Chapter 65: Byzantine Double-Headed Eagle

Chapter 65: Byzantine Double-Headed Eagle
The next morning.

Dark clouds covered the city, the air was heavy, and the sound of gunfire continued in the East District of Leden. Jiang He and Tommy left the factory entrance. On the street, fourteen Mark I tanks advanced into the city, with a large number of fully equipped infantry gathered on both sides, each equipped with two artillery pieces and four machine guns.

This was the first time that this weapon appeared on the battlefield. Its use had strategic significance in boosting morale. Most knights were no match for a tank in a frontal battle.

The two men returned to the camp. Tommy took out the cigarettes saved from the individual rations from his pocket and lit one. The fatigue in his blue eyes was obviously relieved.

"The military order last night said that if the position is lost, you and I will be shot on the spot."

Jiang He chewed gum and replied calmly, "We definitely can't defend it. The command knows this very well. The impact of the shooting is too bad. It's basically a routine of atonement. In this case, Lieutenant General Summerford may need knights to complete a mission that no one wants to participate in."

Tommy asked in confusion, "Did that noble lady tell you that?"

"She ran away a long time ago. I just guessed."

Jiang He broke off a piece of sugar-coated biscuit and fed it to the little crow on his shoulder.

The forest camp was bustling with activity, and the tanks were put into use, giving all commanding officers hope of quickly ending the Battle of Leden. Fires were being made in front of the military tents to cook, and some people had killed wild boars and were busy sharing them with others.

Tommy heads to his tent to write a letter to his family back home in Great Britain.

Jiang He went straight to the quartermaster's office. The middle-aged colonel was sitting behind the table with his eyes closed. He still didn't know the other person's name.

"Exchange for military merit."

The middle-aged colonel opened his eyes. He was quite familiar with the guy in front of him. He wore a monocle day after day. If there was no dirt on his face, he would definitely be handsome. The sniper rifle named Scarlet Baptism behind him was already famous. This secret treasure had killed hundreds of Prussian officers.

"1360 D-level military merits."

The middle-aged colonel took out the code book to verify the result. Even though he had expected it, the number still stunned him for a moment.

"As expected of you, the Red Knight. I've always been optimistic about you."

Jiang He almost had a question mark in his head.

The middle-aged colonel found a document, pushed it across the table, and said, "In ancient times, in order to commend knights for their bravery and outstanding achievements in battle, the White Gold Palace specially awarded a hunting medal. The knights who received the honor could have their direct descendants go to the King's Shield to take up important positions, or designate other families to do so on their behalf. The King's Shield recognizes your merits and has decided that you will inherit the title of Red Knight. As of now, there are a total of nine living single-color knights in the mainland and overseas colonies. This is an honor."

Jiang He had no intention of reaching out, "We've talked about honor, but what about obligation?"

"The shield protects the dignity and security of the empire, and the sword clears the way for the empire. The Nine-Colored Knight is the sharpest sword of the empire, and naturally has the obligation to respond to the call in times of crisis. However, every time they respond, the Single-Colored Knight can make a request to the Platinum Palace."

The middle-aged colonel said seriously, "For example, marrying a Platinum Bloodline who is not so high in the inheritance sequence, or going out to sea to serve as the powerful deputy governor of a colony, or owning a large enterprise of your own from scratch, or at the very least, you can get the honor of the earl of the court. This is the response of the Platinum Palace to the swords of the empire." Jiang He pondered for a moment and asked, "There are other single-color knights participating in this mission, right?"

The middle-aged colonel nodded. "The previous Red Knight died in battle last night, killed by Prussia's Falcon Sword. The Grey Knight is already in place. I don't have the authority to reveal more details before you decide to take over. But there is one thing I must state in advance. You and Major Tommy failed to hold the position. Lieutenant General Summerford has the right to send you to a military court."

Jiang He snorted and picked up the list of code pages.

Among the twelve rare-level secret treasures of A-level military merit, the most valuable one has been exchanged for something. It was something left behind after the death of the Turtle Knight. It was a one-time consumable secret treasure that could extend the user's lifespan to 150 years, provided that the user did not die from illness or chaos.

Normally, everyone should be vying for something like this that concerns lifespan, and the Platinum Palace had to half-abandon it because it was forced to do so. Secret treasures come from soul armaments, but not all secret treasures have only positive benefits. If a knight degenerates into a monster before his death, the remaining secret treasures will inherit the curse.

The secret treasure of the elephant tortoise is one of them, which has a series of negative curses such as slow thinking, stiff movements, and water addiction.

However, even if the curses were doubled, there would still be a large number of knights willing to fight for it.

Jiang He set his sights on the second item, which also contained a curse.

[Name: Double-headed Eagle Corpse Shroud Flag]
[Category: Functional]
[Quality: Rare]
[Effect: By injecting a beast soul into yourself as energy, you can engrave a totem flag on the back of your body, obtain a cloak, an extension of the soul weapon, and have a second set of knight abilities]
[Curse: Theodora's nightmare. Every night, nightmares will come from the shadows]
[Warning: There is a powerful spiritual entity remaining in the item]
[Note: The ancient Byzantine Empire, which used the double-headed eagle as its flag, once had hegemony for a thousand years. The royal purple-robed nobles inherited the power of the double-headed eagle knights from generation to generation, and possessed two sets of soul weapons. With the extinction of the double-headed eagle, the glory of the empire was burned to ashes, and the dead souls waited for their successors in loneliness]
After Jiang He finished reading the information displayed by the executive officer's authority, a hint of surprise appeared in his eyes. His first thought was "what a long introduction", and his second thought was "must be disinfected". As for the successor that the dead soul was waiting for, it sounded good, but in essence it was probably no different from a puppet.

"I agree to become a Red Knight, and my request is to exchange for this Corpse Shroud Banner and a Lionheart King Secret Treasure that is not on the list. In addition, I will exchange my military merits for the Lionheart King Helmet, a copy of the formula for alchemical bullets and potions, and the remaining exchange materials."

The middle-aged colonel had an ambiguous expression on his face, and said, "For Cecia's sake, first of all, I suggest you exchange for a secret treasure. That corpse flag has killed more than five knights. Since they died overnight, even the King's Shield didn't figure out the reason. Secondly, one request cannot be exchanged for two things. Finally, the secret treasure of the Lionheart King was originally a complete set of armor, which has long been lost. Our Lemon family has been searching for it for a hundred years, and only by luck did we come across a gauntlet."

Jiang He took the documents and medals, "Then the Corpse Shroud Banner, Lionheart Helmet, materials, alchemical bullets and formulas."

"Did you hear me?"

The middle-aged colonel had a splitting headache. If this guy died from the shroud flag, the next action would be hindered. This secret treasure, like the tortoise secret treasure, was used to attract cannon fodder knights.

Seeing that the other party was emotional, Jiang He directly started hypnosis, and did it three times in a row. Both sides had their own considerations about the Byzantine shroud, and it was troublesome to reach a consensus.

“Things from the ancient empire are certainly worth collecting.”

“It’s all about the mission.”

"I'll just take it and have a look, no need."

The middle-aged colonel was confused. He always felt that this three-part speech was a little familiar.

(End of this chapter)