The banquet began, the guests were all old faces from the celebration banquet that had just been held at the Harimaya estate, and the royal family members went home to take a bath and change their clothes, and reappeared in the banquet hall of His Majesty the Emperor, pretending to greet Jonah warmly as if they were meeting for the first time. The words of a gourmand seemed unconvincing from the mouth of a man who could not walk, but the astrologer did not have the heart to think about these issues, and he spent the normal feast in a daze, thinking about the Vedic front and the problems of Ecbatana.

It wasn't until nine o'clock in the evening when the feast was over, and after bidding farewell to Emperor Essaibaink, Queen Marcella, and the prince, and getting into the royal carriage, that Jonah found an opportunity to ask for details, "Well, Assai, what is the matter with Ecbatana?" ”

The Dongfang burped and collapsed weakly in his seat: "You don't even know it? This is an indecisive public case, which has been like a fish bone in the throat and eyes of the Tocharian Empire for hundreds of years, and it is uncomfortable. ...... I really don't have the strength to speak now, if the salmon caviar comes out by accident, it will be a big loss, and I will tell you when it is digested......"

Jonah looked at this unproductive guy with hatred, a little helpless. Suddenly, he slapped the door of his head, opened the deerskin bag that never left him, and took out the heavy book: "Geographical Measurement of the Southern Continent" from Erlan Dantrier. Sure enough, this all-encompassing encyclopedia has a chapter on Ecbatana, which is described in the usual frivolous and verbose tone as follows: " Ever since I don't know how long ago, the Floreans inhabited the Ecbatana Basin, running around like two-legged ants tinkering with steaming knick-knacks, and their communication with the outside world was limited to exchanging their ingenious steam products for human bread and cured meats at the twice-weekly fair, and for a long time their only contribution to the world was to allow the uneducated rich boy to show his hand to the girl he liked at the party. A small machine that emits white smoke to deceive the curiosity of an ignorant girl.

The Ecbatana Basin is located on the southeast side of the Tocharian Empire, surrounded by vast hills, and Tocharian has repeatedly clarified the question of the ownership of this enclave, but the Floreans have responded tactfully with steam puppets and steam crystal cannons. Less than three feet tall, wearing comical pink hats, smelling of motor oil and coal, and speaking a sharp, fast Floresian dialect that no one but themselves could understand, the only way to advance in diplomacy over the centuries was for a Tocharian ambassador to set up a thatched embassy at the edge of the basin, where he could briefly communicate with the early Florians every morning when he went out to pour the urinal.

The group became known to the outside world by a coincidence when, the first astrology teacher, Gilberto Gilbernet (with the deepest respect), passed through this strange land while traveling the world in search of the truth of the starry sky, stayed in the Tocharian ambassador's shack for two days, and then went into the Ecbatana Basin alone to discover the secrets of the steam golem technology. At that time, it was the 50-year period of volcanic activity of 'Ekra',—— which is located in the middle of the basin, and is an active volcano that spews hot lava and sulfur vapor at any time. The dwarfs were huddling around the volcano, watching in horror as the lava pillars rose into the air and spewed up to three hundred yards into the air, and four rivers of magma flowed slowly, this eruption was more violent than any recorded in the history books, and although the thirty-three-year-old patriarch had jumped into the crater to try to quell the lava's wrath, fifty pounds (or less) of fresh flesh would not have any negative effect on the eruption from a scientific standpoint.

Gilbert-Neon (with the deepest respect) saved the scorching land, using his unskilled space-time magic to alter the state of Mount Ekla, forcibly suppressing the power of lava and ending the volcano's fifty-year cycle. The great astrological teacher (with the deepest respect) apologized to the stunned five thousand Floresians that this was not a one-time solution, and that the quietly accumulated volcanic power would produce an unprecedented eruption in the distant centuries of time, but that would be a long time later, when conquering volcanoes would have become as easy as picking coconuts. The little regret did not dilute the admiration of the dwarves, who regarded the astrologer as a savior sent by the volcanic spirits, erected statues for him, and worshipped him.

A few weeks later, Gilbertion left Ecbatana with a host of gifts (the editor won't give up every opportunity to pay his respects) and spread the magic of the steam golem technology around the world. Since then, people from the four continents have gathered on the southeastern frontier of the Tocharian Empire to learn the unique techniques of the Floresians, and with gratitude for humanity, the Pink Hat Dwarves have become less repulsive to tall, ugly creatures, and communication has gradually increased, and human mechanics have begun to appear in front of the volcanic furnaces. The Steam Golem profession was born, and as steam technology became more and more powerful in the development of world civilization, when the United Amnesty Decree was signed a hundred years ago, various national powers finally recognized the legitimacy of the Steam Golem Sorcerer's Association, and listed this newest and weakest organization as one of the five major guilds.

The Floreans still ran around the basin year after year, tossing and turning the squeaky knick-knacks, and the Tocharian ambassador was finally allowed to build a stone house that would provide shelter from the elements, but the dwarves still did not have a good relationship with the Empire. As of the time of this edition, conquering volcanoes is still slightly more difficult than picking coconuts, and Mount Ekra is a huge time bomb, as a word of advice to tourists, if you just want to buy elaborate steam machinery souvenirs for your relatives and friends at home, and stroll around the Golden City's Caliphate Street, a visit to the hot, noisy, xenophobic, and bizarre Ekbatana is pointless and even a little dangerous,—— of course, if danger is a souvenir of your trip, that's another matter. ”

"Oh ......" Closing this wordy book, Jonah let out a heartfelt exclamation, he didn't expect to see the deeds left by the first mentor everywhere in the Southern Continent. This history answered the question in his heart, since there is still a statue of the first astrologer erected in Ecbatana, then his own descendant of the astrologer is naturally easy to gain the trust of the Floresians, and the emperor is not interested in his own ability, but his identity, this unique and irreplaceable identity. The discovery made him a little stunned, the 17-year-old longed for the approval of others, and he wanted others to see him as a strong, trustworthy person, a real man more than a member of the Five Great Guilds.

Upon his return to the Harimaya estate, Jonah repeated to the old prince his request to His Majesty the Emperor, who did not show any particular surprise. The night was peaceful, the enemies of the Red Brotherhood did not reappear, they left the corpses of a dozen soldiers in the manor, and the guards also found the body of an old man in a robe from the rose in the garden, the body had no obvious external injuries, it should be the enchantment master who was killed by the magic that Asai broke the barrier and caused the magic to backlash. The identities of these people were unknown, and Major Sardis said that the head of the Imperial City Garrison would find out as soon as possible, after all, plotting to attack a nobleman, an officer, a clan heraldic holder, and a member of the Five Guilds protected by the Joint Amnesty Decree was a felony punishable by capital punishment.

Assai, whose blood was concentrated in his stomach, did not speak much, and went back to his room to sleep. Jonah lay in his luxurious bedroom, smelling the faint scent of flowers wafting in from the garden outside the window, and couldn't fall asleep. He tried to call out the names of Zuta, Liche "Uglyface", and Ross Rose, but received no answer. The protector of the ghost's left hand lurked around like a real ghost, and as the Orientals say, he couldn't even detect the existence of the other party at his current level.

Thinking wildly, I don't know when I fell asleep. At breakfast the next day, Jonah asked the old prince to help him set up men at the main thoroughfares and at the entrance of the inn in the Golden City, and conveyed a message to Elliot and Dragon, who were ready to arrive: "I am about to go to the southeastern border of the Tocharian Empire, and if I can, we will meet you in Ecbatana, and if you cannot leave, I will return to Bactria to find you." We will definitely see you again. ”

Prince Harimaya promised to inform Jonah as soon as he found the two companions, so that he would not have to worry. Shortly after breakfast, Esabat the Great brought a gold scroll wrapped in red silk, and the royal ceremonial officer proudly opened the scroll and expressed a small displeasure at Jonah, who refused to kneel: "Uh-huh...... Baron Ecbatana, Lieutenant Colonel D. Jonah II of the Royal Fireblade Cavalry Regiment will be transferred to the Southeast Theater Command Post of the Fireblade Cavalry Regiment with immediate effect, leading the 4th and 5th Cavalry Brigades and the 13th Flying Cavalry Team to be responsible for the defense of the Ecbatana area. ——、 wise, upright, and courageous king, Isaibaink, May 8. ”

"Thank you. Jonah bowed to the Emperor's golden scroll. He understood that his short stay was over, and under the spring sun of the Southern Continent, his fate would take him on his journey again.