The corridor in the tomb is empty and long, as if it will never end.
The ever-extinguishing swaying fire painted two opposite stone pillars on the ground, drawing deep shadows, one after another, intertwining on the king. Babartan looked at the cold stone statues in silence, Azrael, Catan——
The images of girls carved out of the cold rock are the two gods of Andromeda.
Gatekeepers of death, in mythology they stand at the entrance to the kingdom of death, waiting for the souls to go to the afterlife. The steps of the door are paved with obsidian, which is cold to the bone.
The stone statues at the back are wearing armor and are the kings of Istania in ancient times. They were born in the era of the Giant War, symbolizing the bravery and fearlessness of mortals. The stone statues are holding sharp swords, as if they are still guarding this land.
Zhemim, Helihad - the founder of the dynasty, Lebihad, Luqub - the wise king, Babartan's eyes swept over these stone statues one by one.
The night in the desert was bone-chilling, and the underground was even more chilly. Every time he came to this place, he always had a feeling. He felt that the eyes of the ancient kings seemed to be silently watching him from behind. Istania's
Kingdoms throughout the ages have believed in Andromeda. Perhaps the god who controls life and death has given this place a unique power.
Just like the legend——
Guardians of Istania.
What does it mean to protect this land?
The King of Sand walked forward and passed the walkway between the stone pillars. On the stone walls with intertwined shadows, there were many words written, recording the achievements of the ancient kings, as well as their vassals, concubines and heirs. Some even just had a name.
, but more 'history'.
In this long walkway, there are just a few strokes. It is like a long history, a river flowing silently, the occasional splash of water, but one by one, Ista
Niah's seven hundred years - from the beginning to the end.
But maybe it’s not the end yet.
This royal tomb has been renovated many times over the past three centuries. The most recent expansion was about half a century ago, when the Penelope family had just become the legal rulers of this land.
His father, the first Sand King of the Penelope family, is buried deep in this tomb, along with several of his brothers, sisters and sisters. Babartan walked until his two sisters,
Between the tombs of Sarika and Princess Mihasei - and there is an ordinary stone monument standing on the sand.
The stele is facing away from the wall, and behind it is a sarcophagus.
There was an unfinished wooden carving on the sarcophagus. It had always been in that place, as if no one had ever moved it. Babartan stopped in front of the stone tablet, squatted down, gently swept away the dust on the stone tablet with his hand, and just stared silently.
Look at the name on the stone tablet.
After a long time, he stood up, looked at the sarcophagus again, reached out to pick up the wooden sculpture, and touched it gently.
He didn't speak, just like a stone statue.
Maybe after his death, he will really turn into a stone statue and stand in the darkness underground here for thousands of years. It doesn't matter what kind of inscriptions and long poems future generations will give him. His eyes seemed to see through the darkness,
He only remembered the bright stars above the sea of sand. Under those stars, he made a promise to the woman he loved, but in the end he broke his promise——
He spoke in a hoarse voice:
"I swear I will find that person. I swear I will avenge you with my own hands. Under the witness of Andrma, I just need to wait a little longer..."
The muttering voice loomed in the darkness, as if he was talking to himself, and seemed to be talking to his unseen sweetheart.
"Actually, we already have some clues..."
"...and about that notebook, I actually have always known..."
"As for your daughter, she is very good. I don't want to involve Rupert and the others. I believe you can understand this..."
"Besides... your brother left too early regarding the ship group. It took some time after that, but don't worry, it will be ready soon..."
"...You are absolutely right..."
"The Holy Grail and the Holy Object are all part of it... It's a pity that the obelisk is incomplete..."
"Fortunately, there is another way..."
"Also about the green..."
He sighed softly.
"I did something wrong recently, and I told you last time..."
"But maybe I have asked for too much, and some things may not be destined to belong to mortals..."
"...It's just that I really miss being with you all the time in the past. Since then, I have been suffering from nightmares almost every day..."
After another long silence, Babartan continued:
"I met a young man."
"He is what the lizards consider the Chosen of the Stars."
"Do you still remember that legend? I once heard you tell it..."
"But I don't like the Chosen One too much, because they are not trustworthy..."
"But Aleph seems to trust him very much. He is the child who is deeply loved by you. His mother was not of high birth, but he did learn some valuable qualities from you. Now that he has grown up, I plan to hand over the throne to him.
On his hands..."
"Forget it, let this matter take its course. I believe that if you were still alive, you would also support my decision."
He put his hand on the stone tablet again.
But at this moment, a slight noise suddenly came from the darkness.
The King of Sand suddenly changed his color and looked in that direction. "Who is there?" His voice was cold, with almost no emotion.
There was total silence in the darkness, but after a while, a pale girl walked out from behind the stone pillar. Afifah looked at her father uneasily, clasping her hands together until her knuckles almost lost their color.
, she bit her lip, her eyes filled with worry and fear.
Babartan looked at his daughter, his cold expression melting away a lot.
But his tone was still calm: "Afifah, why are you here?"
"The guards said you were not here," Afifah whispered, "I guess you are here to see your mother, father."
"What do you want from me?"
Afifah lowered his head but was speechless.
Ever since she met Fang Plover, she felt like she was possessed and couldn't stop thinking about some recent things. She seemed to feel a deep worry in her heart, but she didn't know what she was worried about.
I came to this place because my mind and body were not at ease.
The man in front of her is the King of Sand, but he is also her father. She is the princess of Istania, but she is just a girl who is not yet under age.
Babartan put down the wood carving in his hand, walked over, and looked at his little daughter. He stretched out his hand, stroked Afifah's braid, and asked: "I don't allow you to participate in the celebration. Is that why you are embarrassed?"
Do you blame me?"
"Father, Afifah dare not do this."
"I just don't dare. It seems that I do think so."
Afifah raised her head and looked at her father with tears in her eyes.
"Okay, don't think so much," Babartan sighed softly: "I won't let you participate in the celebration just because I have some worries. If you insist on going, I won't refuse. As for you
Don’t worry too much about my sister, she understands what’s going on and everything will be fine after waiting for a while.”
He gently stroked the back of his daughter's head. "I have already planned to let Aleph take over the position of the King of Sand. You sisters have always had a good relationship with him, and you have to interact with him more recently. After this, maybe it will be...
He’s here to take care of you—”
"If you think about it carefully, almost twenty years have passed since I ascended the throne. Time flies so fast."
Afifah looked at his father, a sense of fear and uneasiness arose in his heart, and whispered:
"Father..."
Babartan smiled and rubbed his daughter's hair with his hand.
"Okay, it's cold underground. Go to sleep. It's not good to stay in a place like this for too long."
Afifah just looked at his father with tears in his eyes, looked at the wooden carving on the sarcophagus not far away, and nodded slightly.
…
"Miss Erna!?"
Among the craftsmen's guild in Questac.
Under the bright glass dome of the hall, Fang Plover looked at the giant spirit lady not far away with surprise and joy, and couldn't help blurting out.
Erna heard someone calling her name from behind, and thought it was the 'old classmates' from the craftsmen's association in the past who recognized her, so she was so scared that she subconsciously hid aside - her past experience of living in the sewers
, but it is famous among craftsmen and has become a well-known joke.
She has rarely returned to Questac in recent years, probably for this reason——
But when she turned around, she saw Fang Plover waving to her. The vigilance in the eyes of the giant spirit lady turned into surprise for a moment, and then into surprise again, "Ed!" She couldn't help but stride forward.
He came over, held Fang Plover's shoulders, and asked with some surprise: "Are you still alive -?"
Ed: "???"
"No, bah bah," Erna blushed and quickly changed her words: "I mean, are you okay?"
The dull temperament of the president of the Tansnil Artisans Association has not changed at all, and Fang Piao couldn't help but smile knowingly. The first meeting between the two was actually not pleasant, and he even regarded the president as
The lady was so angry that she cried, but after the misunderstanding was resolved, he discovered the advantages of the lady president.
He was frank, serious and sincere. He taught him a lot about magic construction without reservation, and even contributed a lot to the construction of the Seven Seas Traveler.
Everyone in the Seven Seas Brigade has long recognized this sincere president. Although sometimes she can’t turn around, once she accepts this, she makes people feel cute. Fang Plover has also already recognized this president.
The lady regarded her as a friend he could make close friends with. He had left Bein not long ago and came to Questac where he was also unfamiliar with the place except for the eldest princess.
Coupled with the series of twists and turns and mysterious events since becoming a blind follower, these days have almost given him a nervous breakdown.
But now that I suddenly saw my friend, I couldn't help but feel a lot brighter.
…
In a cafe not far from the Craftsman Association.
Speaking of which, cafes are also imported, part of the culture brought by the Chosen. However, the wild coffee in Aitaria can almost be regarded as the ancestor of the crop coffee on the earth. It is not enough for use at all, and now it is commercialized.
Cultivation is on the rise, but you won’t see the finished product for a while. Therefore, most of these cafes just have a name, or maybe they are originally the property of the chosen ones.
However, the environment here is quite good. In fact, I rarely see places with less beautiful environments in Istania - the people here seem to enjoy life quite a bit.
He was holding a teacup in his hand, and was answering Ms. Erna's questions of concern, shaking his head for a while, and then nodding again.
Soon, Fang Yu put down the cup in his hand and asked: "Why is Ms. Erna here?"
"Come back and report on your work." At the mention of this, Erna glanced around cautiously, as if she was afraid that someone would recognize her. "Communications have been interrupted for more than half a month, and Tansniel cannot contact the Craftsmen's Association. Now
The storm has subsided, so I had no choice but to come back and report on my work. In fact, I had already set out from Tansnier half a week ago, and I just took the land route."
Mentioning the sandstorm, Fang Plover couldn't help but ask: "...it seems that the communication interruption has been long enough this time. Is it always like this in Istania?"
This communication has been interrupted for almost a month, and it has continued until now. He is quite speechless - no wonder Istania is a border area, who can bear this?
Unexpectedly, Erna was stunned after hearing his question.
"Istania?" The lady president shook her head like a rattle. "Wrong, wrong, Ed, you are wrong. This communication interruption is not limited to Istania."
"Istania is not the only one?" Fang Plover was shocked. "Wait, isn't it caused by this sandstorm?"
Could it be that sandstorms have also swept through other areas?
"Who told you?" Erna said with some confusion: "Generally, that's the case, but not this time. This communication interruption started from the north of Kaolin, and places like Baicheng are now paralyzed.
The guild still has the last correspondence from a month ago, which mentioned this incident."
"Of course, the big sandstorm here in Istania also had an impact to a greater or lesser extent. The combination of the two factors resulted in the current situation. However, the sandstorm itself is only the result, not the cause. I heard,
It is caused by certain changes in the etheric sea."
"By the way," she responded: "These things were discovered by the Star and Moon Council, and you outsiders may not know about it yet."
Fang Yu was stunned when he heard this.
Does this mean that the entire Kaolin-Ithurian communication has ceased at this moment?
He couldn't help but subconsciously think of the Stargate incident not long ago, which caused many passengers to be stranded. Tang Xin and her aunt's family, as well as Ai Xiaoxiao and her parents were also stranded in Etalia because of this. The sea of ether is the ethereal sea.
Another name for the world, what will happen to the etheric world? It seems that we have never heard of such a thing in a thousand years.
He couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed for a moment, subconsciously thinking that there was something wrong with the Star Gate, right?
But when I wanted to contact Su Changfeng to ask, I took out the communication crystal and remembered that the communication had been interrupted.
But Elna obviously didn't know the rich activities in his heart.
"By the way," the president lady looked at Fang Plover and asked curiously: "At that time, I just heard from the eldest princess that you disappeared in the sandstorm. What happened after that?"
Fang Yu was startled for a moment before he reacted. It seems that Her Royal Highness the Princess did not tell the president the truth, but it is understandable after thinking about it.
And he didn't intend to expose it, he just said: "Fortunately, nothing serious happened."
"Thank you, Anji. That's so lucky," Erna sighed. She looked at Fang Pliance and said, "Fortunately, you're fine. When you come back this time, I actually plan to entrust the Artisans General to help search for your whereabouts. Mr. Artisans
The association has branches all over the country. I originally wanted to have more manpower. Maybe there will be news. Everyone is very worried about you——"
After Fang Yu heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little moved in his heart.
He could still hear the sincerity of this lady president. It said that he had received help from many people since he came to this place. This sincerity even diluted the feeling he felt from the wanderer not long ago.
The evil of human nature.
Maybe the world itself is like this, there are good and bad. But in general, there are more good people.
Perhaps this is why it is worth protecting.
Ms. Erna looked at him with some concern: "Speaking of which, what is Ed doing at the Craftsmen's Association?"
Fang Plover actually came here to find someone from Her Highness the Princess.
During the previous celebration, Her Royal Highness the Princess told him that Sylvide and others were in Questac City at the moment, but Achilles was in charge of the arrangements, so Her Royal Highness the Princess actually did not know the specific address of the Seven Seas Brigade.
He came to this place today to get the addresses of everyone in the Seven Seas Brigade from Her Royal Highness the Princess's people in the Craftsmen's Association.
But he didn't expect that he would meet an acquaintance.
After listening to his narration, Elna put down the cup and said with some surprise: "So Ed hasn't seen Sylvide and the others yet. I know where they are. How about I take you there?"
Fang Yu was slightly startled: "Ms. Erna knows?"
"Of course," Elna replied: "Your ship officer lady, the messenger who contacted Tansniel, is a person from the Craftsmen's Association, through my staff. I have always maintained correspondence with them, although
It’s only been a month, but it’s been two or three times. Of course I know where they live.”
"Isn't Ms. Erna coming back to report on her duties?"
"You can report your work anytime," Erna's face turned red again. She had recognized Fang Plover at the Craftsmen's Association and had been noticed by many people. All in all, it didn't look like she was going back today.
When the time comes, let’s slow down this matter for a while and leave it to later.
In general, she would rather not go back to report and be punished for it than to be recognized in public by others.
When she thought about her original embarrassment, if Fang Pliong and the others found out, she might as well find a crack in the ground and crawl under it.
The djinn lady was thinking about it.
Little did he know, she had been packaged and betrayed by Achilles long ago.