Translator: Cinder Translations
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After the wedding of Paul and Catherine, Rodney XVIII immediately set off southward. The intelligence about the Arcane Order that Paul had shared with him made him extremely uneasy.
On his return journey, Rodney XVIII specifically requested to travel back to Crystal Glare on an Alden Navy warship. Paul granted the king's wish and assigned a small fleet of three warships to escort Rodney XVIII to West Port, the closest port to Crystal Glare.
Accompanying him was the head of the Royal Economic Zone, Malon Ganard, who had also returned to the Northwest Bay to attend Paul's wedding.
The Royal Economic Zone had now become a significant source of tax revenue for the royal government, and Malon had become one of Rodney XVIII's most trusted aides.
In addition to Malon, there was also the former West Port official, Viscount William Dylan, and Harrison, the eldest son of the Abbott family. These individuals, whom Rodney XVIII relied on, shared some common traits: they were young, intellectually active, interested in new things, and "lacked" respect for tradition.
After landing at West Port, Rodney XVIII made several stops along the way, taking his time to explore the area. What could have been a half-day journey by horse to Crystal Glare took him nearly two days.
The reason for the king's delay was that he was surveying the terrain between West Port and Crystal Glare, with the intention of laying a railway connecting the two cities.
Rodney XVIII had witnessed the construction of railways in the Northwest Bay and was fascinated by any new developments there. Upon inquiry, he learned that this was a high-efficiency transportation system that was fast, capable of carrying large loads, and relied solely on machinery rather than animal power. This piqued his curiosity greatly.
Upon further questioning, Paul showed him a painting depicting a fully operational train and railway.
Through the painting, Rodney XVIII caught a glimpse of this iconic beast of the industrial age. Although it existed only in the painting, its sheer power was enough to awe anyone who saw it.
The massive wheels rolled over the tracks, the locomotive spewing thick white smoke, steam billowing and rising, cutting through the sky. The steel-made dragon traversed the fields.
The train was constructed from thick steel plates riveted together, resembling a series of steel fortresses linked in a chain. The entire train was like a beast breaking free from its shackles, charging forward with unstoppable force, crushing all obstacles in its path.
"We must find a way to build a railway," Rodney XVIII immediately decided in his heart.
The royal domain now had two centers: Crystal Glare, the political center, and West Port, the economic center. Although geographically close, the king wanted to strengthen the connection between these two centers. Without a doubt, a railway was the best way to achieve this goal.
Upon returning to Crystal Glare, Rodney XVIII enthusiastically held a military parade.
After more than a year of training, the new-style army of the royal government had begun to show results, and the young king was eager to inspect the progress of his military's development.
In the square in front of the palace, the new army soldiers stood in neat formations, their expressions solemn and their eyes resolute. They wore crisp military uniforms, their bright attire gleaming under the sun, with brass buttons and shoulder badges shining coldly.
As Rodney XVIII announced the start of the parade, the soldiers began to move in perfect unison, like a moving wall. Their synchronized steps created a deafening sound, as if the entire square was trembling.
Their movements were precise and powerful, bayonets glinting coldly in the sunlight, rifle barrels standing straight like a forest, exuding an inviolable aura. Every movement was filled with strength.
Ten square formations rolled across the square like steamrollers, announcing that the Aldor royal family once again possessed a powerful armed force.
Many people observed the parade, including those sent by Giles to Crystal Glare, both openly and covertly.
News of the king's parade quickly reached Five Goat Fortress, causing high alert for Giles, the Greedy Wolf.
What greatly alarmed him was not only the quality of the soldiers themselves but also the presence of firearms and cannons in the king's army. These were powerful new weapons that had caused significant trouble for Giles' forces during the Horn Bay War.
Giles had managed to acquire some black powder, said to be the key component of the weapons used by the Alden army. He handed it over to his alchemists, hoping they could unlock its secrets.
The alchemists treated it as a treasure and immediately began their work.
The powder was finely ground, and its components could not be determined by mere visual inspection.
However, through the pungent smell produced when the black powder burned, they identified the presence of sulfur. But since sulfur is not black powder, it was likely a mixture containing sulfur among other things.
The alchemists requested more samples for further research, a task Giles assigned to his spies infiltrating Alden.
The mission was somewhat successful, as his agents managed to send back several batches of black powder from the heavily guarded Alden military-industrial system.
The alchemists continued their research, but they isolated various strange substances from the powder, such as saltpeter, coal dust, flour, and even pepper.
They mixed some of the known components together but only produced a pile of combustible powder. They were unable to replicate the intense burning of the original black powder.
It seemed the alchemists still had much work to do to justify the generous treatment they received from the Duke.
Apart from replicating the black powder, Giles also considered developing some defensive measures to counter the deadly metal projectiles, whether large or small.
However, the calculations were pessimistic. During the Horn Bay War, Giles had done his best to enhance the defenses of his prized army—the Undying Legion—without hindering their mobility. Yet, even the thick metal armor worn by the robust Undying soldiers could not stop a small bullet at a certain distance, let alone the larger metal projectiles. Those, when fired into a dense crowd, were indiscriminately lethal.
Giles had a premonition that he and Paul Grayman would eventually clash head-on. Therefore, he and his vassals racked their brains to devise an effective defense strategy.
However, before he could come up with a good plan, news arrived of the king's large-scale military parade in Crystal Glare.
"Perhaps Rodney XVIII intends to intimidate the northern orcs," his vassals tried to comfort their anxious lord.
But Giles did not think so. According to his intelligence, the north of Aldor seemed to have been entrusted by Rodney XVIII to Paul Grayman, who also commanded a powerful army.
(End of the Chapter)
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