The next morning, with a deafening roar, a colossal ship slowly pulled away from the Imperial Capital's docks. Reporters who had hurried over after hearing the news were held back by a human wall formed by the Kingdom Army. They fought their way through the crowd of onlookers, squeezed to the front, and stretched up on tiptoe, struggling to hoist their box cameras overhead and capture the giant ship as it departed.
The crowd buzzed with conversation.
"That ship is magnificent. I wish I could go aboard and have a look."
"Don't even dream about it. That's a ship from the Deep Sea Council! I read in the paper that it uses, uses..."
"Steam Power."
"Right, Steam Power! See those people over by the human wall? The Chamber of Commerce President, the Arms Tycoon, the cardinal... I've lived here for years, and I've never seen so many big shots together! Only people like them are important enough to be invited aboard!"
"But this means the visit is over. Too bad we didn't get to see the Council's representative."
"I heard a rumor that the Deep Sea Council is about to undergo a major shake-up, too."
"Who told you that?"
"Never mind who. I've got my own intelligence network!"
"Now that you mention it, does that mean we're going to..."
"Watch what you say! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Don't get blood all over me when the time comes!"
Even so, discussions like these went on and on. They were the Imperial Capital's favorite pastime, always making people feel close to politics, as if a word or a gesture could put it within reach.
At least, they had eyes. They could watch the giant ship disappear beyond the horizon.
Something big was about to happen.
Everyone knew it.
At the same time, a blond young man in a white suit leaned against the railing of the steamship, gazing back at the Imperial Capital as its outline blurred in the distance. When it was almost out of sight, he finally let out a relieved breath and stretched.
"So, Young Master, what did you think of the visit?"
The captain and a few sailors came over. A black-haired maid accompanied them, carrying a tray against her chest. On it were grilled fish, fruit, and a cup of Azure Drink.
"Oh, Lily, you really know how to win my heart!" the blond young man said generously. Then he turned to the captain. "Fireplace Bay was the only place I liked. Once we're back, send someone to contact the Lofik Consortium. We should build a few more Teleportation Magic Nodes back home, too."
Lily, the black-haired maid, had a different opinion. "You got swindled out of quite a bit of money there, Young Master. Everyone in Fireplace Bay knows a Big Fat Sheep with more money than sense has arrived."
"Hahaha, Young Master, you've made the Head Maid mad again."
The sailors teased him.
The Head Maid was always proper in front of outsiders and did her best to protect the Young Master's reputation. Only in private did she occasionally let her sharp tongue show.
The young man ambled over to a deck chair and sat down. Picking up a skewer of fruit, he asked with a beaming smile, "Lily, haven't you gotten over it yet?"
"This isn't about getting over it, Young Master. You were obviously swindled by that Elemental Shaper who called himself Heisenberg."
She stood by her opinion. Spending money needlessly wasn't a big deal; the Young Master was used to splashing it around. But being taken for a fool was another matter entirely. To Lily, it was far worse than when he'd spent a hundred Gold Lions to buy that Poor Couple.
Fortunately, no one in Fireplace Bay knew their true identities, so the matter couldn't become a political issue. Otherwise, if the people of the Empire got the impression that the Deep Sea Council was full of fools with money to burn, the consequences would be dire.
The sailors caught the scent of gossip and crowded around, eager to hear more. "Tell us all about it, Sister Lily!"
"Who's Heisenberg? How did he swindle the Young Master?"
The black-haired maid's expression darkened. She scolded the sailors, "There's nothing funny about this."
Then she told them what had happened between her and the Young Master the previous night.
The sailors reacted exactly as she'd expected.
"Pfft! Hahaha! A Magic Scroll Three-in-One?"
"Even I know that's impossible, and I've never even handled a Magic Scroll."
"They've got ones for sale in the shop for sixty Silver Antelopes."
"Wait a second. Did Heisenberg buy those twenty scrolls from the shop, then turn around and sell them to the Young Master?"
"Probably. Heisenberg and the shopkeeper must have set the whole thing up. It was the Young Master's first time traveling so far from home, after all. He's still too young."
Laughter filled the deck. Lily remained expressionless. In principle, they shouldn't all gang up to laugh at the Young Master, but his actions this time had been so outrageous that if he kept it up, he was bound to suffer for it someday.
"Isn't anyone on my side?"
The young man protested. "It was a Magic Scroll Three-in-One! Doesn't that sound interesting?"
The sailors showed him where they stood. Every last one of them moved behind the black-haired maid, leaving the young man all by himself. The captain even rubbed salt in the wound. "It sounds interesting, but unfortunately, it can't be real. The material used to make Magic Scrolls is called Energy-Storing Parchment. Each sheet is unique and can only hold so much magic. How could you use three of them together?"
"No, I don't think he was lying to me."
The young man was adamant. He trusted his instincts.
"Young Master, the age of knights and magic is over. The future belongs to these."
He held up a finely crafted revolver for the sailors to see. Its silver body was edged with gold, and an Iris Flower was engraved on the grip. The moment the captain saw it, his smile vanished and his expression turned serious.
The Iris Flower was the emblem of the Imperial Royal Family. He immediately guessed it was a gift from them to the Young Master.
More broadly speaking, it was a symbol of friendship between the Empire and the Deep Sea Council.
"This was a gift to you from the Imperial Military Industry, yet you haven't even looked at it once. I'm sure you heard what they said during the factory tour. Even the Empire, a great power that signed an alliance with the Netheriel Holy Church, has been cutting Knight Quotas in recent years. Ever since the Gunner Camp was established, its share of the Kingdom Army has risen year by year. The Imperial Military Industry has long since become the Empire's leading heavy industry."
During the visit to the Empire, Lily had stayed silent because outsiders were always present and someone might be listening through the walls. But someone had to say this to the Young Master. "I know you've loved magic since you were little, but you don't represent only yourself anymore. Your father sent you as the Ambassador of Visit because he has high hopes for you."
One of her other duties on this trip was to evaluate the Young Master's performance.
The results could only be described as... less than satisfactory.
The Young Master was still the same as ever. He'd been so distracted during the visit to the Imperial Military Industry that he'd missed such crucial information.
"Lily, you're right."
The young man's gaze suddenly sharpened. "That's exactly why I trust my own eyes all the more. Didn't you notice the look in those workers' eyes?"
The black-haired maid froze.
The deck fell silent. The sailors, too, were taken aback by the young man's sudden change.
"I thought His Majesty Henry was in good health and would last at least another ten years. But now... even the Dragon Slayer Warrior of old can't withstand the passage of time."
After a long pause, he glanced once more at the dock of the Imperial Capital, now lost from sight.
"This country is on the verge of Civil War."
Thanks to Youzai Youzai for the 100 Qidian coins!
Thanks to Oath Rot for the 100 Qidian coins!
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