In a blink of an eye, winter is already halfway through, and the turbulent and eventful Ansu 738 (the first year of Cecil) came to an end in a snowstorm in the deep winter, and the time has come to the beginning of the year.
In the past year, too many things have happened in this ancient and young country. The former kingship has come to an end, and the once-divided country has been reunited. It is like a natural disaster, large-scale reconstruction, and the reshuffle of the old aristocratic system. The dawn of a new era...
In the dark, it seems that a god in charge of destiny suddenly overturned his desk this year, turning the entire kingdom upside down. When the dust settled, people realized after a while: the world ,changed.
In the south of Panshi City, a brand new magic train is quietly parked beside the platform, waiting for the order to depart.
The cold wind raged and fluttered outside the platform, rolling up loose snowflakes and lighter dead branches and leaves to fly into the air, but a hazy, translucent shield shrouded the edge of the platform, blocking the wind that rolled into the station. cold wind. On the rectangular platform with two long rows of seats, some passengers are sitting on the chairs waiting for the train to arrive, while other passengers are boarding the next train under the guidance of the guide.
Most of these passengers were wearing jackets with closed pockets and straight trousers that have become popular in the southern region in the past two years. They wore thick soft hats or felt hats on their heads. Most of them wear "simple long skirts" that combine practicality and beauty, and wear cotton clothes with good thermal insulation inside the long skirts, and a few women wear jackets and trousers specially designed for women when traveling by car .
For those who are new to this place, this is an unbelievable sight—before Ansu 736, even in the southern border, few civilian women would go out wearing "outrageous" clothing like trousers, because the blood god Mainstream sects such as God of War, God of War, and God of Light, as well as nobles from all over the world, often have strict regulations on this:
Only noble ladies and ladies with higher status have the right to wear breeches, fencing trousers and other clothing to participate in hunting and martial arts performances, or to wear various dresses, long skirts, court skirts and other clothing to participate in banquets. "Decent" clothes that conform to the content of noble life, while civilian women are not allowed to wear "illegal" trousers, shorts, and "colorful dresses" other than black, white, brown, and gray under any circumstances (unless They have been registered as prostitutes), otherwise they will be fined by the church or nobles, and those who are serious will be punished or even enslaved in the name of "offending the doctrine" and "breaking the rules".
It wasn't until the Frost Moon of 736 in Ansu that the white knights led the people to smash the cathedral in Luan City, and a decree from the Supreme Government Office disarmed all churches in the territory from their private arms and religious trial rights. The restrictions on this aspect were gradually loosened. After more than two years of changing customs, some bold and general-educated civilian women finally began to wear trousers to go out.
In places outside the southern border, general education has only just started, and customs change has just started. Even if the government affairs department encourages the people to accept the new social order, basically no one will challenge the old customs that have not completely receded.
In the second half of the train, in a special compartment, the cold and noble Victoria Wilde with long silver hair and wearing a court dress looked away from the window. Nodded: "Earl Bahrain, what do you think?"
The Grand Consul of the Northern Territory has recently completed her phased affairs in San Sunil. Due to some work needs, she will go to the imperial capital to report on her duties. For this reason, she also brought several officials from the San Sunil Administration Office and The Earl of Balin who assisted her in the affairs of Saint-Sunil.
The Earl of Bahrain, who was slightly fat, looked at the platform outside with a slightly complicated look: "...a lot of things I have only seen in my life. I once felt that although I am not very knowledgeable, I am still knowledgeable. But here, I I can’t even think of a few suitable adjectives.”
While speaking, the royal nobleman couldn't help but shook his head: "Anyway, this place is indeed as rumored, a place to 'challenge concepts'. I can't even tell which of the people outside is a poor man. Which one is a citizen and which one is an aristocrat... Oh, the aristocrats can still be seen, the man who was accompanied by his attendants just now and walked with his head held high should be a minor nobleman, but it's really hard to judge the others."
Victoria was noncommittal to Earl Bahrain's words, but glanced out of the window again, and whispered as if talking to herself: "It is richer and more dynamic than anywhere in the north."
"It's true that commoners wear finer clothes, and those women who wear men's clothes... Ah, I shouldn't judge women so vulgarly, but this is the first time I have seen anything other than women's breeches and women's fencing trousers. What's more..." Earl Bahrain seemed to be at a loss for words when he said that, so he could only shrug his shoulders in embarrassment, "And look at those skirts, they are so colorful, and they seem to be brand new."
"The trade with the Typhon Empire has brought cheap textiles, coupled with our own textile and garment factories, 'clothes' are no longer a luxury for ordinary people," Victoria said lightly, "It's just that in the south , what is broken is not only the 'price' of clothes, but also the 'customs' that are entangled in these daily necessities... ”
The Earl of Bahrain was quite emotional: "The 'customs and regulations' in the southern border seem to be extremely loose. I can't imagine that so many churches and nobles have accepted the new decree formulated by the Government Affairs Department so quickly and accepted various changes in ritual regulations... At this point In fact, they seem to be much wiser than those stubborn churches and nobles in the north."
"'Smart'?" Victoria's eyes that seemed to contain ice and snow quietly glanced at Earl Bahrain, "Earl Bahrain, the priests and nobles in the south suddenly became more intelligent after the shelling of Crushed Stone Ridge and the Great Trial of Luan City. Enlightened, the logic here is the same as that of the northern barbarians who suddenly changed from being brave and good at fighting to being good at singing and dancing after the formation of the Mountain Corps."
Amid the Earl of Bahrain's sudden expression of not knowing how to react, the corners of the "Ice Duke" in the north seemed to be slightly raised, and he said to himself: "The things I saw here may have given me a hint... "
The Earl of Bahrain suddenly felt a little cold, but it is very common to feel the cold beside the Duchess Victoria. He quickly adapted, then twisted his neck, looked around, and looked not far away carriage entrance.
The accompanying attendants, guards, maids, and officials are all the passengers in this carriage. Behind this carriage, there are two special carriages with rest rooms, which have also been booked by the Grand Consul and his party—but the Earl of Balin You know, besides this, there are many other "ordinary" passengers on this train, and even the few carriages they occupy belong to them only during this journey, and after the journey is over, these The carriage will also welcome new travelers.
Because it all belongs to the "public".
This made Mr. Earl, who was used to his family's carriage and private griffin, a little uncomfortable.
"Your Excellency, Duchess, why did you choose to take the 'train'?" He couldn't help asking, "Private magic vehicles or griffins are more suitable for your status..."
"Have you experienced the 'train'?" Victoria glanced at Earl Bahrain and asked indifferently.
"I... no," Earl Bahrain shook his head, "You know, there is no such thing in the north."
"I don't have either, so I want to experience it," Victoria said indifferently. "Every time I come here, there are many things worth...experience."
While talking, she turned her head sideways, looking at the scenery on the platform outside through the transparent crystal glass next to the train carriage.
A huge mechanical clock stood in the middle of the platform. On the mechanical clock, the long iron black hands were jumping one by one.
The Earl of Bahrain couldn't help being curious when he saw Victoria's actions: "What are you looking at?"
On the platform, some passengers waiting for the next train and a few staff members have arrived near the mechanical clock at some time. These people all looked up at the jumping pointer, and at the bottom of the dial, behind the transparent glass pane, it was rotating gear, with a hint of anticipation and pleasure on his face.
"Something that is about to be extended to the entire empire."
The second hand of the mechanical clock is advancing towards the top one by one. On both sides of the platform, the holographic projections representing the stop of boarding have risen, and there are faint tremors coming from the bottom of the train carriage.
"Things that are extended to the entire empire?" Earl Bahrain was a little confused. "Clocks? They are also available in the north and west—although most of them are only in churches and noble homes at present..."
Before Mr. Earl finished speaking, the long pointer had already coincided with the top of the dial, and almost at the same time, a melodious and loud flute sound suddenly came from the top of the carriage, resounding through the entire platform, and made everyone in the carriage The Earl of Balin was taken aback.
The repulsion mechanism on both sides of the whole train turned synchronously, and the runes lit up one by one. With a loud roar, this huge steel machine began to accelerate slowly and began to drive towards the wilderness.
"It's punctuality, Earl of Bahrain," Victoria retracted her gaze from the window, "and the pursuit of 'punctuality'. This is part of the new order."
On the platform that was gradually going away, the passengers and staff who were staring at the mechanical clock and waiting for the train to depart had already applauded happily, and some even cheered a little.
This is a little pastime when you are bored, and it is also a "Southern feature" on train platforms in various places. It is a "waiting entertainment" that has gradually become popular among train passengers and station staff in the recent period.
Trains were not always on time, and the word "delay" was a frequent occurrence in the railway system, but even so, His Majesty the Emperor ordered that a mechanical clock with a uniform time be set at every station and on every train, and passed through The magic network communication in the southern border is uniformly calibrated, and at the same time, the process of vehicle dispatching in various places is optimized and adjusted again and again.
Since the factories in Cecil City began to operate, the Supreme Government Office has been working hard to introduce the "concept of time" into people's lives, and these mechanical clocks on the station are obviously part of this effort.
Efforts will eventually bear fruit—at least, people are pursuing punctuality, and trains that leave on time are something to be proud of in the eyes of people in the southern border.
…
Grand Consul Victoria Wilde from the north will come to the south to report on his duties in the near future.
Cecil City, Mage District, in a house in the southern block, Fendil Wilder, with short silver hair and a tall figure, was standing in front of the window facing the street, holding the newspaper he just bought this morning in his hand, looking at Landed on a headline on the front page of a newspaper.
The newspaper is heavy, the headlines are heavy, and the heart is also heavy.
There was a sudden knock on the door, and Fendil raised his heavy head, adjusted his expression, and said politely, "Please come in."
The door opened, and Eleven Franklin appeared outside the door. The heir to the West was also holding a newspaper in his hand, and waved it as soon as he entered the room: "Fendil, it seems that Duchess Victoria is coming to the South soon. !"
Fendil weakly raised the newspaper in his hand: "I already know."
"Oh... yes, you also have the habit of reading newspapers." Eleven nodded suddenly, and then looked at Fendil's face curiously, "What's the matter, my friend, you don't seem to be in a good mood?"
Fendil couldn't help but glared at the other party: "It's probably equivalent to your mood when you suddenly learned that your father is coming to see you tomorrow."
"Ah, then I should be very happy," Eleven said happily, "After all, I just passed all the first-level tests of the four colleges. Mr. Santis said that among this batch of students, I was the only one who passed the four colleges at once. A college exam - it turns out that I stayed up all night reading books and asking questions from my tutors the other day was very effective... "
Fendil couldn't help covering his forehead.
He even forgot that Eleven's talent in "reading and learning" is so amazing.
As for himself, he is better at frost spells and other combat skills.
So he only passed the first-level test of the military branch, and... seriously partial.
The aristocratic knowledge, heraldry, etiquette and artistic knowledge he also knows are not useless in the academy, but... they are all electives.
Thinking of his aunt who was always strict, the optimistic and cheerful Fendil couldn't help but feel heavy again in his heart, as if it was filled with ice, snow and frozen soil from the north.
If he had known this, he should really have a good understanding of the detailed subjects taught in the "Imperial Academy" before he set off. Although this would not help him improve his grades quickly, it could at least prepare him mentally. Enough.
Looking at the change in Fendil's expression, Eleven could easily guess what the other person was thinking. He patted the other person on the shoulder—this was a bit laborious, because he was a full head shorter than Fendil: "Relax What, my friend, didn’t you say it before? When you come to the south, the college is just a part of ‘studying’, and the ‘Phantom Drama’ we produced together with Film has been completed, isn’t that also something to be proud of?”
"Phantom drama..."
Hearing this word, the irritability in Fendil's heart really faded a lot.
Yes, after such a long time of hard work, many people have put in a lot of hard work and energy, and the world's first "Magic Shadow Drama" has finally been completed.
He couldn't help turning his head, his gaze fell out of the window.
A large notice promoting the magic shadow drama (His Majesty called it a "poster") has been posted on the side of the road. In the past two days, the Magic Network radio program has also introduced and promoted this brand new thing in advance. Now he You can vaguely see the content of the poster on the wall across the street—
A mechanical boat full of passengers is driving on the wide Gorgon River. Several main characters with distinctive features emerge in the background of the screen. Below the entire screen is the finalized name of the ghost drama—
"migrant"
Simple and straightforward.
"Indeed... this incident brought me a sense of 'proud' that I have never felt in my life in the past ten years," Fendil said with a sigh, "I never thought that leaving everything After the concept of identity and traditional rules, it is such a joy to work hard with many people from all walks of life and all environments to achieve one thing."
Eleven also smiled: "I am also very glad that I listened to your advice and participated in this meaningful event..."
Fendil turned his head and glanced at his friend, with a smile, reached out and patted the other person's shoulder.
"So, my friend, let me copy the answers to the second set of geometry papers."
"...?"