Hao Ren found it hard to understand how a large country like the Dragon Empire could maintain an efficient and stable operation. The direct rule of the long-lived over the short-lived meant many hidden dangers and troubles under any circumstances. If the emperor really inherited the dragon soul and became immortal, then his way of thinking would inevitably change in the direction of the long-lived race. He would accumulate great wisdom and experience in the process, but it was precisely because of this that there was an insurmountable gap between him and his short-lived people.
Let me give you a very simple example. When an eternal ruler decided to formulate a thousand-year plan to benefit the people, and his people could only live for a hundred years at most, would the people really understand and support this plan that could not be achieved even after ten generations of hard work?
Hao Ren had never seen such a thing, but there was no shortage of such cases in the database of the inspectors.
But the Dragon Empire in front of him … seemed to be running well.
The Dragon Soul Emperor had incredible prestige in this country. Majestic statues of the Emperor clad in black armor could be seen everywhere in the city. The people of the empire regarded their Emperor as an eternal protector and regarded obeying the Emperor's orders as a matter of course and 'natural logic'. It seemed that no one would question any order from the Imperial Capital. In the thousands of years of history, the turmoil that occurred in this empire could be counted on one's fingers and every time it happened, it was quickly pacified.
At least, on the surface, the country seemed to be stable.
This was the conclusion that Hao Ren came to from what he saw in the carriage and what he heard from Awenna. Of course, since he had just arrived in the country, it would take some time for him to understand the real situation in the country.
The caravan soon found a place to stay in the town. There was a semi-official, semi-private inn for the caravan traveling in the empire, right in the middle of the town. Awenna, Charlemagne, and Hao Ren might not be able to walk around often because of their identities, but they had obviously received a very good education. Coupled with the fact that there were specialized guards who knew a lot about the affairs of the Dragon Empire, it did not take them much effort to settle down in the inn.
After settling down in his room, Hao Ren came to the window and pushed open the window sash inlaid with countless diamond-shaped glass and engraved with rose patterns. Since the buildings here were high and the civilian buildings were usually low, he had a panoramic view of the town at this moment.
The architecture of the empire was mainly in dark colors, and the undulating roofs continued to stretch in his field of vision. The Gothic spires, eaves, and small towers gave the whole town a strange and mysterious atmosphere. Although the town was small and not rich, it still looked clean, prosperous, and well-organized. On both sides of the wide road that ran through the town, there were countless neatly arranged shops and workshops. Other than that, there were all kinds of inns of various sizes. The selling of various alchemy tools, magitek tools, and hotel accommodation were the main sources of income of the town, and the customers were the merchants and travelers who passed by. There was a small airship berth near the town. Although the berth was not large, it still brought a lot of people to the town.
At this moment, the sun was setting in the west, and the golden rays of sunlight shone on the gothic town, causing the rows of roofs and spires to sparkle. Not only was the sound of machinery running from the magic workshop not noisy, but it also filled the place with a wonderful and warm atmosphere.
Suddenly, the sound of galloping horses came from the wide bluestone path. Hao Ren's attention was attracted by the sound. He looked in the direction of the sound and saw a few knights in black armor with black swords on their waists galloping down the path below. The knight in the lead was holding a flag with a blue background and two swords fluttering in the wind.
The pedestrians on both sides of the street gave way to the knights in awe.
Hao Ren frowned. Are those the legendary knights of the Ebon Blade?
After a while, there was a series of footsteps outside the door, followed by a few rhythmic knocks. It was definitely not Lily. If it was Lily, she would have carried the door and come in to greet him.
Sure enough, Awenna's voice came from outside the door. "Mr. Hao Ren, may I come in?"
Hao Ren answered, "The door is not locked."
The door opened, and Princess Izzo, with her beautiful light gray eyes, stood outside the door, and Charlemagne stood beside her.
Hao Ren invited the two into the room and looked at them curiously. "Is there a problem?"
"I'm just here to see if you've settled down," Awenna said gracefully, completely devoid of the so-called arrogance and haughtiness of a member of the royal family. "I can see that such a hotel is far inferior to your ship. I hope you can get used to it."
"Don't use honorifics. I'm not used to it." Hao Ren waved his hand. "The conditions here are quite good. It's much better than sleeping in a cave in the crypt. I've experienced some hardship. I'm a successful person in the religious world, and I can't be worse than royal family members like you, can I? "
A stiff smile appeared on Charlemagne's face. "You speak in a strange way. I can understand the words, but the sentences are not easy to understand."
Hao Ren smiled. He suddenly remembered the black knights he saw from the window. "You must be looking for me for something else. Speaking of which, I saw a few knights in black running down the stairs. Are they the legendary Knights of the Ebon Blade?"
Charlemagne and Awenna looked at each other, and the prince nodded. "Yes, the Knights of the Ebon Blade are all dressed like that. Their mechanical swords are unique in L 'Haronne, and they are easy to recognize."
"So that thing is a mechanical sword?" Hao Ren muttered. "Ah, I don't know much about the Knights of the Ebon Blade. Can you tell me more about them?"
"The Knights of the Ebon Blade are the military symbol of the Dragon Empire and the most powerful regular army in the world." Awenna was always responsible for introducing the customs of the Dragon Empire, and this time was no exception. "They answer directly to the emperor of the Dragon Empire, and they have a very strict organizational system. Every Knight of the Ebon Blade is an elite picked from the best of the best. Not only do they have to be proficient in martial arts, but they also have to be trained in magic, culture, history, pharmaceutics, and other knowledge, as well as learn the unique ability of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, the Mark of the Dragon. These knights are usually scattered throughout the Empire, responsible for maintaining order in the country and conveying the will of His Majesty the Emperor. However, if there is a war, they can quickly regroup and form an army. Moreover, the speed of their regrouping and the coordination of the army is simply unbelievable. "
Charlemagne added, "They are scattered all over the country all year round, and many of the Knights of the Ebon Blade will not see each other for more than a decade after they leave the barracks. But with a single order, they can quickly regroup according to the organization in the barracks, and there is no need for any re-familiarization process. No one in the world can understand how they do it, and the people of the empire call it the 'Miracle of the Emperor' without giving it much thought."
"It's really amazing," Hao Ren exclaimed from the bottom of his heart. The selection criteria and training process of the Knights of the Ebon Blade were amazing enough, and their special way of organization was even more eye-opening. If he had not seen the legion of the guardian giants and had a more disciplined drone army, Hao Ren would have been even more amazed. "But as you said, they are the most powerful 'regular army'. Is there anyone more powerful than the Knights of the Ebon Blade in the irregular army?"
"Of course," Awenna said faintly. "The Knights of the Ebon Blade may be strong, but they are still soldiers trained in batches. But there are many warriors in the world that cannot be measured by common sense, such as the Rune Warriors of the Ancient Kingdom of Izzo, the Tidecaller from the Gray Mist Strait, and the Forest Whisperer of the White Elves. In a one-on-one situation, they are stronger than the Knights of the Ebon Blade. But they are so rare that they can be regarded as national treasures, and they cannot be compared to the Knights of the Ebon Blade."
"Are there such 'irregular elites' in the Dragon Empire?" Hao Ren asked curiously. Every country had its own trump card, which served as the ultimate threat of force like a nuclear bomb. There was no reason that the Dragon Empire, which was founded on military might, did not have such a trump card.
"Of course," Awenna nodded. "The princess, known as the Dark Dragoness, personally leads a group of Knights of the Broken Blade. The number is only one percent of the Knights of the Ebon Blade, but the Knights of the Broken Blade are so strong that they are almost not mortals. They never carry out any missions, or rather, the missions they carry out will not be known to anyone who knows, and that is the 'Shadow Ace' of the Dragon Empire …"
"Wait a minute," Hao Ren quickly stopped her. "Where did this princess come from? The emperor of the Dragon Empire has a daughter? "
What Hao Ren wanted to ask was how many children the immortal emperor had, and whether those children intended to inherit the throne. With an immortal emperor for a father, how troublesome would it be to be the crown prince?
But considering that it was not a serious question, Hao Ren decided not to ask.
Although she did not ask such a frustrating question, Awenna still gave Hao Ren a strange look. "It seems that the Basilica of the World Tree is really isolated from the world."
Hao Ren's expression did not change. "Of course, we are busy maintaining world peace in places you can't see."
Hao Ren's biggest strength was telling the truth.
Awenna sighed. "Of course there is a princess in the Dragon Empire, Constance Dragon. Everyone knows her. But her father, the 'Eternal Emperor' Berentine Dragon, actually didn't have a wife … "
Hao Ren's eyes suddenly changed. There seemed to be a story behind it.
"I know what you are thinking, but you'd better not say it." Awenna shook her head. "No one knows the real origin of Princess Constance. People only know that two hundred and twenty years ago, there was a 'mutation' near the capital of the Dragon Empire. It is said that a mountain disappeared overnight, leaving only a large pit full of hot lava. His Majesty Berentine personally went to investigate, and then brought back a baby girl and adopted her as his daughter. That was Princess Constance. Of course, people have speculated whether she was His Majesty Berentine's illegitimate daughter. After all, two hundred and twenty years have passed, and the princess is still in her youth. She obviously has an inhuman bloodline. But such doubts never lasted. Over time, people no longer mention this topic. "
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