It had been a few days since the news of the victory on the eastern front came. In the south, where information transmission channels were more developed, more and more news was spreading between the cities and the villages.
In the streets, in the taverns and card rooms, almost everyone was eagerly discussing the recent shocking and exciting news, the past of the Ansu royal family and the future of the Cecil Empire. In this land, even the most ordinary citizen would express his or her opinion on such topics, no matter how ridiculous and shallow it was.
In a tavern in the merchant district of Monolith City, the bright magic crystal lamps dispelled the dusk. The rows of wine bottles on the bar counter were polished until they shone brightly. The wine in the bottles shone with an alluring luster under the light. A small rectangular machine that looked like a cabinet was placed beside the bar counter. The small machine was playing the country songs that the people of the Southern Border loved. The rhythm was simple, bright, and cheerful.
A light shone on the nameplate on the top of the small machine, and the words' Coade Family Services Company 'shone on the surface of the brass nameplate.
A man in overalls sat in front of the bar. He took a beer glass from the bartender and raised it slightly. "Cheers to the end of the day."
"Joe, have you seen the recent newspaper?" A tall and thin man sat next to him and said casually. "The royal family has come to an end. The Captive of Lian Guo has voluntarily abdicated."
"Of course. Didn't Mr. Godwin say that the royal power is over? After this battle, the kingdom can't hold on anymore. If it weren't for the army of the south, the north would have been finished. The royal family can no longer control the situation. What else can they do other than reorganize?"
"That's true. The newspaper said that the eastern part of the Plains of the Holy Spirit is completely in ruins. If it weren't for the Cecil Army blocking the river in time, the western part would have been destroyed."
"To Gwen? To Cecil. We will soon call him His Majesty. "The man in overalls laughed and swirled the glass in his hand." Not bad. He's much better than the king. Who's the king again? "
"The one who just abdicated is Wales, but I guess you want to say Francesca. Anyway, there's not much difference. We don't know each other."
The two of them laughed. It seemed that neither of them felt sorry for the end of Ansu's royal power.
For a very long time in the past, the people of the Southern Region did not care about their king. This abandoned land had been left to fend for itself since a century ago. As for the distant Saint Sunil and the White Silver Fortress, many people of the Southern Region even treated them as part of the story.
Ordinary people were just that practical.
However, not everyone had the same idea. The sound of a wine glass hitting the table suddenly came from not far away, causing several pairs of eyes near the bar to look over.
"I just don't get it …" A man with an unshaven beard and a strong smell of alcohol was mumbling, but his mumbling was loud enough for everyone to hear. "Isn't he a duke? A duke … How did a duke suddenly become a king? A duke can't be a king …"
"Hey, Potter, you're drunk again," a familiar voice called from behind. "You've been here since the morning, haven't you?"
Someone else reminded the drunk man. "Not a king, you should call him His Majesty the Emperor. The title of king is gone."
"The same goes for the emperor … the emperor … and the government office and the constitution. It's all a bunch of things that people don't … don't understand." The drunk man stood up shakily, shook off the hands of several people who wanted to help him, and walked past the bar. "They say there are new opportunities everywhere … Damn new opportunities …"
The swaying man came down the aisle, and suddenly stopped by the little machine that was playing country ballads by the bar. His drunken eyes rolled, and suddenly there was a look of anger in them.
"You … noisy thing, you ruined … ruined my job …"
As he cursed, he suddenly lifted his leg and kicked the machine. But before he could lift his leg, the bartender behind the counter had already raised his hand. The magical device on the bartender's wrist flashed, and a block of ice with cold air smashed into the drunkard's face, causing him to fall on his back.
Two security guards walked forward and grabbed the drunkard who was still making a racket. They were about to drag him out of the door, but the bartender stopped the security guards and went to the drunkard. He reached out and took a copper coin from the drunkard's pocket.
"Ice cube, one copper coin." The bartender waved the magical terminal in his hand, which was used to make ice and fire, in front of the drunk man. After making sure that the drunk man nodded, he got up and left.
The drunkard was dragged away, and the small commotion was just an insignificant interlude. People continued to drink and chat. Some people who were not familiar with the drunkard asked about his background, and someone explained, "That? Potter, he's a bard. Actually, he's a crappy organist. Not many people listened to his music in the first place, and now even fewer. "
"He worked in the factory for a few days, but was fired for stealing. He was not willing to do anything else, and now … I think he's sold his instrument."
"A bard … No wonder he thinks that Cord's Tape Player is ruining his job."
"It's not just the CD player. He also blamed the newspapers and the magic network broadcast. He even blamed chess and the football team. He said that it was because these things attracted people's attention that they were not willing to listen to his story and play in the square …"
It seemed that the little interlude had sparked a discussion in their spare time. As he listened to the discussion around him, the man in overalls turned to look at the lanky man beside him. "Come to think of it, you're a bard too. Now that you don't perform in the streets anymore, would you blame this machine for ruining your job?"
The lanky man looked at the small machine beside the bar, and then at his friend, and suddenly smiled rather smugly.
"Don't you think the sound from this machine is familiar?" He smiled smugly, and when he saw the look of realization on his friend's face, his smile became even brighter. "This is what I recorded … Well, although I only recorded two of them."
Many people around them heard the conversation, and some of them could not help but look surprised. Seeing a person in a magical machine appear before them alive was always a novel and interesting feeling. The lanky man, who had received many surprised looks, smiled reservedly and added, "But compared to playing, I still prefer telling stories. So, I'm going to the Magic Net broadcast station in Calor City to give it a try. They seem to be recruiting people who are good at telling stories to make a new program …"
More and more people gathered around the bar, and a new topic of discussion had appeared there. However, in a corner far away from the bar, a thin and pale man in an old robe with messy short brown hair was still sitting quietly in his seat. He seemed to be uninterested in what was happening in the bar and the topics of discussion around him.
In front of this lanky, pale man, a current newspaper was spread out on the table. His eyes slowly moved across the newspaper and focused on one of the pages.
"According to preliminary investigations, the disaster caused by the Finality Cult originated from the 'power of the gods' that they stole. And the 'evil creation' that was destroyed by the Cecil Army and the siren allies seems to be a replica of the gods created by the Finality Cult through some means …
"The power of this replica originated from the fallen God of Nature …
"The God of Nature, the god that Druil once worshipped. There is evidence that this god fell three thousand years ago …"
After the thin and pale middle-aged man finished reading the contents of the newspaper, he suddenly sighed softly. "This kind of content … was actually printed in the newspaper and allowed to be discussed by those commoners who have just learned how to read … Could it be that this is where our mistake lies?"
No one heard his low sigh. After the lanky, pale man finished speaking, he quietly stood up. He gently rubbed his fingers, and a wisp of flame suddenly ignited out of thin air, instantly burning the newspaper on the table.
Looking at the ashes on the table, he was lost in thought for a moment before turning around and walking straight to the door of the bar, pushing the door open and leaving.
"Monolith City … I never thought that this place could become so prosperous."
Walking on the streets of this gateway city to the south, looking at the tall, new buildings and wide, clean streets around him, the middle-aged man could not help but mutter.
Then, he noticed that the pedestrians around him suddenly scattered in all directions, and a large group of security officers in black uniforms equipped with weapons and shields had appeared at the nearby entrances without him noticing. They were quickly gathering in his direction.
The lanky, pale man's first reaction was to reach for his waist, where he wore a short sword for self-defense. But after noticing the number of security officers and the weapons in their hands, he wisely stopped.
A tall security officer stepped forward, a solid magic shield shining faintly around him. "Sir, put down your weapon and raise your hands above your head! You are under arrest for violating the Extraordinaire Control Act! "
While announcing loudly, the security officer also quickly sized up the man in front of him out of professional instinct.
He was wearing an old-fashioned traditional short robe, a belted cloth belt, hand-sewn boots, and what seemed to be wide-legged trousers under the short robe. He was obviously a foreigner, and he should have just arrived in the south.
In the south, changes in labor tools and labor methods had caused changes in all aspects. Due to the need for safe operation of various types of machinery and equipment, and due to the dress code of factories, new close-fitting, light, easy to move, beautiful and practical clothing had gradually become the mainstream. All kinds of long robes, short robes, wide-legged trousers, wide-edged long sleeves, and jackets with belted belts were gradually replaced by close-fitting gowns and light work clothes, as well as daily variations of such clothing. Although some scholars believed that this change in "people determined by machines" was a restriction and a regression of traditional customs, it was undeniable that 90% of the workers in the south were accepting such changes, and those who still maintained the old style of clothing … were either more conservative people or foreigners.
In this fortress city located at the gateway to the south, the probability of the latter was higher.
The middle-aged man who was surrounded by the security officers was obviously still in shock and surprise, but he still understood what the security officer meant. He put the short sword and short staff on the ground and raised his hands above his head.
The security officer nodded and said, "Very good, sir. Active cooperation is a good start. Your name?"
The middle-aged man vigilantly observed the security officers around him. He was silent for two seconds, but finally said cooperatively, "Bard … Bard Wendell? Wendell. "
"Mr. Bard Bard?"
The middle-aged man's face trembled slightly. "No, it's Bard? Wendell. There's only one Bard. "
The security officer still maintained a serious face. "Okay, Mr. Wendell, you need to come with us. Whether you can be released depends on your performance."
"Why are you arresting me?" the middle-aged man finally could not help but ask, "I didn't hurt anyone …"
"We have detected unauthorized spellcasting," the security officer said, staring at Bard. "Times have changed, Mr. Wendell. Where's your spellcasting permit?"
Bard was stunned. "… Spellcasting permit? What's that? "
The security officer shrugged and said, "Well, it seems that you're a stowaway. This time, I'm afraid you're really going to be locked up. "
The corner of Bard's eyes twitched, but after a short hesitation, he finally sighed.
"At this point … it doesn't matter anymore." He sighed. "Do as you wish. I won't resist."
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