The Release That Witch
Chapters 68's
Funerals were held in the southern area of Border Town, on the edge of the desert.
Calling it a desert is not true. Van'er doesn't know when, but one day someone has built a small stone fence around this area. Since then, no one has shown any interest in that piece of land. The walls were covered in thick snow, and when observed from afar it looked like it was lying behind a layer of silver. Although the walls were not high, it was easy to pass through. Whenever Van'er saw this wall, he could not help but think of the city wall - both of them had the same color and shape.
Until recently, he had only heard from traveling merchants about such a ritual. When an important member of the aristocracy or the royal family dies, the family of the deceased will go to the funeral together. There they would play sad music, and everyone would be allowed to mourn the dead until the coffin was buried underground. The greater the status of the deceased's nobility, the greater the funeral.
Even after their deaths, they still get better treatment than us ordinary people, Van'er thought enviously. He asked himself, what will happen to my body after my death? Will they dig a hole in the edge of the forest and throw me into it? Also, no one knew when the Demon Moon would end, so there would be no guarantee that no demonic beasts would come and dig my body to eat it.
To the residents of Border Town, death was not something unknown. In particular, every winter when they were forced to live in Longsong Fortress as refugees and live in huts, many of them died of starvation and cold or died of disease and injuries. It has become the norm. No one has the time and strength to grieve for the deceased, the question of where to get the next piece of bread to eat is much more important.
But today, His Majesty actually wants to hold a funeral for a soldier!
I heard he fell unfortunately while chasing a mixed species, his head was bitten along with half his body.
Van'er knew this poor man, he could be considered one of the famous faces in the old district. No one knows his real name, everyone calls him Ali. Van'er knew that Ali was leaving behind a wife and two children; the older one was about six years old and the younger one had just learned to walk.
Under normal circumstances, the family would be finished now. The widow could still find a new man to live in, but which man would also take care of the two stepchildren? Therefore, many children were thrown into the street so that they could take care of themselves. Most of these children would then go to the bar to attract customers and sell their meat and eventually die from strange diseases.
But His Majesty seems to really intend to fulfill the promise he gave during the recruitment of the militia. When a soldier falls during a war, his family not only gets his full payment, but also additional compensation. What does His Majesty call it? Van'er has to think for a moment. Ah .. yes, he calls it retirement. And the money his wife got was actually five gold royals! Moreover, His Majesty would give them enough food and charcoal every month, which meant that even though his wife did not go to work, he would have enough food for himself and his children. Well, it could be that this is just an empty promise, but at least the gold royals are real. He had seen how His Majesty gave the money to the Chief Knight, who then gave the money to Ali's wife.
Shit, could it be that I am a little jealous of Ali? No-no. Van'er shook his head again and again, trying to dispose of this stupid thought. With my talent, I didn't have to sell myself cheaply to take care of my wife.
After distributing the money, His Majesty gave a short but charming speech. In particular, the phrase "while protecting his loved ones and the innocent, we will always remember him," makes the blood heat up inside him. So there you have it , he thought, no wonder that in recent days other than the bread and silver royals, I have always thought of following a greater cause - at least during this winter, at least, we will be able to survive by relying on our own strength instead of hoping for Longsong Fortress charity.
The last part is the burial. Ali's coffin was lowered into a hole that had previously been dug up. Then, the Knight Chief had all the militia members march in front of the grave. Regardless of whether they were from the first team or his successor, everyone had to step in front of the grave and insert the earth shovel into the grave. While waiting in line, 200 hundred militia members entered into the four ranks they were already familiar with. When it was Van'er's turn, he suddenly felt the shovel become a bit heavy as he picked it up. He could sense that all the surrounding members were paying attention to his every move, making him slow down.
When he finally stood to the side, Van'er could see with his own eyes that the next person in line was now under the same pressure as he had felt before.
The tombstone was a rectangular piece of white stone, and there were also some words written on it, but he could not read it. Ali was not the first to be buried here. Beside his grave stood another similar tombstone, which was covered in snow. As Van'er left, he saw the new Vice Captain Brian standing in front of a rock, slowly pouring a pot of beer onto the tombstone.
*
"Your Majesty," as he returned to the castle, Carter suddenly began to speak, "what have you done…"
"Is it inappropriate?" continued Roland.
"No," Carter thought for a moment, but in the end he simply shook his head and replied, "I don't know how to say it, I don't know how to say it, but I don't think anyone has ever treated their employees like this - they don't have a degree or family background, and most of them don't even have a last name. "
"But in the end, what do you think I'm doing is right?" ask Roland again.
"Well.." Roland smiled and laughed, he must have known that this kind of ceremony had a strong appeal to Carter, who also always fought for and protected him. When people start thinking about who they are fighting for and why they are going to fight, such a ceremony can be a good motivation. For Carter, this change had a greater meaning, now this kind of honor was not just a privilege for the nobility. During this time, ordinary people had already been able to obtain the same training and teaching as nobles, but now civilians could also have the honor of defending their homeland. The sense of accomplishment that is multiplied is truly inexplicable.
Of course the introduction of a public funeral was just the beginning, Roland thought, he still had many ideas that could be used to enhance a sense of collective honor, such as using flags, playing military songs, and playing military songs, give heroic examples and so on. .
It was impossible to produce such a spirit out of thin air. Roland would only be able to increase their sense of belonging step by step and always instill his idea, until the idea gradually took effect. In order to ensure that the retirement project was running and reliable, Roland had arranged everything by himself. Inside City Hall, he had formed a group of people who were responsible for the payment of food and charcoal.
The further Roland was on his way to raising Border Town, the heavier the pressure on his shoulders. Even so, mining projects and improving people's living standards seem to be on the right track. With enough grain reserves, so far no one has starved or frozen to death. Compared to other small towns and big cities, this seemed like a miracle, even in Graycastle, some people had to die during the winter. Despite knowing all this, Roland thought that Border Town was still lacking in many places.
The goal is much higher than this, but its operating range has reached its limit. Assistant Minister Barov and the more than a dozen disciples he brought with him now controlled all the financial management and administration of Border Town. If Roland wanted to expand his department, recruiting a few management staff alone would be impossible. Roland had already asked Barov if he still knew some of his protege colleagues or his favorite students, but the answer he gave was to pour cold water on him: "Even if I know some, even if I know some, they won't come. After all, Your Majesty should know what kind of reputation you have, right? "
It sounds reasonable, but it's really depressing.
As they returned to the castle's backyard, Nightingale emerged from the mist immediately giving Wendy, who was standing in front of the warehouse, a warm embrace. Lightning was walking around the unfinished steam engine, looking at it, but when he saw Roland, he immediately interrupted Roland to assemble and install the autonomous engine.
Seeing all this, Roland thought that all his hard work was not in vain.