A dull silence hung over the majestic royal capital, with only a few pedestrians hurrying through the streets.

Even the magic-powered hovercars and ornate horse-drawn carriages are nowhere to be found.

Knights in silver armor formed a strict formation in a strict formation and patrolled the streets.

They walked in unison, and their expressions were solemn, as if they were facing a great enemy.

The sound of the clash of ironclad armor added a heavy haze to this vast land, suppressing all life.

The royal capital is in a state of total lockdown, and in the near future, anyone entering or leaving the royal capital will be subject to strict identity verification by the guards.

Two teams of knights stood by and guarded near the gate of the royal capital.

They all wore a crystal that glowed purple around their waists.

When someone tried to leave or enter the city, the knights would remove the crystal from their waists and lay it down in front of the comer.

Wait a few seconds for the comer's message to appear in the crystal.

That's right

This crystal is a magic prop specially developed by the royal capital to identify the citizenship of the empire.

Any citizen of the Empire who has registered a population record can simply look at the crystal.

The crystal in front of the examiner will automatically reveal his personal information.

And if you are not recorded by the crystal, a special series of question marks will appear.

And it will resonate between each crystal, sounding the alarm.

"Alright, next."

The first knight waved his hand and withdrew the purple crystal in his hand.

The outsider breathed a sigh of relief.

Witnessing the steel gate in front of the gate slowly opening, he slowly entered the royal capital with his family and carriage.

Soon, the steel door closed again.

The solemn atmosphere of the royal capital made the citizens waiting to enter the city in the rear involuntarily feel a chill.

Today's royal capital is extremely depressed.

And the cause of everything stems from the Hellfire armor that suddenly appeared in the royal capital.

In order to ensure the safety of the citizens of the royal capital, the empress had to order that the entire royal capital be put on full alert.

Anyone entering or leaving the country is subject to strict identity verification.

Because the person who can match the strength of the Great Knight of Gwen is undoubtedly extremely powerful.

In other words, the other side is extremely dangerous.

Today's royal capital, inside and outside, there are warnings and wanted everywhere.

However, after such a long time, the entire king still has not found any trace of that armor.

But the more fruitless it was, the more uneasy the residents of the royal capital would become.

The threat hidden in the shadows is the most terrifying.

......

Palace.

A cold air drifted westward through the streets of the royal capital, flooding every corner of the palace as well.

The noble ministers gathered in the depths of the palace.

Their chattering was like birdsong, and they were chaotic and nervous as they reported to the Empress on urgent matters.

"Your Majesty, the current dangerous situation in the royal capital is not trivial, and I strongly recommend further strengthening the patrol." One of the ministers said firmly.

"Your Majesty, you may wish to consider a complete blockade of the royal capital and prohibit any entry and exit. Otherwise, that person may find an opportunity to escape. ”

Another minister proposed, with concern in his tone.

"Nonsense! Your Majesty, if the royal capital is completely blocked, it will not be able to obtain goods and food supplies from the outside world. How could the royal capital become an isolated city abandoned by the world? ”

The third minister retorted eagerly, his voice full of panic.

In the hall, the ministers argued one after another.

Opinions for and against mingled into a chaotic wave, and everyone was unwilling to budge.

Sitting on the throne, Aurelian wore a crown on her head, and her golden cloak slipped off her shoulders and spread gracefully across the red carpet.

Xiang Zilan was dressed as a maid and stood respectfully behind her.

Her gaze was on the arguing old nobles below.

Ten years seem to pass in a flash, and the faces of these ministers are already covered with the traces of time.

And the change of many positions has also witnessed the passage of time.

Ten years ago, Aurelian had already secured her rule.

Since the death of her predecessor, Emperor Oberly, Her Majesty has been a different person.

Although she was never cruel, she was no longer overly entangled in human feelings.

Especially after her royal brother Albanny lost to the south and fled back to the empire in disgrace.

Aurelian decisively executes him in public, showing the ruthlessness and determination of an emperor.

Since then, most of the aristocracy has become more restrained.

And those who are still unruly are also cleaned up between light and darkness.

You don't want to do it in this position, some people are willing, and the most important thing in the empire is talent.

Even so, Aurelian would often hear the ministers arguing back and forth.

At this time, Vanilla would be very bored, and her tail would secretly wagging behind her back.

It is not known whether the owner has returned to Breston safely.

The return of her master made her want to go home and see it.

Finally, after a series of ineffective suggestions, Aurelian raised her hand slightly.

Like the coolness of the first frost of winter, the hustle and bustle of the entire royal capital came to an abrupt halt in an instant.

Her gaze swept across the golden hall like the cold moonlight, scrutinizing the faces of every minister.

Everyone lowered their heads, their bodies stiffened, and they didn't dare to make contact with her gaze.

"Isn't the Duke of Levi there?"

The Empress's voice sounded clearly and calmly, as if carrying the chill of the winter wind.

As the Empress asked, a minister hurried in response:

"Your Majesty, the Duke of Rivi did not come. But he conveyed a word. ”

"If there's an order, just let me know."

Although this statement is simple, it reveals the position of Duke Levi.

He was willing to obey orders, but he no longer took the initiative to participate in political affairs.

The ministers exchanged meaningful glances, and they all understood Duke Rivi's intentions.

The Duke of Rivi's estrangement was not due to the fact that after the death of Saul VIII, he was unwilling to assist the current empress.

Rather, it stems from the unpleasantness of a past.

About eight years ago, at the celebration of Aurelian's coming of age.

At that time, Victor had been dead for two years.

Duke Rivi and his daughter came to congratulate him.

But for some reason, the banquet came to an end.

The daughter of the Duke of Rivi had a big quarrel with the Empress.

The details of that altercation remain a mystery to this day.

All in all, after that quarrel, Duke Rivi's daughter left the empire and never returned.

Perhaps the Duke of Rivi was haunted by this incident, so he was reluctant to come to the palace again.

When the empress heard the minister's answer, her brow sank slightly.

After a moment of contemplation, a new order was given:

"Then inform him and let him go south."

South?

This unexpected order filled the hearts of the ministers present with doubts.

They looked at each other, trying to decipher the Empress's deep meaning.

Why did His Majesty suddenly mention the South?

It had long since become a territory occupied by monsters and cultists.

For the Empire, the loss of such a large piece of the Southern Territory was a permanent scar.

Although there have been proposals to use the army to regain lost territory, these have been unsober statements.

Anyone who is truly awake knows that the existence of monster rifts means a constant stream of enemies.

If you want to attack back, it's not something that can be done with lip service at all.

Even if the territory can be recaptured temporarily, how to protect it for a long time is another problem.

Today's southern monsters have not been able to pile up disasters, and most of the reason is due to the cannibalism between monsters.

After all, they have their own food chain.

Due to the lack of humans as food in the south, the monsters had to prey on each other and feed on the flesh and blood of their own clan in order to survive.

Under this cruel law of nature, the weak are constantly being consumed by stronger beings.

From generation to generation, powerful beings continue to change.

Ten years later, the monsters that can stay in the south are among the most terrifying existences.

Although the southern front is able to block the invasion of these monsters.

But what really prevented them from taking a step beyond the thunder pool was the mysterious magic tower that towered over that land.

The monsters there have the same roots as the other monsters, but they seem to be controlled by some special magic.

Not only will they only attack invading monsters, but they will even protect humans who strayed into their territory and escort them back to the Empire safely.

That's why it's called the Magic Tower.

There is nothing in the south, except for monsters, which is the magic tower.

So Her Majesty's thoughts are......

"Let the Duke try to see if he can negotiate with the owner of the magic tower."

There was a hint of coldness and majesty in Aurelian's voice, and there was an air of non-refusal between the words.

Her eyes were calm and her face was indifferent.

"Believers can't enter the royal capital through the south, and I think the owner of the magic tower has the ability to discern them."

"We can't keep the royal capital on the alert forever. Asking for help is our first solution at the moment. ”

The ministers looked at each other, and although they had doubts in their hearts, they also agreed with the empress's decision.

This is indeed an easy and quick solution, as long as the Duke of Revy can successfully negotiate with the owner of the magic tower.

However, it seems to be hard.

After all, Her Majesty Aurelian had tried before, but he had never even seen one.

Aurelian looked at His Highness's talking ministers, and most of them nodded in agreement.

Seeing that the ministers had no opinions, she slowly stood up from her throne.

Elegantly brushing the dust off the hem of his skirt, his face was indifferent, and he said in a solemn voice:

"Since you don't have a better way, it's decided."

"Go and inform the Duke of Rivi that it's best to leave today."

As soon as she finished speaking, she turned away from her throne.

Dragging a gorgeous long dress embroidered with gold patterns, he quietly left along the deep corridor behind the temple.

The light cloak behind her brushed the red carpet, drifting away as she walked.

Looking at the back of the empress leaving, Xiang Zilan also turned around lightly.

Her tail swayed slightly, following Aurelian's steps.

The hall was immersed in silence.

As the two departed, only the courtiers were left to bow and salute the figure of the empress in the distance.