Bright afterglow

1Call to Action

 "Hello, His Highness Alexander." I walked forward with steady steps and stood three meters in front of him. I bowed in a standard posture in social occasions, smiled and showed eight teeth, and said respectfully. You're welcome, Baron McDiers. Alexander answered me gently. He was in his early fifties, with a hint of depth in his gray eyes, half-long gray hair combed back, a very neatly trimmed beard, exquisite and luxurious clothes... In general, he had a typical face of a person in power. I don't quite understand how a poet like me who is obsessed with money and luxury goods can have anything to do with a crazy and murderous general like you. I asked. I want to know how much you know about the situation our country is facing now, Baron McDiers? Alexander asked me, with a persuasive look on his face. It seems that his mind, which had long been corrupted by power, did not hear the irony in my words. A lot. I sneered, "A lot! For example, we were caught off guard by the Leighton Empire at the beginning of the war, Leighton captured 24 of our cities in just three months, Leighton's main force is now less than 500 miles away from our imperial capital, and our commanders on the battlefield are all a bunch of drunkards! I said this in one breath, my face flushed. But I think anyone with a sense of honor and shame will think that what I said is not excessive, or even too polite. It seems that you are not just a drunkard, Mcdis. Alexander still maintained his unchanged smile: "Indeed, the current war situation is indeed embarrassing. What's more troublesome is that the news just came from the front that General Wea on the southern front surrendered with his 100,000 troops. Alexander stopped here and looked at me, as if he wanted me to express my opinion on the matter, but I couldn't say anything except staring at him. The southern front, which General Wea is in charge of, is the only front that has the hope of sending news of victory. From today on, this front no longer exists! One hundred thousand people, our national strength is less than one million! So, Baron Mcdis, our situation is critical! Alexander patted my shoulder, and his tone began to become heavy, but he immediately changed the subject, and his tone became confident and resolute: "But fortunately, it is not the end of the big situation yet. Our Royal Guards have not been dispatched yet, and we still have a full 200,000 people! And each of them is very experienced and can fight ten people alone! This time I will lead the team myself, and lead all the outstanding commanders of our New World Empire to follow me. Believe me, young man, this time we will definitely hit those bastards of Leighton head-on! We will defend the glory and honor of the New World Empire for nearly a thousand years with our lives and blood! May God be with you! Marshal Alexander! After hearing this, I suddenly felt that this strong man who I despised thousands of times in my heart suddenly became tall. I was even excited that my country had such a wise and powerful general: "I wish you success with the 40 million people of the empire, sweep away thousands of troops, and drive those Leighton dogs out of our land completely! Waiting for your victory news, Marshal, I believe I will never wait too long! Of course, you won't wait too long, young marshal, because you will go to war with us! Alexander smiled and said, "Now I order you, Baron McDiers, to go to war with me in the name of the commander of the Royal Guard! To be honest, I felt my heart was about to jump out. Going to war with the army! This is something I dare not even think about, but I have realized it countless times in my dreams. Yes, from the age of ten to twenty-seven, this dream has never stopped, and at this moment, the dream has come true! Just think about it, galloping on the battlefield, wielding a sword, that feeling can only be described by...wait, let me think of a suitable adjective, incomparable! Yes, it can only be described by incomparable! What's wrong? Mike, don't you want to go? Alexander pulled me back to reality. I want to! Of course I want to. I almost got carried away, grabbed Alexander's arm and shouted, "Take me with you, you will find out what a good warrior I am! Maybe better than any warrior you have ever seen before! I fully believe in your fighting ability, poet. Alexander patted my shoulder: "But I need your poems and your patriotism more! Mike, you know, since the beginning of the war, there have been many people in every battle we have who are afraid to fight, avoid fighting, or even run away or surrender! Because they lack self-confidence, fighting spirit and passion, and you! Alexander pointed at me, his finger was firm and powerful, and his voice was like the leading actor of a big drama: "The representative of the new generation of poets-McDyess Garfield! These are the things your poems lack the most! So I need you to write poems for our army, our officers and our soldiers! Then read them to them, read to each of them, and convey your heroic spirit to the ears, minds and hearts of each of them! Lead them to charge, sacrifice their lives, and fight bravely! This is what you have to do, for the country, for the people, this is what you have to do! Mike, do you understand? ! To be honest, I don't quite understand. Yes, my poems are well-known throughout the imperial capital, and it has basically become the capital where I show off at major cocktail parties and dinners, but I don't think a poet who talks about love and ideals all day and is a bit negative and pessimistic can play such a big role in a war that concerns the survival of the entire country, although. . . Alexander's words really made me feel a little unsettled. So I suppressed the pride that was about to burst out in my heart, and said as tactfully as possible: "Marshal, I think maybe..." "Yes, just maybe, my poem is not as good as you said, nor as meaningful as you said. "It's meaningless at all! This voice came from the corner and pulled me down from the clouds. My poem is meaningless?! How dare she say that even the poem praised by the Duke is meaningless! I looked for this ungrateful woman angrily, although her voice was slightly suppressed because of her pretentious restraint... It was not uncomfortable at all.