The Thousand Year Dynasty
20. Trapped in Chaos
Six days later they had entered the outer ring of the city of Estrinx. The central region within the city already seemed completely paralyzed by now. The outer ring gate was already closed from all who entered or exited.
The remnants of the city assault are still clearly visible everywhere. Lots of former cars were burned and arrows stuck in all parts, just abandoned on the side of the road.
They had chosen a detour as far as possible from the city's fortified walls. But even so the wall still looks strong towering.
"How long have they built such a wall?" Tanya Nata who looked amazed to see the large wall that surrounds the city of Estrinx.
"Conon said it was almost fifty years old" Lucia replied later.
"How many workers do you need?"
"Three hundred people"
"How much do they spend to pay their workers?" sela Aksa who sounded not like she was asking.
"They used slaves. So there is no need to think about wages" this time Huebert said.
"Oh right too. It is more efficient to use slaves" Aksa said later.
"Slave? Oh, so there's also a slave here" Nata looks interested.
"According to the ones on the Couran scroll, they used to be prisoners of war or people who had too much debt" Aksa explained later.
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And after half a day of walking down the path to the northeast, the area that was originally dominated by grassland and the river is now starting to turn into uphill hills. The temperature also feels cold and humid.
It has been raining lightly twice in the past. Leaving a thin fog in the air. There were still three days left for them to get to the village of Dyms.
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And when they arrived at a hillside road that had a steep ravine on its right side, they were stopped because they found eight men blocking and tried to force open a noble horse carriage that covered the road ahead.
"It looks like they're bandits" Jean observes. A girl was forced out of the horse carriage.
"They will harm the girl" said Lucia who thoughtlessly ran towards the horde of men.
"Originally, the naive girl will bring us disaster" said Aksa.
"Wait for the princess!" Shouted Jean who looked as irritated as Aksa faced Lucia's attitude, while chasing after her.
Seeing that there was a group coming, especially because a girl and knight seemed to run towards them, the bandits began to prepare weapons and ran over.
Seeing this, Huebert and Loujze also immediately ran towards the bandits. While Deuxter began to lift the bow and his arrow was ready to aim forward.
Aksa and Nata stare at their action with Lily on the train. Who, though apparently just sitting quietly next to Nata, but the rabbit girl was getting ready to do something when something bad happened. Val was still silent from his horse.
Just this time Aksa and Nata see Jean in action. And seeing this made them cringe at the thought that Jean had actually attacked them. The female knight fought the 3 sword bandits by herself.
Huebert looked superior to a bandit who had a bulging stature like a bear. While after dropping 2 bandits with his arrow shot right at the ankle and arm, Deuxter began to shift his shot to the other bandits. While Loujze seemed easy to face the remaining 2.
Unable to match Jean, Huebert, Deuxter, and Loujze's abilities, the eight bandits escape with their horses into the forest on the slopes of the hill.
"Well, that must have been Sword Art and Martial Art, right?" Aksa asked herself which broke the silence they had made before.
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"You okay?" Lucia asked while helping the girl get up. "Lugwin?" Lucia looked surprised to know the girl she had just helped.
"Lucia?" The girl was similarly surprised to find Lucia in front of him.
"Princess Lugwin" this time Jean who looked surprised to see the Narva girl in the shabby robe that he had just saved.
"What the hell is going on?" Ask Lucia later.
"They are mercenaries" Lugwin replied later, rearranging his robe and lifting his hood back over his head.
"Who hired them and what's the point of stopping you like this?"
"I don't know who hired them anymore. This kingdom is already starting to fall apart"
"You mean?" Lucia looked more confused.
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"So after the king's grandfather was buried, Dux Laurant and Dux Vincent began to make aggression for the throne. They accused each other of being the king's murderer. And with the help of some other nobles they began to take control of the city and village outside the city" Nampak Lugwin began to tell stories when they were already on the train to the nearest village.
"Did the king not have a crown prince?" Nata asked which surprised Lucia and Lugwin a little.
"The entire Estros nuclear family died at the same time" Lugwin replied bitterly.
"So is it true that their birds were poisoned at dinner?" Lucia seemed sure.
Lugwin nodded little while hiding his tears. This girl looks more like a noble princess than Lucia. The parasites are beautiful with wavy blonde hair that matches her blue eyes and red lip. Her clothes are much more feminine and decent than the ones Lucia used to wear.
"Then shouldn't there be relatives of the king who will take the throne for a while?" Nata asked again.
"The banquet was a big family banquet, it was a traditional banquet. All the relatives of the royal family came to attend"
"Geez!" Shouted Lucia who seemed to have just understood something. "How's your family doing, Lug?"
Lugwin who had been foaming to look tough finally began to melt tears. "only I am left" he replied in a cry.
Lucia immediately hugged the girl.
"If only I hadn't snuck out of the banquet that time..."
"You won't be able to live until now" Lucia interjected.
"I won't be alone like I am now" added Lugwin softly and dejectedly.
"Who exactly is Jean?" Nata asked Jean.
"Lugwin was the nephew of king Estrinx" explains Jean later.
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