The Lighthouse of Alexandria is at the end of the breakwater, a few hundred meters away from the city. There is no shuttle bus here, so you can only walk there by yourself.
The Romans were not very good at creating elegant landscapes. But this breakwater stands in the sea, facing the waves on both sides. There are no mountains or buildings to block the view of the huge moon. The wonders of magic lie straight ahead, with the bright silver sky and sea framing the landscape.
But on the breakwater, Shangluo's attention had not yet been focused on the surrounding scenery. He’s still savoring the taste of “EITR.”
EITR tastes like water, but ice cold. The mask atomized the EITR medicine into water vapor and inhaled it. Just one breath, and he felt as cold as falling into an ice cave. Not a physical cold, but a cold of being alone and drifting away from this world. Just like looking down at the earth from space, the earth is just floating in the endless deep space without any support, and it seems that it will float away if you are not careful.
"Still chilling?" Titus, who was walking in front of him, saw that he hadn't spoken for a long time and guessed something. "It was the same for the first time we inhaled the EITR potion, and it was six times more synaesthesia. But don't worry, it's just psychological. Your body temperature has not dropped due to the coldness. The close-fitting stealth suit is also warm, and you will warm up in a while."
"Do you do this every time?"
"It may not exist again, but it may not disappear either. The psychological cold requires adaptation, and the best way to keep warm is to communicate - look, is it still cold now?"
"Huh?" He hadn't realized it yet, but it was indeed not cold now.
"Because the lighthouse is behind you and the city is in front of you, you are not alone. So this coldness will disappear soon. The really terrible cold is when you fall into the lightless night, that is no matter what A chill that can’t be dispelled. Well, but you won’t face this kind of thing. Even if it’s the Forest King, it won’t give people a cold feeling. So don’t worry. Well, wait a minute, you have to go through the security check.”
He looked behind him: "Don't say anything for now. Check the badge you are wearing. There is a security check to go through."
At the end of the breakwater is a checkpoint. A wooden palisade and horses blocked the road, and a group of Roman legionaries stood behind it.
Looks like a real Roman legionnaire. Wearing armor composed of chain mail and laths, the leading centurion wore a horsehair-like helmet, and the others held shields and throwing spears.
The centurion raised his hand and asked in classical Latin: "Stop. Who is it?"
"Io Triumphe! Everyone is wearing it. Please check." Titus pointed to the golden triangle on his left chest.
"Io Triumphe." The centurion responded with a military salute. In his mind, Titus was as much a member of the Roman army as he was.
The centurion looked at the people behind him, and his eyes also stayed on Shangluo - when their eyes met, he could vaguely see a faint light dancing in the centurion's eyes.
"No problem, let's go over there." The centurion ordered the horse to be moved away, and also asked the legionnaires behind to get out of the way.
Titus took away first, then Shangluo.
"Wait a minute." The centurion shouted, "Are these people from the Silk Kingdom?"
"Yes, they came here from the country where weaving silk. The territory is vast and the population is large. The laws are strict and upright. Everyone lives in peace and there will never be war. Everyone's eyes are full of brilliance. The country of Seres where everyone lives to be 200 years old."
"Oh, welcome to Alexandria, my friend." The centurion bowed his head slightly and smiled.
Shangluo didn't understand much Latin, but friendship didn't need to be expressed through words. He also nodded to the centurion, and the group passed by.
"What was that just now?" he asked Titus. "Are those Romans?"
"Well, they are Romans, yes, but they are Romans in the past. When building Alexandria, we will look for the needed slices in history, so we brought them here. You can think of them as jade Beijing subway ticket gate."
"ha?"
"Well, it's the ticket gate. Although it's a bit strange to say that my ancestors have such a role, they actually play such a role. They cut it according to needs. For example, they will be friendly to Cathay. Because starting from the classical era, We have longed to establish connections with the countries on the other side of the Silk Road - although at the time we just wanted to buy silk and learn about a stable monarchy, we did not think about what would happen later. So this gate will only let you pass through, not Let any barbarians go. As for me."
He pointed at himself: "I am a Roman myself, and I can pass without identification. I gave him a military salute, and he responded with a military salute, which means that he knows that I am a soldier of the Roman legion."
"Do they have self-awareness?"
"Unfortunately, they don't." Titus shook his head. "They are just a collection of experiences and can no longer produce new experiences. Just like a machine that has been made, a painting that has been completed, and a painting that has been completed. Well-taken photos. Well, you can think of them as photos. He is a perfect replica of the Roman back then, but he is not himself after all. You can see many similar things in front. Well, like that side."
He pointed to a barbecue shop next to him: "This shop is entirely made of slices. We moved it from Alexandria in that era. It's not so much a store, but..."
"Vending machine?"
"Ah, yes, it's just like the vending machines you can see everywhere on the streets of Yujing. The vending machines in Rome look like this, and the principle is similar. There are preset behavioral logics in them, and then they are updated regularly. If you put coins into it, it will give it to you. Probably the only difference is the appearance, because after all, it is a 'photo' of our ancestors, and we still have to maintain the most basic respect. Just like I did to the sentry just now It’s like a military salute, you won’t salute at the ticket gate, right?”
"No, but caring for public property is the same."
"Well, just like this." Titus nodded, "Remain respectful, but also keep some distance. After all, these photos will not produce new experiences, so just don't put too much emotion into them. Come on, that's the ice cream stall. It was a very famous cold drink shop in Damascus in the 3rd century. After we took the photos, we printed many copies. There are more than a dozen in this city and they are very popular. Grab your drachmas and put them Just give him the silver coins and he'll give you the ice cream. It's as simple as a vending machine."
(End of chapter)
