The gold-copper-edged carriage walked on the road, moving forward smoothly and evenly, with few bumps.
This is the main road within the empire. The road surface has been renovated and maintained by nobles of past generations and has become very smooth and smooth.
The white screen window swayed slightly behind the car window. Through the curtain, one could see the scenery of the fields outside. Large tracts of golden farmland were distributed on both sides of the road, and one or two huts made of stone bricks could be seen occasionally.
Inside the carriage, two girls were sitting opposite each other. One of them had small dragon horns and was taking a nap on the table. The other was flipping through a collection of poems published by the Empire in recent years and occasionally looking out the window.
In this collection of poems, the poets use a dramatic form to describe the power changes in the empire in recent years. It mainly tells the poignant love between the heroic civilian knights and the noble girls, and also contains many surprises.
The story is widely circulated among the people and aristocrats.
Although there is a big gap between it and the real reality, everyone can't help but like to read such romantic stories. Nowadays, when culture and entertainment are relatively scarce, this kind of poetry collection can be regarded as a classic.
People are unwilling to believe in the empire's total defeat on the battlefield, and are more willing to believe that this is a brief trough that must be experienced like a classical poignant opera.
Yes, how can people accept the decline of a country that has been strong for hundreds of years? It must be difficult for many people to calm down.
Combing her hair around her ears, the girl gradually put down her book and leaned against the car window, looking out at the peaceful and beautiful scenery.
The eastern wilderness of the empire is still as peaceful and peaceful as before the war.
——————
In the emerald forest.
A group of elves unfolded their emerald and transparent butterfly wings and shuttled in the shade of the tall trees. Their wings swept past the silhouette of the summer sun, slightly reflecting the gradient of the seven colors.
This is where the forest elves live. Many forest elves are distributed in this vast forest and mountains. The land is vast and sparsely populated. It often takes a long flight to see the huts in the forest where groups of people gather.
Compared with the changes in the outside world, life here is still peaceful. Some elves ride high-antlered deer through the paths in the forest, patrolling this quiet world.
But the changes in the world have slowly affected this world. Mechanical bows have begun to appear on some of the roving elves. Some of them will also use three-dimensional mobile devices to shuttle through the forest at high speed. The boots made of leather have foldable pop-up inserts.
You can even see new-style waterwheels along many rivers.
Although there was no roaring and noisy scene like industry and mechanization, the elves began to slowly accept the changes in the outside world in their own aesthetic way.
"I haven't been back for a long time. The forest has changed so much." Etesi walked through the shade of the tall trees in the forest, drawing a long and swift S-trajectory in the air.
"Her Royal Highness Princess has indeed missed a lot of things, but this is not necessarily a bad thing. Her Royal Highness Athea has often complained to me over the years. It would have been better if she was the one who went to the east." A young female elf accompanied Athea.
Fly sideways and answer the elf princess who just returned to the forest.
"I feel like that guy is living a relaxed and happy life in the East." Even though the two places are far apart, Etesi's sister can still vaguely understand her sister's emotions.
The twin elves Athesi and Athea, who were born as twins, have shown extremely high talents since childhood and became princesses of the elven clan decades ago.
The princess in the forest elves is a candidate for the queen, usually selected from the royal bloodline, but more depends on personal strength. In fact, after so many years of reproduction, nearly one-third of the forest elves can say that they are
The branch of the royal bloodline and the theory of bloodline are no longer taken seriously among the elves.
"It was indeed a very interesting time." Etesi recalled this trip to the Eastern Continent. In the past ten years, she had visited many famous mountains and rivers, and witnessed cultural landscapes that were completely different from those in the empire, which made her exclaim.
Enjoyable.
If she hadn't vaguely sensed her sister's depressed mood in the last few years, she wouldn't have rushed back.
"Okay, now can you tell me about the current situation in the forest?" As she got closer to the Holy Tree Garden in the center of the forest elves, Artisi couldn't help but be curious.
"Well, alas..." The elf female official sighed, and then began to speak slowly.
"First of all, the changes within the empire caused the elves to return to the past, curled up in the forest."
"Although we are powerful enough, we cannot easily interfere in the internal affairs of the empire to avoid irritating the sensitive nerves of mankind. In that case, a bad move will arouse hatred between the two races."
"Currently, the Western Continent is undergoing rapid changes. Many elf scholars have brought back the doctrines and classics of Clancia, which has caused a lot of discussions in the forest."
"Some elves agree to embrace ideas and technology, some believe that only the technical part should be ingested, and some elves say that we should follow the ancient inheritance and maintain a pure and natural lifestyle."
"Several parties began to argue at the meeting, and Her Majesty the Queen remained cautious for the time being and did not express her position easily."
"In addition, several big nobles have begun to contact us, wanting to know our attitude and our position. It can be expected that civil war in the empire is inevitable." This is the part that makes the elves nervous and hesitant, and for this reason
, some elven nobles began to implement new technologies to arm the elves.
Seeing that Artisi was still a little confused, the elf noble woman continued to explain.
"Those imperial nobles not only represent themselves, but behind them are the shadows of the four great dukes. Now that the royal family is weakening, the four great dukes are no longer someone we can easily offend."
Except for the Paska family of the Red Dragon Duke, which has gradually dissipated, the other three dukes still have more than 100 million people and vast fiefdoms. The decline of the empire does not mean their decline. After the failure of the expedition, they still maintain a strong
strength.
Change and take sides? Etesi simply summed it up in her heart.
"Okay, okay. I'm not the kind of elf who is good at politics and strategy. It's better not to tell me this. It gives me a headache just listening to it." Artisi shook her head, her golden hair swaying in the strong wind.
.
Passing through the hanging vines, the golden moon flowers in full bloom, the blue lake, and the tall garden surrounded by three tall sacred trees are gradually revealed among the branches and leaves.
These three holy trees reach straight into the sky, with the crowns at the top shrouded in clouds and mist, and below are the elven palaces of different sizes, which are scattered and scattered beside the lake and under the trees, like graceful crescent moons.
"Finally back." Etesi descended slowly, her body was wrapped in a ball surrounded by wind, and she stepped lightly on the lawn beside the lake.
"I can't predict what kind of situation the elves will face."
"But at least, I hope that I can stick to my duties, protect everyone in the forest, and maintain this peaceful home."
"Take me to see Her Majesty the Queen. I can feel that my sister is already waiting for me there. Maybe she is thinking of how to scold me at this time."
Etesi smiled, then lightly pressed her chest. The dress that was easy for movement grew and extended like a flower vine, and elegant gold leaf cuffs appeared, a semi-transparent petal skirt, and a small gold crown.
It also appears in the hair.
"Then, welcome back, my respected princess."
As the words fell, each of the dense forest elites holding life-size swords knelt down on one knee, and then made way for the white road leading to the central sacred tree.