Sitting on the smoothly moving magic car, Matilda looked out the window.
The wide and smooth road stretches forward along the line of sight. The wide avenue can almost accommodate a large carriage running side by side. It is obviously specially designed to cope with the pressure of modern traffic. It is well-proportioned and beautiful. The buildings are lined up on both sides of the road. Those buildings have a new style that is different from Typhon, but also different from the old Ansu. They retain the classical and elegant appearance of the Northern Kingdom, but also have some pleasing neat lines and regular shapes. .
Between these buildings and the roads, you can see neatly arranged street lights, magic projections distributed at intersections or open spaces, stop signs designed for the magic cars to stop, and many other things that can be seen at the end of this cold winter. During the holiday season, welcoming crowds of people wearing bright and thick winter clothes flock to the streets.
On those magic projections and the large color paintings at those sites, various welcome words or pictures were presented, and even real-time images of the motorcade driving were presented.
This is the modern capital of magic, Cecil City...
Matilda withdrew her sight, but still retained the perception of a transcendent, paying attention to the road outside. She looked at Philip, who was riding in the same car with her, and saw barely concealed pride on the young army commander's face.
This is normal. A noble with such status would certainly show such pride in front of a foreign ambassador.
But on both sides of the road outside, those Cecil people who are said to be just "ordinary citizens" have expressions of curiosity, excitement and other expressions on their faces while also showing a similar sense of pride. Nothing is so ordinary.
"I hope you will be satisfied with the welcome process we have arranged," Philip looked into the eyes of Princess Typhon in front of him and said with a smile on his face, "Cecil and Typhon have many customs and habits We are different, but we have common roots, which can become a bond that will further bring the relationship between the two countries closer."
"I sincerely hope for a more lasting peace," Matilda also said. He said with a smile, "This is good for all of us."
The magic convoy driven by the Typhon envoy passed through the straight "Pioneer Avenue" in Cecil City and was welcomed by the citizens. , security teams and Iron Rangers drove towards the Royal District. They gradually left the outer city and entered the center of the city. As a large square appeared outside the car window, all the Typhon envoys including Matilda We suddenly heard a loud explosion -
It was like thunder exploding, and the distance was not very far. There was not just one explosion, but more than thirty times in a row. < /p>
“It is Cecil’s rule to welcome guests from afar with a salute. ”
Matilda blinked, and in surprise she remembered some of the information she had collected before, and couldn't help but have some weird thoughts flashing through her mind——
The Cecil people do seem to like to use these loud sounds They welcome their guests with the sound of cannons, but sometimes they hit the sky and sometimes they hit the guests on the head...
"Interesting rules," she smiled, "In the new era, , there will indeed be some new customs and habits."
As the time approached noon and the giant sun gradually rose overhead, the Typhon envoy led by Matilda came to Gawain.
After the welcoming ceremony that was not luxurious but grand and solemn enough, and unique to the Typhon people, Gawain stood in front of the steps of the "Autumn Palace" and looked at the "Autumn Palace" with a smile. "Flower of the High Mountains".
Beside him stood Hetty and Rebecca, several executives from the Government Affairs Department, and Veronica holding a platinum scepter.
Amber could not be seen at the scene, but everyone familiar with it knew that the director of the Military Intelligence Bureau must be at the scene - it was just that he had not yet separated from the air.
Matilda was wearing a complicated and classic black palace dress. Her long black hair was dotted with thin golden chains, hanging down to her waist. She walked slowly to the top with an impeccable posture. In front of the text, he lowered his head slightly: "Salute to you, His Majesty the Great Gawain Cecil."
"On behalf of the Augustus family, I am here to bring friendly wishes from Typhon.
"May you have long-lasting health, and may your achievements be passed down from generation to generation."
"In a sense, your last words are not a blessing, they can only be said to be statements. "Gawain said a little jokingly, and stepped forward, "Welcome to Cecil."
What followed was a boring but inevitable official rhetoric session, with both sides smiling and talking in advance. It's a good compliment, but everyone must still look serious and try to make this unnutritious business exchange look more sincere.
Rebecca felt bored within a few seconds, and secretly yawned. She looked at Matilda Augustus who was chatting and laughing with her ancestors, and she couldn't bear it. She couldn't help but mutter a little, and looked around. On one side was Aunt Hetty, and on the other was Veronica. Chatting with the former might get her slapped, so she turned to the latter: "Hey, you said she is also a princess, and I am too. Princess, why can’t I break a flattery into three parts like her?”
This question is really hard to answer – after all, when the Ansu Dynasty was still around, Veronica You can break the same flattery into four paragraphs.
Therefore, the "saint girl" with a faint holy light lingering around her remained silent, just shook her head slightly, and then her eyes fell on Matilda, and did not move away for a long time. open.
Matilda raised her head with a feeling, and met a pair of eyes that were gentle and indifferent, but lacked the texture that a living person should have, and looked like they were carved from crystal.
There seems to be something profound in those eyes.The scrutiny made Matilda's heart move slightly, but when she looked carefully, she found that those eyes seemed to simply scan her, and the strange feeling of scrutiny before had disappeared.
After the reception ceremony, there was a grand luncheon.
Formal discussions on the establishment of embassies, the exchange of ambassadors, the exchange of international students, and many other matters are scheduled for tomorrow. However, before the formal negotiations, the top leaders of both parties can use events such as banquets to conduct some advance " "Attitude exchange", surrounded by food, music and other elements, this kind of attitude exchange can be carried out relatively easily. Under the premise that both parties are more willing to negotiate things, this kind of early negotiation will often yield very good results.
Matilda tasted exquisite food that was different from Typhon, using a table knife to cut roasted meats sprinkled with various spices, but at the same time she maintained a dignified and elegant manner, without expressing any concern for anything. She showed too much love for the food, and her eyes swept over the waiters walking through the banquet hall, the magical images set around the hall, and the "Princess Cecil" not far away who didn't seem to be very good at table manners. Finally, It fell on Gawain: "I have heard before that the Ansu people are very good at roasting meat, so much so that the palace chefs of Typhon are keen to learn the Ansu people's method of using spices, but now after actually tasting it, I Realize that their imitations are just imitations after all, and the real thing is something completely different."
"Then you may have mistakenly blamed your palace chef," Gawain said with a smile, "the things you see in front of you. The food is not traditional 'Ansu cuisine', but something I came up with when I was bored in the past two years - does it seem to your taste?"
"You invented it?" Matilda He looked at the several desserts on the table and the roasted meat on the plate in amazement. After being astonished, he praised from the bottom of his heart, "It's incredible. I only thought you were a powerful knight and a wise monarch. No. Thinking that you are also a gourmet who can create delicious dishes - their flavor is indeed very good, it is my honor to eat them."
Gawain smiled and didn't say much.
When the coffin was unveiled a few years ago, he actually thought about using the delicacies in his mind to improve the food life in another world, and he made some serious tinkering with it. He grew food that was not available locally, but in the end there was no such thing as "taking out a plate of barbecue and letting the natives bow before him". After all, gourmets in this world did not grow up eating soil, and he He... was just an ordinary eater in his previous life. No matter how much food there was in the Celestial Empire, he would still be unable to eat or cook it.
The highest evaluation of the several foods he came up with now is "good taste", and they were quickly overwhelmed by the local chefs in terms of variety, and there are only a few barbecues left. And Jiangnan dim sum as an embellishment at the "state banquet" is his last achievement as a time traveler in the world of catering.
While Gawain was slightly distracted, Matilda swallowed the food in her mouth again and looked at the little boy in front of her with curiosity.Looking at the thinly sliced fruit on the plate, she asked curiously: "This fruit has a wonderful taste. I have never eaten it... Is it a specialty of Cecil?"
Gawain looked at the fruit Dian Guozi glanced at him, his expression almost showing a strange expression, but he still maintained his composure at the last moment: "This is the Thorin tree fruit, which is indeed a specialty of the Cecil Empire."
He controlled the expression on his face. His expression, but he couldn't control the thoughts in his heart.
That was the fruit produced by Bertila Augustus. Most of it was used to alleviate the food crisis in the Holy Spirit Plains, and a small part was sent to Cecil City as a sample. .
Now, he takes the fruits grown by the ancestors of the Augustus family to entertain their descendants.
People have to say thank you after eating.
If you think about the whole process carefully, it seems quite devilish...
On the other side, Matilda didn’t know what she was eating (actually, she didn’t know what she was eating) It’s nothing, after all, thousands of people in Cecil are eating these fruits). After a few polite compliments, she brought up a more formal topic.
"In addition to a formal diplomatic visit and preparations for subsequent international students and other projects, I came here this time to bring personal greetings from my father." She put down her knife and fork and said lightly Smiling lightly, "He believes that the new order you created and the magic technology you brought are great things that can change the world, which makes him admire..."
"Order I didn’t build it alone, and I didn’t create the magic technology,” Gawain said, “but I admit one thing – they can indeed change the world.”
Matilda looked at it. Gawain glanced at him and said rather solemnly: "My father... I guessed that you would give a similar answer."
"Oh?" Gawain raised his eyebrows, "Then what else did he say? "?"
"He said that you and he are similar people. What you care about is beyond one generation in a city or a country," Matilda said seriously, "He I also hope that I can tell you something: In front of national interests, we are Cecil and Typhon. In front of this world, we are all human beings. This world is not safe. At least you understand this. ”
Gawain's movements paused slightly.
After a moment, he smiled and said lightly: "We built a magnificent wall together, and I had a brief conversation with your father at the border of the Gondor Wasteland.
“So I can feel that he has a longer-term vision than most people of this era.
"I am very happy that he asked you to bring this sentence. You can tell him that the fate of all of us lies on this continent. Under this premise, Cecil is happy to talk to you. Let’s create a peaceful and prosperous new era together.”
When the words fell, Gawain had already raised the wine glass in his hand.
Matilda smiled and raised the wine glass in her hand.
"ThenCelebrate this peaceful and prosperous era in advance. "She said.
...
After the grand luncheon, the envoys were arranged to rest in the corresponding areas of the Qiu Palace, and Gawain returned to his residence.
He did not go to rest, but came to the study
Veronica was already waiting here
"Wright said you have something to ask me," Gawain said. He sat down behind the desk and looked at the "Saint" holding a platinum scepter in front of him, the former leader of the rebels of Gondor, "And I noticed that you looked at Princess Matilda several times during the previous reception and at the banquet. ——Is it related to her? "
"Yes," Veronica nodded and said straight to the point, "I sensed a little aura of god in her. It was very weak, but it did exist. ”