From the Fertile Woodlands to the Valley Cloister, from Boulder City to Solin Castle, from the Gorgon River to the mountain pass at the entrance of the Eastern Region, the land that had been burned by war and frozen for a winter was rapidly recovering.
The warm wind from the southern region swept across the vast fields of Solin, shaking the green seedlings in the fields and rolling up the flag fluttering on the wall of Solin Castle. On the flag, the emblem of Cecil with a blue background and golden stripes was undulating in the wind.
A young officer in a black and blue coat walked briskly on the semi-open connecting corridor between the city wall and the castle. He passed through the newly repaired passage, the brand-new arch of the main castle, and the inner castle cloister with a history of two hundred and thirty-four years. Finally, he gently knocked on the wooden door of the command office of the construction corps.
After getting a response, the young officer pushed the door open and entered.
Dressed in a Knight's uniform, Margarita, with a refreshing ponytail, was sitting behind the desk. She looked up at the subordinate who appeared in front of her and asked, "What's the matter?"
"Yes, sir." The young officer gave a crisp military salute and said meticulously, "I've received messages from Boulder City, Maple City, and the Fertile Woodlands. The magic network hub needed for the second phase of the project has been successfully activated. At present, the network backbone of the eastern region of the plain has been formed."
Margarita nodded and asked, "How's the Solin Main Hub?"
"The Solin Main Hub is running well. All the data is in line with expectations. Madam Bertilla also provided a very detailed observation report on the crystal array of the hub. The report has been approved by the expert team. The relevant information will be sorted out and presented to you. "
"Phew …" Margarita sighed softly and said, "Our efforts have not been in vain. We are one step closer to His Majesty's National Network Plan."
"Except for the Southern Region, which has already completed the construction, we seem to be the region with the fastest progress," the young subordinate said with a hint of pride. "We're building in ruins, but we're much faster than other places. The second is the West Coast. Then the West and the East. I heard that the Northern Region has only just started preparing for the second phase of the project... "
"This is because the Empire has given us more than half of the engineering force and countless manpower and material resources." Marguarita glanced at her subordinates and shook her head. "And it is precisely because the east bank is the reconstruction area that we can progress so quickly. The construction corps is based on the reconstruction camp, setting up camp while pushing forward the magic net hub. There are also convenient 'infrastructure' like the Solin Giant Tree. These conditions are not available in other areas."
"… You're right."
"Let's not talk about this anymore." Margarita waved her hand. "The backbone network is only the first step, and it's the simplest step. It's not difficult to connect the major cities to the network. The difficult part is that there are countless towns and even villages around the cities. These are all part of His Majesty's plan and must be completed.
"While we wait for the progress of the other major regions, we still have a lot of things to do. Go and prepare for a meeting tomorrow morning … "
The young subordinate left. Margarita gently exhaled. After calming herself down, she got up, left the desk, and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window next to her.
Solin Castle, which was gradually recovering its vitality, was bathing in the bright noon sun. The residents who had migrated here were busy working for their lives in the city blocks that were gradually being repaired.
A group of merchants from the East were loading and unloading goods in the square under the castle. They brought the most popular sugar and spices here and were ready to transport the local specialty, the 'Solin Fruit', to a faraway place.
Cheerful music could be heard from another corner of the square. Artists from the north had entered the city today. Colorful dancers were twirling and dancing on a makeshift stage. Two young people were busy at the edge of the stage, using magical terminals to create mist and fluttering snowflakes, adding a breathtaking effect to the originally simple stage and dance.
Even with the appearance of magic network broadcasts, newspapers, and movies in this world, there was still room for traditional forms of entertainment. This was especially true in remote and isolated areas where the limited magic network facilities could not satisfy everyone's needs. Thus, bards and traveling artists were still as popular as ever.
And these people who were active in the new era were also using their own ways to come into contact with and explore this rapidly changing world, adapting, learning, and trying their best to survive.
It was getting more and more lively day by day.
The female Knight from the Kant region in the South sighed, but she could not help but smile.
She was born and raised in a small place. She was a 'Knight from the countryside'. She never thought that one day she would stand here and have the identity she had today. The position of the head of the Solin Construction Corps was a position that her late father could not imagine. That old-fashioned old man had guarded the farm for the Kant family all his life. Even as a Knight, his knowledge might not be as good as an ordinary citizen of this era. But at this moment, Margarita suddenly remembered something her father once said to her:
"Margarita, good things don't always happen in this world. Many times, there may be more bad things. But as long as the sun rises tomorrow, we might as well look forward to the future a little more, just like the civilians look forward to the next year's harvest."
The female knight's gaze crossed the city and the city walls. From the high castle, her superhuman vision allowed her to clearly see the green waves that undulated in the wind on the farmlands outside the city.
The seeds cultivated by the Druil Research Institute and Madam Bertilla were thriving on this land. They had a higher survival rate, better resistance to cold and wind, and it was said that they would have a higher yield. Margarita did not know much about farming, but she knew what those waves represented. That was the hope of the entire plains for an entire year.
The Empire used various sources of food in exchange for the opportunity to survive until the next harvest season for the reconstruction area. The construction corps and the reconstruction camp did not waste this opportunity. With the help of the soil purification agent, the reconstruction area had already exceeded the original spring plowing plan. Now that summer had arrived, hope was surging in the wheat fields.
There were soldiers patrolling the villages and towns every day. Margarita ordered to set up sentries in all the grain-producing areas. The heavily armed soldiers and militia guarded the fields day and night like dragons guarding treasures. Nothing — no matter if it was the bandits that were almost wiped out or the beasts that destroyed the fields — was allowed to touch a grain of grain.
Her father did the same when he guarded the farm for the Kant family. Although some people teased him that he would become a Knight with a pitchfork sooner or later, her father had never let any bandits or beasts destroy the farm under his protection.
"In the end, I still 'inherited the family business'," the female Knight from Kant suddenly smiled and said to herself. The waves of the wheat fields in the distance were reflected in her eyes. "It should be a good harvest …"
…
There should be a good harvest this year.
A young government official with tanned skin, strong limbs, and short brown hair squatted by the field and carefully plucked a bunch of wheat. He observed the health of the plant, then put it into a special crystal glass tube and nodded slightly.
A few other people were busy beside him. Some were collecting soil samples, some were recording and calculating the data, and some were using alchemy potions to conduct on-site tests on the soil and plants.
"The situation is good," the young government official with short brown hair said to the person beside him. "These seeds look like they are growing well."
"The condition of Wheat Seed No. 2 used in the Western Region is said to be poor. Although it is not too bad, it did not meet expectations at all." Another government official shook his head. "Fortunately, other than Wheat Seed No. 2, the follow-up conditions of all the new seeds have met expectations. The production plan will not be affected."
"The purification of the soil is the most successful part. All the purification plans have exceeded expectations." The person in charge of collecting soil samples stood up and said with a hint of emotion. "I did not expect that in the end, it was the alchemy factory of Saint Sunil that made the biggest difference and filled the gap of the purification agent …"
"Back then, when the nobles of the Captical carried out the 'New Deal Reform', they built a lot of factories, but they were soon abandoned due to various reasons. However, although the factories were abandoned, at least the equipment in them was good stuff purchased from the Southern Border, and they could be used after some testing. Unfortunately, some of the machines in the factories were dismantled during the war and used to forge weapons and strengthen the city's defenses. "
"It can't be helped, Romulin. At least when it comes to guarding the Captical, we can't blame the nobles who chose to guard it back then." The colleague collecting soil samples shook his head, then looked at the wheat sample in the hands of the brown-haired young man. "Let's take the sample back and show it to Minister Norris. He is still waiting."
The young government official called Romulin lowered his head and looked at the transparent container in his hand. The plant that was full of vitality was lying quietly inside. It was full of green.
…
When a breeze blew into the room through the open window, Norris slowly opened his eyes. He saw a figure nearby, and the fragrance of plants rippled in the room.
"It's time to bloom …" The old man said softly, as if he was talking to himself. "So fast …"
The rustling of vines came from the side, and a group of moving vines came to the front of Norris' bed. Bertilla looked down at the old man on the bed, surrounded by flowers and vines. Her stiff face could not help but show a trace of helplessness. "Now is not the time to be concerned about this. Rest well is your job now."
"Am I not resting now?" Norris looked at the woman surrounded by the vines, and a smile appeared on his wrinkled face. "I have never rested like this in my life."
Bertilla frowned and looked at Norris. A stronger wind blew into the room, causing the string of shell wind chimes hanging by the window to jingle.
A vine suddenly crept along the floor, the wall, and the windowsill, quickly and silently closing the window.
Norris looked at Bertilla helplessly. "The Druil said that fresh air is good for me."
"Fresh air is not a 24-hour wind, and it depends on how strong the wind is," Bertilla said coldly. "And how can the Druil compare to me? When I picked up the oak staff, their grandfather's grandfather was not even born yet. "
Norris was stunned for a moment, and suddenly could not help but laugh. But perhaps he laughed too hard, and his laughter quickly turned into a series of coughs.
The coughs were stopped by Bertilla's healing spell.
"Is this worth laughing at?" The former pope of the Everything-Endgame Association, the former Saintess of the Pioneers, and the former Princess of Typhon frowned and said with a trace of dissatisfaction.
"I just thought of His Majesty, and he would say something similar," Norris panted and said slowly in a low voice. "I'm suddenly a little curious, do people like you who have lived for a long time like to joke about age and seniority?"
"We're just stating the facts, but the facts themselves sound like a joke," Bertilla said casually. "Instead of that, why don't you think about your own situation. So, do you accept my offer? Although aging is one of the most difficult laws of life to reverse, we still have a way. I can improve the method I used before to make it less harmful, and among your young descendants, I believe there's more than one who would be willing to sacrifice a little for you … "
"Madam Bertilla, I know you mean well," Norris interrupted. "But you know my answer.
"I can't accept prolonging my life at the expense of others.
"Although I know this is the result of you trying to improve the forbidden technique, but we all know that this level of improvement is still not in line with the laws of the Empire … even if there are volunteers.
"The law and order of the Empire … we have paid a high price for it, and I don't want it to be damaged, especially not by me.
"Because … I love it all."
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