【The Floating World】(Chapter Two)

page views:1 Publication date:2023-03-24

World Setting:
1/ The Western Continent is divided into North and South regions. Before knowing about the Eastern Continent beyond the sea barrier,
the intelligent beings living on the Ester Continent believed that, apart from the interdimensional summoning by mages, life in this plane consisted only of the Western Continent
. (Although some were confused by this, they could only speculate and feel helpless in the face of the impassable sea barrier.)
2/ The direction of the Eastern Continent's setting, in my imagination, will only appear much later in this story. At least
before the Demon King is captured, it will not cross the sea barrier, so only Nalan Mingyue temporarily represents the Eastern Continent.
3/ The Western Continent's power division: North of the connecting land bridge are several large human kingdoms,
such as the Saint Reines Empire and the Europa Dynasty. Further north is the territory controlled by orcs, and to the west is the Dwarven Empire.
South of the land bridge was originally the most powerful country in the Western Continent, the Toruk Empire, known as the Undying Dynasty. A
country that gave Nit Elon, the founding emperor of the Reines Dynasty, a headache. However, it suddenly disintegrated in the year 998 of the Continental Calendar
.
The area is now dotted with numerous small, city-state-based powers, a chaotic land that has lost
its former dominance over the entire continent.
However, other forces also exist, such as the Green Sea Elves of the Domus Forest further south, and the Druid
tribes to the east.
(The above settings represent the main settlements of each race; smaller tribes scattered throughout the continent are not excluded.)
4/ Warriors are categorized into Apprentice, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Gold, and Holy War.
Mages are categorized into Apprentice, Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Mage, Archmage, and Grand Mage.
5/ Legion organization: A typical legion consists of 6,000 infantry and 500 cavalry.
There are also Magic Swordsmen, who combine martial arts and magic; those who practice this skill are mostly
women with weaker physiques or men who, due to physical limitations, cannot develop battle aura through physical training. The system is also set up with trainee, beginner,
intermediate, and advanced levels (each level is further divided into upper, middle, and lower grades), but the higher levels will be differentiated into Silver (using magic
to simulate battle aura) and Magic Warrior (relying on short spell combinations for semi-physical combat).
The Eastern Continent is not set up for now (because setting it up again would make me want to vomit milk, I'll wait until it's introduced or I've thought
it through ^^!).
The final interpretation of the above introduction belongs to the author shouliudan and Smoker (the same handsome guy!).
If you have any complaints or want to criticize, please turn around or go straight and go to the back of the toilet to wake up (just kidding!).
**********************************************************
In the autumn of 1879 in the Western Continent, Queen Shelley, more than seven months pregnant, was restless. Half a month ago,
Emperor Helis led the army to break through seven strongholds of the Orc Alliance. This was originally a good thing, and the emperor
held a victory banquet to reward the soldiers who were far from home and let everyone relax.
But no one expected that His Majesty, the valiant emperor on the battlefield, would suddenly faint. At first, people thought that the emperor might
be overworked and would be fine after resting, but no one expected that the situation would worsen.
His Majesty first vomited water, then his skin veins swelled and turned purplish-black, and his health deteriorated to the point of being unable to speak.
Just an hour ago, the court sorcerer sent the latest news:
Duke Hiramt, the Minister of the Imperial Household and also Queen Shelley's father, and Grand Councilor Bailey, after offering their usual words of comfort, suddenly
changed their tone, subtly hinting that Queen Shelley should prepare for the prince's succession as soon as possible.
Could it be that His Majesty is really going to die? Shelley paced back and forth in her bedroom, her heart filled with anxiety.
As night fell, "Your Majesty!" Hillary, her voice trembling, pushed open the door, lifted her skirt, and ran in, tears welling in her eyes
. Talia and Hathaway followed behind, their faces equally sorrowful. Shelley, who had just sat down, stood up as if electrocuted, and
asked urgently, "How is it? Is there any news of His Majesty?"
She wanted to speak, but a lump formed in her throat, and Celeste nodded, glancing back at the two behind her. Finally, Hathaway knelt
down and sighed, "Your Majesty, please accept my condolences." Those five simple words struck like
a bolt from the blue. Shelley swayed a few times, her vision went black, and she collapsed.
In the winter of 1879 on the Western Continent, Emperor Helis of the Reins Dynasty suddenly passed away. Amidst the various rumors
, some said the emperor had suddenly fallen ill, some said he had been cursed by an orc shaman on the battlefield, and others
said he had been poisoned. While these conflicting accounts circulated, Duke Hiramt, the Minister of the Interior, left a letter,
expressing his guilt for failing in his duties and wishing to follow His Majesty to heaven to continue serving him. At the same time, an investigation into the emperor's death began, led by Duke Velas 　　Thor, Emperor Helis's uncle. A month later, Grand Councilor Bailey, unable to withstand the scrutiny
, 　　secretly committed suicide, and half of the five thousand Imperial Guards were arrested. The stench of blood 　　permeated the entire country from the northern border, as countless nobles were framed for the treasonous crime of assassinating the emperor and executed. Every November 　　, citizens opened their doors to find their once-high-ranking nobles and their families being led to the executioner's block by soldiers 　　. 　　The investigation continued until the following spring, and later historical records refer to this winter as the "Winter of Red Snow. 　　" Shelley, who became empress at fifteen, gave birth to a prince at sixteen, and "elevated" herself to empress dowager at twenty-three, 　　hid in the Crescent Moon Palace, disappearing from public view except for her appearance on the day of her son's coronation. 　　On New Year's Day, January 1st, 1880, in the Western Continent, Shelley, now empress dowager, gave birth prematurely 　　to twin princesses on the night of her son's coronation. 　　Just three days after New Year's Day in 1880, in the Crescent Moon Palace, Talia angrily threw her helmet to the ground 　　: "I quit! I'm putting up with that bastard Barak every day!" 　　Lily closed the door, brought Talia a glass of water to calm her down, and sat down beside her, advising, "You must be patient 　　, Lily. The court is controlled by Duke Velastor now. What will the Empress Dowager do if you make a mistake?" 　　"We can't just let things slide like this! Didn't you see that old man Velastor making inappropriate advances towards the Empress—oh 　　, I mean, towards the Empress Dowager?" Talia couldn't help but stand up again. 　　"Shh… keep your voice down. The Empress Dowager just put the two little princesses to sleep," Lily used all her strength to push Talia 　　back into her seat, continuing, "I'm by the Empress Dowager's side every day, how could I not know? If he wants to marry the Empress Dowager, he 　　can naturally become the Emperor Emeritus."

“No, I have to…” Talia said, trying to get up again, but was stopped by Silis. Seeing Talia’s stubbornness
, Silis had no choice but to reveal some information to her good friend in advance: “Talia, don’t rush, I’ll tell you
a secret.”
“?…A secret?”
Although the Crescent Palace was full of her own people, Silis still leaned close to Talia and whispered: “Do you remember
the five thousand Imperial Guards of the late Emperor in the north? Although they were ravaged last time, more than two thousand survived. They are
absolutely loyal warriors to His Majesty. Some time ago, General Vansta from the northern border secretly sent a secret letter, and has already released
these people to infiltrate the capital. As long as we launch a surprise attack on the day of Cupid’s Day, February 14th, and
kill a few key criminals like Velastor, General Vansta will naturally lead the army…”
Talia nodded repeatedly, her furrowed brows finally relaxing. After Silis finished speaking, she suddenly hit Talia
: “You bad sister, you’ve kept this from me for so long, and only the three of you know, making me so upset for so long.”
"Ouch, that hurts! Don't you know how heavy your hand is? With your clumsy personality, I don't know
what might happen if I had to warn you beforehand!" Xilis rubbed her shoulder, her face contorted in pain.
"Does it hurt, dear sister? How about I rub it for you, or I'll make it up to you with a sweet kiss?" Talia, in high spirits ,
joked.
"You brat, are you happy now? The Festival of Love is only a few days away. Hathaway has already left the city to make arrangements. You
'd better behave yourself these next few days and be very careful," Xilis warned worriedly.
On the night of February 12th, 1880, in the Western Continent, in a dense forest less than a hundred miles from the capital of Calbadia,
Hathaway led her loyal guards to a small, open basin. Here they would receive new clothes
and infiltrate the capital at dawn, launching a surprise attack on the night of the 14th when the festive atmosphere was at its peak.
The late emperor's guard captain, Nichkhun, stepped forward somewhat apologetically, saying, "Miss Hathaway, please rest.
The brothers are all rough men; they'll start snoring soon..."
Nodding, Hathaway turned and slipped into the woods. She was a woman who would never speak except when absolutely necessary. Seeing the captain's
embarrassed state, his men burst into laughter.
"Dare to laugh at me! Laugh again and I'll make you all strip naked and carry log frogs, jumping a thousand times!" But this time the threat didn't
work. Instead, someone "reminded" the captain that the girl was shy and hiding behind a tree, pitching a tent—wasn't that just
asking him to chase her?
Looking at his good brothers who had followed him for years, Nikki laughed and cursed back a couple of times. After arranging the sentries, night sentries, and guerrilla
sentries, he immediately rested. He knew exactly what to do at what time; the surprise attack the day after tomorrow was crucial, how could he let
personal feelings ruin such an important matter?
In his dream, Nikki found himself in a crisp, high-ranking military uniform, surrounded by his close friends from the Northern Expedition, even
his fallen comrades appeared, all grinning foolishly at him. Suddenly, a majestic voice
came from above: "General Nikki, you take Miss Hathaway to be your wife, for life…"
Nikki looked up in disbelief, trembling with excitement. Standing on the platform was the deceased Emperor
speaking to him. And what was His Majesty saying? Asking if he would marry Miss Hathaway?
Heavens! This must be a dream, but even if it is, so be it. Wait! Where is my bride, Hathaway? Ah! Here
she is! My little Hathaway, you look so beautiful in your white wedding dress!
The wonderful dream continued. Nikki knighted the Emperor, awaiting the highest
honor and future happiness.
But why was the Emperor silent after all this time? Looking up at the platform, Nikki was horrified to find
the Emperor staring straight at him, a sword piercing his chest. Why? Why is this happening! Nikki instinctively
reached to protect his bride.
A cold voice came from beside him: "Want your Hathaway? Fine, here you go." Nikki hurriedly
turned to the side and was immediately stunned. The shy bride, Hathaway, looked at him with a cold smile, ripped off her head, and
casually threw it towards him.
Nikki, who wanted to scream but couldn't, suddenly woke up, wiped the cold sweat from his brow, and lay back down, but couldn't fall back asleep. "
Fine," he thought, "I'll go out and talk to the brothers on night watch; it'll be dawn soon. "
Looking around the camp, Nikki went to inspect the outposts on the outer perimeter, but he hadn't gone far when he discovered several of
his men's corpses. "Damn it," Nikki thought, drawing his knight's sword and shouting, "Enemy attack!" At the same time, several cold arrows flew towards him, their cold light
flashing. True to his elite status as a member of the Royal Guard, Nikki flashed his fighting spirit, slashing the arrows away with his sword, then rushed towards
Hathaway's small tent.
Forgetting all etiquette, Nikki called out the name of the girl he secretly loved and rushed inside, but not only was there no one there,
but there were no signs of a struggle either. Could it be that Miss Hathaway was attacked in her sleep…? Shaking his head to shake off the unease, Nikki
ran back to the camp, where shouts of battle were already emanating.
Despite the surprise attack, the well-trained Royal Guard remained calm and organized, forming small teams of a few men,
then larger formations of three to five.
Looking at the camp ablaze with fire, Nikki took one last look at Hathaway's tent and, with a heavy heart, gave the order to retreat.
These brave men hadn't died on the battlefields of the North, but would now rest in eternal rest on the traps set by the enemy.
"Hold on, there's open ground ahead. The enemy can't use such underhanded tactics there anymore
," Nikki encouraged, though he didn't hold out much hope of breaking through the woods. How could the enemy, having created such a tight
encirclement, have missed this point?
Sure enough, when Nikki led the Royal Guard out, torches lit up the distance, clearly waiting for them. "Form ranks,
assemble the troops," Nikki calmly ordered.
"Reporting, Captain, there are 1,022 men remaining, with 764 warhorses," the company commander
reported, standing at attention.
Nichkhun glanced one last time at his brothers who had fought alongside him through thick and thin: "Heh, brothers, it seems very
likely we'll all be meeting the late Emperor with honor this time. Are you afraid?"
"No! Long live the Emperor! Long live the Empire!"
"Very good, all troops, listen to my command! Those without horses, hold off the enemy in the woods. Those with horses, all move up, form a reverse '品'
formation and charge!" Nichkhun decisively issued the order, then whispered to the company commander beside him, "Moraf, you pick
fifty agile and skilled men to follow behind us in formation. After we engage in battle, we must quickly retreat and return to the capital."
"Report what happened here to the Empress Dowager."
"Captain!"
"Stop whining like a woman! I only entrusted you with the most difficult task because I think highly of you!" Nicky
nudged his old subordinate with his elbow, then stepped to the front of the ranks and shouted, "Knights, prepare—charge!"
The snow, freshly fallen, lay a vast expanse of white . Valuet led five thousand cavalry, silently awaiting
the fatal blow, especially since the enemy was a weary force, exhausted from a long march and a recent night raid.
However, he and his troops quickly wavered. Seven hundred and three Imperial Guards
charged forward at full speed, instead of a gradual acceleration. Good heavens, they were still eight hundred meters away!
Of course, this suicidal charge wasn't enough to drive them mad; what was truly deadly was the Imperial Guards' morale.
Even though they were surrounded, they felt as if they were the ones being forced into a corner. What a stylish maneuver
! Valuet watched as the enemy split into three groups, their movements alternating and weaving, resembling three mating serpents winding
their way forward, leaving behind perfectly straight hoofprints.
Meanwhile, his own troops were retreating relentlessly, showing signs of imminent collapse. Valuet broke out
in a cold sweat, momentarily forgetting that he too was a cavalryman.
"Whoosh...whoosh..." Dozens of fireballs, trailing flames
, streaked overhead, exploding in the center of the charging Imperial Guard. The shattered limbs and screams, while unable to stop the enemy, did awaken the stunned Value: "All
troops, attack!"
Nichkhun, seeing the figure of the enemy mage on the hillside, smiled bitterly to himself. It seemed the enemy's scheme was quite elaborate! But
did he have a choice?
Soon, the two groups clashed, their armor creaking and grinding against each other. The snow in the mountains
turned red, the cold air carrying the sweltering smell of blood. Two hours later, the area finally returned to calm,
leaving only nearly three thousand lifeless corpses.
On the other side, Moraf led fifty men, shaking off the enemy and fleeing along the edge of the forest.
He resisted the urge to look back, fearing that if he did, he would rush back and fail to complete the mission his captain had given him.
Just then, a subordinate shouted, "Boss, there seems to be someone ahead!"
Moraf, observing carefully in the moonlight, exclaimed, "Miss Hathaway?"
The woman in front was indeed Hathaway, but she looked utterly disheveled. Her previously hooded magic robes were now
tattered, exposing large swaths of skin whiter than snow. Coupled with the man's grotesque laughter and shouts behind her, anyone
with a modicum of sense could tell what unspeakable things had happened to the beautiful sorceress.
Moraf's eyes burned with rage; he wanted nothing more than to lead his men to chop those beasts into pieces, but he understood the weighty mission he carried
. Suppressing his guilt towards his superior, Moraf veered off course, leaning forward to scoop up the nearly collapsing Hathaway, ignoring
the bastards rushing out of the woods and continuing on with the group.
The group sped past their enemies, rounding a bend in the woods, and simultaneously, a crimson magical light illuminated the night
sky. The shockwave swept down the trees at the bend, and the Royal Guards were instantly vaporized in the scorching 　　heat
.
Everyone
knows the power of money; it can be used for food, clothing, shelter, and transportation, and it can also buy slaves and women. If
used cleverly, it can even buy official positions and titles. However, if someone were to take money to a household and say, "I want your title, your women and children
—everything—except your life, name your price," anyone who heard this would burst into laughter
or have their family throw them out.
Yet, this kind of thing actually happened south of the land bridge, and not just once. Because this is a true
world of materialism; as long as you have money, you can directly buy a city and become a local tyrant.
South of the land bridge, heading east, lies the city of Damia, and beyond that is the sea, a stretch of land along the coast...
Stretching for hundreds of kilometers, the sandy forest is extremely difficult to cultivate due to its high salt content. Aside from a few
sparsely populated villages, it is almost entirely untouched by outsiders. However, the
fact that humans cannot adapt doesn't mean other intelligent life doesn't exist. Within this vast expanse of sand live
tribes of green trolls, grassland elves, hill giants, and a strange orc village.
It's strange because while most races spontaneously form clan-based communities,
this orc village is incredibly chaotic, a mix of over three hundred people from eleven different races, including takin people, Fiss-eared mini-rabbit people, and Tabas giant
tortoise people. And ruling this small tribe is the king of the orcs. Krug , the young, golden-haired lion king, belonged to one of
the highest-ranking races in the northern kingdoms.
The weather by the sea was unpredictable; the grass, fresh from the rain, exuded a captivating fragrance, but
Krug, the tribal chief, was in a bad mood. Two girls entered through the door. One, a girl with blonde hair and blue eyes
named Ina, Krug's sister.
The other, a petite and adorable woman with snow-white hair and red eyes, was a nearly extinct Bertok snow wolf.
Seeing snow wolves in this small tribe was already surprising, but what was even more unbelievable was that this
girl with the fluffy, cute white tail was Krug's wife. It was unthinkable that in the beastman kingdom, without a legitimate wife... Under certain
circumstances, intermarriage with outsiders is forbidden, punishable by dismemberment.
However, in this small tribe of just over three hundred people, where even normal reproduction is difficult to maintain, can ancestral rules protect
the continuation of future generations? The answer is no, and if they can't, who will abide by them?
Actually, under normal circumstances, Krug should have married his sister Ina, and that was what he thought at the time
. But then, Krug accidentally rescued the unconscious Rosie at the beach, and from the moment he picked her up,
the young and sentimental Krug fell deeply in love with her…
Ina playfully shook her little head in front of Krug: “Brother, look how pretty the flower wreath my sister-in-law made for me is!
”
“Good sister, be good, go out and play with your sister-in-law, okay? Brother just finished discussing things with the high priest and wants to rest.”
Krug always felt guilty towards his sister about the marriage, so he spoke with exceptional gentleness.
“You've only been chief for a few days and you're already putting on airs!” "Fine, my adorable nephew should be awake by now. Let's go back and
play with someone's precious son." Ina grabbed Rosie's sleeve, puffed out her cheeks, and stormed off.
Seeing his wife's reluctant gaze, Kruger could only offer an apologetic look. He knew he had been so
busy with affairs that he hadn't been home for several days, even though it was nearby. Rosie was too shy to come looking for him
, which was why Ina had stepped in.
Ah! For the sake of the entire tribe, there was no other way. Not long ago, the scout porcupine squad brought
back the latest news: an elven tribe eighty kilometers away had been suddenly attacked and fell that very night.
According to the squad leader Rick's on-site report, it was likely the work of a large human slave-trapping group. The group numbered
around six hundred. Although the entire elven tribe was roughly the same size (including the old and young), facing
well-equipped and ruthless mercenaries, the elves were as weak as the Fissloping rabbit-men.
(Note: Ordinary elves don't fight; they rely on selecting and training night elves from childhood to protect their villages. The price
is that night elves are infertile, so the elven race carefully calculates their numbers.)
Humans! Those despicable humans! On one hand, he signed non-aggression pacts with various races; on the other hand, he instructed or
purchased slaves from slave traders. If his tribe were even half as powerful as, or even
a third as powerful as, the northern orc kingdoms, he would definitely march out of his territory and teach these greedy humans a lesson.
He thought about it, but Krug knew it was impossible. In the north, he might be accepted with great ceremony, but his beloved wife,
Rosie, would never be recognized.
Lost in these thoughts until late at night, Krug stood up, preparing to go out on patrol and then return home
to spend some quality time with Rosie. He hadn't spent much time with his wife since taking over as chieftain. Thinking of
the feeling of Rosie's fluffy white tail gently stroking his back when she was satisfied, Krug felt a surge of heat, and a smile crept onto his otherwise resolute face. The
tribe was silent in the dead of night, with a few campfires crackling in prominent places. Krug's steps slowed;
he keenly smelled the blood in the air. His hand rested on the hilt of his family's greatsword, his eyes warily scanning his surroundings.
*Whoosh…!* Ignoring the black object flying straight at him, Kruger's greatsword drew a graceful arc, slicing down
the shadow following behind. A scream rang out as the assassin, hiding behind the corpse and attempting a sneak attack, was cleaved in two at
the waist.
His accomplice, hiding in the shadows, seeing their attack fail, quickly released a signal arrow. Since the sneak attack had failed, they had to change their strategy to a night raid and a direct
assault. Kruger shouted "Enemy attack!" and simultaneously killed the enemy who had given the signal. Countless fire arrows
rose from all directions, streaking across the tribal huts in crimson streaks.
The sound of gongs roused the sleeping people. The first to rush out was Ina, also wielding a
greatsword. Before she could even understand what was happening, she saw several human mercenaries in leather armor charging towards her. Ina
knew what had happened without even thinking.
Facing these greedy creatures, Ina roared, startling them. With a
sweeping swing of her greatsword, she sent the first two, weapon and all, flying. The remaining tribesmen, caught off guard by
the presence of lions in their small tribe, panicked and began attacking with crossbows and other semi-ranged weapons.
Just as Ina was overwhelmed, a loud shout rang out: "Down!" Ina, overjoyed, obediently
threw herself to the ground. Two thunderous sword slashes swept overhead, followed by a cacophony of shattered bones and a
rain of blood, accompanied by screams of agony.
Waving for his tribesmen to continue the hunt for the remaining mercenaries, Kruger pulled his sister from the ground:
"Ina, go protect your sister-in-law. I'll join them after I've eliminated these enemies. If things get too difficult,
retreat to another tribe. I think even the most temperamental trolls will open their doors to these mercenaries." Ina
nodded, beckoning and leading a group of giant tortoise and porcupine warriors away.
Having finished off the remaining mercenaries, Kruger's anger flared as he looked at the surrounding flames. These crazed slave hunters—
did they think this was some kind of elven tribe that only sang praises to the gods?
Kruger had no idea that this attack wasn't the work of a merchant guild or a few mercenary groups,
but rather commanded by Balthazar, a powerful lord who controlled three cities. Balthazar himself was based in the nearest
city, Damia, and Kruger faced an army of 15,000 men: two regular legions and a
2,000-strong mercenary group.
The battle raged from midnight until dawn. After Kruger led his tribal warriors to repel the mercenaries, he discovered
battle flags rising in the distance, and troops advancing slowly in square formations to the sound of horns. This was completely beyond Kruger's imagination.
Why would a regular human army exist in this barren land, neglected for centuries?
The secret was known only to Balthazar, whose advisors had presented him with a map indicating
the presence of adamantite mines. Overjoyed by this unexpected discovery, Balthazar secretly mobilized his troops, determined to
seize the land and mine it before other city lords and dukes knew.
The strategy of deception succeeded. Unaware of the regular army's presence, Kruger was delayed overnight. By the time he realized
what was happening, it was too late; the best time to break out had passed. Watching the mercenaries recede like a tide and the regular army slowly advance
, Kruger didn't look at his wife but resolutely drew his sword and charged towards the enemy. He feared seeing Rosie's heartbroken and
desperate eyes; that would break his heart. He couldn't imagine what Rosie would be
treated as a prisoner after his defeat and death; he wouldn't have the courage to face the enemy then. So he chose a courageous escape to protect
his wife and child's last moments of peace.
As battle flags fell, the massive longsword broke in two…
(To be continued)

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【The Floating World】(Chapter Two)

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