Sword of Dawn

This sensational bad news is just like the stories made up by bards. The citizens who lived in the peaceful era for many years did not believe it at first. After entering the town, Viscount Andrew issued an order not only to implement a stricter curfew system, but also to increase the number of patrols in the surrounding areas of the town, so the absurd horror story became a fact.

The citizens raised the bad news that happened in Cecil Territory from an after-dinner talk to...a serious talk.

What started out as an occasional chat when they met in the tavern, now they all need to stand on the balcony and talk about it seriously with the dried fish and cured meat in the background.

And just as these respectable people were talking about the fading Cecil family was finally finished this time, the head of the Cecil family had passed through the rich district and the church district, and entered Viscount Andrew's castle.

No matter how difficult the life of the poor in Tanzania is, Viscount Andrew's house is magnificent. In fact, due to the wealth of the territory itself and the family's ability to collect money, the castle built by the Viscount is far better than that of Rebecca's childhood. The little dilapidated fortress in the town is much prettier.

After announcing the identity of the visitors to the castle, Viscount Andrew's butler invited Gao Wen and others into the castle. They were taken to the spacious and bright living room, where they sat behind a long mahogany table and waited. The Viscount's reception.

Sitting in the large and comfortable velvet chair, looking at the exquisite tea set made of silver, Gawain couldn't help but think of the poor poor people in poor clothes and those shack-like houses outside.It must be admitted that he felt a little disillusioned with this fantasy world of swords and magic.

"Master Ancestor," Rebecca, who was sitting next to Gawain, poked her ancestor's elbow quietly, "How shall we introduce you later?"

"Let's just say it as we discussed earlier," Gao Wen said calmly, "Here, we can just make a high profile."

"Ancestor," Heidi also spoke, and at the same time pouted her lips in the direction of Amber, "Do you really think...she is suitable to appear here?"

Amber was sitting opposite Gawain. This half-elf lady was seriously studying the silver tea set in front of her. Her main research method was to pour out the tea, and then stuff the cup into her bosom—when Gawain raised his head, During the time, she stuffed another spoon into it.

Gao Wen glared at the opposite side: "Amber!"

"Wow!" Miss Thief exclaimed exaggeratedly, and then took out the things in her arms and put them on the table, including two teacups, three spoons, a silver plate, a pocket watch, a nut, two wine cups and The monocle that the butler just hung on his chest.

Gao Wen: "?!"

Damn, Miss Doraemon, how the fuck did you do it? !

At this moment, Gao Wen couldn't help touching the Pioneer Sword beside him, and sincerely thanked the Thief Saint for not stealing when he dug his grave...

"She is an important witness of my resurrection," Gawain tried hard to hold back the twitch on his face, and said solemnly, "And don't you think it would be easier to do bad things if you put this guy in a place where we can't watch?"

Hetty immediately nodded approvingly.

At this moment, Viscount Andrew finally walked into the living room.

The oak door was pushed open by the attendant, and a thin and tall man walked into the room. He was wearing a close-fitting black long dress, his short dark brown hair was smeared with balm and stuck close to his scalp, and a scrupulous mustache was tucked under his nose. The sides stretched out, and his face was pale with a trace of abnormal flush - this kind of sick face is actually very common among nobles, especially those nobles who don't have much talent for magic or martial arts.

In order to experience supernatural power beyond their natural talents, and to enjoy more indulgent pleasures, they will overuse expensive potions to "enhance perception", and the side effects of this potion will be reflected in their faces.

They are even proud of it, and regard the paleness of their faces as one of the symbols of nobility.

At this point, the descendants of Cecil, who still follow the ancestral precepts to hone their skills honestly and rely on their own efforts to practice martial arts (or magic), have become anomalies in the aristocratic circle.But this can't be helped, after all, the Cecil family has declined, not to mention the priceless potions, Rebecca doesn't even have the money to repair the holes in the family castle - of course, she doesn't need it now Repaired that hole.

"Ah, the beautiful Miss Hetty, and the equally beautiful Miss Rebecca, I'm really sorry for my lateness," the Viscount Andrew said loudly as soon as he entered the room, his tone was stagnant, and his face seemed to have a smile on his face. With sincere apologies, "But I'm too busy. The bad news that happened in Cecil Territory has spread all over my territory, and the people are panicking. I have to spend most of my time arranging the defense of the territory and listening to patrols team report."

Gao Wen suddenly got goosebumps, and muttered softly: "Do you have to use this kind of aria when you talk to nobles these days?"

Rebecca lowered her voice: "Master Ancestor, wasn't your nobleman like this?"

"We used to get into the tavern while drinking high-quality wine and bragging about business, and then we talked about things by the way."

"...Then the customs are indeed different now than they were back then. Of course, Viscount Andrew's way of speaking is indeed...a bit special than others."

"We understand that you should really be busy now," Hetty saw that Rebecca, Cecil's orthodox heir, was busy chatting with her ancestors at this time, completely unaware that she should stand up and respond, and suddenly felt embarrassed. He glared at the latter with resentment, and then stood up, "But I still want to remind you that you should call Rebecca the Viscount, not Miss - she inherited the title of the family as early as last year. On such an occasion, you should call her Viscount Rebecca or Viscount Cecil."

The nobles in this world seem to have less strict rules when addressing their titles in general. They can be named before the title, or their surname.

Rebecca was glared at by Hetty, and then she stood up belatedly, and bowed to Viscount Andrew as a nobleman of the same level should meet, which is still a standard gesture: "Viscount Andrew, thank you very much entertain."

"You should, Viscount Cecil," Andrew was reminded gently by Hetty, and he recalled the lady's reputation in the aristocratic circle, so he restrained himself a little, and called Rebecca He specifically chose to use the surname instead of the first name before the title-this is a relatively serious way of addressing, "I am deeply sorry for what happened in Cecilland. It was a disaster. But the joy is that you She is safe and sound, and the Cecil family's inheritance does not seem to be broken."

What followed was the words of politeness and congratulations that were almost useless. One party expressed his concern strictly in accordance with the rules, while the other party tried to show his gratitude and touch after being warmed. Obviously, his mind seemed to be caught by the door Miss Rebecca is not very good at communication in this area, so she bluntly brought the topic back to the right track: "Before the castle fell, Knight Philip led a team to cover the civilians to break through, and they should have withdrawn here. According to the law made by the founding monarch, they should be accepting your asylum at this moment. I don’t know how they are doing?”

"Of course, the laws made by the late king are sacred. Although my territory is small, it is still more than enough to help our neighbors who are in distress." Andrew nodded, "The brave knight was covered with injuries at the time, and he has not recovered yet. , I arranged for him to rest in the Church of the Holy Light - he can be given the best treatment there. And those loyal soldiers and poor civilians were arranged by me in Dongcheng District and Nancheng District. Until now, no one Died of freezing and starving.”

None of the Cecil citizens who had fled here died of freezing or starvation, which is already a sign of taking good care of them.Of course, it makes sense for Viscount Andrew to be willing to take in those refugees—after all, every Cecil citizen he takes in will be converted into a debt on Rebecca. If Rebecca wants to revive the family, she must pay The head pays "remuneration" to Viscount Andrew.

Just as "should help neighbors in distress according to their ability, a noble should shelter and shelter the people of nobles who are near distress" is written in Ansu's law, "the recipient should pay the necessary reward to the helper" is also clearly written in the code Gao Wen is very clear about this.

After all, these two laws were decided by Gawain Cecil and Charles I together...

Although Rebecca is not mature enough as a nobleman, she still understands this rule. After hearing Viscount Andrew's words, she couldn't help but look a little ugly, because she doubted whether she would be able to pay off the sudden loss. coming debt.

She couldn't help but glanced at Gao Wen, and some bold and embarrassing thoughts popped up in her mind.

The old ancestor...is dressed in an antique...won't he persuade the old man to sell the clothes?

Chapter 0019 Debt

Gawain didn't know the bold and unreasonable idea in Rebecca's mind, but he also knew that Viscount Andrew's protection of Cecil's people must not be free - the lord swore to defend the people to the death, and the whole people stood by and helped each other. The era when people made selfless dedication to rebuilding civilization has long passed. Although the Kingdom of Ansu 700 years later has not yet recovered to the glory of the Gondor era, the nobles' skills in selfishness are self-taught. At the full level, there is no doubt that Rebecca has been burdened with a debt from heaven since the day when the refugees led by Cecil entered Tanzan Town.

But it's better to carry this debt than to die.

"The Cecil family will appreciate your help," Gawain broke the silence, "but the disaster itself is more important right now."

Viscount Andrew noticed Gawain sitting between Rebecca and Hetty from the very beginning, and he was very curious about this dignified man in ancient aristocratic attire with a big sword beside him. There is no such person in the known aristocratic circles—but judging from the respectful attitude of Hetty and Rebecca when facing this man, this man is by no means an ordinary person.

So after Gao Wen opened his mouth, he took advantage of the situation and asked, "Excuse me, I was curious just now—Who is your Excellency?"

"The ancestor of the Cecil family, the pioneer among the pioneers, one of the seven founding generals of Ansu, the Grand Duke of the South, Gawain Cecil," Hetty had been waiting for this question for a long time, and immediately stood up, He introduced with a serious face, "You should have grown up listening to this name since you were a child—he is the First Glory of the Dawn."

Gao Wen tried his best to put on a serious look without getting angry, and slightly nodded his head in response to Hetty's forceful exaggeration, but he couldn't help being taken aback when he heard the last sentence, and quietly followed Rebecca next to him asked, "What the hell is that last name?"

Rebecca quickly explained: "The posthumous title given to you by the founder of the country after your death..."

Gao Wen was shocked: "...that old middle school student can't think of a nicer name?!"

On the side of Viscount Andrew, the meticulous orthodox nobleman's first reaction after hearing Hetty's words was a blank expression.

Did this lady go crazy because of her family's catastrophe and being frightened by monsters, resulting in too much mental stress?

Just like what Gawain thought at the beginning: unless they saw it with their own eyes, it was impossible for others to believe that the ancestor of the Cecil family would crawl out of the coffin, even the well-informed nobles and scholars Knowledgeable mages would not believe this kind of fantasy—on the contrary, ordinary people who don't know a single word but are full of superstitious thoughts might believe it.

After hearing Hetty's words, Andrew did not immediately ask the attendants to come up to feed the lady medicine, which is already very self-restraint.

"Ma'am, please allow me...uh...let me think about it," Andrew tried to adjust his expression, as if trying to find a way to express his emotions without being too rude, but in the end he couldn't help but tell the truth, "I know you've had unimaginable nightmares, but aren't you taking such a whimsical story... a little too far?"

Hetty's expression remained unchanged: "I know you will have this reaction. In fact, even we ourselves can't believe that all this is true, but the ancestor of the Cecil family has indeed awakened from his long sleep. We saw him with our own eyes. Sitting up from the coffin, holding the pioneer sword in his hand, and we have verified that he is really resurrected, not a trick like the resurrection of the undead..."

Andrew showed a dumbfounding expression: "If you have any request to me, please say it directly, this..."

Gawain waved his hand and told Hetty to sit down. He put the Pioneer Sword on the table and turned to look at Viscount Andrew: "Viscount, what do you think is the point of Hetty telling such a lie? A viscount is surrounded by monsters and elements. The tide is destroyed, and there is a dragon appearing in the sky above our territory. An event of this level can already directly alarm His Majesty the King in the capital. In such a terrible situation, we will arrange for a person to wear an ancient costume , took a poor-quality ancient sword, and came to your castle to tell you a story from the Arabian Nights, just for fun?"

While speaking, he injected the magic power in his body into the pioneer sword, and with the injection of magic power, dark red lines appeared on the ancient long sword again, this time its lines were clearer, and Near the hilt is a heraldry pattern of sharp blades and iron plows intersecting—that is the emblem that the Cecil family set on the day Ansu was established, representing the family emblem of the pioneering years.

Knights also have magic, but the way they use magic is completely different from mages.

Although the Pioneer Sword has lost most of its former power, the most basic identification features are still there. Andrew was a little dazed when he saw the sword—he had never seen the real Pioneer Sword, but However, the replica of this sword was enshrined in the royal temple of the king's capital. He was lucky enough to see that replica a few years ago, so naturally he would not be mistaken.

If the sword on the table is not a counterfeit made by the Cecil family, it can only be the real one—the one that was sealed in the Cecil family cemetery, and no one dared to make a decision even if their family declined. Authentic.

Will this declining family dig up the graves of their ancestors, dig out the holy sword and use it to tell a big lie?

Andrew hesitated. If this matter is really a farce, then the cost of this farce is a bit scary, but if it is not a farce...

The fact that the ancestors suddenly ran out of the grave while they were still alive, no one would dare to believe it! !

"You can find an elf craftsman to verify the authenticity of this sword. This sword was made by their clansmen back then. They know how to check the elf seal. You can also compare the portraits of the founding princes with me. For a moment, although I have been asleep for 700 years, my appearance has not changed much." Gawain looked at Andrew's uncertain face and said with a smile, "If you can do it, you can also look for it. The elf mercenaries who have not participated in the second development, and are now living in seclusion in the mountains, maybe there are people who know me among them."

"No, there's no need," Viscount Andrew waved his hand. He rubbed the space between his brows, feeling that what happened in front of him was really not something he was good at handling. "Since it's a legendary hero like you... sleep for 700 years and then come back to life. It might be possible.”

Even though he said so, anyone with a discerning eye could tell at a glance that the Viscount probably still didn't quite believe in Gawain's identity, and he just found an excuse to temporarily suspend this discussion under dubious circumstances.

He had already figured it out—what did it have to do with him when the ancestor of the Cecil family jumped out of the coffin?Why worry about whether this matter is true or not, since the Cecil family says it is true, let's take it as true.

Anyway, just an ancient man who has been dead for 700 years.

And after thinking through these things, Viscount Andrew seemed to be belatedly aware of a detail that Gao Wen mentioned just now: "Wait a minute, just now you said...a dragon appeared near here?!"

"That's right, Blue Dragon, I don't know where it came from, but it ended up heading northwest..." Gawain nodded, and then took the opportunity to tell him everything that happened in Cecil's territory, "...things That's it."

"Aberrations... Monsters from the Devil's Tide Era... and dragons... My God..." Viscount Andrew's brows seemed to be knit into a ball, and the blush on his pale face faded, "Where is this world? What's wrong……"

"What happens to the world is something that scholars and His Majesty the King have to consider. What we have to do is to pass on what happened here to the city of Saint-Sunil as soon as possible," Hetty interrupted Andrew, "The matter is already very serious. "

"I have sent a messenger to report the news of the attack on the Cecil Territory," said Viscount Andrew. "The messenger set off on a fast horse. It should be halfway there by now."

It seems that this Viscount Andrew can still do some practical things. Not only did he accept the refugees from the neighboring territories, but he also sent messengers to report to the king immediately. This should be considered very good among the border nobles of this era. But Dee had to make a further request: "Viscount Andrew, this is not enough - the matter has become so serious that Rebecca must meet His Majesty in person. Moreover, Grand Duke Cecil woke up from his long sleep, and he will also go to the king All will do. We appreciate your help to the Cecil family, but we still need more help."

Andrew lowered his eyelids slightly when he heard Hetty's words, as if he was thinking about it, then he stood up and walked back and forth in front of the long table with his hands behind his back.

"What do you all need? Fast horses? Supplies? Guards?"

"We need them all," Rebecca said courageously, "and we still need you to help take care of the people of Cecil Territory for a while—until we return from the capital and have a new territory to house those people ..."

"That's the point," Viscount Andrew raised his hand, interrupting Rebecca, "I'm actually about to talk about this: I've done my best to help my neighbors, and I'm happy to Be a generous man, but I'm nothing more than a Viscount, how much can I give to feed those refugees?"

Gao Wen picked up the cold black tea in front of him, took a sip, and thought that this Mr. Viscount finally talked about "business".

Rebecca said impatiently: "Knight Philip brought a batch of gold and silver with him when he broke through the encirclement. Those gold and silver should be enough..."

"Of course, I know the gold and silver," Viscount Andrew interrupted Rebecca again, "please rest assured, I am not a person who takes advantage of others' dangers, but both medicinal materials and food require costs. I should have said it just now? Then When a brave knight arrived in Tanzania Town, he was already wounded, and almost all the soldiers and civilians he brought were also wounded. In order to treat them, I used the best medicine in the territory and invited the best priest , These are very expensive, and the gold and silver are just enough."

Rebecca's eyes widened.

"Of course, I still want to emphasize that I will not take advantage of others' danger," Viscount Andrew continued, "So I will continue to take in those refugees and help you as much as possible. I just want to make sure—— After all this, is the Cecil family still capable of repaying this debt?"

Chapter 0020 Investment Value

Gao Wen began to think that Viscount Andrew was an interesting guy.

He was more like a merchant than a nobleman.

But at the same time, he is not a very brilliant businessman - at least in Gao Wen's view.

A smart businessman would not put such things as transactions, bargaining chips, and debts on the surface at this time, and an aristocrat would not bother to mention such matters at all.The best thing Viscount Andrew can do at this moment is to continue to help the Cecil family quietly, but at the same time infiltrate his influence among the knights and soldiers who are sheltered, and at the same time use his status as a nobleman, It is no longer important whether Rebecca is willing to repay the debt.

The laws of this country and the rules of the aristocratic system will help him complete this transaction.

Of course, Gao Wen felt that he could also understand Viscount Andrew's feelings. After all, the decline of the Cecil family is well known, especially today when the family's core territory has been completely destroyed, how much "repayment ability" Rebecca can have is really a question unknown.

"The Cecil family doesn't owe anything to others," Rebecca's words seemed a little unconvincing, "Don't worry, we have the ability to repay. Although we lost the most affluent area, some forests on the outer edge of Cecil's territory It is still there, and as long as I, the heir, is still there, there will always be a loan belonging to the Cecil family waiting in the Mithril treasury, the big deal..."

Gao Wenqing coughed twice, interrupting Rebecca's words.

He felt that he had seen enough dramas, and he had roughly understood the current situation. At the same time, the memories in his mind were sorted out, so he stood up: "Rebecca, don't be impatient. Viscount Andrew, take a long-term view."

Andrew glanced at Gao Wen. After all, this "suspected ancient hero" man had a certain deterrent effect on him. Regardless of whether the other party was real or not, the Viscount restrained himself: "Sorry, I do have a little... …greedy."

He actually admitted the word "greedy" frankly, which surprised Gao Wen a little. He raised his eyebrows: "You are very honest, but that's fine—pursuing profit is not something to be ashamed of, it's just that we have to figure out the status quo, a viscount The kingdom was destroyed, a dragon appeared in the kingdom, and the monsters from the time of the evil tide reappeared—in the face of these things, it is inappropriate to talk about business."

Before Andrew could speak, Gao Wen continued: "Of course, after Dayi Lingran finished speaking, we still have to consider the practical issue. You are worried that the aid to the Cecil family will accumulate infinitely and eventually cost you a lot of money." If you have no return, then I will tell you clearly that the Cecil family is not only capable of repaying any debts, but if you can seize the opportunity, we can also bring you unlimited benefits."

Viscount Andrew looked into Gawain's eyes: "Please continue."

"I myself," Gao Wen pointed to himself, "I am your biggest investment."

Andrew's expression froze for a few seconds, and then he twitched his mouth in embarrassment: "Duke... Your Excellency, I believe that you are really the Duke, but I have to remind you that you have passed away for 700 years. Ansu is even in the second dynasty. Whether it is your title or property, it has actually been divided, inherited, consumed or... taken back by the royal family. Of course, I respect you personally, and every Ansu person respects you , but I am not only a person, but also a lord, I should consider my territory and people..."

Gao Wen shrugged: "Think broadly, Mr. Viscount, is it true that only real money and real territories are worth investing in?"

Andrew: "You mean..."

"I have the right to open up forever," Gawain raised the sword in his hand, "When Gawain Cecil holds the Sword of the Pioneer, he has the right to open up any unclaimed land, including but not limited to The undeveloped areas in Ansu, the barren areas outside the borders of various countries, and the wasteland of Gondor, etc., where there are no legal disputes, as long as they can maintain a certain degree of control after pioneering the above areas, wherever the pioneer sword goes , are all Cecil family territories, and the Ansu royal family will recognize and ensure Gawain Cecil's lordship rights at any time."

As Gao Wen spoke, he looked at Viscount Andrew's widening eyes, and then deliberately slowed down his speech: "The above development rights were signed by Charles I, the founding king of Ansu. The Typhon Empire, the Southern Gaoling Kingdom, the Elven Silver Empire, and the northern city-states jointly recognize that the period of validity is unlimited-as long as the authorized pioneer, that is, I am still alive, it will take effect permanently.

"Actually, this decree was not signed by me alone. All the pioneering leaders at that time had a corresponding authorization, but today... I am the only one who can exercise this right."

Speaking of this, Gawain grinned happily: "The old guys who signed these documents back then certainly didn't expect that I would be unmasked one day."

Viscount Andrew, who was in a stunned state, hadn't opened his mouth yet, but Rebecca beside him couldn't help exclaiming: "Master Zu...Master Zu!! You...is this true?!"

"Who is in charge of her history class?" Gao Wen couldn't help covering his forehead and squinting at Hetty, "Or is this decree already abolished? If it is abolished, I would be a little embarrassed——Speaking of the heads of state It shouldn't be so boring that after hundreds of years, they suddenly gather together to hold a congress and announce the cancellation of a pioneering bill that has long been useless?"

"Rebecca's history class... is actually taught by me, but the grades have been really bad," Hetty explained with a blushing face, and then quickly answered Gao Wen's question, "In addition, the decree you mentioned is of course It has not been abolished - when the pioneer knights were still alive, no one dared to abolish it, and after the death of the last pioneer, this decree has become a part of glory, representing the belief of human beings in reshaping civilization, even more No one is going to abolish it."

Viscount Andrew continued the second half of the sentence: "Not only has it not been abolished, but those historians and polymaths will write about it..."

Gao Wen shrugged: "So it's definitely a surprise and surprise to them that I suddenly cheated on the corpse—this 700-year-old law is finally useful again."

Viscount Andrew stared at Gawain, especially the pioneer sword in his hand: "I admit, this is indeed... an idea that I never thought of... If you use the permanent development right, you really have the opportunity to revitalize The possibility of the Cecil family, but with all due respect - this will be a very long-term deal. Do you know how many unclaimed lands there are on the border of the kingdom?"

"I probably know something. My descendants have already told me about it on the way," Gawain glanced at Hetty and Rebecca next to him, "Basically, all the places that can support people have been entrusted. They are all forests and poisonous swamps, or bordering on the wasteland of Gondor."

"So what are you going to do?" Viscount Andrew spread his hands, "Where do you want to revive your family?"

"That's what I have to consider," Gao Wen smiled, but what emerged in his mind was a picture of looking down on the earth from a high altitude, which is absolutely impossible for humans in this era, and the accuracy and breadth are almost insane. The satellite map is deeply stored in Gao Wen's memory. Although it may be an outdated record of several years or even more than ten years ago (after all, Gao Wen has lost contact with that bird's-eye view), it is enough for Gao Wen Pointing out the future path, "You just need to think carefully about how much investment value a Founding Duke who has participated in the second development and still maintains the permanent development right can have."

Andrew lowered his head, thinking seriously about this matter for the first time.

After a long time, he opened his mouth to break the silence: "If your permanent development right is really recognized by the royal family, then I, a little Viscount, will be happy to help you as much as I can."