Inside the gate of Isdalia, flags were flying and people were crowded.
Tens of thousands of imperial people gathered here, crowding on both sides of the wide road, waving banners and flags in their hands, and cheering like waves to welcome the return of the imperial army.
"For the Empire! For His Majesty Cassius!"
"Welcome home the heroes of the Patriotic War!"
"Under the wise leadership of His Majesty Cassius, the Empire has once again achieved a great victory!"
"Warmly celebrate the return of the heroes of the empire!"
In this warm atmosphere, the soldiers of the empire lined up neatly, marched into the city with their heads held high, and their standard leather boots hit the ground, making a neat and loud sound.
Another steam tank slowly drove in. The engines of these steel giants were running at low intensity, making a dull roar.
They were all "heroes" who had experienced the Great Patriotic War and had killed countless demons on the battlefield. Even their tracks were soaked in purple-black blood and became stained with blood.
"Cassius on top"
"It's a steam tank! This is the trump card of our empire!"
"What kind of monster can cause damage to these imperial weapons!"
"Look, that's the Emperor's Wrath! It's said to have killed tens of thousands of demons on the battlefield!"
At this moment, the "Emperor's Fury" was not only covered in bruises, but also had a shocking scratch several meters long on the armor on its left side.
However, this is not just damage, it also demonstrates the great achievements of this steam tank in fighting large monsters such as Demon Hunter Spiders and Slayer Demons.
A dragon-veined goblin wearing the medal of "Hero of the Patriot" leaned out of the tank, waved excitedly to the crowd, and screamed:
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live His Majesty Cassius!"
The onlookers didn't care at all about the goblin race of this "hero" and responded enthusiastically to him, raising their arms and shouting the slogan "Long Live the Empire" after him.
This dragon-veined goblin named Bill was also published in the Empire Daily for his record of killing several demon-hunting spiders.
He was given honorary titles such as "Loyal Imperial Tank Captain" and "Three-foot-Tall Giant", and was regarded as a heroic model by many weak and despised races such as goblins and kobolds.
"Buzz——"
The whistle blew out bursts of white smoke, like a steel giant roaring, and this majestic march also amazed the onlookers.
"This is the empire's steam tank army!"
“It’s so majestic!”
"Even goblins can become battlefield heroes, and I want to drive a tank too!"
Among the infantry, George, who was wearing a standard imperial military uniform and also had several medals hanging on his chest, was standing at the front. He looked at the celebrating crowd with mixed feelings in his heart.
He could feel the hot, dragon-blooded heart beating in his chest.
"Another brilliant win as usual.
No matter what kind of enemy we face, His Majesty can always lead us to victory - even if the enemy is a god-like being. ”
On that cruel battlefield, George relied on the gift of the red dragon to hold on until reinforcements arrived, surrounded by several Bastet demons.
A few days ago, George also witnessed the earth-shattering battle with his own eyes. The entire Anstika was reduced to ruins, and the god-like abyss dragon also fell at the emperor's feet.
"Cassius on top"
George quietly raised his head and looked at the towering Isdalia Altar in the distance. The majestic figure of the red dragon seemed to appear in his eyes again.
The triumphant team continues to enter the city, including the Empire's ogre heavy artillery legions, hobgoblin infantry legions, red scale conquerors, and dragonsworn paladins
These battle groups that played a role in resisting the invasion of demons appeared in front of the people one after another, showing them the strong military strength of the empire, and making their sense of pride and belonging arise spontaneously from the bottom of their hearts.
"Long live the Empire!"
"Long live His Majesty Cassius!"
Such cheers kept coming and going, filling the city of Isdalia almost all day long.
Until dark, under the dim street lights and in the dimly lit taverns, there were still drunkards swinging around raising bottles and shouting those slogans.
The Burning Empire after the war is always the liveliest and most beautiful, and there are often carnivals that last for several days in the squares of cities everywhere.
When the soldiers returned in triumph, they needed to rely on alcohol and tobacco to forget the pain caused by the war. They also needed to vent their pent-up emotions and squander the rich spoils they obtained.
Therefore, soldiers who return in triumph are often the most generous, especially those who have just come off the front line where life and death are on the verge of death. They spend money like rain.
Precisely because of this, empire merchants with a keen sense of smell often hang banners with words such as "Military personnel first", "Welcome heroes to triumph" and "Imperial soldiers enjoy discounts" at the door of their stores.
They will also put out a dazzling array of "special offer" products for the soldiers to consume. In just a few days, these vendors can make a lot of money.
And those players who have entered the business field have come up with bottomless marketing methods and used various forms to gain popularity, often taking advantage of the market and earning countless gold.
There are even hospitality venues engaged in special service industries, with the slogans of "rewarding the heroes of the Empire" and "devoting their lives to the heroes of the Patriotic War", which makes people laugh and cry.
At the same time, this war also brought a large number of orders to various military factories in the empire. The workers worked overtime day and night and received generous bonuses - they were painful and happy.
The victory of the war brought unimaginable dividends, completely revitalizing the empire's economy, and making the lives of the people in the empire extremely lively.
After experiencing many suicide attacks by demons, people's disgust and hatred towards the Abyss have reached the extreme, almost to the point of sharing the same hatred.
And this war helped the people of the empire breathe a sigh of relief and made them applaud again and again.
Tens of millions of abyss demons died under the empire's intensive artillery fire. Even the mountain-like abyss dragon was killed by the supreme, glorious and majestic Cassius.
When mentioning that glorious victory, every citizen of the empire would proudly puff up their chests, feeling proud and excited from the bottom of their hearts.
The imperial army had returned triumphantly for three days, but the celebrations continued throughout the night, and the warm and passionate "Caesius Hymn" echoed in the Emperor's Square.
"How can we forget this kindness? Your Majesty lets the springs from the mountains flow down to the flat areas, and lets the rain moisten every place"
In addition, there were groups of excited "conquerors" marching and singing vulgar songs about the conquest of the South.
Humans, hobgoblins, ogres, tieflings and other soldiers who had returned from the battlefield crowded in the square. Regardless of racial barriers, they toasted to each other, drank and celebrated.
"Come! Let's drink for the empire!"
"To victory! Cheers!"
"Come on, come on, drink more, finally save your life, you have to indulge!"
The ogre shouted at the top of his lungs: "Boss, bring in two more barrels of wine, yes, the biggest wooden barrels. I will finish them in one breath!"
"Which defense area are you in charge of? I'm in the third defense area. The fighting there was too fierce. I crawled out from the dead."
"It's no coincidence, I am the artilleryman of the third defense zone."
"Oh, hahaha, what a fate. Maybe the cannonball that saved me was the one you released!"
In this warm atmosphere, two humble humans, George and Grace, also stepped into the threshold of the tavern. The waiter at the door was a little careless at first, but after seeing the "Medal of Heroes" on George's chest and the medal representing the identity of the Dragon-Blooded Baron, his eyes suddenly lit up and he immediately greeted him enthusiastically.
Within the empire, such military nobles have the most respected status, and various taverns and shops also welcome them - because such people are often the most generous, often spending dozens of gold.
The waiter's face was rosy, and he made an "invite" gesture to the two of them, with a flattering smile on his face: "You two adults, please come in quickly! I will take you to the VIP table."
George was obviously used to such treatment, and said in a relaxed tone: "No need, we can just find a spot anywhere."
The waiter nodded repeatedly: "Okay, it's all up to you. If you two have any needs, just ask me."
George and Grace found a quieter place to sit down and ordered a few bottles of good spirits.
——Including the "Song of Triumph" which is the most popular recently and the price of a single bottle is as high as three gold naars.
The waiter soon came over with several bottles of exquisitely packaged wine, shook it gently, and poured it into two glasses.
It is said that the wine "Song of Triumph" was specially prepared by a brewmaster among the Fallen Stars for the soldiers returning in triumph.
It allows people to experience the thrill of killing enemies on the battlefield and fills their minds with the joy and excitement of victory, but in contrast, the price is extremely expensive.
Just this bottle of wine will cost an ordinary worker several months of wages.
Having had the experience of being a serf without enough to eat, George was not a person who liked luxury, but at this exciting moment of his triumphant return, he still chose to treat himself.
"Haha, Grace.
I have long said that as long as His Majesty Cassius is still in the supreme position, the empire will definitely win. And your worries are completely unnecessary. ”
George looked at the lively scene outside the window and drank the wine in one gulp.
The warm current integrated with magical power surges in the body, and it does feel like the excitement and pleasure of killing enemies on the battlefield.
"Yes, the empire will eventually win."
Grace shook her head and laughed: "I was so stupid to doubt His Majesty's power before."
He just took a sip of the strong wine in the glass, and his face immediately turned red, sweat dripped from his forehead, and there was a hint of excitement in his eyes.
George nodded slightly and said seriously: "However, the strength of those demons cannot be underestimated. They are very different from the trash in the North.
According to people above, this war caused hundreds of thousands of casualties. ”
Grace grinned and laughed wantonly: "No matter what, we all survived this war, didn't we?"
He stood up drunkenly and raised his glass to George and the nearby soldiers: "To victory! To us surviving!"
A smile appeared on George's face. He poured himself a full glass of wine, raised the glass and said softly: "To victory."
Immediately afterwards, he raised his head and drank the glass of strong wine in one gulp, but George's expression remained as usual, with no trace of drunkenness on his face.
"Bang!"
Grace, who was somewhat unsteady, fell on the table, sweating profusely. He couldn't hold on after just one drink.
It is said that this "Song of Triumph" is mixed with the bone powder of the flame dragon, which has an extremely powerful effect and can make the flames surge in the belly. Even dragon-veined creatures can hardly withstand two cups.
Grace lay on the table and reluctantly raised her head to look at George, with envy in her eyes: "George, you stole the show this time!"
He supported his upper body with his arms, looked at George in front of him, and continued to ask: "Your dragon blood concentration should be 5%, right?"
Grace pointed to George's hand holding the wine glass, and saw faintly visible red scales on the back of the hand.
"Almost."
George nodded again, and then took a sip of the strong wine in the glass.
Grace sighed: "Tsk tsk, leading a miscellaneous team to hold the position alone to resist the attack of dozens of Bazut demons, the most elite heavy infantry in the abyss, and even killed a few of them, no wonder it can Receive the Imperial Hero Medal
"Just good luck."
George looked down at the back of his hand, which showed scales, and replied: "If I hadn't awakened the dragon vein midway, I'm afraid it would have been revealed there."
"Hahaha, Prime Minister Trump said that luck is also a part of strength. If it weren't for that reckless mage apprentice, that gentleman might just be an ordinary ogre now."
Grace was obviously very drunk, and he actually laughed and told the secret that was spread throughout the empire.
George was horrified and quickly told him to shut up. After all, the Prime Minister was also famous throughout the country for holding grudges. Grace nodded understandingly.
"But I don't envy you."
Grace lay down on the back of the chair, looking at the ceiling carved with dragon claw patterns, her eyes a little dazed.
"Life is indeed much better now than before. When I was a farmer under the nobles of the North, how could I think about gold, silver, jewelry, fine wine and delicacies?
But I was really scared. ”
Grace's tone was trembling, his whole body was trembling, and a look of fear appeared on his face. He pointed at his heart with his finger and beat it hard a few times.
"You know, George, that devil's claws were just a hair away from piercing my chest and piercing my heart.
It was my most trusted subordinate who stood in front of me and suffered death for me, and I could only watch helplessly."
George frowned slightly: "What do you mean"
Grace lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly: "Although I enjoy the feeling of victory, I no longer want to participate in the war.
I am worried all the time, worried about losing everything I own, worried that all the glory and wealth in front of me will disappear. ”
He looked at George again: "George, you should know that the empire's next goal is the south, the vast Fianso continent.
But I am tired of this precarious life. I want to be stationed in Anze Tower. It is said that His Majesty will give us the power to protect this place to ensure that the empire is safe and sound.
What about you? What are your options? ”
George didn't think much. He looked south subconsciously, his eyes burning.
"South, I am going to the south, to win the land under the sun for the empire, and to let myself stand on the real top of the mountain."
Even after drinking a lot of strong alcohol, George's tone was still particularly firm and sonorous.
"As expected, you are still the same, Baron George.
Haha, I hope I can see you alive and become the Duke of the Empire. By then, I will look up at your statue and salute. ”
Grace looked like he had expected it. He raised his glass again and said softly: "To the Empire."
"To the Empire."
George raised his hand to clink the glass and drank the remaining strong wine in the glass. A faint light appeared in his golden eyes, as if the surging dragon flames were igniting.
Around them, soldiers from many races such as ogres, hobgoblins, tieflings, and lizardmen also raised their wine glasses, and the voices of "To the Empire" kept coming and going.
Even Bill, the dragon-veined goblin who was also a "patriot hero", spoke in a sharp voice. (End of chapter)