Bertila stood in front of Bersetia in a way that Bersetia had never seen before. Some yellowed fragments appeared in the Silver Queen's mind. It was a long memory even for the elves with their long lifespans. In that distant memory, the Saintess of the Druids, who was born as a human, always wore a priest's robe. Her smile was bright and gentle like the spring afternoon sun. She ran among the wounded of the expeditionary army, and countless people were saved by her.
Her achievements were even recognized by the elven society, the orthodox origin of the Druil religion. Her holy statue was hung in the Circle of Saints of the Elven Court, next to the Druil sages for thousands of years.
But these memories were yellowed. Bersetia blinked. The figure in front of her, a mixture of flesh and mutated plants, was smiling stiffly at her. The entangled vines behind her wriggled like blood vessels. The sound of wood rubbing came from her body. "It's been seven hundred years. Don't you want to say hello? Bersetia, Your Majesty? "
The Silver Queen woke up completely from her memories. Her eyes fell on Bertilla. She hesitantly broke the silence. "Madam … Bertilla."
"You have become distant from me," Bertilla said expressionlessly. "Seven hundred years ago, you called me Sister Bertilla."
Gwen could not help but frown. He recalled and said, "Why do I remember calling you aunty at that time?"
The summer afternoon wind blew through the top of Thorin's tree. The rustling of leaves came from below. In the next two seconds, the atmosphere became a little strange.
"… Actually, I don't really care about this." Bertilla finally broke the silence. Her eyes quickly swept from Gwen to Bertilla and then to Bertilla. "I am also very satisfied with the address of 'Madam'. It sounds more mature."
"Ahem." Gwen also coughed twice to break the awkwardness. He saw that the welcoming staff was still lined up behind Bertilla, and Irene, who had just come down the long ladder, did not look very good. So he quickly changed the topic. "Let's not continue to stand here. The Silver Queen is here to inspect Thorin's tree. Let's go to a place to rest first. We can talk on the way."
"Of course." Bertilla's face showed a faint smile. She stepped aside, and the vines behind her extended like a guide. "I was preparing when I received the news. Your Majesty, you will be satisfied with this journey. No one in this world knows this' tree 'better than me."
Bertilla had just stepped forward when she heard Bertilla's words. She could not help but say, "Just call me by my name. Just like before."
Bertilla looked at Gwen, asking for his opinion. Gwen nodded. "That's it. Just like before. There are no outsiders here. It will make us feel more relaxed if we don't put on airs."
Walking on the flat area at the top of Thorin's tree was a familiar yet strange experience for Bertilla. She was stepping on the solid and vast wooden platform, and all she could see were large and small buildings and fixed facilities. If she did not know the truth, it would be difficult for her to realize that she was actually standing very high up in the sky. It was similar to the feeling of standing on the Stellaris Temple. But unlike the Stellaris Temple, she could feel a huge force of life flowing in the depths of the 'earth' under her feet every second. A 'sound of life' that was completely different from the low roar of the machines filled the entire Thorin area and also reverberated in her sharp senses.
For the elves who were close to nature, this place was more like a holy land than the 'ancestral legacy' in the far south of the continent.
"… This is the Magic Net hub of the Thorin area, and also one of the two main hubs on the Plains of the Sacred Spirit." The group stopped under a tower in the center of the treetop platform. Bertilla looked up at the massive crystal array and mechanical devices on the tower. She then said to the Silver Queen beside her. "These crystal arrays spread a huge amount of energy to the surrounding areas. The corresponding areas have lower-level Magic Net hubs to receive and redistribute the energy. The entire Thorin area and a large part of the surrounding areas get energy from this invisible network. At the same time, Magic Net communications are also established between these towers and broadcast to all the cities and villages with Magic Net terminals.
"At present, we have set up key nodes of the narrator's neural network in several major cities on the east side of the Gorgon River. Through these nodes, the Magic Net communications of the big cities can be integrated into the neural network. Of course, this work has just started, and the coverage of the neural network is still very low. But with the current development momentum, it is only a matter of time before the network enters the countryside."
Bertilla looked up at the massive crystal array. The artificial crystals with a magnificent surface shone in the sun, and a low humming sound continued to come from the depths of its base. This was another 'miracle' that was completely different from the Stellaris Sanctum. The endless possibilities behind it even fascinated the Silver Queen.
"I know your neural network … I have seen it in the documents of the Theocratic Council," she said softly. "You are trying to use it to create a 'barrier' against the spiritual pollution of the gods, and hope that this barrier can cover the whole world …"
"We are not trying. We have achieved practical results," Gwen reminded her. "You have seen its effect with your own eyes. Don't you remember?"
Bertilla was stunned for a moment. She immediately recalled the experience of facing the God of Nature in the courtyard of the Realm of Shadows. She knew that the 'anti-divinity barrier' had been applied there. Her expression became more solemn. "I remember now …"
Gwen paid attention to the change in expression of the Silver Queen and did not continue the topic. Bertilla continued to drive the vines that formed her body and walked to the edge of the platform.
"We will rest in a facility in the canopy. Unlike the buildings on the surface, every facility in the canopy of Thorin is personally controlled by me. You can feel the most distinctive 'giant tree style' up close." On the way, Bertilla proudly introduced the results of her research in civil engineering (which could also be classified as beauty and body shaping). "You can also visit my biochemical lab, which is in the lower level of the rest area. Most of Cecil's cutting-edge bioengineering technology was born or developed in that lab …"
Gwen listened and frowned subconsciously. "Is your lab suitable for normal people like us to visit?"
Bertilla glanced at Gwen. Although she did not say it explicitly, her eyes seemed to say, "You are a god-devouring wanderer. Why are you pretending to be a normal human in front of me, a vegetable?" Of course, this look was most likely made up by Gwen's own imagination.
"Don't worry. After receiving feedback and suggestions from other researchers, I have carefully adjusted the structure and decoration of the lab. Everything that is not suitable for display has been sealed in a friendly looking container. Although my way of thinking and aesthetic seems to have deviated a little due to the changes in my life form, I am well aware of this, so I still listen to others' suggestions."
"Not suitable for display?" The Silver Queen looked a little confused. She looked at Bertilla and then at Gwen. "Are you referring to the confidential technology in the lab? If it is that kind of thing, you can totally not let me — "
"No, although it is cutting-edge technology, but a normal visit will not lead to a leak." Gwen shook his head. "And in the long run, that thing is even going to be a foreign trade commodity. Bertilla's' not suitable for display 'has nothing to do with technical secrets, mainly … that thing's image is not very flattering."
The vines behind Bertilla rolled a little. She seemed to disagree with Gwen's comment. The Silver Queen was getting more and more curious about the legendary biochemical lab. But before she could ask again, a sudden sound of a mechanical device not far away attracted her attention. She looked in the direction of the sound and saw that about a hundred meters away from the crystal array, a large scale device was slowly adjusting its angle. It had a complex metal frame, and between the frames were a large number of hexagonal crystal sheets with gaps. Countless shining runes were slowly moving on the crystal sheets, forming an illusory magic lens, as if constantly fine-tuning the focus of the crystals.
"What is that?" Bertilla suddenly asked curiously. She had not seen this thing in the intelligence report, and it was very different from any magic device she had seen along the way. It seemed to be a very high-tech device, but the magic wave it released was not like any kind of spell model. Even the knowledgeable Silver Queen was puzzled.
"That is a wide-area monitoring antenna," Bertilla explained. "Every hub has a set. It is essentially a high-sensitivity receiver. We are using it to search for a mysterious signal."
"A mysterious signal?" Bertilla was even more curious. "What mysterious signal?"
Gawain thought for a moment and nodded. "Well, it's not a secret. Besides, we've been building a series of monitoring facilities with the neighboring countries. If you're interested, we can talk about it in detail in the lounge on the lower level."
…
"The No. 2 Gain Rune Group has entered the operating mode. The No. 1 Rune Group has entered the cooling process. The main antenna will be turned back in three minutes. All monitors, please pay attention to the channel you are responsible for …"
The clear and powerful voice of the operator rang out not far away. Bard, who had just sat down and was still a little distracted, quickly regained his spirit. He looked around the room and saw that the people in charge of monitoring were already in place, while the magicite technicians in charge of assisting the monitors were confirming the equipment's condition one last time.
The large magic network terminal in the center of the room projected the fluctuation of the various monitoring channels. Now, the curve in each image was in the form of meaningless clutter, and the several second-level magic network terminals around the room were only showing blank images.
Bard took a gentle breath and was ready to start the day's work. Another monitor beside him touched his arm and whispered, "Hey, did you know? Today, His Majesty and the Silver Queen came to Solin Castle! "
"I know, it was in the newspaper the day before yesterday." Bard glanced at his colleague beside him. "But what does this have to do with us?"
"You … You're so boring." His colleague sighed. "That's the Silver Queen! Aren't you curious? Most people can't see her even once in their lifetime. This time, we have the opportunity to see her in person! It is said that she will visit the trunk area of the giant tree and the eastern sector on the surface. It's a public event. We plan to go and have a look … "
Bard still looked indifferent. It was not that he was not curious about the big shot from the Silver Empire, but as a former Wolf General, he could not be as excited as an ordinary person when it came to this kind of "big shot". But …
The visit of the Silver Queen did not have no impact on him. If all his colleagues really went to the eastern sector, there might be fewer people in the cafeteria tonight … This was good news.
Bard's thoughts drifted again, but as the 30-second countdown before the main antenna turned back rang in the room, he quickly focused his attention.
The interference from the outside world was blocked. The former Wolf General could only see the holographic projection that constantly refreshed the data and curves. A low, hollow, and soft rustling sound came from the receiver beside his ear.
The antenna completed its rotation. With great sensitivity, the eavesdropping channel tracked the "sounds" that came from all corners of the world and vibrated in the magic environment. The low and soft rustling sound was mixed with some noise that was not irritating. Bard's mind calmed down further. He seemed to have blended into the soft echoes and could no longer hear the sounds of the outside world.
The monitoring antenna listened to the frequency in the magic field. All the subtle fluctuations were turned into vibrating signals output by the antenna. They quietly flowed in the huge and even daunting system of the Solin Main Hub and finally converged in the monitoring center. In most cases, these reverberations were meaningless. The work of the monitoring staff was boring, and they could not get any results even for weeks.
But today seemed to be destined to be an unusual day.
After being immersed in the soft noise for who knows how long, a somewhat abrupt howl suddenly woke Bard up from his "intoxication".
Bard quickly sat up straight, his eyes wide open. Almost at the same time, the subsequent reverberations of the howl were filtered and reorganized by the system. A series of rhythmic, drum-like vibrations and short pauses came from the receiver. The magic network terminal in the middle of the room suddenly projected a rhythmic vibrating line. It was a line that the monitoring staff had never seen before, extremely clear and sharp!
"Received the signal! I wave, it's that signal! " Bard suddenly shouted, and then quickly turned to the assistant magician. "Output my channel as a graphic. Is the recording device online?"
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