Boulder Fortress.
This heavy fortress, which was once directly controlled by the royal family, had completely changed its appearance.
The Boulder Fortress was built to control the southern forces. It had a strong southern wall and a relatively weak northern wall. The Gorgon River flowed through the gap on the west side of the fortress, and on both sides of the fortress were the continuous and desolate southern mountains. However, after the Cecil people occupied this place, the entire fortress underwent a complete transformation.
The southern wall collapsed, but the Cecil people did not repair it. Instead, they directly expanded the gap to the south, built Boulder City at the foot of the fortress, and built a new wall outside Boulder City. In contrast, the northern wall of the fortress had been undergoing a series of continuous strengthening and reconstruction works since the end of summer, and the work had not yet ended.
When the gorgeous carriage drove under the north gate of the Boulder Fortress, Victoria opened the side of the carriage and looked up at the fortress that was undergoing renovation. She was shocked. On the original foundation of the wall, Cecil people had covered all the weak points of the wall with an additional layer of steel armor. A large number of steel skeletons and support structures covered the prismatic outer walls and towers of the wall, as if some kind of ferocious monster shell had connected together. On the upper part of the wall, metal reinforcement plates reflected the light of the sun, and there was a faint flow of magic flowing between the gaps of the armor. The magic gathered at the top of the wall, where magic devices with straight rails were neatly arranged, and the ends of the rails pointed in the direction of the Holy Plains.
It was not a wall, but a beast made of steel and stone. A huge amount of magic flowed in its veins, and the Cecil people were sharpening its fangs. Anyone who saw the north wall of the Boulder Fortress from the Holy Plains would realize this. As a powerful spellcaster and ruler of the north, Victoria thought more. Where did the Cecil people get so much steel? Did they cast all the steel in the southern region on the walls of the Boulder Fortress after they occupied the south? Where did they get such powerful magic from? Could there be another undiscovered Mana Focal Point beneath the Boulder Fort? How did they do all this in such a short time?
When the convoy arrived at the foot of the north wall, a loud bell rang from the top of the wall. The gate, reinforced with a metal skeleton, slowly rose. There was an obvious mechanical sound near the gate, accompanied by the flow of magic. Many facilities in the fortress seemed to be powered by magic.
Victoria Werde sat calmly in the car. As the Duchess of the North, she could hide all her emotions under her frosty expression.
After all, an armed fortress was only a fortress, and a fortress could not be moved. Gwen Cecil had built such a fortress, which was undoubtedly a declaration of his military strength, and also a declaration of his attitude: the Southern Territory was so powerful that no one was allowed to criticize it, but he had no intention of stepping into the Holy Spirit Plains.
At least for now.
One of the goals of Victoria Werde's trip to the South this time was to find out what kind of attitude that founding hero had toward Saint Sunil City. If he was really not satisfied with being a duke in the South, how long would he wait?
The Ansu Royal Family, which was deep in the quagmire of civil war, really did not have the spare energy to start a new battlefield.
The guests from the Captical were brought to the Boulder Castle in the fortress. This castle had not been fully repaired yet, and there were still scaffolding in several places on the upper floors of the castle that had been destroyed by the calibration beam. Seeing the shocking big holes and the crystallized traces of molten rock flowing on the walls, the visitors could imagine how terrible the attack had been.
Veronica and Victoria saw the shocking damage under the castle, but in the end, they did not say anything.
Cecil had de facto occupied and controlled the entire Southern Territory. Under the premise that they could not change this situation, it was meaningless to mention the relationship between the royal family and the Boulder Fortress. Both the guardian dukes in the north of the kingdom and the princess of the royal family who had joined the Curia were clear about one thing:
Only the benefits that they had the opportunity to fight for were benefits. The benefits that they could not fight for would become a disgrace.
In the long hall of the castle, a commander in white armor with some kind of magic sword at his waist received Victoria and Veronica. He was the new commander of the Boulder Fortress, Walter Perry.
In the past half of his life, the old Knight from Kant had never thought that he would have such a bizarre experience. At an age when he was no longer young, he had become the commander of the fortress guarding the border of the duchy and received another duke and the princess of this country on behalf of the guardian dukes. This would probably become something that he would brag about to his descendants for the rest of his life. But at this moment, he had to do his job well to ensure that he did not lose his manners and humiliate Duke Cecil.
"Welcome to the Boulder Fortress, welcome to the land of the Southern Territory. The current commander of the Boulder Fortress, Walter Perry, pays his respects to Her Royal Highness and His Excellency the Duke." Walter Perry, who was in full military uniform, stood in front of the guests and said with impeccable etiquette and attitude, "Please take a rest here. The reception banquet has been set up. I hope the castle's heating can dispel the chill that has accumulated during the journey."
"Nice to meet you, Sir Perry." Veronica said with a smile. The Saintess did not know the specific title of the commander in front of her, but according to the traditional Ansu law, the commander of such a key fortress would automatically receive the non-hereditary title of 'Sir' after taking office. This title was independent of the general title and enjoyed the right to speak to most of the nobles on an equal footing. It reflected the Ansu's respect for the valiant nobles and also to ensure that if a soldier of a lower status but outstanding ability took charge of the fortress, he would immediately have enough prestige and legal basis to command the various noble commanders in the fortress.
Victoria Werde, who was standing beside Veronica, recalled the incredible magical devices she saw after entering the fortress, as well as the impressive northern wall of the fortress. There was a hint of admiration in her voice. "Duke Cecil has created a miracle here."
"Believe me, you will be even more amazed when you see Cecil City," Walter Perry said with a smile as he led the two guests into the inner court of the castle. "His Excellency the Duke already knows of your arrival. A special convoy will come to pick you up tomorrow."
Victoria did not care about the 'pick-up convoy' mentioned by the old Knight. She thought it was just a part of the common etiquette: when important guests visited the territory, the local ruler would naturally send a team to welcome them.
This indifferent thought lasted until the next day, until she saw the steel magic machines crossing the road and neatly parked in the open space in front of the castle.
Victoria tried her best to keep a straight face, but she could not help but look at the magic devices that looked like cars but were not cars. She was surprised. "These are … your cars?"
"The Arcane 475 Series Arcanotech Car, the model is the 'Pioneer Generation', a creation of magical technology." Walter Perry proudly introduced the Arcanotech Car to the Duchess. Although this was the first time he saw the Arcanotech Car, he was already prepared. He was used to seeing new products from the local technology, so at this moment, he was quite calm. Like a veteran driver, he recited the introduction that he memorized the night before and tried his best not to show the slightest difference in his smile. After all, the person in front of him was the Guardian Duke of the kingdom and the famous Saintess Princess. He did not want to offend her in any way with his smile. "This is a new thing. I believe the experience of riding it will make you forget the carriage."
"Magical technology …" Victoria repeated the word softly and connected it with the information she had collected about the Southern Territory in the past year.
The rapid rise of the Cecil family in the Southern Territory seemed to have something to do with this rumored "magical technology".
It was said that this technology was brought by Gwen Cecil after he was resurrected. It was a variant of the lost magic technology of the ancient Kingdom of Gondor.
However, as a well-read spellcaster who specialized in magic, Victoria Werde did not see any mention of "magical technology" in any ancient books about the Kingdom of Gondor. Instead, she saw a trace of the modern magic circle in the sporadic information about the Magic Net that spread from the South.
Her eyes fell on the few arcanotech vehicles with strong lines and strange shapes. The appearance of these 'arcanotech creations' was completely different from the elegant and delicate style that the northern nobles had admired in recent years. However, their rough lines and intricate steel mechanical texture had an indescribable beauty. "I've heard of arcanotech … So they can be made into such an incredible magical device?"
"This is the charm of it. Of course, it costs a lot to make such a magic device," Walter Perry said. Walter Perry said. He was not lying. The assembly line of the arcanotech car factory was still under construction. The arcanotech cars in front of him were all made by Master Mechanic and Master Craftsman Nicholas Egghead himself (although the Master Craftsman did not have his own hands). The craftsman's hands-on craftsmanship gave the cars a satisfactory level of reliability, but the cost was far from comparable to mass production.
"A lot …" Victoria's eyes did not change. She just repeated these words in a low voice and then nodded. "Since it's Duke Cecil's kindness, I'm happy to accept it. And I'm also very interested in this incredible 'magical technology.'"
"Please get in the car. Also, please allow our entourage to ride with you," Walter Perry said. As his voice trailed off, a valiant young female Knight came from the side. "Marguarita is the duke's trusted Knight. She will tell you the story of the arcanotech car and be your guide along the way to ensure that you won't be bored."
When Victoria heard the word 'entourage', she wanted to refuse. She was not used to riding with anyone. At most, she would only travel with the black-haired maid, Maggie. But after hearing Walter Perry's words and seeing the female Knight named Marguarita, she nodded.
She might be able to get some useful information from the young female Knight. And Miss Marguarita looked like a neat and tidy person. She did not mind allowing such a person to get close to her.
"Marguarita Crete salutes the Northern Guardian of the Kingdom."
The female Knight Marguarita saluted. Victoria was satisfied with the slight nervousness and good manners she showed. This was the behavior of a qualified young Knight. It seemed that even in this remote southern border, there were still excellent talents.
Later, Walter the Knight arranged another female Knight as an entourage for Veronica. The always approachable princess accepted the arrangement and thanked Walter for his kindness.
Victoria Werde got into the arcanotech car and saw a young man in uniform sitting in the front seat. She had seen someone in the car earlier, but only now did she notice the various control devices around the young man.
Is this the mage who controls the magic device?
The 'coachman' who drove the carriage was not outside but sat in the carriage with the passengers. If this was in the eyes of some strict and inflexible people, perhaps it would be greatly inappropriate. But Victoria did not care about this. Compared to this little problem of 'etiquette', she was more concerned about how this magic carriage was built.
She and Marguarita sat in the back of the car, while the black-haired maid, Maggie, sat in the front seat next to the driver.
Some of the entourage got into other arcanotech cars. They would set off for Cecil City with Victoria and Veronica, while the rest of the entourage would continue to ride the carriages that crossed the plains from the Captical. This was the arrangement suggested by Walter after considering the difference in speed between the arcanotech car and the carriages.
The siren sounded, and the caravan set off.
This was the first time Victoria rode in such an incredible magic device, and it was a novel experience for her. She had not felt such a mixture of curiosity and confusion for many years. She felt that the complex arcanotech car was gradually accelerating. There was a vibration from the bottom of the car, but the car was moving much more smoothly than the carriages. The 'mage' controlling the car was using a disc, some joysticks, and pedals to control the operation of the arcanotech car. He did not use any magic.
The Duchess from the north looked at all of this curiously, but she did not want to appear too frivolous, so she began to think of ways to divert her attention. Soon, she noticed the sword in the female Knight's hand.
It was a sword engraved with magical runes. It was obviously an extraordinary weapon. The fortress commander also seemed to have a rune sword that was almost identical to the one Lin Li was wearing.
Extraordinary equipment were powerful equipment that mages and runemasters had spent a great deal of effort to create. Only those with a certain amount of status and wealth could tailor such equipment for themselves. Thus, it was rare to see two pieces of Extraordinary equipment that looked exactly the same. However, in Cecil … it seemed that many of the Extraordinary equipment based on magic power looked exactly the same.
From small swords to huge 'arcanotech cars', and the magical devices on the city walls that were obviously weapons, Extraordinary items that looked exactly the same could be seen almost everywhere.
Victoria knew what it meant. It meant that, at least to a certain extent, Cecil had the ability to mass-produce these magical items.
The idea that magical items were precious and could not be mass-produced was deeply rooted in the minds of most Ansu people, and it was true at this stage due to the limitations of technology. However, this did not mean that the rulers of the kingdom did not realize the significance of mass-producing Extraordinary items.
"Miss Marguarita, this sword is very beautiful."
Complimenting a Knight's sword was a very common and polite opening remark, especially when the superior was willing to take the initiative to start a conversation. This kind of compliment had the meaning of the superior's evaluation, and it gave enough respect to the inferior party. Victoria was very familiar with this kind of etiquette.
The young female Knight showed a reserved smile. She touched the hilt of the runic sword with the back of her hand and said with a little pride, "This is the sword given by the Duke — it's my pride."
"It seems to be an Extraordinary weapon?"
"Yes, this is a runic sword." Marguarita smiled. "But I can't show it to you here. Once activated, the blade of this sword can easily cut through the shell of a car. It's too dangerous."
Victoria could not help but let out a look of admiration. No matter how polite her expression was, Margarita still took the opportunity to introduce the sword. "… Of course, not only is this sword powerful, it is also balanced by the best swordsmiths. It is very comfortable to wield with one hand, and it is also very powerful when wielding with two hands. The hilt is also specially made. After the end is twisted open, there is a single dose of healing potion hidden in it. In other words, as long as the sword is with the warrior, even if other supplies are lost, the warrior will have at least one chance to save his life … "
Victoria listened carefully to Marguarita's introduction. She did get some useful information as she wished, but somehow, she felt that the female Knight's words were familiar as if she had specially memorized them.
After Marguarita finished introducing her sword, she successfully made the Duke of the North interested in the white commander's armor she was wearing.
The magical energy in the gaps of the armor and the runes on the details had already made Victoria realize that it was also an Extraordinary weapon.
"This armor was also bestowed upon me by the Duke. It protected me through the most dangerous battlefield (watching the cannoneers outside Firmrock Fortress firing at the walls), and allowed me to remain unscathed in the face of five times the number of enemies (when I received the captives). I wore it to attack the gates of Firmrock Fortress (actually, I walked in, because by the time the 2nd Division entered the fortress, not to mention the gates, even the walls were blown to smithereens). This is a trustworthy armor, and please take a look, it has a unique pattern..."
Victoria nodded subconsciously. "… It's … really … beautiful …"
The young female Knight in front of her was surprisingly talkative.
It seemed that this journey would not be boring.
You've already exceeded your reading limit for today. If you want to read more, please log in.
Login
Select text and click 'Report' to let us know about any bad translation.
