Chapter 590: After Seven Hundred Years

After intense adjustments, more than a dozen failed calls and messages, and nearly two hours of agonizing waiting, the technicians monitoring the Arcane Network communication device finally detected a rhythmic feedback signal amid the energy surges emanating from the Magnificent Wall—

At this moment, the Arcane Network communication device had taken over the Sentinel Tower’s messaging function. Although it couldn’t access the Sentinel Tower’s unique magical runes, it did possess the internal communication keys of the Silver Empire. Under normal circumstances, this would be considered an unauthorized access attempt, but given today’s situation, even such illicit requests would be answered by the monitoring personnel.

After a brief round of signal adjustments and amplification, the interference stabilized to an acceptable level. The first fusion of human communication terminals and elven transmission media had yielded surprisingly good results. The communication request from the Pinnacle Base was sent in both text and voice to the southern continent, and soon a reply came through:

“Her Majesty Belsethia will receive the communication.”

“We have obtained a higher-level authorization; the video feed will be connected shortly,” Sonia said, standing by the communicator, somewhat unfamiliar as she deciphered the characters appearing in the holographic projection. Then she instructed the operator beside her, “Open the second channel—the communication signal from the Throne District is separate.”

Gawain lifted his head and looked up at the chaotic, flickering illusion hovering above the Arcane Network terminal. After a moment, it gradually stabilized, and faint, discernible shapes began to coalesce from the shifting colors and lines, eventually forming a relatively clear image.

Though the picture still had considerable interference, considering the signal had traversed the entire wasteland of Gondor and crossed the whole continent, the quality was remarkably satisfying.

In the center of the image appeared an elven woman with flowing golden hair, crowned, dressed in a white and gold-trimmed court gown adorned with intricate lace.

The leader of the Elven race, queen of the Silver Empire for this millennium and the next, sovereign of the Star Temple, ruler of the Ancestral Woods and the Silver Forest—Belsethia Morningstar.

She sat upright, her features exquisite and noble, just as the legends described—a “treasure crafted by the gods.” Yet an aura of commanding dignity enveloped her, so that anyone who saw her immediately recognized her imperial authority. Her throne was the fabled “Seat of Dominion,” an ancient technological marvel with countless conduits and cables extending behind it like strange, mechanical wings. The ruler sat silently upon her throne, her gaze first sweeping over Sonia, then settling on Gawain.

Her expression shifted slightly, the stern, majestic eyes softening just a bit. “Duke Gawain Cecil, your resurrection is indeed true—thanks be to the forest and the ancient spirits. This is truly a miraculous reunion.”

“You are very different from the memory I have of you,” Gawain said, flipping through the inherited memories in his mind, speaking sincerely, “Queen Belsethia.”

In Gawain Cecil’s memories, this queen had once been a little girl who ran about everywhere, loved “adventures,” and was often wide-eyed and stunned by the heroic tales spun by Charlie and others. His initial impression of Belsethia was built on that foundation. But now, those distant memories were slowly fading away.

Seven centuries later, the once little girl had finally grown into an imperial ruler.

“You are still the same as I remember,” Belsethia smiled faintly. “Call me by my name, just like before.”

“Then I won’t be formal—you know I dislike all that ceremony,” Gawain nodded. “As you can see, we’ve rebuilt the communication channel between the north and south of the continent, using some of our new technologies—I’ll explain them to you in detail later. But first, High Messenger Sonia has more urgent matters to report.”

This was a reunion after seven hundred years, yet both sides knew there was no time for idle chatter.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Sonia stepped forward immediately. “An emergency has arisen, and I had no choice but to agree to establish this emergency channel—I have reports concerning the Magnificent Wall and the Cult of the End of All Things. Your Majesty, our Sentinel Tower has been infiltrated; there are terrible vulnerabilities in the Magnificent Wall system…”

Belsethia’s expression instantly grew serious. “Tell me everything in detail.”

…

The briefing didn’t last long. As a high messenger, Sonia knew how to convey intelligence concisely. She quickly explained to Queen Belsethia what she and Gawain had witnessed inside the Sentinel Tower, especially the shadowy vines discovered in the Shadow Realm. Gawain then supplemented the report with information about the Dark Bridge and the possibility that the cultists of the End of All Things might be using it to send signals into the wasteland.

After hearing the report, Belsethia furrowed her brow in thought, her face clearly troubled. After a brief silence, she looked at Sonia. “The vines you found have withered, correct?”

“Yes, but we cannot rule out the possibility that ‘shadow vines’ still survive in other Sentinel Towers,” Sonia said gravely. “Moreover, even if the vines have withered, the damage they caused to the Sentinel Towers remains. Through some unknown mapping method, the Sentinel Towers in the Shadow Realm are affecting the operation of the towers in the real world. Archmage Banner has already determined that several key systems of the Sentinel Towers are damaged to varying degrees, and the resulting abnormal signals have been tampered with and concealed until now.”

“Order Archmage Banner to transmit all data back immediately. I will have the Astronomers’ Guild research solutions at once,” Belsethia’s voice was full of authority. “Also, I will command the Royal Druid Society to investigate whether any corrupted druid sects are active within the Silver Empire. Maintain constant contact with the Empire.”

She paused, then turned her gaze to Gawain. “Duke Cecil—you said this special communication line was established using human technology?”

“Strictly speaking, it’s the technology of the Duchy of Cecil,” Gawain nodded. “Ansu’s overall technological development is severely fragmented, with great disparities across regions. The Duchy of Cecil was rebuilt after my resurrection. We’re trying a unique technological path, which I call ‘Magitek.’ This communication system is one of its achievements. Lady Sonia has stayed with me for some time and should have her own elven perspective on Magitek.”

“Indeed, Your Majesty,” Sonia said, a trace of emotion in her expression. “Since arriving here, we’ve seen many unimaginable things. Magitek has a philosophy completely different from traditional magic—it’s very practical and useful in many fields. We’re currently using it to build the first layer of the ‘Sub-Tower’s’ magical energy convergence ring…”

In Gawain’s presence, Sonia briefly reported on her messenger squad’s observations and activities in Ansu—of course, only publicly shareable information. As she spoke, Gawain took the opportunity to organize his thoughts.

He had finally succeeded in establishing contact with the Silver Empire in the far south of the continent, connecting with an ancient civilization rich in knowledge and treasures. The significance of this was not lost on him.

He needed to find a way to turn the Silver Empire into a sociological +8.jpg (×)

No, better to extract some ancestral technology from their treasury (√)

He pondered the possibility of deepening exchanges with the Silver Empire, considering how to trade for the wondrous technologies held by this ancient civilization. Although he had copied many things from the Sentinel Tower, he knew the gap between these scattered fragments and complete technical data was vast.

Kamail had sent him a message after studying the anti-gravity runes, clearly stating that the rune arrays contained incomplete, hard-to-interpret, and encrypted parts. While still valuable for reference, converting them into usable technology was no easy task. Kamail believed that simply copying some runes from the Sentinel Tower for analysis was insufficient; the most efficient way to obtain technological breakthroughs was through open and honest exchanges with the elves.

Gawain, who also hoped to build good relations with the Silver Empire, wholeheartedly agreed.

Sonia’s conversation with Belsethia ended, and the queen’s attention returned to Gawain. She nodded gently. “You are still the same as seven hundred years ago, leading your people forward, pioneering new lands.”

“Survival is hard; only development can ensure survival on the edge of the wasteland,” Gawain chose his words carefully, speaking steadily. “In fact, I was just about to take this opportunity to discuss Cecil’s development with you—frankly, now that we have established this communication channel, the Duchy of Cecil hopes to build closer… exchanges with the Silver Empire.”

“Exchanges?” Belsethia raised an eyebrow. “In what areas?”

Gawain met her gaze and decided to be straightforward. “In technology. We are very interested in the Silver Empire’s anti-gravity technology, rune stacking techniques, shield technology, and so on. Meanwhile, Cecil’s Magitek should also hold some reference value for the elves. The Sentinel Tower’s malfunction was a wake-up call. The ‘security barrier’ we built back then may not be as secure as we thought, but for too many years, progress has stalled. In this increasingly dangerous world, we must find ways to break this deadlock—development is the only way forward.”

Belsethia seemed surprised by Gawain’s words. Sonia, standing nearby, wore a knowing expression—she had already guessed this direction from Gawain’s attitude during their earlier exploration of the Sentinel Tower. This resurrected old friend showed a keen interest in elven knowledge.

The high messenger recalled a recent conversation with her son, Solderin, and decided to wait and see how the queen would respond.

Belsethia did not respond immediately. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Duke Cecil, may we speak privately?”

Gawain readily agreed. “Of course.”

Their attendants quickly left their respective chambers. In the Throne Hall where Belsethia sat, she was alone; in the Arcane Network communication room where Gawain stood, he was alone as well. The line connecting them was itself an encrypted channel of the elven royal court. Across the entire continent, the two began a private conversation.

The holographic projection of Belsethia remained seated on her throne. She looked at Gawain quietly for a moment, then suddenly sighed. “We don’t have to be so tense, do we?”

Gawain was momentarily taken aback but quickly composed himself. “You’re queen now—there’s no avoiding it.”

“I was queen once too, Uncle Gawain,” Belsethia smiled gently—though she still maintained the regal bearing of the Silver Queen, her smile and tone were noticeably more approachable. “But you’re right. As queen, I must keep my composure in formal settings. But this is private—we can relax.”

“I’m more than happy to,” Gawain laughed. “So, Belsethia—what does it feel like to sit on the Seat of Dominion?”

“Honestly, most of the time it’s pretty boring. This sanctuary runs on autopilot without needing complicated controls,” the Silver Queen blinked. “But you? You really… really came back?”

“Yeah, I came back to this world—to face a complete mess,” Gawain spread his hands and sighed with a hint of exaggeration. “I’d love to talk to you about what it’s like to come back from the dead, but let’s get down to business first. The tech exchange—I’m serious about it. It benefits both Cecile and the Silver Empire.”

“Uncle Gawain, I want to believe you,” the Silver Queen’s tone grew earnest. “That’s why I want to speak with you alone. I’m no longer that clueless girl who could just hand over state affairs to the council and do whatever she pleased. As the Silver Queen, I have to be responsible for my empire. So… whether it’s about technology exchange or anything else, I have to think carefully before giving an answer. I hope you understand that.”

“Careful consideration is necessary,” Gawain nodded, then suddenly grew curious. “But you don’t seem to question this ‘technology exchange’ much? Aren’t you curious? Elven and human magic have always been incompatible.”

“But you’ve found a way for humans to channel elven spells through some kind of device, haven’t you?”

Gawain was genuinely surprised this time. “How do you know that?”

The communication between the northern and southern continents had been cut off, and the Cecile-Silver Empire direct line was only just established today. Sonia shouldn’t have had time to send that information back to the homeland yet.

“I’m not completely in the dark about what’s happening in the northern continent—your resurrection, the fall and rebirth of the Cecile territory, the war in southern Ansu, the civil war between the two Ansu princes, the friction between Typhon and Ansu, the death of Francis II, and… magitech,” Belsethia smiled slyly. “Yes, I don’t know all the details. It was Sonia’s reports that helped me understand what magitech really is, but at least I know it exists. After all, I am the Silver Queen.”

Gawain suddenly snapped out of the casual “Uncle Gawain” she kept calling him. He looked at Belsethia’s hologram and reassessed this ruler of the empire—someone who had been close to “him” seven hundred years ago but now sat firmly on the throne.

“Since you know our magitech can translate and control elven runes, I’m sure you understand its significance,” Gawain said calmly. “It’s a technology that breaks down the barriers between elven and human magic. And I believe it can also help you decipher those lost ancestral techniques—from a completely new perspective. I don’t need to emphasize how important that is in the field of technology.”

“Can it really do all that?”

“Of course. When has Uncle Gawain ever lied to you?”

(End of chapter)