Chapter 124: The Vanished Family

(The first update of the day is here!)

Chapter 124: The Vanished House

After leaving the Military Ministry plaza, Green, the Fat Man, and Xia Ya exchanged brief hugs before mounting their horses to bid farewell.

"You'll be staying in Yanjing for a while longer, right? Come find me for a drink whenever you like." Green sat tall in his saddle and smiled at Xia Ya again. "Kid, you're a good one. If you have time, come visit me at the Military Academy; I'll treat you to a drink!"

With that, this frustrated imperial soldier offered a heroic smile and rode off into the distance.

Watching Green's retreating figure, the Fat Man sighed and shook his head. "What a pity."

He turned to look at Xia Ya. "Do you even know who he is?"

Without waiting for an answer, the Fat Man continued, his voice low as if speaking to himself: "He graduated from the Military Academy in the same class as I did. His grades were top-tier, especially in military manuals and tactics, which were extraordinary. Even our teacher, Duke Minas, called him a rare talent. He participated in two wars against the Odin people. In the first, he was only a battalion commander, yet he led three hundred men on a daring raid hundreds of miles behind enemy lines to strike their logistics hub. By the second war, he was already a legion flag-bearer. During the final stages of the war, he was tasked with the rearguard. Leading just over a thousand cavalrymen, he used near-suicidal harassment tactics to force a delay of fifteen days on an entire Odin army legion! Later, he was transferred to the eastern border. Facing an invasion by a coalition of over a dozen nomadic tribes, he held a small border fortress for an entire month with fewer than two thousand defenders! I don't even know how he managed it! The fortress walls were only three meters high, and there was no defensive siege equipment—no catapults, no ballistae, not even enough arrows or rations... When reinforcements finally arrived, he had sixteen wounds on his body and remained in a coma for over twenty days before waking."

Xia Ya felt a jolt in his heart!

Having experienced war himself, he was deeply struck by the gravity of the Fat Man's simple words.

He had once led thousands of men in a well-equipped garrison against an Odin force of only ten thousand, and even then, he had barely held out for a day, eventually forced to challenge Hastings to a duel just to buy time.

Two thousand men, a small border town, lack of equipment... and they held for a month?!

"Duke Minas once said... if Green were given the proper authority, if he were allowed to lead a full corps and given enough time and trust, he would absolutely have the ability to forge an iron army capable of rivaling Hastings' Odin Storm Legion! But unfortunately..."

Ruier shook his head with a bitter smile. "His temperament was too extreme back then. Duke Minas protected him many times, but in the end, he had to be sidelined. He had reached the rank of flag-bearer in the 13th Corps, but he never became a general. Sigh..."

At this point, Ruier glanced at Xia Ya. "Among all the generals of the Eagle Faction, even when I stand before your General Adrick, I'm not entirely convinced. But this Green is the only man I truly respect and admire."

Xia Ya caught the hint of reverence in the Fat Man's eyes. Afterward, the two mounted their horses and slowly left the boulevard in front of the Military Ministry, escorted by their attendants.

On the road, the Fat Man seemed somewhat downcast. Xia Ya remained silent until, half an hour later, he suddenly looked up and asked, "Hey, Fat Man, back at the Military Ministry, you all saluted that statue... who exactly was that?"

The Fat Man froze, turned to look at Xia Ya, and looked genuinely surprised. "What? Kid, I thought you were a rookie, but I didn't realize you were ignorant to this extent! You don't know who he is? Heavens! Since you can read Byzantine script, you must have at least read the Imperial History!"

"...I haven't," Xia Ya replied honestly.

"Then..." Ruier frowned, then said, "Do you know the origin of the name of the city you are standing in, Osgiliath?"

Osgiliath... A thought flashed through Xia Ya's mind. "Wait... does this name come from the man in the statue? Is his name Osgiliath? Was he the founding emperor of the Byzantine Empire?"

Ruier offered a bitter smile. "He certainly wasn't the emperor. But even though he wasn't, the Empire's capital still had to be named after him! Even the founding emperor himself was willing to yield the honor of naming the capital to him... and at the time, that decision met with everyone's heartfelt approval! You can imagine how great that man was."

After a sigh, Ruier's face filled with reverence and nostalgia. "Osgiliath was the founding father of our Byzantine Empire, the first Marshal of the Empire! The supreme commander of the imperial army! You could say he was the one who conquered the entire territory of the Byzantine Empire with his own hands! Originally, Byzantium was just a small nation along the southern coast. It was only through thirty years of warfare led by Marshal Osgiliath that such a vast empire was carved out! He was a truly invincible commander, a great soldier! He is the 'God of War' whom every generation of Byzantine soldiers dares not forget! After the empire was established, Duke Osgiliath became the first Marshal and was titled Duke. He and his descendants guarded the empire for nearly four hundred years! During those four centuries, the House of Osgiliath became the empire's House of the War God. Almost every duke in each generation was a supreme commander of the imperial army and the most outstanding general of his time! During those four hundred years, the House of Osgiliath held supreme prestige within the imperial army. Yet, this family remained unfailingly loyal to the empire. Even when history saw an occasional incompetent emperor who harbored suspicions against them, the family never once betrayed the empire, guarding it faithfully for four hundred years!"

Xia Ya frowned. "Four hundred years... then you mean..."

"The House of Osgiliath no longer exists." Ruier’s expression turned sentimental and sorrowful. "This great family seemed cursed from the start. They were never blessed with many children; each generation of dukes was a single male heir. It was as if the heavens granted the family the greatest glory and the most outstanding military talent, but deprived them of the ability to flourish. During those four hundred years, whenever the empire faced a crisis, this House of the War God would step forward to defend it. But finally, at the end of the fourth century, the last Duke of Osgiliath passed away due to illness. He was only thirty-nine, and he left no son, only a single daughter. The Emperor originally decreed that once the Duke's daughter bore a male heir, the title could be inherited, but regretfully, she remained childless her entire life... That glorious family line was thus extinguished..."

As he spoke, Ruier suddenly smiled slightly. "There is a legend that the Osgiliath family were messengers sent by the gods, tasked with protecting the Byzantine Empire. After four hundred years, they completed their mission and were summoned by the heavens to leave this world, which is why no descendants remained among mortals..."

Xia Ya couldn't help but sigh upon hearing this.

The Fat Man suddenly changed the subject, laughing gently. "I am surprised you haven't heard of such a famous legend. Even in Wildfire Town, it's impossible that no one knew this story... Even across the continent, the name of Duke Osgiliath has been sung for a thousand years..."

He paused, then suddenly slapped his forehead. "Ah! That's it, I know why!" The Fat Man laughed. "Duke Osgiliath had a famous nickname. Legend has it that the first Duke, the founding Marshal, loved tulips the most... So, after the nation was established and he was named Duke, the family crest was set as a tulip blooming in flames. Ever since, every Duke of Osgiliath has been known across the continent as the 'Tulip Duke,' and their family as the 'House of Tulip'."

Xia Ya’s eyes lit up, and he couldn't help but feel excited, blurting out, "Ah! The Tulip Duke, the House of Tulip!! I haven't heard the name Duke Osgiliath, but I've often heard the wandering bards in Wildfire Town tell stories about the 'Tulip' family! In the legends, the Tulip Duke is invincible, and they say he is the guardian god of the empire!"

As Xia Ya spoke, an "so it was him" expression appeared on his face. Even though they were already far from the Military Ministry, he couldn't help but turn his horse around and gaze toward the ministry, his eyes filled with a sense of reverence.

***

The Fat Man had originally planned to see Xia Ya back to his residence to wait, but Xia Ya mentioned he had something else to do. The Fat Man was concerned: "You'd better stay at your residence now; the Emperor's summons could come at any time..."

Xia Ya’s face was solemn as he shook his head. "I... I really have something to do. I... I have to go see Kevin's family!" As he said this, a trace of sorrow appeared on his face.

He whispered something to the Fat Man. A look of understanding crossed the Fat Man's face. He stared at Xia Ya for a moment and said in a low voice, "I see. This matter indeed cannot be delayed! Very well, go and return quickly! Since your status is special now, I will have the guards accompany you."

(To be continued)