Law of the Devil

Rohart looked at the "breakfast" in front of him.

This is a green bowl-shaped leaf. It contains a shallow crystal clear liquid - it is said that it is the fresh dew in the morning.

As for the living habits of the elves, this is their breakfast.

This tent is where the Elf King fell into the snow.

That day he was hoisted into a frying pan. Rohart thought he was doomed. In his opinion, there was no need for the enemy to keep a prisoner like himself—let alone. these enemies. Not "people", since this war began. They have no habit of keeping captives. All human beings caught. In the end, there is only one end: being killed. And become the rations of these guys.

Rohart is not afraid of death. But I still have a bit of fear in my heart about becoming these rations. So what he does the most every day is to pray silently. Use this to strengthen your beliefs.

After being unhooked from the frying pan that day, Rohart was actually drenched all over—it was sweat, and, to be honest, if he hadn't been drinking water since he was captured. I'm afraid that in that scene, he could really urinate on the spot - there is nothing shameful about it, but a normal physiological reaction. Not that he wasn't brave, just that. In fact, the so-called "warriors" are not those great and glorious images that are deliberately beautified, even brave people. Before you die, you will also be afraid and afraid. only. They have a stronger belief to support themselves-not to say that the fear disappears, but the power of belief overwhelms the fear.

But...he didn't die!

and. He has been locked in the big tent of the Elven King and has survived to this day.

Luo Xue's attitude towards him is very strange: on the one hand. Luo Xue didn't torture him to ask him anything, even. Compared with the status of "captive". Rohart also received some kind of preferential treatment, the Elf King told Rohart. Just be in this tent. He can move around as he pleases. Even everything in the tent. He can also look at it at will - as long as he doesn't step out of the tent, he is almost treated like a guest.

Except... the food I eat every day is a little bit worse.

—Do these elves seem to be non-meat eaters?

What I drink in the morning is dew, but in different ways. Rose dew, lily dew...but it's just dew after all.

At noon. They will eat a little bit of a strange pancake-like thing. The taste seems to be ground out with some kind of plant. And at night... they will make some very refreshing and fresh plants and fungi...

Rohart remembered that after he woke up, until today, these elves did not make him hungry, but the food sent by the elves really made Rohart feel that he was about to become a rabbit—a rabbit eating grass.

Although the elf king also said that it could order the orcs to send some meat over. But Rohart resolutely rejected the offer (or was it the temptation?)

Because Rohart was afraid: Those orcs would eat any kind of meat—including human flesh! God knows what meat they sent was from animals. still……

This tent has a certain amount of magic—this is what Rohart has gradually learned in the past two days.

At this moment, winter has begun in the north of the mainland. However, this elf's tent is like a huge mushroom-in fact, it is. It is indeed a huge mushroom with magical properties, and the edge of the umbrella is dragged to the ground. A circular shank in the middle supports the roof high.

This is something made by the special magic seeds of the elves, and the temperature in it is very comfortable. A cold wind has blown outside, but inside. Rohart didn't feel the slightest bit of coolness.

This huge tent is divided into two rooms, inside and outside, and the elf king seems to live outside. And Luoxue would spend an hour or two chatting with Rohart every day, this kind of chatting situation. At the beginning, Luoxue only talked one-sidedly, and Rohart either kept his mouth shut and didn't answer. Either curse a few words, or sneer twice.

But gradually. Rohart was surprised to find out. The elf's patience is insanely good. No matter how bad his attitude was, the other party didn't look angry at all, and... moreover, he was very knowledgeable. It's amazing!

The content of the conversation. Luoxue was very careful, and never involved human military affairs. But Luoxue has changed from the astronomy, geography and humanities knowledge of the human Roland Empire to the history and culture. We chatted casually along the way, and the topics were often wild. remember what to say...

Although Rohart is the son of a carpenter, he has also undergone some cultural learning since he entered the Tulip family's air cavalry regiment. After all, Du Wei thinks. Qualified officers must not be illiterate, in the Tulip family. A systematic and prescribed cultural curriculum education has been formed for officers at the rank of officers.

Rohart has been in the Northwest for three years, and he is no longer the son of a carpenter who can only write his own name. At least. He is good at history. However, when chatting with this elf. He often felt very... humiliated and ashamed.

Yes. be ashamed!

This elf talked about the history of the human Roland Empire, clearly and logically. The history of civilization in which era, and the process of the rise and fall of which dynasty. Even in the history of the Roland Empire from its founding to the present, some major national policies. The political system of the empire, etc., when this elf often talked about it, he picked it up casually and talked about it with eloquence-this kind of bearing, no matter how much Rohart hated these enemies in his heart, he had to admit it. This guy's knowledge is probably far better than the teacher who taught him when he was in the northwest!

I am afraid that among the people I have ever met, the only ones who can compare with this elf in terms of knowledge are the Duke of Tulip himself, and the chief administrator of the Northwest, Philip. . As an example, Du Wei once taught these officers personally. And Philip had also given lessons to these officers.

But Lord Tulip is famous for his erudition in the empire! And Lord Philip. He is also often referred to as the talent of the prime minister, and he is also an apprentice of the famous university student Mr. Lan Hai.

Most importantly...they are all human!

But this elf... it is an elf. But to human civilization. understand so deeply. Obviously it wasn't done randomly, it must have been studied carefully - with a very strong purpose!

even. Talking about some famous buildings of the Roland Empire. For example, the city walls of the imperial capital. When Luoxue talked about the famous Liumang Building of the Magic Guild in the imperial capital, the ceramic vertical column-shaped hall of the Temple of Light, etc. Even from the origin of this architectural style to the historical origin and era background it actually contains. Etc., etc…….

These topics are obviously beyond the comprehension of Rohart, who is fluent in writing.

There are also brilliant poems left by famous poets in human history, those wonderful chapters, magnificent epics. Beautiful opera and more...

It even made Rohart have a slight illusion: what else in this world does this elf not know?

What annoyed him was that, as a human being, when the other elf talked to him about the splendid culture of his nation. But often he is speechless. Even a lot of things, I either have only a little knowledge, or I have never heard of them at all!

even. Luoxue could also recite some ancient poems in more than two ancient languages ​​of the Roland Continent—these languages. Rohart couldn't understand a word.

But... I am human! It is just a foreign race!!

"I have read your general history of the mainland thirty-one times. There are also some versions with different ages, and the version before the revision... Well. When I came to your empire last time. In some cities in the north I got a lot of books, and I brought back about 4,600 volumes in total.”

Luoxue sat in front of Rohart very casually, with an expression and tone as if chatting with an old friend: "To be honest, I admire you humans very much. You have indeed created a very splendid civilization."

"You spend so much time learning about our human civilization. What are you worrying about?" Rohart said coldly.

"A thousand years ago, Aragorn, the founding emperor of the current Roland Empire, said a word: To defeat your enemy, you must first thoroughly understand your enemy. Well, the original sentence recorded in the history books should be: Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be imperiled in a hundred battles."

(If Du Wei were here, he would definitely despise his previous life and plagiarized his grandson's art of war,)

"Hmph. That's why you have no good intentions. The more you study our human civilization, the more vicious your intentions become." Rohart shook his head.

"No, actually, it's just the opposite." Luo Xue shook her head. There was a slight smile on its face: "Rohart, I'll tell you a secret. Do you want to hear it?"

"Whatever you want." Rohart's tone was very indifferent: "You will naturally say what you want to say, but I will not tell you any of my secrets."

There was a hint of mockery in Luoxue's smile: "For me, you have no secrets. Rohart."

After speaking, Luoxue stood up, and it waved lightly. The tent door closed silently. Turning his head, the Elf King looked at the human captive, and said in a faint voice:

"The more I learn about your human civilization, the more I have a thought in my mind. Although we are enemies now. But as I understand your race, I feel more and more, maybe. It is possible to defeat you on the battlefield. Yes. But...to completely defeat human beings, or exterminate your race. It is absolutely impossible."

when it said this. The look in the eyes is very clear, very calm.

As the commander of the invasion of criminals, it said such words. It made Rohart stunned.

"You still remember what I told you two days ago. A long, long time ago. We races were expelled from this continent."

"Well. Ten thousand years ago, you were expelled..." Rohart shook his head: "Of course I remember."

Luo Xue nodded.

It followed the voice. With a faint drift...

"When I was born. It was far, far north, across your frozen forest. Across a huge ice sheet, and then a high mountain guarded by dragons. Across a boundless wasteland, go north. There It is the place where I was born. It is different from your fertile continent. It is a barren land. There is no water source. The land is far from being able to describe it even with words like barren. If you have been to that place, you will understand One by one, you squat on the ground and grab a handful of soil. You will find that half of your hands are hard gravel, and there are dangerous mountains there, but most of those mountains are hard stones. Iron ore is Extremely rare and rare things, even the common woods on your continent...we don't have them there. Even if the magic seeds of our elves are planted, they will be sparse.

There is always a cold wind blowing there. When it comes to winter. The strong wind filled people's eyes, even a strong orc could not go out, because the strong wind could directly sweep people into the sky, that kind of wind. It scrapes for about two months every year.

Food has always been scarce since I was born...or earlier, since our race was first deported there.

In our place, the orc tribe is very thorough, but all orcs who are old and frail have reached a certain age. Will take the initiative to say goodbye to the family. A person walks into the depths of the wilderness, and then dies quietly—just to reduce the waste of food!

And when the young orcs were born. The family will strictly check the baby's physique. If it is unanimously determined that the baby's physique is very weak and may not be able to become a strong labor force when it grows up, then the parents must endure the sadness and despair and kill the weak baby, or...the tribe will send someone specially to Far away with a broken car. Push into the depths of the wilderness...

Every autumn...for you humans. It is a festival to celebrate the harvest.

oh. on the inside. You humans also have a major festival called Qingfeng Festival—but in our place, what you don’t know is: autumn. For us, it means: war!

The grain harvested every year is very scarce. There is never enough! So, once fall, a lot of tribal and tribal. A war will be launched in order to take away the food for the winter. Those tribes would fight each other. To snatch a pitiful bit of food from the other party...

Can kill and kill, kill to the end. There is never a winner! Because wars minus a lot of population. Therefore, there is a war every autumn. After a large number of deaths, the remaining people will have enough food to survive the winter.

I read it from a book. When you humans celebrate the Harvest Festival every year. Sing and dance. A lot of wine is brewed...but we are there. When winter comes, the prime of life in the orc clan will bid farewell to their wives and children. Then gather them in batches. Go to the battlefield to die, when they go. No one knows whether they can come back alive or survive this winter.

You live on this fertile continent. Maybe I will never experience the pain and cruelty. "

Despite being in a hostile position, Rohart couldn't help but be moved when he heard this!.

Luoxue's voice was still so faint, and there seemed to be a hint of sadness in its tone...

"All orcs, dwarves, and us elves. Including me, our races. Every one of us, when we are born, come to this world, and become sensible. The elders will tell us: We are not born to live In such a desolate world, our ancestors once lived in a fertile continent, where there were countless sweet and clear lakes, countless rivers, dense and endless forests, and fertile ones. Loamy soil that can even squeeze out grease! Plenty of rainfall. Gentle wind and warm sunshine - our ancestors once lived in such a beautiful land.

But. We lost that land.

We were defeated by a race called "Humans". Evil and greedy humans. Drive us away, occupy that continent, and make our children and grandchildren forced to live in this hungry and cold world!

Generation, fork generation!

Each of us has been instilled with these things since we were sensible. Then. The elders finished telling each time. They will tell us in a tone full of longing: We must work hard. Wait for one day in the future. After we are strong, we have to return to that fertile land. To avenge our ancestors. Kill those greedy and evil humans. Take back our homeland!"

Speaking of this, Luoxue clenched her fists: "Every orc, dwarf, and elf has been instilled with these things since childhood, until the day they die!"

Rohart was moved.

Even though he is only the son of a carpenter, he can still feel the shock of these words!

It's... countless generations. Repeatedly instilling such thoughts, the longing that has been deposited for thousands of years, the hatred... when it bursts out. What kind of terrifyingly huge energy would this be?!

Humans nowadays...do they have such crazy beliefs??

"I am the king of the elves." Luoxue said lightly, "I was destined to take on this responsibility when I was born. I want to bear the future destiny of my tribe on my shoulders. My father is the king. I My grandfather was the king, and my great-grandfather was also the king. I... too! So. As the king of every generation. We are always looking for ways to return to the place.

In the days when I was born. It was snowing heavily. The name my father gave me was Luoxue. And when I was not yet an adult, my father died...he left the Ministry. With a few strong men in the clan, they went to the human world.

I know...he must have died at the foot of the sacred mountain guarded by the dragon clan.

In fact, we sinners. The leaders of each generation will take the strongest in the clan to take risks in your human world, trying to open the way back home, but. every generation. No one can come back alive. "

"I used to hate human beings extremely." Luo Xue smiled. Its smile was a little mocking: "Just like the thoughts I was instilled in when I was a child: human beings are robbers. They are greedy and evil races. They rob and occupy our homeland. And we criminals, the only goal is to kill Go back! Kill all of you humans! Completely exterminate your race! Otherwise, it will not be enough to wash away the tragic fate we have suffered for nearly ten thousand years. The old people who committed suicide in the wilderness, those weak little lives that were killed when they were just born... after 10,000 years, this blood debt is really too big! It is so huge that unless it is washed with blood, there is no one at all. Room for relaxation!!"

"I used to hold this strong belief: kill all human beings! Exterminate the human race!! But..."

Luo Xue shook her head lightly. Its smile is a little strange: "But now I don't think so... because, as I learn about your human civilization, I have to force myself to accept a fact: a race like yours cannot be exterminated! At least, we races can't do it! Maybe we can win, but we can't be extinct!"

Saying that, Luoxue sighed softly. Its voice gradually lowered down: "However, my thoughts are only my own... those orcs. They don't think so. The orcs have insisted on it until now. Only by killing all human beings, we There is a way to survive... But I am very pessimistic that this goal may never be achieved in advance - even if the war lasts for ten, fifty, or one hundred years... it will not be achieved!

It may be possible to defeat a nation, but to completely wipe out a race that has developed for tens of thousands of years and has a mature civilization... This is definitely not something we can do. in my opinion. This is a knot, and this war will go on - and go on! Go on! I can't see where the future is headed, nor can I see a glimmer of hope. I'm afraid. my generation. My next generation, and the next generation, will continue to fight like this. Endlessly!"

Rohart heard this. He frowned. Finally couldn't bear to ask Luoxue a question: "Then, what exactly do you want?"

"Me?" Luoxue smiled lightly, looking at the humans in front of him: "I want peace... We elves have never been a warlike race, we just want peace, as long as we have a home that allows us to thrive, that's enough gone."

talking. Luoxue pointed to the outside of the big tent.

Its smile is very bitter: "Just a few days ago, we have started to grow food in the surrounding land. For you humans, this is the northern part of the continent. The land is not fertile enough. But for us. Quite The land here is simply unimaginably fertile! They have already started to grow food. The first batch of harvest will be available next year! Those food will continue to be supplied to our army and continue to fight here! In these lands that have been occupied. We will hold on firmly here. Unless we are all dead. Otherwise, we will never leave! We waited ten thousand years to return here, and now there is no power to make us retreat! The grain has been planted this year. It will continue next year! The year after. The year after... and the year after... Generation after generation, the war will not stop!"

Rohart's face became serious involuntarily, and he murmured: "I think. I understand what you want to say...huh!"

"This is a war destined to have no winner. There will never be a winner." Luo Xue said softly.

h Sicang Grand Canal.

A naval warship of the Roland Empire was moored beside the pier of the imperial capital. .

To the surprise of the porters on the pier. Such a warship is actually moored in the civilian port, and. soon. Imperial capital. A group of heavily armed Wangcheng guards arrived and put this wharf under strict martial law.

For a whole day, no cargo was unloaded on this ship, and no one disembarked, but there were bystanders around, who had been seen from a distance. In one day, there were three consecutive court envoys dressed in court ceremonial officials. Accompanied by the Imperial Forest Army. boarded the ship.

Such a novelty. Immediately attracted the attention of many caring people.

At the same time, in the imperial palace of the imperial capital. A bitter debate is unfolding.

"I firmly oppose it!"

In the hall. An old man with white beard and hair. Wearing a very strict loose robe. Excitedly waving his hands. argued loudly.

Then, he looked up at the two people sitting high on the throne... His Majesty the current Emperor of the Empire, Little Charlie, and His Majesty's father, His Highness the Regent of the Empire.

"Your Majesty! Your Highness!!" The old man growled quickly and resolutely: "I am firmly opposed to giving those natives extra courtesy!! They are different from those on the grassland! The grassland has been confronting us for many generations. Although not I am willing to admit it, but I have to say that we have basically acquiesced to the fact that the independent regime on the grasslands! They have the power to fight against us in some areas. As a compromise, the empire has recognized the lordship of the grassland Lord Wangjue Fact! From the point of view of etiquette, if it is the envoy of the Prairie King, we can treat it as a vassal state. But...these aborigines in Southeast Asia are absolutely not allowed!! If we...that is a kind of humiliation! It means that the empire has admitted that these aborigines are in The legitimacy of that Nanyang Kingdom! Your Majesty! Your Highness! If there is a first time, there will be a second time! If there is a third time... it will become a practice in the future!! I think that this precedent must never Open! Otherwise, if that happens in the future, any native tribe on the island will claim to be king. Send people to the empire. Shall we all treat a kingdom envoy?"

Along with that, there are some old veterans in the military, and many of them still belong to the navy system.

"I agree with the Minister of Etiquette." A military veteran bowed, with a hint of anger and pain in his brows: "Your Majesty, Your Highness! Once upon a time, our huge navy was invincible in Nanyang. Take what you can and take it away! Those Nanyang people The aborigines can only bear our wanton rubbish of land! Even now, they have never had the power to fight against us. Never have!! For these aboriginals. They are just the granaries of the Nanyang Empire. We need land At that time, we could harvest at any time. But now, we have become a country! This is absolutely something we cannot admit! They are different from the prairie people. The prairie people have the strength to fight against us, but these Nanyang natives do not!"

"If we admit that they are a country, then according to the imperial code and etiquette, we must give them the treatment of a country... and there will be a lot of troubles in the future! We also need to consider the influence of public opinion, the people of the Northwest Grassland If you know this, you will laugh at us for being too weak!! The Nanyang natives are only worthy of being our slaves. They are not worthy of being our guests!"

The Minister of Etiquette raised his fist and roared. .