Western Continent, the Crimson Empire (formerly the Green Empire).

From Hanye Territory in the north to Wanghai Territory in the south, bright red notices were posted in thousands of cities and towns within the empire. Officers carrying command flags traveled back and forth between the fiefdoms, urging preparations for war in all places.

Since the beginning of the year, the Imperial Ceremonial Officers have carried the Emperor's orders throughout the provinces and fiefdoms, mobilizing public opinion and telling the impoverished that through war, and only war, they can change their fate and gain everything they desire. Whether it be land, wealth, titles, women, or anything else, waging war is not just for the Empire, but for everyone. As citizens of the Empire, we must plow the land we need with our swords and complete the unfinished work of the past.

As a result, the entire country gradually fell into a fanatical atmosphere, and even if there were a few voices of opposition and obstruction, they were immediately drowned out by the vast ocean of the people.

"You high and mighty nobles, do you think you can stop us like this? Do you think you can hold on to your wealth and status forever?"

"I want to tell you, this is never possible, and it's absolutely wishful thinking." A man in filthy clothes stood on a tall wooden box and shouted at the luxurious building in front of him. Below him were groups of lower-class people in equally simple clothes. They shouted back at the man, occasionally uttering curse words and spitting at the mansion in the wealthy area.

"We will use swords, guns, and blood to get everything we want, instead of hiding in the high attic and shivering like you cowards, hahaha!" He laughed wildly and arrogantly, and a burst of hahaha laughter came from below.

"Well said."

"Let those nobles have a good look, haha!"

The group of people stood arm in arm, looking at the aristocratic mansion with its closed doors, unable to conceal their happy and proud expressions.

On the third floor of the mansion, behind a glass window covered with curtains, a girl about 18 years old quietly looked through the gap in the curtains at the group of shirtless and dirty-dressed people below, retracted her head in fear, and closed the curtains.

She took a few steps back and turned to the side, looking at her mother inside the house. She asked timidly, "Mommy, these people seem so dangerous. Why don't the guards drive them away?"

The lady who was sitting by the fireplace flipping through a fashion magazine with her glasses raised her head, glanced at her daughter, and said, "Let them go. In a few days, these people will be taken to the front line, and then everything will be quiet."

"Really?"

"Well, when your father came back from get off work at the parliament yesterday, I heard him say that we should be patient for a while. After all, His Majesty the Emperor needs these untouchables to expand our territory."

"But isn't war the business of knights? I've always seen heroes charging in the front in those stories." The noble girl in the lavender flower dress walked over to her mother and sat down.

"Child, times have changed." The mother touched her daughter's golden hair.

"Now the muskets are more powerful, and there are too many untouchables. It's a good opportunity to use up a group of them in a war so that they won't jump around like this."

"The Royal Academy where your brother attends is now also teaching various tactics for using muskets. It is said that some of the teachers are officers who experienced the Cold Star Wars."

"Are they officers from Clancy? I heard they are very powerful and handsome." The girl's eyes were full of curiosity.

"No, they were officers from the Frost Alliance. Although they failed, many of their officers were quite outstanding, and they also brought musket-related technology to the empire." The mother explained, shaking her head.

"His Majesty the Emperor highly values ​​these officers and mages, and has even allocated funds to establish academies and factories to train officers and manufacture muskets."

"Are muskets really that powerful? I heard from my classmates that an elf can easily shoot down a group of musketeers with a bow." The girl recalled what she had seen at school. Those elves were indeed powerful.

"I'm not sure about that. Maybe there are too few elves. Besides, those long-eared elves in the forest are not our own after all." The mother flipped the pages of the book.

"But don't you like elves' clothes and decorations?" The daughter looked at the colorful magazine in her mother's hand. Such things are not cheap. One copy costs one extraordinary gold coin, and the clothes and outfits in the magazine also have many elf styles.

"People like clothes differently than you do. Just like that pure white cat you love, if it eats at the same table with you one day, it will always feel awkward."

"Well, if it's a cat, as long as it doesn't eat the food on my plate, I wouldn't mind that much..." The girl hesitated for a moment and then answered.

"But what if it's the big black dog your brother has."

"Absolutely not. It's too ugly. I don't want to eat with it."

"Hehehe, so, after all, they are different. They are pets, and we are humans."

The mother smiled and patted her daughter's head. Such thoughts and ideas were now prevalent among the upper echelons of the empire. The subjects of the empire were noble, humans were great, and the elves, though beautiful, were ultimately outsiders from a bygone era and could not be compared to humans.

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Cransia, Apocalypse Fortress.

Under the blue sky is a golden field. The haystacks after the wheat harvest are piled up into small squares, filling the vast view.

On this flat and open land, a towering and majestic fortress stands on the ground, blocking the passage where the mountains and the sea meet.

In the evening, the bricks and stones of the fortress still retained the warmth of the sun. Soldiers in armor stood upright on the city wall, gazing into the east. The golden morning star flag fluttered on the top of the tower, announcing the ownership of the fortress.

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!