Sword of Dawn

Melita blinked, then laughed: "Of course!"

This arrangement was more than appropriate—it had far exceeded her expectations.

But while she was satisfied, she was a little worried: "There has never been a baby dragon hatched in a place other than Tallond before. After all, the magic environment in Loren Continent is different from here. Dragon eggs can really be hatched over there." Did it hatch safely?"

"You should have more confidence in the vitality of the dragon egg, it's not as fragile as you think," Heragor said, with a strange look on his face, "and you're going to Cecil... ...Gauwain Cecil can even hatch gods."

Melita couldn't help reminding at the side: "Actually, it's not considered hatched...the last time I saw it was still an egg."

As soon as she finished speaking, she felt that her sentence was inappropriate. The words and sentences seemed to lack respect for the old gods of the dragon clan. When he raised his head, he met the same awkward gazes from the two dragon clan leaders.

"...Let's change the subject," Heragor finally broke the silence, "for example, discuss the details of the economic revitalization plan."

Speaker Andal nodded immediately: "I agree."

……

The bright and warm sunshine spread all over the paths and flowerbeds of Longbranch Manor, making the small river flowing through the manor glow with sparkling waves. Ferdinand Wendel stood in front of the French windows in the hall of the manor, looking at a tree from the balcony on the second floor. The hanging flower vines are gently swinging outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The vines are lush with green leaves and decorated with flowers.

After the harsh and long winter and the wet and short spring, the midsummer of the Aldernan Plain has finally arrived. The lush summer is unfolding its magnificent picture scroll on this land. It's a good sign, people in the manor and the small town often say this these days-life will probably get better in the second half of the year.

For the aging Grand Duke Ferdinand, this is indeed a good day - the most difficult time is over, and the precious family members have returned to him. After returning from the Battle of Winterhold, today is his happiest day.

The Wendell family is loyal to the empire and has made outstanding achievements, but these years have been declining day by day. He really can't afford to lose another granddaughter.

"Aldernan is building momentum for your return. According to the military's propaganda, you will be a hero who saved the elite winter wolves and prevented the border from completely losing control. His Majesty will personally honor you and hold a welcoming ceremony , the parliament has basically been taken care of in place, and no one will embarrass you and your subordinates," the old man did not turn his head, he knew that Andersa was standing behind him, "As for now, the news announced to the public is Your injury has not healed, and you need to continue to cultivate in Changzhi Manor for a while-you can adjust your state during this period of time, and learn more about the changes in the country during this period, but it is best not to do it except for people you can trust. Meeting guests."

It's been a long time since my grandfather taught me about it like this - Andersa couldn't help thinking.

She is no longer a young girl who has just entered the military and political circles, and there are many truths that no one else needs to teach, but at this moment she is still listening carefully, and did not break the silence until the old Duke finished speaking: "So Your Majesty asked me to temporarily Leaving the imperial capital and recuperating in Changzhi Manor is essentially a kind of protection—will I return to the position of General Wolf?"

"Of course it's a form of protection," the old duke said with a nod. "As for the position of 'General Wolf', Andersa—you have never been deprived of your title. You will return to the army, and you will return soon." Winter Wolf Castle, His Majesty trusts you, he knows what you have done to protect the interests of the empire, and there is no more suitable candidate than you on the northwestern border of the empire. And..."

The voice of the old duke stopped for a while, and Andersa couldn't help asking: "And what?"

"After the First Battle of Winterhold, the Empire suffered a lot of losses. The mad god dealt us a much heavier blow than the outside world guessed——I won't tell you the specific statistics here, you can take your time when you look back. Understand, you just need to know that many famous legions were removed after that battle, including several national knights, and a large number of officers were killed in battle. The entire legion command system will assume the role of the mainstay in such a situation, and even to a certain extent, you are already the only elite force with a relatively complete organization on the northwest border of the empire."

Andersa didn't make a sound, but couldn't help but suffocate.

"Now, you should further understand why His Majesty has spent so much time trying to create a heroic status for you, so that you can return to the empire smoothly and smoothly and regain military power."

"Is there no general available..." Andersa whispered to herself with a somewhat complicated expression, and then sighed slightly, "In any case, fortunately, the empire has passed the most dangerous stage, and now that the alliance is established, we don't have to worry about the outside world at least for the time being. As long as the situation within the empire can remain stable for a period of time, most of the pressure will be relieved with the economic recovery brought about by international trade..."

Duke Ferdinand turned around and looked at Andersa with some surprise: "I didn't expect you to start paying attention to this kind of thing now - Andersa in my memory was a child who never cared about business and internal affairs."

"...After all, I had nothing to do when I was in Solingborough." Andersa showed a trace of embarrassment on her face, and began to reflect on whether she had neglected the "homework" in this area in the past. "When I am free, I will find some Books, as well as newspapers and radio—in my opinion, the newspapers and radio of the Cecilians are of great reference value. Although the form is popular, the content is all-encompassing. Something to make yourself think about, which is different from similar things that we've been pushing."

Duke Ferdinand's eyes were dark for a moment. He listened to Andersa's words, but he couldn't help but think of a long conversation with him after Emperor Rosetta returned to Aldernan not long ago, and the things mentioned in the conversation. ——Thinking, the right to think regardless of class, status or status.

In Aldernan, many nobles questioned this, the stupid dismissed it as meaningless, and the wise realized that this would further shake the foundation of the noble group, but Ferdinand knew that with the With the disclosure of internal documents, these voices of doubt will soon be like words on the beach, and will disappear when the next wave comes.

He shook his head, temporarily put aside the irrelevant associations in his mind, and looked Andersa up and down: "It sounds like your attitude towards Cecil has changed a lot—in the past, you hardly anything positive to say about people and things in that land."

"Would this change of attitude affect the opinion of me among the upper classes of Aldernan?"

"Yes, especially during the time you have just returned to the empire from Cecil, countless pairs of eyes are waiting for your remarks in this regard—although the alliance has been established and peace has become the consensus of everyone, there are many Few people's nerves are still tense, and in the long run, we really need such a group of people with tight nerves," Ferdinand said directly, "so you must control your nerves in public. Words, of course, I also know that you can definitely handle this issue by yourself."

Having said that, the old man paused for a moment before looking at his granddaughter with curiosity: "Well, now you can tell me what made you change your view of that land? You no longer remember the things that happened back then Is it gone?"

"Gavin Cecil is indeed a person worthy of respect. There are many things we can learn from that land. In addition..." Andersa considered her vocabulary, but she couldn't help but hesitate when she said the second half of the sentence. When she got up, she hesitated again and again, and finally made up her mind, "Besides, father is still alive."

Grand Duke Ferdinand's expression froze instantly, and his whole body lost his reaction as if petrified. After more than ten seconds, the old man took a deep breath as if suddenly remembering how to breathe, and stared at Andersa's face with wide eyes. : "What did you say?! You said that Bud...he is still alive?"

"Yes, father is still alive," Andersa took a light breath, she finally organized her words, and the next half of the sentence was exceptionally fluent, "He is in Cecil."

"He's in Cecil?!" Duke Ferdinand opened his mouth wide. Countless thoughts flashed through the old man's mind. His thoughts became chaotic like never before, and it took him a lot of effort to maintain his ability to think, "You mean, Was he captured? Was he captured by the Ansu? Is he now Cecil's prisoner? Or..."

"Calm down, grandfather," Andersa couldn't help but stepped forward and grabbed her grandfather's arm. She didn't expect that this old man who is famous for his strength, calmness, and majesty in the empire would have such a gaffe one day, but she thought of what she just said The day she met her father, she knew that her chaotic situation at that time was no better than that of Ferdinand now, "I know what you are thinking, but things are more complicated than you imagined, and my father was not killed by Sisi. He was not captured by Anzu back then, he...he has experienced many things, and now he is no longer what you know, but he is still a reliable and upright person."

"He..." Ferdinand opened his mouth. He thought of Andersa's character. With her character, there is only one possibility to tell a story in such a difficult way, that is, the matter is really complicated to an unimaginable level. "What is he doing now?"

"He is a researcher of the Cecil Empire."

"Researcher? You mean the kind of person who studies books... a general who is now a scholar?"

"Yes."

"Then what is he studying?"

"I don't quite understand it, but it seems to be studying how to monitor some kind of...signal from a distance. This matter is not a secret there, but even if it is discussed publicly, few people can figure it out."

"So he also became a very... high-level scholar?"

"It seems so."

"The ancestor of the family," Duke Ferdinand couldn't help covering his forehead, "What the hell...what happened?"

Chapter 1123 Pass

Yes, how many twists and turns and bizarre stories have to happen in the middle, so that a former imperial duke, a blessed knight of the god of war, and a wolf general with outstanding combat power will finally become a researcher who is obsessed with research in the laboratory "scholar"?Moreover, this scholar can give his daughter a whole day of math papers at a rate of [-] questions per hour--the euphemistic name is "brain entertainment"...

Andersa suddenly felt cold, shivered subconsciously, and then began to think about what words to use to tell her grandfather what happened to her father as concisely as possible.

"This matter... should start with the blizzard in Winter Wolf Castle the year my father disappeared," finally, the young wolf general spoke slowly to break the silence, "Didn't my father fall into Anzu that year?" Instead of being surrounded by people, I encountered the believers of the Death of All Things Church who were active at the foot of the dark mountain..."

The warm wind blows from the plain, turning the lush flower fields and woods in Changzhi Manor. There are sparkling lights in the pool in front of the main house. Grass leaves and flower petals blown from nowhere fall on the water, spinning With a circle of subtle ripples, the maid in the manor bent down and reached out to pick up a beautiful petal that floated to the pool, but the petal suddenly trembled and curled, as if being scorched by an invisible force, it wrinkled into a ball and flew quickly. drifted in another direction.

The maid raised her head in surprise and nervousness, subconsciously glanced in the direction of the main house, but found nothing.

The chirping of insects passed through the open window, and the heat of the early summer noon had gradually passed in. Ferdinand restrained the power that had accidentally escaped. He listened quietly to Andersa's story, frowning sometimes and calming down. After the ups and downs of his mood, all his thoughts and ideas finally turned into a long sigh.

Captured by heretics, washed away from faith, twisted flesh and soul by dark secrets, fell into a dark sect, infected with sin and depravity, and finally turned to allegiance to a foreign country... If he hadn't heard Andersa's story with his own ears, he I can't believe that these things happened to the former prominent star of the empire, and to my proudest son.

The old duke couldn't help imagining, imagining how he would react after learning about these things when he was younger, when he was more severe and cold. After all the sufferings he suffered, as the Duke of Wendell, he was first angry at the dust of his family's honor. He found that he couldn't imagine anything——after witnessing the greatest darkness and malice in the depths of the world on the battlefield of Winterhold , Too many people have undergone permanent changes, including Ferdinand Wendell, who was once known as the "Grand Duke of Steel".

The old prince sighed again - he felt that he was old after all.

"Father said...he did many wrong things, and he didn't intend to use the so-called 'involuntary' as an excuse. He said that he did a lot of crazy and depraved evil things on his own initiative when he was sane Yes, because at that time he was completely addicted to the savior-like self-movement and false fanaticism brought about by the idea of ​​the end of all things. Although he has been pardoned today, he still wants to spend the rest of his life on the land he has hurt. "Andersa watched her grandfather's expression nervously. After the other party sighed twice, she still said what Bard had said to herself, "In addition, he said that although he had already pledged allegiance to Emperor Cecil , but he has not done anything to harm Typhon’s interests, including leaking any military and technical secrets—he just wants to be a conscientious researcher.”

"Conscientious researcher..." Duke Ferdinand muttered softly, "So, he won't come back—did he mention anything he wanted to tell me?"

"He asked about your physical condition in detail, but he didn't ask me to send you any message," Andersa shook her head. "I asked him, and his expression at that time meant something to say, but...but he In the end, nothing was said."

"I see." The old duke shook his head lightly, as if he was not surprised, but sighed a little, "When he still needed to rely on his father, I only regarded him as a soldier of the empire and the heir of the family, but now he Having broken away from both identities ... I shouldn't be surprised by this outcome."

"Grandfather, father..." Andersa hesitated. In fact, she didn't quite know how her grandfather and father got along. Those long childhood memories had blurred in her mind, so she also Not quite sure what to say, "In fact, he still misses you very much."

"I know, Andersa, don't worry—I know it all," Pei Dinan smiled a little, "I'm his father after all."

Andersa nodded slowly, and couldn't help asking: "Will you complain about the decision he made? He has given up his identity as a Typhon... and may stay in Cecil forever."

Ferdinand didn't answer for a while, just thinking quietly. At this moment, he suddenly thought of the dreams he had had, the "omens" that he saw in the illusion that seemed to reveal Bard's fate. ", he was perplexed and disturbed by it, but now... he finally knows the truth behind these "omens".

After a while, the old prince suddenly asked: "Do you think he is doing well there?"

"He's doing well," Andersa said without hesitation. She recalled the days when she was with her father in Solinburg-although the other party's work seemed a bit incomprehensible to her, but The fulfillment and relief she saw on her father's face is not false, "He already has a new way of life and a new social life, and I can tell that he is enjoying his current state."

"Then I have nothing to complain about," said Duke Ferdinand in a low voice. "After all these years, he should live for himself."

"Grandfather, Your Majesty over there..."

Duke Ferdinand shook his head slowly. He was about to say something, but a sudden knock on the door interrupted the old man's next actions—the grandparent and grandson looked in the direction of the sound at the same time, a The attendant opened the door and entered the hall, where he bowed and said, "Your Excellency, Mistress, there is a royal messenger visiting."

"Royal messenger?" Andersa confirmed in surprise. She subconsciously looked at her grandfather, but saw that the old man's face was calm. Duke Ferdinand nodded slightly to the attendant: "Please come in the messenger."

After a while, the royal messenger who came suddenly appeared in front of Andersa under the guidance of her attendants. This is a middle-aged man with a calm and confident temperament, wearing a dark blue coat with delicate silver edges and red patterns. Two more attendants followed behind him, each holding a long ornate wooden box.

Andersa couldn't help guessing the purpose of Emperor Rosetta's sudden dispatch of a messenger, and at the same time received the visitor from Obsidian Palace according to the standard protocol. After a few simple greetings, Duke Ferdinand When asked about the purpose of the envoy's visit, the man in the dark blue coat smiled: "Your Majesty knows that General Andersa returned to his territory today. The general has made great contributions to the empire, and he has gone through a whole day A winter's confinement, so order me to send a gift of condolences—”

He turned around and pointed to the gorgeous wooden box held by one of his entourage: "This is a knight's long sword enchanted by Ms. Windsor Mapel, the president of the Royal Mages' Association, which can manipulate the powerful power of winter or Change the gravity within a certain range, and protect the user at a critical moment, making it immune to a legendary fatal injury, His Majesty named it 'Winter'. Now it is yours, General Andersa."

"Thank you for your majesty's gift." Andersa said immediately, and then ordered her attendants to come forward to accept the gift, which represented a high honor. After opening the gorgeous wooden box, a sword was sharp, and the surface seemed to be covered with a layer of condensation. The knight's long sword of unmelting ice came into her eyes-it was indeed a good sword.

Even though the era of traditional warfare has passed, this individual weapon no longer has the ability to control the entire battlefield in the face of powerful cluster artillery, but it is still a good sword.

While ordering the attendants to collect the gift, Andersa and Duke Ferdinand couldn't help but fix their eyes on the wooden box carried by another royal attendant.

"This second gift is for you, Duke Ferdinand." The messenger turned to Ferdinand Wendell, and his smile suddenly became more solemn.

"Since General Bud Wendell was killed outside Winter Wolf Castle, the Wendell family has been devoted to their duties in the past 20 years and has made indelible contributions to the empire. Now General Andersa is in danger again, keeping the precious empire. The elite force prevented the previous Winter War from falling into a doomed situation-the entire empire should thank you and your family for your great dedication and sacrifice.

"Here is another sword, although it is not a powerful legendary weapon like 'Winter', but it has an extraordinarily important meaning: it is His Majesty's saber for the past 20 years, and its name is 'Trust'.

"It originally had a sister sword called 'Loyalty', which was the saber of General Bud Wendell back then. Unfortunately, it was lost after General Bud died in battle 20 years ago. Now His Majesty will give this sword to the Duke Your Excellency, one is to thank the Wendell family for their long-term contributions, and the other is to entrust a memory. I hope you can treat it properly."

Andersa listened nervously, and suddenly took a breath, she realized a very crucial detail in the messenger's words——

Since an army led by his father disappeared at the foot of the Dark Mountains 20 years ago, although almost everyone believed that the wolf general was no longer alive, all the official calibers of the empire over the years have characterized this matter as missing, especially It's the royal family. In this matter, in a formal occasion, the word "death" has never been used!

The young General Wolf quickly realized something. She looked at her grandfather and saw that the old man was stunned for a moment, then his lips trembled slightly, as if it took a lot of effort to finally speak: "I... Thank you Your Majesty for your grace..."

"Please accept this gift." The messenger smiled and motioned the followers behind him to come forward. "This is His Majesty's wish."

"Okay, of course." Duke Ferdinand said immediately, and ordered his attendants to come forward to take over the long wooden box. After opening the box lid, there was a sword inlaid with sky-blue gemstones on the hilt, which was beautifully shaped and practical. His protective sword appeared in front of his eyes.

"Did your majesty say anything else?" The old duke raised his head to look at the messenger and asked quickly.

"There is only a very simple sentence." The messenger looked at the old man solemnly, "he said: 'Everyone is safe'."

"Everyone is well..." Duke Ferdinand subconsciously repeated these words in a low voice, before slowly nodding his head after a long time, "I understand, please allow me to express my gratitude to Your Majesty again."

The messenger was on a mission and didn't stay in Changzhi Manor for too long. He left with his entourage soon. In the hall of the main house of the manor, only Andersa and Ferdinand were left.

The two long swords with special meanings have been put away by the attendants and sent to the nearby weapon display room.

Andersa finally couldn't help breaking the silence: "Grandfather, Your Majesty..."

"You don't have to guess what His Majesty is thinking, especially when he has offered you room to turn around." Duke Ferdinand shook his head, interrupting what Andesa wanted to say, "Son, remember, your father is no longer alive Well, from today, he died 20 years ago."

Andersa looked at her grandfather, then nodded slowly: "Yes, I understand."

"...Let someone go get a bottle of wine from the wine cellar," Duke Ferdinand said leisurely after a moment of silence, "Let's have a drink together... There are too many things to celebrate today."

……

The long-lost sunshine shone on Aldernan. After the fog dissipated, the city finally embraced the clear blue sky. On the first day of this summer visit, the whole city will welcome several rare clear skies in a year—in the past The musty smell accumulated during the long foggy season will dissipate quickly in these warm days like snow in the sun.

In the study on the upper floor of the Obsidian Palace, Diana, the head maid of the royal family, opened the door and came to Rosetta Augustus.

Emperor Rosetta raised his head from the scroll and looked at Diana: "It seems that the gift has been delivered?"

"Yes, the messenger just sent a message," the black-haired Diana nodded lightly, "Duke Ferdinand and General Andersa have accepted the gift, and the whole process went smoothly."

"Is that so... Then they must have understood my intention."

Speaking of this, the ruler of the empire couldn't help showing a slightly weird smile, and shook his head with a complicated expression: "But then again, I really can't imagine that Bud is really alive... Although Ferdinand I mentioned his dreams and premonitions, but who would have thought that these perceptions from the extraordinary would be confirmed in this form..."

More than one Typhon commander was captured together with Andersa, and several of them who were more seriously injured were transferred to the Thorin area for rest. Although the information these people had access to was very limited, Bud The name Wendell was still heard in their ears, and it was passed to Emperor Rosetta's desk after he returned home.

This is a very simple and direct line of information transmission, so simple that it can be seen at a glance that it has not undergone any secrecy or camouflage.

In his thoughts, Emperor Rosetta couldn't help but whispered to himself: "From a certain point of view, this news was actually passed on to us by Gawain Cecil..."

Chapter 1124 Pointing to the Wasteland

Aldernan in summer is gloomy, and the bright sunshine, which is rare several times a year, is slanting down from the sky. The carvings left a series of shadowy light spots on the ground. Rosetta Augustus sat behind his desk, his eyes moved from those light spots, and he did not speak for a long time.

In those spots of light, he seemed to see the mortal kingdoms at this moment - the light is connected by shadows, and those interlaced and isolated parts seem to be inevitable forever, but no matter what, a brighter era has finally arrived. Under the sunshine, All the lights and shadows still gather together to form this lush summer.

"Are you really determined not to ask about this matter anymore?" Diana, the titular head maid of the royal family and the actual leader of the rogues, looked at the monarch she was loyal to, and asked in a calm tone, "Bud Wendell He used to be the general of the empire who was in charge of the defense line of the winter wolf, and his father and daughter now have a decisive influence in the military system of the empire, and now he is loyal to Cecil, this matter..."

"He was the Wolf General 20 years ago, and the Wolf General 20 years ago is dead," Rosetta looked at Diana calmly. It is meaningless for General Wolf who has been separated from the military system and deviated from normal society for many years, he can neither return to Typhon's military system, nor can he get his own position in other parts of the empire. And..."

He paused for a moment, and in the afternoon sun, he seemed to recall some fragments of his youth—but those fragments quickly dissipated and turned into precise weighing and judgment.

"And compared to the value of Bud Wendell himself, I care more about the loyalty of the Wendell family - Bud has left Typhon, but Ferdinand and Andersa are still here, the other members of the Wendell family, those who are related to The military aristocrats, large and small, are still here, and in this period when the turmoil has just subsided, the empire needs the loyalty of these people more than ever."

Diana lowered her head: "I see, your judgment is really far-reaching."

Rosetta just shook her head, and then suddenly let out a sigh, with a strange look on her face: "But in this way, one of the ancient ancestors of the Augustus family became a plant on Cecil's land. Tree, Typhon’s most promising wolf general in the past became a researcher under that tree... The direction of this world is really unexpected.”

The ruler of the empire said with a strange expression, but he couldn't help thinking about what kind of "surprise" the other party would come up with when he met Gawain Cecil next time—could it be possible that he really wanted to check the Royal Palace? Are the mausoleums and the cemeteries of the major noble families sealed?It is said that after Gao Wen's "resurrection", many nobles in Ansu went to strengthen the coffin of the family tomb. At that time, he only thought it was a stupid joke, but now he can't help thinking about the rationality of it...

He didn't really mind that a long-dead ancestor of Augustus suddenly returned to the world, but it was another matter for the family ancestor who returned to the world to suddenly become a Cecilian...

"Your Majesty?" Diana noticed that Rosetta fell silent suddenly, and couldn't help asking, "What did you think of?"

"No, it's nothing, let's not talk about it," Rosetta shook her head, her eyes retracted from the light and shadow on the floor, "Cecil just sent a summons about the wasteland of Gondor, you should Already know."

"Yes," Diana nodded. It is difficult for the iron soldier's face to change much, but her aura still looks more serious than before, "I saw the transcribed briefing early in the morning, and its content... …it’s astonishing.”

"Deep in the ruins of the Deep Blue Well, there are still ancient Gondor legacies in operation, including the Iron Man Corps in service, and a group of de-monitored Doomsday Cultists are operating in the depths of the wasteland, and it is possible to come from the Deep Blue Well A huge amount of energy has been stolen..." Rosetta said in a deep voice, subconsciously stroking a gemstone ring in her hand, "Such a disturbing threat... has been active under our noses for hundreds of years. "

"The wasteland has always been under our noses, but for a long time, everyone thought it was 'dead'," Diana said calmly, "Even in the past two years, aberrants have broken through the barrier and invaded the human world, many The country didn't take it seriously either—in the final analysis, the wasteland didn't show clear 'maliciousness' to the people in the safe zone, and everyone subconsciously believed that it would always be in this state of being safely blocked."