As nobles, it was part of their social duties to socialize with other nobles of similar status. Therefore, as the heirs of the Protector Dukes and young nobles of similar age, Fendil Werde and Eliven Franklin naturally knew each other, and they even had a certain personal friendship.
This personal friendship could be described as "each other's children".
In the Ansu era, other than the Cecil family, which had declined, the other three heirs of the Protector Dukes were of similar age and status, and they all shouldered certain responsibilities. Naturally, such a situation was inevitable.
But this did not diminish the friendship between them.
Eliven and Fendil had not seen each other for a long time. At this moment, they met again in the city of Cecil, which represented the forefront of the magical technology industry. Both of them had the same goal of learning, so they naturally had a lot to talk about. But before that, there was a third person here.
Firm felt that he was in a trance. His companion for half a month was actually the heir of the Duke of the Northern Territory. This kind of thing, which could not be casually made up in a play, happened in the real world. For a moment, he could not tell the difference between dream and reality. The young man from Bablon swayed twice. When he looked at Fendil again, his eyes were no longer as natural as before. "I … You …"
Before Firm could continue, Fendil waved his hand and interrupted him. "Friend, stop. Don't use honorifics and titles."
Firm's eyes widened. For a moment, he did not know how to continue.
Fendil could not help but sigh in his heart.
He thought that his performance in getting close to the commoner on the journey was not bad, and he also thought that he had done his best to close the distance between him and this commoner friend of his.
He had carefully studied His Majesty Gwen Cecil's theories on the nature of the aristocratic system. Those theories were an eye-opener for this young noble born and raised in the mountains of the Northern Territory.
But perhaps that was just an unwarranted yearning of an overly impetuous young man after seeing things that deviated from the orthodoxy.
When he left the mountains of the Northern Territory, he thought that he would be an outstanding 'new noble'. He was willing to support His Majesty Gwen Cecil's reforms and personally break the rotten barriers accumulated by the old Ansu nobles. He was so confident because he was the heir of the Duke of the Northern Territory, a great noble. Since a great noble like him was willing to break his own identity, what could stop him from becoming friends with one or a few commoners?
But now, he suddenly vaguely understood what his aunt had said to him when he passed by Saint Sunil.
"… If you have such thoughts, it means that you are still arrogant. The barrier between the nobles and the commoners is not something that can be broken by a noble 'lowering himself'."
Fendill smiled silently as he looked at Firm, whose eyes were filled with nervousness and a look of subservience.
That wall is really strong. His Majesty Gwen blew up Gravel Ridge, broke through the Holy Spirit Plain, and deprived the entire country of the nobles' privileges with a contract, but the wall still stands stubbornly in people's hearts, as stubborn as the frozen boulders in the north.
But northerners were often more stubborn than rocks.
He reached out and patted Firm's shoulder hard.
"Relax, my friend. You're the creator of the magic movie. Let's not think about your identity for now. Didn't you say that you're going to meet Her Highness Rebecca with a letter of recommendation from that great merchant?"
Firm woke up from his shock. The mention of 'Her Highness Rebecca' by Fendill instantly diverted his attention from the words' heir to the Duke of the Northern Region '. The blond young man subconsciously touched the box in his hand. The box contained the fruit of his blood, sweat, and tears, the hope for the revival of his family's troupe, and all the chips and hopes that he had staked everything on coming to the Southern Region. All of this made his mood quickly return to normal.
Beside him, Erawen looked at Fendill curiously. "You mentioned the magic movie movie just now … What is that?"
"Ha, that is a novel and interesting idea. If you are interested, do you want to come along?"
…
In the warm cheers and cannon salutes, Gwen left the stage.
Behind him, the hundreds of runes on the magnificent classical arches of Imperial College were shining faintly, and the thick shield covering the gate was gradually fading. As a symbol, the first batch of teachers and students were walking through the gate. The tall and thin Dean of Imperial College, Santis Said, was standing at the gate, watching the students walk into the college with excited eyes.
Around the square, several large holographic projections were playing in a loop, introducing the main subjects of Imperial College in short, easy-to-understand videos, introducing the situation of the four branches of Imperial College, the way for citizens of Imperial College to apply for the college, and the basic requirements for admission.
The citizens gathered in the square were gradually dispersing, but a considerable number of them stayed in the square. They gathered around the holographic projections and curiously looked at the content introduced in the projections. Some people shook their heads regretfully, but some people's eyes were shining with an inexplicable light.
Gwen did not disturb them. He returned to the magic car parked at the side of the square.
As soon as he sat down, a petite figure suddenly appeared in the seat next to Gwen. Amber was sitting there, looking in the direction of Imperial College.
"What a beautiful place … It's even prettier than your shabby palace …" The half-elf lady muttered. "You're really willing to spend money on this."
"This is the foundation of the country. No matter how many grand plans I have, in the end, they all rely on people to realize them, and people … need these colleges to cultivate them," Gwen said with a smile. "Why, are you interested in going in and 'meltdown'?"
"Not at all." Hu Po immediately turned around and glared at him. "As the head of the Empire's Military Intelligence, how am I supposed to maintain my dignity in front of those brats when I'm not up to standard in my cultural studies?"
"… I didn't mention your cultural classes …"
"Isn't it obvious? Do you think I don't know my place?"
Gwen was speechless.
After a helpless smile, he shook his head and asked, "What are those two young people doing?"
"Visiting the city and experiencing life. They seem to be very interested in mingling with the civilians and ignoring the rules … But how should I say it, they should also have the intention of observing 'Cecil's Order' on behalf of their respective families, but they did not do anything out of line."
"Let the young people relax a little," Gwen said with a smile. "The curiosity and enthusiasm of young people are the most precious."
"You sound a bit old-fashioned." Amber curled her lips. "And when did you become so tolerant of young people? Didn't you always say that the old forces, especially the young people in the old forces, need to be strictly reformed and re-educated? "
Gwen did not answer immediately. Instead, he turned his head and looked out the window, watching the figures walking into the college.
"I can be more tolerant now," he said lightly. "After all, they are about to start school."
…
Out of Firm's expectation, the Magical Engineering Research Institute was not difficult to find, and even … not too difficult to enter.
It was not far from the Imperial College. It was a tall and eye-catching building with an open entrance and a square with a small fountain. It was completely different from the gloomy and strict mage tower that Firm had imagined. There were no scary arcane puppets or a large number of troops guarding the entrance. Although there were many people going in and out, most of them were 'ordinary people' wearing white robes or blue uniforms. These people did not have the temperament of a mage at all, and their behavior was the same.
After taking out the letter of introduction and the identity documents issued by the Saint Sunil and verifying the witnesses, the guards in front of the institute building kindly let them in.
This made Firm rather surprised and surprised.
Fendill and Erawen looked at each other.
As spellcasters, they could see a completely different scene from what Firm saw.
From the plaza in front of the entrance all the way to the entrance hall of this Magic Engineering Research Institute, there were over a hundred mana monitoring devices of various sizes set up along the way. There were also countless hidden Spell Countermeasures and Mana Interference Traps. The seemingly ordinary guards at the entrance were probably armed to the teeth with magic engineering equipment. Inside the building, powerful mana sources were practically everywhere, making one tremble in fear.
The magic items here … really seemed to be free.
The two young nobles could not help but tense up and pay more attention to their words and actions.
They did not show their noble background but only used ordinary 'citizen documents' (a new thing under Cecil's Order) and Firm's guarantee to obtain the opportunity to enter this facility. They did not want to cause trouble here, because not only would it mean that this trip to the South would have a bad start, but it would also mean that their family's reputation would be tarnished.
The three of them entered the Magical Engineering Research Institute and confirmed from the guide that Her Highness Rebecca was here. They then followed the guide's instructions and took the lift connecting the various floors of the main building. Soon, they arrived at the third floor of this large facility.
Spacious and bright corridors, neatly distributed laboratories, researchers quietly walking in the corridors, rune devices inlaid on the walls, magic products everywhere …
Everything here was an eye-opener for the three young people.
Fendill could not help but sigh.
After seeing the scene here, he realized that the advanced 'Highlander' was actually just so-so.
"I've never seen a magic experiment place like this," Erawen muttered in a low voice. "Father's magic laboratory is more like a dungeon compared to this."
"Aunt's is the same … No, it might be worse." Fendill shook his head. "Aunt's ability to organize things is a disaster, and she doesn't allow anyone to interfere with her magic experiments."
Firm listened to the two duke's heirs discussing the secrets of the top nobles. He had mixed feelings. He was nervous and strangely excited, but he did not dare to speak.
Fortunately, his nervous and depressed state did not last long. They had arrived at the door of the laboratory that the guide had mentioned.
A researcher in a short robe opened the door and walked out of the room. Fendill immediately stepped forward and explained the purpose of their visit.
"Are you looking for Her Highness Rebecca?" The male researcher in a short robe, with a receding hairline, looked at the three people in front of him curiously, then shook his head. "Something happened here. She is temporarily out."
"Something happened?" Fendill asked curiously. At the same time, he saw the scene in the laboratory through the open door from the corner of his eye.
Although he could not see clearly, it seemed that something had exploded inside. Charred fragments were embedded in the wall, and smoke and dust were floating in the air. There was a pungent smell in the air.
"Some daily experimental by-products." The male researcher with a receding hairline moved his body quietly, blocking the visitors' view, and raised his finger to point to a room at the end of the corridor. "Her Highness Rebecca is over there in the lounge. You can wait there, but don't disturb her. She is adjusting herself."
Self-adjusting?
Fendil and Erawin were even more confused. They were curious about the princess of the Imperium whom they had heard a long time ago, the daily operation of the facility, and the so-called 'self-adjustment'. Looking at each other, they led Firm, who was still at a loss, to the lounge at the end of the corridor.
The three of them came to the door of the lounge. Before they opened the door, they vaguely heard some sounds.
It was a gentle and soothing melody. Ding ding dong dong dong, it moved one's heartstrings. Fendill, who was about to push open the door, could not help but stop.
Then, he pushed open the door even more carefully and slowly.
In a brightly lit lounge, a young girl wearing a plain long dress with a short white robe over it was sitting in front of a piano, immersed in her performance.
Only the side of the girl's face could be seen. The light from above shone on her light brown hair, coating it with a layer of bright light and casting a faint shadow on her face. Her fingertips danced on the piano keys, and her face was calm and indifferent. It was as if she had become one with the instrument, completely unaffected by the disturbance of external things.
The soft and soothing music flowed from the girl's fingertips and flowed throughout the room.
The girl was not the only one in the room. Several people in standard white robes were sitting everywhere. They should be the researchers who had come to rest. At this moment, they seemed to have been immersed in the girl's performance.
Firm, Erawen, and Erawen, who carefully pushed the door open and entered the room, guessed that the girl who was playing the piano should be the rumored 'Princess Rebecca'. Fendill was rather surprised, because he had heard some things about Princess Rebecca. It was rumored that the princess was not someone who was quiet enough to play the piano quietly. Erawen, on the other hand, vaguely heard the whispers of the researchers in the room.
"I didn't know that Princess Rebecca's musical talent was so high …"
"Is this your first time hearing it?"
"Yes, it's my first time hearing it …"
"It's said that Princess Rebecca's music teacher back then was quite skilled …"
"No wonder …"
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