Sword of Dawn

Page 188

"I made it with my assistants," Rebecca scratched her hair, "Strictly speaking, I just came up with an idea, and the design was completely done by my assistants—two of the new magicians are from the capital. They are very good at designing such exquisite mechanical mechanisms—but they didn’t have the opportunity to design such weird things when they were in the capital.”

Nicholas next to him immediately made a muffled voice: "I originally planned to get those two watchmakers to the Mechanical Research Institute—it turned out that they were more interested in magic technology."

watchmaker...

Gawain looked at the intricate mechanical structure in the small cabinet, and nodded slightly with admiration: "Very good, very good - the two of them are talents, just like Cohen, and we need to focus on cultivating them. Now you can continue." .”

"Hey," Rebecca nodded happily, "The only thing left is to pass these edited things to the arcane transfer tube, and then print them out!"

While speaking, she pulled another lever next to the cabinet, and with the sound of intensive parts turning in the cabinet, Gawain saw the core device in the middle of the printing machine—the surface of the arcane transfer cylinder. A neat blue shimmer emerged.

That was exactly the printed pattern that Rebecca had edited.

After two seconds of preheating and curing, the pattern on the surface of the transfer cylinder is stabilized, and then other parts of the printing machine start to operate, and the flat and white paper is sent to the center of the printing machine to cover the black "ink plate" , the transfer cylinder is pressed against the surface of the paper under the operation of the mechanical support, and is quickly brushed from left to right.

The printed paper is quickly swept away by the roller, followed by the next paper...

Amidst the sound of the printing machine running, Rebecca explained its follow-up working process to Gao Wen: "1 sheets can be printed in each continuous operation, and then rest for about [-] minute to allow the cylinder to recharge, heat and cure, and at the same time Replace the ink plate below to start a new round of printing, and the ink plate replaced during this process is sent to the heating table for full heating, so that the ink surface becomes flat, and then replaced after cooling.”

Gao Wen was completely attracted by the running machine at this moment, the paper that was printed quickly, the repetitive, efficient and orderly mechanical structure, and the sound of the gears and connecting rods coming from the machine. , he couldn't help but think of the scene when the first magic energy engine started, a kind of high-spirited emotion filled his thoughts, and he couldn't help admiring: "Good... very good, good beyond my imagination !"

"Actually, I think there is still room for improvement," Rebecca said with her proud expression of "my ancestor praised me", but she still put on a face that was not surprised by honor or disgrace. , "I think the 1-minute rest time in the middle is the most wasteful - if you improve the coating formula on the surface of the transfer cylinder or the projection crystal inside, it should be able to work continuously for a longer time, and the ink plate below After using it, it will become uneven due to ink consumption, and it must be reheated to level off and then cooled before it can be used. I think this should also be changed..."

Gawain heard Rebecca's words, but before he could open his mouth, he heard Hetty next to him break the silence: "I can't say the first improvement direction, but I have an idea for the second—why don't you Make the ink plate into an 'ink ribbon' that can rotate under the ink pad? Then install a device on the side of the machine to heat the ink ribbon and flatten the ink surface, such as a hot roller, which should solve the problem. You can use the substrate of the ink ribbon Try the blue moonlight cloth, which has been mass-produced in the factory now, the cost is very low, and it is strong and not easy to deform.”

"Oh yes!" Rebecca slapped her hands immediately, and looked at Heidi with bright eyes, "Auntie, you are amazing! Sure enough, old people have wisdom..."

Hetty: "..."

Gao Wen: "..."

"A great day, a great day," Gawain quickly reached out his hand to stop his great-great-granddaughter before Hetty lifted up the staff with nail heads and steel edges, and looked at Rebecca again. , "In short, improvement must be improved. New machinery and equipment must have imperfections. Your own thinking is limited. You can do it with a team, and you can even listen to the opinions of workers who use printing presses in the future. Ge What do you think of this machine, Mr. Devin?"

A scholar from the capital, Godwin Orlando, who is now the head of the press and publishing department, has been staring at this new printing press since he started it, and has been staring at this incredibly complex and exquisite machine. After waking up and hearing Gao Wen's words, the old scholar couldn't help admiring: "What an unbelievable thing... If only I were younger, I must figure out how it works. But now... I What I want to do most is to write an article and try my best to introduce this thing to everyone. Even if many people can't understand the principle of this machine, I hope they can know that there are a group of brilliant geniuses in the territory who have created Such a great machine!"

"Then go ahead and write," Gao Wen said with a smile and nod. "After the news about the war in Rock Fortress is over, it's time to publish something that will relax people and arouse their curiosity."

Chapter 0452 The Ancestor Has Really Came

Ansu King's capital, Saint-Sunil City, Silver Fort.

In the military hall, several royal nobles and knight lords sat at a wide long table made of heavy oak and covered with gold. Ansu's current two regent dukes and the titular heir, the Prince of Wales, sat at the head of the long table— —A high-level military meeting is underway.

The brilliance of the magic spar lamp illuminated the slightly dull atmosphere of the hall. The metal shield hanging on the north wall of the hall reflected the light of the magic spar lamp, and also vaguely reflected the backs of the two regent dukes and princes. , in that blurred reflection, the bright red coat of the Prince of Wales stood out like a streak of blood.

This man who returned to the position of crown prince after middle age quietly watched the nobles speaking, discussing and arguing at the long table, his eyes fluctuated occasionally, but he hardly said a word, he was like a Sitting here like someone who has nothing to do with the meeting, listening to those matters that should theoretically be decided by oneself.

An old gray-haired knight rested his hands on the table. He was short in stature, but he was extremely strong. Although he was not young, his eyes were still burning with a stern light like that of a young man. He looked at the The other knights, lords, and nobles of the royal capital around him said in a strong voice: "The battle to recapture Thorinburg has failed, everyone, we must face up to this fact-although the number of rebels in the eastern border is small, we are the ones who are at a disadvantage. .”

"The good news is that we have dragged the rebels into the hilly land around Solinburg," a nobleman said. "We are backed by the Holy Spirit Plain. The land is larger and the number of people is larger. Protracted fighting is beneficial to us."

The old knight couldn't help knocking on the table: "Don't be too optimistic, Earl of Bahrain, the premise of a long-lasting battle is that we can really maintain this situation for a long time-the Loren family has been confronting the Typhons for many years, and their soldiers are more tenacious. We are more able to withstand the pressure, and the morale of our army is declining every day. If we can't achieve any results, even if the food and soldiers are sufficient, we can only be the first to be unable to hold on..."

The Duchess Victoria, who was sitting at the head of the long table, suddenly interrupted the old knight: "Mr Cromwell, don't get excited."

Wales Moen glanced sideways at the regent duchess next to him, then looked away and looked at Cromwell White Mountain across the table—he knew this elderly-looking knight lord, "White Mountain" This particular surname is uncommon in Anzu, but it is a typical dwarven surname, because the ancestor of Cromwell White Mountain was indeed a dwarf: fighting side by side with humans during the pioneering journey 700 years ago The alien races are not only elves, some dwarves also became the builders of the human kingdom in the process of great development, some of them finally chose to integrate into human society, and even became a member of the Ansu nobles, Cromwell Baishan This is where the family comes from.

Perhaps due to the influence of his ancestral lineage, the temper of this knight lord seemed too upright among many nobles who paid attention to elegance and etiquette, but Wales Moen knew that what Cromwell said was true, but... Now that Duchess Victoria had spoken, there was no need for him to speak.

"Sorry, Grand Duchess, but we have to admit the facts," Cromwell Baishan apologized, but still spoke with great momentum, "The rebellion in the East is not as easy to deal with as we imagined. Drive them out of the Whitsunday Plains before the end of the month, they've already taken root in Thoringborough - the Harvest Moon has come, and the rebels will feed themselves with the grain we've grown for half a year. Grand Duchess Wilder, Franklin The Duke, and His Royal Highness, I am willing to lead the knights to help Earl Thorin take back the fortress, we cannot let the rebels spend the Harvest Festival in the Holy Spirit Plain..."

"I never thought that the eastern border rebels were easy to deal with," Victoria Wilde said lightly, "but the knights in the capital cannot move, Earl Crowell, our rear is not safe."

The old knight stared, while the other knight lords and martial nobles beside them exchanged glances and started talking in low voices.

Duke Baldwin Franklin, who was sitting on the right side of Welsh Moen, stood up at this moment: "Let me tell you, the news has just reached Saint-Sunil-the Rock Fortress has fallen."

The entire military hall fell silent in an instant.

What the Duke of the Westland said was very clear, and there was no ambiguity in the short sentence. However, perhaps the amount of information in this sentence was too amazing, or it might be that the news was too beyond everyone's expectations. None of the nobles could react, and in the end, the Earl of Bahrain who was sitting next to Cromwell was the first to break the silence: "Your Excellency, you mean the... rock fortress in the south of the Holy Spirit Plain?"

"Is there a second Rock Fortress in Ansu?" Baldwin Franklin asked with a glance at the slightly fat Earl of Bahrain.

A royal noble in the royal capital couldn't help muttering to himself in astonishment: "It's so far away from the Eastern Realm, and there are still mountains in the south of the Holy Spirit Plain in the middle, how could the rebels take there..."

Perhaps the rebellion in the east has occupied this nobleman's thoughts, or maybe the idea that "all the country lords in the south are not worth mentioning" is still entrenched in his mind, this gentleman actually thought it was the rebels in the east He invaded the southern border by some means and raided the Rock Fortress by surprise. He didn't even think that there was another sleeping behemoth in the vast and remote land in the south.

But others have already reacted. Cromwell was the first to read a message from the gloomy and serious expressions of the two regents after a brief astonishment. He asked in disbelief: "Yes... Sisi you?"

"That's right, it's not the eastern border rebels, it's the Cecil family," Baldwin Franklin said calmly. overthrew the defense of Rock Fortress, occupied that fortress, and detained all the soldiers and civilians in the fortress."

Cromwell White Mountain's beard was trembling, and he seemed to want to speak, but the Grand Duchess Victoria Wilde followed up with the Duke of Franklin and said: "I know what you want to ask - but all information has been interrupted at the moment Cecil's army broke through the fortress in a very short period of time, it is said that it only took a few days, and then they blocked the entire fortress, and the defenders of the fortress had no time to spread any useful information.

"Only two Griffin messengers who risked their lives to break through sent the situation on the day the fortress fell to the capital. The information that can be grasped now is that Duke Gawain Cecil used some unknown method to create a large number of amazingly powerful supernatural creatures. Armed, and in a short period of time established an army with extremely strong combat effectiveness...

"The life and death of Maryland Onal, the knight lord guarding the fortress, is currently unknown. Before the fall of the fortress, Sir Maryland led the last knights out of the city to fight, but then the barrier of the fortress was destroyed by the magic of the Cecils.

"The Earl of Pompeii also sent a magical message, confirming the fall of the fortress."

After the Duchess of Victoria finished all the known information, Cromwell Baishan finally found a chance to speak. The knight lord with a part of dwarf blood frowned: "Cecil... The Cecil family Is it the same as the East..."

"At present, Cecil's army has not continued to move north. After occupying the rock fortress, they closed the northern gate of the fortress, and it seems that they intend to stick to it," said Duke Franklin Bedwin. "According to the news from the Earl of Pompeii They didn't even bother with the granaries and manors that were readily available outside the northern walls of the fort, nor did they plunder any of the undefended frontier villages."

Occupying the fort but not looting the villages and manors around the fort is obviously a very abnormal situation. The nobles at the scene couldn't help talking in a low voice. Cromwell Baishan couldn't help coughing when he saw this: "Ahem, just because they haven't gone north now doesn't mean they will never go north."

"That's exactly what we're worried about," said Baldwin Franklin. "The Cecil family...their current head is Gawain Cecil."

The nobles at the scene became quiet again, and they exchanged glances. At the same time, they finally recalled in their minds the several urgent letters that Sir Maryland, who was guarding the fortress, sent consecutively before the fall of the Rock Fortress——

More than forty families in the southern border joined forces to conquer Cecil, and were quickly wiped out...

This shocking news also caused waves among them and caused another military meeting, but at that time, no one thought that the Cecil family would act so quickly, let alone that Rock Fortress would fall so easily.

They thought it would take more than a year until the situation in the south developed to the point where they had to face up to it.

Wales Moen, who never spoke, sighed softly.

He remembered the warning Veronica gave himself not long ago, and he still remembered that Veronica warned himself that Gawain Cecil was unleashing a beast, but now it seems... the nobles of the royal capital may have lost This is the last chance to put the beast back in its cage.

"We used to think that what happened in the southern border was just a lord's civil war, and it was the lords other than the Cecil family who took the initiative to provoke the war, but now it seems that everything that happened in the southern border is under the control of our founding hero He has been planning it for a long time," said Duke Baldwin Franklin, "now that the fall of Rock Fortress has become a fact, no matter how Cecil's army managed to capture a fortress in such a short period of time, they It's all taken and ready for defense. Lord Cromwell, do you think we'll be able to take the fort back?"

Cromwell Baishan shook his head and said without thinking: "Impossible—unless we withdraw at least half of the troops east of the Holy Spirit Plain, and even if we withdraw half of the troops, we may not be able to take down the Rock Fortress." Maryland Ona I know Sir Elle, he is a very powerful knight lord, his army is not inferior to the knights in the capital, even he is not the opponent of Duke Gawain Cecil, the strength of the Cecil people can be imagined."

After finishing speaking, the old knight lord shook his head: "What I am most curious about now is how the founding hero built such an army... Less than two years, less than two years! He can actually Take down the Rock Fortress?"

"Every ancient family hides secrets, not to mention that this ancient family has an ancestor who came back from the dead," Baldwin Franklin said in a joking tone, "Perhaps as early as 700 years ago, Gawain Se The Duke of Cyr buried an undead army from the Gondor era in the mountains of the southern border?"

Cromwell Baishan shook his head and said in a rough voice, "This is not funny at all..."

"Ladies and gentlemen, think about the countermeasures now," Baldwin Franklin restrained his smile, and tapped his finger on the table lightly, "I'm afraid this is no less dangerous than the rebellion in the Eastern Territory - my ancestors, This time the ancestors really came."

Chapter 0453 How to deal with it

The situation in the southern border has deteriorated, which is an unexpected crisis.

It’s not that the second dynasty ignored the Cecil family in the southern border—in fact, since the civil strife in the Brumaire 100 years ago, the new royal family, which has hidden dangers of succession, has never relaxed its vigilance against the southern border. Among the four protectors, Cecil was the only family that declined due to civil strife in Brumaire. At the beginning of its decline, its remaining power was still enough to shake the foundation of the entire kingdom. It took a full 100 years to separate and suppress the southern border to the current situation, which shows the importance it attaches to the southern border.

After Gawain Cecil was unmasked, this emphasis was even greater than before.

Francis II ordered the nobles in the southern border to increase their surveillance of Cecil's forces, but they only got information that "the Cecils are doing the potion business to buy slaves"; the aid team sent by the royal family to the southern border also included spies. , but these eyeliners soon stopped sending any information; the defenders of the Rock Fortress have actually increased by [-]% in the past six months, but the [-]% increase in soldiers has not been used in any way; By investigating the Cecil family's employment of craftsmen in the royal capital, they estimated the construction progress of the Cecil Territory, and concluded that the Cecil Territory is still at a stage where the houses are not enough to live in - they never thought that those craftsmen After arriving in the south, he was trained as a magician and mechanical bachelor...

It can be said that Silver Castle made all the correct responses, but did not receive any correct feedback. The biggest mistake they made was to use traditional aristocratic thinking to speculate on a person from another world, regardless of experience, knowledge or way of thinking. Very different "satellite elite" mode of action.

They miscalculated the real intention behind every move of Gawain Cecil, miscalculated the way the Cecil family rose, and finally, misjudged the speed of the fall of the Rock Fortress.

In the wrong direction, any effort is just wasted energy.

The situation has deteriorated to this point.

"You two dukes, Your Royal Highness, I must tell the truth," Cromwell Baishan said in a serious tone, "Unless the rebels in the eastern region retreat today, it is impossible for us to take back the Rock Fortress."

Another knight lord stood up and said the worst possibility: "If the Cecil family and the Loren family attack the king's capital, we can't win - just judging from the fall of the Rock Fortress, Cecil Cyr's army is a formidable enemy."

A nobleman at the scene couldn't help but said: "Does even a knight lord fear the enemy?"

Cromwell Baishan glared at the nobleman who spoke: "We are just stating the facts. If they really attack the capital, the Knights will fight to the last moment. You don't need to worry about that."

"Gentlemen, calm down," Victoria Wilde interrupted these arguments, her voice was cold, and her eyes seemed to contain frost, "Duke Gawain Cecil just occupied the Rock Fortress - he hasn't gone north yet .”

"We must first determine the purpose of the founding hero," Duke Baldwin Franklin nodded, and took Victoria's words. "I suggest sending an envoy to contact the southern border."

The nobles at the scene began to discuss in low voices, but generally speaking, no one objected to Duke Franklin's opinion.

"The rebellion in the east is approaching, and we can't take another stab in the south," Duke Franklin continued, "so as long as Duke Gawain Cecil is willing to talk, we should talk. We should be ready and ready to admit Cecil The Cecil family's legal rule over the southern border, and the recognition of all the noble titles, honorary titles, historical fiefdoms, and restoration of noble privileges of the Cecil family..."

The discussions among the nobles became louder, and some people showed obvious expressions of astonishment, but more people just nodded gloomyly. Wales Moen sighed slightly when he saw the reactions of these people.

"Your Highness," Duchess Victoria heard Welsh's sigh. She turned her head and stared at the nominal heir to the kingdom with eyes as clear as ice crystals. "Do you have something to say?"

"I just think it doesn't matter to the founding hero whether we admit it or not," Wales Moen didn't want to say anything, but he spoke slowly under the Duchess' gaze, "These things are already in his hands." Come on—no matter what we say here, the reconstruction of the Principality of Cecil is already an established fact, Grand Duke Franklin, do you want to give him the things that are already in the hands of Grand Duke Cecil as a gift again?"

Baldwin Franklin didn't change any expression on his face, but nodded slightly, and said flatly: "Your Highness's thoughts are right."

"We'd better think again and think about what leverage we have to compromise."

After saying this, Wales Moen lowered his eyelids and stopped speaking.

The voice of Francis II seemed to echo in the mind of the middle-aged crown prince:

"A king ruling a kingdom... is the art of compromise..."

the conference has ended.

The nobles left in order, and Wales Moen also left the hall accompanied by the royal attendants. In the huge military hall, only the two regent dukes were left sitting quietly.

After a long silence, Duchess Victoria looked at Baldwin Franklin: "What do you think our founding hero wants to do?"

"I hope he just wants to get back his family business. This is also the most logical and most consistent with the situation described in the history books," the Duke of the Westland said unhurriedly, "but I don't rule out the possibility of worse Sex—don’t forget the list on Ansu’s foundation stone and the signatures on the oldest canonized documents in the Royal Library. From a certain point of view, his right to claim the throne is no less than our “His Royal Highness the Crown Prince.” '."

"Wales Moen..." Victoria said softly. She recalled the only speech the crown prince made in the meeting just now. "He is actually the one who most resembles Francis II..."

The Duke of Franklin shook his head slightly: "But it was because they were so similar, Francis II finally chose Edmund, and our king made a wrong decision in this regard - this country does not need a king who is too tough. "

Victoria raised her eyelids, took a deep look at the Duke of the West, and then stood up: "I will return to the north soon."

Franklin raised his eyebrows: "You want to mobilize your mountain army?"

"The Holy Dragon Principality is preparing to celebrate their 'Dragon's Day', and the Violet Kingdom has been very quiet recently. I can dispatch part of the mountain army to deal with the battle in the Holy Spirit Plain," said the Duchess, who was surrounded by ice and snow, while watching To the Duke of the West, "Where's your West Legion?"

"It's too far from the western border to the eastern front, and the consumption of the army on the road is unbearable, and since summer, the Christians of the Doomsday and the Eternal Sleepers in the western region have never been quiet," said Baldwin Franklin As he spoke, he pressed his forehead in distress, "I may be able to dispatch a knight order to defend the capital, but it is impossible to send troops to the east."

A few crystal clear snowflakes floated in the air, Duchess Victoria put on her white shawl, left her seat and walked towards the door: "...the king does not need more knights, the Earl of Cromwell is enough to guard here, if you have If you have excess power, keep an eye on the south."

The Duchess left, leaving only a few cold snowflakes flying in the air. Baldwin Franklin reached out to catch one of them, feeling the coldness gradually dissipating in his palm, he sighed slightly: "... Is it really like those lunatics talking nonsense... the darkest age..."

Four days later, Cold Winter Castle, the capital of Ansu's northern border.

A team of griffin knights flew over the fortress, and the leading griffin skillfully landed on the platform on the top floor of the castle. Victoria Wilde jumped off the griffin, and the cold wind from the northern mountains blew through her long silver-white hair, causing She narrowed her eyes slightly.

Even in this midsummer season, there is still such a cold wind on the top of the mountain in the north of the mainland.

The "dragon blood nobles" of the Holy Dragon Principality said that the cold wind was the breath of the sleeping dragon in the mountains, while the mages and scholars of the Violet Kingdom believed that the cold air came from the farther north of the mainland, from the land blocked by ice floes and storms. On the opposite side of Wang Yang, comes the everlasting cyclone.

But Victoria doesn't care where the cold wind comes from, she just likes this icy breath very much, the clean cold air in the mountains is much more comfortable than the dirty air filled with all kinds of peculiar smells in the royal capital.

The black-haired maid Maggie came to the platform, and Victoria nodded to this trusted maid: "Go and gather my knight retainers, the Mountain Legion has something to do."

"Yes."

The Duchess has absolute authority in this land. The Mountain Legion loyal to the Wilder family accepted the order of their "Ice Queen" without any doubts. After a short military meeting, about one-third of the Mountain Legion One of the troops was drawn out and included in the list to support the eastern front of the Holy Spirit Plain.

After the meeting ended, Victoria did not return to her dormitory to rest. Although she had experienced a long flight journey on the back of a griffin and had just held a meeting, she still cheered up and flipped through the documents in front of her.

"Vicky, you need a break."

The black-haired maid said from the side - when there was no one else, the black-haired maid called her mistress by a friendly nickname.

"I'll take a rest," Victoria said casually, "Did the Holy Dragon Principality do anything unusual recently?"

"The intelligence from the northern outpost is all normal."

Victoria exhaled slightly, her heart settled down slightly.

The Holy Dragon Principality in the northern mountains...has always been a factor of instability.

As early as the Gondor period, humans who claimed to be descendants of dragon blood established this country in the extreme north of the continent. They claimed that they were vassals of the dragon, so the supreme ruler of the country was not the king, but the so-called "Dragon Blood Duke" , They are closed, xenophobic, lonely in the mountains, and have never liked the Ansu people who suddenly appeared on this land 700 years ago.

A full 700 years have passed, and this closed and mysterious country is still using "uninvited guest" to describe Ansu, which has been established for seven centuries.

But fortunately, after so many years of running-in, a compromise and balance has been reached between the Principality of the Holy Dragon and Ansu. As the general guardian of the north, one of Victoria Wilder's responsibilities is to always be vigilant against that sensitive, closed, and xenophobic country. country, and try to avoid war between the two sides as much as possible.

After finally processing the documents in front of her, Victoria Wilde stretched out. She took a deep breath, and then let it out slowly, bit by bit relieving the fatigue accumulated in her body. The black-haired maid then stepped forward. Come on, while gently pinching the shoulder of the hostess, he asked in a low voice: "Do you want to rest?"

"No, there is one more thing." The Duchess closed her eyes and paused for a long time before continuing, "Get ready, I'm going to the ancestor's mausoleum."