Swan Island. Located on the south side of Lake Havel, it is one kilometer long and half a kilometer wide, and is named after a flock of swans that live on the south side of Lake Havel.

This place has always been a fashionable residential area for the upper class, secluded, secluded and cozy, with a great place to sit on the lake and the forest air, and most of the villas are extraordinary. Almost every house has a wide lawn in front of its door, Versailles-style windows, large terraces, stone balustrades, statues, fountains, a long driveway and a 40-square-meter garage.

The big and undeserved bad taste is just like a consortium.

Minerva sighed and sank into the couch.

According to the elves, this house was the residence of the supreme governor, in other words, the palace. In terms of land occupation, luxury goods, and the number of decorative artworks, it is also in line with identity. But the taste is really flattering.

However, among the piles of vulgar goods, you can occasionally find good things.

With his head resting on the couch cushions, his emerald eyes looking up at a painting hanging above the living room.

A young woman, beautiful and elegant, with light brown hair and brown eyes looking to the right side of the frame, a string of black circling around her neck twice. In her arms, a small animal with white fur was lying comfortably on its stomach, enjoying the caress of its slender and graceful fingers.

The painting is very beautiful, as if absorbing the light in the room, and the woman is shining in the living room. Everything else – crystal chandeliers, camel handmade tapestries, gilded armchairs, sofas, hand-carved coffee tables, and so on – all looked vulgar and lifeless.

It was surprising enough that such an elegant work would appear among the many mundane things, and it was learned from the maid that it was the work of the owner of the house. Surprise escalates to shock. And follow the stairs to the tower that serves as a study, which is full of books, philosophy, literature, mathematics, law...... It is all-encompassing, and it makes people mistakenly think that they have walked into the home of a pedant.

The vulgar and the elegant, the sublime and the low—the totally opposite things should be piled up in one person, a situation that Minerva never thought of, nor encountered. Her curiosity was piqued, and she began to follow more clues, thinking carefully and exploring the "Supreme Commander" who had not been seen so far.

Of course, she was doomed to futility. In fact. She didn't even know that the painting was "copied" and "pasted" by someone using nanoscale printing technology. If Leonardo da Vinci knew that his paintings were not only copied, but also used as decorations for swaggering, most of them would have rolled in the grave in anger.

Minerva closed her eyes. Immerse yourself in a labyrinth of thoughts and worries. In a closely watched mansion. It was one of the few freedoms she had.

The other party did not lock the door. There were no guards in the room other than butlers and maids. But Minerva could still feel the prying eyes seeping through the room, leaving a sticky feeling on her skin. There is also a faint sense of unfriendliness in the trees and houses outside.

Very thorough vigilance, even if at this moment she has regained her body and the ability to use magic. There is also no chance of detachment. Not to mention that she is completely ignorant of the terrain and environment around here, and she will be captured if she can't escape far.

To her bewilderment, the pointy-eared elves simply put her under house arrest and took no further action. There were no interrogations, and no visits from big people located in the centers of power. As if it was just to ensure her survival, and other than that, it was all trivial things.

The information was completely cut off, and she had no way to speculate on the other party's calculations. can only endure the pervasive surveillance, while groping for limited clues, while worrying about Roland, who is unknown.

After that, she and Roland were separated. The elf, named Müller, promised to provide Roland with the best possible treatment, and she witnessed the elf in the white coat carefully carry Roland into a white car. But in this environment, she obviously couldn't feel at ease from the maids' "I'm sorry, we don't know anything about this".

If you want to get out of here, no, you have to get out of here as much as possible.

The hazy anxiety churned in his heart again, and the warm touch of the boy's chest came faintly from his right hand, and Minerva clutched his chest tightly, closed his eyes, and said nothing.

Just then, two horns sounded outside the door, and the maids opened the door, and a familiar figure walked in.

＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃＃

The four-door convertible saloon made a beautiful turn and onto the Boulevard de Havel, reflecting a golden glow through the dappled sunlight of the trees on the silver body. Not far away, Lake Havel is sparkling, with a few small sailboats floating lazily on the water, and the white spinnakers set against the blue sky.

It's a weekday and Swan Island seems empty. On weekends, it's jammed with national cars coming for vacations, boating, picnics and sunbathing. Now there is not a single car on the road, the whole road belongs to the Porscher car, and the singing on the radio is wafting in the wind.

"Love is hard to speak, heart is hard to break. Dance and play all day long. Suddenly, they heard 'I love you,' and they said, 'Say you love me too.'" Love, love. Ah, I love you. ”

The Merry Widow Act III, the accompaniment to Hannah's dance with Count Danilo at the Embassy Ball, "Merry Widow Waltz". With a sweet operetta, Heydrich grabbed a chocolate and threw it into his mouth, biting open the shell, and a stream of sticky cherry juice flowed out of it.

It's the ideal lifestyle for the citizens of Alfheim, driving a car, wandering between art centers, galleries, museums, and scenic spots, while eating brioche buns while enjoying the middle-class favorite operetta "The Merry Widow". Every year, you take part in an overseas trip organized by Kraft.durch.Freude (KdF), skiing in the north and swimming and sunbathing in the south.

It's so perfect that you're going to get drunk.

However, the oppressive atmosphere coming from the back row did not allow Heydrich to revel in.

An air of dissatisfaction and embarrassment hung between the two men, and they didn't know how to break the deadlock. How to explain the current situation, the teenager who could not adapt to the drastic changes and was trying to sort out the clues - it is hard to imagine that the two would start a family, and even Heydrich was worried about their married life.

Obviously, in order to dry clothes and cool down in those days, the two of them "met frankly". Even if the little young master didn't know anything because he was unconscious, that highness had even wiped Roland's whole body with a damp cloth, and he had intimate contact with this, what else could not be said?

There is no way, at this time, the atmosphere can only be adjusted by a cheeky light bulb.

"Your Highness has been resting well these days?"

"Rest, Mr. Heydrich, your words are interesting. Rest. ”

Minerva reminisced about the word. Sharp echo to:

"You should ask the person in charge of this kind of thing. They will be sure to give you a thorough report. ”

As he spoke, he turned his face to the lake. A flock of seagulls fluttered out of the water, and a patrol boat sped by, and the armed policemen on board looked curiously.

To "protect" Minerva. The elves have a whole set of security plans planned. Regular patrols in the air and on the water. All kinds of open whistles, dark whistles, mobile whistles, guards, security guards, police dogs, sirens. It's enough to guard a concentration camp. Not to mention cats and dogs who are a little more curious. Even a rat trying to get close to Minerva would be beaten into a sieve.

Rest. Hell if you can rest well in this environment.

"This is to protect the safety of His Highness. ”

Maintaining an iron-clad cheeky face, Heydrich's meaningful gaze was refracted through the rearview mirror to Roland.

"After all, we have all kinds of situations on our side. ”

Nowadays, Alfheim is most concerned. It's not the human princess that few people know, but the Scott case.

may have been irritated by Mr. Scott's spirit of "repeated defeats and repeated battles", or he planned to make things bigger and pave the way for a series of political activities in the future. Extremists argue that a dominant race openly questions the national policy and criticizes the executive branch of the state is undoubtedly an enemy of the government. What is even more dangerous is that this person disrupts order, spreads lies, and dangerously tries to incite the ignorant community in society. This is an unforgivable crime, so it must be tried in public to dig up his "accomplices". Kill the chickens and make an example of the monkeys, and put an end to the fact that no one will comment on public affairs so fiercely.

They didn't just make a big deal about it, but in order to intensify the dramatic effect and make an example of the monkeys, the right-wing bigwig Dr. Wolfgang Karp submitted the complaint to the people's court.

Everyone was stunned, no one expected that Karp would bypass the Supreme Court and directly sacrifice the "Volksgerichtshof" (People's Court). When it was learned that the People's Tribunal had taken up the case, and that it was presided over by Judge Judge Ryder Fleisler, assisted by Judge Andrei Vyshinsky, everyone looked at Mr. Scott with the eyes of a dead man.

It's different from a regular courtroom. The people's tribunal, set up to demonstrate the authority of the government and deal with the "interracial incidents", is a place where there is no mercy. There are only three verdicts here, not guilty, 20 years in prison or the death penalty, the first two are very rare, and most of the defendants end up on the gallows. As for Fleisler and Vyshinsky, the two "Grim Reaper Judges" known for their extremely high rates of death sentences, it seems that Mr. Scott's fate is already sealed. Racists celebrate and wait for victory.

Against this backdrop, it was a standard venture to let a human princess into Alfheim without any arrangement.

"I'm really sorry, but the petty official believes that the next visit to Alfheim will definitely resolve His Highness's unhappiness. ”

Heydrich pulls the steering wheel, and the silver car leads to the last sentry box, carrying young people and girls full of worries into the streets of Alfheim.

If Lüders is the pearl of today's civilized world, it is a dream city that can fulfill people's dreams. Alfheim, then, is a forest of Babel towers on the ground, a city of authority that exudes an overwhelming force.

Bathed in sunlight, the skyscraper roofs are dazzling, with a smooth silver hue that stretches to the sky. Compared to the blue sky in the background, the silver high-rise buildings with a height of more than 200 meters look out of place, almost like a silver glass castle that looks out of the world.

One such tall building alone is enough to attract amazement and envy, but Minerva is not just looking at this one, but a forest of countless majestic tall buildings.

A single huge building that stands out from the crowd will accentuate the sense of existence and center. It is common knowledge of human society that buildings with various functions radiate to the surrounding area and form cities. Surrounded by huge buildings, Minerva, who was in the midst of a concrete jungle, was at a loss for what to do, and could only listen to Heydrich's explanation.

"The construction of the Arc de Triomphe began seven years ago, took four years, and was completed three years ago on the Day of National Awakening, designed by His Excellency Albert Speer. ”

Who else but Speer? This master architect and genius of military management is responsible for the design of most large buildings, and when it comes to giant buildings, it is either Speer or his apprentices.

"The Grand Arc de Triomphe is built of granite. The height is 180 meters. It is 160 meters wide and 190 meters deep, with a total volume of 2365685 cubic meters, which is about 49 times the size of the Lüddes Arc de Triomphe. on the walls of the interior. It is engraved with the names of the martyrs who died for Alfheim. ”

The Porscher sedan drove through the gate. Granite hung high above their heads. Minerva pretended not to hear Heydrich's slight smugness, and carefully examined the tunnel-like doorway. The doorway is longer than a football field and is 50 stories high. Overhead lights and searchlights illuminated the eight lanes inside the door, and the list of the dead carved in Elven language on the wall—a small area at the entrance with a large blank space.

The sedan burrowed out of the door and returned to the sunny skies of Alfheim.

"Out of the Grand Arc de Triomphe, we came to the Avenue of Victory. It is 123 meters wide, twice the size of the Lüddes Champs-Élysées, and 5.6 kilometers long, 2.5 times the length of the Champs-Élysées. On our left hand side are the buildings of the Ministry of Transport and the Ministry of the Interior, and on the right hand side are the Ministry of Economy, Food and Immigration......"

Bigger, taller, wider, longer, more expensive - far beyond their own real yàn body, and even more so than ever more beautiful.

Roland vaguely felt that this was a sense of inferiority. Only after gaining an overwhelming advantage over similar things in foreign countries will the elves feel at ease and accept it. Relying on invisible or tangible fortresses to defend the hearts and minds of hundreds of thousands of citizens......

The car pulls into a high-class shopping street. High-end clothing stores, gem shops, cinemas, opera houses, and slightly trendy open-air cafes line the streets. Waltburg and Polscher national cars shuttle back and forth, and the streets are so clean that it is doubtful that there is not even a speck of dust to be found. The elves who came and went through the streets were all dressed up in bright and proper manners, and even the children showed a calm and good upbringing that was very different from that of human children, and there were no children running around in vests, let alone jaywalking. The whole street is in a well-organized atmosphere.

More advanced, more prosperous, and more orderly than Lüdders.

With a little unpleasantness, Minerva secretly commented.

The former may be intentional, and the latter is entirely natural. Only when all subjects have reached a certain level of supra can an orderly social operating environment be naturally formed. Behind this simple conclusion is a long-term investment in education and social management, both of which require enough patience, determination, execution, and financial support to achieve. Whether other countries possess these elements, Minerva did not know, but she knew Charlemagne would have a hard time doing so.

But-

Minerva's eyebrows furrowed slightly, and she continued to look at the pedestrians on the street.

Subdue.

Seems like too much?

It's not that there are no elves in civilian clothes, but they just look around...... Uniforms everywhere. Black, Green, Navy Blue, Sea Blue, Click...... Elves in various uniforms walk the streets, which looks like shopping, but more like some kind of rally or procession.

Thoughts flashed by, and Minerva continued to watch the bustling streetscape. But for some reason, the beautiful and handsome uniforms are more impressive than the high-rise buildings, and the coercion exuded by the tide of uniforms even makes the buildings that go straight into the sky bow down.

"In front of us. ”

Drive out of the shopping street and return to the main road of the axis. Heydrich raised his voice and said in a slightly ostentatious tone of pride:

"The northernmost end of Victory Avenue is one of the wonders of the world's architectural history. ”

"Miracle ......"

Minerva muttered quietly.

Even with her critical gaze, the thing in front of her was worthy of that title.

At the other end of the street, a huge building towered majestically, and on a gray base like a battleship, was a huge dome half into the sky. Even though she had become numb to the skyscraper, Minerva felt her own insignificance again.

"The council venue is the largest building in the world. The height of the dome is more than a quarter of a kilometer, and on some days the top is submerged in the clouds. The radius of the dome is only one-sixteenth of St. Peter's Basilica in Ymir. ”

Not again.

Roland and Minerva thought in unison.

Maybe Heydrich didn't mean it, after all, the tourist brochure says something about the same. But everything has to be compared, and it is really ...... to show superiority

In front of the council was the Gendarmerie Square, on the right side of the square was the headquarters of the Defence Forces, and on the left was the library, which was originally intended to be an official residence for the consuls, but with the stroke of a pen, the consuls, who were not interested in luxury, became a library.

"Books from all over the world, including rare and rare books purchased from all over the world, as well as many of the works of the Archons, are collected here. Citizens of Alfheim can come here at any time to read and borrow books with identification. But—"

A hint of cunning flashed in his blue eyes, and the young man in the rearview mirror frowned.

"It's also an 'equal but isolated' area. ”

"Heydrich!"

"The order from above is that there is no need to hide it, whether it is good or bad, let His Highness and the young master see it. Please don't embarrass the petty officials. ”

Roland glared at the confidential secretary fiercely, of course he knew Li Lin's orders, and he also knew Li Lin's calculations better. Although he knew it was a "necessary evil," he could not agree with it.

Just as he was about to remind Heydrich to keep his attitude right, a loud shouting came from the library. (To be continued......)