At the end of 189, due to the cold air from the north, Esis began to fall her first snow.

Snowflakes like cotton wool fluttered down from the sky, on rooftops, on the treetops, on the ground, on the hands and smiling faces of children.

After the kingdom of Lorraine retreated, Isis regained its peace. George VI, after his plans were dashed, quickly retracted to his Colinburg, apparently abandoning his plans for an attack.

And An Muxi has been very calm in the past few months. From LeBlanc's intelligence and Gloria's correspondence, Alan also understood that Gloria had reintegrated Ammusi's aristocratic forces. Of course, I don't know if this result is good or bad.

Outside the window, the snowflakes fluttered freely, and the fire in the fireplace inside the house was struggling to provide warmth, driving the cold out of the house for Alan.

Alan lay on a chaise longue covered with a fine woolen blanket, his eyes closed, his mouth humming some unknown ditty in his mouth, and the warm light of the fire made him drowsy.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, causing the flames to shake violently. The door closed again, and a footstep came closer, finally stopping in front of the fireplace.

"You're so laid-back." A clear voice came from beside him, and Alan immediately recognized it as Fiona's voice.

Opening his eyes slightly, Alan replied casually: "In such a cold weather, and you go out hunting, aren't you more idle than me?" ”

Fiona unbuttoned her neck and took off her sheepskin coat, revealing her fiery figure. Standing in front of the fire, he stretched hard, and the fullness of his chest almost broke free from the shackles of his clothes.

Alan quietly narrowed his eyes and looked at them for a few seconds, then looked away as if he had been discovered. Fiona was in front of the fire unconsciously, and then the heat of the flame gently rubbed her hands and said, "My father has sent a letter asking me to go back." ”

Fiona paused and sat down slowly on the blanket in front of the fire, her hands clasped around her knees.

"Father said that you are in a bad situation now, and it is too dangerous to follow you again."

"Really? So what do you think? Alan was still lying on the recliner unmoved.

With her chin resting on her knees, Fiona stared at the fire in a daze. After a while, he said, "It's okay to go back, after all, I haven't been back for a while." Speaking of this, Fiona paused for a moment before continuing: "And I'm more interested in you like this now, I'm afraid it will trouble you." ”

The slightly resentful tone made Alan very uncomfortable, accustomed to Fiona's ups and downs, and suddenly faced such a Fiona again, Alan couldn't help but feel a strong sense of guilt.

"Let's go back and have a look." Alan replied softly.

Looking at the beautiful woman beside him, the humanoid Gundam in his original impression suddenly became so weak and pitiful. In a trance, Alan recalled that all along, this person had been closely following him, sitting next to him so gently.

However, Alan still had no intention of leaving Fiona behind. Because he knew that Lawrence was right, his current situation seemed to be peaceful, but in fact he was on a road of no return. Not only did he start a war with the Kingdom of Luolin, but he also fell out with the nobles of Ammuxi. The magicians waited on the sidelines to sell, and the church watched from the sidelines.

At this time, Alan really didn't want Fiona to be involved, even if he knew that with Fiona's strength, he would definitely be able to help him solve a lot of troubles. If it were Victoria or Gloria, he would have pulled them in without even thinking, but he couldn't open his mouth when it came to Fiona. Maybe it's a little machismo in my heart.

Hearing Eren say such a sentence, Fiona's expression suddenly darkened. This made Allen, who had been secretly watching her, feel a pang in her heart at the same time.

"But don't worry, wait until the New Year is over. It's also a little more convenient when the weather is a little warmer. As if to make up for something, Allendo said.

Nodding slightly, Fiona stretched out a hand and approached the fireplace, as if absorbing the power of the flames, her crimson eyes reflected the dancing flames, like a fire spirit dancing in her eyes, making people unconsciously indulge in it.

"Elizabeth, I let her stay. She is very talented, she has found the hang of it in just a few months, and the only thing she lacks now is experience. I'm relieved to keep her with you. Fiona said silently.

“…… Good. ”

The room fell silent again, except for the sound of the wind whirring outside the window and the crackling of firewood in the fireplace. The two voices ignored the cold, passionate interweaving between Alan and Fiona and played their own music.

There was a slight noise behind her, and Fiona didn't look back. With her ability, she can tell the changes behind her just by hearing. But she didn't want to think about it, she just wanted to stay for a while, just for a while.

It's a pity that even this small wish has not come true.

A pair of hands reached out from Fiona's back, trembling and hesitating slightly. But in the end, he firmly hugged Fiona.

Feeling the warmth coming from behind her, Fiona stiffened and lost her thoughts.

"Remember to come back early." The clear words hit my ears with some heat and resounded in my heart.

Fiona leaned her back against Alan's chest and let out a soft "um".

The beautiful face became more and more gorgeous in the light of the fire. The quietly hooked corners of the mouth, like a meteor across the sky, although short-lived, but unforgettable.

On the El continent, there is no such thing as a New Year. Therefore, many people are very puzzled by the concept of this New Year proposed by Allen. Of course, when Allen explained that the New Year was actually a festival, everyone understood a thing or two.

Zeno led a group of government officials down the streets of Isis. Look at this city that is gradually changing. Compared with before, Esis is a little less aristocratic and haughty, and a little more energetic.

Caravans and tourists were in an endless stream, and the Lifu carried teams of goods through the city. Due to the growth of the population and the expansion of the city, a large number of caravans were concentrated in the city of Isis. There were even some fixed chambers of commerce or other merchant groups.

Suddenly, a pair of law enforcement officers from the city guard station, wearing blue uniforms and carrying short sticks, walked by. Although the pedestrians on both sides gave way to the side, they no longer avoided walking.

Looking at this, Zeno couldn't help but nod and said, "Well, the popularization of the law has done a good job. The next step is to implement it thoroughly. ”

Passing through the business district, the crowd came to a special complex. I saw that the houses here are slightly different from what you usually see, and most of them have some strange shapes. Either the roof is sharp and narrow, or the house is big and fat. However, despite this, under the neat planning, it also shows a strange beauty.

And in the complex, there are also people who come and go in different clothes. There are dwarves who are generally only 1.5 meters tall and have full beards. There are also handsome elves who wear silk shirts. There are also tribesmen who are shirtless, revealing their strong muscles.

And when Zeno and his party appeared, most of these aliens looked at them vigilantly, and of course a few people showed curiosity.

"My lord, this is a gathering place for aliens. What do you think? One of the attendants explained to Zeno.

Zeno observed carefully for a while, and suddenly asked in surprise, "Why are there so many aliens all of a sudden?" Not visible before. ”

The attendant immediately explained, "Prime Minister, since the Duke announced the regulations for the management of alien races and provided them with protection, these alien races have gradually increased. Some of them had been hidden in the city before, and some of them had come from other places. ”

Zeno nodded, and said vigilantly: "Lord Duke's alien management regulations are good, but they must be implemented to the end." You have to be careful and careful when you deal with problems, this is the core of our policy, and we must not cause chaos. It is also necessary to do a good job of registering these alien races, trying to figure out how many people there are, where they come from, and what the purpose is. Security cannot be relaxed. ”

"Yes, sir."

After passing through the alien quarters, they came to the last place, where many of them had come from, the Academy of Athens, which is now known on the mainland.

The Academy of Athens has undergone a large amount of financial investment, and now it is in good shape. And since Allen began to recruit these students of the Athens Academy into his government on a large scale, the Athens Academy has also become a second way out of becoming a nobleman.

This has won the support of the broad masses of the people. A large number of commoners and redundant sons of nobles began to enter the Athens Academy, and even some nobles from the countryside sent their sons-in-law in order to get in touch with the great nobles of Isis.

"Principal, since you have arrived at the academy, please give me your testimonials!" A student from the academy made a suggestion, which was quickly embraced by others. Seeing that everyone was so eagerly looking forward to it, Zeno didn't say much and walked directly onto a platform in the square of the Athens Academy.

Looking at the more and more students gathered under the platform, Zeno couldn't help but get excited. As an intellectual, before coming to Isis, he had always been a typical example of a talented person on the mainland. He also complained that he was born in an era of academic decline. Sometimes when he recalls the era of the Sun King, when scholarship was the most prosperous and knowledge was highly respected, he couldn't help but cry and feel that he was out of time.

However, all this changed abruptly after he arrived at Isis.

Alan Ouranos, a young duke who has just come of age. When I first met him, I didn't care, and even when he asked about his political opinions, he was just a project of an ordinary nobleman. But it was such a person who didn't have any high hopes for himself that he gave himself the last chance.

The establishment of the Academy of Athens was made after he took over the finances of the principality, and it was learned that Alan had supported it almost to the best of his ability. What is it that makes Alan attach so much importance to the Academy of Athens? Zeno couldn't find a reason, and could only think that it was Allen's thirst for knowledge.

Looking at this academy born in his own hands, Zeno's pride was spontaneously born. The students below are all sparks that spread knowledge. Zeno was very pleased, and his gratitude to Eren became stronger and stronger.

Now recalling Alan's deeds, Zeno feels more and more that Eren is the kind of wise monarch mentioned in the book. His military exploits may not be unique enough, but his encouragement of knowledge and scholarship is different from that of all the nobles on the continent. He had a devout belief in knowledge. Zeno can see this, and this is also the most important reason why Zeno is willing to help Alan establish the Academy of Athens, and even set up a cabinet.

Alan was only eighteen or nineteen years old now, and Zeno felt a strong sense of mission at the thought of one day when he would be able to spread the spark of knowledge across the continent.

The students in the audience came from all over the world, and some of them didn't even understand the language. Aren't they all here to change their fate? That's right, knowledge changes fate!

"Gentlemen! I, Zeno, as the vice-rector of the Academy of Athens, do not want to go into a tirade today. But I also have a few words from my heart to tell you. Zeno's voice rang out from the platform, loud and clear, not at all the old age that a seventy-year-old person should have.

"Since the end of the Sun King era, the continent has entered an era of no knowledge. The disappearance of a large amount of academic materials and literature makes it impossible for us to learn from the past, even if we want to. But! From today onwards, everything is different! ”

"Look at her!" Zeno pointed to the main entrance of the Academy of Athens in the distance, and a tall and majestic archway was erected directly in front of the Academy.

"Look at you guys!" Zeno then withdrew his hand and pointed to the students below.

"This is the beginning of a new era, and you are the first to witness the beginning of a new era. I hope that in the future you will no longer have to compare yourself with others who were born to you, and that you will not care about your status. The only measure of you is the amount of knowledge! Always remember that knowledge is power! Knowledge changes destiny! ”

As he spoke, Zeno couldn't help but raise his right hand and waved it vigorously, as if not doing so would not be enough to show his inner turmoil.

There are already a lot of students and teachers gathered at the bottom. Perhaps some people still do not understand Zeno's speech, and perhaps they do not understand the meaning of Zeno's words.

But those who came to the Athens Academy at the beginning with various purposes and watched her grow up little by little, understood. Because many of them, like Zeno, are a group of people who are not taken seriously on the mainland and are on the fringes of politics.

They are eager to be famous, but they are not allowed to enter the strict aristocratic system. It is only here that they can really walk under Allen's command and start their first step in life. The Academy of Athens is not just an academy, it is also their hope.

After taking a deep breath, Zeno stabilized his emotions and said solemnly: "Lord Duke has issued an order, he wants to hold a new festival. He set that holiday on the first day of 200 years, and he called it New Year. I want to tell you that that day was not only the first day of the new year, but also the first day of the new world. So here, I'm going to give you this task. I want you to join in and prepare for that day together. We want all to see the beginning of a new era, and we want to tell the whole continent that an era of knowledge is coming! (To be continued.) )