Although General Faroua was polite, he still brought out his treasured wine to entertain his old friend. Lucas and Faroua sat down on the chaise longue by the fire, Lucas sipped his wine and made a nasal voice of contentment.

"I knew you had any illicit goods." Lucas's expression looked like he was about to swallow his tongue together, and Visconti, who was watching, began to swallow: "You cunning fellow, you have such a good thing, if I hadn't come here today, you would have ruined him yourself." ”

Faroua smiled and shook his head: "It's a real waste to pour this barrel for you." You can't even taste the difference between a 34-year-old and a 36-year-old wine, and if I hadn't been able to do it today, I'd be ruined? ”

Lucas was slightly surprised, but quickly said confidently: "What if you can't taste it?" All I know is that it's delicious. ”

"You guy......" Faroua shook his head: "Hurry up, what are you doing here today besides being a rescuer?" ”

Lucas snorted, "What? I can't come here to see old friends if nothing else? Am I such an unrighteous person in your eyes? ”

"That's right." Faroua said with a wink.

Lucas was defeated immediately.

"Well, you're really ......" Lucas shook his head with a wry smile, "I know you don't like beating around the bush, so I'll be straight to the point." I have come today to ask you to return to the military department to take up your post. ”

"Huh?" Faroua's chin lifted slightly, and his squinted eyes deepened suddenly.

Marshal Lucas was not a man of words, and when he had finished speaking, he bowed his head in embarrassment and looked at Faroua. A playful smile appeared on Faroua's face, "Did a fool make you here?" ”

Lucas was tempted to ask, "Do you have to call the king a fool?" But the phrase was swallowed in the end: "Yes...... It was the king who commanded me to come to you. ”

"This idiot's mind is by no means so broad that he can endure my insults to him, and I always feel that something is wrong." Faroua snorted.

"But...... Faroua. Lucas sighed, "Even if you don't like him...... Why bother? You are the most important person in the kingdom's military department, during the war. This country needs your talent. Didn't you join the army for that reason? This time, the shadow of war is once again hanging over us, why are you leaving us at this time? Have you forgotten our oath? ”

The room fell silent, and the fire crackled and exploded.

"Lucas," Faroua looked into his friend's eyes, "if you remember that oath...... You should know that it's not the same now. ”

"What's the difference?" Lucas's breath was a little short, "In any case, the kingdom needs victory at this time, and the country is still singing and dancing on the outside, but some bad signs have appeared. Defeat at this time, for this country—"

"Lucas!" Faroua frowned.

Marshal Lucas took a deep breath and fell silent.

"How old were we at that time?" Faroua looked at his good friend, "I remember thirteen, right?" I dream of being a big farmer, you dream of marrying a princess, you see, even if we are good friends, we are different after all. Now, my dream has come true. Isn't it great that your dream has also come true? ”

"But what about our vows?" Lucas asked. "Back then, when the Wiggin knights ravaged the borders, killed people and killed fires, and plundered caravans. Didn't you drag me to join the army, and then we swore together that we would protect this country? Have you forgotten jì? ”

"Back then?" Faroua blinked and said calmly, "Man. What do you think is guarding? Damn the Wiggins, who, on bantams, stormed our country and slaughtered civilians. We take up arms, drive them out of our territory, slaughter them into their capitals, and force their kings and nobles to make reparations, which is called guarding. Why do you think I'm joining the army? I still want to live a quiet life, I want to be an ordinary farmer, tending to my land every day, driving horses and sheep; But at that moment, if the damned Wiggins were not driven out, the land would never be at peace. ”

Faroua pointed to the countryside outside the window and said to Lucas, "Man, look outside, do you see this field?" I want to protect this country because I love this land. In the spring, the hillside will be full of golden wildflowers, all over the mountain, no fragrance, and finely broken, but it is so golden and blooming, I like to lie in the sun among the flowers, close my eyes, and wake up to the sunset. Then I went home, my wife made a fragrant dinner, and the children pestered me to ask me to teach them how to ride. In this land, countless people live such a quiet and contented life, and this is the life that belongs to us. When the Weijin people came, not all the peasants were able to come forward, so I gave up my favorite qiē, put down my hoe, took up arms, rode on war horses, went into the battlefield, became soldiers, and threw my blood. ”

Faroua stared at his old friend, "This is called guardianship. I've done my job, man, I should have left long ago, and the day I became a general was more like a dream for me, a dream that had been long enough, and it was time to wake up. ”

"But the kingdom needs you now." Lucas said with some confidence.

"What do you need me to do?" Faroua's eyes were as deep as the night sky: "I worked hard for ten years to fight against the Weijin people, and finally won this war; Am I going to be a bully like the Weggins, and help that tyrant to humiliate the civilians of other countries? Lucas, open your eyes and look north. The Principality of Bauhinia is innocent, you know it, think about the disasters that once happened on our land. ”

"We are soldiers, and it is our duty to obey orders!" Lucas said categorically.

"Obedience to orders is not a soldier's duty at all, it is just a means of brainwashing." Faroua said lightly: "The meaning of violence is never to create chaos, but to maintain order. That's the difference between humans and animals. The ferocious beast will starve to death if it does not eat the other beasts; And we have wheat growing in our land, cattle and sheep in our pens, and oil and salt in our markets, so why do you eat people? In order to obey orders? ”

"It's not cannibalism...... Lucas pursed his lips, "We're here to teach the Duchy of Bauhinia a lesson......"

"Isn't it cannibalism?" Faroua whispered, "Lucas." Think about what kind of life we had during the time when the Wiggin Knights were at their most rampant. If you hadn't quietly stuffed me with the leaves that your father had stolen, maybe I would have starved to death. When the Weggin people besieged Pittsburgh, the whole city was cut off from food, and in order to survive, some people killed and ate people, have you forgotten all this? ”

Lucas's face was cloudy, and he said with some struggle: "We...... We didn't do anything like that ourselves, after all. If the nobles of the Principality of Bauhinia commit such a crime......"

"If they commit such a crime, doesn't it have anything to do with you?" Faroua gave Lucas a deep look and looked away. sighed: "My best friend has become so strange that I dare not recognize him." Lucas, people can lie and deceive the whole world at will, but there is only one person you can't fool no matter what, and that is yourself. What is the purpose of this war, you know very well in your heart. No matter how much you whitewash, can you fool yourself? When the kingdom's army crushed the city, what was the difference between you and the Wiggin knights of the past? The people of the Bauhinia Principality are innocent. Because of you, the blood will stain that land, and countless children will lose their loved ones, and a large part of their lives have not yet begun. It is already in your hands; The children who survived struggled to grow up in purgatory on earth, hating the invaders. Then, just like us back then, with the noble feeling of defending this country and protecting this land, we came to the front line without hesitation. They may die at your hands one after another, or they may struggle to survive and become another General Faroua and another Marshal Lucas, just like us back then. Who knows what the future holds? ”

"Faroua......" Lucas groaned feebly, "but—"

"No matter how much you try to persuade me, I will never be a butcher, an executioner, a sharp blade in the hands of a tyrant," Faroua stood up and straightened his sackcloth: "My name is Faroua, I am a farmer, I was once a general of a kingdom, and I used to have a friend named Lucas. Fame and fortune are not enough, success or failure turns empty, glory and wealth are a dream, put into a toast and talk and laugh, young men, I am very tired today, go to rest first, and wait for the king's brother-in-law, the generalissimo of the kingdom, General Lucas, who is under one person and above ten thousand people, to drink to his heart's content, remember to send him away. Now that I am a commoner, there is absolutely no difference in the dignity of this status. Be careful and be respectful. ”

Faroua smiled faintly, glanced at Lucas, who couldn't make a sound, and slowly left.

Lucas looked at the back of his former friend in a daze, and his heart was like a knife. He didn't know whether he should be sad for Faroua's decision, or for that sharp words, or maybe both, but he knew that from this day forward, this talented friend would never be with him again, talking, playing with lights, and drinking and singing.

In today's situation, do I choose to stay, is it for my childhood vows, or for glory and wealth?

Faroua is right, in this world, the only one who cannot be deceived is himself.

Lucas was ashamed of his selfishness.

Looking at Faroua's fading back, Lucas felt that a gap suddenly appeared in his heart, and he wanted to open his mouth to keep it, but he didn't know how to open it.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

Lucas was silently weeping, sitting in a recliner, staring blankly at the roof.

Yang Hai gestured to the others, and they walked out of the room, allowing Marshal Lucas to be quiet alone. (To be continued......)