At the border of Cecil City.
A huge magic network relay tower stood on the edge of the snow-covered fields. The tower shone with the luster of metal and crystal under the bright sun. The huge antenna device and crystal array at the top of the tower rotated quietly under the control of a series of mechanical structures, providing the city and the vast area around the city with the transmission of magic network signals.
At the top of the tower, on the base of the antenna device, a long snake tail was clinging to the cold steel surface.
The snake tail retracted and swayed. Tyre poked her head out from under the antenna. She raised her head and faced the cold wind. Her long hair danced in the wind. Only the sirens could hear and understand the "singing" that lingered in her ears with the ripples of magic power.
"Naga …" The siren frowned and whispered to herself in doubt. "I haven't gone back for a while, and such strange things have happened …"
As she said, she shook her head gently, bent down, released her tail, and prepared to return to the ground along the tower.
"It doesn't matter. There are always strange things happening in the deep sea. I just don't know if Gwen is interested in it … Hmm?"
Tyre blinked in confusion and arched her body forward, but the back half of her tail did not move.
She looked back and saw that her tail was still firmly wrapped around the antenna base. The surface of the scales was covered with a layer of crystal clear ice crystals, and the inside was also translucent.
"Sigh …" The siren finally panicked a little and moved her tail harder. "Oh … It's frozen … Why is it so cold up here … Who can help …"
A soft cracking sound came into her ears. Tyre's struggling suddenly stopped. She looked a little sluggishly in the direction of the sound and saw the back half of her tail cracking open. The cracks were spreading outward along the transparent ice crystals.
Tyr turned his head and looked in the direction he came from. He saw the smooth and frozen slope of the top of the tower and the ground far below.
Her tail broke with a crack.
"… The gentle deep sea … Today is a failure of my life …"
…
In the city of Cecil, three young people who came from all over the world but met by chance were walking on the winter street.
The streets were clean and spotless. Tall and beautiful houses lined both sides of the road. Shops, residences, cafes, and various public facilities intertwined in this incredible city. Citizens wearing warm winter clothes and in high spirits could be seen everywhere. In this cold winter, no one seemed to be worried about hunger or cold.
At the intersection of the streets, in the square, and in places where people gathered, holographic projections projected by magic network terminals could be seen everywhere. The projections either showed the latest radio programs, the announcements of the government office, or the advertisements of some chambers of commerce and companies.
Firm was like a magic network terminal running at full power. He opened his eyes wide and looked at everything in the city, observing all the details that he could observe. In the eyes of this young man from Bablon, the whole city of Cecil was like a stage full of fantasies, wonders, and incredible people and things. Everything on this stage was like a play to him. Every detail was so wonderful and so incredible. However, these incredible things really existed here.
Fendill was also observing the city, but in the eyes of this young noble from the mountains in the north, he felt that this city was on a completely different level from Firm's.
This was a city without a noble district or a peaceful district. All the city facilities here were open to all legal citizens. Survival and comfort were the priority here.
In the eyes of the old-style nobles, this place could be described as a deviant.
But the era of the old-style nobles was over. The order in this city had become a new 'system.' Everything here would be extended to the mountains in the north sooner or later.
His aunt seemed to have prepared for this. Those northern nobles who still occupied castles and manors must also be prepared. As for Fendill himself … he finally understood why his aunt had to send him here and let him be influenced by the Cecil Order here.
Some things really could not be understood clearly from books and the descriptions of others.
"I thought we would start making your 'magic movie' immediately." While walking, Erawen looked at Firm beside him. "We've prepared the venue and recruited some people, but it seems that you still need to do some preparations?"
"Yes …" Firm said hesitantly, but soon his tone became natural. "His Majesty reminded me to pay attention to the truth of the script and to observe what the real Southern Region looks like. Today, when I came out for a walk, I really realized His Majesty's good intentions. I took too many things for granted in my previous script. The real Southern Region is actually beyond my imagination. If I didn't carefully observe here, I'm afraid the script I made would be laughed at by the locals. "
"Although I don't think the situation is as exaggerated as you said, it does make some sense." Fendill shrugged with a smile. "After all, we saw with our own eyes that the residents in the city don't use enough charcoal for heating. They use magic heat exchangers here."
Firm laughed awkwardly.
"Starting tomorrow, I'm going to visit some people," he said. "I've heard that there are many immigrant families in the West End. They experienced the first expansion of the city and know those days very well. Then I'd like to visit some gentlemen who live in the Craftsman's Quarter. They arrived here from the old king's city two months ago. I should be able to hear from them how real immigrants started a new life here."
"Down to earth, a good start." Fendill nodded with a smile. "Firm and I will officially report to the academy in two days. At that time, you are also welcome to come to the academy. You can see how those who came to the South to study live and learn."
On the other side, Erawen also said, "And don't worry, we will continue to help you make the magic movie. I think the academy's homework should not make us unable to find time to help our friends. No matter how busy we are, we can at least give you advice."
"Thank you very much. Without your help, I really don't know how to do some things. After all, I'm not as mature as my father." Fendill showed a grateful expression, but then a hesitant look appeared on his face. After a pause, he continued, "To be honest, I … didn't think that I would have the opportunity to work with people like you."
Fendill looked at Firm. "Do you still mind our identity?"
Firm looked at the tall northern noble and nodded after a short thought. "I can't go against my heart. When I talk to you, I'm still a little restrained, but I feel that I'm gradually getting used to it. The feeling you give me is not the same as the nobles I've met before. You have some special … atmosphere. It's very wonderful. I don't know how to describe it. "
Fendill looked at Firm quietly for two seconds. Suddenly, he chuckled and shook his head. "In fact, if you see us before the signing ceremony in the White Silver Castle, your feeling towards us will be no different from the other nobles you've met before."
Firm was a little stunned.
"We have all the styles you've seen before. It's just that we know how to restrain our habits better than those old people," Fendill said calmly. "The rules of the nobles … Oh, that thing is like a room full of fish and shrimps. Those who stay in it will be deeply contaminated by its smell. No one in our circle can escape, or rather, no one is allowed to escape.
"My friend, Erawen and I also came out of that room. But as His Majesty said, a new era has come, and anyone who is familiar with history will know one thing: only those who embrace the new era in time are qualified to survive.
"Of course, I'm not saying this to mean that my friendship with you is fake. On the contrary, I'm very satisfied with our current situation. Because just like there will always be one in a thousand bottles of wine that will be accidentally broken, there will always be one or two strange fellows in a thousand nobles."
On the other side, Erawen also chimed in. "Thanks to the signing ceremony in the Silver Castle, at least now some nobles who are unwilling to stay in that room full of fish and shrimps have a chance to come out legally. I can already foresee that the signing ceremony will definitely be recorded in history books and become a lesson that future scholars must study. "
Firm listened to the words of his two companions, showed a thoughtful look, but then shook his head slightly awkwardly. "Although I understand, I'm not familiar with history … My understanding of history comes from those exaggerated old scripts. You should know that in the past, civilians were not allowed to touch the real history books. "
"… There are history lessons in the Imperial Academy," Fendill suddenly said after a moment of silence. "I think, this may be the greatest thing about His Majesty."
Firm was a little confused for a moment.
Fendill noticed the confusion in his eyes and patted him on the shoulder. "If you have the chance, go buy more books to read. The number of books that civilians are allowed to read now is much more than before."
"I want to go to a place," Erawen suddenly said and looked at Fendill. "You should also want to go and see, right?"
Fendill almost instantly understood what Erawen meant and nodded gently. "Well, after all, he's here …"
Firm looked at the two in confusion. "What are you talking about?"
"We're going to meet someone, our mutual friend," Fendill said softly. "You should come with us and get to know him."
Firm glanced at Fendill and Erawen separately. He found that the expressions of his two friends seemed to have changed, but he did not know why. But he still nodded. "Of course … Is it far?"
"Not far." Erawen looked up and looked at the end of the street. "I heard … he's been placed there."
Firm noticed a strange word in Erawen's words. "Placed?"
Erawen did not answer but just followed Fendill's footsteps and walked to the end of the street.
Phil had no choice but to follow him with a confused look on his face.
…
At the end of the street, a solemn building stood in a small square.
The building looked very new, as if it had just been built.
"Ansu Civil War Memorial …" Firm looked up and curiously looked at the sign in front of the building. "Your friend is here?"
"That's right." Fendill nodded and took the lead to walk up the ten steps of the memorial.
There were guards at the entrance of the memorial hall. They informed the three that today was a closed day, and the memorial hall was not open to ordinary citizens. However, Firm saw Erawen and Fendill saying something to the guards and showing their identification. After some negotiation, the two guards nodded in agreement and turned to open the door of the memorial hall.
"Please leave within an hour, and do not enter the side hall or the back cloister," the guards reminded after opening the door.
"This is a little 'privilege'," Fendill looked at Firm who was walking up the steps and said in a slightly mocking tone.
The three of them walked into this special-looking building. Soon after they entered, Firm saw a hall in front of them.
Because it was a closed day, the hall was very quiet, and the lights in the hall were less than half lit. In the slightly dim light, Firm immediately noticed the 'figure' standing in the middle of the hall.
After he followed Fendill and Erawen, he realized that the figure was a lifelike sculpture.
A young man holding a long sword and wearing armor stood there, bathed in the light of a single magic crystal lamp, quietly looking in the direction of the entrance of the hall.
At this point, Firm had already understood.
This was probably the 'mutual friend' that Fendill and Erawen mentioned.
"He is Berk, Berk Loren," Fendill said. He stared at the lifelike sculpture for a long time. "He is the oldest of the three of us."
"He took a road that we never dared to think of and ushered in an ending that we never thought of," Erawen sighed softly. "He used to tell us a lot about the times and changes, but when he was willing to tell us those things, I never understood. When I could understand, he was already here."
Fendill and Berk's' sculpture 'stood opposite each other. Fendill stared at the pair of eyes that had turned into cold stone for a long time, and suddenly broke the silence.
"Berk, as you wish, this great era has finally come."
A heavy and solemn atmosphere lingered here. Firm did not know what to say. He was silent for a long time before he finally said, "Can you tell me about him?"
"Of course, but we only know part of it," Fendill said slowly. "As for the rest, the soldiers who participated in the war may know some, the former lord of Pompeii may know some, and the commanders of Rock Fortress may know some. I'm not sure if these scattered pieces can be pieced together into a complete story, but if possible, if there is a chance in the future, I hope you can write this story down and write it into your magic movie.
"Just think of it as a legacy for the last Knight of the old era."
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