On the continent of Tallond, in the dragon city of Argondor, in the magnificent palace where the jury is located, the blue dragon Melita Pernia and the white dragon Noretta walked through the extremely spacious palace corridor. , walked towards the room where the supreme speaker of the jury was.
The magnificent ancient palace has stood on this land for thousands of years. Inside the palace is a familiar scene that Melita has seen since childhood. She saw the solemn golden columns supporting those complicated arches. Beams and arch beams are interlaced to form a structure like the skeleton of some giant object. A dome made of gray crystal stone covers the arch beams. Each roof is carved with complicated patterns, depicting memorable moments in the history of the Dragon Clan. On both sides of the corridor, crystal-like translucent synthetic materials hang down along the columns, and little bits of light float on the crystal films, waiting for visitors to interact with them at any time.
Probably due to the influence of the sacred ceremony, there were very few visitors in the Jury Palace. Apart from Melita and the other two, there were only three or five staff members walking around in the huge corridor. There are still many people, and these "iron servants" with light golden or light blue shells are spinning, silently passing through the doors and columns along the energy lines on the floor, maintaining the complex interior of the palace. Ancient technical facilities, or executing other orders from "Omega", are busy as if they are never idle.
It is complex, exquisite, so majestic that it makes your heart palpitate, and it is so advanced that it is incredible.
However, under this exquisite shell is a technical quagmire that has sunk.
Melita raised her head and looked at the complicated patterns on the dome and the energy pipelines hidden between the patterns. She couldn't help but whisper: "The biggest upgrade is just to change the pattern."
Technology reaches its limit, and a wall blocks all researchers. All the knowledge and tools at hand cannot shake this wall. So society comes to a standstill, civilization reaches a bottleneck, and no new theories are developed. After development, no new principles have been discovered. All scientific and technological progress is based on tinkering with existing technological products. In the end, even tinkering is difficult to achieve - they have reached the level of technology and operating principles. After reaching the limit of the level of civilization and reaching the "perfect" state of the current technical level, changing even one screw would be retrogression and destruction. So the only thing left that can continue to develop is art and aesthetics. What can the dragons do? All that is left to do is to use patterns, reliefs, decorations and complex and exquisite shapes to reflect the renewal of products.
In the end, the dragons who once preferred a rough and pragmatic style built these gorgeous palaces in their kingdom until today.
White Dragon Noretta shook her head, with a faint and helpless smile on her face: "The era of sinking, isn't it?"
"The world outside is changing very quickly. , that feeling of vitality fascinates the dragon," Melita said softly, "Almost every day, people are rejoicing for new things, and every day, people have to face new changes, whether they are good or bad, changes It’s always their theme.”
"Before coming into contact with the fence, the sheep always thought that the yard was vast and boundless. Haven't you seen enough of those so-called new things and changes in the past seasons of civilization?"
Melita raised her eyebrows and glanced at her friend: "Noretta, I am a young dragon, and my curiosity has not been satisfied yet."
White Dragon Noretta chuckled: "Probably - I hope that the things that interest you so much can also interest the Supreme Chancellor. He is an old dragon, and his curiosity has long since ceased."
The corridor has reached the end. The gorgeous alloy door senses the approach of the visitor. The access control system immediately reads the identity data of the two humanoid dragons. Along with a pleasant sound, a series of beautiful lights flow over the door, leading to The entrance to the Speaker's room opened.
In a wide circular hall, a pale golden platform is placed in the center of the room. A large number of crystal clear "crystal curtains" hang down from around the platform, and a large amount of data is constantly refreshed on its surface. and patterns, and on the platform, a golden dragon as huge as a human house is lying quietly on a "throne" made of countless cable ducts and fabrics.
Even by dragon standards, he is already quite old. His once beautiful scales have lost their luster, covering his huge body like inferior copper sheets. There are a large number of joints arranged near his spine. It is connected to the metal cladding and the cables hanging from the ceiling. Traces of mechanical and biochemical transformation are all over the surface of this old body. Under the skin is a bionic skin with flashing lights, and the claws are connected to cold and hard alloy. skeleton.
Melita walked towards the semi-mechanized dragon elder and bent down in front of the platform: "Salute to you, Speaker Andal."
The old golden dragon He lowered his head, and a mechanical prosthetic eye embedded in the skull stretched and adjusted its focus, but the other slightly muddy biological eyeball still shone with wisdom and warmth, and a gentle voice came from the surrounding speakers. Come: "Ah, Melita... the best agent of Mithril Treasure House, good boy, do you want to cancel the bonus penalty on you?"
Melita's eyes suddenly lit up: " Can it be done? ”
“No.”
“…” After a brief and awkward silence, Melita returned to her normal state. She took out the things that allowed her to return to Tallond early this time: "Your Excellency, Speaker, I have received a special entrustment. I hope you can see it in person. In addition, I also have some reports on the recent changes in the Loren continent."
"Commission? There are very few commissions that can be presented directly to me... from the Elf King's Court, or from some elemental lord?"
"Gawain Cecil ."
"...Hmm," Speaker Andal was silent for a moment, then chuckled, and a stack of manuscripts in Melita's hand floated into the air, and a copy appeared in front of the speaker's eyes. The story unfolded, "...I hope this time it won't be anything."How to save it permanently...oh? The content seems interesting. ”
The Speaker completed the scanning and synthesis of all manuscript contents almost instantly. Several connection terminals near his spine flickered with light, and an auxiliary thinking unit near his skull also woke up. Apparently I have been interested in the content of the manuscript - albeit only slightly.
"Including the understanding of productivity and production relations, as well as the deduction of social change... It is not very profound, but it is." You say this is something that Gawain Cecil summed up in the current era? "
Melita lowered her head: "It should also include his experience in the Gondor Empire. "
"Ha...the productivity structure of the Gondor Empire is deformed, and their social system cannot produce experience in this area," Speaker Andal chuckled, with a slight twinkle in his mechanical eyes. Hong Guang said, "I'm a little bit interested, what does Gawain Cecil want the treasure house to do with this manuscript?" "
"This is exactly what I want to report..." Melita raised her head and said with a smile.
Her report was very detailed, not only including Gawain? The content of Cecil's commission also included her own observations and evaluations of the "pioneering hero". Finally, she also mentioned the current development of Cecil's empire and the continuation of the ancient rebellious plan in the current era. .
“…To sum up, I think Gawain Cecil and the order he created may become a valuable variable, and we should pay more attention to it and take further steps when necessary. Increase exposure levels. "
Speaker Andal was silent for a few seconds. His auxiliary thinking unit ran at high speed and exchanged a series of data with "Omega" that outsiders could not know before finally speaking. : "The current contact level is high enough, and there is no need to improve it for the time being, but the 'variables' you mentioned... do have some value. "
"Then..."
"But he is not necessarily the only variable, child," Speaker Andal's voice continued, "There are other agents. According to the report, the human Typhon Empire is also undergoing huge changes, with technological and cultural breakthroughs taking place. The elves' Silver Empire is also gradually 'thawing' and trying to develop again, although they have also fallen into a similar situation to us. Technical quagmire, but they are not 'locked' after all, and there is a possibility of breaking the blockade. In addition, the Violet Kingdom, the Dwarf Royal Court, and the High Mountain Kingdom all show signs of social changes or technological breakthroughs... these can all be used as variables. "
Melita blinked and nodded after a brief thought: "...I am a little too concerned about the Cecil Empire. "
"This is your area of responsibility, and it is reasonable to pay more attention to it, and..." Speaker Andal's voice paused slightly, as if he was considering the words, "Gawain Cecil? The variables are indeed a little different. Who guided him on that voyage? We have not yet investigated clearly. The mystery hidden in this human being isMakes me quite curious. "
"It seems that Gawain Cecil himself did not know about this," Melita said. "I have talked with him many times, and his memory of that secret voyage seems to have been obscured. What factors have been eliminated, including all the memories related to him before and after the voyage, and all the people who acted with him in the past have not left the slightest clue, and even the identity of the people who traveled with him has been traced. Not coming out. "
"There are not many 'people' in the world who can hide it from the eyes of the Mithril Treasure House..." The old golden dragon's voice was low, steady and powerful, "Stay with Gawain Sisi. Please contact me. Mithril Treasure House has accepted this commission. "
Melita saluted respectfully: "Yes. ”
Part of the lights in the room flickered. A secret door in the corner of the room opened. A robot servant flew out and took over the manuscripts that had been rearranged. Speaker Andal spoke. He nodded to Melita: "Melita, is there anything else? "
Melita was ready to say goodbye and leave, but she hesitated and stopped. Under the gaze of the old Speaker's mechanical eyes, she finally couldn't help but speak: "Your Majesty Speaker, I am here Loren continent encountered a genetically defective dragon..."
"Oh? Have you gone to the Holy Dragon Principality? "
"No, it's in Anzu territory - of course it's the Cecil Empire now," Melita breathed out, and her words became smoother again, "It's a black dragon with wings. She was already halfway through her development, but her development was stopped due to a genetic defect, and her body was also deformed to a certain extent. She left the Holy Dragon Principality for some reason and chose to live in human society, and it seems that she has been living for many years..."
< p> Speaker Andal’s gentle voice interrupted Melita’s story: “Then what? ”“Your Excellency Speaker, except for the physical deformities and defects, the black dragon is normal in other places. She has a sound mind and a very healthy human form, and is capable of all jobs that do not require flying, so I'm very curious..."
White Dragon Noretta, who remained silent, couldn't help but remind her softly: "Melita, you have asked about this topic before..."
However, Melita seemed not to have heard her friend's reminder, and still asked persistently: "I am curious about the reason why people with genetic defects are exiled. Is it just because they are born with deformities? The Holy Dragon Principality has been exiled in the coldest northern end of Loren continent for so many years. Is there no time limit? "
"...The Dragon Empire has never required the exiles to nest in the icebergs. The Senate just asked them to leave Tallond and settle at the northern end of the Loren continent. It was their own decision. As for the reason for exile... genetic contamination is enough. ”
Melita raised her head and looked at the majestic and old ancient dragon, but the latter was only calm.
After two full minutes, Melita Tacai looked away under the gaze of the mechanical prosthetic eye and lowered her head: "I understand.Your Excellency, Speaker. "
Speaker Andal stared at the young junior in front of him. Many devices connected to him in the room made a pleasant and low sound. His voice came from the speaker: "Melita, you are young and beautiful. Being full of vitality is a very precious quality among dragons. I don’t mind if you ask some reckless questions because of this. On the contrary, I hope you can maintain this curiosity for a long time and may it accompany you throughout your life - but some things need to be done now. You are destined to be unable to change and should not know it. I hope you can understand this. "
Melita replied respectfully and sincerely: "Yes, Mr. Speaker, I understand. ”
“Go back, take a rest, and then make some preparations for the audience ceremony. God will dispel your fatigue and pain. When you fully recover, return to your post. ”
“Yes, Mr. Speaker. ”