Sword of Dawn

The man and woman finally understood what Norris meant. They hesitated and struggled, but after seeing the entourage and guards around Norris, they showed a nervous and fearful look. The man explained everything—he could only make some guarantees, asked the entourage to take out some food, and emphasized that this was "the order of His Majesty the Emperor", so as to reassure them.

But before leaving with the soldiers, the hunchbacked man suddenly opened his mouth again, and said cautiously while pulling the thread on his clothes: "Master, we still have something... can we take it together?"

Norris nodded: "Yes, but not too much, the car can't fit."

The man thanked him very much, and then quickly ran back to the abandoned mill. After a while, he came out pushing a dilapidated small cart that seemed to be falling apart at any time—the cart was full of all kinds of things. All kinds of sundries, old pots and pans and rags that have lost their color are piled up together, leaving a place for people to sit.

This is all the belongings of this man and woman-Norris can almost imagine how they fled here pushing this small car, wandering between the villages and towns in the south, and then pushed this small car back to this place.

"That's all, that's all," the man showed a humble smile, "Not much."

The soldier who was about to escort the couple to the resettlement camp took a look at the contents of the car. He wanted to say that the rags could be thrown away. Anyway, the resettlement camp would give the refugees a set of daily necessities, but in the end the soldier didn’t say that. , but sighed: "Oh... things can be brought, but this cart can't, it can't be loaded into our car."

"Old...Master," the man panicked, "I can push the car and follow you! I can run very fast!"

The soldier shook his head: "No, you don't know..."

Norris interrupted the soldier: "Let's strap this little car to the roof."

The soldier looked embarrassed: "...My lord, this..."

"Do as I say," Norris shook his head. "This is their most precious thing right now."

"Yes, my lord."

"Master, you are really a good man!" The woman with dirty hair said quickly, "You look like a kind noble master!"

"I'm not a lord, let alone a noble lord, you can just call me sir," Norris corrected again, and then waved his hand, "Let's go, follow this soldier, our car is waiting by the side of the road. Don't be caught off guard for a while." The car was terrified."

The couple hastily agreed, but just after following the soldiers for a few steps, the hunchbacked man couldn't help turning his head back: "Master... Sir, do you think this place can really return to its original appearance?"

"...will become better than before," Norris said, looking into those cloudy but expectant eyes, "This is exactly the mission His Majesty entrusted to me."

"Then... can we come back then?" The man said quickly while observing the faces of the soldiers next to him, "Our house is in the town, and there are..."

He didn't finish his sentence, and the woman next to him seemed to bump his arm secretly, and Norris guessed what the half-sentence would be about—a can of wheat?A box of flour?a sickle?Or a few hard-earned silver coins?

He didn't ask, but just nodded his head vigorously: "I will come back—this is an order from His Majesty."

The hunchbacked man laughed: "Ah, it seems that His Majesty Cecil is really a good man."

They left.

After a long time, Norris finally broke the silence: "We still have a long way to go."

"Yes, Minister."

"But everything will be fine," Norris turned around. He looked at the vast fertile land that had been burned by war, and said as if talking to himself, "As His Majesty said... this land after burning On the land, new shoots will eventually grow."

Chapter 0698 The "resident" who can't be driven away

Wearing brand-new boots, a neat uniform, and a magnificent and beautiful badge and armband, the warden Maxillin walked in the corridor of the prison with his head held high. This man in his 30s had his hair neatly combed, The beard was trimmed just right, and he walked with a reserved smile. The keys and batons were hung on his belt, and they jingled.

This is a newly built prison, which is as brand new as the "government hall" in the city. There are wide and bright corridors and sturdy and beautiful cells in the prison. One of Maxillin's daily tasks is to patrol all the prisons with two prison guards. Corridors and rooms to ensure that no prisoners escape, self-harm, damage to prison facilities and private fights, this is a rather boring job, but for Maxillin, who likes law and order himself, this job is in harmony with himself appetite.

The situation in the regular control area is normal. The people locked here are basically petty thieves and drunken rioters. Some of these people are not even worthy of being imprisoned, but are just temporary cells of the Public Security Department. They were sent here for a few days because of limited space. They didn't dare to confront the guards, and they basically wouldn't fight in private to extend their detention time. Patrolling this area has always been the most relaxing and comfortable.

After passing through the regular control area, Maxillin led two prison guards towards the extraordinary containment area. Before the stairs leading to the underground, the warden glanced at the heat exchanger and ventilation device that were working normally on the wall next to him.

After confirming that everything was normal, Maxillin couldn't help muttering in a low voice: "This is really a good time... I feel so comfortable in prison."

After walking down a section of stairs and passing through a fence gate, there was a heavy alloy gate. When he came to this gate, Maxillin straightened his belt and uniform, and his expression became slightly serious.

Behind the gate is the deep part of the prison, a room dedicated to detaining superhuman criminals.

Starting from this area, there are sensing runes and alarm devices that detect magic fluctuations everywhere in front, and the cell is far stronger than other areas, and there are also many organs and traps specially used to counter spellcasters, although since this area was built There hasn't been a riot of extraordinary people since then, but Maxillin, who has faced extraordinary people on the battlefield, will instinctively raise his vigilance and get serious.

He subconsciously touched the scar on the lower part of his chest, which was once cut open by the scorching blade of a supernatural being. After recalling the burning pain, he turned on the shield generator at his waist and pressed the baton The internal organs ensure that the "magic countermeasure" is ready to be fired at any time.

The two accompanying prison guards also checked their equipment, then stepped forward one from the left and one from the right, and stuck the two keys on both sides of the gate at the same time.

With the creaking sound of the mechanical device, the heavy gate slowly opened in front of Maxillin.

The warden turned his head slightly, and ordered his subordinates: "Check the protection."

The two early warnings went to check the integrity of the protective runes, while Maxillin walked through the gate and took a look inside.

The rooms used to accommodate the extraordinary are obviously much smaller than the ordinary prison cells outside. There are only four small separate rooms in total, and at this time there are only two prisoners in the entire area:

The first room on the left was just locked in yesterday, a reckless arcanist who shot dead a neighbor's dog with an arcane missile after being seriously drunk - because he mistakenly thought that the dog was attacking him. Holy duel.This bad behavior resulted in him having to live here for a week after compensating according to the law, but Maxillin suspected that at least half of this week would be spent by the Arcanist sobering up.

This is a guy who deserves to be vigilant and careful, after all, he is still drunk—maybe he will treat the guard who came to round the room as another duelist, and also send an arcane missile.

The "guest" in the second room on the right has been here for a long time. He is a druid of unknown origin. He was imprisoned for the crime of casting spells without a license and illegal immigration. The taciturn druid is a "safer" guy, although his temperament is a bit gloomy.

After confirming that the drunk Arcanist was still talking nonsense, Maxillin went straight to the cell of the druid named "Bud Wendell" and knocked on the alloy fence inlaid with the magic material with his baton: "Hey, it's time for rounds."

In a small prison cell, a middle-aged man in gray and white prison clothes sat on the bed with his back facing the cell door. When he heard the movement behind him, he moved his arms and said without turning his head: "Wait a minute, I will Solve this problem soon."

"...Ha, you really feel like living in your own house," Maxillin laughed angrily, "I shouldn't have found you a math class to amuse yourself—look at the pictures you drew on the walls." What!"

In the small prison cell, almost all the walls and floors are painted with dazzling numbers and symbols, as well as some improvised poems and short sentences, which can be described as lively - writing and painting on the walls of the cell Painting can be said to be a "reserved hobby" of many prisoners, and the guards have always turned a blind eye to this kind of behavior, but it was the first time Maxillin saw someone write two walls on the wall. Equations and long and short sentences, this is really the most special prisoner he has ever seen.

Maxillin, who had been a knight apprentice for a short time, was literate, but what Bud wrote on the wall was beyond his comprehension. He just instinctively judged that the prisoner inside might have something to do with it, but the Transcendent has something How many have no background?

In the cell, Bud, who was sitting on the bed, finally finished solving his equations. The middle-aged man with a beard and messy hair stood up, put down the draft paper and pen in his hand, and said, "Don't worry, sir, I will wipe it myself later." dropped."

"Of course you will erase it—because you still have to write a new equation!" Maxillin glared at Bud inside, "I came to inform you that your detention time is up again, and you can leave tomorrow. After you go out, go to the government affairs department to apply for a migration registration..."

Just as the warden was halfway through his words, he saw Bud in the cell take out a small piece of dry hard bread that was secretly hidden under the pillow, and threw it to the wall not far from the fence—— Under the astonishing force of the wrist, a small piece of bread hit the wall like a stone bullet, and the latter rippled with a layer of protective light film, and then an alarm sounded...

Maxillin and the two prison guards who had just walked in had no time to stop them.

"Damn it! You can't use this method to extend the detention time every time!" Maxillin yelled angrily, "This is a prison, not a hotel where you stay every day! Did you hear me... you two What are you still doing? Go and turn off the damn alarm!"

The two alarms ran to turn off the alarm in a panic, and the drunk Arcanist was talking nonsense loudly in the room not far away. Bud in the cell shrugged at Maxillin: "It's very important to live here. Well, I'm not going anywhere."

"Next time, I'll search everything in your room. I'll take away your pen and your bread," Maxillin said angrily, "I'll see what you're doing."

Bud thought for a while, and said seriously: "I'm not a weak mage—I can trigger the alarm with booger."

Maxillin: "..."

For a while, the warden couldn't think of how to respond to this impeccable answer. He could only watch helplessly as the nasty druid slowly walked back to the bed and lay down slowly like an animal preparing to hibernate. Go down, slowly cover the quilt, as if there is no one else around, it makes the root of the teeth itchy.

"You are wasting the empire's money!" Maxillin finally couldn't help shouting, "Listen, I will report to the General Security Bureau and the Government Affairs Office when I get back, this loophole will be filled soon, you can't be here forever Eat and drink together!"

Bud's voice came from the bed: "I trust your conscientiousness, sir—but until then, I just want a good night's sleep."

Maxillin finally left annoyed, just like the previous two times.

The heavy alloy gate closed little by little with the sound of the mechanical device running, and the containment area became quiet again. After the muffled murmur of the drunk man in the adjacent cell gradually subsided, Bud Wendell, who was lying on the bed, opened his eyes. He opened his eyes for a look, then slowly closed them again.

For so many years, this was the only place where he could sleep peacefully.

Maxillin finished his patrol of the entire prison, and returned to his office with three points of annoyance.

As a person who started as a knight apprentice, participated in the first generation of Cecil Combat Corps, experienced all the territorial defense battles and the Southern Unification War, and has adapted to the basic environment of "every ordinary person is working hard", he could not Understand why there is a transcendent who is willing to sink into that appearance.

A few minutes later, the warden picked up the pen and paper on the desk and began writing a report.

Among other things, at least find a way to get that Bud Wendell out of the cell—otherwise, according to the momentum of that guy's steadfastness, he may be worse than the warden himself in this prison It's been longer!

……

"This is the latest report from Norris from the Holy Spirit Plain, ancestor, please have a look."

In Cecil City, in Gawain's study, Hetty put a thick report on the desk, and briefly relayed the contents of the report.

"Investigators sent by the Ministry of Agriculture and the Temporary Office for the Reconstruction of the Holy Spirit Plains have entered the southern part of the fertile forest, and have made rough statistics and assessments of the towns and farmland along the way. The working group believes that the most polluted area is still further north, it should be In the area around Boulder City and Solinburg, in the areas discovered so far, more than 50.00% of the fields can be recultivated within a year. Norris also emphasized that these lands that can be recultivated are not only slightly polluted, but also due to the burning of grass and trees. And recuperate, the coming year may even be more fertile."

"This is rare good news," Gao Wen stretched his brows, "The crystal cluster pollution was stopped in time, the crystal dust and the associated plague had not had time to soak into the soil too much, the land can be directly recultivated, and next year's food shortage crisis will be solved. gone."

"The key now is the abandonment of infrastructure such as towns, roads, and water sources," Hetty nodded, "All the original residential areas were the areas where the crystal cluster giants ravaged the most, and they were bombarded and completely burned by artillery fire. The facilities were completely destroyed. Relying solely on the Government Affairs Office to organize a team to rebuild and then organize the population to move back would probably be very slow and consume a lot of money—it might not even be possible to re-cultivate those farmlands that have not been completely abandoned. "

Gao Wen stroked his chin and said thoughtfully: "...This is indeed a problem. The Holy Spirit Plain is too big. Even if it is only the eastern part of the plain, the area is almost equivalent to half of the southern border..."

"Norris has a suggestion for that."

"Oh?" Gao Wen raised his eyebrows, "What suggestion?"

Hetty organized the language slightly: "Norris met many returnees in less polluted areas, all of whom had escaped from the polluted areas, wandered outside our control, and finally heard that the war was over and wanted to return to their homeland After questioning, plus the rough statistics of the southern, western, and eastern border passes of the plain, these people may account for about one-tenth of the total population of the original eastern plain—this is much more than we imagined.”

Gawain blinked.

After the disaster, a large number of refugees who left their homes wandered in the Plains of the Holy Spirit. This is what Gawain expected to happen from the very beginning. It took a lot of money to establish an effective administrative organization, and the Holy Spirit Plain is not the southern border after all. It is impossible to achieve careful management by relying on the limited shelter and resettlement team and the rescue efforts of the temporary government affairs department. This will inevitably lead to the emergence of a large number of refugees.

One tenth...

This number is shocking. The once prosperous eastern part of the Holy Spirit Plain is now really empty.

But at least one room wasn't empty.

"These wandering refugees need to be resettled, and it is very dangerous for them to wander unorganized in the polluted area. Norris suggested that we form a 'Joint Reconstruction Corps', led by the Supreme Government Office, centered on the Recruit Construction Corps and the official Pioneer Corps, to set up Several reconstruction teams, and then attract, recruit, and recruit those refugees through various means, and also encourage those who intend to return to their hometowns and have temporarily settled in other places to join the team and come back to rebuild their homes...

"Refugees only need the most basic guarantee of survival, and we can not only provide them with guarantees of survival, but also provide them with construction tools and guidance. With the motivation to return to their homes and receive land, there should be many responders. Using the experience of building New Cecil, and organizing a group of young clerks and government affairs newcomers who need to be experienced, together with the construction corps as the core, the scale of the reconstruction corps is enough to wipe out more land before it is completely deserted. Take it back from the weeds and the jackals."

"Take back the land from weeds and wolves...it can be used as a good publicity symbol," Gawain nodded. Apart from being satisfied with these proposals, he is also more pleased with the growth of government officials like Norris over the years , "Is this the end of Norris' plan?"

Hetty nodded: "Yes."

"Then let me add one more thing—after rebuilding the town and social order, the reconstruction group can take root on the spot and set up a government office, and simultaneously complete the construction and network of transportation, communications, and commerce."

The eastern part of the Holy Spirit Plain is already a blank sheet of paper, and now Gawain will directly cover it with the complete Cecil Order. When the wasteland is rebuilt, the fertile land in the eastern part of the Holy Spirit Plain will become a piece of peaceful land. The same "new land" in the south, and this new land from the rock fortress from south to north, can directly connect to the old king's capital San Sunil, and can also lead to the north, to the east...

The waste soil that was once burned will eventually grow new shoots, and the new flesh and blood will be healthier and stronger than before.

Chapter 0699 About Currency

With apprehension and curiosity, Maggie, led by Rebecca, came to the large building called "Magic Technology Research Institute".

It is said that this is the highest research center of Cecil magic technology.

It is said that more than half of those inconceivable magical devices that can exert great power and function, which were called "perfect runes that luck cannot explain" by the members of the Mage Association of the former capital, were born in this research center and in its attached facilities.

Maggie visited the southern border with Victoria, but at that time she did not have the opportunity to visit this temple of technology, but today she was invited here and became a member of a great project, which has to be said to be a kind of The wonderful arrangement of fate, driven by strong curiosity, Maggie couldn't help but look at everything in sight: everything here was very new to her.

The Institute of Magic Technology is not as magnificent and luxuriously decorated as the Royal Capital Mage Association she is familiar with (that is the closest facility she can think of to the temple in front of her in nature), but this building is several floors high. The large-scale building has its own unique beauty and solemnity. It consists of a main building and three auxiliary buildings. The foundation of the main building is supported by neatly arranged columns, while the top of the auxiliary buildings has three concise and powerful words:

Curious; rigorous; persistent.

This may explain part of the attitude of Cecil scholars towards research.

"These three words were proposed by Master Kamel. It is said that they were the rules that the scholars of the Gondor Empire abided by. The ancestors thought it made sense, so we let us hang these three words on the building of the research institute. On the top," Rebecca said happily beside her, "stay curious about the world, and discover the unknown while being curious; be rigorous in the face of the unknown, and find the direction of research through rigor; persevere in research, and verify the results through persistence... ..."

The princess of the empire spoke briskly and always had a smile on her face. She finally had the opportunity to abandon those court dresses that looked gorgeous but were inconvenient to move, and changed into simple dresses that were easy to move. Maggie found that she was leaving After Silver Fort came to this research facility, he really became happy.

This "Her Royal Highness" belongs here.

With a smile on her face, Maggie followed the chattering Rebecca, followed a group of men and women who worked in the research institute, and walked into the mysterious building.

Stepping into the gate, the first thing that catches the eye is a spacious and bright hall, illuminated by magic spar lamps, corridors and stairs leading to different places of the institute, and the most eye-catching one in the hall is , is a statue in the center.

That is not any hero or god that Maggie is familiar with, nor is it the current emperor of the Cecil Empire. Girls, standing in the center of this temple of knowledge and technology, illuminated by a beam of special magic spar lights, the man's gaze is gentle and calm, as if watching everyone who walks in here, and everyone who enters The magicians or rune masters of the research institute will also come to the statue first, bow deeply before leaving.

Maggie looked at the statue in surprise, and couldn't help asking: "Who are they?"

"It's the founder of modern magic technology and his daughter Annie." Rebecca restrained all her laughter, and said with a serious expression that Maggie saw for the first time, and then she also came to the statue, feeling deeply bowed respectfully.

Maggie was a little at a loss, but she also saluted, and then she saw the words on the pedestal under the statue: To the pioneers.

"Doesn't he have a name?" Maggie asked in surprise and curiosity.

"No... we only know that he is a wild mage, and he may have stayed in the Wangdu Mage Association," Rebecca said regretfully, "but we have checked all the information of the Wangdu Mage Association, but we can't find this wild mage." The mage's name...he might just be an assistant of a certain great magician, or his name might have been completely erased by the association. You know, in the circle of traditional mages, breaking away from one's own inheritance is a very serious matter, and the name will be removed from all It was removed from the case files, and nearly a quarter of the mages of San Sunil died in the battle of the city, and perhaps the last person who knew his real name also died on the city wall."

Maggie didn't know what to say for a while, but Rebecca smiled again, she smiled brightly, facing the man in the statue: "But it doesn't matter, his creation has not been forgotten, as long as we continue to work hard , 'Magic Net' will be remembered by everyone."

Maggie was stunned, but her eyes were deep in thought, while Rebecca had already started to walk towards the stairs not far away: "Come on, come on, I have to introduce you to a lot of people... "

……

In the city center, on the square in front of the "Lord's Mansion", a team of sentries guarded the avenue leading to the mansion, and several workers were busy at the checkpoint in front of the intersection of the avenue.

With the help of a hoist, a short-bodied worker reached the top of the metal lamppost hanging the road sign. With the help of the magic terminal, he removed a few rivets that fixed the sign. After some shaking, he took off the one that said: The metal sign of "Lord Cecil's Mansion" was passed to the colleague next to him.

A new sign was brought in and mounted on the steel frame at the side of the lamppost, with a brand new word: Palace of Cecil.

Beside the lamppost hanging the road sign, a magician looked up at the words on the sign, couldn't help but shook his head and said, "This is really a concise and clear name..."

"Your Majesty always likes to be concise and clear when naming names. The car driven by the magic power is called the magic car, the energy track paved with steel is called the railway, and the tower that can broadcast signals is called the broadcasting tower," said another fellow magician. The instructor laughed, "Anyway, I'm used to it."

"Then explain what the electricity in the 'magic capacitor' means..."

"This is your fault!!"