Border Guardian Hal Akircius

Fredia Castle, underground prison

In the eyes accustomed to the darkness, a hint of light enters through the entrance to the underground prison, and Alshalea narrows her eyes.

It would have been about two months since I was already imprisoned...

He just didn't seem to have the guts to kill the Great Cleric all of a sudden, and Danford connected Alshalea to the underground prison.

But it was clear that any one of them would be killed when they saw the opportunity, and Alshalea finally decided to be prepared that time had come.

Perhaps he attacked and destroyed that city built by Altrius and triumphed.

"... here you are, unlock me.

Multiple footprints approach the cell to which Alshalea was connected, and the voice of the young man sounds.

The key was plugged into the key hole where it snagged, and the loud noise sounded all over the cell when unlocking it.

So far myself at last.

Alshalea, who quietly closed her eyes in the dark while counting the footsteps that approached her because she thought so.

"Mr. Alshalea, right?

A young man in imperial-style armor was crouching in front of Alshalea, who opened his eyes.

"... Altrius?"

Unexpectedly speaking a nostalgic name, he immediately reconsidered that there was no reason for Altrius, and as he stared at its face, whoever it was, the imperialist slowly opened his mouth.

"No, unfortunately, it's a different person. My name is Hal Akircius and I am an Imperial Border Protection Officer. You're safe. Most importantly, I'm here to help... can you stand?

"Yeah, I can handle it..."

The name sounds familiar, it's definitely a name I found out in a letter or something from El Laicia.

Alshalea stood up with that hand, prompted to start walking slowly.

What is wrong with this?

If you look at Bergan and the Imperial soldiers following this young man who names the Border Guardian Officer, there seems to be no doubt that something unexpected of his own happened.

Hal led 200 Imperial soldiers to Fradia in the surrendered Bergan and other Fried warriors, but since Danford used Alford's name and mobilized his roots, Fradia had little fighter appearance, and after battle Hal was able to enter the castle of Fradia.

As a first touch, he sent Fried's warrior chief to Fradia, where King Alford was defeated after a one-horse victory, and Hal inherited the throne in Alford's will, and Danford's serious demeanor has already been known.

The court officer who remains at Fredia Castle has informed the Bergan envoy that he will accept his surrender, and the gateway to the castle town was open.

The crown of Alford shining in the helmet Hal had in his hand, and the people of Fried, who saw King Alford's coffin following behind him, all drowned their heads, kneeling to mourn the fall of King Alford, and weeping at the remorse of the defeat, but without great confusion, made their march.

Hal immediately appointed Bergan as Fredia Castle Bill, giving him command of the 3,000 Fried Warriors he has led, and striving to clean up Fredia's mess.

So he heard from one of the court officers that Alshalea was in seclusion.

"Auntie... you're safe!

"El Laicia... you're important too, aren't you?

Alshalea, rescued from the dungeon by Hal and Bergan, changed into clean clothes before facing Erlacia.

Alshalea asks Erreisia, who is a little confused by her healthy-looking aunt, looking at the surrounding Imperial soldiers and Hull, as well as Bergan's face.

"So, El Laicia, what the hell is going on? I wonder if you could explain.

"Auntie, actually..."

"Did you... did you break Alford..."

Asked by Erlacia about the upside so far, Alshalea stared seriously at Hal sitting beside him.

Sometimes I am injured and bandaged, but I can't see the appearance of a strong atmosphere.

But the glow of the soul seems to be double that of man.

I feel the same or stronger glow than Alshalea once felt for Altrius.

He is stared at for too long, and Hal looks uncomfortably shrouded, but Alshalea keeps staring at him unwillingly.

"Auntie, please don't stare too much.

"What are you on guard for? I won't take anything else.

When Ellesia blocked Alshalea's gaze a little, Alshalea returned the words in disdain.

And spare the fuzzy El Laicia, Alshalea turns back to Hull.

If he is this one, if he is this one with the same brilliance of soul as his Altrius, he will not be on a different path.

As I once was, my niece must have been fascinated by the glow of this soul, too.

Alshalea opened her mouth as she looked at Hal and remembered that nostalgic emotion that was sweet and bitter.

"Dear Border Guardian, I am this Ellesia aunt, but my master and mother are the same pattern. So, that's not to say, can I go to Cilentium, too?

"Auntie?

Alshalea smiles at the amazing El Laicia.

"But to transfer the Great Cleric..."

If the Temple of the Sun moves, the base of the Sun clerics will move from the previous Fradia to the Cilentium.

It is not interesting to be advertised as having carried out the relocation in order to selfish use of the authority of the Great Cleric and the Temple of the Sun, and it is not necessarily enough that it leads to bad reviews and vice versa.

The benefits and effects of obtaining religious authority are immeasurable, but as for Hal, I don't think about using any more religious authority, so it was an annoying suggestion.

Alshalea opens her mouth again after a little thought as to whether Hal's reluctance had occurred to her.

"... Now let's cede the Grand Goddess position to El Laicia. If this is the case, the Temple of the Sun naturally moves to Cilentium, especially since the Great Cleric Wand to inherit has unfortunately been taken by Danford..."

"What?"

When he saw and smiled at the astonishing El Laicia, Alshalea took over the words.

"I'm almost 70 years old, too, so it's only natural to give the Grand Priesthood to the best of my disciples, El Laicia. Aren't we going to get rid of the fact that the border guards are worried about coming?

"But..."

Still reluctant to the suggestion, Hal.

If there were a grand cleric's concession after Hal's entry into the castle, there would be people who would now bend that this put pressure on him to make the concession again.

Moreover, it is Ellesia who has always acted with herself to take over.

"It wouldn't be a problem if it was a concession, would it?... and then retired former high priests are free to go anywhere, and I originally came from the Armar tribe. They just brought you to Alford for this land, so isn't it very natural to retire and return to your hometown?

"This will probably be the front line in the fight against Danford and the Halemians. The clergy would like you to calm down in the Cilentium and preside over the festival.

Bergan also seems to agree on transferring the temple of the Sun.

As for Bergan, I would like Hal to have such a troublesome and delicate case because I will have to deal with Danford's robbery of a high priest.

Since it involves the thick solar faith of faith in the entire people of Cliffonam, it would be a more natural reaction than Bergan's position has no right to decide.

Thinking about it doesn't exhaust my worries as much as I think about it, but I can't move on with all my worries.

Hal decided to cede the high priesthood over Ellesia and relocate the Cilentium of the Sun Temple, as well as accept the former high priest Alshalea.

Accepting the Temple of the Sun is not all negative.

"Okay, so... as soon as we finish King Alford's funeral, okay?

"Yes, El Laicia, thank you very much.

To Hal's words, Alshalea replied with a smile.

While strolling through the castle town of Fredia with Bergan, Hal realized that the city, one of the most populated and sized in the north, was surprisingly fragile.

Even so, the castle town is just a messy city where the settlement has grown in size, and only the road that leads hard to Fredia Castle is gravel laying.

Perhaps Fredia Castle, with the utmost regard for military expediency and defense, is definitely a difficult castle, but if you try it as a town, you can never say that the location is good.

Originally, warriors, noblemen, court officials and their families packed in the castle have gathered, and even more artisans and merchants who rely on their consumption have gathered, but because they have developed without city planning or subsequent urban development, it is extremely poor for the living environment.

"How many residents of Castle Town are there?

"I don't know for sure... but I thought maybe it was over 50,000 people..."

"Is this how the city is made everywhere?

"Oh, well, it's more or less like this.

It was Bergan answering Hal's question, but I am confused without knowing the intent of that question.

I wonder where the Freed settlement is in this state.

Hal himself, I was going to know the situation to some extent because I had visited him to seek reinforcements for the southern tribes, but the northern system also noticed that things were completely different.

Is it the nature of not paying too much attention to dirt?

Although the population is about twenty times that of Cilentium, the drainage flights are poor, the garbage is scattered throughout the town, and although there is more than enough vibrancy characteristic of the barbarians, the sanitary environment and the city's functions are not even comparable to those of the imperial cities.

There would be climatic problems, but Hal was confused by the sights of the town, as the hometown group islands were also farther than the northern border in terms of cleanliness.

"This... sounds like you need a radical modification..."

Without worrying about the corrupt sludge that had accumulated on the road, Hal grinned and looked at the Fried children who were running around.

However, Cilentium is also still developing, and it is very difficult to develop two cities at a distance at the same time, coupled with financial and material problems.

We had already started spreading about the streets connecting Cilentium to Fradia, but it would be a little later to get our hands on the city itself.

In an attempt to set up, at least, the administrative machinery alone, Hal had begun to create a family registry from among court officials, using the Sentencing Division, which was presiding over the King's documents, but work had not progressed for the Cliffonams, among whom there was a low literacy rate in the first place, and, among other things, for the Fried tribe, whose tendency was strong.

As a remedial measure, Bergan has given its consent to establish a primary school and has already started classes at Castel Fradia with computational methods added to reading and writing.

As for elementary school, Hal had also decided to establish it in Cilentium, but deplored the lack of human resources to be entrusted to the administration anyway.

"Not yet.