The Shire is mostly covered with high mountains and complicated terrain, but thanks to the efforts of successive Grand Dukes and the hard work of several generations, a channel has been built directly to the neighboring province of Middenhale, so the team's speed is not slow.
, five days later, he left the Shire Territory and entered the province of Middenheim.
Different from the plateau landforms of the Shire, most of the province of Middenheim is plain. It is the granary of the empire, so it is extremely wealthy. The official roads built are much wider than those of the Shire, and the pedestrians and convoys on the road are also smaller.
Gradually, there were more and more people, and most of them were merchants, going to the Shire Territory or other provinces for trade.
After more than ten days, after crossing the two provinces of Surland and Seville, we finally arrived at the territory of Wadenhof, the capital of the empire, which was also the private territory of the imperial royal family - the Ludendorff territory.
This territory named after the imperial royal family is undoubtedly the economic and political center of the empire, and it is the core and richest core area of the empire.
The distribution of power in the Albrex Empire is relatively simple, unlike the feudal system of the southern countries that can easily create a fragmented situation.
At the beginning of the empire's founding, the founding emperor divided the Shire territory into the Grand Duke's family of Gros, and assigned the Ludendorff territory to himself. The remaining land was managed according to the provincial system, and provincial governors were assigned to manage it.
The system undoubtedly strengthened the centralization of power in the empire, and it had huge advantages in political systems compared with the southern countries.
Therefore, the Shire Territory is nominally a territory of the empire, but in fact it is an independent principality, with its own financial, taxation, military and political power under its control.
The reason why the empire can enfeoff the Shire Territory in this way is because the Shire Territory needs to bear the burden of resisting the invasion of the orcs in the northern grasslands. This pressure and responsibility are very heavy. Despite this, the status of the Grand Duke of Gross family in the empire has always been second only to the
The emperor of the empire, as the saying goes, has a high position, great power and great responsibilities.
As soon as we entered Ludendorff's territory, there was a row of heavily armored knights in golden plate armor and a luxurious four-wheel carriage standing on the official road in front. Shire horses riding from the crotch and black and red painted pairs of
The flag of the eagle came up. This is the knighthood belonging to the emperor of the empire. It is also one of the seven major knighthoods in the mainland - the Knights of Order.
There were two middle-aged men standing at the head. One was wearing a noble dress, elegant and luxurious, and at the same time exuding an elegant and artistic temperament. The other was wearing the standard plate armor of the Knights of Order, but the workmanship was more sophisticated and luxurious.
He was also possessed by a demon and looked like a general.
When Grand Duke Gros saw the two people standing in front of him, he immediately galloped over. When he got close, he turned over and dismounted, hugged the middle-aged nobleman first, hit him twice on the back, and then hugged the general.
"Karl, you old bastard, you're going to kill me, you're hugging me so tightly!" The middle-aged nobleman, who was hugged tightly and hit twice by Grand Duke Gross, couldn't help but rub his shoulders and back. "How can I?"
I can be friends with a warrior like you."
Grand Duke Gros and the general looked at each other and smiled: "Zangwill, you need to exercise your old bones. Don't come in front of us." Grand Duke Gros laughed indifferently.
The middle-aged nobleman named Zangwill blushed angrily: "Fart, the mainland is so uneasy right now. A war might break out one day. If you want to leave, you two should leave first."
The middle-aged general smiled and said: "It's true that you two have not seen each other for so many years, and you start fighting when you see each other. How old are you? Don't embarrass yourself in front of the children." The middle-aged general saw Eloise and Fiona.
After riding his horse over, he smiled and said, "His Majesty the Emperor specially asked us to wait here for your arrival."
Grand Duke Gros said: "Then thank His Majesty Charles for your kindness for me. Karl is honored!"
After Eloise and Fiona dismounted, they gave military salutes to the two middle-aged men.
"Let me introduce it to you." Archduke Gross introduced him familiarly: "This is Sir Zangwill Jones, Prime Minister of the Empire, and an old friend of mine for thirty years. This is General Servais Philip, Prime Minister of the Empire.
The head of the Praetorian Guard and the Knights of Order are my playmates growing up together. The two of them are known as the twin gems of the empire!"
Grand Duke Gros then introduced Eloise and Fiona to the two of them: "This is Fiona, my beloved daughter, who has a rather naughty temperament. This is Eloise, my adopted son. Needless to say, you all know it."
Even though Iloth had hidden his aura, General Servais, who was a strong man in the Sanctuary, still felt the strength of Ilosu and couldn't help but feel shocked, "You have achieved the gold level at such a young age. You are worthy of being that person's son.
What a gift!”
The Imperial Prime Minister Zangwill was different. Looking at Elos's beautiful face, he couldn't help but feel a little lost, and his eyes were a little teary, as if he saw the girl who had fascinated him all those years ago.
"Ahem, cough, cough." Grand Duke Gros coughed twice when he saw that the two of them were a little carried away. Only then did the two of them wake up.
"Sorry, I lost my temper a little," Imperial Prime Minister Zangwill said embarrassedly.
General Servais said bluntly: "Karl, your adopted son is really a genius. How about letting him stay in Wadenhof and train in my army?" After saying that, he looked at Eloise.
"That's not possible," Grand Duke Gros said flatly. "Illos is the next leader of the Silver Hand whom I trained, and he is also Fiona's future husband."
As soon as this statement came out, everyone present was shocked.
Although Eloise had known that the Grand Duke had always intended to bring him and Fiona together, when he said it in public for the first time, he was quite surprised and then relieved.
Fiona was also surprised when she heard the Grand Duke say this in front of everyone, and then her pretty face couldn't help but blush, and she lowered her head in embarrassment, feeling secretly happy in her heart, which was completely unlike her usual style.
Zangwill and Servais looked at each other, not knowing what to say, so they had to laugh to cover it up.
"Miss Fiona is indeed as heroic and beautiful as the rumors say, and she has inherited Carl's good genes." Zangwill tried to change the subject.
"Thank you, Uncle Zangwill." Fiona, who had recovered from her childlike state, expressed her gratitude to the Imperial Prime Minister for his praise.
"We'd better set off as soon as possible and chat while walking. His Majesty the Emperor is still waiting for us. A feast has been prepared to welcome you." Servais said.
Zangwill nodded quickly, "You blame me for forgetting the real thing and just chatting with old friends. You two can get in my carriage and let's chat and go."
As soldiers, Archduke Gros and Servais always rode war horses and rarely traveled in carriages. However, considering Zangwill's frail physique as a civil servant and the fact that some things required a private space to say, the three of them decided
The man turned around and got on Zangwill's carriage, and the group set off for the imperial capital, Wadenhof.
Except for a short rest on the way, the group soon arrived at Wadenhof. Looking from a distance, a magnificent and huge city spread out in front of them. Countless people came and went in and out of the city gate. This was a bustling and lively scene.
This borderland of the Shire Land couldn't be compared to anything else. Fiona's eyes were straight.
At this time, a group of knights came from Wadenhof. The leading knight dismounted, and after giving a military salute to everyone, he said: "I am the city defense officer Strong who is on duty today, here to greet the Archduke Gross, the Prime Minister and the General.
grown ups."
Servais opened the window curtains of the four-horse carriage and said to the city defense officer: "Are you ready for the city entry ceremony?"
After receiving a positive answer, Servais said to the Archduke of Gros: "His Majesty Charles specifically asked me to arrange the Grand Duke's entry ceremony so that the people of Wadenhof can see the heroic appearance of the Grand Duke and the soldiers of the Shireland. How about that?"
"
"Since His Majesty has arranged it, we will do it according to His Majesty's wishes, just to show off the military appearance of our Shire leaders." Grand Duke Gros felt relaxed and carefree, and then got out of the car and said to everyone: "My sons, get dressed.
Get ready to enter the city."
The other elite warriors of the Knights of the Silver Hand immediately took action. In a short time, they arranged their armor and appearance, arranged in formation, and Eloise and Fiona also put on their helmets.
At the Archduke's order, the team from the Shire led by the Knights of Order entered Wadenhof.
As soon as we entered the city, the central street was wide enough to accommodate ten horses running parallel to each other. The road surface was paved with marble. Countless people lined the streets to welcome us with the soldiers of the royal city maintaining order. Most of these people did not come spontaneously.
It was launched by the political officers of each district, but at this time, my heart was filled with the shocking impact of the army from the Shire Territory.
The knights and horses of the Silver Hand are covered in silver plate armor and blue cloaks. Their fully armed outfits and cold temperament make even people who don't understand military skills marvel.
The other heavy infantry and other arms from the Shire Territory were no less impressive. The unified armor, uniform pace, and strict discipline made the people in the capital change their deep-rooted idea that the Shire Territory were all country bumpkins.
"How about it? Are the Shire people rich in martial virtue?" A woman asked lazily in the attic of a building on the side of the central street.
At this time, a strong man was carefully observing the ceremony of the Shire army entering the city from the attic window. After listening to the woman's inquiry, he casually said: "It looks good on the surface, but what is the actual strength? We still have to fight with real swords and guns."
That's it"
"Are you really flattering yourself that a guy like you who has been secretly trained and has never even been on the battlefield is trying to challenge the Silver Hand?" the woman said disdainfully.
The strong man instantly suppressed his blush and shouted angrily: "Fart, our dark blade never had a chance before. The master said that we will be unsheathed in a short time." After saying this, the strong man realized that he had said something wrong and covered his head.
He stopped talking and looked at the woman.
The woman said nonchalantly: "Okay, I know more than you, so it's not a big deal. But if you go out and talk nonsense and leak the news, believe me, by then you will be afraid
Even death is a luxury!"
The strong man nodded hurriedly, not daring to speak any more.
The woman got up and walked to the attic window to observe. She had black hair, phoenix eyes, long eyebrows, and a faint smile at the corner of her mouth. She was about 23 or 24 years old, and she was very beautiful.
Here, the team was approaching the palace in the inner city. After arranging the Charles troops, horses, and supplies, Servais led the Grand Duke of Los, Elos and Fiona on foot to the palace.
At the entrance of the palace, there were about 100 royal guards standing guard. Judging from their heroic appearance, their combat effectiveness was the highest in the mainland. Servais said to the Grand Duke of Gros: "When you came, your Majesty gave instructions and allowed you to bring weapons to the audience.
"
Grand Duke Gros couldn't help but feel a little moved, "Is this good? I think we should take off our weapons."
Servais smiled and said: "Don't you understand, Your Majesty Charlie? What he said will not change. Don't worry, Karl, this is definitely not a temptation. Let me tell you a secret again. From now on, the Kingdom of Charles will be called the Principality of Charles."
Now, you are truly a Grand Duke."
Grand Duke Gros looked shocked. The Shire Territory was nominally under the jurisdiction of the empire. In fact, it was the same as an independent principality. It was only to maintain the centripetal force of the empire and the face of the royal family that it never changed its name. The fact that Emperor Charles could make such a decision this time shows that
It must be exchanged for more important interests. For a moment, Grand Duke Gros didn't know whether he was happy or worried.
Everyone walked into the hall inside the palace and saw a middle-aged man with a simple and solemn appearance sitting on the throne. This was none other than the emperor of the empire, Charles III.
The Grand Duke of Gros, Eloise and Fiona could only give a military salute because they were wearing armor. Charles III stood up with a smile and took the hand of the Grand Duke of Gros. "Old man, I haven't seen you in so many years and you still look so old.
The appearance hasn’t changed at all, it’s still so old-fashioned.”
Grand Duke Gros also held Charles III's hand tightly and couldn't help but sigh: "Your Majesty, you haven't changed either. Seeing you reminds me of the time when we were high-spirited and rebuked Fang Qiu!"
"Yes, that time was very unforgettable. It's a pity that we are all old and now is the age of young people. Carl, this is your daughter Fiona. She is really beautiful, just like her mother." Charlie III smiled
Said to Grand Duke Gros.
Grand Duke Gros replied: "Yes, it is my little girl Fiona. She has never been out of the Shire. This time I take this opportunity to bring her out to see the world and learn etiquette."
Charles III then looked at Eloise carefully and was shocked by Eloise's appearance. It seemed that for a while, making Eloise a little uncomfortable, he finally put his gaze away and asked Grand Duke Gros in a low voice: "This is it?"
Is it Anna’s child? He looks so much like her. Does this child know his life experience? "
"Yes, Eloise is Anna's child. I haven't told him about his life experience yet. Now is not the time. I will talk to you alone after this matter. The current situation is not appropriate."
Charles III patted his head, "Oh, blame me, blame me, let's start the banquet first."
These actions were seen in the eyes of everyone present, which undoubtedly proved that the relationship between Charles III and the Grand Duke of Gros was still as close as ever, and some of the rumors that had been circulated before were self-defeating.
Grand Duke Gross and Fiona were supposed to be the protagonists of the banquet hosted by the emperor, but everyone's focus was on Eloise. Even though Fiona was already stunningly beautiful, compared to Eloise
Eclipsed, I am afraid that only the pearl of the empire, Princess Ekaterina, can match him.
The ladies and ladies of the high-ranking nobles who came to the banquet couldn't help but feel excited when they looked at Eloise's beautiful face. The married ladies were angry about why they were born and married early, while the noble ladies were planning a dance.
How to gain Eloth's favor after starting.
The psychology of male aristocrats with special hobbies is also breeding some dirty thoughts about Long Yang.
With the announcement of Charles III, the banquet officially began.
Although Eloise and Fiona have noble status and have top-notch standards of food and living in the Shire, they were not enough at this royal banquet. The long dining table was covered with all kinds of exquisite food.
There are some exquisite foods that Eloise and Fiona have never heard of or seen.
Poached salmon fillet with vegetable and herb mayonnaise, Ludendorff chicken roll, baked escargots, truffle guinea fowl pie, black truffle turbot, grilled Middenheim venison loin, strawberry meringue tart, egg pudding, tuna
The Romanée-Conti wine of 2017 and these exquisite and expensive ingredients are spread all over the table, which really makes the index finger excited.
Eloise was still a bit restrained and paid more attention to maintaining her image, but Fiona was different. She ate to her heart's content, completely ignoring table manners and the image of a lady. Her mouth was filled with food until she choked and couldn't swallow it anymore, so she took it.
Eloise drank the wine handed to her in one gulp, and after clearing the food in her mouth, she started with the uneaten baked snails.
Eloise couldn't help but rolled his eyes when he saw Fiona eating with complete disregard for her own image.
The nobles, wives and ladies of the ministers who were paying attention to Eloise and others all felt a little disdainful: So what about the Grand Duke's daughter? She is not just a country bumpkin who doesn't understand etiquette. It's a pity that she has such a beautiful appearance.
Men are different. A beautiful woman's appearance can offset all shortcomings. On the contrary, in their eyes, Fiona is cute and unpretentious, with a unique flavor. Coupled with Fiona's noble birth, other than princesses in the empire,
It is the daughter of the Grand Duke who is most respected.
If the banquet had not ended yet, Eloise and Fiona would have been immediately surrounded by noble ladies and young talents and dandies from the empire.
Finally, when the banquet was almost in progress, Charles III elegantly held the wine glass and announced that it had entered the next stage.