The Berknell Mercenary Group was organized in a grand and vigorous manner in the spring of the new year.
Things improved; Duke Field did not continue his attack. The southern Asini also ceased their offensive, there was no further news from the western Belvados, and even the Aruru people did not launch their attack. The entire western continent seemed to suddenly become peaceful.
The rare period of peace put Yun Zhe at ease. Although there was a possibility that his predictions were wrong, Yun Zhe still prepared for the worst. He took on jobs everywhere, managing to get his mercenary group to break even with difficulty.
Soon, on the land of Donic, people saw a strange mercenary group. They helped repair houses, transport supplies, kill wild beasts, and build ditches. In short, as long as you needed something and the price was right, the Berknell Mercenary Group would come to you and help you solve everything.
Of course, besides the needs of ordinary civilians, the Berknell Mercenary Group also catered to the needs of other mercenaries, even vampire hunters. Soon, the Berknell Mercenary Group's name became renowned throughout the entire Donic lands.
Of course, fame comes at a price. The efficient and fast-paced Berknell quickly became a thorn in the side of other mercenary groups. However, Yun Zhe didn't use any appeasement this time, adhering to the principle of "those who submit to me live, those who oppose me perish." Any mercenary group that didn't intend to submit was "legally" disbanded without hesitation.
Such a ruthless and merciless style naturally aroused a lot of controversy. Yun Zhe did not explain, but continued to push forward the mercenary group's affairs.
Soon, the Berknell Mercenary Group expanded to over two thousand men, including about four hundred mercenaries of various types and more than three hundred soldiers plundered from various armies. In just one spring, the Berknell Mercenary Group became the largest force in the land of Donic.
This rampant expansion naturally aroused the dissatisfaction of those around him. Blake told Serena about the situation, only to find that Serena not only remained unmoved but also seemed somewhat pleased. Upon further inquiry, he understood the truth, and the various clamor gradually subsided.
Of course, during this period of expansion, Yun Zhe was also investigating who had leaked his whereabouts and attempted to assassinate him on his way to Donic. However, nothing came of it, and Yun Zhe ultimately failed to find the person who had leaked the information.
However, Yun Zhe made a significant discovery regarding the historical truth. While Agatha's cooking skills were indeed questionable, her historical knowledge was undeniable. Using her notes and research, Yun Zhe roughly pieced together the events of the ten-year war. Contrary to the accounts in stories and historical novels, the key to the ten-year war wasn't actually the feigned betrayal of the Elf King Tanras Tesogor, but rather a genuine decisive battle in the Elf Forest. Of course, the betrayal did have its purpose. Without it, the human alliance wouldn't have attempted a decisive victory in one fell swoop, nor would they have underestimated their enemy. Consequently, they wouldn't have been so greedy and reckless, losing their composure and being completely destroyed by the elves' fire.
Even more dramatically, all the kings in the human alliance perished in the battle. Humans, fighting for their own territory and power, ultimately gave the elves a chance to recover.
Besides the truth about the war, Yun Zhe unexpectedly discovered something interesting: Tanras's lover, Kalancinda, was probably no ordinary woman. Everyone said she was a witch, but Yun Zhe deduced a bold hypothesis from Tanras's letters and later records: this long-lived witch was a vampire. However, a serious problem refutes this theory: when people later opened the tomb, Kalancinda was indeed found to have human bones in her toes. As for why she ended up like this, it's hard to say.
However, Kalancinda is skilled in divination and has a keen eye for people's hearts. Based on these descriptions, Yun Zhe still felt that Kalancinda was not like a witch, but more like a vampire.
But regardless, the truth of the matter has been clarified. However, this truth not only cannot be published, but must remain buried deep within. Agatha Christie would become extremely angry whenever the topic came up.
“People don’t need the truth, or rather, they only accept the truth they can accept,” Agatha Christie often said bitterly. In history, legends and stories are still treated as truth, portraying Tanras as a shameless traitor who betrayed both the Elves and humanity. As for mistakes on the battlefield, or even problems in decision-making, they are all erased. This is the mainstream historical view: any new discovery is criticized as heretical academic pollution that must be completely eradicated and destroyed.
"So the truth is passed down orally, unable to be put into writing, making it more like a legend." Agatha shrugged helplessly. "My grandfather left these notes to me, saying that one day the truth will come to light, but I don't think there's much hope, unless humans are conquered by elves, then I think there might be a chance..."
"The key is that the elves don't want to conquer humans. I think that if humans lose to the elves again, things might change."
Agatha shook her head. "Your idea is too optimistic. To acknowledge this history is to acknowledge your past shame, and worse, it's to acknowledge your cover-up of this shameful past. Acknowledging shame may be easier, but acknowledging your cover-up of the past is much more difficult."
Yun Zhe's eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but feel a greater appreciation for the girl in front of him.
“But I always felt that things weren’t actually as Grandpa said,” Agatha said slowly, stroking the thick book with one hand and resting her chin on the other.
Yun Zhe became curious, "There's something I also find very strange. It's understandable that all the kings participated in a battle, but they all died after the war. That's a bit... how should I put it? Such a coincidence can't be a coincidence."
Agatha nodded. "Ah, my grandfather also thought there was something wrong here, but there's no historical record to explain it, so it was eventually left unresolved. I think the Elven King Tanras went to see Galancinda not out of love, but genuinely to ask for help. Because in history, the word 'gift' appears in many places, and this gift was the one Tanras brought to Galancinda. It's the token of love often mentioned in poetry and drama. I always felt that this token of love was not simple."
After listening to Agatha's words, Yun Zhe also fell into deep thought. Indeed, there were still some unclear points in this plot. The fog of history had not been completely lifted, and this truth might very well reveal the true course of history.
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