Embers of Embers

Chapter 459 Tranquility
"It feels pretty good to be home..."
Kestrel slowly opened his eyes and looked out the window beside the bed. The summer sunshine was like liquid gold, covering evenly between the ancient trees and stone bricks. The crisp birdsong kept echoing, making everything look very... It's calm.
Half a month has passed since the night of suffering. After returning to Old Dunling, Kestrel has been living here these days, a branch of Black Mountain Hospital.
In fact, it is not a branch hospital. After the Black Mountain Hospital incident, because the original site needed to be repaired, with the consent of President Abigail, the Black Mountain Hospital was temporarily separated, waiting for the reconstruction of the original site.
This is a branch hospital located in the outskirts. Judging from the sharing of functions, this place is quite normal. It is a nursing home, which is specially responsible for taking care of injured knights. The half-dead kestrel has received perfect treatment here.
Kestrel still remembered what the doctors said to him. They said that Kestrel was really lucky. He did not have any serious fatal injuries on his body. He just lost a lot of blood and was mentally and physically exhausted. After treatment and recuperation, except for those broken bones, Apart from the bones that have not yet healed, Kestrel is almost healed.
The body is still a little weak, but there is still no delay in moving freely. Kestrel leaned on his arm and slowly sat up. The other arm was put in a plaster. The doctor said it would take at least half a month to remove it.
Picking up the mirror on the cabinet, Kestrel looked at his face, with a look of distress in his eyes.
"Uuuuuuuuuah, there are still scars."
Kestrel looked at the scar on his cheek, which was left during the battle in Theater Square. Logically speaking, scars on the face would make people look more vicious, but there was an inexplicable look on Kestrel's face. It was so funny, and he couldn't figure out why.
"Scars are the testimony of a man, and only cowards fear them."
The voice came from the side. There was another bed not far from the Kestrel. Haybold turned over and said to the Kestrel with his pillow on his head.
"That's why I think all of you Vikings are out of their minds."
This kind of conflict in values ​​is still somewhat unacceptable to Kestrel.
After returning to Inverg, Hebold's injury was not serious, and could even be considered a minor injury, but he was still admitted to the Black Mountain Hospital for corrosion testing.
Kestrel's relaxed expression turned serious when he thought of this. Although his memory had begun to blur due to injuries at that time, he still vaguely remembered that scene.
In that burning hell, angels descend.
Countless, pure white steel wings unfolded one after another, and they cut all the living creatures they encountered. The flesh and blood fell apart in front of them, and the hot blood dyed them red.
So what exactly is it?Kestrel couldn't understand that they just appeared out of thin air, like a nightmare that broke through dimensions.
Thinking of this, Kestrel looked at Highbould. Everyone saw that scene, and they were all frightened by this strange existence.
Of course, the one who is more worthy of fear and doubt is him, Lorenzo Holmes. Although no one said it, and he did not admit it, everyone knows and can vaguely guess in his heart that those monsters are Inlo Renzo appears.
However, everyone maintained a tacit understanding, and no one asked Lorenzo about this until they returned to Inverg.
"By the way, Lorenzo has been gone for a long time."
Kestrel then thought and muttered to himself.
"It will take a week, right?"
Haybold looked at the calendar beside him.
After being taken in, Lorenzo was assigned to a separate room, where he had to report various intelligence and undergo tests every day. It seemed that the matter was really serious. Kestrel saw Merlin walking in front of his door several times. Pass.
Lorenzo still visited them from time to time. He said he lived next door and always brought what the doctors said was contraband when he came.
"Ah... living a peaceful life like this for too long becomes a little uncomfortable."
Kestrel probably didn't want the room to fall into peace, he said again.
"what happened?"
Haybold asked, still holding the knight novel borrowed from Kestrel in his hand. This quiet time gave Haybold enough time to read these stories.
"It's just... very uncomfortable. It feels like the battle not long ago was like a dream. It's like you Vikings will not arrive at the Hall of Valor after death, but a place similar to here, warm and comfortable, without fighting or Fighting, everyone just lies in bed doing nothing every day, wasting time."
Kestrel spread his thoughts and smiled on his face.
"Think about it, this is not a bad ending."
The voice faded again, Kestrel thought for a while, and suddenly said to Haybold.
"But I still have to thank you, Haybold. If you hadn't carried me out, I probably would have died there."
For Kestrel's thanks, Heybold's expression did not change. He continued to read the book and answered casually.
"It's nothing."
"It's good to be alive..."
Kestrel looked out the window and felt.
With a bang, the door was pushed open. Both Kestrel and Haybold were attracted by the sound. They looked outside the door and saw Eve wearing hospital clothes, panting and standing outside the door, holding a hand. Roll newspaper.
"Something happened!"
Eve took a breath and shouted loudly.
"what happened?"
Kestrel looked confused, and Eve quickly walked to Kestrel's bed and spread out the newspaper in her hand.
"This is today's report. The King of Gallonalo has passed away."
"This... what's wrong?"
Kestrel couldn't figure it out for a moment, but Haibold's expression on the side had changed slightly.
"Before his death, the king of Gaulnaro confirmed his successor as his son, Cornel Garrel, and appointed the director of the Iron Law Bureau, Cory Ferre, as his minister."
Eve quickly explained that this could be regarded as a political earthquake in Gallonalo, and it happened very quickly. By the time a few people saw the newspaper, the new king had already succeeded.
"Cory Ferey? Is that the guy?"
Kestrel thought of the name and the person it represented.
"It's him. Now he has come from behind the scenes to the stage. They must be making some big move," Eve panicked. "What's more important is that before the death of the old king, a large number of old nobles and ministers were liquidated. ”
As Eve spoke, she pointed to the corner of the newspaper. It only occupied a small page and contained only a few lines of text, but just these few lines were more important than the information revealed in the previous news.
"Funds cut off, assassins threatened, crimes pronounced."
A new voice sounded, and Eileen walked over from behind the door. She was barely considered a member of the team, and was admitted to the Black Mountain Hospital after arriving in Inverg. These days, she and Eve were roommates, living next door. .
"During the years when the old king was seriously ill, on the surface, his control over the country was loosening. The noble ministers secretly conducted many dirty transactions, thinking that they would not be discovered. In fact, all this was under the prying eyes of the Iron Law Bureau. , at the end of the old king's life, he launched an internal purge. The evidence of the crime that had been collected long ago was brought to light, and most of the old nobles were eliminated with strong methods. Only those who survived were They will tremble, and they will submit to the new king so that their families can survive the wrath.”
Erin looked at the newspaper solemnly.
"The old king reunited the kingdom before his death and handed it over intact to his son."
"They are preparing for war, preparing for our war. Only in this way can a united country fight against us." Hebold said.
There was a hint of depression in his words, which made everyone in the room feel a little uncomfortable.
Whether it is Kestrel or Eve, everyone knows one thing very well. With the death of Ivar, war is inevitable, and this time they initiated the war on their own initiative. Everything now is just the calm before the storm.
"Looks like I have to leave."
Haybold said, turning around and packing up his clothes.
"Where are you going?"
Kestrel asked to his temporary roommate, to be honest, it’s not bad to have someone chatting with him in the middle of the night, although Heybold is very disgusted by this, he can’t understand why a guy wants to sleep and talk so much .
"Viking Kingdoms. I should have left a long time ago. The doctor said that I am mentally stable and can leave at any time. But as you said, such peaceful leisure is hard-won. I still have to enjoy it if I can enjoy it for a few more days."
War is not a joke, these things are very serious. There are some things that Heibald must go back to report in person, such as the death of Ivar. After all, he is also the child of the King of Ice and Sea.
"I'll take these books with me."
As he spoke, Heybold picked up a few more books he hadn't finished reading.
"The Rhine League, the Viking nations and Inverg, the combined forces... this will be a war that sweeps the entire Western world!"
Screams rang out, and only then did a few people notice that there was another person in the room.
Hercule was tied to the bed, lifted up forcefully, and screamed at several people.
"Conspiracy! It's all a conspiracy! They want to kill everyone!"
A chaotic storm seemed to have arisen in his brain, and Hercule instantly deduced an extremely bad future, in which the entire ocean would be dyed red with countless blood.
"what happened to him?"
Eve ignored Hercule's words and asked Kestrel, her roommate.
Kestrel shook his head helplessly and said.
"I don't know either. In short, Hercule said he could talk to mice... Poirot to be precise. He could understand what Poirot was saying. In addition, he was about to undergo a mental examination. The doctors suspected that he had suffered Erosion, but he shows no signs of alienation... In short, it is a quite special case."
Kestrel thought of the follow-up again, and he continued.
"The doctor also did a lot of examinations on Poirot and confirmed that it was just an ordinary chinchilla. There was nothing abnormal at all. In the end, he performed an operation on him."
"Operation?"
Eve didn't understand. Usually everyone gathered in the garden in the afternoon, just like a group of old men and women. This was the first time Eve found Hercule here.
The cage shook violently, interrupting Eve's question. Poirot was seen banging against the cage angrily and squeaking something.
"Damn, you actually scolded me! Who bought you back from the fur trader, have you forgotten?"
Hercule raised his head vigorously, and it seemed that he and Poirot were scolding each other.
"What does it have to do with me? Didn't you see that I'm tied up too?"
"Squeak!"
"They sterilized you in a stupid way, what can I do!"
The squeaking sound stopped for a moment, then became more violent.
Eve watched the somewhat strange scolding battle with a complicated expression.
"Are they usually like this?"
"Pretty much, but the doctor said if he gets too noisy, he can be given a shot of sedative."
Kestrel raised an eyebrow and opened the drawer.
……
Haybold left, and Eve left with him. She also expressed confusion about the conspiracy of this operation. Now Eve's mental test has stabilized and she is allowed to leave. She is going to complete her internship. And ask Arthur what's going on.
The room fell silent, quite quickly, just like when he returned to Inverg from Nalo in Gaul.
Everything happened too fast, without any preparation. Kestrel only remembered a group of people shouting his name, and then various bright lights flashed in front of his eyes. When he woke up again, he was in the Black Mountain Hospital. , the whole person was tightly wrapped in bandages.
After being injected with a shot of sedative, Hercule became more honest, and Poirot also fell asleep. The too quiet room made Kestrel a little uncomfortable, just like the end of a carnival, deserted.
"You're recovering well, Moon."
The sound sounded, startling Kestrel. He turned his head and remembered that Erin had not left yet.
To be honest, after going through so much, even though Kestrel didn't want to admit it, he didn't hate Erin so much anymore, just like he could talk to Haybold now, no matter what happened before , now everyone is more or less a dead brother.
These guys brought him back alive from Nalo, but due to some shyness, Kestrel could not show any gratitude. The most he could do was promise Heibald that if there was a sequel to the novel, he would mail it to him. He paid for the postage to the Viking countries.
"What... what's wrong?"
Kestrel looked at Erin and backed away a few times in fear, but he was already leaning against the wall and had no way to retreat.
“I just feel like a lot of people may never see them again in this life.”
Erin said a little lonely.
"Like Haybold, do you think you'll ever see him again?"
Kestrel was startled, not understanding what Irene said.
"He has returned to the Viking Kingdoms, that distant and cold place. He will return to his post and join the wave of war, and you will do the same. You will return to the purification mechanism and join this huge machine, saying Maybe that look just now was the last in your life."
Kestrel opened his mouth, he wanted to say something, but suddenly Eileen came over and grabbed his face.
There was no exciting plot or intoxicating scenes. Erin just roughly grabbed the Kestrel's head and prevented him from moving.
Irene stared at the Kestrel with a blank expression. The Kestrel could even see his own reflection in Irene's pupils. He could feel the power coming from his eyes, as if he wanted to keep the picture he was watching forever. Engraved into my mind.
(End of this chapter)