Mechanic

Talini escorted Rayne to the entrance of Violet House in Viola's place. After confirming once again that the Soul Transformation Ritual would be held at noon the next day, she watched Rayne leave.

Rayne glanced at the sky and realized that he had spent more than two hours at Violet House.

It had just passed noon, and he was not very hungry, so he began wandering along Brent Street.

The street was bustling with traffic and crowded with people entering and leaving the shops one after another.

Rayne watched with great interest.

He had to admit that anyone who appeared on this street was at least middle-class or a Transcendent, unless they were students of the Supernatural Academy.

The people's general bearing was clearly far better than in the other districts of Longshande.

This could be seen from the way everyone traveled alone.

The wealthy rode in automobiles, noble ladies favored lavish carriages, sturdy knights rode tall horses, and Transcendents were accompanied by strange beasts or simply rode them.

Now and then, someone traveled on foot, but even then, they moved much faster than ordinary people.

Rayne also saw a very familiar means of transportation—bicycles.

He remembered that he had once owned a secondhand bicycle at the academy.

Unfortunately, it had been stolen after only half a month, and he had been heartbroken for a long time.

Bicycles had been popular throughout the Empire for many years, and they were not expensive.

They were the city's favorite means of transportation after Public Buses.

Many jobs required bicycles, such as those of mail carriers and newspaper boys.

Some people even modified them into tricycles and became peddlers.

What a pity. This world already has bicycles, so one money-making idea is gone.

Rayne thought with some regret, but he did not dwell on it.

In a world where steam engines and mechanical technology had been developing for hundreds of years, a simple tool like the bicycle would eventually have been invented even without oil or electricity.

"Ma'am, hold your pose. Don't move. Whatever you do, don't move... Good, just like that. Good... It'll be ready soon!"

"I'm about to take it. Three, two..."

A shrill male voice caught Rayne's attention. What were they doing?

He located the source of the sound and quickly walked a few steps forward.

As he turned the corner, a sudden bang rang out, and a white light flashed before his eyes.

He instinctively raised a hand to shield his eyes and was startled.

"What the hell?"

The white light vanished in an instant.

Only then did Rayne see a man nearby holding something like a searchlight. Light had come from it, and it was now giving off a great deal of white smoke.

The man bent over and stuck his head into a wooden box mounted on a tripod.

There was an opening fitted with a glass lens on the front of the box, while a large piece of black cloth was attached to the back, covering the man's upper body.

Opposite the box, a young woman stood beneath a tree by the side of Brent Street, one hand resting on the railing.

The entire Wizard Tower could be seen behind her.

She forced a smile and maintained a very unnatural pose. Perhaps she had been standing there too long, because her body was becoming stiff.

Rayne understood at a glance. They were taking a photograph!

There was also a circle of onlookers nearby, most of them young people.

Men and women watched the two people having their photograph taken with excitement, occasionally discussing with their companions which poses were most flattering on camera.

Rayne immediately became interested as well and joined the crowd.

The photographer was a thin, refined-looking middle-aged man wearing glasses.

He pulled a plate resembling a sealed box out of the wooden case and placed it in the carriage beside him.

"Daguerre, the plate is here."

The carriage was wrapped tightly in black cloth and let in no light, making it look like a tent.

Someone inside took the box, and a voice came from within. "All right, Eastman."

The middle-aged man called Eastman said to the woman being photographed, "Ma'am, your photograph is ready. Please wait a moment, and I'll develop it for you right away."

Then he turned to the onlookers and called out loudly, "Who else wants a photograph? You won't find a better spot on Brent Street. Standing here, you can fit the entire Wizard Tower into the picture. I guarantee you'll be satisfied. One photograph is only one Silver Kron. Pay after it's developed. If you're not satisfied, you only need to pay another ten Copper Liso to have it retaken!"

"I want one!"

"I got here first. Let me go first!"

Several young people crowded forward, each trying to be first.

Eastman hurriedly calmed them down and told everyone not to rush, but to take turns. His face was wreathed in delight.

Rayne had no intention of taking a photograph, so he left the crowd.

His mind, however, was already racing.

Photography had been around for many years, and studios could be found throughout the Empire.

There were seven or eight on Brent Street alone, and business was quite good.

Even his hometown had opened a crude photography studio the year before.

His whole family had gone there to take a family portrait, and his mother, Malinda, had framed it and hung it in the living room.

Photographs were not cheap. In a studio, a single photograph cost fifteen Copper Liso.

Taking one outdoors cost a little more: twenty Copper Liso, or one Silver Kron.

That was equivalent to a commoner's wages for an entire day's work.

Yet people still flocked to have their pictures taken. Clearly, the demand was high.

This was a consumer market with enormous potential.

Rayne had never studied photography or cameras in detail.

He had once read a history of photography's development in the library and remembered some related information, along with technical details about several old-fashioned cameras.

If he remembered correctly, the two people just now had been using "Wet Plate Photography."

The photosensitive agent and developing chemicals might be different, but the underlying principles had to be the same.

This method of photography was both outdated and troublesome.

The bulky carriage alone made that obvious.

Taking a single photograph required bringing an entire carriage-load of equipment and chemicals.

If he could create a portable camera, taking over the photography market would be effortless!

A great many ideas suddenly sprang into Rayne's mind.

He only remembered the general principles of cameras. To truly manufacture one, he would have to spend time experimenting and figuring things out.

Just as he was thinking about how to use cameras to earn a fortune in Gold Shields, an automobile stopped on the road beside him.

The driver opened the front door, stepped out, and asked politely, "Excuse me, are you Mr. Rayne?"

Rayne eyed the driver warily, then looked toward the automobile.

The curtains over the windows blocked his view.

That did not pose a problem for him.

He focused his attention and listened. A heartbeat came from the rear of the automobile.

It was strong and powerful, with a rhythm completely unlike that of an ordinary person.

The owner was clearly a Transcendent, and a man at that.

"Mr. Rayne, I mean you no harm."

The driver gave him a friendly smile and lowered his voice respectfully.

"My employer is in the car and would like to meet you to discuss matters concerning the Transcendent profession. Please get in. I guarantee you won't regret it."

As he spoke, he opened the rear door of the automobile.

Rayne saw a neatly dressed, well-groomed middle-aged man seated inside.

The man gave him a slight nod and made an inviting gesture.

Rayne pretended to consider for a few seconds, then secretly activated his Soul Eye and saw through the middle-aged man completely.

"Seventh-Level Transcendent, Mechanic?"

Rayne was somewhat surprised.

How was it that every Transcendent he encountered today was of a higher level than the last?

First there had been the sixth-level Myriad Spirits Wizard Viola, and now there was a seventh-level Mechanic.

Level seven was already the Advanced Tier.

Moreover, a Mechanic capable of spellcasting was extremely rare.

There might not be more than a few Mechanics of such a high level in all of Longshande.

At that moment, the middle-aged man's soul was primarily white and green, with hints of orange.

This showed that he was calm and relaxed, while also somewhat happy, with a small amount of excitement or anticipation mixed in.

"He really doesn't harbor any hostility."

After observing souls for so long, Rayne could already use their colors to roughly determine other people's emotions and attitudes toward him.

Rayne relaxed slightly and took a seat in the rear of the automobile.

The driver thoughtfully closed the door for him.

"Mr. Rayne, allow me to introduce myself. I am Kainegi Rokofell, vice chairman of the Steam and Machinery Guild. This is my business card."

As soon as Rayne sat down, the middle-aged man introduced himself and handed over a gold-embossed card with both hands, his face filled with sincere warmth.

Seeing how courteous the other man was, Rayne did not slight him.

He accepted the card with both hands, nodded, and replied, "Vice Chairman Kainegi, pleased to meet you."

As he spoke, he glanced at the information on the card and discovered that the gentleman held several titles.

The first was vice chairman of the Longshande branch of the Steam and Machinery Guild.

Next came founder of Rokofell Mining Company, owner of Anders Mechanical Company, director of the Imperial Steel Alliance, senior member of the Alchemist Association, and several others.

He even held the title of Baron, making him a true nobleman.

Any one of those titles would have made him a major figure in the city.

Rayne had never heard of him before.

However, judging from the man's conduct and the titles on his card, he was clearly a tycoon involved in the mining and machinery industries.

Whether on Earth or in Aerenus, anyone with mines—anyone who could dig money out of the ground—was a true magnate and member of the ruling elite.

"I'm not the chairman. There are several vice chairmen in Longshande, and I'm only one of them."

Kainegi laughed heartily a few times before continuing, "I'm more than ten years older than you. May I just call you Rayne?"

"Of course."

Rayne did not care one way or the other.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Kainegi?"

In truth, he had already more or less guessed.

"This matter isn't urgent. It's lunchtime, so I've reserved a table at Danbrall. We can talk while we eat."

Kainegi spoke to the driver in front. "Merri, start driving."

Rayne had heard of Danbrall, one of the finest restaurants in Longshande.

It was said that a single meal there cost several Gold Shields.

But he did not want to accept a favor from a stranger for no reason, so he quickly said, "Mr. Kainegi, I've already had lunch. If you have something to discuss, you can tell me now."

The driver turned back awkwardly to look at Kainegi. "Sir?"

Seeing that Rayne's attitude was firm, Kainegi had no choice but to nod.

"All right, then. I'll give you a ride. Where are you headed, Rayne?"

Rayne had originally intended to return to his apartment, but he did not want to reveal where he lived.

He randomly chose a destination and said, "Take me to the Magic Soul Market."

"To the Magic Soul Market."

Kainegi gestured to the driver, and the automobile immediately started moving.

The Magic Soul Market was not far away, and they would arrive soon, so Kainegi stopped making small talk and frankly explained his purpose.

"Rayne, I came to find you specifically because I want to invite you to join the Steam and Machinery Guild and become a Mechanic."