Andesa looked at the monarch she was loyal to with a hint of astonishment.
At first, she didn't hear anything wrong with Emperor Rosetta's words - because almost any Typhon noble who has a grasp of the situation and understands the changes in the empire over the years can see that Typhon and It was inevitable that Ansu and Ansu would eventually go to war, but soon she realized that there was more to Rosetta's words than that.
Gawain Cecil will eventually become Typhon’s enemy.
Rosetta Augustus has always regarded Ansu as prey, but now, there is a hunter among the prey, an equally hungry hunter.
"Your Majesty, if that's the case, why do you still want to cooperate with him?"
"There are many forms of war, and 'cooperation' is one of them," Rosetta said calmly , "In this cooperation, the benefits that the empire can gain are too great. The Cecil people have what we urgently need, but at the same time, we also have what they urgently need... We are plotting against them, and they are plotting against us. ”
Andesa lowered her head slightly, thinking about the profound meaning contained in the emperor’s words.
"The 'Magic Industry' created by the Cecil people is changing the rules of society's operation. I can't see clearly what it will look like in the end, but I can feel that the existing order , the order based on land and farming will soon be broken by factories and machines. In this field, the Cecil people are already ahead of us, but they have their advantages and we also have ours," Rosetta He continued, "Send this car back to China, send it to the Imperial Manufacturing Association, dismantle it into parts, and figure out how it works no matter how much it costs. We may not be able to build something better than it for the time being, but At least one must be built that can run as well as it
"In addition, inform Duke Ferdinand to summon palace advisers to make statistics on the production and demand of iron ore, magic materials, food, and cotton in the country, and plan out the initial stage. transportation lines.
"Organize scholars in machinery and magic technology, and let them work and live together with road construction workers from now on, preparing to become 'workers'. There is a high probability that the Cecil people will not allow it. Our mages and scholars are involved in the technical aspects of building the 'railway', but it is impossible for them not to recruit workers.
"Draft an order for me to let Duke Severn start the preparation work of the 'bank'. ...
"Order the Parliament to evaluate the risks of all matters..."
Risk... This word flashed through Andesa's mind, and at the same time, she combined every item of Rosetta's Remember the orders firmly.
The huge sun is hidden behind the chaotic and dirty clouds. The light leaking from the clouds gradually approaches the western horizon. The skylight quickly dims. The street lights in the camp light up one by one, and the bright magic crystals The stone lantern emits constant light, making this small camp like a beacon in the chaos. The light is bright and complements the hazy and magnificent wall.
Rosetta Augustus returned to his palace. He sat quietly on a high-backed chair with his eyes open.Many reports and information related to factories, roads, and cotton production.
As the night grew darker, the emperor glanced at the skylight outside the window, then leaned back slightly on the back of his chair, closed his eyes, and took a short rest.
The boundless darkness, the extremely peaceful darkness, seemed to envelope his senses and spirit in an instant.
Rosetta Augustus opened his eyes and saw that he was in a magnificent palace.
This palace is extremely gorgeous, with towering columns and spectacular domes. All the walls and roofs are decorated with exquisite paintings and colorful patterns. The narrow pointed windows with strong Typhon style are inlaid on the walls on both sides. , the crystal glass of the window also has complicated and exquisite patterns.
A spacious hall appeared in front of Rosetta. This hall seemed to be able to accommodate a thousand people for a dance - but in fact, the entire palace was empty.
An unspeakable deathly silence enveloped this gorgeous and empty building. There were no attendants, no guards, not a single human figure, and only the faint, dusk-like light shone from the tall narrow windows. Entering, casting shadow after shadow of light and dark in the palace hall.
Rosetta quietly looked at the deserted palace in the dream with an indifferent expression. After a brief moment of silence, he stepped forward.
The moment he took steps forward, countless low, vague, and unknown whispers and murmurs suddenly came from all directions.
The ubiquitous sound was mixed with overlapping conversations and laughter, as well as suppressed crying and screams, as if the empty palace was suddenly filled with people. Without people, those invisible visitors or residents were coming and going in the empty corridors and halls, talking, laughing, cursing and crying around Rosetta Augustus - but Rosetta, surrounded by these sounds, was just Walking forward quietly, as if ignoring all noise interference.
Finally, a clear whisper appeared among the chaotic whispers and murmurs, and it reached Emperor Typhon’s ears in a hoarse and low voice: "...ah...you are here again...like this Not knowing how to give in..."
Rosetta continued to walk forward. As he moved forward, the wide hall silently shattered, and a long, deep corridor leading to an unknown direction appeared in front of him. There are also narrow windows on both sides of this corridor. The dusk skylight shines through the narrow windows on the opposite wall. Between the interplay of light and shadow, one can see portraits hanging silently on the wall.
Rosetta saw her brother, her father, her uncle...
Everyone who has inherited the blood of the Augustus family has already People who have left this world hang here quietly, looking at themselves with cold eyes through the cold oil painting.
The one closest to him was his eldest son who died young.
The young man frozen in the frame looked at Rosetta and suddenly said: "Father...won't you stop and rest?"
p>Rosetta did not stop and continued walking forward.
The low whisper sounded again: "On both sides of this road, there is death, and at the end of this road, there is also death..."
Rosetta gradually walked towards the corridor. Deep in the depths, the surrounding light has become darker and darker, and the portraits on both sides have begun to become older, more faded, and more cold and alienated. Those Augustus from older times are looking at them as if full of malice. Emperor Typhon was walking in the corridor, and the low whisper was still ringing:
"...It's better to stop and take a rest. There is no need for you to challenge this impossible task. ...
"How painful the truth is...It is better to leave it behind. Sometimes, living in ignorance is the blessing of mortals...
"Before you Those Augustus, they were just as stubborn as you, but what was the outcome for them, none of them succeeded, they were crazy, they were all crazy... You shouldn't have seen it, but now that you have, so It's better to accept this curse calmly..."
At the end of the corridor, all those maddening whispers and whispers suddenly disappeared without a trace. Rosetta quietly raised her head and looked at the hanging at the end of the corridor. Those portraits.
That was the beginning of the surname "Augustus" as the ruler of Typhon, the beginning of this ancient family - the Augustus earlier than that have disappeared over time. In the collapse of the ancient Gondor Empire, even if the name was passed down, it could not leave an image in this "palace".
In the dim light, Rosetta saw several portraits: Roland Augustus, Bertolmond Augustus, Thalia Augustus...
p>At the end of these side-by-side portraits, he saw the position of Bertila Augustus. However, in the center of the dark frame, it seemed to be shrouded in a condensed shadow, completely covering it up. The face of the saint who was active seven hundred years ago appeared.
Rosetta looked at the portrait calmly for a while, then withdrew her gaze and broke the silence for the first time: "Bertila? Augustus is really still alive?"
p>In the depths of the deserted palace, no voice responded to his question.
Rosetta seemed to have expected this result. He just showed a sarcastic smile and turned around to walk in the direction he came from.
The whisper sounded again: "Why aren't you crazy yet?"
Rosetta's steps paused slightly and her voice was low: "We have something beyond you." The resilience of imagination."
The palace began to shake violently, as if the dream was about to end.
Rosetta raised her head and watched as the deep and long corridor continued to fall apart and pieces of masonry fell. In the unknown depth of darkness behind him, the low whisper turned into a distant sound. Sigh: "Alas..."
That sigh seemed to contain endless regret and helplessness, which was different from the crazy and helpless things before.Murmurs of malice make a big difference.
After this sigh, the last supporting structure of the entire palace completely collapsed and turned into nothingness.
After the wall completely collapsed, the scene outside the palace was also reflected in Rosetta's eyes. He saw a city, a city that was rapidly collapsing as the sky collapsed and the earth collapsed, with countless towering towers and majestic buildings. The city wall disintegrated in the violent shaking, and the earth opened up with terrifying huge cracks. The entire city was swallowed up by the earth almost in an instant. And among the things that kept collapsing, in the depths of the earth, the last thing he saw was The scene is a transparent dome, with indescribable starlight polymers floating in the dome...
...
The giant sun rises in the east and sets in the west, day and night alternate, and the stars circulate.
The ancient constellations are as solemn and indifferent as the gods watching the world, watching the passage of time, and watching the busyness of mortals.
The Frost constellation has crossed the highest point of the sky, and winter begins to release its final power in the last month of the season. The cold wind howls and the earth freezes.
With the support of construction machinery and various other advanced technologies, the "auxiliary tower" responsible for the Cecil Peak Base completed the main building one month ahead of schedule. A series of buildings extending from the auxiliary tower to the north The spreading "purification device" has also completed the capping of the main body. After that, the installation and debugging of a series of later magic devices will become the main work of the magic technicians.
The technical exchanges between the Silver Empire and the Principality of Cecil are finally on the right track. After the initial run-in and small project testing, the elf magister in the southern part of the continent and the human magic energy research in the northern part of the continent have The two races established a preliminary tacit understanding. The Cecil Principality and the Silver Empire respectively set up more signal relay towers and enhancement devices in the areas they controlled. In a more stable and efficient communication environment, the two races Researchers across the entire continent began a series of technology exchange and cooperation projects in long-distance communications.
In the year 738 of Anzu, on the 35th of the Cold Moon, Gawain received the magic network communication from Hetty.
“The special envoy sent by Typhon has arrived in Cecil City,” the elegant and calm Grand Consul of the Principality, who pulled up his long hair, reported the situation seriously on the holographic projection, “According to your order, the Arrange for them to visit the operation of the Magic Train Eastern Line the next day."
"They finally arrived... But it is understandable, after all, it is such an important project, Rosetta Augustus and. His think tanks don’t know how many times they evaluated before making the final decision.” Gao Wen sat behind his desk, and what came from the window was the unique sound of the whistle of heavy-duty transport vehicles: a batch of rocks collected in the wasteland. , soil and monster specimens have just been loaded into the truck and are about to be sent to the research department in Cecil City. "How is the situation in the Principality?"
"Everything is stable. The last batch of exiled knights in the northern region have surrendered. All borders The magic monitoring and sensing devices in regions and key urban areas have been completed and started. According to the plan, the nextNext, we will roll out sensing devices to villages and towns. "
Gawain breathed a sigh of relief.
At this point, the current social security guarantee of Cecil Principality has finally been completed.
The so-called "magic monitoring and "Induction device" is a special facility developed by Kamel and set up by the Government Affairs Department. Its ideas come from the ancient Gondor Empire, and its technology is a combination of contemporary "magic detection spells" and magic network communication technology. Its biggest function is to sense all spell-casting behaviors within the range and send an alarm as soon as possible. The "supervisors" of the Public Security Department of the Government Affairs Department can see the location of the node that issued the alarm from the city sand table, so as to quickly Locking out unauthorized spell activities
Of course, this system is not designed to prohibit extraordinary people from casting spells - as long as they carry a special "Spellcaster License" and rely on the rune array in the license. , extraordinary people can cast spells normally. This license must be obtained from the Government Affairs Department, and must also undergo regular inspections, rune updates and qualification assessments. In this way, extraordinary people in Cecil must be registered - - Of course, this system encountered some resistance at the beginning, but due to the great results of the Unification War, almost 90% of the extraordinary beings in the entire southern territory are already under the control of the principality. There are not many extraordinary beings who have not accepted the jurisdiction. In the end, it is still It has been implemented smoothly.
This system has been implemented since the middle of last year, and now it has finally reached a large scale.
It sounds like it can effectively manage all extraordinary people. It's very advanced, but actually this idea is not advanced at all.
Not to mention the Gondor Empire a thousand years ago, Typhon, which is only one country away, has already achieved the registration and registration of extraordinary people many years ago. Professional management, as evidenced by their special team of "engineering mages"
The Typhons use a large number of mage towers and a large number of royal mages loyal to the empire to register and register extraordinary people in most urban areas. Induction, and set up a large number of training facilities to create "professional spellcasters" who are more loyal and more obedient to the empire's orders. This method is very costly, but relying on the powerful "money ability", Typhon finally achieved all this. < /p>
Ansu is already a step behind in this regard, so Gawain has to use more advanced technology and more advanced systems to make up for the disadvantage of being a latecomer. At least within the principality, he must be more effective against extraordinary people.
Of course, there must be loopholes in those facilities and systems, and there will always be people who exploit loopholes who will find ways to hide mana fluctuations. High-level or legendary transcendents may also rely on their own strength. The strength blocks the monitoring of magic induction devices, cracking and anti-cracking, monitoring and anti-monitoring. The confrontation in this area will never end, but no matter what, as long as the new management method can have any effect, the Southern Territory will be safer One point - at the very least, those cultists who try to infiltrate and secretly perform evil rituals anytime and anywhere will not be able to sneak in so easily
From now on, cultists operating in the south will not be able to sneak in easily.——Whether they are the eternal sleepers or the mortals of all things, they will face the situation of being handcuffed to the radiator by law enforcement officers even if they chant a spell.
......
After hanging up the communication, Hetty stretched her back hard and moved her slightly sore neck.
The cold wind is howling outside the window, and the snow from the previous two days is still pressing on the roofs of several buildings. Crystal clear ice hangings hang from the window sill, showing the cold outside.
A slight flow of warm air flows along the ventilation ducts and blows out from the air circulation openings on both sides of the office, maintaining a comfortable temperature in the office. Even in this cold weather, the temperature in the room is still comfortable. Blessed enough to make one sleepy.
In fact, Rebecca was already lying on the sofa next to her and fell asleep.
Hetty glanced helplessly at her sleeping niece and couldn't help but shake her head.
"...He just came here to chat with his ancestors...he fell asleep before the communication was connected..."
She muttered a few words, but nothing happened. I didn't really want to blame anything for waking up Rebecca.
She knew that Rebecca had been really tired recently - in order to exchange technology with the Silver Empire and organize and prepare for the series of new projects, this simple-minded girl had not had a good rest for half a month. .
This kid needs a good night's sleep.
Hetty found a blanket from the side and covered Rebecca gently. This reminded her of the latter's childhood - this restless girl had always been a Even if a kicking expert has two maids to watch, he often can't keep up with the speed of Rebecca kicking the quilt...
As if she felt something, Rebecca, who was lying on the sofa, arched slightly. She turned around and murmured vaguely: "... Ancestor... I will understand... the elves' runes..." After muttering something, she suddenly giggled in her sleep, as if she was It's like being praised in a dream.
Hetty couldn't help but smile as she watched Rebecca's movements. Then she stood up and glanced at the calendar hanging on the wall not far away.
Cold month, 35th.
In 25 days, winter will be over.