Age of Arcane

Harm took more than ten bottles of water element essence and easily dealt with all the sand robbers gathered in the burnt wood camp.Qingkong once again showed strength, making them happy for their choice, otherwise they might really be drowned in the desert.

After resting in the guaranteed clear sky, they set off. They rode three camels, led three spare camels and four pack animals carrying supplies, and headed towards the Harmutu Basin in the west.

If you want to reach the ancestor grassland within a week, you must reduce your rest time and travel day and night, and you must not be delayed by other things in the middle.

The scorched wood camp disappeared in the wind and sand, and the string of footprints left by the camel caravan on the sand was quickly submerged by the sand and dust.

At the same time, a train was driving on the Gobi Desert hundreds of kilometers away in the Jiaomu camp, and the steam generated by the decompression formed white smoke and pulled a white cloud belt above the train.

The sound of the siren spread far and far in the open Gobi.

After the train passed a rock hill, more than a dozen horses suddenly sprang out from the other side of the boulder.Riding on the horses are sand bandits wrapped in robes all over their bodies. The weapons they wield make a "hoo hoo" sound, desperately urging the horse to speed up.

The sand bandits on horseback lined up close to the railway, kept a constant speed parallel to the train, and then quickly jumped onto the horseback.

And when the Sand Bandits were about to jump onto the train, the door of the carriage was opened from the inside, and several men in costumes of imperial agents drew their knives and threw a few sword lights at the Sand Bandits.

Seeing the guarded sand robbers in the carriage, he immediately gathered gravel to form a barrier in front of him, and all the sword lights that came over fell on the barrier.

Then several magicians flew out of the front compartment using short-distance flying, and rushed towards the sand robbers who were chasing after them. The powerful magic condensed on the magic wands in their hands.

Seeing such a scene, the sand robbers knew that they had snatched the wrong train, and immediately turned their horses and ran away from the train.

The magicians did not pursue, and quickly returned to the corresponding carriage, and the train continued to run forward.

The Sand Bandits made a big circle and returned to the ambush site again.No one gets frustrated when an ambush fails, and even the best lions don't have prey every time they strike.

This is the daily life along the railways in the west of the empire. Behind the high-profit business opportunities is the risk of high mortality. Not every train can stop the attacks of sand bandits.

"His Royal Highness, Governor, we have just encountered another attack from sand bandits, and the guards have already repelled them."

In the luxury carriage near the locomotive, Luke and Agatha sat on leather seats and listened to a report from an imperial agent.Since entering the western region, this was already the fourth sand bandit attack they had encountered, and they were a little numb.

Agatha said: "I see. You go to check the guards in each compartment and cheer them up. This time we brought a lot of supplies, some for the Western Legion, and some for Harmutu Basin commodities."

"Obey, Your Highness the Eldest Princess."

After the agent left, Agatha looked at Luke, who was sitting opposite her, and found that he had been looking at the Gobi outside, so she said: "There are more and more grass quilts, and we should be almost at the Crescent Oasis. After a few days of train ride, I feel The body was almost scattered.

After arriving in New Moon City, take a bath and rest for a day, and then head to Harmutu. "

Luke continued to look out of the window. Although he could see a little green, it was still extremely desolate, so he couldn't help feeling: "It's really a feat for the empire to build the railway here. Otherwise, it would take nearly a month to rely on animal power alone." , most of the species carried will be consumed on the road.”

Agatha couldn't help saying with deep emotion: "I heard that when the father succeeded to the throne, the whole court had the idea of ​​abandoning the New Moon Oasis, and it was too difficult to station an army in the New Moon Oasis that could control the western border.

It was the father who tried his best to defy all opinions and exhausted the national treasury to build the railway to New Moon City.So far, although the empire cannot control the entire western region, the western region cannot escape the influence of the empire.

I still remember when I was a child, the scene of all the tribes in the western region going to the imperial capital to pay tribute, all the leaders and nobles were shocked by the national power of the empire, that was the first year that the Crescent Railway opened to traffic. "

Luke could understand what the peoples of the West would feel when they saw this continuous railway and the trains running on it.

Then he asked: "Since the empire has built the railway to the Crescent Oasis, why not continue to build the Harmutu Basin?"

Agatha said helplessly: "The traditional forces in the Western Territory in the Harmutu Basin are too strong, and they do not allow the railway to be built in. They are afraid that the power of the empire will enter Harmutu, and their power will be lost.

As I said, the nobles in the western region are very conservative, and to them, family interests are above all else. "

Luke nodded.

When the nobles of the western region saw the transportation capacity of the railway, they knew that once the railway extended into the hinterland of the western region, they would be fish on the chopping board in the face of a powerful empire.Only by preventing the imperial forces from entering the western border can they keep their power and enjoy it.

As for poverty and backwardness, what does it matter to them?
Luke said: "I can predict that our mission to the western border will be very difficult. The nobles in the western border must know that once the empire solves the Celtic Duke, it will be free to deal with them.

They have no strength to stop the army of the empire from pressing down on the border. "

Agatha agrees with Luke's judgment on the situation in the western border: "Therefore, we must let the nobles in the western border know that the empire will definitely defeat the Celtic Duke, so that they will consider negotiating with the empire and keep it in time while they still have bargaining chips." part of the family interest.

But the thoughts of many old nobles are still stuck in the glorious period of the Brotherhood of Blades, clinging to the honor and power bestowed on them by their ancestors.

It's just that until now, I don't have much idea of ​​how to deal with them.After passing the Crescent Oasis, there are not many means available to the empire. "

Luke withdrew his gaze from the scenery outside the window, looked at Agatha and said with a smile: "To break a stubborn rock, it is not enough to rely on the strength of your own fist. But as long as you find the right tool , No matter how hard the stone is, it can be chiseled."

Luke's words aroused great interest in Agatha, and looking at Luke's expression, Agatha asked tentatively: "Since you use this metaphor, does it mean that you have a solution to the problem in the Western Region? "

Luke picked up the teacup from the table: "I thought of a way."

Agatha immediately asked, "What method?"

Luke took a sip of tea, and then said mysteriously: "It's not that I don't believe you, it's just that I always think that only whoever knows about a matter can ensure the smooth progress of the matter.

I have already dispatched the person to carry out the task.What kind of effect can be achieved, I don't know yet, I can only wait patiently. "

Not getting an answer made Agatha very itchy, but out of trust in Meteor, she couldn't help letting go of some burdens in her heart.Think about what Meteor has done in Raging Waves City and Saint Lun City, which time was he snatched to a terrible place without everyone knowing?

This time he was sent to Harmutu, he must have found the weakness of those stubborn nobles.

"I'm already looking forward to what surprise you can give me." At this time, a large area of ​​grass appeared outside the train, and at the same time a flock of sheep flashed past the window.The sudden green and vitality made Agatha feel better. She asked Luke, "We have arrived at the Crescent Oasis. How can I cooperate with what you are going to do?"

"Relax and enjoy the journey from now on. Forget about the responsibilities of the eldest princess, and imagine how Princess Dai will play if she arrives in this foreign land.

Let everyone who stares at us see that our visit to the Western Region is only a matter of formality, and our attitude should not make them feel that we are big figures who can influence the empire.

Maybe just playing around, they will think about it themselves. "

Hearing Meteor's advice to herself, Agatha couldn't help laughing: "Father asked you to accompany me on a mission to the western region. It is definitely a wise decision. The nobles of the western region knew about the visit of the eldest princess of the empire, so they must have thought that they could influence The future great figures of the empire. If I give them too high a courtesy, it will only make them look up; and if I ignore them, it will give them a huge psychological gap.

It should make things easier for you! "

Luke smiled and said, "Yes, it's just like in Rage City and Imperial Capital. You let those people think wildly in the open, and I did everything that should be done in the dark, and when they reacted...it was too late. "

Agatha was in a good mood and picked up the teacup: "Let's let our combination create another storm in the western region."

Luke clinked glasses with Agatha: "It should be a sandstorm."

"Hahaha, it's...it's a sandstorm."

After about an hour's journey, the imperial mission train stopped at the Crescent City Railway Station.The mayor of Crescent City, officials of the city's government affairs office and generals of the imperial army came to greet him, and then the delegation drove to the headquarters building of the Western Legion of the Empire to meet the second prince Alec.

After the second prince Alec received the members of the mission, he brought Agatha and Luke to the strategic command room of the Western Territory, which was heavily guarded.

On the wall of the command room is a large map of the terrain and forces of the Western Territory, densely marked on it, which is the information the empire has on the Western Territory.

The door was closed, and the three of them sat down. Alec did not talk about the current situation in the Western Territory, but first asked about the changes in the court.

"I heard that after the celebration of Dai'er's coming-of-age ceremony, the royal father will no longer attend the imperial cabinet meeting. Many important affairs are handled by the cabinet itself. Only the issues that must be approved by him are sent to his study, and the queen also Start participating in the imperial government!"

After Dai'er's coming-of-age ceremony, the changes in the imperial court were indeed unexpected by everyone.

The cabinet meeting in front of the imperial court was cancelled, giving the cabinet more power.

The empress assists the emperor in directing government affairs, and gradually influences the empire's decision-making on behalf of the empress.

Those who are familiar with Emperor Augustus can't figure out how he could divide the power in his hands.

But what is certain is that Princess Dai was not enough for Emperor Augustine to make such a major change in governance, and Augustine had secretly seen a meteor before making these decisions.

Then there is the big reward.

If you want to know the answer, probably you can only get it from Meteor.

Agatha didn't even know the answer from Luke, so naturally she couldn't know her father's intentions.She said to Alec: "Probably the emperor felt that his energy could no longer handle all the government affairs, so he delegated some affairs to the cabinet.

As for the queen... As far as I know, she is only responsible for reading documents for the emperor, and will not make suggestions. "

Agatha's answer did not satisfy Alec, he said: "I know our father well, there must be more important reasons for him to do so.

Can Governor Meteor give me the answer?Your Majesty made this important decision after having dinner with you. "

Luke sat a little far away so that he could see the whole picture of the map of the western border.Hearing Alec ask himself, he replied: "Your Majesty and I just talked about the economic promotion plan on the eastern seaboard of the empire, and this plan has already been jointly implemented by Raging City and the cabinet.

As for why His Majesty made those adjustments?
You don't know, how can I know?
But it is better for His Majesty to let the Queen enter the study to read documents than to let the eldest prince Fania enter the study to read documents.Your Majesty will give you another chance, maybe in his heart... he likes you, Second Prince, more. "

Although Alec didn't get an answer from Luke, the last sentence made him very happy.

In fact, after coming to the western region, jumping out of the court circle has broadened his horizons a lot, and he also knows how wise he is to follow Agatha's suggestion to come to the western region.

Lai himself was no match for the Eldest Prince in the Imperial Capital. After annihilating the Abyss Mage lurking in the Imperial Capital, the entire court had a tendency to fall for the Eldest Prince.

Now that I have come to the western region to receive the army so smoothly, I can feel that my father let me go to the western region to perform.

This time, the royal father made a major decision, and he gave so much power to the cabinet, but he would rather let the queen who knows nothing assist the government than give the eldest prince a chance to increase his power.

This is not the father's partiality, what is it?
Alec's mood improved immediately, and he left the imperial capital, and the first prince was the one who was an eyesore.

If there are great changes in the court in a short period of time, Fania can naturally sit on the throne by virtue of her own advantages.But if it takes a long time, the competitiveness between himself and Fania will be reversed in this state of ebb and flow.

As long as he makes achievements in the western region, he may be formally registered as the crown prince. At that time... the northern army is trapped in the southern battlefield, what use is the fourth division of the Shenglun city garrison army?

At this time, Agatha and Meteor were sent to the western region, isn't it because the emperor helped him to build an invincible merit?
It turns out... I am the emperor's favorite son!
Anyway, why the emperor made such a major decision is not important anymore, what is important is how to cooperate with this mission and make a big event in the western region!
Alec said in high spirits: "Father has always been far-sighted, so we won't speculate on his intentions.

I have been notified long ago that you are going to be sent to the Western Region, and the entire Western Legion of the Empire has also entered a state of combat readiness.The troops visiting by the protection mission are ready to go, and all the consumables and civilians needed are in place.

The entire escort and security team has a total of 5000 people.

At the same time, I will order the various departments of the Western Legion to dispatch elite cavalry to go forward to deter all parties in the Western Territory.Whoever dares to harm the mission, I will let him taste the iron heel of the empire! "