I have a long-lived pawn shop.

A black train was running on the tracks leading to Yalai. It had no emblems and its origin was unknown.

The old man and the girl sat opposite each other in the luxury carriage, with only the sound of breathing and the pages of the book turning. The old man put his hands on the table and looked at the map in silence. The red marks on the map were almost distributed in the land between the Kafa Empire and the Korba Federation. The old man drew a line between the Low Countries and Cantero, and another line between Korba and the Low Countries.

The girl was wearing a red skirt and a black cashmere coat. She looked as beautiful as the rising morning glow as she read quietly. However, her fierce aura was faintly covering the carriage. She was on guard and ready to launch a violent attack on any uninvited guests who broke into the carriage.

The old man and the girl. The emperor and the saint in reserve. The dictator and his weapon. The sword of the empire and the lion of the growing empire.

When the members of Team 13 followed the supply convoy and left the front line, Wei Xi also returned to Yalai with Emperor Odin. After Wei Xi successfully assassinated Adams of Cantero and destroyed the stability of Cantero's regime, it played a great role in the initial stage of the frontal war. Without Cantero, a geographically advantageous counterattack ally, even if the Korba Federation wanted to send more troops to the front line, their marching speed had to slow down.

The significance of Cantero to the Korba Federation is that it is the junction of the Doma tributary and the main river, and the railway transportation is also very developed. With Cantero, the Korba Federation can transport supplies by water, which is the most reliable transportation line. But now, this transportation line has been blocked in advance by the Kafa Empire.

With the death of Adams, people in Cantero were in a state of confusion. Some sections of railways or ports changed hands several times. Even the envoys of the Korba Federation didn't know how to negotiate... Cantero was originally a vanguard army with some fighting power, but now it is a ball of yarn in its hands.

The war on this continent is like playing chess. The governments and armies of the small countries between the two big countries are the chess pieces on the board. The two countries in the game mobilize the chess pieces on the board to consume each other and retaliate against each other, but as long as it is not the last moment, no one will easily engage in a direct conflict on the mainland.

It's going to be a stalemate.

And stalemate buys time, and time is exactly what Emperor Odin wants.

There was another reason why he could spare some time to leave the front line, which was that the small country of Ulthuan on the southern front had sided with the Kafa Empire. This country had a territorial dispute with the neighboring small country of Cherde, and the condition for it to ally with the Kafa Empire was that after the collapse of the Korba Federation, it would demand all the land occupied by Cherde, and Cherde and Akit would also cede some of their territory to it.

The Kafa Empire promised a blank check and some supplies. Since then, the Kafa Empire has been dominant on all four fronts: the east, the middle, the south, and the north. Odin von Capello Kafa, with his swift and resolute demeanor in issuing orders, vaguely gave people a glimpse of the demeanor of the great Odin hundreds of years ago. He was like a sharp saber, piercing the enemy's heart domineeringly and fiercely. He treated the countries that surrendered with great courtesy, and punished the disobedient countries like thunder, burning all the enemies who dared to stand in his way with fire and anger.

The pressure from him became heavier and heavier, as if the emperor's incomparable power and authority suddenly awakened with the war. The officials under the Ministry of Government of the Noble Council also joined the war that affected the entire continent. The Ministry of Government, which has always been famous for its bloatedness, slowness and lengthy procedures, instantly raised its execution capabilities to the extreme. They sometimes came to the box to report to the emperor on the empire's internal finances, public security, public opinion and other matters. Even the calmest officials would become weak in the knees due to their own work mistakes. Every official who walked out of the box had large beads of sweat on his forehead. They wiped their faces with their sleeves, panting violently, releasing the fear that had been accumulating in their hearts, and at the same time felt a little admiration for the girl who was reading calmly in the box.

Some officials knew Abigail de Monti, while others did not. However, as the war spread, the Black Cross Legion had to rest and recuperate to the best condition, so the Silver Moon Saint became a necessity. Politicians with some political literacy tried to get photos or portraits of the head of the Monti family, who was rumored to be favored by the emperor. Some even began to send invitations to the mansion, hoping that this promising lady would visit my humble home. However, all these letters were returned by the head maid in the mansion. She replied that the lady was weak and not suitable for too much fatigue. She had to go to a place with beautiful scenery and good air to recuperate frequently, so she could not make time... and attached a decent gift.

The Monti family rejected all invitations without discrimination, which made people feel no resentment. They just felt sorry that they couldn't establish a relationship earlier. The bigwigs who knew the inside story laughed at this reason, "Earl Abigail is in poor health." Marshal Marton laughed so hard that he sprayed a whole glass of Burgundy red wine after hearing this rumor.

So why did the "weak" Count Monti appear so naturally beside His Majesty? The officials of the Ministry of Political Affairs were puzzled, but they dared not say anything or ask anything. The girl dressed in red and black would sometimes cast a glance at them, and at that glance they would be as stiff as a rabbit caught by an eagle.

Don't look too much, don't listen too much, don't think too much, don't talk too much. This is the key to survival in power and politics. After leaving the box, these people seemed to have collective amnesia, erasing the figure of Count Monti from their minds and mouths.

"Your Majesty, I think you've scared the pillars of the empire by letting me stay here." Wei Xi put down the book in his hand. The title of the book is "Anges' Gem Theory". The cover is sheepskin fused with mithril and some special crystals. Not to mention the knowledge recorded in it, the book itself is a priceless treasure. Wei Xi used it to fill in the gaps in his pharmacy - not everyone who is proficient in gemology can become a pharmacy master, but a pharmacy master must be proficient in gemology.

The Vatican's secret medicine is a time bomb in her body. With the severe pressure of life-threatening situation, if Wei Xi does not master pharmacy as soon as possible, she is really afraid of dying suddenly without any clear reason.

"It's time for them to get to know you, Abigail. Being frail and sickly is not a good evaluation for a noble lady." Emperor Odin pondered for a while, and asked people to remove the map and sand table, put the chess on the table, and said to Wei Xi, "Come, play a game with me."

Wei Xi readily accepted the advice. For some people, playing chess requires a lot of brainpower, but for the two commanders like them who manipulate huge amounts of information and are accustomed to conducting sandbox simulations, playing chess is really just a pastime.

"Will Oshuan attack Cherde first as agreed, Your Majesty?" Wei Xi asked while moving the chess piece.

Emperor Odin said calmly, "Of course not. In our eyes, they are just ants. Ants can only build walls in vain and tremble with their shields before the flood and fire come. How can they be so arrogant as to attack first?"

He pushed the black "knight" diagonally one square outside the chessboard.

The emperor sent the horse to Wei Xi's chess piece, and Wei Xi took it.

"Human vanity and government greed will give rise to unrealistic self-confidence, Your Majesty. They have long coveted Child's Transylvania, and blindly believe that our intervention will tie down all the forces of the Korba Federation on the southern front, so they will soon enter Transylvania, and the army will be led by a group of generals who know nothing about war... The defeat is really foreseeable." Wei Xi reminded softly.

"Let them suffer a little first." The emperor stopped and examined the chessboard, pondered for a moment, and answered slowly.

"Twenty-three years ago, Ulthuan began to relax export restrictions and enacted the first tariff support regulations. Although this regulation was later opposed by the nobles, the monarch of Ulthuan at that time turned to help the Far East Alliance to be established. If we had not encouraged the Lowland Alliance's competition for Far Eastern commerce, Korba's network would have been woven at our doorstep long ago. From that time, the Korba Federation saw where they could borrow guns to fight us."

"That's why we have been secretly helping the city-states of the Lowland Alliance for so many years." Wei Xi suddenly realized, yet at the same time felt vaguely frightened.

Being able to discover this development trajectory in advance means that the Kafa Empire has always been paying close attention to every move of the Korba Federation. Wei Xi finally vaguely understood what those people in the shadows have been doing all these years.

"Our Lowland Alliance is disobedient, and their Far East Alliance has not lived up to expectations. All our efforts have resulted in a draw." Odin placed the chess piece in his hand on the chessboard.

At the table of interests, there are no eternal friends or enemies.

All of you here are lambs, and all of you here are wolves.

Halfway through the game, the Black Queen and the White Queen met surrounded by their respective soldiers. The prime ministers with spears, armored cavalry and fortified castles around them were carved so vividly that it seemed like a real, bloody war.

And the strongest person in the camp is the key in this evenly matched war.

"The Korba Federation is different from other lambs that will surrender before them. They are hungry wolves that are eyeing them with eager eyes. Facing such an enemy, even a lion must do its best. There will only be this one comprehensive, large-scale battle between us and Korba." Emperor Odin pushed down the Black Queen and broke the deadlock.

Wei Xi picked up the white queen and mixed it with the black pieces. She stared at the chessboard, thinking about something. Finally, when Bang Dang knocked on the door and came in, she said softly, "Another One Bites the Dust."

The butler and the maids looked at each other blankly, and the emperor smiled silently.

……

At midnight, the rain was rustling. In the suburbs of Yalai, a black train slowly appeared in the rain, and the whistle sounded from far away. The train came from the border of the empire with thick white steam. After passing through lakes and mountains, it slowed down and stopped in front of the tunnel. No soldiers came forward to check, and no checkpoints had any questions. Soon, the machinery at the entrance of the tunnel began to work with a "creaking" sound, and the heavy iron gate was pulled up.

The second checkpoint was also unobstructed. The priests on night watch, the Black Crows, placed their hands on their chests to salute. Even the Pope did not receive such respect. They looked at the train respectfully, as if they had witnessed the most insurmountable mountain in the world with their own eyes.

When the train stopped at the steam-filled platform of the Perpetual Motion Institute headquarters, Wei Xi put down the teacup in her hand. The maids prepared honey black tea, which was served in a pure silver teapot and poured into a delicate small silver cup. The heat of the black tea dispelled her fatigue. She stayed on the train for two days and two nights, returning from the eastern border to the heart of the empire without stopping to rest.

Just as Wei Xi was about to get off the car quietly, Butler Bangdang knocked politely outside her room: "Miss Abigail, His Majesty asked me to bring you something."

"Please come in."

The butler came in quietly with the maids holding the gift box. The gas lamps in the box had already been lit. The light reflected in the gilded mirror, and the countess sitting on the high-backed chair was shrouded in a layer of luxurious dark golden light. She was holding a book, wearing a cloak, and her posture was elegant and reserved.

After paying his respects, Bang Dang instructed the maids to open the gift box, which contained a set of luxurious but convenient dresses and a revolver with screw threads. After Wei Xi nodded, Bang Dang left the room, and the maids gathered around to help the distinguished lady take off her nightgown and put on new clothes.

The dress was actually a men's suit, with a dark red satin robe inside, three layers of white lace at the collar, embellished with roses embroidered with gold thread, and the revolver was hidden in the holster behind the robe. Wei Xi's hair, which had grown long on the battlefield, was neatly tied up and pinned with a ruby ​​hairpin. In an instant, she changed from being about to fall asleep to being able to attend the most elegant ball in Yalai without being impolite.

Under the guidance of Bang Dang, Wei Xi came to the box of Emperor Odin. Soon, the emperor in a formal suit walked out of the box with his attendants. The attendants silently stepped back to make room for Bang Dang and Count Monti. Bang Dang acquiesced to lag behind Wei Xi by half a step. Then everyone knew that this baroness in men's clothing was the emperor's new favorite, because her position previously belonged only to the emperor's godson, the Duke of Palatinate.

Wei Xi saw the scene outside from the window. The director of the Perpetual Motion Institute, Gabriel Kun, was leading all the senior mechanics waiting outside the platform.

The door opened wide, and Wei Xi followed the emperor out of the train. It was obvious that they had done some work to welcome the emperor. The platform was covered with a bright red carpet, and the people who accompanied the emperor wore medals they had received and the imperial sword and shield emblem on their chests.

But this was the limit of the mechanics. There was no band or buffet. Many of them seemed to have just crawled out of the workshop, with oil on their sleeves. They listened listlessly to the emperor and the director's greetings and diplomatic rhetoric. One-third of the mechanics had empty eyes, but when Emperor Odin walked forward and Count Monty was revealed behind him, they suddenly seemed to wake up, and their eyes flashed with the frenzy of hungry wolves.

They did not make a sound, nor did they dare to snatch people in front of the emperor. Everyone knew that the welcoming ceremony could not go wrong, but this did not stop them from standing here, scanning Wei Xi inch by inch with their eyes.

Emperor Odin noticed the hesitation of the girl behind him. He looked at the mechanics. At first, they were barely polite gentlemen and ladies, but when they saw Abigail, they danced wildly with inexplicable joy...

He sighed in his heart and said to Gabia, "Let's get started. Tell me about your achievements in the past period of time. I hope this emergency contact trip can bring me the surprise I expect."

"Of course, Your Majesty. But before we begin, please allow me to introduce someone to you." Gabia motioned the red-haired woman behind her to come forward. "This is Adele Leicht, the most proficient expert in biochemistry and pharmacy in the Perpetual Motion Institute. She is the one following up on the pharmaceutical information provided by Count Abigail."

"No, in fact, Count Monty has already given the complete steps. I just followed the giant and completed a trivial task." Red-haired Adele said calmly, "She brought a leap forward to our research. The benefits behind this technology are incalculable."

She took out a document and a dozen file bags, and the group got on a steam car and rushed to the meeting hall. Emperor Odin opened the first page of the document, and the title in bold capital letters read:

《Antibacterial efficacy and production steps of sulfonamides》