On the edge of the city of Cecil.

A giant Magic Web Relay Tower stands on the edge of a snow-capped field, the tower glows with metal and crystal in the bright sunlight, and the massive antenna device and crystal array on top of the tower rotate silently under the control of a series of mechanical structures, providing the relay service of the magic web signal to the city and the vast area around the city.

On the spire of the tower, on the base of the quietly rotating antenna device, a long serpent's tail clings to the cold steel surface.

The snake's tail contracted and swayed, and Tyr poked her head out from under the antenna, her head up, facing the cold wind, her long hair dancing in the wind, and the "song" that only the Kraken could hear and understand haunted her ears in the ripples of magic.

"Naga ......" The Siren lady frowned, and whispered to herself with doubt, "Is it possible that such a strange thing has happened after not going back for so long......"

As she spoke, she shook her head slightly, leaned down, let go of her tail, and prepared to follow the tower back to the ground.

"It doesn't matter, there are always some strange things happening in the deep sea, but I don't know if Gawain is interested in it...... Well? ”

Tyr blinked in confusion and arched forward, but the back half of his tail didn't move.

She looked back and saw that her tail was still firmly wrapped around the base of the antenna, the surface of the scales covered with a layer of crystal clear ice crystals, and the inside of her was translucent.

"Ouch......" Miss Kraken finally became a little alarmed, and moved her tail even harder, "Oops...... Frozen...... Why is it so cold up there...... Who's going to help ......?"

A soft click came to her ears, and Tyr's struggle suddenly stopped, and she looked a little sluggishly in the direction where the sound came from, just as she saw the back half of her tail crack crisply, and the cracks were spreading outward along the transparent ice crystals.

Tyr glanced in the direction he had come, and saw the small, smooth, icy slope of the top of the tower, and the distant ground below.

The tail snapped off.

“…… Gentle deep sea...... Today is a real failure......"

……

In the city of Cecil, three young people from all over the world, but who have been gathered together by chance, are walking on the streets of winter.

With spotless streets, tall and beautiful houses lining the streets, shops, houses, cafes and public facilities weaving through this incredible city, and spirited citizens in warm winter clothes everywhere, no one seems to worry about hunger and cold in this cold winter.

At the intersection of streets, in squares, and in places where all kinds of people gather, holographic projections projected by the Magic Network terminal can be seen everywhere, showing the latest radio programs, or showing short announcements of the government affairs department, or showing the advertising of some chambers of commerce and companies.

Film was like a magic net terminal running at full power, looking at everything in the city with wide eyes, observing all the details he could observe, in the eyes of this young man from Barron, the whole city of Cecil was like a stage full of fantasies, wonders, and incredible people and things, everything that was staged on this stage was like a drama to him, every detail was so wonderful, so incredible, and yet these incredible things were real here.

Findil was also observing the city, but in the eyes of the young nobleman from the mountains of the North, he sensed a very different level from Film.

It is a city where there is no division between the aristocratic and the commoner, where all the city facilities are open to all legal citizens, and where survival and comfort are prioritized.

In the eyes of the old-fashioned aristocracy, this place can probably be described as deviant.

But the era of the classical aristocracy is over, and the order in the city has become the new "system", and sooner or later everything here will be extended to the mountains of the north.

The aunt seems to be ready for this, as must the northern nobles who still occupy the castle and the estate, and Fendil himself...... Then he finally understood why his aunt had to send him here to be exposed to Cecil's order.

There are some things that you can't clearly experience from books and descriptions of others.

"I thought we'd start working on your 'Shadow Show' right away," Elevenn looked at Film as he walked, "We've got the venue ready and we've recruited some people, but it looks like you still need to do some preparations?" ”

"Yes......" Film said hesitantly, but soon his tone became natural, "Your Majesty reminds me, let me pay attention to the truth of the script, let me pay attention to what the real Southland is like—I came out for a walk today, and I really appreciate His Majesty's good intentions." There were so many assumptions in my previous scripts that the Southlands were more than I could have imagined, and if I hadn't looked at it carefully, I was afraid that the repertoire I had produced would have made the locals laugh. ”

"I don't think it's as exaggerated as you say, but there's some truth to it," Findil smiled and shrugged, "After all, we've seen with our own eyes that city dwellers don't use plenty of charcoal for heat – magic heat exchangers are used here. ”

Film laughed a little awkwardly.

"I'm going to visit some people starting tomorrow," he said, "I've heard that there are a lot of immigrant families in the West End, who went through the first expansion of the city and know those days very well, and then I'd like to visit some of the gentlemen who lived in the Artisan Quarter, who arrived here from the old royal capital only two months ago, and from whom I should be able to hear how real immigrants started their new lives here." ”

"Down-to-earth, good start," Findil smiled and nodded, "Film and I will also go to the academy in two days to report officially, and you are welcome to come to the academy at that time, and you can see how those who came to the south for their studies live and study." ”

Elivan on the other side also took over: "Don't worry, we will continue to help you make the Magic Shadow Drama - I think the schoolwork in the academy should not be so bad that the two of us can't even spare time to help our friends, no matter how busy we are, we can at least give you advice." ”

"Thank you very much - there are some things I really don't know how to do without your help, after all, I am nowhere near as mature as my father," Fendil looked grateful, then hesitated before continuing, "Honestly, I ...... I didn't think I would have the opportunity to do things with people like you. ”

Fendil looked at Film: "Still mind who we are?" ”

Film looked at the tall northern nobleman, and after a short thought, nodded: "I can't go against my heart - I'm still a little restrained when talking to you, but I feel like I'm getting used to it." The feeling you bring to me is not quite the same as the nobles I have been in contact with before, and you have some special ...... The ambiance, it's amazing, I don't know how to describe it. ”

Fendil looked at Film silently for two seconds, then suddenly chuckled and shook his head: "Actually, if you had met us before the signing ceremony at Silver Castle, you would have felt no different about us than the other nobles you had come into contact with before. ”

Film was stunned.

"We'll all know what you've seen before, except that we know how to restrain our habits better than the old ones," said Findil calmly, "the rules of the nobility...... Oh, that thing is like a room full of fish and shrimp, and everyone who stays in it will be deeply impregnated by its smell, and no one in our circle can escape, or rather, no one is allowed to escape.

"My friend, Elivan and I also came out of that room—but as His Majesty the Emperor said, a new era has come, and anyone who is familiar with history will understand one thing, and only those who embrace the new era in time are qualified to survive.

"Of course, I don't mean that my friendship with you is cheating, on the contrary, I am satisfied with the state we are in now, because just as one in a thousand bottles of wine will be broken by mistake, and there will always be one or two strange fellows in a thousand nobles."

On the other side, Elevenn chimed in, "Thanks to the signing ceremony at Silver Castle - at least now some nobles who don't want to stay in that room full of fish and shrimp can have a chance to come out legally." I can already foresee that the signing ceremony will surely be recorded in the history books and will become a lesson that future generations of scholars will have to study. ”

Film listened to the words of the two partners, showing a thoughtful look, but shook his head slightly embarrassed: "Although I understand, I am not very familiar with history...... My knowledge of history comes from the old exaggerated scripts. You should know that in the past, civilians were not allowed to access the real history books. ”

“…… There's a history class at the Imperial Academy," Findil was silent for a moment, then suddenly said leisurely, "I think that's perhaps the greatest thing about His Majesty the Emperor." ”

Film looked a little dazed for a moment.

Fendil noticed the blankness in his eyes, and reached out to pat him on the shoulder: "If you have the chance, go buy more books to read, there are more books that civilians are allowed to read now than they did then." ”

"I want to go somewhere," Elevenn said suddenly, and looked at Fendil, "You should want to go too, right?" ”

Fendil understood what the other party meant almost instantly, and nodded slightly: "It's okay, he's here after all......"

Film looked at the two of them in confusion: "What are you talking about?" ”

"We're going to meet someone, our mutual friend," said Fendil softly, "and come with you, and get to know him." ”

Film's gaze swept over Findil and Eleven, and he noticed that the expressions of the two friends seemed to have changed, but he didn't know the reason for the change, but he still nodded: "Of course...... Far away? ”

"It's not far," Eleven's head looked up at the end of the street, "I heard...... He was placed over there. ”

Film noticed a strange word in the other person's words: "Placement? ”

Elivan didn't answer, but just followed in Fendir's footsteps and walked towards the end of the street.

Film could only follow with a little confusion.

……

At the end of the block, a solemn building stands in a small square.

The building looked exceptionally new, as if it had just been built.

"Ansu Civil War Memorial ......" Film looked up and looked curiously at the sign at the entrance of the building, "Your friends are here?" ”

"That's right." Fendil nodded, and took the lead towards the ten steps of the memorial.

There were guards at the entrance of the memorial, and they told the three of them that it was a closed day and that the memorial was closed to the general public, but Film saw Elivan and Fendil come forward to say something to the guards and show their identification, and after some negotiations, the two soldiers nodded in agreement and turned to open the door of the memorial.

"Please leave within an hour, and do not enter the side hall and the rear cloister." The guard reminded after opening the door.

"It's a bit of a 'privilege'." Fendil looked at Film, who was walking up the steps, and said with a slight teasingness.

The three of them walked into the peculiar-looking building, and shortly after entering the door, Film saw a large hall appear in front of them.

Because it was closed, it was very quiet, and the lights in the hall were only less than half lit, and in the slightly dim light, Film first noticed the "figure" standing in the center of the hall.

As he followed the two Fendils, he realized that the figure was a lifelike sculpture.

A young man with a sword and armor stood there, bathed in the glow of a solitary magic crystal lamp, quietly watching in the direction of the entrance to the hall.

At this point, Film already understood.

This is probably what Findil and Elivan call "mutual friends".

"He's Belk, Belk Loren," said Findil, staring at the lifelike sculpture for a long time, "he's the eldest of the three." ”

"He took a path we never dared to think of, and ushered in an end we never thought of," Elevenn sighed softly, "He used to tell us a lot about times and changes, but when he was willing to tell us about it, I never understood it, and when I did, he was already here." ”

Fendil stood opposite Belk's "statue", and he stared for a long time at the eyes that had turned into cold rocks, and suddenly broke the silence:

"Belk, as you wish, this great time has finally arrived."

A heavy and solemn atmosphere hung over the place, and Film did not know what to say, and he was silent for a long time before he finally spoke: "Can you tell me about him?" ”

"Of course, but we only know part of it," Fendil said slowly, "and the rest of the soldiers who fought in that war may know some of it, the former lords of Pompeii may know some of it, and the commanders of the Rock Fortress may also know some of it...... I'm not sure if these scattered pieces will be able to piece together a complete story, but if possible, and if you have the opportunity in the future, I hope you will write this story down and write it into your Shadow Drama.

"Let's just leave a mark for the last knight of the old era."