Iron Powder and Spellcaster

[Empire, Castile Peninsula, Royal Palace, Hunting Ground]

When the great hunt of the Red River Division came to an end, another hunt was reaching its climax on the other side of the shaded mountains - the Castile Peninsula thousands of miles away.

Compared with the spectacular scene of the white lion roaring in the Chihe tribe and 30,000 hunters sweeping across the wasteland, the hunting here in the empire seemed a bit petty, with less than a thousand attendants and servants in total.

However, the reason for this perception is just because of "contrast".

For the Castilian nobles, even the annual Ascension Mass was not as important as the Great Hunt.

Twenty years ago, on the eve of the civil war in the empire, the situation was turbulent and the princes from all sides who held heavy troops were silent.

He was the first nobleman from the Castile Peninsula to openly stand under the banner of [Henry Sun], and charged into battle in the subsequent war of succession, achieving great military exploits.

In recognition of the loyalty and bravery of the Castile nobles, after the dust settled on the ownership of the crown, the royal family held a grand hunting event on the Castile Peninsula every winter.

Even the emperor himself would come to the hunting ground to observe the ceremony, and he had never missed an appointment in the past twenty years, nor had anyone else do it for him.

Therefore, every year in late winter, Castile's nobles, big and small, are like migrating fish, putting on their most gorgeous hunting attire and rushing to the royal palace from all over the peninsula.

Even the landless knights and commoners who were not qualified to participate in the hunting still squeezed their heads to enter the hunting ground and see the true face of the emperor.

You know, on the one hand, the Castilians are known for their bravery, strength, and vigor, but on the other hand, they are also notorious for being unruly, savage, and angry.

The geographical location of the Castile Peninsula was far away from the center of the empire.

Being in a corner, the people of Castel naturally lacked respect for the authority of the emperor.

Therefore, during the reign of Mad King Richard alone, there were no fewer than seven major and minor rebellions in the Castile Peninsula.

After their outstanding achievements in the War of Succession, the Castilian nobles became more arrogant and more difficult to control.

It was only thanks to the emperor's skill that the Castilian faction neither became powerful nor unbalanced.

In the twenty years since the new emperor came to the throne, there has not been a single rebellion in the Castile Peninsula.

Therefore, the Great Hunt was not only a good opportunity for the younger generation of Castilian nobles to show off their talents and win the favor of the emperor, but also an important occasion for the royal family to maintain the loyalty of the Castilian nobles and show their favor and goodwill.

Especially at this time.

when?

When the Northern Sea Route was opened.

Before the conquest of the northern countries, transport ships from the empire's far western colonies could dock at the Castile Peninsula, and then transport gold, silver, slaves, tobacco, sugar and other goods to various parts of the empire via land.

As trade on the Western Route grew, shipbuilding also flourished on the Castres Peninsula.

The continuous input of wealth brought unprecedented prosperity to the Castile Peninsula, and the Castile nobles gradually lived a life of luxury and enjoyment.

They built luxurious palaces one after another, bought the most expensive Freiman war horses, decorated the dining tables with exquisite gold and silver vessels from Veneta, and used only the most gorgeous Piedmont twill for clothing.

It is the Western route that supports all these expenses.

Now, the Lion of the North has been brought down by His Majesty the Emperor.

The northern route fell into the hands of the emperor, and the two oceans were connected.

Transport ships no longer have to pay high transit taxes when passing through the Narrow Sea, and they no longer need to be intercepted by Northam pirates.

Wealth from the Far Western colonies also no longer had to use expensive land transportation, but could be directly transported by ship to the east coast - closer to the heart of the empire.

The rise of trade routes can bring prosperity, and the disappearance of trade routes will also lead to decline.

Some far-sighted Castilian nobles were already feeling uneasy. They couldn't help but think that although the emperor gave the Castilians various honors, he rarely accepted the Castilians into the center of power.

The Castilian nobles participated in this winter hunt in a gloomy mood. At this moment, they urgently needed to see the emperor's goodwill gesture.

Some people just don’t believe in this evil.

In a tent in the hunting camp, Prince Monta [Richard] was persuading another blond man.

The blond man ignored the prince and put on his protective gear without saying a word.

There is probably only one person in the empire who can treat the prince like this, who can treat the prince like this - Earl Harlan, the Knight of the Golden Fleece, the youngest general in the empire and the prince's playmate since childhood - Harlan's Siegfried.

Prince Richard tried to persuade him to no avail, and looked at the other man with chestnut hair angrily and anxiously: "You are his adjutant! Why don't you speak? Farnan!"

"Because it's useless." The chestnut-haired man replied calmly: "Your Highness."

Perhaps no one in the world knows Sigfrid better than Farnan, not even Sigfrid himself.

Therefore, Farnan did not dissuade him from beginning to end, but silently helped Siegfried put on the greaves.

Siegfried is tall and handsome, and looks even more heroic after wearing a slim-fitting hunting suit. In comparison, Fanan's appearance is not outstanding, but he is capable and calm, which is reassuring.

Prince Richard's tone became stern: "What do you mean it's useless? He doesn't listen to you the most?"

"What Farnan said is correct, Your Highness." Siegfried finally spoke: "Please don't embarrass him."

Seeing Sigfrid speaking, Prince Richard put away his anger and persuaded as calmly as possible: "It's just a show, so what if you are better than those Castilians? You don't need to prove anything anymore. Win. Defeat is meaningless, failure will only bring humiliation, do you want to fight this kind of battle?"

Sigfrid stretched out his arms so that Farnan could wrap strips of cloth around his wrists, palms, and knuckles.

"As you said, Your Highness." Siegfried gritted his teeth slightly: "It's just a performance."

…

[Set the time back a quarter of an hour]

"Count Harlan?" Duke Tarlac, who was carrying animal ears, walked past Sigfrid triumphantly and asked casually, as if casually: "Aren't you going to play?"

The princes of Castile have always looked down upon the "nouveau riche", not to mention that Sigfrid was of humble origin, just the son of a poor knight.

Sigfrid seemed unaware and ignored Duke Tarak. He was holding the wine glass, but his eyes unconsciously drifted towards the auditorium where the royal family was.

Just as Duke Tarlac was about to attack, the chestnut-haired adjutant next to Siegfried took the first step and replied in an unassuming manner: "Your Excellency, winter hunting is a stage for the athletes of Castile to show off their talents. How could the earl compete with Castile?" Are the princes of Tyr competing for the lead role?"

Sigfrid was the most popular person around the emperor, and Duke Tarlac did not want to cause a real conflict, so he vented his anger on the chestnut-haired adjutant.

Duke Tarak glanced sideways at the chestnut-haired adjutant and asked, "Are you Fanan? The 'shadow of Earl Harlan' as they call it?"

"Or to put it another way..." Duke Tarak changed the topic and his tone became sarcastic and lewd: "Earl Harlan's male favorite?"

Before Farnan could speak, Sigfrid turned around and glanced at Duke Tarlac.

If Siegfried's face is like a marble statue carefully carved by a famous master, then the three deep lines between his eyebrows at this moment are the scars left by the craftsman's mistake.

The new Earl of Harlan said coldly: "Your Majesty will not allow me to play."

"Really?" Duke Tarak saw that the golden-haired boy was irritated, so he smiled and left with a victor's attitude: "What a pity."

Siegfried pursed his lips tightly and unconsciously put his left hand on the hilt of his sword.

Suddenly, another hand put on Siegfried's wristband - it was Fanan. He looked at Siegfried and shook his head.

Things should have ended here, but...

"No wonder." Duke Tarlac, who had already walked away, said loudly to himself: "The hunting in Castile is too barbaric. How can His Majesty be willing to let his male pet take risks?"

…

[Time returns to the present]

[Hunting ground, viewing platform]

The Castres Royal Winter Hunting has four activities: falcon hunting, falcon hunting, dog hunting and hunting. Among them, dog hunting and falcon hunting are chasing on horseback, and falcon hunting is hunting on foot.

After other hunting activities are over, it is the turn of the highlight of winter hunting - hunting.

The hunting method of the imperial nobles is very similar to that of the Hud people. The beasts scattered throughout the forest are first gathered together by the attendants and servants, and then the hunting grounds are enclosed with wooden fences and curtains.

Compared to the nearly ten kilometers of hunting grounds in the Red River Division, the hunting grounds for winter hunting in Castile are less than a hundred meters in diameter.

Because there is no overlooking place like Qingqiu, craftsmen will build temporary viewing platforms around the hunting grounds.

The higher the viewing platform, the more distinguished the audience is.

Members of the royal family, princes, princes and nobles each have independent viewing platforms. The small and medium-sized nobles who are not qualified to sit stand or ride horses. The status of each person is clear at a glance.

The largest terraced stands belong to the female relatives of each family, which is considered a special treatment for ladies.

At this moment, on the highest viewing platform, a girl was complaining softly: "It's so boring, Dad, do they have to torture those poor wild boars?"

"Watch your words." The speaker's voice was soft and pleasant, and she should be a lady: "Elizabeth."

The girl curled her lips: "Dad didn't say anything."

The girl's attitude made the lady who was disciplining her even more dissatisfied: "Where did you learn this behavior? Your father dotes on you so much that you are almost becoming a wild girl."

The girl blinked her eyes, showed an expression like a helpless cub, and looked eagerly at the man on the throne: "Dad..."

The man on the throne showed a smile: "You yourself have angered your mother, don't expect me to help you."

"dad!"

"You are always like this, always like this." The lady with a soft voice was angry, but also a little sad: "I always want to use your father..."

"Okay." The man on the throne looked at the lady on the right.

The soft and mature female voice stopped abruptly.

The girl secretly raised her eyebrows as if celebrating a victory.

This unusual conversation took place among the most noble families in the empire.

The girl who acted coquettishly to her father was the emperor's eldest and most favored daughter, Princess Elizabeth. The lady who spoke out to teach Princess Elizabeth a lesson was Queen Diana.

The man sitting between the princess and the queen need not say much. His entire title requires six hundred and forty-six words to write.

Therefore, usually, he will use a simpler title:

Henry III., the sole legitimate monarch of the Empire, Tanneria, Castile, and Northen, and its dominions and dependencies, protector of the Catholic Church, most glorious Emperor, by the grace of the Lord.

The emperor at this moment looks strange in the eyes of people who are not familiar with the emperor, because he has lost his majesty and divinity.

But the servants who actually walk in the palace will not be surprised, because only by Princess Elizabeth's side will the emperor become a mortal.

So you see, while everyone else is sitting quietly, not daring to let go of their breath, Princess Elizabeth can move her seat next to the emperor's throne, lie on the emperor's lap and complain about the boring hunt.

A new round of performances has just ended, and young Castilian nobles on horses are circling the hunting ground, receiving cheers and blowing kisses.

The emperor nodded, and the royal flag in the auditorium waved three times to show his appreciation for the gladiators.

After receiving the approval, the young noble dismounted next to the corpse of the prey. He pulled out his dagger, cut off the prey's ears and tail, walked under the viewing platform, and bowed to the emperor.

Princess Elizabeth muttered softly: "What's so interesting about a fight between a group of men and a group of wild boars..."

"On the contrary, Your Royal Highness." Duke Lothair walked up to the viewing platform with a smile: "The most interesting part of the hunt in Castile is the fight between man and beast."

…

Why did the Duke of Tarlac call Castile hunting "barbaric"?

The reason is simple. The highlight of winter hunting in Castile is never the "hunt", but the one-on-one combat between man and beast.

When there were only a few sparks of civilization, fighting ferocious beasts was a skill that humans had to master. In the remaining murals of ancient civilizations, you can see a large number of scenes of people fighting with beasts.

With the development of civilization, human beings gradually got rid of the stage of eating hair, drinking blood, and living in caves and drilling wood. Although fighting wild beasts is no longer necessary for survival, humans have retained it as a way to demonstrate bravery.

Therefore, in the early history of various civilizations, there are also widespread records of ritual fights between humans and beasts.

Going back a thousand years, gladiators and beast fights were a bloody entertainment activity for the citizens of the ancient empire.

Going back three hundred years, hunting wild beasts was one of the duties of feudal nobles, and even native lions were killed to extinction.

However, to this day, on the continent where the empire is located, the only place where "fighting beasts" is still regarded as a recreational activity and a way to prove bravery is the Castile Peninsula.

The disappearance of the custom of fighting animals is partly because there are fewer and fewer wild animals, and partly because of the protracted attack by the Catholic Church.

There is no doubt that fighting animals for fun has no regard for the safety of human life. Theologians of the Catholic Church have always hated this and fiercely criticized it.

In the end, only the remote and ignorant Castile Peninsula still retained this "barbaric" and "unsophisticated" custom.

According to the tradition of winter hunting in Castile, weak prey - such as deer, deer, fox, rabbit, birds, etc. - will be hunted by dogs, falcons, and eagles in the past few days.

The beasts of prey—such as wolves, wild boars, and bears—were carefully reserved until the last day of the hunt.

The last day of the hunt was held at the hunting ground. All the nobles attending the ceremony would come, and even the emperor would be present in person.

The beasts will be put into the hunting pen one by one, each one stronger and more ferocious than the last.

The Castilian nobles who participated in the last day of hunting will also take turns entering the hunting circle to engage in one-on-one combat with the beasts.

Fighting animals is an extremely dangerous challenge, and injuries and deaths are common, but the Castilian nobles never tire of it.

brutal? That's barbaric!

This is what the Castile people think deep down. The more the Catholic Church criticizes the barbarity of "beast fighting", the more the Castile people regard it as a unique symbol.

…

[Hunting ground, viewing platform]

Seeing that the emperor was in a good mood, the Duke of Lothair told the princess a story from the past: "Your Highness, you must know that twenty years ago at the Gray Rock Arena, Your Majesty personally took the stage and killed a giant wolf, a bull and a bull in succession. Brown bear.”

"Ah? Why don't I know?" Elizabeth suddenly became excited. She pulled her father's arm: "Dad, is it true?"

The emperor smiled and shook his head.

"Of course it's true." Duke Lothair also said with a smile: "And it was under the gaze of tens of thousands of Castilians. The shocked expressions and deafening cheers of the Castilians at that time - —I still remember it clearly."

Elizabeth begged Duke Lothair: "Please tell me more carefully, please!"

Duke Lothair and the Emperor smiled at each other.

Twenty years have passed, and the immature prince is now the supreme emperor. The Duke of Lothair is also old - but he is still as handsome as ever.

"Let your Majesty tell you." Duke Lothair said with a smile, "Your Royal Highness."

Elizabeth looked at her father, and just when she was about to use her tricks of acting coquettishly, the rhythmic sound of horns sounded in the hunting ground - a new knight entered the scene.

Princess Elizabeth frowned slightly when she saw her father.

Duke Lothair also immediately noticed the change in the emperor's mood. He looked at the knight in the center of the hunting ground and also frowned: "Count Harlan?"

At the same time, in the center of the hunting ground.

Siegfried held the reins in his left hand and the lance in his right hand. He controlled the horse with his knees and stared at the direction of the animal pen.

Another horn sounded - it was the beast's turn to enter.

The gate of the animal pen was raised, and a huge wild boar rushed towards Siegfried.

[The story that has to be told about the noble and the wild boar]

[On June 26, 1515, at a royal celebration held at the Chateau de Chambord, a famous hunting resort in the Loire Valley, King Francois I had a wild boar captured alive nearby prepared for him. At the end, a show of wrestling with wild boar with bare hands was performed for the ladies and other spectators present. This thought horrified his mother and queen, who fell on their knees and begged. The king couldn't resist, so he had to give up the plan and had wooden dummies put up for everyone to enjoy watching the wild boar attack the dummy.

Unexpectedly, the wild boar had amazing jumping ability. After overturning the dummy, it jumped over the fence and rushed into the auditorium, rushing in front of the king, queen and his mother. This seemed to play into François's plan. Five or six attendants tried to rush over, but the king stopped them. In front of everyone, he drew his sword, saw the right moment and pierced the wild boar that rushed towards him. His technique was fast and accurate, and he hit the vital point. The wild boar ran five or six steps before falling to the ground and dying. (Quoted from @Holy Roman Emperor)]

[The case of Francois I is a successful example, and there are also cases of overturning]

[As for kings personally fighting wild beasts, the far one is the Roman Emperor, and the nearest one is the Spanish King Charles V/Carlos I]

[Carlos I grew up in the lowlands, and to the Spaniards he was the "King of Foreigners." So, Carlos I personally killed a bull at the celebration, thus winning the hearts of many Spaniards]

[Thank you everyone for reading and voting! ]