The cold wind howled over the sea and swept through the shield, the background of the sky and the sea receded in view, the outline of the land was getting closer and closer, and the communication with the North Harbor hub became clearer.

Melita apparently picked up her pace.

"Maybe it's just the Mithril Ring that is broken," Gawain said casually to Miss Dragon, though he was concerned about the situation of Cecil and Typhon, "Although Tallrond's technology is high, it is not to the point where all things are immortal. ”

"Probably," Melita looked a little absent-minded, "we have to hurry up anyway...... This time there is really something big going on. ”

Gawain didn't respond, just turned his head away, looked in the direction of the coastline of Beigang from afar, and didn't say a word for a long time.

Not far from him, Veronica, who was closing her eyes and recuperating, suddenly opened her eyes, and the "Holy Princess" stood up and looked thoughtfully in the direction of the land, a trace of confusion on her face.

But her expression didn't last long, and after a few seconds of looking, she withdrew her gaze and regained her former gentle but inhuman appearance.

……

Deep in the wasteland, the crater formed by the explosion of the ancient imperial city is surrounded by trees.

A pillar of blue-white light that seemed to be able to penetrate the heavens and the earth gushed out from the center of the crater, and the bright light illuminated this dark and dirty land, and in the large "dense forest" that "grew" around the crater, similar blue-white light streams were constantly jumping and flowing among the branches and vines that were close to each other, entangled, and fused, and countless strange-shaped "plants" were like synapses in the body of some giant creature that were entangled into a huge aggregate, and spread out for several kilometers with the ancient imperial capital as the center. The stolen energy is like chemicals and electrical signals transmitted between nerve synapses, flowing over and over again in this vast and entangled system.

But suddenly, this tense and busy "flow" came to an abrupt end, and the light that jumped and flowed between the branches and vines of the plants instantly froze, and flickered a few times as if it had been in contact, and after just a few seconds, the entire huge "forest" dimmed in patches and reverted to the appearance of the Black Forest.

In the center of the forest, in the buffer zone connected with the edge of the ancient explosion crater, a large area of thick smoke rose with several violent flashes, and more than ten thick vines were blown up and flew into the air, retracting into the forest like an elastic rope that was quickly retracted, and the "Grand Imam" Borken, who was controlling these vines, looked at this scene and roared angrily: "Twins! What are you doing?! ”

A gust of wind blew, and the figures of Filna and Relna appeared in front of Borken, their hands still wrapped in the afterglow of magic that had not dissipated, and the two elves said in unison, "Save your life, Grand Imam." ”

Not far away, on the inner wall of the crater, the remnants of the plant structure that had been blown off had been reduced to ashes, and a huge energy pipeline was turning from dim to bright again.

Borken's branches rattled as his wrinkled face stood out from the bark: "What's going on?" ”

"Ophelia's Matrix is picking up efficiency, she's starting to scan and reset the energy pipelines, my esteemed Grand Imam-" Raina said the first half, and Filna immediately picked up on the second half without delay, "Looks like she's 'back', and if we don't plan to go to war with the Iron Man now, we'd better get out of this place now." ”

"Sh......" Borken was taken aback, and then an angry look appeared on his face, "Damn it, damn it...... Why is it so early...... It's just a little bit closer, and the catalytic process is a little bit ......"

His branches shook angrily, and the entire twisted "Black Forest" shook, and a terrifying roar came from all directions, as if the whole forest was roaring, but Borken did not lose his judgment after all, and after realizing that his anger was useless, he still decisively gave the order to evacuate - one by one, the twisted plants began to pull out their roots, scattering the vines and branches that were entwined with each other, and the entire Black Forest instantly disintegrated into countless pieces in an instant with a clattering sound, and began to evacuate quickly towards all parts of the wasteland.

"Be optimistic, Grand Imam," Lerna said with a nonchalant expression as she looked at Borken, who was angrily directing the evacuation, "We didn't even expect to be able to extract so much energy from the catheter at first - the catalysis is not completely complete, but we have already done most of the work, and the subsequent transformation can be carried out slowly. Until then, safety is paramount. ”

Borken turned his face to look at Lerna and Filna with their tan eyes embedded in the mottled bark, and only nodded after a moment, "You have a point. ”

The evacuation of the Black Forest was well underway, and Grand Imam Borken and several major imams soon left, but Raina and Filna didn't immediately follow, the elven twins just stood quietly on the edge of the crater, looking out at the crater-like crater in the distance, and the huge crystal cone, blue and white energy beams at the bottom of the crater.

They could feel the "inhuman soul" in the depths of the crystal vertebrae waking up - not quite awake, but already with one eye open.

"Did she find us?" Raina suddenly said as if talking to herself.

"Probably not - the Ophelia Matrix's direct detection module was permanently destroyed hundreds of years ago, and she now relies on the Iron Man Corps to understand the situation around the crater, except for the most basic damage alert system," Filna replied as if talking to herself, "We are acting cautiously, and we are always in the dead end of the Iron Man Corps and the Alert System. ”

“…… It's so sad," Rayna said as she looked at the crystal cone in the distance, with a hint of mockery or self-deprecation, "what a glorious star of stars, the most beautiful and intelligent pearl of empires...... Now it's just a ghost trapped in ruins and graves and unwilling to die. ”

"That's how the disobedient don't want to bow their heads and die," Filna said quietly, and then Relna spoke, and they sighed in unison, "...... It's sad. ”

The wind blew, and the withered leaves swept up into the air, and after the wind and the leaves had dispersed, the Elven Twins had disappeared at the edge of the crater.

……

A stately triple spire covers the vast council hall, and in this golden room, councillors from the nobility, mages, scholars, and wealthy merchant groups sit in rows of fan-shaped chairs.

The bright glow of the crystallite light shone from the dome and shone on the faces of the council hall, and perhaps because of the light, the faces of these big men looked even paler than usual. Against the backdrop of the black gowns beloved by the parliamentarians, these pale faces were like pebbles dangling in the black silt, blind and meaningless.

An atmosphere of tension and oppression hung over the place – and while it was oppressive most of the time, it was more oppressive today than ever.

There was a constant buzz in the hall as parliamentarians whispered and small groups of acquaintances discussing sensational news, but more councillors were paying attention to the most peculiar position at the front of the hall - the seats reserved for royal representatives were now empty, except for two heavily armed knights and a few attendants standing not far behind the seats.

The Count of Døreux sat in his place, and with some irritability he turned a magnificent ring with a great jewel, and he turned the side with the gem to the palm of his hand, and held it firmly until he felt a slight tingling, and turned the gem around, and then turned it back again—he was doing such meaningless things, and his ears were full of pessimism and frustration, or with blind confidence and enthusiasm.

The Empire and the Cecil were suddenly at war...... It seems that there are traitors lurking among the nobility at all levels...... The Church of the God of War has been infiltrated by blasphemers, and the death of Pope Malm Dunit is in doubt...... It seems that there will be a screening and purge within the military, or that a purge has already been carried out......

A dark cloud hung over Aldernan, and the ignorant people at the bottom did not know what was behind the recent oppressive tensions in the city, while the nobles and representatives of the wealthy burghers at the top had access to more and more internal information—but in the eyes of the Count of Düreux, the people around him who were nervous and talking to each other were not much better than the commoners.

At this moment, a voice came from not far away, and a few seats were separated: "Mr. Earl, do you know that the Knights of the Protector entered the inner city yesterday?" ”

The Count of Düreux frowned subconsciously, but he adjusted his expression before turning his head, and he followed the sound to see a bald man with a fat figure smiling at him. The other was dressed in a tight gown, with a thin gold watch chain hanging out of his breast pocket, and a pair of golden glasses hanging from the thin chain, which was worn on the bridge of the other's nose, or rather embedded in the fat of the other's face.

"Of course, the news has spread among the parliamentarians." The Count of Düreux nodded at the man with a good figure, and said in a not far or close manner.

"Something really is going to happen, Mr. Earl," the fat man shook his head, and the flesh near his neck shook twice, "The last time the Knights of the Protector entered the inner city was more than ten years ago......

The Count of Dürer kept a polite smile and casually echoed a few sentences, but he was very disapproving.

Polberg, a speculative businessman, has only doubled in value in the past two years by the hot wind of magic industry, except that his father is also a relatively successful businessman, such a person has not had a family inheritance from his grandfather onwards, but such a person can also appear under the triple spire of the council......

The Count of Dürer would not have questioned the Emperor's decrees, he knew that such a special "seat" was needed in the Parliament, but he still did not like speculative businessmen like Polberg...... Money really swells up this kind of person too much.

Such a speculative businessman, in the face of a nobleman like himself, has not even added "Your Excellency" but called "sir" - in the eyes of any upper-class person who respects tradition and values etiquette, this is clearly a breach of good order.

But even with such thoughts in his heart, the Count of Dürer maintained proper manners, and he casually conversed with Polberg about innocuous matters, partly for the sake of the necessary courtesy of the nobles, and partly for the sake of ...... The cotton plantations and several factories in the hands of the Count of Dürer were still to do business with Polberg.

Fortunately, this conversation did not last long, and out of the corner of the eye of the Count of Durreux, he suddenly saw a golden door at the front of the hall opened.

The councillors immediately fell silent, and the humming in the hall stopped abruptly.

Princess Matilda, dressed in a long black court dress and long black hair with a dignified and elegant demeanor, walked out of the door, glanced slightly sideways in the direction of the hall, and then walked towards her seat without squinting.

Some of the guards' attendants and warriors followed the princess in.

Many people's eyes fell on Matilda, and they watched the imperial pearl walk forward, but the eyes of the Count of Durre quickly fell on the warriors who appeared with the princess - after seeing the appearance of those warriors, the Typhon nobleman's eyes changed slightly.

He is covered in pitch-black armor, with obsidian crystals inlaid on his breastplate for amplifying mana, a royal insignia on his helmet, and an enchanted sword and amplification orb around his waist.

Obsidian Forbidden Army!

It was the first time since Count Doureer became a noble councilor that the Obsidian Forbidden Army had stepped foot on this place!

He immediately instinctively turned his gaze to the golden door, and saw one obsidian Praetorian warrior after another enter the hall, silently replacing the guards who had been standing guard all over the hall, and after the last Praetorian entered, he saw a heroic black-haired young man walk in, as if expected.

Prince Hadiran.

The Count of Durr saw the prince in command of the Obsidian Forbidden Army enter the hall, and then stopped there as if guarding the gate, and he glanced at the hall as if he were counting the number of people.

The council hall, which had been silent, seemed to be even more silent for half a minute, and it was quiet at this time...... Something else seems to have gone along.

The Count of Dürer suddenly remembered what the speculator had said when he had spoken to him.

This...... It seems that something really is going to happen.

The next moment, Matilda sat down in her place, and she tapped lightly on the table in front of her, and all eyes in the hall fell on her in an instant.

"Ladies and gentlemen," she said, clearing her throat and gazing calmly at the faces in the hall that grew paler in the lights and black dresses, "today we need to discuss a major bill for the future of the Empire.

"By order of His Majesty the Emperor, in accordance with our sacred and just laws, in accordance with the vital interests of all citizens of the Empire, and in view of the state of war that the Empire is currently facing, and the disturbing changes that have taken place in the aristocratic and ecclesiastical systems, I hereby propose, on behalf of the royal family of Typhon, the following motions—

"Activate the Emperor's supreme ruling power and temporarily close the Imperial Diet."