Realm of Power

"It's such a touching down-to-earth feeling..."

The fat man breathed a long sigh of relief and sat on the sofa of the carriage. He looked at the streets outside from the opened window curtains. Most of the shops were closed. The open shops also had their wooden doors half-opened and the shelves were empty. , covered with a thick layer of dust, Kamag, one of the three major ports on the Fraser Coast. After the turbulence on the sea and the time for negotiations at sea, the fat man was already 10 when he arrived at Kamag on the Fraser Coast. At the end of the month,

The city looked particularly deserted. The lonely moon hung in the sky, and the silver moonlight drifted down. Some houses were destroyed in the conflict. Piles of rubble and fragments had not yet been cleared, blocking many streets. The rooms along the streets were filled with light. Dark lights, women and children in some dark streets They were curled up in the dark corners of the street, their faces burnt with hunger, or they were digging something on the garbage pile of the house. Because it was late at night, the black armor of the Guards Cavalry was almost completely integrated into the night. Although the sound of horse hooves could be heard, , but it seemed erratic, with frightened eyes looking over here from time to time.

"Three days ago, 40,000 people from the Northwest Army arrived. The Fezers withdrew their defensive forces as promised, and also handed over detailed regional maps to the Northwest Army. Although I don't know what Fezer's plans are, at least until Now, we have taken over one-third of the handover area." Navy Minister Dustelenko was sitting on the opposite side of the carriage, calmly reporting to the fat man on the situation of taking over the Fezer area.

"How was the resistance?"

Fatty rubbed his temples. For a land animal like Fatty, when he was at sea, his daily routine was to lie weakly in his room. Although the Dragon-class main battleship of the Imperial Navy was already known to the entire continent of Obarro The largest warship, but it still could not withstand the hurricane at sea, and the warship kept bumping. ○Severely affects people's diet and sleep. What's more, the ocean-going navy of this era has nothing to do with comfort in terms of logistics and supplies. Even His Majesty the Emperor, the treatment he can receive is only at a acceptable level.

"The northwest military master has complied with His Majesty's request and strictly restrained his subordinates in the area where there was a peaceful handover, so overall it's not bad." Dustelenko's voice paused, as if he thought of something. Said, "Now the resisters are mainly concentrated in Kuer City, Lorraine City and Jiasi Terrace, with about 70,000 to 80,000 people."

"So many?"

The fat man put down the hand rubbing his temples in surprise, and looked outside the carriage. Outside was a dark city. Along the streets, there were patrols wearing imperial black armor passing by. This time, the attack was almost effortless. Feize A ceasefire was proposed. And handed over thousands of miles of coastline. Although they knew that there must be problems behind this matter, judging from the area that the Army took over after it was transported, it was obvious that Fezer was hiding something. Because many Fezer troops who took over the area completely ignored the Fezer royal family's order to surrender, and were eventually defeated by the empire's northwest army, and then fled towards the above-mentioned areas.

After something like this. The empire has also begun to realize that the coastal area actually has little to do with the Fezer royal family.

But that’s not important; The first priority is that these areas actually fall into the hands of the empire. Anyway, the agreement in black and white has been signed. The Fezer royal family recognizes that these areas belong to the territory of the Falcon Empire. Then the measures taken by the empire in these areas are completely The internal affairs of the empire!

"The number is indeed a bit large, but the real Feizer slave owners are only three or four thousand, all of them are nobles, and the others are servants and slaves of the Feizer nobles. When their masters fled, these people also Bring them all," Dustronkai said with a strange expression, "and the northwest The army reported several conflicts with slave owners who had surrendered in the region. The Northwest Army believed that these slave owners who had hoarded a large number of slaves should release the slaves in accordance with imperial decrees. However, the slave owners said that these slaves were their private property purchased with money. , if they want to be released, they must come up with money."

"Get money? They really dare to say that." The fat man smiled coldly. There are no slaves in the empire, so when entering a country with an unusually large number of slaves, every emperor has a feeling of being unable to adapt, not to mention this This stretch of coastline was the area where the slave trade was most rampant.

The coastal area is home to 70% of Feize's slaves and tens of thousands of plantation estates. It is very normal for the Northwest Army to have conflicts when they take over." Let the Northwest Army ignore those slave owners for the time being. "Fat man, put it down. The curtain on the car window looked back and said "Leave it alone? If that's the case, I'm afraid it will affect the empire's reputation. After all, the entire West Coast is watching the empire's every move." Dustronkai expressed his concerns. Taking over the West Coast was too hasty after all. , if the Empire compromises on its treatment of slave owners, what if slave owners on the entire West Coast come to bargain with the Empire face to face, just like in the conflict? "Don't worry, Krolisat will take care of this." The fat man raised his eyebrows, and when he saw Dostronkai's anxious face, he let out a sneer. "Don't forget, Krolisat is a mountain hunter. Although you don't have the seriousness of a soldier, you never lack the cunning of a hunter. You will I told him that he would understand. Don't forget that these slave owners were able to control such a large number of slaves because they relied on Fezer's army behind them. But now that Fezer's army has withdrawn, the Imperial Army said they would not Regarding the conflict, what will those slaves do? " "They should tear these slave owners alive." Dostelenko took a breath of air. According to what he saw on the west coast, slave owners never regarded slaves as human beings, not even as animals, even if they were just one. Sheep can be exchanged for three to four slaves on the West Coast, so many times the slave owner will Killing one or two hundred slaves just to express a warm welcome to one's guests is considered a very normal behavior. There are nearly three million slaves on the entire west coast, but the Fezer nobles who control the slaves only have seven or eight thousand. Human beings, with such a huge disparity in proportion, are themselves an unstable existence.

To be honest, Dostelenko admired these Feize slave-owning nobles who escaped. They were just looking for death. They just ran away and took a large number of slaves with them. Don’t these Fezer slave owners know that once these slaves rebel, the slave owners will suffer the worst? "Tell the Northwest Army that for all the Fezer nobles who are unwilling to obey the empire, the empire can escort them to these areas, Let the Northwest Army take over all the territory first and then "The emperor's voice came from the other side," Dostelenko said, his subordinates understood.

The fat man took out a report from the Ministry of Military Affairs and handed it to Dostronkai. "The subsequent troop transportation needs to be accelerated before the winter is completely frozen. On the west coast, the imperial troop strength needs to reach 100,000, and the imperial navy needs to build a navy on the west coast." Regarding the port matter, I have asked the Ministry of Military Affairs to handle it in accordance with special procedures. The scale of the naval port is only the construction of the port. In terms of construction scale, it is no smaller than Lisbon. The entire west coast must be able to see the deterrent power of the Imperial Navy. Only in this way can the covetousness of the dissatisfied Fezer people be completely cut off, and the naval port will also be responsible for the incoming and outgoing cargo. It is a transit station, so it not only has huge warehouses and cargo yards, but also has a complete dock capable of repairing warships..."

"Ka," the carriage suddenly shook and stopped suddenly.

Dostelenko's expression in the carriage suddenly changed, even though the whole city was under martial law. The army controlled the city, but there was no guarantee that Fezer assassins would not appear. In fact, some Fezer nobles fought against the entry of the Imperial Army. An assassination team was also formed, with the goal of targeting the imperial officials, but His Majesty's carriage had absolutely no special markings. From the outside, it looks just normal. Entering the city late at night is also a temporary decision. It is absolutely impossible for the other party to control it. The imperial guards and curses can be heard from outside, mixed with the cries of some women.

"Don't be nervous, you probably bumped into an escaped slave."

The fat man looked outside with a calm expression. The Imperial Guards cavalry who was clearing the way in front stopped a large group of haggard-looking people in tattered clothes. Most of them were women, and a few were men. Without exception, they were all skinny and malnourished. , suddenly sprang out in the dark night, like a ghost in the night

The slaves outside probably knew that the Emperor's armor was all black, but they didn't know the difference between the Emperor's ordinary armor and the Imperial Guard's. They didn't know that the person they were blocking was the Emperor. They were blocking him in front, waving their arms. , squeaking and not knowing what to say, Feizenu Most of the slaves came from the more remote southern areas, and their languages ​​​​also varied. For the imperial people, the words of these Feize slaves were basically incomprehensible, and the only way for the two parties to communicate was body language. Fortunately, those who can become Imperial Guards are all smart people.

"Don't do anything"

After looking at the gestures of the slaves blocking the road, a guard captain waved to his subordinates who had drawn their sharp swords, turned around from the front, stopped in front of the carriage, and reported to the fat man, "It's a group of escaped slaves." , they said someone was chasing them and wanted to seek our asylum.”

"Send two people and take them to the military camp and let the local garrison handle it."

The fat man waved his hand. Since the Imperial Army entered the coastal area, slaves controlled by Feize nobles have escaped in large numbers. Many slaves have also heard about the conflict between the Imperial Army and their slave owners, so they often Take the initiative to run to the imperial camp to avoid the pursuit of slave owners. Although Fezer's army has withdrawn, these slave owners have their own private armies. Once the escaped slaves are caught, the punishment will be extremely cruel.

"Yes, Your Majesty." After receiving the order, the captain of the Guards put his right hand on his chest and saluted, then turned back to the front, selected two guards, and asked the two guards to lead these slaves to the local garrison. Under normal circumstances, the garrison would These slaves were sent to ports being repaired, where a large number of manpower was needed. There, the slaves would be used as workers, receive due wages, be accommodated, and receive unified protection from the army.

This kind of thing has become commonplace since entering the coastal area. The elite troops of the empire are stationed in the port direction. No matter how bold the private armed forces of the slave owners are, they dare not approach the port direction because the empire's most enviable ships are docked there. Awesome huge battleship , privately called the "Imperial Sea Dragon" by Feizer slave owners. Feizer slave owners believed that these imperial battleships possessed terrifying power. It was because of the possession of such terrifying weapons that the Falcon Empire swept across central and northern Europe in just a few years. Barrow, smashed the two empires to pieces

The slave followed the two imperial guards and left. The carriage continued to move forward, and finally stopped in front of a villa. As a temporary residence, this villa did not look conspicuous. The guards who had arrived before had carefully surveyed the entire villa. The hospital, and in accordance with the emperor's order, has brought a very prestigious old man among local scholars.

When the fat man walked into the living room, he happened to see this old man. He was wearing cotton and linen clothes that were obviously of a higher grade than ordinary slaves. His face was not that of a nutritious man, but ruddy. He was holding a book with a golden document cover in his hand. Feize Wendian was brought here late at night by the imperial soldiers who were angry about being killed. The old man's face was obviously a little hesitant and uneasy.

Although the imperial officer who brought him here told him not to be afraid, and just asked him to teach a certain adult Feize grammar, this did not weaken his inner fear at all. The imperial army suddenly entered the city, and the Feize whom the old man served The nobles of Zeda ran away overnight with their slaves and property. The old man had no choice but to stay because his daughter happened to be seriously ill and couldn't leave. Although he didn't know what the emperor's situation was, after all, he had served a family of important military officials for more than 20 years. For the Falcon Empire from the north, , I have heard more or less about it,

The empire is by no means as kind as the imperial official who invited him here. Instead, the empire is vicious and bloodthirsty, fighting everywhere, robbing other countries of their land and population, and inventing terrifying weapons that can explode. Anyone who opposes the empire People are executed without exception. Being able to send an officer to invite him is enough to show that the gentleman tonight is not an ordinary person. He is probably a senior general of this cruel empire.

When the door opened, the old man was kneeling on the ground, barely daring to raise his head. He just saw a pair of ferocious riding boots parked in front of him. They were spotless and black and a little dazzling.

"What's your name?" The owner of the voice didn't sound very old, "Honorable Sir, I am Lou Andribia, a product of the Bibialia family." The old man said in a trembling voice, and the imperial language he spoke was a bit awkward. , but I can basically understand it. "Get up, what's the significance of this name?" The fat man waved his hand, asking the old man to stand up, and then sat down on the seat opposite. "I don't know Feize language very well, and there are some documents that require someone who knows Feize language." They said that you are already the most knowledgeable person in the entire region. I don’t know if I heard it wrong, or this is the first time I heard of someone with the word “product” in their name. of"

"Your Excellency, you heard me right. The reason why there is such a word as belonging is because my father is a slave." The old man raised his head, hesitated for a moment, and there was a sense of pride in his tone.

"Oh? So who is your Excellency?" The fat man was slightly stunned. He did not expect that the most knowledgeable person in the area was actually a descendant of a slave.

"Being a slave and having your own name means that you have got rid of your slave status in Feize." The old man seemed to have known such a look for a long time, and explained nonchalantly, "My father saved the life of the former master, so the former master The master promised him a condition, so he asked the former master to give me a name. Because of the name, I was qualified to study behind him. After a very harsh test, I used the knowledge I had to serve the family of the former master. "

"I heard that you stayed because of some unavoidable reasons. If you were given a choice again, would you choose to stay or escape with your master?" The fat man's eyes became a little solemn. If you want to control the west coast, there is no way around it. To solve the problem of slaves, the problem of slaves is not just a matter of giving them a free person status. This point is fed back from the port direction. These people who are concentrated in the plantations work Slaves, many of them are not the first generation. They are at the bottom. From the day they are born, they are driven by others. They are asked to plant fruit trees and the like, and they are asked to do other jobs. Basically, they just open their eyes. Blind, this is one of the reasons why the fat man found the old man. In order for these Feize slaves to learn the most basic skills, they need to translate the imperial dialect into Feize dialect, and this is not the scope of soldiers, but the scope of scholars.

"I will follow my master and escape," the old man said with certainty.

"Why?" Fatty asked again

"Because I want food. If I leave my master, I will starve to death!" The old man's words were sincere and heart-wrenching.

(To be continued.)