723 - 731
Chapter 723: Panic of the Night Watchers
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
In Kasvig, the capital of the city union of the coastal Northland.
In Rose Square, the most famous landmark of the city, the roses of snow that blossomed in the coldness were as dazzling as burning fire.
However, the night seemed gone tonight, and nobody appreciated their beauty. In the square, on the street, and in the houses nearby, any places that could see the gigantic black "curtain" at the center had been jam-packed with people, who craned their heads while they watched the changes of the "curtain" with almost the same shock and listened to the poignant melody of "Moonlight".
It was not until "Nightingale" Louise talked that they were back to themselves and exclaimed in amazement. Were there living people inside the "curtain"? Or was it something more magical than the magic radio, something that could deliver both voice and picture?
Ms. Nightingale answered their confusion, only to raise a greater tide of excitement. They had never seen such a thing before, nor had their ancestors. Was it a facet of the "magic civilization" that "Arcana Voice" had always talked about?
In the crowd, a man in a leather hat looked at Louise in fear and shook his head in disbelief. Had the Congress of Magic made progress again in broadcasting, and anybody anywhere could watch "Valkyrie" that was played in Rentato Royal Grand Theater?
Other people might not know what it meant, but as an elite night watcher, he couldn't understand it better!
Since the magic radio was invented by Lucien Evans and "Arcana Voice" was established, people in many prosperous cities on the north coastline had changed their preconceptions and their attitudes toward the Church. He was not bothered much at the beginning, but by the time he felt that the atmosphere was not right, all the details were already frightening.
After the Church's failure in the battle of Rentato, he turned from a hunter into prey that hid everywhere in a panic.
Now, not only could the magic radio deliver voice, but it could also display images. What terrible changes it could bring about!
However, after witnessing the preparations in advance, he knew that it would take years for the new magic radio to be popularized. It was doubtless that the Congress of Magic was contriving the purpose step by step. Yet, the Church had no reaction at all.
"No, I have to report it to the Executor!" He lowered his head and backed off from the crowd. It took him quite a while before he finally squeezed out.
As he stepped away from the square, it immediately became quiet. The night watcher quickly found a corner and took out a divine item that looked like a breastpin, trying to report the issue to the Church.
In his anxiety, he contacted the headquarters of the Inquisition in the Holy City. However, nothing came from his "breastpin" except for background noises.
"Damn it! The Congress of Magic's 'Arcana Voice' can be received everywhere and can even deliver images, but I can't even reach out to the Holy City. How can we deal with the sorcerers?" He became frustrated and nervous.
He knew that it was less convenient for the night watchers on this side of the Storm Strait to contact each other after Kasvig was controlled by the Congress of Magic and the grand church was occupied, and it was just his subconscious movement. However, the sorcerers of the Congress could still communicate with Allyn through "artificial planet" in the territory that the Church controlled!
Such a gap was the real reason why he was frustrated!
The artificial planets, which were merely invented to challenge the authority of the gods, were now releasing more and more unbelievable brightness. It was definitely one of the most influential alchemical items!
He took out a local cigarette and picked it up with his mouth before he rubbed his right hand and created a fire.
Igniting the cigarette, he took a deep breath and calmed himself down. Then, he reactivated his breastpin, reaching out to his superior who was also staying in Kasvig.
The night watcher gritted his teeth and made up his mind to propose to the Church to develop their own artificial planets!
However, he too knew that such cutting-edge products could barely be duplicated by the Church. Therefore, they might as well capture one of the Congress of Magic's artificial planets if they had a chance!
The intelligence regarding "satellite stream" was sent to the Holy City one level after another and one section after another. Perhaps Benedict III wouldn't even receive it even when "Valkyrie" was done playing.
…
The splendid gold was the main color of the Rentato Royal Grand Theater. The magic lamps hanging on the ceiling or the wall sprayed pure brightness that added to the magnificence of the place.
Sitting inside their box, Lucien and Natasha waited for Valkyrie to be performed.
"I've been looking forward to the opera for years. Tonight, my wish is fulfilled." Oliver walked in courteously and shook Lucien's hand with a smile.
Despite their disagreements in the microscopic domain, he was never angry about Lucien in daily life, particularly when it came to his favorite dramas and operas.
"I hope you will like it," Lucien replied with a smile and invited Oliver to sit down.
Few legendary sorcerers came to the opening ceremony other than him. Douglas was busy in his preparations, and he did not have any particular interest in operas, so he did not come. Brook's reasons were more or less the same. Vicente, on the other hand, didn't come because the relationship between him and Lucien was rather tense. Hellen was even less likely to come since she would rather devote all her time to arcana and magic studies.
As for the other legendary sorcerers, some were deployed and some were busy doing their research. They were not here either.
"Operas aren't so interesting." Fernando, who was sitting next to Lucien, watched the stage attentively in his crimson magic robe.
Seeing that Valkyrie was about to begin, Lucien asked Natasha in the telepathic bond. "Is Granny Hathaway not coming?"
"She probably doesn't like so many people. I remember that she's very interested in music and opera," Natasha speculated.
Lucien nodded and did not say anything. Russell, the Prime Minister of Holm, already began to give his speech and announced the opening of the music festival.
…
"Prime minister! This is the first time I've seen the prime minister!" Banus shouted in joy and surprise.
Ali pulled and hushed him. "Watch your manners, or you will be scolded by the police. If it were before, disrespecting the nobles is punishable by lashes."
"I know, I know. But look at them. They're just like me. If the policemen scold each and every one of us, their throat will definitely be broken." Banus was obviously excited.
After Russell's announcement, the final preparations were conducted behind the curtain.
During the brief moment before the opera began, the sorcerer who was responsible for the broadcast adjusted the camera so that the audience could see the full picture of the theater.
"This is spectacular. If I could listen to the best opera once in such a theater, I would die without regrets!" Banus and the other members of the audience complimented.
Soon, the attention was shifted from the building to the nobles on the picture, and they heard Louise's sweet introduction. "This is Lord James, Duke of Paphos, and this is his wife, Lady Stephine…"
"Oh!"
Exclamations echoed on the square like a tide.
"So, that's what a major noble is like. His wife and daughters are very beautiful too…" Ali complimented softly with obscure passion in his eyes. She mentioned that she would come to the opening ceremony…
His description was not exactly the reality, but it was undeniable that thanks to the succession of active blood power, the ratio of good-looking nobles was much higher than that of ordinary people.
When Ali examined the noble ladies, the picture was changed again and aimed at the box.
"Here are Her Majesty Queen Natasha, 'Atom Controller' Evans—" Louise's introduction suddenly stopped, because she saw the same scene that Banus and the audience saw. Inside the box was the silver sword that cut the environment, the boundless and colorful universe, the surging thunderstorm, and the doomsday view where stars were collapsing…
"What… What is that?" It seemed that Ali could not cure his stammer today.
After a brief pause, Louise spoke again unhurriedly, "The vibe of the legendary experts can influence the world around them. Therefore, unless they repress it on purpose, this will be what the camera can record. However, things will be different if you look at them with the naked eye…"
"Marvelous. As expected of the legendary experts!"
"This is truly an incredible view…"
It left a deep impression on Banus and the other audience.
The brief preparation was soon over, and the prelude began. Gloom and intensity were hidden below the jolly and easy melody on the surface, foreshadowing the plot of the opera and making everyone emotionally prepared.
"Replacing overture with prelude is a popular way to create operas recently. It can be used before every act of the opera and directly followed by the songs…" Ali spoke of the knowledge he learned from his pen pal.
Inside the theater, nobody talked anymore. They appreciated the opera in silence.
When the prelude was about to be over, the curtain was raised, and a female voice gave a soliloquy in recitative. Then, a girl who was tall but showed no sign of strength ascended the stage.
"Is she the Valkyrie?"
The audience felt that it did not quite agree with the theme. The story was not exactly what they had in mind either. In the merry and pleasant melodies, Princess Amansa and the king, the queen, the maids, and the governess had a wonderful life.
However, the good days didn't last. The king's nephew conspired with the prime minister and the chief of guards and murdered the king and the queen in a scheme. The queen only managed to escape to a forest under her maids' help.
The gloom and intensity that were hidden under the beautiful melody burst out. The attention of the audience was immediately grasped as they worried about the princess' safety and loathed the villains.
When the first act was over, during the intermezzo, Oliver looked at Lucien in surprise. "Is this an opera? Right, I admit that it is an excellent opera, but where are the numbers? Why do I feel that it's more like a symphony?"
Until then, the operas in Rentato had been divided into numbers. A series of numbers, including solo, duo, trio, quartet, and chorus, would constitute an opera. To put it more simply, music and singing were the main points, and the plot was at their service.
Lucien's opera, in comparison, was more like a play. The music was at the service of the plot, and there were no distinctive numbers. Every act was a whole by itself, like a themed symphony.
Chapter 724: The Most Expensive Opera Actor in History
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Inside the Rentato Royal Grand Theater, the nobles and sorcerers who appreciated the intermezzo whispered to each other about the opera form that was entirely different from the past.
Ever since opera became popular, the number opera had always been the unquestionable mainstream. Even though somebody had modified it, no one ever had the courage to abandon the exceptionally successful pattern. The nobles and civilians of Holm were also used to the opera. They were fond of the touching aria. As for the plot that the opera intended to represent, they generally did no more than enough for them to perceive the feelings behind the music.
As for the more detailed storyline and the specific dialogs, they often learned and picked it up by appreciating same-title plays later.
That was not a problem in the past when the plot was relatively simple. They could appreciate the music, the singing, and the basic story when they watched an opera. However, as the playwrights like Oliver created stories that were more captivating, people often had the feeling that singing was independent of the plot when they listened to opera. Music and story were separated.
However, the conflicts had not reached the tipping point for a change yet. Therefore, after listening to the first act of "Valkyrie" created by Lucien Evans, they were rather unused to it and had a heated discussion, forgetting the manners of opera appreciation.
"The whole act is just a huge number?" Stephine, Duke James' wife, talked to Jane, her daughter next to her.
Jane's black hair was naturally curled on her shoulder, just like the feeling that she gave. Among the nobles, she had been known as the "quiet doll".
"It's more like a symphony than a number for me. The theme is exactly the content in the prelude. Besides, the boundary between the recitative and the aria seems blurred…" Jane introduced it to Stephine in a low voice.
In the previous opera, she felt that the plot and the melody were so integrated that she was devoted to the atmosphere that they built despite the strangeness. She was worried about the princess, hated the brutal new king and the shrewd prime minister, and sympathized with the loyal maids. Every sentence and every melody seemed to be echoing inside her heart.
It was not until the intermezzo echoed that Jane finally recalled the opera just now. Part of the recitative had the features of singing, and the aria sounded somewhat like recitation, too…
Stephine said in amusement. "One act equals a symphony? As expected of Master Evans from Aalto."
In Aalto, the brilliance of symphony eclipsed everything else, and they preferred to call Lucien master when they discussed music.
After a heated discussion, the nobles had their own opinions. Most of them believed that the first act of Valkyrie was above average despite the alienness.
A master was truly a master!
Inside the box, faced with Oliver's doubt, Lucien told him his idea of creation with a smile, feeling quite proud of it. Although the modification was based on Mr. Wagner's reform of opera on Earth, the plot, melody, songs, and structural design of the opera had all been created by himself independently.
Hearing Lucien's reply, Oliver was briefly stunned. He then said with a smile, "I like the idea. Music and singing should serve the plot. The musicians who adopted my plays into opera did not understand the simple reason. That's why they couldn't create an opera that everybody liked. If only I had cooperated with you sooner."
Lucien had thought that Oliver would be conservative about the reform. Not expecting him to accept it so easily, he was surprised at first but then relieved. As a playwright, Oliver certainly attached more importance to the plot.
Natasha whistled the monologue of the princess just now, and Fernando knocked the rail, as if he were looking for the next scene.
...
In the square in the small city Samara…
The citizens were silenced by such a disruptive form. They were completely moved by the story, the characters, the melody, and the singing just now during the first act, but they somehow felt weird and thought that opera should be like that.
"This must be the new trend in opera. Mr. Atom Controller is a music master. He is certainly much more visionary than us!" a passionate symphony fan suddenly shouted.
Her voice broke the temporary silence. The citizens echoed with him.
"Yes, the master musician certainly knows better than us!"
"The opera just now truly sounded better than the past. Well, it looked much better, too!"
"So, that's what the top singer and actor are like. Those things we listened to in the past were incomparable to them!"
"The money they earn in one performance is your wages for an entire year!"
…
Looking at the splendid theater on the "curtain", Banus said thoughtfully, "Until today, I never thought that I could watch and listen to the best opera performance, but everything seems so easy right now. We can see an opera in the Royal Grand Theater in Samara. Magic is too marvelous!"
"Yes, I'm looking more and more forward to the 'magic civilization' that Arcana Voice introduced. Perhaps we will be able to see Rentato without going outdoors…" Ali was fascinated by the ever-changing images and sounds on the "curtain". That was the power of gods that the Church preached in the past!
Thinking about the changes that happened to his life, Ali felt more or less depressed. Everything was moving fast, but what about him? Staying in the town and growing old, like his father and grandfather?
The prelude of the second act of Valkyrie echoed, giving an intense and agitating feeling that was mixed with warmth.
In this scene, Princess Amansa encountered many dangers in the forest and gradually grew into a real knight. Then, in a one-sided battle, she fell off from a cliff and almost died, but she was eventually saved by a strong knight who passed by.
The knight was a young, handsome man. He stayed out of sympathy for the princess and dealt with the king's hounds together with her. Their hearts approached, and the sparks of love burst out. The audience seemed to have found momentum and support, and they were starting to look forward to a beautiful future.
In a love song, the second act reached the end.
Ali listened to the opera and looked at the nobles in the hall of the theater that were partly revealed in the live stream. In a smile, he wondered whether or not she was also listening to the opera and taking comfort in the love story between the princess and the knight…
He fantasized about so many things that he whispered the song just now even after the second act was over.
The third act began in a prelude that was exciting but carried a dangerous air. The princess and the knight embarked on the quest to reclaim her country. On their journey, they met new partners and found knights who were still loyal to the late king. Naturally, dangers were inevitable. During the journey, another gold-haired knight fell in love with the princess. His left arm was also broken for her.
"Love makes me lose control of myself…" The gold-haired knight confessed his love with a touching aria.
When the audience was worried that her love would turn sour, the princess replied with an aria, "You are as perfect as the sun, but you are not what I like and look forward to…"
After the test of love, the princess seemed more mature. She led her knights to attack the new king and the prime minister with her lover. Growing more and more determined, the princess crushed her enemies and sent the bad guys whom the audience had hated for three scenes to guillotines in the melody of triumph.
Right then, the hidden storm arrived. The curse before the new king died revealed the real identity of the princess' love. He was actually the prince of her neighboring country, who was trying to occupy the country with the princess' restoration!
However, love was uncontrollable. He fell in love with the princess. However, he chose his country in the end. In the rumbling, drumming, and the horns simulated by trumpets, they drew their weapons.
"Why is this happening…"
"Their love was so sweet…"
The audience felt the heartbreaking pain when the third act reached the end. Ali was in such a trance that he looked at the theater with a pale face. He could almost feel what the princess felt; the chasm that couldn't be crossed, and the bond that had to be cut off in person.
The prelude of the fourth act burst out intense power in the depression and gloom, as if it were foretelling the princess' relentless attack.
The music was the most classic part since Valkyrie was played. The passion and enthusiasm of the audience were raised.
"This opera can be called classic just by the music in this section…" Oliver nodded approvingly.
The battle between the princess and the prince was over. The prince collapsed and sang a miserable monologue, and the princess raised her longsword.
"Is she going to kill him?"
"She wouldn't be so cruel, would she?"
In the whispers of discussion, Natasha, sitting inside the box, suddenly heaved a long sigh.
The sword fell, and the prince died. Under the sorrowful and loud melody, the princess sang a heartbreaking aria.
After witnessing the attack and hearing the melody, Ali was as pale as a dead man. That seemed to be the ending of the fantasy in his heart. The distance between him and her was even longer than that between the prince and the princess. The story had ended before it even began. Also, she did not even have to draw the sword herself, because he did not even have the chance to go to the battlefield…
A love tragedy was always most devastating, but the princess left a deep impression on everyone when she waved her sword in the end. At this moment, the following knights of the neighboring country had arrived. As it turned out, they had been captured by darkness and became servants of a vicious dragon. They wanted to occupy the princess' country just to steal treasures for the dragon!
Holding back her grief, the princess led the knights to counterattack. Right when they were about to win, the wind simulated by instruments began to blow, and an enormous monster descended on the stage.
It had a lizard-like head and a strong body that was covered in transparent scales. A pair of equally beautiful wings were opened on its back. Under the light, they were all emitting the cold and dreamy brilliance.
The unimaginable intimidation from the dragon caused the legs of all the opera performers to tremble. Their singing became intermittent as if it were a real scene.
"A real… real dragon?" The nobles in the theater felt that their eyes were popping out.
Banus and Ali could barely close their eyes in their shock. Was the dragon part of the performance?
The dragon's fingers and toes were wearing different gem rings. There were also a crown on its head and a gold cape on its back. It seemed that the dragon had just ransacked a treasury.
"Hand over your treasures!" the dragon said as if it were singing.
Inside the box, Lucien smiled. "I paid a huge fortune for Little Crystal to join the performance. He must be the most expensive opera actor in history…"
Chapter 725: Heroes' Monument
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Inside the Rose Square in Kasvig…
When Little Crystal suddenly arrived and released the dominance of a top creature, exclamations and shrieks immediately burst out of the crowd. They backed off as if they were being blown by a tide. Their panic and fear were almost concrete.
"Monster!"
"D-Dragon!"
"Screwed… We're screwed…"
"It's so terrifying!"
In only one moment, a large room was cleared around the "curtain". Although they knew that it was happening inside the Rentato Royal Grand Theater, their subconscious reaction of fear came from their natural instincts. No "special effects" worked better than a real-life dragon!
In the cities of Cocus, Salyvaor, Paphos, and Samara, similar cases were happening. Somebody backed off in fear, some were stunned, and some felt that they were dreaming.
Human beings living in the non-remote areas had barely seen any dragons since the heyday of the Magic Empire, but as the eternal supervillain in stories, people's impression of dragons did not decline with the passage of time. Also, "Human and Nature", a program on "Arcana Voice", had introduced the epic creature many times. It was not difficult for Banus and Ali to identify a dragon.
Holding their breath, they found their legs shivering. Despite the long distance, Banus and Ali were still horrified by the dragon on the curtain. They would've turned around and fled if they were not too stunned to move.
Suddenly, Ali was back to himself. "She's in the theater near the dragon!"
What do I do? What do I do?
Right when his fear almost drove him mad, Princess Amansa, the only standing actress on the stage, spoke in recitative that carried the characteristics of singing. "My most precious treasure is my courage and my knightly faith. Nobody can take them away. Vicious dragon, kill me, or be killed by me. There isn't a third option!"
Huh?
Everybody who did not know what was going on was puzzled. Lady, you are an opera actress, not a real knight! Dragon-slaying is best left to the "professionals"!
Huh, could it be… Finally, Banus and Ali sensed something.
When the princess sang, the "unaffected" orchestra was also playing. The agitating, uneasy, rapid, and poignant melody made everybody share her feeling!
The singer and actress who played the princess "glared" at the dragon before her as her heart pounded. Because they rehearsed before and the dragon intentionally curbed his deterrence, she managed to control her body and her voice and continued her performance.
Also, the subconscious fear resulted in the secretion of her adrenaline and made her feel that she had never performed better. The shivering nobles down there proved that her feeling was true.
The orchestra was not affected by the dragon either. That was why they could continue the performance.
Hearing the princess' trilling aria, Banus and Ali shivered and recovered from the influence of the dragon.
"They've invited a dragon to play the greedy vicious dragon?" Banus felt that his question was inappropriate, but he was too excited to consider calmly right now due to the subconscious fear.
His worries gone, Ali began to observe Little Crystal carefully. After all, the opportunities to see a real dragon were rare. The arrival of Mr. Atom Controller on a dragon during his wedding with the queen had been sung over by the bards, who all claimed that they participated in the gala in order to increase the credibility of their stories.
"Perhaps… it's an illusion of the sorcerers?" Looking at Little Crystal's thick neck and half-transparent scales, he asked in great curiosity.
The audience around replied in excitement, "It can't be an illusion. Her Majesty, Prince Evans, and the other sorcerers in the box are all legendary experts. How can they not see through an illusion? As a result, they would only see the 'princess' singing by herself, which would be a disrespect for them. Therefore, it has to be a real dragon…"
He too had been affected by adrenaline and could barely stop after he began talking.
"Fair enough. Oh, a real dragon…"
"The kingdom and the Congress of Magic let a dragon become an opera actor!"
In their amazement, Little Crystal responded to the princess' challenge. He bent backward and raised his claws, bashing his chest and "roaring" in fury.
"Howl!"
Wow! The audience below the senior rank was intimidated by the "terrifying roars" of the dragon and took a step back again.
"How horrifying!" Banus announced, his fists clenched, but he sounded more thrilled than scared.
"It's so terrifying…" Jane, Duke James' daughter, patted her chest as if she had been scared, but her eyes were focused on the stage with unprecedented excitement that was partly mixed with fear.
In all the squares where a live stream was going on, the audience looked more or less the same. They had never known such a kind of opera before. It was so amazing and attractive!
Ali swallowed. "The 'princess' is really strong. She's still standing before the dragon. Look at the people around her…"
"She's the Valkyrie…" Banus looked at the "curtain" without blinking and fully understood what Valkyrie meant.
Inside the box, Natasha looked at Lucien in confusion. "Why is Little Crystal acting and roaring so funnily? What exactly did you think when you designed the actions?"
Fernando also glared at Lucien. How could he let Little Crystal do that and roar like that? He's a dragon, not anything else, although the little guy was rather suitable for that…
"I designed quite a few sets of actions and roars. However, Little Crystal picked this one on his own. He believed that it presented his 'gravitas' most." Lucien chuckled.
Natasha raised her eyebrows and scratched her chin. "I seem to have understood something from your laughter. The other few sets were certainly even worse than this one. After comparing them, Little Crystal felt that this was the best."
Lucien smiled. "The result of choosing is solely dependent on the design of options. Hehe. Isn't this good? Does it not suit Little Crystal?"
"It suits him very well!" Natasha also chuckled.
On the stage, the final battle was about to break out, and the princess' knights had recovered from their fear. They gathered around her and were about to charge with her.
The princess began to sing; her face both determined and gentle. A sweet and touching song hit everybody's mind with the music from the orchestra.
Most people would recall the beautiful things in the past when they were about to do something of critical importance, and when their lives were in danger, what they would recall were definitely the most wonderful pictures that they remembered best. It was obvious that the princess remembered the prince and their sweet and painful love.
As she sang on, most people who had similar experiences or looked forward to loving someone were captivated by the song. Ali looked at the curtain, his eyes hazy, as he pictured the girl in his heart and thought of the chasm between them. For a moment, he felt both sweet and miserable.
After one song was over, it was another piece. It was the chorus of the knights, warm and everlasting. It made the audience understand the meaning of "protection".
In the end, the princess sang loudly again and broke the warmth. There was a resolution in the breathtaking melody. They were determined to kill the dragon or to be killed by it.
A real dragon was lurking ahead, and the prince and knights fighting for their homeland were right next to them. Hearing the music from the orchestra that melted perfectly with the atmosphere, the audience shared the fury toward the common enemy. They had the sacred feeling to sacrifice for those who loved.
Such a feeling touched themselves and made Ali clench his fists. What was to be scared of if death could not scare them? Even the longest distance could be covered as long as one took the first step!
Wu!
The horn of charge echoed again, and the melody became intense and hasty, which made the nobles and the ordinary people who couldn't activate their blood powers clutch everything around them. Everybody felt that valiance and determination in a real charge.
Such music was something that they would never regret. The melody of charge echoed in their heart. In every act, they had discovered music that was more classic than the previous ones, but they finally realized that "Charge" was the most central and classical part of the opera!
An intense battle began, and in the horns of charge, one knight fell another, and fewer and fewer people were left by the princess' side.
Finally, paying one arm as the price, the princess stabbed the dragon in his heart.
Little Dragon held his stomach and writhed on the floor in "pain", making the stage scrunch.
Clinging to her longsword, the princess looked around, only to discover that all her partners had collapsed and stopped breathing.
The melody changed again—wistful and miserable.
The princess raised her head slightly, and her mouth opened. A song that sounded like it came from the depths of the soul echoed.
"Heroes never die;
"They will only wither in people's memories."
Banus shivered and sensed the shiver from his soul to his body. The sad but determined melody hit his soul precisely.
He couldn't describe the feeling. He only knew that the song astounded him so much that he completely forgot everything around him and was completely devoted to the world that the song built.
…
"Bury my bones, but do not set any monument…
"… For this prosperous city is the best monument for us!"
Tears quietly dropped from the corners of most people's eyes. The princess plucked her longsword and struggled to walk backward, leaving an unwavering and unbent back.
The curtain slowly fell.
"This is the best opera that I've ever heard. Nothing can be more amazing than it!" After a long time, Oliver congratulated Lucien in excitement.
Natasha blinked her eyes. "I think so too. Lucien, thank you for your gift."
"Right, what's the name of the last aria?" Oliver asked in haste.
Lucien replied with a smile, "Heroes' Monument."
It was not until then that most of the audience was finally really back to themselves. Intense and enthusiastic applause burst out in the Royal Grand Theater, in the squares of the cities large and small in Holm, and in the major cities in the other three countries on this side of the strait and on the north coastline.
Inside a library on the top floor of the Holm Royal Magic Tower, Hathaway was sitting at her desk. Before her was a water screen that displayed the scene inside the Rentato Royal Grand Theater.
Her whistle echoed in the room, but her singing sounded rather poor…
Chapter 726: Difference Choices in the Great Age
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Inside the Baron Bechig Square in Samara in Paphos County…
People were still dwelling in the song that seemed to have burst out from their souls. The whole square was quiet. Even the innocent kids were awed by the atmosphere and did not dare make any noises at all. The place seemed to have been caged in time.
They had never experienced the feelings that touched their souls before. For the operas in the past, music and plot were independent of each other and could not build up each other. Therefore, even though many classic arias had appeared in the history of opera, most of the audience found it impossible to resonate with the music when their emotion hadn't been activated. Naturally, it was impossible for them to have a wonderful feeling that their soul was touched.
"Valkyrie" this time was an exception. The plot was built one step after another, and the melody that sounded like a whole orchestra was fully rendered. The effect when they were combined was much better than either of them could've achieved independently. As a result, the audience completely melted into the story and the music, feeling the same as the characters felt.
That was why when "Charge" was played, they felt that they were following the princess as she charged into the battlefield. That was why they could personally feel the sorrow, regret, and determination when the princess sang "Heroes' Monument", to the point that their blood was freezing.
Lucien dare not say that the story of the plot was perfect and better than any playwrights' works, but he could announce proudly that its blast on the audience was unprecedented.
It was not until a long time later that low voices echoed in the square.
"Heroes never die;
"They will only wither in people's memories."
A girl couldn't prevent herself from singing the aria in the end. Although she did not have the pleasant voice of the singer who played the princess, and her imitation was hardly accurate due to the high difficulties, she sang with such devotion and such love as if she had witnessed her comrades and friends collapsing next to her.
The vague song broke the silence in the square and raised a chain reaction. Banus, Ali, and the other members of the audience all opened their mouths and whistled.
"Bury my bones, but do not set any monument…
"… For this prosperous city is the best monument for us!"
The song echoed in the Baron Bechig Square again and again, as if the heroes' souls were staring at their beloved home, reluctant to leave!
It was not until a long time later that the citizens finally got rid of the atmosphere and discussed passionately with each other about "Valkyrie", about Master Evans' changes on the opera, about the classical music pieces such as "Dawn" and "Charge", about the exceptional arias such as "Heroes' Monument", about the state-of-the-art actors and actresses and the terrifying dragon, and about the visual and acoustic feast of "live stream".
In the middle of their discussion, Ali changed his expression and suddenly turned around.
"Ali, where are you going?" Banus was sharing his feelings tonight with a stranger nearby in excitement when he noticed Ali's action. He was puzzled. Did his friend not like liveliness most? Was there any place more lively than the square at present? Did he not feel any urge to share his feelings after listening to the opera?
Solemnly and somewhat excitedly, Ali replied, "I'm going home!"
"Going home for what?" Banus abandoned the communication with the stranger and caught up with Ali, before he asked in confusion.
Ali clenched his right hand subconsciously. "I'll pack up and go to Rentato!"
"Huh? Rentato? Ali, have you lost your mind?" Banus thought that he was hallucinating. Why on earth was his friend going to Rentato? That was the capital of the kingdom, not a small rural town!
Ali shook his head. "My mind isn't lost. I've given it a lot of thought. I'm going to Rentato instead of spending the rest of my life in such a small city like Samara."
"But… But what's bad about a small city?" Banus asked in shock.
Taking a deep breath, Ali pointed at the "curtain" in the square behind them. "Banus, do you see the alchemical item that can let us see and hear things far away? It allowed us to appreciate an opera that was performed in Rentato."
"Yes. Why do you want to go to Rentato when we can appreciate it in our town?" Banus was even more confused.
Ali slowly sighed. "Banus, what does such an alchemical item represent? And what does the fact that a small city has such an alchemical item indicate?"
Then, he answered his own question, "It indicates that changes that have never been seen in the past hundreds of years are happening to our country and our age. New things are born and thriving every day."
Banus nodded. He could sense it based on the changes around him even though he was in a small city.
"Such changes are unstoppable, just like a flood. The only thing we can do is adapt to it. However, I would rather not stagnate at such a great age. Banus, think about it. Aren't such great changes full of opportunities? As long as we seize any of them, our life will be entirely different.
"I'm unwilling to live a dead life in the small city, where I will inherit my father's position as the servant to the secretary, marry a girl of the same status as mine, have children, get busy, and grow old. I'm scared of a life that can be foreseen so clearly. Has my life been predestined? So, I'm going to Rentato to follow my dreams and find a place of mine in the great development that would change the world. I'll do my best to move forward."
Ali's regret was obvious.
"But Samara is also changing. Also, getting married, having children, getting busy, and growing old… Everybody will experience these. It will happen to you even if you find your dream." Banus tried to calm him down.
"That's truly a process that everybody will experience, but the process can be full of wonders too. Banus, it's true that Samara is changing, but it is too slow. Only in Rentato can you feel the powerful pulse of our age and find an opportunity to change your life.
"Therefore, I'm going to Rentato. Whether to study in a generic school or a Lanxiang, or to find a job in the newly developed industry, I think I'll pick up things that will change my life."
Ali's tone became peaceful but determined. He used the "pulse of the age" that he heard from "Arcana Voice" to describe the necessity to go to Rentato.
Looking at Ali's eyes and sensing his insistence, Banus fell quiet. He then attempted the final persuasion. "Uncle Balsa will not agree. Although there are plenty of opportunities in Rentato, they are too tantalizing for ordinary people like us. It's possible that you will die in a shabby house, poor and cold, without anybody knowing it."
"I know that I may fail and return to Samara without achieving anything, but it is the most hilarious and meaningless thing to admit your failure without trying. Compared to the past and the future when the development stagnates, now is the time that the opportunities are closest to ordinary people like us. If we don't fight for them now, are we going to wait for the future when it is even more difficult?"
His correspondences with his "pen pal" had allowed Ali to learn a lot of things and had a new understanding of the world. "As for my father, I will explain it to him. Even if he doesn't support me, I will not change my mind. I'm already an adult. It's my own responsibility to feed myself. Whatever becomes of me in the end, it will be my own choice. Banus, come with me. We'll create a bright future together in Rentato!"
Banus felt that his heart was hot after hearing Ali's words. Metropolis, capital, what beautiful worlds. It had the most prosperous boulevards, the greatest changes, the most numerous opportunities, and the brightest prospects. It was possible that he might be spotted by a sorcerer on the street and became his student, which was certainly not an impossible dream but a case reported by "Arcana Voice" before.
But very soon, he thought of himself, who had absolutely no advantages except for his physical strength. He thought of the strange city, strange streets, strange citizens, and strange maliciousness. His heart was immediately chilled. Looking at everything around that he was familiar with, he shook his head and said, "Ali, I prefer Samara. I think that I'm more suitable for a small town…"
Ali tried to convince him, but Banus was still scared of the unknown dangers and reluctant to leave Samara.
A few days later.
On the platform of Samara, Ali was wearing a black gown and a top hat that his father Balsa had specifically prepared for him. He had turned from a big boy into a vigorous young gentleman.
Holding his large suitcase, he said goodbye to his parents and strode toward the door of the magic steam train. He then looked back at the platform with mixed feelings. On one hand, he couldn't bear to leave his hometown, and on the other hand, he was puzzled why Banus didn't come to see him off.
"Did I hurt his feelings the other day?
"Or maybe, does he think that I've betrayed our friendship by not staying in the town?"
Ali felt complicated, worried that he had lost his best friend.
He looked back after every step, but Banus never showed up, so he grew more and more frustrated.
After boarding on the carriage and finding his own seat, Ali craned his head out of the window and waved his hands at his parents again. His eyes grew moist, as it was the first time that he had left his parents.
"Ali!" Banus' voice suddenly came from far away. He waved his hands fast and ran over in a hurry, with a blue-and-purple fruit in his left hand.
Banus squeezed through the crowd to below the window and said loudly, "Damn it. I remembered the time wrong! Here, this is your favorite Samara Fruit. I don't think you will get to enjoy them again after you reach Rentato."
The Samara Fruit was a local specialty of the town, which matured at the end of October and the beginning of November every year.
Ali's eyes became wet. Banus was truly as rash and careless as ever!
Wu!
He picked up the fruit. Before he was able to say anything, a deafening siren suddenly echoed.
Covering his eyes, Ali shouted, "Banus, I'll bring you to Rentato after I succeed!"
Banus waved his hands. "Alright! Don't forget Samara!"
Wu! Clang! Clang!
"I'll come back after I am successful!" Ali secretly clenched his fists. The magic steam train was activated and became faster and faster, gradually getting away from the platform.
Ali's eyes became misty, and he could barely see anything clearly. He kept waving his arms, but Banus and his parents were further and further away…
Chapter 727: The Church's Thoughts
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Inside the pope's library in the Holy City…
"The Rentato Music Festival was live streamed?" Looking at the red robe before him, Benedict III repeated the message that he reported. He was obviously puzzled why such trivia had also been delivered to him. If he had to deal with such insignificant matters in person, why would he need so many red robes?
Sensing Benedict III's apparent anger, the red robe sweated hard, regretting that he forgot the most critical remark. "Your Holiness, the live stream was not held in the town square like the case in the Aalto Music Festival, but it was held in all the four countries as well as part of the cities in the north coastline, which means that millions of people might've watched the music festival."
"Super remote image transmission… Was it conducted through the artificial planets?" Benedict III naturally knew that the live stream that the red robe mentioned was not the broadcast that only had sound. Knowing arcana rather well, he remembered artificial planets immediately. Only they could satisfy such a need right now, unless the Congress of Magic deployed sound and image transmission circles without caring about the cost like the Church did in the past.
With his head lowered, the red robe said, "Yes. According to the night watchers, the Congress of Magic did use artificial planets as transfer stations."
The middle-rank sorcerer who set up the "curtain" illuminated the "artificial planets" during the final debugging and created a rather bizarre view. It was unavoidable with their strength. Therefore, it was easy for the night watchers to conclude that the live stream of the music festival couldn't have been conducted without "artificial planets".
Benedict III became solemn. He picked up the emergent intelligence and read it carefully.
Worrying about the development of the Church, the red robe suggested boldly, "Your Holiness, although the magic circle for the live stream is not permanent or an alchemical item, it will certainly result in the vacillation of the believers in the four countries and the northern coastline. It is bad for our future attacks."
Benedict III put down the report. His expression was as deep as an ocean. "The vacillation of the believers? The music festival was live-streamed in different cities simultaneously, with both sound and image, to both civilians and the nobles… This is of much greater significance than the pure shake of faith."
"I am too idiotic to understand the hint of the Lord." The red robe shivered in fear. He was so desperate to win the pope's appreciation that he opened his mouth when he shouldn't.
Benedict III nodded his head and continued, "Of course, for us, the greatest influence is truly the vacillation of believers. Sorcerers are corrupt people with extravagances and entertainment. The world is now full of filthy dirt. But that's all the more reason why we should save every lamb who still has kindness in his heart.
"This will be a difficult and dangerous path, and every cleric must be prepared to sacrifice. Are you ready?"
Having been approved, the red robe was so excited that he drew a cross on his chest. "Only Truth lives forever!"
"Give my order. Summon the Grand Cardinals for an emergency meeting." Benedict III sighed.
Half an hour later, all the Grand Cardinals except for those who were on missions gathered in the Bright Hall.
Before Benedict III brought out the platinum staff, they had already learned about the meeting from the red robe.
"Your Holiness, artificial planets are highly dangerous. We have to destroy them completely," Melmax, the captain of the Temple Knights, offered a suggestion straightforwardly. He did not know much about arcana as the Grand Cardinals did, but he could see the hazard of artificial planets even more clearly as an observer. They had given eyes and wings to the sorcerers from the sky!
After the second artificial planet was launched, the Church had tried many ways of attack and counterattack. Their achievement was that two artificial planets were destroyed. However, after Lucien proposed the general theory of relativity, the Congress of Magic had been launching artificial planets every year, so such losses were affordable.
Saint Maria was a brown-haired girl, but she was at least three hundred years old. She suggested in a soft voice, "For the Congress of Magic, creating and launching artificial planets is not very difficult. Even if we shoot down one of them, they will only launch more in a few years.
"Also, the Congress of Magic is almost on par with us except for the lack of demigod. Can we afford a total war right now? The heretics in the north and the evil creatures in the Dark Mountain Range are looking forward to our mistakes."
Astira, the Angel of Wind, continued, "The Congress of Magic couldn't have neglected our reaction when they decided to live stream Lucien Evans' 'Valkyrie', could they? This is perhaps another trap. They're perhaps waiting for us to destroy the planets!"
"Then, what do we do? Can you launch similar items and resist the sorcerers 'artificial planets' with our 'Godly Eye'?" Beliel was dissatisfied with their complaints. They needed a viable suggestion!
Philip, the newly-promoted Grand Cardinal, said, "It's not our strong suit to directly create a similar item. However, we can try to capture an artificial planet. With enough time, we should be able to duplicate them. By then, with the grace of the Lord, the item we create will be more creative and destructive on the orbit than artificial planets!"
The past experience had suggested that divine power was more convenient than magic, because "God" was ubiquitous, even on the orbit. The sorcerers had to use the help of magic circles to utilize the power of gravity or solar energy, which reduced the aggressiveness of artificial planets.
That was why the Congress of Magic attached such importance to fission reactors and controllable fusion. If they could be minimized, the gap between magic and divine power in that regard would be no more.
"We need a complete and safe plan. We must not fall into the trap of the Congress of Magic." Melmax acknowledged Philip's opinion and became less radical.
"Alright, you've all shown your loyalty to the Lord." Benedict III made the final decision and asked Maria, Melmax, and Philip to draft plans.
Ines, another Grand Cardinal, added, "However, we cannot slow down the destruction of artificial planets, or the whole sky will be consumed by artificial planets one day. We'll never see the sun!"
Although it was a hilarious vision, every Grand Cardinal still gasped hard.
...
In San Ivansburg, Belkovsky and Romanov, the emperor of the Schachran Empire, both received the message from their spies. Then, they almost raised their heads and looked at the blue sky out of the window at the same time, as if they saw the artificial planets through the white clouds.
They did not have any doubt about the strategic significance of artificial planets, but they both sighed because they could not manufacture them. They wanted to capture one, but they feared that they would fall into a trap. They certainly could not afford a war against the Congress of Magic under the pressure of the South Church.
Therefore, they had to wait for an opportunity to capture one without causing a massive war, in which case the Congress of Magic could only swallow their anger because they also could not afford a war against them while resisting the South Church.
Inside the Dark Mountain Range, a luxury castle that was mostly made of gold stood next to a cliff.
A strange male leaned against the chair with a cigar on his mouth. Looking at his butler, he said, "What you said is very interesting. If only the live stream item of the Congress of Magic were smaller… In that case, I can have a lot of fun inside the castle. That's the best invention for a vampire who is too lazy to go out like me."
"Mr. Prince, even if you have such a thing, you would have to count on the Congress of Magic's radio station if you want to see anything," the butler replied solemnly.
"Rest assured. The Congress of Magic will certainly work on it now that they already achieved such a level. I can sponsor them if they lack resources. Isn't Rhine very close to Lucien Evans? The old man can't be angry at me if I sponsor through him." The vampire prince waved his hands.
"I'm told that Mr. Observer went to the Temple of Spirits with the Primordial Ancestor," the butler said something else.
After a brief silence, the vampire prince scoffed, "The old man will burst into fury again."
...
Inside the Sky Radio Station in Allyn…
After the Rentato Music Festival was over, Lucien came to thank the arcanists who were responsible for the broadcast. Heidi, who was interested in "live stream", arrived with him.
"Mr. Evans, this is our job, and you don't need to thank us. However, the members of the audience have been sending us letters, asking us to keep the live stream going on in the future instead of only broadcasting sound. What should we do?" said Louise, upset.
Lucien smiled. "Prime Minister Russell, Duke James, and the other nobles expressed similar wishes, but it's not a problem that can be solved with additional radios and loudspeakers. According to the current standard, the magic circles that can display images and receive signals permanently equal to a senior-rank item. Neither the Congress of Magic nor the kingdom can afford that.
"Therefore, we need time to complete and simplify the alchemical items. You may repeat my words to the audience. In the near future, they will not only be enjoying the live stream in the square but also at their homes."
"In the near future?" Samantha asked in confusion. She couldn't recall any studies in that aspect.
Lucien pointed at Heidi who was standing next to him. "Part of her studies on artificial intelligence can be directly applied to this, such as electronic tubes and monitors. Therefore, whether or not similar alchemical items can be produced depends on the efforts of her research team."
"Mine?" Heidi pointed at her nose, lost. She was too dedicated to artificial intelligence to realize that it could also be applied to other aspects.
...
In Hamina, the capital of Dumute…
Katrina was walking on the crowded street. Most of the passersby were dwarfs who only reached her waist, but there were still plenty of merchants who came to do business. Therefore, she did not catch much attention.
"It's not suitable at night. I should install the item that my teacher gave to me at night…" Looking at the pilgrims outside of the temple, Katrina made a judicious decision. Although she didn't quite understand why her teacher asked her to do this, she still spared no efforts to see that it was done perfectly.
Chapter 728: Behind the Back
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Clang, clang, clang.
After three consecutive bell knocks, the dwarfs outside of the temple of "God of Craftsmen" all stopped. Clenching their right hands into fists, they bashed and prayed at the same time.
"Great God of Steam, you are the master of machines. You control the arts of craft and grant us strength and courage…"
Katrina, who was about to leave, was slightly shocked. Since when had the God of Craftsmen become the God of Steam? It seemed that the Congress hadn't paid enough attention to this country of dwarfs.
"However, this 'God of Steam' looks slightly different from the 'God of Steam' that the alchemical dwarfs in Rentato worship. The gesture and words in their prayers are apparently not the same." Katrina had encountered the dwarfs from the Night Highland when she and her friends wandered in Rentato and visited the alchemical workshops. Their weird gesture of eye-covering during their prayer left a deep impression on her.
She looked around, only to discover that humans, werewolves, elves, and the other non-dwarf races stopped walking. Although they did not join the prayer, it was obvious that they did not want to disturb the dwarfs' ritual at noon. She thought to herself, Judging from their reaction, it must've been a while since the God of Craftsmen turned into the God of Steam.
The sound of prayer, which was gradually synchronized, created a strange resonance, letting the creatures who did not pray sense the magnificent sacredness, too. The air was filled with the intoxicating fragrance of alcohol.
That was the greatest feature of Dumute. The dwarfs loved not only ale but also any kind of wonderful liquor. The merchants who visited this place had mostly come to exchange their wine for minerals and the alchemical items created by dwarfs.
The dwarfs, whose bloodline had been modified by sorcerers, boasted basic spiritual powers. Together with their deftness and their talents, it was not hard for them to build apprentice-level items, but the low-rank and the middle-rank items had to be built by the dwarfs whose blood powers had been activated. The ancient sorcerers had modified them for the main purpose of crafting the lesser alchemical items to save their own time.
As for the senior-rank items, few dwarfs could forge them, and their success rate was much lower than the sorcerers'. The legendary items, on the other hand, could only be created by Heit, the God of Craftsmen, through divine power and his own talents. Even Okun, the God of Valiance, was incapable of that.
The fragrance of wine spread out from different houses. Mixed, they seemed enough to put down the passersby who could not drink much. However, Katrina had a remarkable capacity for drinks since she was born in the Schachran Empire. She was not disgusted at all. Instead, she even took a deep breath and narrowed her eyes.
After the noon prayer, Katrina returned to her hotel with the crowd. She closed the window and began to meditate, preparing herself for the operation at night. Although dwarfs had limited height, they loved beautiful and magnificent buildings from the bottom of their hearts. Therefore, nobody would feel restrained in Dumute as long as they were not giants. The stone houses in this place had an average height of four meters.
Midnight soon came. Teams of dwarf soldiers patrolled on the street loyally and warily. Because the God of Craftsmen suddenly turned into the God of Steam and subverted the God of Valiance, Dumute was actually not as peaceful as it appeared, and emergencies caused by the "heretics" who opposed the great God of Steam happened now and then. Therefore, Hamina City was in fact under close watch.
Katrina deployed a magic circle to eliminate magic waves first. She then enhanced herself with the spells such as Advanced Stealth. Although Dumute was not biased against sorcerers, what she was going to do concerned the God of Craftsmen, their highest spiritual leader. She couldn't be more prudent.
Landing on the ground as soft as a feather, Katrina snuck toward the temple of the God of Steam. On her way, she raised her head to observe the stars and the environment while calculating the coordinates where she should put the statue according to the formula that her teacher provided.
"Why does this formula need the specific coordinates of the few major temples as well as the types of the buildings around?" Katrina recited the many parameters she needed. She was puzzled by the patterns of the coordinate changes. What was the result of the calculation exactly, and why did it need so many weird parameters?
However, since it was her teacher's request, she did not think much about it. Taking a long detour, she finally came up with the specific coordinates. Then, she quietly walked toward a white sculpture on the southeast side of the God of Steam.
"Is this Heit's statue?" Katrina observed it carefully.
The dwarf was wearing an armor that was engraved with sacred patterns and holding a gigantic hammer in his hand. His long beard dangled to his chest and covered his face. Inside his eye sockets were two glittering rubies.
"The statue that my teacher gave to me is an eyesore compared to this…" Bringing out the figurine that Lucien gave her, Katrina was amused. "My teacher's sense of beauty always fluctuates."
Lucien's taste in music, architecture, and his design of the Moon Timer were unquestionable. His ideas such as "Arcana Voice" had amazed many people too. However, in most cases, his thoughts and creations were of such a unique aesthetic that nobody else could accept them. Take the figurine of a dwarf made of many metal parts for example. It looked good and emitted coldness on the surface, but it had a big bald head that was full of creepy patterns, scaring everybody who saw it.
Her smile gone, Katrina focused her attention and let the figurine of the bald dwarf float at the heart of Heit, the God of Craftsmen, according to Lucien's request, before she chanted the long and sophisticated spell.
The spell was written in the language of the ancient Magic Empire, but it carried a strange feeling of holiness. Gradually, a silver light protruded from the dwarf's body. It spread out like a gigantic web that controlled human hearts.
"You are the master of mind, the emperor of gods, the great God of Steam… Allow me to summon your name. Supreme Yuri, please grant me the power to control everything…"
In her spell, the silver glittering lines stretched into the heart of Heit statue, and the rest of them integrated with the void, raising quakes.
In the quakes, the pure and holy light showed up like tiny angels. Singing, praising, and praying in pleasant sounds, they danced up and down around the Yuri statue.
The noises seemed to have been frozen. There was no reaction from the temple far away.
The quakes in the void suddenly grew intense, and the tiny spots of light were melted into the Yuri statue. Then, the Yuri statue was gradually blurred on the spot, until it was nowhere to be seen again!
"It has melted with time and space?" Katrina was deeply astounded by the scene, which she had never seen before. "Is this the subtlety of legendary power? But why does it carry a tiny hint of divine power?"
She shook her head and calmed herself down. Erasing the traces around carefully, she returned to the hotel.
When Katrina's back disappeared at the end of the street, a bird that was absolutely black, with a cluster of hilarious and cold feathers on the head, swooped from the dark night.
Hovering, the bird stopped on the head of the God of Craftsmen and let out an obscure voice that nobody could hear. "Lucien Evans is truly gathering faith in secret. It seems that he is very confident about his theory… He's bold enough to steal Heit's power of faith…
"… And he sent a student for the mission. It would have fooled everyone if it weren't for me…
"No, I have to find a way to remind Heit. Lucien Evans cannot be allowed to collect the power of faith smoothly, or he will step into the level of demigods faster than everybody else…"
The bird flew down from the statue and circled it while uttering weird, appalling tweets as if it were informing every living creature of their time of death.
…
On the third day after Katrina left Hamina City…
A team of dwarf soldiers discovered "cultists" who slandered the God of Steam during their patrol and were engaged in a fierce battle.
As it happened, there were senior-rank casters among the cultists. The dwarf soldiers suffered heavy losses. Thankfully, the temple of Heit was around, and a few priests soon arrived, surrounding those cultists in a square not far away.
Divine power burst out everywhere, raising the most extraordinary views in the square. One cultist fell after another, and the square was on the verge of destruction.
BOOM!
The priest and the senior-rank caster among the cultists launched Sunstrike at each other. The aftermath of their battle swept across the square, shaking and shattering the statue of Heit. The holy light and the silver lines on it flashed.
During the flash, Heit, who was deep inside the temple, opened his eyes. Two clusters of gold fire were burning in them, which reflected his furious heart.
He extended his hand, and the statue of the bald Yuri appeared in his palm.
"Who is stealing my power of faith?" In fury, Heit gnashed his teeth. "The God of Steam? Lucien Evans!"
The wind of fury swept across the whole temple, and a gold fire descended from the sky, burning the senior-rank caster into ashes.
After examining the survivors' memories carefully, Heit was silent for a moment, before he shouted in exasperation, "You can steal my power of faith, and I can steal yours!"
His eyes were focused on the statue of Yuri in his hand. Then, he enveloped it carefully with a golden flame, so that he would not alert anyone.
…
Inside the Atomic Universe, a vague gold light appeared on the statue of "God of Steam" Yuri. Nobody would've discovered it if they hadn't been watching it all the time.
Inside the magic tower, Lucien was briefly stunned. He turned around and looked out, his lips curling into a smile.
Chapter 729: "Aircraft"
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The streets of Rentato were crammed with people.
"Look, what's that?" Suddenly, someone exclaimed in the crowd. Everybody looked at where he was pointing at.
"What is that?"
"Can alchemical cars fly now?"
They burst out with equally shocked expressions when they saw that a silver object was flying at the altitude of the third floor. It looked similar to the alchemical cars on the street, in that it also had a head, a carriage, doors, wheels, and lamps, although it did seem too light to be made of regular metals. Of course, the greatest difference about the vehicle was that the weird alchemical car could fly! Wasn't it an ability that only the sorcerers above the third circle and the radiant knights were capable of?
With their exclamations, more and more citizens looked at the sky. After a while, Rentato had a thousand statues that craned their heads at the sky.
Things were better in Rentato. If it were in any other place, the ordinary people would have escaped in a panic while shouting "monster". Chances were that there would even be a stampede.
On the "flying car", Viscount Leebel looked at the crowd below in satisfaction, with a cigar in his mouth. He felt that their exclamations were the best compliment for him.
"What's to be surprised at? A bunch of bumpkins," Viscount Leebel snorted. "This is just a perpetuated floating skill plus the engine device of the alchemical cars."
He was the son of a certain count, and he had activated his blood power with drugs. It was impossible for him to fly on his own. Also, he felt that flying with common alchemical items was too ugly and made him feel that he was naked. Nobles should have the "etiquette" for flying. They had to be unhurried and graceful.
He had the dream for a long time, but he never had the chance to realize it until alchemical cars were invented. He finally understood what he really wanted. A real noble should fly in midair with such a vehicle so that the lowly citizens could only look up to him without seeing his real face. Of course, if this weren't his first test, he would've hired a "coachman". A noble should not drive a car in person!
Therefore, he found a few sorcerers who were highly interested in money and materials. Based on "alchemical cars", they chose new metal materials that significantly reduced the weight as well as the safety performance. Then, the floating skill was perpetuated on that basis so that the alchemical car could float under the maneuver. That was because the flying skill could only be perpetuated by the senior rank, and the middle-rank sorcerers could only activate their flying skills several times every day at best, which could not meet Viscount Leebel's demand.
Eventually, they modified the engine device of the alchemical car so that it could jet gas, thus allowing the controller to change the direction freely. In such a way, they enabled the alchemical car to fly without using the flying skill, and it could also drive on the ground.
Of course, such "flying cars" had its own deficiencies. Firstly, floating was not exactly flying, and the take-off and landing could be terribly slow. Secondly, it consumed a great amount of energy. Even though the floating skill had been perpetuated, it required the refill of magic gems that were unaffordable for ordinary people.
Viscount Leebel, however, was quite satisfied with that. It was his purpose to make the "flying cars" unaffordable for the bumpkins. That was the way to highlight the grace of nobles!
Looking at the alchemical cars on the ground that were driving slowly in case of collision as well as the shocked faces in them, Viscount Leebel extended his left hand and snapped the cigar ash off, before he said proudly, "What a bunch of bumpkins."
Showing his "nobility", he hit the accelerator in excitement, trying to pass through the air channel among a few tall buildings so that the bumpkins down below could only see the back of himself and his flying car!
Hardly had he passed the "channel" when his eyes were frozen, because an identical vehicle flew right at him on the opposite side. Inside the vehicle was a man who was at a loss in panic. He was equally fast and at the same altitude!
"Damn it. Those sorcerers sold my idea to other people!"
At this moment, of all the things he could've thought of, that was what popped up in his head. Then, he pulled the lever "skillfully", hoping to ascend and avoid the possible collision.
However, the greatest problem with the floating skill was the slow rising and landing. Being a non-sorcerer, he neglected the problem.
The two equally shocked and terrified faces looked at each other in bewilderment, before the two flying cars ran into each other brutally.
"I shouldn't have flown at such a low altitude just for other people to see me…" Viscount Leebel's pupils constricted violently. Since his blood power was not normally activated, he did not have the willpower to remind himself of his knightly capabilities during the emergency.
Boom!
An enormous fireball burst out in midair, and the remains of the alchemical cars hit the ground like raindrops.
"Well…" All the craning citizens were utterly dumbfounded this time. What was this all about?
Bam.
An object that was burning intensely fell right before Ali who was carrying a black suitcase. He backed off in fear and almost stepped into the manhole next to the street.
"What a terrible explosion…
"It almost hit me…
"Rentato is really a dangerous place…"
Many ideas occurred to Ali. Having just arrived at the place, he had deeply recognized the "dangerousness" of Rentato. At this moment, he suddenly had the epiphany that his path would never be short of obstacles if he wanted to make a name for himself. If he was not careful enough, it was possible that he would be killed in the tiniest accident.
His uneasiness was soon suppressed by the strange experience.
"Hurry! Call the police!" The citizens were back to themselves.
They were already used to the police department of Holm.
...
Inside the Atomic Universe…
"What are you smiling at?" Natasha flew back with her longsword. Having just finished the afternoon sword practice, she saw Lucien's weird smile.
Instead of giving a direct reply, Lucien nodded and said, "Somebody is indeed spying on me."
"Did you find anything with the statue of Yuri?" Natasha was keen enough to remember the incident. Lucien had asked Katrina to install the statue in Dumute for two purposes. One of them was exactly a test!
Lucien chuckled. "If 'he' did not do anything, I would have to figure out a way to let Heit discover it, but thankfully, he jumped out promptly."
"Do you know who it was?" Natasha asked solemnly.
Lucien shook his head. "I made the prophecy based on the event, so I don't know who exactly it was. I only know that such a guy exists. After all, adding unnecessary magic circles to the statue would've placed Katrina in danger."
Lucien certainly did not intend to involve his student who hadn't even reached the senior rank in such peril.
"You don't seem worried." Natasha was relaxed seeing how easy Lucien was. She sheathed the Sword of Truth.
"Wary, I am; worried, I am not. Why do I need to worry about a guy who attempts to become a demigod by keeping an eye on what I do all the time?" Lucien began to joke with his wife. "Look at me. I always research and explore on my own and never care about what other people do. That's the demeanor of an expert."
"Tsk. If you are an expert, turn into a legendary knight and have a sword exercise with me!" Natasha raised her eyebrow.
Lucien replied "fearlessly", "Not a problem, as long as you don't use the Sword of Truth and the Shield of Truth."
After joking with each other for a while, they discussed the mysterious guy and the God of Craftsmen again. At this moment, Butler Leo walked in. "Madam, a maid from the Nekso Palace asked for you."
He always addressed her as madam instead of Your Majesty.
"Me? Is there anything important?" Natasha walked to the library in confusion. There shouldn't be any emergency that the queen had to deal with in person recently.
After a while, Natasha was back. She said to Lucien with a weird face, "The 'car accident' you mentioned constantly has happened, but it's in the sky…"
"In the sky?" Having come from Earth, Lucien knew very well about the danger of car accidents. After the alchemical cars were invented, he specifically advised speed limits and other safety measures in the city. No car accidents had taken place yet because alchemical cars were still rare. He never expected that the first car accident would happen in the sky!
Natasha explained what had happened. "The dead Viscount Leebel was certainly a creative man."
A naughty kid who liked playing and got killed because of it… Lucien secretly remarked. The nobles and sorcerers of this world were truly "practical". They had even created "flying cars" that he had never thought of.
Natasha patted her hand. "I have to host a meeting in the Parliament of Nobles. The deaths of two nobles have prompted the conservative old men to propose a ban on flying cars. If their reason stands, wagons should've been thrown into the ocean a long time ago."
As the wife of an arcanist who was good at inventing all kinds of bizarre items, she was rather interested in the idea of flying cars.
"That's right. It's better to regulate the things that will eventually appear than to ban them. We should establish rules on aircraft and road safety. It will be better if the police department can set up special units to enforce the rules," Lucien suggested.
"Haha. Should we forbid sorcerers from flying in the city like Allyn? Well, the Bill of Flight Management of Sorcerers?" Natasha joked and returned to the Nekso Palace through the portal in the hall.
Lucien shook his head with a smile and walked to the Thunder Hall, ready to discuss arcana with his teacher and Mr. Brook.
He had barely entered the Thunder Hell when he heard an intense explosion. Fernando's magic tower glowed, and an energy swept out while consuming everything as if it were the end of the world. Then, everything was curbed by the magic tower.
"Damn it. Another explosion!" Fernando appeared before Lucien, with his hair in a mess.
Lucien said helplessly, "Master, you'd better be careful. If it were any other arcanists, they would've been long dead."
Chapter 730: The Investigator
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
"What exactly was wrong that caused the series of explosions in the fission reactor?" Fernando paid absolutely no heed to Lucien's reminder. As long as no other top legends or third-rank sorcerers were behind it, even if he did not have the time to take any reaction, the trigger and passive magic effects on him would've been enough to ensure that he survived the fission explosions without being affected by the curses.
His hair was so messy that a huge wind seemed to have just blown it. His red magic robe was also full of wrinkles, which was an indication of the catastrophe just now, but he noticed none of it. All his attention was devoted to the possible problems of the fission reactor, and he sounded agitated and extremely puzzled. According to his studies on fission and his reverse engineering on "Atomic Fission", the legendary spell, there shouldn't be a problem at all. However, it was indeed a fission reactor that was going on when the uncontrollable explosion took place!
"How many times has it exploded?" Lucien gasped hard. Judging from his teacher's tone, it was not the second meltdown, but the third, the fourth, the fifth, or even the sixth. No wonder he ran into the explosion by "accident"; it was no accident at all.
It was not until then that Lucien finally realized why his teacher hardly let him and the other students do experiments. The only experiments that they did were the simple ones, such as black-body radiation. As it turned out, it was very dangerous to be involved in his teacher's experiments, and any researchers who were not legendary could be obliterated any time!
Fernando frowned. "It doesn't matter how many times it has exploded; what matters is why. It has no contradictions whatsoever with the model and mechanism of fission."
Thinking for a moment, Lucien said, "'Atomic Fission' is an uncontrollable, massively-destructive spell, and the reactor demands steadiness and controllability. That's probably the source of the problem."
"Do you think I am a fool who simply made arrangements according to the model of 'Atomic Fission'?" Fernando said. It was apparent that he wasn't in a good mood. "You saw our reactor model and the detailed arrangements yourself. You should know that we added a lot of magic circles to facilitate the utilization and control of energy."
"However, it doesn't mean real steadiness and controllability. I think we have to study fission better in order to solve the problem. We have to figure out the role that neutrons and the other particles play and their possible reactions under different circumstances." Lucien had considered the reactor accidents himself and suspected that it was because the current research was too crude. The design of the reactor mostly depended on "reverse engineering". The different roles of slow neutrons and fast neutrons hadn't been discovered, not to mention their different effects in different fission reactions.
Fernando never ignored the helpful advice, but he never gave in verbally either. "Do you think I never considered those problems? But it will take a long time to experiment on neutrons by hitting different elements with them. Well, Hathaway and I are already on it."
Neutrons couldn't be accelerated by a magnetic field, so the experiments were much more complicated.
"I'll also try to work on those experiments." Lucien smiled. "The sooner we develop portable fission devices, the more useful our artificial planets will be. It will be impossible for the Church and the other enemies to imitate us."
The mechanisms of the artificial planets, such as their orbits and their relay of electromagnetic waves, were not complicated and could be mimicked. But when it came to fission reactors, if they did not have a profound study on fission, the enemies would only encounter the explosion accidents that were happening to his teacher recently if they tried to duplicate the devices. If they did not understand which magic pattern functioned and how, it would be impossible for them to combine or abandon the patterns when they transformed the patterns into symbols of divine power. Any error in the procedure could lead to a serious accident.
That was exactly the difference between the cutting edge and the bleeding edge of arcana. After all, "launch" was too simple in this world.
Fernando nodded. "As long as a steady fission reactor is developed, minimization shouldn't be a problem."
In this magic world, many technical problems on Earth were no longer problems. For example, the fission reactor that Fernando and Hathaway built directly used magic circles to transform the released energy into electricity. No external components were needed at all. But of course, the cost of minimization would still be very high. Unless the Congress paid to install them on the artificial planets, only the archmages and the legendary sorcerers would be able to afford them.
Also, the Highest Council did not have a consensus on the promotion of minimized fission devices, because it might be a safety hazard. It could cause huge casualties and pollution that would take forever to be cleaned.
Seeing the confidence in his teacher, Lucien smiled. "Fission reactors and minimization is just our first step. Controllable fusion is our real goal. When the goal is achieved, we will be able to proudly declare that we are the Sun Kings."
"Controllable fusion…" Fernando repeated hopefully but frowningly. That was significantly more difficult than fission reactors. He, Douglas, and Hathaway had absolutely no clue where to get started, and Lucien could barely offer any useful suggestions. "Let's focus on the fission reactor for now…"
He paused and mocked habitually, "All the distinguished arcanists in the microscopic domain are bombarding particles with other particles every day right now, hoping to find the group that contains the enigmas from the infinite experimental data. They are more like hard laborers than arcanists."
"It's not just the distinguished arcanists. Most sorcerers know that hitting the microscopic particles is most likely to lead to new discoveries." Lucien chuckled. "They are terrified by the uncanny feature of electrons as if it could destroy the world. Also, they know little about quantum mechanics and cannot make any theoretical or experimental contributions. So, they can only walk on the path that cannot be wrong."
It was the same on Earth. The bombardment and collision experiments of particles were the most viable approach to discover the mysteries of the microscopic domain. The only difference was that the senior-rank sorcerers of the Congress of Magic were already capable of setting up experiment devices of their own, unlike the researchers on Earth who had to wait in line to run the experiments in order to confirm their speculations or deductions from the data.
Of course, when the phase of Large Hadron Collider came, the scenarios would be more and more familiar. For example, the middle-rank sorcerers right now could only walk on several paths if they intended to run similar magic experiments.
Firstly, they could become the students or friends of a certain senior-rank sorcerer. Secondly, they could work in places like the Atom Institution. Thirdly, they could pay for the senior-rank sorcerers to make the arrangements for them.
Fourthly, they could file an application to the Magic Research Board and join a queue while they waited for the chance to use the open massive laboratory of the Allyn magic tower for free. That was an idea that Lucien proposed in a session of the Highest Council so that the lesser sorcerers could do their research without paying.
Fernando glared at him. "Their fear and panic come exactly from the observer effect that you raised."
Lucien hurried to change the subject. "Master, you didn't work on the field theory today? Is Mr. Brook not here?"
"Why on earth would I work on that? My head is full of infinity, infinity, and infinity! I don't know the point of my research at all!" Lucien asked the perfect question, which detonated Fernando like a stick of dynamite that had been ignited.
Lucien meant to comfort his teacher. Every person who worked on the field theory had millions of infinities in their room. That was unavoidable when the studies in the microscopic domain were pressed on.
For example, Mr. Dirac, who proposed the Dirac equation, as one of the founders of the quantum field theory, was one of the top ten if not the top five physicists in Lucien's eyes. He held different opinions on infinity. He believed that there were an inevitable reason and a deeper meaning behind infinity and that the classical theories were wrong. Therefore, he opposed reorganizing it through mathematical approaches. As a result, he was gradually left behind. Or maybe, his cognitive world was broken and solidified?
After roaring for a while, Fernando also fell quiet. "Brook will come later. However, even if infinite appears in the calculation of higher approximation, the field theory we've established has indeed described the interaction of charged particles, which is the essence of the electromagnetic force…"
He was rather satisfied with the joint study of himself, Brook, and Lucien, except for the goddamn infinity.
Based on the field theory they established, Fernando and Brook maintained that the electromagnetic force was realized when charged particles exchanged photons in many different processes. However, the photons were different from the photons that people usually studied. They could not be observed and were only a mathematical conclusion. The two of them had called such photons virtual photons.
After discussing the quantum field theory for a while, Fernando suddenly said, "Stanis told me that the Dark Mountain Range hadn't been quiet lately. Those gloomy guys seem to have re-recognized us after the battle of Rentato and begin to consider whether they should cooperate with or fight against us."
"Aren't they a bit too slow?" Lucien said in amusement.
Fernando snorted. "Those guys are all species with extremely long lives. Our decade might only be ten days in their eyes. Plus, they are no more interested in arcana than the Church is. That is why they've reacted so sluggishly. Tell Natasha to pay attention to the safety of Rentato, which will probably be frequented by many dark creatures."
"Alright." Lucien nodded solemnly.
…
Inside the Dark Mountain Range, a young man with silver hair and gold eyes said solemnly, "Nasdell, you will sneak into Rentato and Allyn as soon as possible and take a look at the changes that the Congress of Magic has brought forth. Your observation will be the basis on which we make a decision later."
"Yes, sir." The werewolf before him retracted his fur and turned into a brawny man with the same silver hair.
Chapter 731: Nasdell in Rentato
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Night fell rather early in this cold winter. Rentato, the city in the north, was shivering in the freezing cold wind. Every pedestrian walking on the street had pulled up their collars and accelerated their pace.
To them, the biggest difference was that the streets in Rentato now had been lined with bright magic crystal light. In the past, only the busiest streets had arched lamps. At that time, most citizens would walk back home in thick darkness, and the only light source might be the moon, stars, or a dim lantern.
Nasdell got off the last train following the stream and stepped onto the smooth floor of Hexagram Station. Rentato City still had the city gates and walls for the purpose of defense.
Therefore, magic steam trains could not drive into the city after nightfall. After the gate closed, the trains could only stop at the temporary station outside of the city.
Nasdell enjoyed his trip very much. Like the books said, magic steam trains were indeed very fast and comfortable. He exhaled and saw a cluster of white fog rising.
He was wearing a white shirt, a brown sweater, a black top hat, and a double-breasted suit. In his hand, there was also a walking stick. It was a typical Holm dressing style.
His muscles bulged the shirt. Obviously, he was a man of great strength.
Nasdell looked around at the station and felt it a pity that magic steam trains could not drive through the Dark Mountain Range. Maybe Silver Moon Wasteland could be an option.
The Dark Mountain Range was full of dangerous space gaps and magic creatures. Very likely a magic train would never come back once it entered the mountains.
Silver Moon Wasteland was a dimension under the control of werewolves. Unlike what the name suggested, it was a rich and prosperous wasteland. The werewolves insisted the name a few thousand years ago, and the original name had been long forgotten.
There was nothing else special about the station. Nasdell pulled his suit and walked out of the station.
Nasdell felt very proud that Prince Dubenal chose him to be the one who carried out this mission, which required a clear way of thinking and very strong observation skills. His pace was accelerating.
Prince Dubenal was an idol of Nasdell because of his intelligence and strategic talent. Nasdell tried to follow how the prince behaved and thought. Although other princes and vampires often laughed at Dubenal for his recklessness and simple mind, Nasdell never believed them. They did this simply out of jealousy!
As soon as he stepped out of the station, Nasdell's eyes suddenly lit up by the lamps on the street, as if they were stars shining in the city.
All the lights connected with each other—street lamps, household lamps, car lights, and coach lights. All of them looked so bright and warm. The joint lights were even brighter than the stars in the sky.
In one direction, two high towers rose up from the ground and overlooked the entire Rentato. The two towers were decorated with pure and bright crystal lamps. Nasdell was deeply impressed by the sheer beauty.
Nasdell stood there. The brightness seized his heart. His heart was thudding.
"Your first time here in Rentato? The higher one is Holm Royal Magic Tower, and the lower one is Holm Broadcasting Station and National Council of Electromagnetic Waves…" A passerby took a glance at Nasdell and explained.
A council? Wasn't that something only existed in the Congress of Magic? Were there even councils higher than the national council? What about the headquarters? Nasdell had lots of questions in his mind, but he did not ask. He felt hurt by the amused look on the passerby's face.
That was the look staring at a countryman! Nasdell had to control his anger to complete the mission. He had to know more about this city to pretend that this was not his first time here.
He had very strong self-esteem that was rare even among werewolves.
Taking the baggage, Nasdell hired a coach and headed for the busy street.
Passing by a square, Nasdell saw hundreds of people gathering. He was very surprised as it was very cold outside. How could they stand the cold wind?
Nasdell asked the coach to stop, and he got off. Standing on the margin of the square, he saw the huge speakers in the middle of the square. A sweet voice was coming out from the speakers.
"The next part is Body Secret, the part that is loved by everyone! Tonight we're lucky to have Viscount John Wellesley who is a grand knight and is very experienced in exercising. He's going to share with us how teenagers should work out when their bodies are not yet fully grown and the best way to work out."
Nasdell's eyes lit up. He took out a pile of material and started looking for something.
He was leafing through the booklet while listening to the broadcasting carefully. Finally, a big smile appeared on his face.
That was Arcana Voice! The information was correct!
Nasdell then got very surprised by the viscount's sharing. What the viscount was saying was how a knight would exercise. Wasn't that supposed to be a secret?!
He was shocked as this never happened even in the most open-minded Aalto. One would have to become a knight squire first to access such secrets.
Nasdell wondered to himself if the nobles here ever protested this kind of broadcasting, or they were allowing this to confront the Church. But soon, he became totally obsessed with Arcana Voice. He had never experienced such a way of entertainment!
In the Dark Mountain Range, because of the harsh conditions, it was very hard to receive the signal of Arcana Voice.
Nasdell listened to the radio attentively. He was glad that he had this opportunity to listen to Arcana Voice here. Obviously, the radio program was very interesting to him.
After the crowd dispersed, Nasdell sneaked up on the big speaker but found nothing special other than some wires and simple devices.
Following the wires, Nasdell walked around the corner and came to the other side of the wall. He saw that there were over ten strange holes in the wall, three in each group, one above and two below.
Nasdell had a close look at them but could not figure out the usage of the holes. He wanted to ask someone, but he did not want to be looked down upon. So he decided to figure it out on his own.
Growing up in the Dark Mountain Range, Nasdell knew that he had to be cautious with everything he did not know well even if that thing looked very ordinary. Therefore, in great alert, he took out a steel stick from his luggage to use it as the extension of his fingers.
The holes were right in the wall without any covers or protection. Thus, Nasdell believed that they wouldn't be too dangerous.
Looking around, after making sure that there was no one around, Nasdell poked the holes with the steel stick.
Buzz!
Electric currents shot out along the needle stick and hit Nasdell right away. There was no chance for him to avoid it.
Nasdell's body was covered with electric currents and was shaking fiercely. Something smelled burned. He tried to pull the stick out, but he just could not.
After a while, Nasdell had half returned to his werewolf look. His muscles bulged, and a mist of black air surrounded him. He suddenly used his strength and finally got rid of the steel stick.
Lightning… Magic circle…
How could the nobles and sorcerers in Rentato allow such dangerous things to be here in the wall in a public square?! Nasdell could not even speak, and he felt extremely annoyed. If he had not been an adult werewolf, he would have been killed!
Just after he returned to his human look, a young man in fancy clothes walked to him. He took out something connecting to a wire from his pouch and plugged in the holes, and then he plugged the other end in a fine alchemical item in the shape of a rectangle.
Seeing that there was a man lying on the ground and looking at him in great confusion, the young man grinned and explained, "This is the latest mobile communication device. It no longer requires a permanent magic circle for electricity because it can now save the energy. The price has been greatly lowered because of it. I'm not super rich, but now I can afford it."
Then he smelled something burned in the air. He took a glance at the man on the ground again, and the man's face also looked burned black.
"My friend, you don't look very well. Did you just touch the electric current magic circles?"
"No, no…" Nasdell hurriedly denied.
The young man grinned. "Good. Arcana Voice and the council have been promoting people's awareness of using electricity safely. Even kids in Rentato now understand how important this is, unless it's someone who has never used electricity before."
Even kids knew it? Nasdell was glad that he instantly denied himself earlier.
Nasdell decided to leave the square as soon as possible out of the feeling of embarrassment. Dragging his half numb body, Nasdell walked slowly to the quiet street.
As he was walking, somehow, he suddenly lost his footing and fell into a hole!
Bang!
On the square, the young man heard something. He turned around but saw nothing.
After the charging was done, he recalled something—the broadcasting had been warning citizens that they should avoid remote and quiet streets and use extra caution when walking as recently some thieves were stealing sewer lids.