Andesa was back on the bed, her father sitting beside her.

Everything was like a dream - not even the pain from the pull didn't convince Androsa of the reality of it. She felt her head dizzy again, a debilitating and unbalanced feeling of vertigo that was a sign of an imminent awakening from her dreams.

She raised her head and looked at her father's face, confirming all the details again and again, as if she wanted to thoroughly engrave every wrinkle, every hair, and every subtle expression change of the other party into her mind, and then compare it with the appearance in her memory more than ten years ago, she didn't know what the point of doing this was - but she had to find something to do for herself in order to calm down her mood a little bit.

Her father was completely different from what she remembered, and apart from those eyes, Andesa barely found many details from the other person's face that matched her memory...... Is it just because more than ten years have caused me to forget the details of my childhood? Or is it because these years of life experience can really make such a huge difference in a person?

"You're not at all what I remember," she couldn't help but say, "I remember you had a very high forehead...... There is also a wider bridge of the nose than it is now......"

Bud reached out and touched his face.

Yes, this face must have changed a lot, and it was a change that is difficult to explain with the passage of time - there is a price to pay for embracing darkness and depravity, and he has lost count of how many forbidden and dangerous forces he has been exposed to, and how many things he has paid for those powers...... Flesh transformation, god factor testing, mutations, toxins, this face has been transformed between human and non-human again and again, and has been reshaped again and again, although he has been trying his best to maintain his original human appearance, this face has finally become unrecognizable.

I'm afraid there are not many people in this world who can still recognize themselves.

"That's the price to pay to live to this day," Bard said, pulling the corners of his lips and a little self-deprecating, "It's good that it's all over, and I'm doing well here." ”

Andesa was silent for a moment, and finally couldn't help but ask the question she had wanted to ask since just now: "So you've been in Cecil all along...... Ansu? You didn't die at all, you were just caught by Ansu and then became one of their people? ”

There was a questioning tone in her words, but she was somewhat under-confident - because she was now just a prisoner of war who had chosen to surrender, and she didn't seem to be in much position to question her father.

But she was still visibly angry, even almost annoyed—the emotion of the impact of her long-held outlook on life, and she stared at her father, as if she was not only seeking an answer, but hoping that the other party would have a complete set of convincing arguments so that this "betrayal" would not be so shameful.

Bard had long expected that there would be this question waiting for him, and he had been preparing for it for a long time, but after this moment really came, he was silent for a long time before he gathered the courage to speak: "Andelsa, I'...... A lot has been through. Over the years, I've done a few...... Something even more terrifying than you think. ”

……

Margarita came to a tower on the western wall of Fort Solin, and although it was already a cold winter day in the "outside" world, the wind blowing from the tower was still as warm as spring, she brushed away a strand of hair that had been blown by the wind on her forehead, looked up in the direction of the trunk of the giant tree, and exhaled softly.

It was the highest place in the whole of Sarlinburg, but even here, the majestic canopy of the Thorin's giant tree was still a long way away from Margarita, and she looked up at the cascading green "dome", dotted between the dome with countless glowing vines and mycelium that hung like a light veil glistening like a night starry sky - who would have thought that such a dreamlike spectacle would actually be rooted in the flesh and blood of a dark order without knowing the secret behind it?

There was a rustling sound nearby, and some of the vines that had been clinging to the outside of the tower squirmed behind Margarita, and Bertila walked out of the vines: "Good day, General Margarita." ”

Margarita didn't look back: "Is the reunion between the 'eldest lady' and her father going well?" ”

"The atmosphere was not bad...... It's a little worse now, but I think they'll be going to be okay in the end," Bertila said, and then she paused, "I don't think it's a good idea for Bud to tell his daughter about his experiences at the End of All Things over the past decade or so — especially if the latter's injuries are still healed, but he doesn't seem to think so." ”

“…… They hadn't seen each other for too long, and perhaps Mr. Bard couldn't find a better subject to it, and it didn't seem to me that Miss Andesa Wendell to be impulsive in such a matter. ”

"Perhaps," said Bertila softly after a moment's silence, "I haven't had relatives or friends for too long to understand this...... The experiences and memories of hundreds of years ago probably don't apply to today's generation. ”

Margarita took a deep look at the ancient druid, who was no longer human, and said casually, "You should have received the news as well - the Thorin region will send a mixed support force including combat, construction, and medical personnel to the front line of Winterwolf Castle to deal with the increasingly powerful counterattack of the Typhonians there. ”

"Ah, of course I did, after all, I have a lot of work here," Bertila said indifferently, "This is normal, a considerable part of the personnel of the Production and Construction Corps in the Solin area were recruited from the eastern territory last year, and they know the situation in the Changfeng-Winter Wolf confrontation area. ”

“…… Don't you feel anything about it? Margarita couldn't help but ask.

Bertila asked her rhetorically, "What do you want to say?" ”

"You used to be a Typhonian, though that was a long time ago," Margarita looked at each other earnestly, "strictly speaking...... You are even one of the ancestors of Rosetta Augustus, the royal family of Typhon. Now that Typhon is in the midst of a cataclysm, and Cecil is at war with them, I thought you'd have extra attention to it. ”

"As you say, it was a long time ago," Bertila smiled suddenly, though the smile was a little stiff, "I've been away from Typhon much longer than Bard has been separated from his daughter, so long ago that I've forgotten what the faces of House Augustus looked like. Now there are no people I know, no cities and streets I know, and even Orlandel as I remember it has sunk into the depths of the earth two hundred years ago...... It's a foreign place to me now, and I don't think I have anything to feel sorry for. ”

Margarita was stunned for a moment, and then slowly showed a smile: "That's right." ”

A gust of wind blew from the far north, and the canopy of the giant tree of Thorin rustled in the wind for a long time, and the kilometers of branches stretched, and Bertila's gaze stretched between the branches, looking far to the east—but beyond the area of the giant tree's perception, all she could see as a plant was endless darkness.

……

The fog, the boundless fog, enveloped the whole of Aldenan.

At this time of year, the people of Aldernan have become accustomed to the season of thick fog and to living under the months-long chaos of the sky, and to the poetic, the fog that floats between the buildings and the roofs and towers that shadow the fog in the fog is even a mesmerizing sight to poets—poems about the imperial capital of the fog can be seen everywhere and at any time for two centuries.

However, in the foggy moon of Cecil 2 (Typhon 739), the citizens of Aldenan felt the most nervousness from this familiar fog.

An atmosphere of panic was accompanied by all sorts of rumors spreading through the city, the constant noise of the Church of the God of War, which was said to have been overrun by evil spirits, the frequent movement of troops, and the news from the front line, all stirred up the nerves of the Typhons, and on the last day of the first week of the Foggy Moon, another real event happened.

Compared to the vague and anxious gossip that preceded it, at least the matter was clear: His Majesty the Emperor temporarily closed the Parliament with the unanimous vote of all the members of the Imperial Diet.

No one knows what the future holds for the city – or the country – that lies ahead.

But for the civilians living at the bottom of the city, they have not yet reached the level where they can worry about such "big things". The factories are still functioning, the exchanges, the stations and the docks still need a large number of employees, and even the machines in the factories are turning a little more cheerfully than before due to the outbreak of this inexplicable war, and those who work in the factories ...... They have to work harder to keep up with the bearings and gears that are spinning faster and faster.

Bonn wrapped up his old coat tightly and hurried down the road to the Magic Train station, a road he had traveled so many times that he had to leave from here almost every day to carry things to the station or to the warehouse next to the station, to load and unload the trucks, and then to go home until the sun went down, and from here back to the dilapidated apartment on Lower Cross Street. He was not the only one who walked on this road, and many others who also went to work at the station followed the same route as him—they walked fast or slow in the fog, silent to each other, except for the sound of footsteps, like the same silent gears and chains in the factory.

The bell of the two-wheeled bicycle rang nearby, and Bonn glanced to the side to see the young postman riding through the fog, his large black bag on the back seat of the car, which had been much wetted by the fog.

The postman passed between the workers with a radiant and even proud gesture, and it was evident that he thought his job was more decent than that of the coolies who could only carry goods.

Bonn shook his head, didn't think of anything, just went on his way.

But another sound broke the silence of the mist: it came from mid-air, as if some sharp resonance had swept through the city for a moment, and then a short and high-pitched music sounded in the air, so sudden and loud that even the fog that had not dispersed in Aldenan seemed to be shaken by the sound and flowed in the winter sun.

Bonn was stunned for a moment, but quickly realized what it was - it was the sound of magic towers set up all over the city, and these magic towers were directly connected to the obsidian palace, and the citizens of Aldenan knew very well what it meant for these "mage-controlled gadgets" to make a sound - it was clear that some big man who was qualified to speak over the city was going to speak, and the whole city was going to listen.

The next voice has even appeared in recent newspapers and has been sent to various parts of the country.

Bonn subconsciously shrunk his neck, and then he heard a majestic, deep male voice suddenly sound, and the voice startled him—

“…… Greetings to my industrious and loyal people, I am your protector and loyal servant of the Empire, Rosetta Augustus......

“…… The royal family has noticed the tension that pervades the city, but please relax, the situation has been effectively controlled, and the ......

“…… The Empire has entered a state of wartime emergency, and the royal family will spare no effort to protect the rights and interests of every citizen during this difficult time. I hereby personally proclaim the following bills:

“…… The rights and interests of workers in the factory will be guaranteed, and the income for all positions will not be less than ...... Incentives are specially formulated for workers who work longer hours and work overtime to actively contribute to the empire......

"...... on Wartime Food Supply and Medical Supplies"

……

Magical broadcasts echoed over the city, and could be heard clearly from any corner of Aldenan.

"Crazy...... Lose your marbles...... Lose your marbles!! ”

A stocky man walked around the dark red carpeted hall in exasperation, his expensive and delicate leather boots sinking into the thick carpet with only a small sound. His precious gown had been wrinkled by his rough movements, and even the button at the collar had fallen off—he had pulled it off in an angry display.

Several high-ranking battlemages in short black robes stood near him, staring at the man with a cold gaze, a look of pity or mockery on his face.

"He can't do that! Look, he can't do that—even if he's the Emperor! The stout man blushed and shouted at the black-robed mages, "He has no right to deprive me of any honors and titles that his father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather bestowed upon my family!" What did I do? I didn't do anything! I'm just trying to maintain our glorious traditions! You go and reply to the man who lives in the Obsidian Palace, he has no right to ...... at all."

"Sir Huller, there is still one last minute left for you to arrange your housework," a black-robed mage spoke in a calm tone, interrupting the man's exasperated shout, "If you are sure that you have made the arrangements, please come with us—you will have to explain a lot to Prince Hadilan in addition to the formalities." ”

"Confess what? I have nothing to confess! ”

"Like the three illegal manors in your name, or the extra gold letters in your vault—" the black-robed mage said quietly, "or the ones who disappeared in your family castle?" ”

The stout man's face flushed even more, and he looked angrily at the Wanderer Mage in front of him, "Listen, I don't know where these baseless accusations come from—and even if they exist, what is this to a nobleman like me?" Are you going to take me away from here on the basis of these accusations alone!? ”

"Unfortunately, you really have only one choice - to go to the Obsidian Palace with us, which will at least prove your loyalty to the Empire and to His Majesty the Emperor himself."

The stocky man glared, and then he suddenly seemed to calm down again, and he took a half step back, tugged at his coat vigorously, and said word by word: "Let that milky Hadiren Augustus come to me in person, or let his father come!" ”

The battle mages looked at each other.

"Well, Sir Huller, then it's the second plan."

A mage said as he took a step forward.

"You're disloyal."

(Push time!) "Earthlings are Too Fierce" from Wo Niu Real People, science fiction. Crouching cow must not need to be introduced, right? The old book "Forty Thousand Years of Cultivation" should know a lot. The quality and updates are guaranteed and worth a look. ）