The end of October in the solar calendar year 4420.
The Kingdom of Byron in the far north of the continent is covered in ice and snow.
Although Byron, Beelzebub in the far west, and the city of Shuoli in the far south are collectively known as the "three major tributary kingdoms" of the Trisul Empire, in fact, more than a thousand years ago, with the decline of the empire's ruling power, this had long since become a dead letter.
It's just that the four major countries are wary of each other and have not openly torn their faces apart, and still maintain a delicate balance.
The current ruler of Byron is named William Lev, who is honored by the people of the empire as "King Byron" or "Monarch of the Northern Continent", while the local residents of Byron prefer to call their monarch "King of the North".
In fact, William Lev is not a direct descendant of Alexei's royal family, but a distant relative... This can be traced back to more than a thousand years ago. After the death of the previous King Byron, the kingdom fell into chaos because it could not find a high-ranking crown prince to succeed to the throne. William Lev, as the second angel of sequence, turned out to be born and was invited to the throne.
She may not be a wise king, but she protected Byron for thousands of years, keeping the North free from war and invasion, and was deeply loved and respected by the people.
The Kingdom of Byron implemented a three-level administrative system. The entire territory was composed of three counties, each of which had ten districts, and below that were countless villages and towns.
High Tower County, River Bay District, TusPark.
This area is located in the central part of the Kingdom of Byron, along the Bruckner River, the largest river in the territory. Taking a boat here, you can go directly to the Eastern Misty Sea, or even go south to the Trisur Empire.
TusPort holds a pivotal position in the Kingdom of Byron, not only because it is an "ice-free port" with huge commercial value, but also because it is home to one of the two most famous colleges in the kingdom, St. Byron College.
Another college is located in the royal city of Cain, named Miracle College. The two colleges are collectively called "Double Star Colleges of Advanced Studies" by the people of Byron, which shows how famous they are.
Whether it is astronomy and geography, mathematics and art, or even emerging industrial machinery and chemistry and electricity and hundreds of other subjects, you can study in these two highly comprehensive colleges. Many talents in the Kingdom of Byron graduated from here, and even the current royal prime minister Ulrich is an outstanding graduate of the 1065th class of Miracle College.
Of course, only people in the mysterious field or the upper class know that these two academies are actually the "cradle" for cultivating extraordinary people with magical powers.
Behind it are the Alexei royal family and the Madman School.
In the cold wind-blown harbor, a thick horse-drawn carriage slowly drove past on a wide, snow-covered cobblestone road. The wooden wheels tied with hemp ropes and iron sheets rolled over the snow, making a rustling sound.
The driver, wrapped in a fur coat, scarf and cotton hat, lifted the flagon and took a sip of cheap liquor, raised the whip to whip the horse, and shouted foreign dirty words.
Qingtian Xiaoyu, who was sitting in the carriage, opened the curtain out of boredom and saw the huge statue on the sea level. He couldn't help but marvel at it, with amazement in his eyes.
"Teacher, is that huge statue 'Mr. Jingyao'?"
She asked, pointing at the behemoth in sight.
Polaris was also attracted by her words and turned to look out the car window... At the end of the spacious stone plank road, farther out on the sea, stood a bronze humanoid statue about three hundred meters tall. It was wearing a long robe and a tall pointed hat, holding a book in its left hand and a short-handled square-headed hammer in its right hand.
The giant hammer was always burning with blazing flames. The flames were not bright yellow, but a magical blue-green color. Even the wind and snow could not extinguish them. There was no snow on the bronze statue, as if it would melt if you approached it... The shiny bronze color seemed to be eternal and would never fade.
"It's not 'Mr. Jingyao'."
Chen Lun tasted the local hot milk, feeling its different flavor from that of the empire, and shook his head and smiled.
He glanced at the giant bronze statue, which looked like a spectacle, and explained:
"That was Mr. Jingyao's former servant, Honorino, who was known as the 'First Generation Scorpio' or the 'Miracle Knight'... It is rumored that she is not like the high-ranking people in the ordinary magic path who specialize in spells. Instead, she is more adept at combining magic with the body to fight. She is fierce and even attacked Madam Rose's kingdom alone... It's a pity that she later died in the war of gods. In order to commemorate her bravery, the Madman School gathered seven great scholars and thousands of top craftsmen to cast this spectacular bronze statue together."
Chen Lun looked at the two students' surprised expressions and added:
“Of course, it is not just a landmark building, it also has many other functions, such as serving as a lighthouse… There is fog all year round in Qidi Port, and as long as ships far away can see the bright guiding light, they will not easily get lost.”
He hadn't said another word.
That is, if a war breaks out, this bronze statue can also exert mythical power comparable to that of a high-ranking person, making it a rare strategic-level wonder.
Half of these experiences were accumulated from previous lives, and half were secrets that he gradually learned after being promoted to a high position.
"Wow... Is this the angel god of magic? It sounds epic! And such a big wonder has never been seen in the Trisur Empire..."
Sunny Xiaoyu said in surprise.
"Each kingdom has its own unique features, otherwise it would not have been able to compete with the Empire for so long."
Polaris said.
He immediately glanced at the gentleman in the black hat, hesitated for a moment, and then asked:
"Teacher, will we stay here for a while?"
"Um."
Chen Lun put down the empty cup and responded softly.
"I will take you to St. Byron's College for further studies."
"Great! I can go to school now!"
Sunny Xiaoyu clasped her hands together and said expectantly.
Polaris glanced at her and thought to herself that she was dreaming.
They are players, and it is impossible for them to spend several years or even more than ten years studying for exams like the NPCs here, because knowledge needs to be accumulated.
Even though they have panels that can shorten the learning process, useful supernatural knowledge is extremely rare, and finding it is like looking for a needle in a haystack.
“It’s not about going to school, it’s about working.”
Chen Lun shook his head.
Qingtian Xiaoyu was stunned and opened her mouth slightly:
"Working...working?"
Polaris raised his eyebrows and said to himself, "As expected."
"Well, you will study with me, and you will also need to find a job in St. Byron College to earn a living. This will also be a kind of training for you."
Chen Lun said slowly.
"Most of the knowledge in the academy is ordinary subjects, which are of no use to extraordinary people, but I will teach you extraordinary knowledge related to magic."
"So that's how it is..."
Sunny and Rain nodded in understanding.
But she did not show any disappointment on her face. Instead, she clenched her fists with full motivation and said seriously:
"Don't worry, teacher. Even if I have to work part-time, I will earn enough gold pounds to honor you!"
"I feel relieved when you have this drive."
Chen Lun smiled and then turned to look at the scenery outside the window.
The reason why he made such arrangements was actually mainly because he was worried that the two players would cause trouble in the academy and disrupt his plans.
In order to ensure that he could "develop" safely, he simply tied the two guys to his side, and then took the time to "feed" them some knowledge. While keeping them hanging, he also used them for control experiments.
As for the argument of working to make a living...
He doesn't believe it himself.
It would be strange if Qingtian Xiaoyu could starve to death since they have the support of the Little Silver Fox Guild. As for Polaris, he is number one on the list and probably has some savings.
When the carriage drove along a stretch of road and entered the urban area of Qidi Port, Chen Lun suddenly spoke to the coachman outside:
"Old man, please go to the 'Byron Golden Pavilion'."
What he said was not the common language of the Empire, but a local dialect. As players, Polaris and Sunny Rain could understand him, and they were no longer surprised by Teacher Jack's "versatility".
"No problem, noble sir!"
The coachman quickly turned around and shouted into the carriage.
From the moment he got on the bus, he recognized that the black-hatted gentleman at the head was definitely a nobleman. Both his dress and temperament were not comparable to those of the middle class or the lower class.
The man and woman he brought were also dressed exquisitely, but they were more likely just his servants. I heard that noble masters like to play like this...
Now that he heard that we were going to "Byron's Golden Pavilion", the coachman confirmed this.
That is the largest and most advanced bank vault in the Kingdom of Byron!
Unless you are an upper-class person, you generally won't go there to deposit or withdraw money, or do investment business. After all, the high handling fees are enough to discourage most ordinary people.
Wheels, wheels...
The carriage drove for nearly ten minutes before slowly stopping.
"My noble lord, we have arrived at the Golden Pavilion!"
The snow was falling heavily, so the coachman had to shout louder.
Polaris acted as the attendant, respectfully pulling open the curtain of the carriage, letting the teacher and the junior sister get off first, and then getting off himself.
This gentlemanly behavior won the favor and praise of Qingtian Xiaoyu. Chen Lun just watched with a smile, then turned around and paid the coachman two silver cups as a reward.
"My Lord, this... are you from Trisur?"
The coachman was a little surprised, then asked with a flattering smile.
Chen Lun nodded slightly.
"Well, we came from the Empire, so we came here to exchange coins first... Is it inconvenient to accept the silver jug I gave you? If so, you can wait a moment. I will go in and exchange some Byron coins for you."
"Oh no, we also accept the Empire's coins. After all, we always meet foreigners at the port, and we often receive currencies from various countries..."
The coachman grinned.
"According to the exchange rate, the two silver ounces you gave me are equivalent to four red coins, which is enough for me to pull four more carts. Thank you for your generosity, noble sir."
Chen Lun smiled, said goodbye to him briefly, and then took Polaris and Sunny and Xiaoyu up the marble steps of the Byron Golden Pavilion.
The currency of the Kingdom of Byron is similar to that of the Trisur Empire, and is also divided into three types. The lowest purchasing power is "Square Iron", the medium is "Red Keshi", and the highest is "Blue Gabo". The exchange rate between them is about 80.
Although the industry here is not as good as that of the empire, the purchasing power of the currency is greater.
Chen Lun planned to exchange some money for his own use so that he could move around the Kingdom of Byron. After all, he had to spend money everywhere, and he couldn't just pay out the Empire's currency to everyone he met. That would be inconvenient.
At the door of the high-end decorated Byron Golden Pavilion, there stood a tall guard on each side, wearing a felt square hat and holding a flintlock rifle with a bayonet. When they saw Chen Lun coming, they saluted with their chests and opened the door themselves.
After entering, a beautiful blonde waitress' eyes lit up and she quickly came forward to greet him:
"Welcome to Byron Golden Pavilion, distinguished guest, what may I do for you?"