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Text Epilogue Final Battle (4)

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    finiii

    *********

    10 minutes before the start of the Magic Network on August 9, 1666

    The United Parliament Building in Lunni, the capital of the United Provinces Republic

    *********

    Temporary Major Naimen Solayton stood at the end of the aisle, bearing the wind pressure brought by the cheers.

    All the congressmen in front of him turned their heads and stared at him, as if they wanted to nail him to the ground with their gazes.

    What attracted the attention of the congressmen was not this so-called "war hero" with an unassuming appearance, but the rhythmic cheers coming from behind him.

    The more than 10,000 free soldiers outside were shouting that harsh word rhythmically, and cold sweat broke out on Naimen's back.

    What they shouted was "Chapter of Excellence!" "Chapter of Excellence!"

    This kind of fanatical shouting is not unfamiliar to him, and it is familiar to every citizen of free countries.  Whenever members of the Republic or the United Parliament run for election, large and small campaign rallies will be held in various places, and this kind of shouting can be heard at every campaign rally.

    However, the fanatical voice composed entirely of active military personnel is not so easy to hear.

    Amid the deafening shouts, the congressman standing on the rostrum and speaking looked so weak.

    The person who is speaking is Speaker Pro Tempore Webster, who is the deputy leader of the Federalist Party, the largest party in Parliament.  Before retiring, the former lieutenant general served as the chief of logistics and the commander of the 2nd "Intre" division. He currently serves as the chairman of the Military and Armament Committee. He is one of the recognized strongmen in the parliament and temporarily leads the federal party after the speaker disappeared last night.  In the previous debate, he and the Federalists insisted that Lennie should be temporarily abandoned from a military perspective, which was unanimously opposed by all remaining opposition parties.

    "I admit that the major's merits are indeed conspicuous. However, it has never happened before in the history of the republics that two medals of excellence were awarded to the same person in one battle. I also do not think that such a rash award can serve as recognition.  The effect is only to reduce the quality of the medal."

    Webster paused repeatedly to smooth out his breathing and make his voice sound full of energy.  Even he has never dealt with such a tense situation.  Sweat continued to flow from the forehead of the interim speaker, like a rookie politician speaking to the public for the first time.  He didn't dare to turn on the amplification magic because he was afraid of the shouts outside.

    "Actually, you are just stingy! After the third medal was minted ten years ago, there is indeed only the last piece of the Medal of Excellence left, but this is not the reason for us to be stingy! We can re-cast it!"

    Senator Arnold, the leader of the largest opposition party, the Conservative Party, stood up directly and retorted sternly.  If Fox hadn't mentioned resistance before, he would really have thought that the Conservative Party was the righteous party.

    "I don't deny that the budget is also one of the issues we should consider"

    Having said this, Webster subconsciously glanced in the direction of Commander-in-Chief Fox with puzzled eyes, as if he was wondering why the old marshal, who had been silent all this time, would put forward such a proposal that obviously only cares about immediate interests.

    Webster and Fox were once colleagues in the military and had long competed for the highest position in the Free Army. In the end, the heroes of the Northern Front defeated the Intra people, but the two still cherished each other.  Webster did not believe that Fox would propose such a random proposal. He felt that "Kengler's Fox" must have a further purpose, but he could not see what it was yet.

    But during this pause, the shouting outside had become louder, and now the entire square was roaring.  Their roars interrupted all discussions in the parliament.

    Commander-in-Chief Fox, who made this request, had no intention of suppressing the troops outside.  He just sat in his seat, seemingly content with his position as a "soldier being questioned by parliament."

    Pushed by the shouts from behind, Naimen took a few steps forward, then stopped, not knowing where he should stand.

    He knows that from a rational perspective, what Congressman Webster said is right.  Not only is the Medal of Excellence very costly, it is also the highest level of military honor among free nations.  When this war doesn't know when it will end, proposing to create a new batch is tantamount to wishful thinking.  After all, the high-level enchanted medal is different from the copper plate of an ordinary medal. It cannot be made just by wanting to make it. The manufacturing cost and the mobilization of manufacturing personnel are a huge expense.  The Conservatives don't care about these expenses: the party in power is always rational, and the party in opposition is always chaotic.

    Finally, Congressman Webster surrendered.  He extended his hand to Commander-in-Chief Fox and gave up the podium: "However, I also respect the opinions of the military more. Commander-in-Chief, I leave this to you. The Federalist Party will not object to your opinions."

    Conte? Fox did not establishHe immediately stood up and leaned forward slightly, his eyes falling on the Conservative Party leader Senator Arnold who was sitting below.

    Arnold turned back and looked at the door behind him. Regardless of his usual reserved etiquette, he wiped the sweat on his forehead with his sleeves: "As long as Commander Fox, your Excellency, you can organize your army to fight as soon as possible and eliminate the imperial invaders, our conservative party will always stand  On your side!¡±

    The newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Free Army and Free Navy finally stood up, walked slowly to the speaker's seat, faced all the remaining members, and turned on the switch of the magic amplification device.  No one can use magic anymore, but luckily magic items are still working as usual.

    "Then, as a representative of the military, I suggest that you agree to this special award proposal. Extraordinary merit should be rewarded." Commander-in-Chief Fox said word by word, temporarily suppressing the noise outside,  "Then, please vote. The situation is urgent. I think it is better to vote by standing up. Don't you agree, Mr. Provisional Speaker?"

    Councilor Webster opened his mouth, but in the end he banged the gavel feebly: "A standing vote is also in line with the federal provincial constitution. I agree, then let's vote on the motion of His Excellency Commander-in-Chief Conti Fox."

    Members of the entire Conservative camp stood up in unison, and members of the Federalist camp stood up one by one with some hesitation. Many of them were still surprised by Marshal Fox's sudden perverse behavior.  Before today, former Marshal Fox had always been an ally of the rational Federalist Party. Even the position of Commander-in-Chief was approved with the unanimous support of the two major parties. I don¡¯t know why he suddenly proposed these proposals today that will obviously be opposed by senior MP Webster.  .

    The corners of Fox¡¯s mouth raised slightly, and he waved for Naimen to come to the speaker¡¯s seat.  The newly promoted major looked around, then slowly approached the speaker's seat at the end of the parliament with some hesitation.  The old marshal used this time to open the display cabinet, took out a medal of excellence displayed as the highest honor, and hung it on his chest without any explanation.

    Neimen was about to say a few words of refusal when Fox suddenly slapped him hard on the back with his strong arm and said loudly: "Let us fight for the first double medal of excellence in the history of the United Provinces.  And applaud!¡±

    The applause of the congressmen rang out sparsely, and the shouts of the soldiers outside became more uniform and enthusiastic.  Naimen held onto the hard wooden table of the speaker's seat with both hands, lowered his head a little embarrassed, staring at the coat of arms of the United Parliament, the coat of arms of the Four Republics and various magic circuits engraved on the table, not daring to raise his head to face  To everyone.

    Naimen noticed that the magic circuit on this table was quite complex, and seemed to be comparable to the Speaker's table.  In addition to the obvious amplification magic and defensive magic, there is also alarm magic and a circuit similar to the teleportation point inscription engraved on the table.  Thanks to seeing the actual object that conveyed the positioning inscription at Annie's secret teleportation point, he was able to identify the positioning inscription.  For some reason, the part representing the external alarm request was flashing on, but Conti Fox seemed not to notice.

    He raised his head and found that Congressman Webster, who had returned to his position as temporary speaker, was also staring at the external alarm magic prompt on his desk, with a slightly blank expression on his face.  Commander-in-Chief Conti Fox was still talking non-stop, and he had already made a second proposal.

    "In the past few hours, we have completed the preliminary loss statistics and reorganization plan of the Lunni Army. The remaining troops will be reorganized into the new Lunni Army of approximately 22,000 people. Our plan and budget are here  , please vote whether to allocate the budget"

    Every congressman cheered up, knowing that the real drama was about to begin.  Parliament had been debating the next course of action before. The ruling Federal Party advocated holding on and withdrawing from Rennie if possible, while the Conservative Party and its allies strongly advocated counterattack. It was only because the military had not expressed its stance.  No vote was held.  Now that the reorganization plan of the New Lunni Army has been completed, the "next step strategy" is an inevitable question.

    ¡°For some reason, the interim speaker was a little absent-minded and delayed in raising the questions he should have raised.  Congressman Arnold of the Conservative Party gave him a contemptuous look, stood up and asked: "So, when will we set off to attack the remnants of the empire, Commander-in-Chief?"

    Conti Fox coughed twice and was about to speak.  At this moment, temporary Lieutenant General McCash rushed in from outside.

    "Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief! A beacon signal came from the militia alarm station in the north. We have sounded the full alarm! There is a large number of imperial troops advancing towards Lunni. The staff presumes that they are the majority of the enemy's northern detachment, and their forwards are expected to  They will arrive outside Lunni within two hours, and the total number will exceed30,000 people!"

    ¡°More than one member of parliament exclaimed in surprise.

    "Thirty thousand people?! Where did they get 30,000 people?!"

    ¡°How can the Northern Line Detachment be so far away from London??Only this close!  "

    Fox just nodded, indicating to the Lieutenant General that he was aware of the situation, and continued: "In this emergency, the formation of the new Lenny Army will requisition all the citizens of Lenny and the resources in the remaining warehouses. I  We can submit a battle plan and budget to the members, but in this case, I believe everyone understands that it is too late. We must seize the time and act."

    Hearing this, Congressman Webster suddenly raised his head and stared at Conte Fox, his expression seemed to have changed a little.

    ¡°I want to invoke Article 3 of the Constitution and propose a motion.¡±

    "Article 3 of the Constitution!" Almost all the senior members' expressions changed, while the new members who had only been qualified for one or two terms were whispering to each other, wondering what this rarely quoted constitutional article was.

    "Article 3 of the Constitution." The interim speaker stood up slowly and recited the original text of that article. "When the federation, which is superior to the republics, encounters a crisis, you can elect a dictator who will govern the federation."  All political, military and economic affairs of the provincial republic and its subordinate republics and states, counties and states."

    "I am here to propose that I, Commander-in-Chief Conte Fox, be elected as the dictator of the republican federation of the provinces, in charge of all political, military and economic affairs. Please vote."

    Senator Arnold slammed his fists on the table: "I personally fully support you in beating back the imperial government! But before the final vote, should you submit the government motion"

    ¡°No,¡± Conte Fox repeated, ¡°I request that you now proceed to a standing vote.¡±

    He ignored Arnold and focused his attention on the interim speaker.

    Congressman Webster hesitated.  He didn't swing the gavel for a long time.

    The roars of the soldiers outside the parliament have turned into "Long live the dictator!" and "Fight the emperor back!".  Naimen seemed to understand something.  It is difficult for soldiers who have been incited to calm down again.

    But Webster was still hesitating, the gavel in his hand shaking.

    Probably disdainful of his hesitation, on the Conservative side, young congressmen stood up and shouted, "Fight back the empire!" Senior Conservative congressmen also stood up one by one with ulterior motives.  Only the Federalist camp remained silent.

    Finally, even Senator Arnold couldn't bear it anymore and stood up: "Speaker, do you want to reject it or pass it"

    Several more people stood up after him.  At this moment, Congressman Webster stood up and knocked his gavel hard.

    "I trust your judgment, Lieutenant General Fox. Even if it is just to reorganize the New Leni Army, you still need this authority. This is the last time for those of us to vote. There is no need to engage in formalism. We will use the simplest method to solve it.  ¡ª¡ª"

    His voice was deafening, overwhelming Fox's amplification magic and the roar of the soldiers outside.

    ¡°¡ª¡ªFederalists who agree with this proposal, please stand up!¡±

    All the Federalists stood up in unison. The Conservatives, who felt something was wrong, wanted to sit down, but found that they had missed the opportunity.

    Councilor Webster continued to make a conclusion loudly: "According to the standing vote, more than half of the votes of the Provisional Parliament have been approved, and the dictatorship motion has been passed! Then, the third dictator in the history of the United Provinces Republic, His Excellency Conte Fox, has officially taken office!"

    After saying this, Webster let out a loud "hum" and threw the gavel in his hand towards Fox.

    Fox caught the gavel and smashed it skillfully on the floor.  This heavy hammer hit the amplification magic array, making a loud sound like a bell.

    The soldiers no longer roared, and they also heard the sound that shook the world.  The entire parliament fell silent, so silent that you could hear a pin drop.

    Naimen was shocked and took half a step back. He covered his ears with his hands and was so stunned by this series of performances.

    All the actors had absolutely no prior collusion, but they actually completed such a complex political drama!  And all of this actually started with his proposal for the Chapter of Excellence

    Marshal Fox turned the amplification effect to the maximum, and then began to issue orders.

    "Then, I now issue Conti Fox's first order as dictator. I order that the Sixty-first United Assembly of the United Provinces Republics be immediately dissolved, and that no new republic shall be re-established until all republics have recovered and reestablished free governments.  Sixty-second United Parliament.¡±

    "What?! You want to disband"

    Naimen clearly saw that Congressman Arnold's face turned pale and a littleConservative MP.  But no one heard what he was saying.

    "And the second order, starting now, all the Free Army and armed citizens of the republics in Lunni will be integrated into the new Lunni Army and accept reorganization on the spot."

    The old man paused for a moment, then gave the third order.

    "The third order, from now on, the new Lunni Army is responsible for covering all unarmed citizens, civilians and former MPs crossing the Metebish River. We are ready to leave Lunni at any time. Before leaving Lunni, burn everything that cannot be taken away  supplies. The public order ends here, and all units are ready to accept the command of the new Lunni Army Headquarters, end."

    Conservative MP Arnold suddenly shouted: "Traitor!"

    He jumped on the table, ran towards Fox, and grabbed the hand that was about to knock down the gavel.  Naimen was shocked and turned pale. He hurriedly stepped forward and stood between the two of them, pressing his left hand on the new medal of excellence he had just received.  Fortunately, Senator Arnold was not crazy enough to commit murder. He just wanted to speak to the loudspeaker array.

    "You dissolved Parliament and gave up on Lennie!" the Conservative leader shouted at the top of his lungs. "You are not just a dictator, you are a dictator! You want to end our alliance! You want to end freedom! Don't listen to him  command¡­¡­"

    Lieutenant General McCash and two guards quickly crossed the parliament hall and pulled Arnold away together with the former interim speaker Webster who had already stepped forward.

    Naimen shook his head slightly - without behavior, the leader of the Conservative Party seems to be a person who is extremely loyal to freedom.  But it was this extreme behavior that made him believe in Lord Fox's judgment even more.  It must not only be a love for freedom, but also a hatred for damage to one's own interests and opportunities.

    To his surprise, Dictator Fox did not turn off the magic amplification circle immediately.  He coughed twice and began to answer Arnold's questions.

    "Yes, Senator Arnold's question is not wrong. We want to give up Lenny. This is the first time since the founding of our free countries that we have given up Lenny."

    There was sadness in Fox's voice.

    "As the commander and temporary commander-in-chief of the reorganized Lenny Army, I have to regret to tell you that Lenny is no longer able to defend itself. The Federation of Republics has to do this before everything is irreversible and everything we hold dear is reduced to  Before the Ashes, withdraw from Lenny. Moreover, we don¡¯t know if we can come back. We have lost more than half of Jurok and half of Phates, and we are about to lose Lenny, and we may lose more. Because I will  I will lead the army to defend the people who left. The emperor still has 30,000 people, I don¡¯t know what chance I have of winning."

    This is the common judgment of almost all professional officers, but none of them said it out loud.  Even Lieutenant General McCash was surprised when he heard this: he felt that this was not something that could be made public.

    "As the third dictator in the history of the United Provinces, I am here to re-explain the first order I issued before. Please remember this order and convey it to the republics throughout the civilized world.  Every citizen.¡±

    Conti Fox took a deep breath.  This sentence is not so easy to say.

    "Yes, that's what this order means: from now on, the United Provincial Republic will be dissolved. It will not be reestablished until we regain victory. Our military government is only a temporary government, and I don't know how long it will be temporary.  ."

    The soldiers in the square whispered to each other in panic.  Only now did they understand the gravity of the situation.

    ¡°This is the first time in history that we have dissolved Parliament without electing a second Parliament. Even under the previous two dictatorships, Parliament was not dissolved. Technically speaking, the history of the United Provinces Republic has ended.  This is over for the time being. From now on, there will be no United Provinces, no federal republics, only free and independent union republics. Above them, except for the Free Army-Free Navy formed purely for military purposes and those who support it  Apart from the military government, there is no higher political entity. If even I lose, we may not even have a dictator."

    Fox¡¯s tone suddenly increased: ¡°But this is not the end, everyone!¡±

    "We once firmly believed that all people should have security and freedom. We once firmly believed that we are the protectors and pioneers of the well-being of all mankind."

    He switched from "past" to "future".

    "But we believe even more that even if we cannot recapture Lenny, even if our government and military are reduced to ashes, and even if the flags of free countries no longer fly, human beings will still fight bravely for the freedom of themselves and others!"

    Naimen was surprised to find that an old man's voice had so much power.

    "Even if we give up on Lenny, the freedom ofHistory will not end here!  Even though the United Parliament no longer exists, the free people still exist!  "

    The voice of the new dictator penetrated everyone's eardrums. Even the imperialists at war in the Southern District listened quietly to Fox's speech.

    "All citizens of the lands not yet conquered by the Empire and their chosen governments have the right to decide for themselves whether to follow the free spirit of the United Provinces. All citizens of the United Provinces that have been conquered by the Empire are also free to choose whether to follow the new  Allegiance to the ruler! I firmly believe that a government of the people, by the people, and for the people will never perish! People who inherit this spirit will build more free countries and let the flag of freedom fly! The outcome of the Free Army's war is uncertain, but  Freedom never fails!"

    ????????????????????????????????? For some reason, people did not feel desperate when they heard the new dictator confessing his previous failures and unfavorable war conditions.

    "Even if the Federal Provincial Assembly has been dissolved, it does not mean that freedom has disappeared together with the Federal Provincial Assembly. South of Rennie, there is free Intre, free Italy and America, free New World states, and free Far East.  Continents and islands! There are so many lands that are still free, calling to people who long for freedom!"

    Even after hearing about the unfavorable future, they did not despair.

    "Our ancestors, the Komans, once drove away the Elf Empire and regained their freedom. It only took them two generations of Elfs to do this."

    Everyone knows that the time between two generations of elves is about five hundred years.  A whole twenty generations.

    "Our patience should not be lost to our ancestors. After all, our opponents are only humans, not elves. Former Congressman Arnold, this is my answer to your question - I have not ended freedom."

    The gavel hit again, and the amplification magic circle trembled, but this time Naimen did not cover his ears.

    "All those who are or have been citizens of the Republic! All those who do not want to be subjects of the Emperor!"

    The defeated soldiers who were scattered in the square all stood up, stood at attention in unison, and saluted with military salutes.

    "All those who are unwilling to submit to the knees of those nobles! All those who refuse to be slaves!"

    Near the port in the South Third District, soldiers from both armies stopped shooting and listened to this impassioned speech.

    "Let's go to the land where freedom and dignity still remain, and let's fight! We have indeed temporarily lost the coalition government, but our cause is not lost! I believe that we will build a new parliament that will be better than all previous parliaments.  Parliament ¨C ??even a whole new country! A better, freer country!¡±

    Fox¡¯s voice echoed throughout the city, determined to make his speech heard by all to ensure that Gustave Hugh Coleman had no chance of installing a puppet regime.  Even if he supports a puppet regime, he will not win anyone's hearts.

    "It doesn't matter if it takes one month, three months, six months, one year, two years, five years, ten years, twenty years, or fifty years.  Okay, be it a hundred years or a thousand years! We have to rebuild a brand new country! I will let future generations know that there was once a group of people who fought hard to be able to decide their own destiny! We are all here  We have sworn under this flag - in the name of freedom, we will always unite!"

    Everyone stood up, without exception.

    I don¡¯t know who it was, but I gently hummed the first verse of that familiar song.

    "Forever united in the name of freedom, the great alliance will forever stand"

    Hearing this familiar prelude, the remaining congressmen, soldiers and civilians all subconsciously started humming along.  In this city, almost everyone can sing this song.

    "The United Provinces Republic will definitely transcend the times, and all citizens will be proud of it!"

    They once laughed at the song for its rigid lyrics and outdated melody, and dismissed it, but now they are all humming the song.

    "Long live our free motherland! It was built with the hands of the people!"

    "May the gods bless them with unity and freedom! May the four-color cross flag fly for a long time!"

    They have held many meetings to change the lyrics and music of this song that are no longer suitable for the times, and to fill it with content that is more in line with the new era, but now they are all humming the most original lyrics of the song.

    ¡°We will fight with all our strength to destroy the invading enemies and bring back the crown of victory to the motherland!¡±

    "Our honor will remain in history, shining with glory and passed down to future generations!"

    The sound is getting louder and louder.  Even illiterate people who did not know the lyrics were humming along with the national anthem of the Republic.

    "Long live! Our free motherland! It was built with the hands of the people!""May the gods bless them with unity and freedom! May the four-color cross flag fly for a long time!"

    Even though the parliament has been dissolved and the military government has no corresponding parliament, the spirit of freedom still exists in their hearts.

    "May the four-color cross flag fly for a long time! May it fly for a long time! May it fly for a long time!"

    That song lingers for a long time.

    Naimen held on to the tabletop of the speaker's seat, lowered his head, and held the edge of the tabletop with his fingers, suppressing his excitement.

    In order to prevent tears from falling, he stared hard at the magic circuits, blinking constantly, and interpreting the effects above.  His body trembled as he read and interpreted.

    "This is politics. I told you, all the problems and all the obstacles you're worried about will be solved, Major."

    The newly appointed dictator reached out and swiped his hand on the table to turn off the effect of the amplification magic circle, and spoke to him in a low voice.

    "It is obviously impossible for a captain who is less than twenty years old to control the huge resources of a free country. If you are in the empire, you can become a royal family or a noble, and then get an enviable status; but in the republics, this is impossible  . But if the federal provincial assembly and the government itself no longer exist, things will be different.¡±

    The new dictator patted Neimen on the shoulder hard again, his approval was beyond words.

    "Go, Major. I have cut off the chains of the Old Republic for you. Now, you have plenty of time and opportunity. You can form your team now, and I will give you a dedicated  The power to form troops"

    "The Imperial Army is indeed invading and will arrive in two hours, right? The retreat will begin soon, Your Excellency? You will definitely command the rear-end troops personally, right, Your Excellency?"

    Naimen abruptly interrupted Conti Fox and asked two questions.

    The old marshal was stunned: "Yes. Even I am not very sure about this battle, so I want you to direct the retreat of the main force, establish a temporary camp on the other side of the Metebishi River and prevent the enemy from crossing the river  "

    "If possible, please retreat first, and I will sign up to join the final break-off unit."

    Naimen made a categorical request, "Because I still have things to do, and it's impossible to enter the evacuation unit now. Before that, I want to take a leave."

    He hurriedly saluted a military salute and ran out of the parliament building, leaving only one sentence to the great dictator.

    "I will definitely come back in time!"

    There are still ten minutes left before the magic network activation time that Annie told him.  He counted the time, concentrated all his energy, and read the flow of the nearby magic network and the magic contained in it.

    "Sir, lend me a horse! Acceleration! Animal empathy - hurry up! Faster! We must arrive before the magic network is activated!"

    He grabbed a horse at the door, bypassed the crowd, and galloped eastward along the path.
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