Her fair face was flawless, and her slightly curly silver hair flowed from her shoulders to her waist. The fitted purple dress locked her waist and arms, and her knee-length lace-up boots were hidden under the skirt.
Like an angel, the pair of pure white wings stretch out from the hollow on the back, swaying gently with the breeze, as if they are about to fly into the sky.
Fleisher reached out and touched the girl's face, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly, but until the fingertips left her, those eyes never opened.
She shook her head, picked up her silver-gray hair, covered it in front of her mouth, and breathed out gently.
"...It's been almost a year."
That was the time since she said goodbye to her hometown, left the Forest of Tranquility, and finally settled in the Phil Federation. For the Elna people, a year is just a blink of an life, but the time she spent living with her former friends is now
It's a little blurry.
"Lord Fleisher." The maid's voice came from outside the door, "It's time for the meeting. The senator is waiting for you to come over."
"I see."
The footsteps outside the door gradually faded away. Fleischer glanced at the "girl" sitting quietly on the window sill again, then turned around and walked along the corridor to the study on the other side. The maid on the way bowed to her,
She just nodded slightly, but she was thinking about the upcoming negotiation.
One of the current elders of the Federation, Hermes Felton, usually meets guests in the hall, and only those conversations that are not convenient for "outsiders" to observe are held in his study. He spends a lot of money to invite the Federation
The wizard used the outer wall of the room to isolate sounds, prevent detection, and even shield the secrets of prediction - eavesdropping without being detected, at least based on the knowledge she possesses, is almost impossible.
With the introduction of a "friend" of her mother, some practical occult skills, some "precipitated" wisdom, and the so-called "forbidden knowledge", she was able to become Felton's chief adviser and advise him.
.In the past six months, she has attended more than 90% of the other party's talks, whether in public or private.
Hamis is an excellent businessman. He is good at controlling the rhythm of conversations and guiding the results in the direction he wants. For Fleisher, watching these negotiations is interesting, and it also allows her to understand the situation within the Federation and even the mainland at this time.
I have a better understanding of the situation in various countries.
In addition, Hermes met all her requests and even the resources she needed without exception - even if she was not sure whether the current research would be successful.
It's a pretty good employer, Fleisher thought, at least it's not a loss to stay here.
The dark red wooden door of the study room was suddenly in front of her. She shook her head and put aside her distracting thoughts, raised her hand and knocked three times, then pushed the door open and entered.
The room was furnished with familiar furnishings. Hermes was sitting on a high-backed leather chair. Behind him hung a portrait of the first senator Felton, a portrait of Hermes' father, and an oil painting of a castle in the woods. On both sides were rows of rows of walls.
The open mahogany bookshelf is filled with all kinds of hardcover books, as well as several bottles of valuable wine. The sofa used for entertaining guests is empty, and a man in a black robe stands beside the desk, showing a gentle and gentle smile.
Show handsome profile.
"Sir Felton." She walked towards the desk, nodded to him, and then extended her hand to the middle-aged man, "Freshiel Griffinis. Would you like something to drink?"
The man in black robe smiled gently and stretched out his hand to shake hers. Fleischer noticed that the man was holding a silver-covered book in his left hand, exuding a powerful and elusive power. He was a difficult person to deal with, so
From a wizard's perspective, she thought.
"Thank you, no need." The man looked into her eyes, and then turned his gaze to the desk, "Cullen Dahl came with the will of "Lord of Heaven" Ada, and wanted to negotiate a business deal with Lord Felton.
"
This is the first time she has seen the spokesperson of the gods. After all, gods can also talk about business...or even bargain? Fleisher looked at Hermes and saw him tapping the table with his fingertips, his expression calm.
usual.
"Tell me about it," the man replied.
"You may have heard about the Oren Empire." The man in black robe said softly, "Glory City will soon become a battlefield. Considering the safety of federal merchants, it may be a good choice to suspend transactions with them."
He spread his hands and said, "As for the extra goods, His Highness Istar is happy to purchase them and will pay a good price for them."
"Thank you for the reminder." Hermes replied gently, "But generally speaking, who businessmen choose to do business with is not controlled by the Senate. What's more, in addition to pursuing profits, fame and credibility are also necessary for good businessmen.
quality.”
"I've heard people say that as long as there is 300% profit, businessmen even dare to start a war, no matter who the opponent is." Cullen shook his head slowly, seeming a little regretful, "It seems that the Federation's"
Speaker: "Your Excellency, you are just an incompetent businessman."
Hermes narrowed his eyes slightly, and Fleur clenched her fists. She knew that men attach great importance to their status as businessmen, and Cullen's words were undoubtedly a provocation. If Hermes issued an eviction order, or the conversation turned into a
In a dispute, she must find a way to prevent the situation from getting out of control——
After a moment of silence, the man crossed his hands in front of the table and looked at the table through his fingertips.
"I don't see enough profit." Felton sighed, not looking at Cullen's face at all. "Or, as the "spokesman" of the gods, can you come up with something that makes me tempted?"
"As you think." The voice of the man in black robe was vaguely seductive, "I wonder, Mr. Speaker, are you interested in eternal life?"
"Is it the same 'eternal youth' as Rogman?" Hamis shook his head and chuckled, "Then forgive me for being insensitive."
"Rogman has too many ambitions, but lacks enough wisdom... But you are different." Cullen showed a satisfied look and spoke unhurriedly, "To be honest, true eternal life does not exist. But my Lord will give it to you.
Your lifespan is dozens of times longer than that of ordinary people, and your body and mind are always healthy." He caressed the book in his hand and looked up at Fleisher, "Sir Speaker, why did you take in a "sinner" from Erna?
, I guess you don’t need me to explain it to you, right?”
Hamis still didn't look up. "A friend asked me to take care of her. Besides, she has never violated any federal laws."
"I once heard that more than forty years ago, you pursued an Erna woman, I think she was named... Israfel?" The man in black robe whispered softly, "My Lord Ada can resurrect her.
, and let you spend the next hundreds of years hand in hand with her...as long as that is your wish."
Fleisher tensed up slightly, and at the same moment, Hermes stood up from the table and looked directly into the eyes of the man in black robe.
"You're not a businessman, and I'm afraid you don't know what "sunk cost" is. The past is long gone. No matter how much you miss it, nothing can be repeated." The man curled his index finger and tapped the table, "Besides, I must say something else.
At this time, there was no 'speaker' in the Federation - I only had one-fourth of the say in the country's policies, the same as any other senator."
Cullen Dahl bowed slightly, his face still gentle and unchanged, just like the warm sun in winter.
"I understand. Anyway, thank you for your interview, Speaker - or rather, Mr. Elder. After a while, when you need me, I will come to visit you again."
He straightened up, flattened the book in his hand, and pressed the silver cover with his right hand. An invisible magic power spread through the study room, instantly sweeping away the fatigue accumulated by Fleischer from staying up late reading and conducting experiments in the past few days.
null.
"I only wish that the glory of my lord Ada may walk on the earth forever."
Cullen turned and left, and a soft halo enveloped his whole body until the door and the wall separated everything. Fleur stared at the other person's back. Although she knew that he had intentions and knew about his past "misdeeds", she was inexplicable.
The earth cannot produce much disgust.
The former king of the empire, she thought, did she trust him because of this?
"You are worthy of being the spokesperson of the "Lord of Heaven," right?" Hermes' voice that seemed to be smiling but not smiling brought her back to reality, "What do you think we should do, Fleur?"
"He is right about one thing... If there is really going to be a war, the trade with the royal capital will turn into a loss-making business." Fleisher walked to the opposite side of the man, crossed his arms and looked at him, "You
Do you really care about credit that much?"
"For businessmen, credit means future benefits. And for this country, a stable Oren Empire can also bring long-term benefits." The federal elder walked around the table and walked towards the map hanging on the side of the bookcase.
"War can give us a windfall, and even allow us to profit from many parties... The problem is that the weapons and materials we sell may one day fall on our heads."
"Sounds like a coward's excuse...at least that's what the Rutgers senator would say." Fleur pouted, "In your opinion, what awaits the empire is not just a civil war?"
Hermes raised his hand and tapped the east and north sides of the map with a pen. "We have two 'empires'. The history of Violet is only more than two hundred years, but the dispute over orthodoxy can last for more than four hundred years."
The Caspar dynasty fell years ago." His hand slid southward, "Not only that, I also heard some gossip that the "power holder" of the Theocracy has suddenly been a lot busier recently."
"Looking at the best, Oswald is just preparing for a rainy day. The "Lord of Light" they believe in should not support an invasion."
"Taking the worst, you haven't denied the Violet Empire part." The man's pen slid to the west, "As for Elders... what do you think 'you' will do after being invaded by the Oren Empire?"
"I am no longer an Elders, you have known it for a long time." Fleur rolled her eyes at the man, "If you really want to say it... Galaria is a benevolent king, and she will not allow revenge to happen.
.”
"You are right, but what if the queen is gone? Or somewhere she can't see - just like what you and your mother have experienced."
"Those are two different things." Fleur frowned. Even after half a year, she still didn't want to recall the chaos. "My mother did come into contact with knowledge that was considered taboo. Even if the conservative queen was present, I dare not
There will be any difference in the outcome." She curled her lips, "Speaking of which, from Cullen's point of view, have you ever pursued her?"
Hermes did not answer immediately, but slowly walked to the other side of the room, took out two glasses from the wine cabinet, and the remaining half of a bottle of white wine. He first poured himself half a glass, and then raised his head to signal to the girl.
.
"What do you want to drink? I have-"
"Plain water, if you have it." She interrupted, "So this is why you took me in? You want to see me "resurrect" her?"
"I don't deny it. Israfil asked you to come to me, probably because she felt that I was one of the few people she could trust. Because of this, I don't want to live up to her expectations." Hermes took a sip of the golden color.
of wine, "But that's only a small part. I value your knowledge and talent more than your mother."
"Even if it's forbidden knowledge?"
"I never thought so. Knowledge is guiltless, and I believe you can make good use of it."
They are all clichés, but at least they don't sound annoying. "So, Mr. Speaker." She pushed her hair away from her forehead and turned to look at him, "Mystical body, and artificial soul... you want to take it?"
What do these do?”
Hermes put down his cup and looked at her seriously for the first time that day.
"I have read relevant information." He said, "The body made by secret techniques can last for hundreds of years, and even if it is damaged by external forces, it can be easily repaired or replaced; and the artificial soul...if the information is correct, it is
Made of human souls.”
"That's what mother and I tried to improve." Fleur replied coldly, "It's a pity that we haven't even recovered the original parts."
"When you restore those, let me be the next test subject."
Fleur stared at his face. "You just rejected Cullen's proposal. What kind of joke are you kidding?"
"This is no joke. As a Kamal person with a life span of only more than a hundred years, it is natural to pursue longevity." The man touched his chin, "I am not young anymore. If I want to be worthy of your mother, I will always
There is a price to pay.”
"A few minutes ago, you gave a completely opposite answer. I can no longer judge which of what you said is true." Fleisher said without emotion, "Tell me the truth, you still
What are your plans?"
"A soul core that is strong and easy to recycle; a body that can perform secret arts without learning and can carry various components; a built-in ability to sense and communicate with each other; plus the instinct to obey its maker." Han
Mies shook the cup in his hand and lowered his voice, "They are one of the best armies, just like the original purpose of their creation in the First Era."
This is in line with her guess. "You want an army... even at the cost of human souls?"
"And eternal life, many people would be happy. And as you said, this is just a precautionary measure." I don't know if it was because of the beginning, but Hermes' tone became more relaxed, "The Federation is very rich, but not powerful, and it is easy to attract people.
Covet. If other senators do something stupid and let the empire choose to send troops to us, I don’t want to hold my head and cry, or kneel down and beg for mercy."
"If you have an army like this, how can I trust you not to do something on your own initiative?"
"You don't need to believe me." To her surprise, the man gave the answer without hesitation, "The puppet army needs a commander, and the most suitable candidate is naturally their maker, that is, you and... you
's mother."
It might be a lie, but she couldn't be sure. "Let me think about it."
"If you have any difficulties, don't worry, just tell me. As for technical issues, Kunta may be able to help. He is very familiar with the knowledge of souls."
"If necessary." She replied noncommittally, "As for research, you don't need to tell me, I will do my best."
Hamis stood up and looked into her eyes seriously. "That's good. I can't take care of the entire continent. I only hope to protect the Federation from disaster in the next wave."
"You also said that you are not the "speaker". I am sure that a normal "senator" would not be able to say such a thing."
"I'm the abnormal one, as you can see." Hamis spread his hands, "Okay, there's nothing else to do here, go and do your work."
Fleisher shrugged, then turned and left. She lowered her head in thought all the way, ignoring everyone who greeted her. The elder's request seemed logical, and there were no fatal doubts in his words, but she didn't know how to do this.
Is it good or bad, does it conform to the mother's "before death"...and her own expectations.
She pushed open the door of the laboratory, poured herself a glass of water, drank it slowly, and then walked up to the woman who was the "doll".
Located below the neck, in the center of the collarbone, a gray-white gemstone is embedded in the woman's skin, vaguely reflecting the luster of the outside world. That is the "soul core" of the doll - different from the lich's "phylactery".
It does not simply seal the soul, but simulates the human brain with an extremely complex mystical structure, and then converts the soul into "information" suitable for the other party. This avoids the disadvantages of losing the soul's carrier, and the lifespan of the core is also much longer than that of humans.
Body. More importantly, when the structure of the core and artificial soul is completely understood, "creating intelligent life out of thin air" will no longer be just a matter of paper.
All those are just ancient legends. In order to avoid the pursuit of Erna's sentry, "Mother" used immature means to transfer her soul into this blank doll. It took her a whole year.
A series of conflicts and failures caused by the hasty transformation of soul information have not yet been resolved.
She wasn't even sure her mother was still alive.
But restoring the doll-making technology has indeed been her "always" wish; and even though they have only been together for a few years and are usually busy with research, Israfil still treats her well. Even if he is not a veteran of Felton,
Considering the knowledge in "Mother's" mind, repairing the other party is still the top priority at present.
Unless "that person" can be found, Fleur thought.
"Joy?" she called softly, "are you there?"
The blond young man slowly appeared on the sofa nearby, raised his right hand towards her, snapped his fingers, "I've always been there."
"Who came in when I left?"
"The maid who was doing routine cleaning, Kunta, also came in and took a look around, but didn't move anything." The young man lay down half-ly, sinking into the soft cloth cushion. "He may know that I am here."
Quinta Tuo again?
The first time she saw him was half a month ago. He was an unusually tall man with fiery red hair and arms thicker than her thighs. Fleur didn't interact much with him, but the one who impressed her the most was him.
He has a huge appetite - at a dinner party two weeks ago, he ate half a roast suckling pig, half a lamb, a large pot of seafood stew, and countless breads and pastries.
If he said he was a powerful warrior, Fleur would believe it without hesitation. But according to Hermes, an expert on souls——
"Who is that guy?" Fleur sat on the sofa opposite Joyce and buried her body into the soft backrest. Only in front of her mother's friend could she relax completely. "I always feel that
He is very dangerous, but I can’t explain why... He shouldn’t be a dragon, right?"
"No, but it's almost far away." The blond young man stretched out an index finger and shook it gently, "He is a Balrog, and it is not a projection. By the way, not many people know about this, so you'd better not say anything.
go out."
Hermes must know, Fleur thought. She heard that demons appeared in the Forest of Tranquility - the empire seemed to use this as an excuse to invade the forest nearly a year ago. Shortly after that, the Kingdom of Elders issued a notice, claiming
There is a Balrog on the loose. But who would have thought that it would actually come to the home of a federal senator and become a dignified guest.
"It seems I don't know you well enough, Lord Felton." The girl whispered to herself, "How many secrets do you have?"
"Adults always have secrets." The young man yawned and changed into a more comfortable position, "My eldest lady, do you have one?"
That's natural. The girl thought for a moment and decided to tell him a small part of it.
"Joy, have you ever heard of a person... named "Luo Zhen"? I'm looking for him."