honor me as god

(two in one, today and tomorrow)
There are two sources of candidates for the imperial bodyguards. One is external recruitment, which is aimed at elite fighters from various legions, or those strongmen who came from the common people.

Representatives of this kind - "Dawn Sword" Denisa, "Black Lion" Garrott, the former was a wandering swordsman, and the latter is the vanguard general of the Kingdom's four elite Lionheart Legion.

The other source is internal recruitment, and the targets are mainly blood descendants of the royal family, heirs of the royal collar, or orphans who have been taken in and raised by the royal family for various reasons.

For example, Nicole is from this kind of background. She was originally the daughter of the famous swordsman "Eagle Eye" Mann. Her father fought fiercely with "White Dragon" Sura for a day and a night in the Regnome Rebellion in the 500th year of the Fire Calendar, and was finally defeated. When she died, she became an orphan.

In order to repay his kindness, Perseus took the young Nicole into the royal family to raise her, and finally let her embark on the road of imperial guard.

Due to the fact that there are too many candidates for external recruitment, good and evil are easy to mix up, so all kinds of standards will be set extremely strict, and the slightest flaw will be eliminated.

The internal selection criteria are much looser, and there are not too many restrictions on age. For example, Nicole was not yet an adult when she was selected for the reserve team.

And the last candidate who entered the arena now is younger than Nicole when she joined the reserve team. She looks only eleven or twelve years old, and her immature face seems a bit out of place with her surroundings.

Kino was already feeling a little sleepy, but when he saw this candidate, he not only narrowed his eyes, but said with great interest, "Does this person look familiar?"

Solandelle and Lorna poked their heads out to look carefully, and quickly said in unison: "It's her.
"

Shangguanxue walked towards the candidate, holding the pointer in her hand. She was just about to use her old tricks to frighten him, when her eyes met, she suddenly froze in place.

Shangguan Xue stared at the other party's eyes, her expression changed several times, and finally she fell into a deep depression. She turned her head to look at the high platform, and nodded calmly, which meant—to pass.

Untested, straight through!

Looking at the 96 candidates ahead, none of them can enjoy this kind of treatment.

It's not that Shangguanxue cheated for personal gain, but that she saw the other person's eyes clearly.

As a former three-clawed golden dragon, Shangguanxue has seen countless people in the Far Eastern court. She only needs to look at most people to judge their life experience from their eyes.

For example, among the previous candidates, the kind of people with clear eyes, resoluteness, and extremely reliable at first glance, most of them have a smooth life, have never been beaten by reality, and have never encountered a desperate situation. They are all tested by illusions without exception. was eliminated.

On the contrary, those with deep eyes, who seem to be hiding something, and even a little depressed and gloomy, have often experienced the tempering of blood and fire, and most of them can pass the test.

And the girl in front of her. The cold, indifferent eyes with a hint of world-weariness in the depths reminded Shangguan Xue of a person—herself.

Every time I looked in the mirror before, the self in the mirror had this kind of look.

Shangguanxue could conclude that this girl had seen dead people, many dead people, she had brushed shoulders with the god of death, and staggered and crawled on the corpses of her companions.

Moreover, just like herself. Someone who was extremely important to her died in front of her, and her heart was torn to pieces as a result, in a bloody mess
...

It re-grows, and finally forms a scar that is harder than iron.

This kind of person, let alone mere illusion, even if he is facing the real scene of hell.She doesn't even frown.

Solandelle and the others had already walked over at this time, and Lorna called out: "Candy."

That's right, this girl is none other than one of the orphans Denisa adopted at No. 24 Fengxue Lane, and the only survivor among those 248 children, Candy.

"Sister Lorna." The girl nodded to Lorna, showing no joy of reuniting after a long absence, without any expression on her face, just said lightly, "Candy is my baby name, it has not been used for a long time. If you want, You can call me 'Heely', it's my new name."

After Denisa's death, the lost candy was naturally adopted by the palace.

It's just that Solandelle has been busy with government affairs for the past few years, so it's really hard to see her personally, so I haven't seen her much, and I didn't expect that she, like Denisa, would embark on the road of imperial guard.

Xi Li didn't look at Lorna again, she asked Shang Guanxue: "Can the test start?"

"You have passed the test, go back and wait for further news." After Shangguan Xue replied, she came to Solandelle's side, "Your Majesty, you are tired after watching it all afternoon, go back to the palace to rest first."

Solandelle nodded, and just as she was about to leave, Xili's voice suddenly sounded: "Your Majesty, please stay."

Xi Li looked at Solandelle, her eyes were full of vicissitudes and profoundness that did not match her age: "In the past few years, I have always wanted to ask your Majesty a few questions. You are usually full of schedules and can't see anyone. How are you doing now? Easy to face to face, if you can,

Hope it takes a few minutes of your time. "

Facing Denisa's orphan, Solandelle felt sympathetic to some extent, and because she was still free today, she stopped in her tracks: "Well, you can ask."

Xi Li asked slowly: "May I ask your majesty, what is the most important quality of a royal bodyguard in your opinion?"

This question is not difficult to answer, and the answers of the kings of all dynasties should be the same. Solandelle said without hesitation, "Of course it is loyalty."

"Then—" Xi Li's eyes became deeper, and the next question made both Solandelle and Lorna stunned, "In your opinion, is Denisa a qualified imperial guard?"

This question cannot be answered by Solandelle.

How to answer?
qualified?

Regardless of the reason, it is an indisputable fact that Denisa became a traitor. If it hadn't been for her sudden defection, Andre's coup would never have caused waves.

If the answer is qualified now, Perseus will probably come back to life immediately.

But if the answer is unqualified and Denisa is denied, how should I explain to Lorna?
Denisa did a lot of wrong things at the end of her life, she was sorry to many people, she was sorry to Perseus who trusted her, she was sorry to those children who were picked up and abandoned by her, but she was not sorry to Lorna.

14 years of companionship in life, making up for the incomplete mother's love, bearing the dragon's blood at the cost of life, and finally dedicating her life to burn her stigma.
No matter how the world scolds Denisa, for Lorna, Denisa is her hero.

Solandelle knew very well in her heart that Denisa had been dead for so long, and even though Lorna rarely mentioned it, she had never been able to get out of that kind of pain.

...

Lorna used to be a big bastard

Lie, a silly girl who loves to laugh, laughing and joking every day.

But in the four years since Denisa died, she hadn't smiled once, not once.

If she denies Denisa at this time, what will Lorna think?
Solandelle was in a dilemma when asked this time, because she was not a human being inside or outside.

However, after being queen for so many years, her eloquence and thinking have matured a lot, and she quickly replied in an orderly manner: "Hey Li, you have to know one truth - there is not only right and wrong in the world, and many things are not black and white. "

"As a witness, I think you should know better than anyone else that Denisa was coerced by the tyrant, so she betrayed her duty, and what happened afterward was not her original intention."

Xili didn't get caught up in thinking about this answer, but instead showed confusion: "Your Majesty, you seem to have gone too far and didn't answer my question."

"What I'm asking is, is Denisa a qualified imperial guard in your opinion?"

"Or, would you like to see someone like Denisa under your command?"

Solandelle was completely cornered, with no room for mediation, and entanglements inevitably arose.

Just when Solandelle was silent and Xili was staring intently, another voice sounded: "She is not a qualified imperial guard."

Lorna stood beside Solandelle, even though she tried her best to cover it up, she couldn't hide the deep sadness in her eyes: "She is not qualified, and there can no longer be people like her under the Queen's command? Are you satisfied?!"

Noli was silent for a moment, then nodded slightly to Lorna: "There is nothing dissatisfied, I am just here to find answers, not to argue with others."

Lorna has been a bit patient

Unable to hold back her emotions, she wiped the corners of her eyes with her sleeves, deliberately stepped forward and bumped Xili away with her shoulder, and left the training ground alone.

Solandelle looked at Xili who fell to the ground, and didn't reach out to help her, but said silently: "Xili, I hope you can understand that what Denisa did is a tragedy."

"She was not unconscious at the time, and she knew the consequences for herself, but she did it anyway because she loved you and those children, and she carried everything for you."

Shirley had a half-smile, and it was hard to tell whether the expression was sarcasm or sadness: "But we were abandoned in the end—because she loves Lorna more."

Solandelle didn't know how to proceed with the topic anymore, she sighed: "The reality is cruel, each of us has times when we can't help ourselves. If you are worried about this matter, I can help you arrange The best psychiatrist, let him guide you out of trouble."

The incomprehensible expression on Healey's face disappeared, replaced by the original indifference: "Your Majesty, you misunderstood. I am not bothered by it, let alone jealous of Lorna or hate Denisa."

"I can understand Denisa's choice. She has always been a person I respect very much, and she is still the same today. It's just...some things have always bothered me."

"As you know, I was an abandoned orphan who never met my parents. My first memories are the streets, the cold, the hunger, and the rotten smell of the garbage dumps."

...

"Later I met Denisa, she took me to No. 24 Fengxue Lane, where I had a warm bed and delicious food
There is also a group of partners who get along day and night. "

"Every time No. 24 Fengxue Lane was overwhelmed, Denisa would show up with moon coins and generously give them to us. Whenever bad people came to harass us, they would come back the next day with a bruised nose and a swollen face, crying and giving us money. We apologize."

"Dinisa saved us from the streets, made us no longer humble like dust, she played with us, gave us a big family, made our childhood no longer lonely, and even funded our schooling, so that we can move towards a better life." Bright future."

"Perhaps in your opinion, we regard Denisa as a sister and a reborn parent. But Your Majesty, you are wrong."

"Dinisha didn't just save us, she completely changed our destiny. For an existence that can change the destiny of others at will, do you know how we think of her—"

The setting sun was reflected in Xili's pupils, and suddenly there was a scorching glow: "God."

"That's right, we see Denisa not only as a family member, but also as a god. In our eyes, Denisa is omnipotent—in fact, she is indeed omnipotent."

"Dinisha can wipe out the 80 army of the survivors of the Six Kings with a single sword, and permanently change the terrain of the northern border. Just drawing a sword mark in the desert will make millions of soldiers in the Far Eastern court dare not take half a step forward."

"She has already stood at the top of the mortal world, overlooking the world from a distance. Any expert or strong person is insignificant in her eyes. As long as she wants, she can manipulate anyone's fate at will, regardless of kings, emperors, civilians and slaves. "

"If such people are not gods, who else

Can be called a god? "

"But...why." Xi Li's eyes were wide open, empty, but seemed to be surging with a mysterious undercurrent, "Why would Denisa, who is omnipotent like a god, be restrained by ants like Andre ?”

"Why can she destroy tens of millions of lives with the palm of her hand, but in the end she can't even save a few children?"

"With her strength, she can clearly be compared to the Sun King and the Nine Gods. At worst, she is also a legendary existence like the Ancient King and Dragon Queen, and she can be famous in history."

"But in the end. She died just like that. She was as humble as dust, and no one revered her. She was even reviled as a traitor. She couldn't even keep her most basic reputation."

Xi Li looked up at Solandelle, her eyes seemed to have some kind of penetrating power, trying to look directly into her heart: "Your Majesty, what is the tragedy of Denisa in your opinion?"

Solandelle was silent, not knowing how to answer, nor did she want to answer.

In Solandelle's view, Denisa's death had caused too much trauma in Shirley's heart, and thus caused a certain paranoia, which made her always cherish it.

For this kind of paranoid person, if you follow her logic to talk about it, you may not be able to talk about it for days and nights.

Solandelle still had work to do, so she didn't intend to stay any longer, she patted Xili on the shoulder lightly, and passed her by: "You need to adjust your mentality, Xili, I hope you can get out of the past as soon as possible. "

After Solandelle finished speaking, she left with Kino.

Hilly stood alone on the training ground, the sun was setting, the light was becoming dimmer, and the shadow behind her also became blurred, as if it was about to melt into the darkness.

All of a sudden, Xili spoke, her voice was very soft, as if she was talking to herself, and she seemed to be speaking to someone: "It is the greatest tragedy to be a mortal who is comparable to a god, but has no divinity."

Solandelle was already far away, and with her hearing as an ordinary person, naturally she couldn't hear Xili's words.

However, Kino's senses have already become extremely sharp after being strengthened countless times, and every word Xili said was clearly heard by him.

A meaningful smile appeared on Kino's face, his eyes were full of interest and playfulness, and he looked back at Xili.

I don't know if it was a coincidence, but the girl standing in the darkness was also staring at him.