Imperial Crown

On March 23, 1194, eight days had passed since Raven and his men left the abandoned castle.

Winter was gradually fading, and spring had inadvertently descended on the earth.

During the march, although there were cripples everywhere after the ravages of the Legion of the Hand of Death, they could not stop the emergence of greenery. Although the greenery would fade away as soon as they got close, it did not affect the pace of the three coalition forces, which became increasingly relaxed.

Thanks to the twice-reinforced warhorse "Claw Yellow Flying Lightning", Raven's scout efficiency far exceeded the imagination of Viscount John and Judra, and Simon's rich experience and outstanding courage allowed him to always obtain detailed and rich intelligence.

In the past eight days, Simon had allowed them to avoid the siege of the skeleton army twice, and successfully wiped out a 3,000-strong undead army, with very limited losses.

This undoubtedly greatly improved Raven's status in the three coalition forces, and he could always enjoy the best supplies first.

It was still noon on this day, but under the arrangement of Viscount John, the troops had already set up camp by a river.

Next, they will completely leave Harold County and enter Hodges County. By then, they will be able to reach the city of Monn in five or six days at the shortest, and no more than ten days at the longest, and the situation they will face will be even more dangerous.

Now is the last rest before that.

Raven's camp is stationed at the uppermost reaches of the river.

As the temperature slowly rises, the snow has almost melted, and the river has basically melted, with only some remaining thin ice on both sides of the river bank.

At this time, Lux was sitting by the river, staring at the flowing water in a daze.

Footsteps sounded, and Raven walked to the river and covered her shoulders with his cloak: "It's too cold by the river, be careful not to catch a cold."

"It's not cold." Lux's voice was a little stubborn, but although she said so, she did not refuse this kindness, but pulled the cloak tighter.

Seeing this, Raven smiled and sat down beside her: "Sorry, I have to set an example in the barracks and can't accompany you often."

"Yeah." Lacus responded.

She didn't care about this. It would be better to say that if Raven showed any extraordinary enthusiasm for her, or even disregarded the lives of his soldiers, it would really disgust her.

Raven also knew this, so he was more grateful to Lacus.

If it weren't for her, even if he could rescue Viscount John, he would probably suffer heavy losses when facing the group of undead cavalry later, or even be trapped in it.

No matter what Lacus asked, Raven would probably find it difficult to refuse, but she just didn't take any credit, which made Raven feel guilty.

"All the priests have been transferred in advance. Will you be in trouble if you disobey orders and follow me?"

"I serve the Lord of Light, not Archbishop Thomas." Lacus said calmly: "I can judge right and wrong myself."

Hearing this, Raven's eyes showed a glimmer of surprise.

Lux's face was reflected in the water. She looked calm but firm, with her golden hair loose and her sapphire-like eyes so clear that the water was eclipsed.

This seemingly weak girl was not only able to kill the undead, but also had a firm and unshakable heart.

Raven felt his defenses loosen slightly: "...Thank you."

Lux shook his head.

The breeze blew by, ruffling the ends of Lux's hair, and her hair brushed against Raven's face, making him feel a little itchy, and he couldn't help but take a deep sniff.

Lux moved slightly to the side, looking a little embarrassed, and lowered her head.

Just when Raven thought he was too reckless, Lux's low voice came out: "...I haven't taken a shower yet."

Raven was stunned, and then suddenly realized!

No wonder Lux came to the river alone in this chilly spring, it turned out that she wanted to take a shower!

Yes, there was limited water during the march, and they were all grown men. Not only did the objective conditions not allow it, but she had no time or opportunity to take a bath.

"Then I'll have someone boil water and chop some wood to make a bathtub for you?" Raven asked tentatively.

"No need, it's fine here." Lux said.

"This water... aren't you afraid of being cold?"

"... No!"

It sounded like she was trying to show off.

After saying this, the air fell into a strange silence again. The two people stared at each other across the river, and they were a little embarrassed.

Finally, Lux spoke first: "You... go away, how can I take a bath if you watch me here?"

That makes sense!

But Raven really couldn't just leave Lux here alone. What if someone saw her?

"Then, I'll help you stand guard, otherwise others will come over, okay?"

Lux said: "... Then you promise not to peek."

What's the use of promises? Just because I agreed doesn't mean I won't do it. How can this woman still trust others so easily?

Raven opened his mouth several times, but finally decided not to ruin Lux's expectations of others' kindness: "Okay, I promise."

As he said that, Raven stood up, turned his back, and walked a few steps outside, while signaling the soldiers who followed him to leave, the farther the better.

After a while, there was a rustling sound behind him, and the girl's unique body fragrance floated over in the air, making Raven a little distracted for a while.

It took almost all the willpower of his life to prevent Raven from breaking the contract and stood firm, his eyes darting around but he didn't look back.

There was the sound of water behind me.

This is a bit fatal.

Although he is no longer a baby, Raven has indeed not done any serious health care for a long time. Now when he heard the sound, he felt a little itchy and unbearable. There was no movement on his body, but pictures began to reappear in his mind. Each picture is more beautiful than the other.

It was simply a form of torture.

Just when Raven was thinking wildly, there was a sudden scream: "Who!?"

Raven turned back suddenly and saw Lux half-shrinking under the water, holding her chest with her hands, staring warily at the opposite shore.

At this moment, Raven also became vigilant. The river was wide. This time, the three coalition forces camped on the east bank of the river. It was impossible for anyone to go around to the other side at this time.

Making a quick decision, Raven touched his belt, and the enchanted hand crossbow appeared in his hand. He immediately knelt down on one knee and pulled the trigger, and the crossbow arrow sank into the grass with a whoosh.

"hold head high--"

Screams were heard, and a wild boar emerged from the grass, then fell to the ground, its hooves twitching continuously, and a crossbow arrow stuck in its forehead.

Seeing this scene, Raven suddenly felt dumbfounded.

Lux's voice sounded again: "You, you, you... turn around!"

Lei Wen followed the good example and turned around. This time when he imagined it again in his mind, he had a clear reference.

It is indeed white and round——

Raven was referring to the moon tonight.

A clearing was opened by the river and a bonfire was set up. The wild boar that Raven had shot down had been disemboweled, stripped of its fur, and put on the fire.

This wild boar is not very big, and its tusks are only two inches long. It is not yet mature, and can be roasted whole.

Lux was sitting by the fire, wearing a priest's robe and Raven's cloak. Some of her wet hair stuck to her shoulders. Her feet were naked. She didn't know if it was because of the reflection of the flames, but her face was charmingly red.

Raven turned the wood pierced on the boar's body, looking at the grease dripping from it for a while, and then looking at the girl next to him, and his heart was filled with satisfaction.

"Still watching." Lux said in a low voice, "If I had known better, I shouldn't have let you stand guard."

"What's so great about this." The more she refused, the more Raven stared at her face: "I'll take a shower soon so you can see clearly from head to toe?"

"You! You really saw it!" Lux frowned slightly aggrievedly.

Raven coughed and quickly looked away.

The rich fragrance soon spread, and the meat of the wild boar had turned an attractive golden color.

Taking out the dagger he carried with him, Raven cut a piece from it, threaded it with a branch, and handed it to Lacus along with a piece of washed wild garlic.

The girl took the still-steaming barbecue, pursed her lips and gently blew away the hot air. She carefully tore off a piece of it, her eyes suddenly filled with satisfaction.

"Do you like it?" Raven asked.

"Yeah!" Lux nodded slightly.

Raven also smiled. It was a great satisfaction for the food he cooked to be recognized by others, not to mention that this person was Lux.

Soon a boar was reduced to a skeleton.

The fire was crackling, the air was clear and quiet, and the moonlight poured down, mixing with the light of the fire, illuminating a group of young men and women.

Lux looked at Raven: "Do you like looking at my feet that much?"

Raven said: "It's okay."

"Then why are you holding them?"

"Weird thing, how did your feet get into my arms?" Raven also frowned, but did not let go of the softness in his hands.

A snort escaped from Lux's nose: "Raven, the smell of that weed is so amazing, which book did you read about it?"

"I don't know if it's in the book." Raven said, "I discovered this when I was very young, but I didn't have meat to eat with it at that time."

"Did you have a hard time when you were a child?"

"It's okay." Raven looked up at the moon: "You know, I grew up in an orphanage. Speaking of which, it is also the property of the Church of Light."

"Although there will be donations, most of the time the orphanage can only rely on funds from Mengcheng Church to run, so the food is very limited. It can be said that I spent a long time in hunger until later. …”

"What happened next?" Lux was quite curious.

"Nothing..." Raven shook his head.

If Lux knew that he had done something stupid later, his image in her heart would definitely collapse.

Thinking of this, he thought of the director of the orphanage, Ms. Nightingale. She was really a conscientious, gentle and kind old lady who always wanted to lead him to the right path.

Unfortunately, he was completely unaware of her kindness at the time.

I don’t know how she is doing in Meng’en City.

"Don't just talk about me, talk about you." Raven looked into Lux's eyes: "Speaking of which, I only know that your teacher is Priest Crouch, and I don't know anything else."

"There is nothing to say about my life." Lux's voice was gentle: "It is said that before I was born, my mother dreamed of the Lord of Light. My parents thought this was a good omen, so they contacted my teacher."

"After I was born and baptized, I did have the potential to become a priest, so I was trained as a priest since I was a child and learned a lot."

"From the age of six to eighteen, I grew up in the Royal Capital Church. Later, I wanted to train myself and see more scenery. It happened that the priest of the Eagle Territory died, so I replaced his position."

After waiting for a while, seeing that Lux did not continue to speak, Raven was stunned for a moment: "That's all?"

"You know everything that happened later." Lux said.

Raven smiled, with a hint of enlightenment in his smile.

Compared to Raven, her life is as clean as a blank sheet of paper. No wonder she can maintain such a mentality.

At the same time, he also caught some details from Lux's words.

For example, her parents were able to contact the priest Crouch before she was born. You know, that is a seventh-level strongman, and now the Archbishop Thomas of the Nord Province is only a fifth-level.

Even if Crouch was not a seventh-level at that time, but only a sixth-level or a fifth-level, it would never be accessible to ordinary people or even ordinary nobles.

This is enough to show that Lux was born in a very noble family.

It is no wonder that she has no concept of money at all.

"Ah--" Lux sneezed suddenly.

Raven smiled and wrapped her blanket tighter: "You said you are not cold!"

Lux bowed her head and listened obediently.

The two sat like this until the fire gradually weakened and the moon was in the middle of the sky. Raven said: "Let's go back."

"Yeah." Lux retracted her red little feet, put on her shoes, but refused to move.

"What's wrong?" Raven asked.

"My feet are a little sore..."

"Then I carry you?"

"...Okay..."

Under the moonlight, Raven carried Lux ​​on his back and walked slowly towards the camp.

When they reached the outskirts of the camp, Lux jumped off Raven's back and walked back to her tent. Raven also returned to the main tent and greeted Eric's slightly playful smile.

"Congratulations, Baron!"

Raven rolled his eyes.

After a night, Raven met with Viscount John and Jude early the next morning and continued to march towards the city of Monen.

However, unlike what they expected, in the next few days, they rarely saw the large army of the Hand of Death, let alone the scattered skeleton soldiers.

The abnormality made the three nobles more vigilant.

Because there was no obstruction, in just three days, they completed the journey that was expected to take five or six days and arrived in Slater County where the city of Monen was located.

Walking on the mountain road, Raven could already see the iconic spires of the church in the city of Monen.

At this moment, Simon rode back with a trail of dust.

"Baron, Viscount John, Mr. Jude." Simon looked serious and his voice trembled slightly: "I suggest that the troops stop first. There is something that you three need to confirm in person."

During this period of time, both Viscount John and Jude have recognized Simon's professionalism.

So they ordered the troops to stop.

"What is the matter?" Raven asked.

"Please follow me!" Simon turned his horse's head.

Raven and the others followed behind and soon arrived at a high cliff covered with clouds and mist.

Judra was a little annoyed: "What is going on? Why do we have to come here to talk about it!?"

Simon did not speak. At this moment, a strong wind blew and dispersed the thick fog covering the cliff.

A picture scroll that had never been seen before appeared in front of everyone!

…