Chasing Time

“Next, we have the most noble recipient of the Order of the Garter, the Grand Cross of Saint Michael and Saint George, the Grand Cross of the Bath, the Victoria Cross and the lower grades of Knighthood, the leader of the anti-colonial movement, the bell-ringer of the East India Company, the hero of the Crimean War, a Fellow of the Royal Society, a lifelong dear friend of literary giants such as Dickens and Great Dumas, a steadfast supporter of scientific luminaries like Faraday and Darwin, having served as assistant under-secretary, deputy under-secretary, and permanent under-secretary in departments of the Home Office and the Navy Department of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, the inaugural Cabinet Secretary and head of the civil service, the first graduate and most distinguished alumnus of our school. Please welcome Sir Arthur Hastings to deliver a speech on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the University of London.”
Arthur's gaze swept across the crowd before him, looking at the young faces and murmured, “Agares, what do you think I should say?”
The Red Devil's wraith hovered behind him, saliva almost dribbling from the corner of his mouth, “Look at these ignorant souls; they still worship you as a hero. Why not say something they'd like to hear?”
Arthur took a deep breath and let out a deafening roar, “Oxford is a bunch of whores' bastards!”
“Oh!!!!”
The audience erupted into thunderous applause.
“Cambridge is the same!” he added immediately.
The applause grew even more fervent...
(The protagonist, possessed by a devil, travels through 19th-century Britain in a world without magic)

The Shadow of Great Britain

When the first ray of morning light streamed through the window onto the living room of 36 Lancaster Gate, Arthur had already been sitting at the small coffee table beside the bookshelf, holding a cup of Earl Grey tea as he began his routine holiday reading.


However, today his reading material was neither his favorite illustrated novels and satirical comics nor the new papers from the Royal Society, but instead a whole box full of letters from readers.


As a magazine primarily featuring fictional stories, "The British" always had an extremely active readership.


Whether it was Arthur, the Great Dumas, Disraeli, or even Dickens, Mr. Eld Carter, who had disappeared indefinitely due to a round-the-world voyage, causing "Robin Hood" to pause, all had received quite a few concerned letters from readers.


Moreover, Mr. Darwin, the author of "Monkey's Story," who had disappeared along with Eld, naturally also captured the high attention of the readers.


Chapter 224: The Pinnacle of 19th Century Literature (5K6)