Chapter 481
The body, which had undergone mutations, was remarkably sturdy and robust. It wouldn't have been strange for the head to break apart from the attack, but Duran's head remained intact. However, it wasn't as if what was inside was fine.
The weapons that Rinne used, including the bar she loved to wield against opponents, had evolved along with her powers. This evolution was primarily related to the vibration aspect of her attacks. Rinne would briefly apply ultra-high vibrations to her body to enhance the destructive power of her attacks.
It was quite absurd for such a simple ability to generate such a loud explosion and create such a thick cloud of smoke. It was an ability she had possessed from the beginning. As for any additional abilities, Davey still hadn't discovered them.
After executing the gentlemanly method of subduing another, Rinne slung the hammer over her shoulder and turned to look at Davey. "Report! Rinne's mission has been accomplished."
"Good job."
"P-Prince!"
There were still quite a few nobles who had failed to grasp the gravity of the situation. Seeing a man rush directly toward him, Davey said quietly, "Take a closer look and choose wisely."
"Ugh…"
"Is this person before you the heir to the throne who will cater to your self-interest, or is he a mutated vampire who won't bring you any benefits?"
"The... The prince must have made a sacrifice..."
"Sacrifice is not the word to use here."
"..."
"Usually, when a vampire is turned and mutated against their will, they lose their reason and sanity. The fact that he's still sane means he wholeheartedly accepted the change."
‘You should understand these words, no?’
The surroundings fell silent at Davey's words. A cold smile crept onto Davey's lips as he turned toward the pale-faced and speechless president. "Do you have anything else to say?"
The man shook his head in response; it seemed he had nothing more to add.
***
Whether on the documentary level or the national stage, it was no easy feat for a technical advisor in a pivotal role at the Alchemy School to visit another country, particularly the Heins Territory.
Ultimately, the president faced defeat, yet he remained distinct from Duran. New revelations had come to light, including the corruption festering behind the scenes. Critics closed in on him like hyenas, pouncing on their unsuspecting prey. Eventually, the president was forced to resign, and a replacement election ensued. However, it wasn't a matter that could be decided hastily.
Inside a hushed prison chamber, the president silently looked up at Davey, who was standing before him. Then, he asked, "For the last time, Prince Davey, can you share something with me?"
"What's on your mind?"
"That blueprint. You intentionally left it behind, didn't you?"
Davey nodded in response to the president's composed and inquisitive question.
"Then, that means you... No, nevermind. It seems you've encountered the zenith of technology, something incomparable even to the golem created by Technical Advisor Edison?"
Davey silently patted Rinne, who was standing alongside him, on the head. Rinne promptly raised one hand and began to manipulate her body. Cracks appeared on her otherwise flawless white arm, revealing red and blue lines.
"Ha..."
The entity harboring technology far surpassing any other golem was right before the president's eyes. He couldn't help but smile despondently at this realization. It was right in front of him, yet he had failed to recognize it. Ultimately, he chose to remain silent.
Following this, Edison journeyed to the Heins Territory to fulfill his commitment with Davey and participate in the project. Initially, Edison contemplated leaving Tiara behind due to the challenges of living in a foreign nation. However, Tiara insisted she would resent him and raise a ruckus if he didn't take her along. Fortunately, Davey had already noticed this with Perserque and made preparations in advance.
"Welcome to the Heins Territory."
Beyond the tear in the fabric of space, they witnessed streams of water coursing and twirling through a transparent conduit, converging toward the colossal sphere on one side of the territory, casting a radiant glow across the sky. This project, established in the wake of the underground waterway, constituted an expansive system overseeing, governing, and enhancing water quality throughout the area.
"Goodness... it's so breathtaking," Tiara exclaimed in awe of the mesmerizing spectacle, unparalleled even in the Kingdom of Pogos, the very cradle of Alchemy Schools.
Meanwhile, Edison muttered ruefully to himself, "Had I known such a place existed within this modest land, I would have come sooner."
"Ahem! Haven't I told you about this before?! You old coot! I urged you to witness firsthand the character of the Wise Teacher, but you preconceived without investigating, you senile old man!"
"Ey! Your temper is truly insufferable!"
Davey guided the bickering Elder Golgouda and Technical Advisor Edison toward the Lord's castle. During their journey, Tiara explored in wonderment, expressing her admiration for the Heins Territory and the harmonious coexistence of elves, dwarves, and beastfolk in this remarkable place.
"Grandpa! Grandpa! Look over there! It's an elf! An elf! Kyaa! This is my first encounter with an elf!"
"Ey! Don't cause a scene!"
"Wow. So beautiful... I've heard all elves are stunning."
It appeared that the girl remained blissfully unaware of her own allure, which even the elves might envy.
“Cough! Whose granddaughter do you think you are? No one can compare to you. In your grandfather's eyes, you are the most beautiful."
“Wow, grandpa. That’s disgusting.”
“Ey! This bastard!”
Observing the old dwarf turn his head and grunt, Tiara promptly approached him and put on a cute act. It appeared she found the behavior amusing.
"The residents don't seem to show fear even when they see their Lord... It looks like he's quite popular."
“Hey! This damn old geezer! Again?!”
“The shitty geezer should get lost!”
The two dwarves continued to bicker, but Edison's words carried a more profound significance.
"Just because they're not afraid doesn't necessarily mean that the residents are living well," he remarked.
Effective coordination was of paramount importance. If things were too lax, confusion and chaos could ensue.
"Does that answer your question?" Edison asked.
Davey nodded and replied, "It's quite challenging to manage a crowd like this."
"Instead of discussing matters like that, engineers should let their technology do the talking."
With Tiara in tow, Davey led Edison straight to the laboratory situated in the underground space of the lord's castle.
“Beep. Moving to the Decepticon Fleet’s Storage Workshop.”
As soon as Davey laid his hand on the magic crystal, a pre-recorded voice of a girl resonated throughout the workshop. Simultaneously, intricate patterns on the massive iron doors twisted and shifted until wisps of smoke escaped through the cracks, slowly swinging the doors open.
"Wow..." Tiara exclaimed in sheer amazement, taken aback by the workshop's sophisticated appearance, which surpassed her expectations.
Meanwhile, Edison swiftly surveyed the surroundings, resembling a hawk scouring for prey as his sharp eyes darted around.
"What are these, Wise Teacher?" Edison inquired, turning to Davey. "Did you create all of these, Wise Teacher?"
"Well, I received significant assistance from the dwarves here."
"They requested compensation in the form of your technology and expertise."
"Yes."
Edison let out a dejected sigh at Davey's composed response. "Absolutely incredible. I feel like a frog stuck in a well..."
Davey simply smiled and led the way into the workshop. Tiara and Edison followed, their jaws dropping in astonishment when they beheld the wonders within the expansive workshop.
"Grandfather, look at that..."
"Uhm..." Edison groaned, a mixture of shock and amazement washing over him.
The Decepticon Fleet bore a striking resemblance to Doom. Yet, to those in the know, it was evident that their performance far surpassed their predecessor. Juggernaut and Sniper locked arms and danced, while Megatron and Tanker engaged in a fierce arm-wrestling match. Meanwhile, Puma, sleek in its beast-like form, limbered up, poised to pounce. Their actions exhibited a level of autonomy that went beyond conventional golems.
"This... Wise Teacher Davey... What exactly are they?"
"They are Doom's predecessors. To put it simply, Doom is a downgraded version of them."
Davey couldn't divulge information about the advanced versions of these golems. He had prepared to some extent for the revelation of Doom's technology, as its release to the world was inevitable. However, he had no intention of acknowledging the existence of the Decepticon Fleet to the outside world.
"Wow... My goodness..." Tiara gazed in awe and admiration at the two dancing golems.
As a skilled alchemist with a talent for golem-making herself, the disparity between her abilities and Davey's creations was evident; her golems would pale in comparison.
"Wait... You're not controlling them from the outside, are you?"
"They operate autonomously."
They were designed to function using extensive built-in data and algorithms. They continuously refined and resolved issues related to the Decepticon Fleet, facilitating their development.
"Oh! Wise Teacher, welcome—Hey! Someone's here, huh?! It's the blue fellow!"
"It's the second troublesome rascal!"
Elder Golgouda had engaged in a similar exchange earlier, and it seemed Elder Goulda was no different. The two dwarves bickered and argued upon meeting, prompting Tiara, who watched the spectacle, to laugh heartily.
"Brother, you're here?"
Then, a teenage girl clad in a white coat and delicate glasses appeared. She was none other than Aeonitia O'Rowane, a rare prodigy who followed a distinct path from Tiara and was celebrated as the Watch Princess. Despite her young age, she could invent things that even the most renowned alchemists on the continent had never fathomed.
"It appears everyone has gathered."
Elder Goulda, who had been arguing with Edison, immediately shifted his focus to Davey upon hearing his words. "Have you already met with the Bluestone Tribe?"
"I wasn't able to meet with them, which is why I brought Technical Advisor Edison and Miss Tiara along."
“Hmm… Well, even though he has a nasty temper he’s still an old geezer with good technical skills,” Elder Golgouda said as he stroked his long beard.
“Since everyone’s here, I’ll get straight to the point.” Davey said quietly, “From now on, I’m planning on doing this large-scale project in the northwestern region of Heins Territory. Technical Advisor Edison and Miss Tiara have already promised to work with me so all I need is your decision.”
"If the Wise Teacher asks me to do something, then I will do it!"
"My body is already itching! I can't wait to learn something new!"
"Take a shower, you old geezer!"
"What, what?!"
True to their race's hot-blooded nature, the two dwarves immediately grabbed each other by the collars and started to fight. Davey swiftly intervened, mediating between the two, and continued to address the dwarves and engineers who had gathered around him, "From now on, we will begin the final defense project for the territory."
"Final defense? Haven't we already perfected the golem's automatic defense system?"
"Wrong. That's not enough. If I were going to do something half-heartedly, I wouldn't have called all of you here to discuss it. This time, the project will require a significant amount of time and skill."
Of course, exceptional talent would also be necessary. In other words, Davey needed a large team for this project.
"What exactly are you planning to create?"
Davey had avoided answering that question earlier, but now that he had found the necessary elements and organized his thoughts, there was nothing left to hide.
"I'm planning to build a flying fortress in the sky, using a massive mana core and alchemy."
Did they hear Davey correctly? He wanted to create not just a moving, but a flying fortress.
Unlike Earth, where science was highly advanced, the Yurgian Continent, where alchemy had significantly developed, and unlike the Atrellia Continent, where magic had thrived, the Tionis Continent was a world where alchemy, holy magic, and magic were all equally developed. In other words, introducing a concept from another world was incredibly challenging in this realm.
Davey was aware that he would face limitations when bringing in materials, so he had to ensure that the project was feasible within this world. It would require an overwhelming amount of time and resources, but that didn't deter him. Davey was determined to make it happen.
He pulled out some of the plans and blueprints he had prepared in advance and distributed them to everyone present. "These are partial blueprints for the nuclear reactor, which will serve as the power core of the fortress. If you feel prepared, please step forward. If you're not confident in handling this, then declare now that you'll abstain from the project."
All the engineers, technicians, and craftsmen present stepped forward as if they had been eagerly waiting for Davey's words. It was a testament to the allure of the blueprints Davey had presented.
"Starting with that, we will create a one-hundred-meter-long ultra-massive nuclear reactor. We have sufficient materials and an abundance of catalysts."
How would they achieve this? Well, they would have to figure that out, right? A playful smile danced on Davey's lips, causing everyone's faces to pale.
"Of course, that was a joke."
"Brother, that didn't sound like a joke at all..." Aeonitia murmured, her complexion growing even paler.
It seemed like she had not forgotten what Davey had done before. What did he do? He had made her imagine a large garden and a pond, their beauty and grandeur, before saying, ‘What are you doing? Think of a way to make it and do it right away.’
The girl's mind still harbored lingering trauma after experiencing something like that.
"Aeonitia, don't you trust your older brother?" Davey murmured bitterly, as though expressing his hurt.
Aeonitia's eyes widened, but she replied firmly, "No, I don't trust you at all."
Davey fell silent, taken aback by the absolute certainty and confidence in her words.
The source of this c𝐨ntent is fre𝒆w(e)bn(o)vel