of the mage took the hairpin from the little girl who could no longer hold on, and put it on her hair.
“They are really here!” the little girl exclaimed jumping up and down.
"Yes..."
The three Annan looked at this scene with relief.
It would be more harmonious if there was no "tearing apart the magic scroll" part...
...
Wilhelm.
The center of the world, the aloof master. Most of the stories told in the continent of Ellen come from Wilhelm.
But as long as you have money, you are the master of Wilhelm.
As soon as the trade application for this major patron in Liberty City was initiated, Wilhelm's merchants sent a medium-sized arcane energy core within three days.
It was so fast that there was no sense of ceremony that cost a lot of money.
"If you don't like it, pour out the money and trade?" Olmedo asked.
"No." Annan said firmly.
It’s not that I’m afraid of Ilimoyas coming to snatch it, it’s mainly that as long as I don’t see it, the two and a half million gold is just a number.
In view of Annan's cheerfulness and maintaining customer relations, the merchant gave away a free set of arcane energy core maintenance and base refurbishment services.
The familiar routine made Annan a little more curious about Wilhelm, and he took the opportunity to ask the businessman about Wilhelm.
"You will know if you go and see it?"
"Can I go?"
"Why not? The new millennium of the Elven Calendar is coming, that's all Invitations to the racial celebration have started to be sent out...haven’t you received it?”
Annan looked at Olmedo. She shook her head that there was no letter from Wilhelm or from unknown sources.
"Uh... maybe it hasn't reached you yet." The businessman said.
Annan always felt that it was not that simple...
In any case, with the second arcane energy core installed underground in the city lord's palace, the scope of Liberty City expanded by another 500 meters. .
Except for the port, camps, farms, and half an industrial area, Liberty City is basically complete.
Annan was a little unhappy looking at the industrial area divided into two, and wondered whether he should exchange the money for the orichalcum foundation for a third arcane energy core.
The diameter will jump from 1750 meters to... 2000 meters.
“Forget it.”
The increase of 500 meters is just enough to bring the population back to 80,000. Free City is neither crowded nor deserted.
It took a few days to lay the orichalcum on the outside, allowing Renaldo and a group of officials who stayed behind at Gemstone Bay to take care of the hundreds of thousands of territorial citizens.
On January 10, 1003 in the Saint Laurent calendar, Liberty City, which had just returned from its voyage, once again vibrated into the sky.
This time it is no longer about starting a war, but about setting off and going home!
(End of this chapter)