Chapter 8: 8. Chapter 8: A New Era

Chapter 8: A New Era

Woo!

The gale howled and the rain poured down like a waterfall. The three-masted sailing ship rose and fell between one "mountain" of waves after another, like a toy being tossed and caught, caught and tossed by a giant.

The crimson in Alger Wilson’s eyes faded, and he found himself still standing on the deck, no different from before.

Following closely, he saw the strangely shaped glass bottle in his palm shatter with a crack; the frost and snow turned into water, merging with the raindrops.

In just two or three seconds, this ancient relic had completely lost all traces of its former existence.

A hexagonal, crystalline snowflake appeared in Alger’s palm, then rapidly faded until it vanished, as if it had retracted into his flesh.

Alger nodded imperceptibly, as if contemplating something, and remained silent for a full five minutes.

He turned his body and walked toward the entrance of the cabin. Just as he was about to enter, he encountered a man wearing the same robe embroidered with lightning patterns coming out.

The man with soft yellow hair paused, looked at Alger, extended his right hand, and placed his fist against his chest, saying

"May the Storm be with you."

"May the Storm be with you." Alger’s rugged, deep-featured face bore no extra emotion as he also struck his left chest with his right fist.

After exchanging salutes, Alger entered the cabin and walked along the corridor toward the captain’s quarters in the distance.

Along the way, he did not encounter a single sailor or crew member; it was as quiet as the inside of a tomb.

The door to the captain’s quarters opened, revealing a soft, thick, dark brown carpet. On either side were bookshelves and a liquor cabinet. Books with yellowed covers and bottles of dark red wine shimmered with an eerie luster under the glow of the candles.

On the desk where the candles were placed sat an ink bottle, a quill, a black metal telescope, and a brass sextant.

Behind the desk, a middle-aged man wearing a captain’s hat with a skull emblem and a pale complexion watched Alger approach step by step, gritting his teeth in anger as he said

"I will not submit!"

"I believe you can do it." Alger’s tone was as calm as if he were commenting on the poor weather.

"You..." The middle-aged man froze, seemingly not expecting such a reply.

At that moment, Alger’s body arched slightly, and he suddenly lunged forward, instantly closing the distance between them to just the width of the desk.

*Slap!*

His shoulder tightened, and his right hand shot out, gripping the middle-aged man’s throat.

Without giving the opponent a chance to react, patches of illusory fish scales emerged on the back of his hand, and his five fingers exerted frantic pressure.

*Crack!*

Amidst the crisp sound, the middle-aged man’s eyes widened in shock as his entire body was lifted off the ground.

His legs kicked violently, but soon returned to stillness. His gaze became vacant, his pupils began to dilate, and his crotch area gradually grew wet, emitting a foul stench.

Alger lifted the middle-aged man, hunched his back, and strode toward the nearby wall.

*Bang!* Using the middle-aged man as a shield, he slammed him fiercely against the front, his arm as thick and powerful as a monster’s.

The wooden wall shattered upon impact, and the violent wind and rain, carrying the briny scent of the sea, swept inside.

Alger twisted his waist and back, throwing the middle-aged man out of the cabin and into the mountain-like waves one after another.

The sky was dark, the wind and rain howled, and the great power of nature buried everything.

Alger took out a white handkerchief, carefully wiped his right palm, and then threw it into the sea as well.

Stepping back, he waited patiently for his companion to enter.

"What happened?" Less than ten seconds later, the man with the soft yellow hair from earlier rushed in.

"The 'Captain' escaped." Alger panted, answering with annoyance, "He actually still retained some Beyonder powers!"

"Damn it!" The yellow-haired man cursed in a low voice.

He walked to the breach, staring into the distance, but could see nothing except the wind, rain, and waves.

"Forget it, he was just an extra." The yellow-haired man waved his arm. "Finding this Tudor-era ghost ship is a merit in itself."

Even as a Favored of the Sea, he dared not rashly dive into the water in this kind of weather.

"And if the storm continues, the 'Captain' won't last long." Alger nodded, noticing that the breach in the wooden wall was beginning to squirm and repair itself at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He took a deep look, then subconsciously turned his head to look toward the ship’s helm and sails.

Even separated by layers of wood, he could clearly sense the situation there.

No first mate, no second mate, no crew, no sailors, not even a living soul!

It was empty; the helm and sails were adjusting themselves in an eerie fashion.

The image of the "Fool" shrouded in gray-white mist surfaced in his mind again, and Alger suddenly sighed.

He turned to look at the raging wind and waves outside, murmuring in a tone that was both expectant and fearful

"A new era has begun..."

…………

Loen Kingdom, capital city of Backlund, Empress Borough.

Audrey Hall pinched her cheek, unable to believe what she had just experienced.

On the vanity in front of her, the ancient bronze mirror was shattered into pieces.

Looking down, Audrey saw "crimson" flowing on the back of her hand, like a star-shaped "tattoo."

The "crimson" gradually dimmed, finally hiding beneath her skin and disappearing.

Only then did Audrey confirm that she was not dreaming.

Waves of emotion rippled in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth curled up bit by bit. She couldn't help but stand up, bending down to lift her skirt.

Bowing to the empty air, Audrey took light steps, spun her body, and danced the "Ancient Elf Dance," the most popular dance in the court at the time.

Her figure fluttered, and her face was filled with a brilliant smile.

*Knock, knock, knock!* The bedroom door was suddenly knocked.

"Who is it?" Audrey stopped instantly, assuming a graceful posture.

"My lady, may I come in? It’s time for you to prepare," her personal maid asked from outside.

Audrey tilted her head to look at the mirror on the vanity, quickly收敛 (withdrawing) her smile, leaving only a faint trace.

She looked left and right, and after confirming that her appearance was flawless, she spoke gently

"Come in."

Turning the handle, her personal maid, Annie, pushed the door open and entered.

"Oh, it’s broken..." Annie immediately saw the fate of the ancient bronze mirror.

Audrey blinked and said slowly

"Uh, yes, um, Susie came in earlier. You know, she always likes to destroy things!"

Susie was a golden retriever of not-so-pure blood, a gift her father, Earl Hall, had received when he bought foxhounds, but she was very much loved by Audrey.

"You must teach her a lesson." Annie skillfully cleaned up the mirror shards, fearing they might hurt her mistress.

After finishing, she looked at Audrey and asked with a smile

"Which dress would you like to wear?"

Audrey thought for a moment and said, "I like the one Mrs. Ginny designed for my seventeenth birthday."

"No, people will say the Hall family is facing a financial crisis if a dress is worn for a second time at a formal occasion!" Annie shook her head in refusal.

"But I really like it," Audrey emphasized in a gentle tone.

"You can wear it at home, or for less formal occasions," Annie said with an attitude that left no room for negotiation.

"Then the one Mr. Sedes sent over the day before yesterday, the one with the ruffled cuffs." Audrey took a hidden breath, maintaining an elegant and sweet smile.

"Your taste is always so excellent." Annie smiled and stepped back, calling out to the door, "The sixth dressing room—never mind, I’ll go get it myself."

The maids began to bustle about: one responsible for the gown, one for the jewelry, one for the shoes, one for the veil, one for Audrey’s makeup, and one considering her hairstyle.

As the preparations neared their end, Earl Hall, wearing a dark brown vest, appeared at the door.

He wore a top hat of the same color and sported a pair of handsome mustaches. His azure eyes were full of smiles, but the sagging muscles, bulging belly, and increasingly prominent nasolabial folds ruthlessly ruined the handsomeness of his youth.

"The most dazzling gem of Backlund, it’s time for us to depart." Earl Hall stood at the entrance and tapped twice on the open door.

"Father, don't call me that." Audrey stood up with the help of her maid, deliberately showing a look of distress.

"Then my beautiful little princess, it’s time to depart." Earl Hall bent his left arm, signaling for Audrey to take it.

Audrey shook her head with a faint smile

"That is the position for Lady Hall, the Countess, my dear mother."

"Then this side." Earl Hall smiled and bent his right arm. "This is the pride of a father."

…………

Pritz Harbor, Oak Island, Royal Navy Base.

When Audrey stepped off the carriage holding her father’s arm, she was suddenly shocked by the behemoth before her.

In the nearby naval port, there was a towering giant ship shimmering with metallic luster. It had no sails, only an observation deck, two towering chimneys, and two open gun turrets arranged front and back.

It was so majestic and so massive that the sailing ships of the line docked nearby looked like newborn dwarves crowding around a giant.

"Storm above..."

"Oh, my Lord."

"An ironclad!"

...

Exclamations intertwined in low voices. Audrey felt the same shock; it was a miracle created by humanity, an unprecedented miracle of the sea!

After an unknown amount of time, the nobles, ministers, and members of the House of Commons recovered. At this moment, a black dot in the sky grew from small to large, gradually occupying a third of the sky and capturing everyone’s gaze, making the atmosphere suddenly solemn.

It was a massive behemoth floating and flying in mid-air. It had extremely smooth and graceful lines, painted entirely in deep blue. A sturdy yet lightweight alloy frame supported the cotton fabric containing the gasbags. Below, a cabin was suspended with machine gun ports, bomb bays, and direct-fire cannon ports. The exaggerated humming of the high-combustion steam engines and the frantic rotation of the tail propellers formed a heart-shaking symphony.

The airship carrying the royal family had arrived, bearing the majesty of looking down upon everything from above.

A "Sword of Judgment" emblem, pointing vertically downward with a ruby crown for a hilt, reflected the sunlight on both sides of the cabin. This was the long-standing symbol of the Augustus family, traceable back to the previous epoch.

Audrey was not yet eighteen and had not yet participated in the "presentation ceremony" to formally enter Backlund’s social circles under the guidance of the Queen to announce her adulthood. She could only watch quietly from where she stood and could not get close.

However, she didn't care much; she even felt relieved that she didn't have to face the princes.

The "miracle" of humanity conquering the sky landed steadily. The first to descend from the escalator were spirited young guards. They wore red dress uniforms, white trousers, and sashes, holding rifles as they lined up in two rows, waiting for King George III, the Queen, the princes, and the princesses to appear.

It wasn't that Audrey hadn't seen important figures before; she had no interest in this. Instead, her gaze wandered, looking at the two black-armored knights standing like statues beside the King.

In this era of steel, steam, and firearms, there were actually guys who insisted on wearing full-body armor!

That cold metallic luster and those deep black helmets gave a feeling of heaviness, majesty, and the necessity of obedience.

"Could it be a higher-sequence 'Punishment Knight'..." Fragments of gossip from her elders flashed through Audrey’s mind. She had the desire to witness it, but dared not approach.

With the arrival of the royal family, the ceremony finally began. The current Prime Minister, Lord Aguesid Negan, walked to the front of the crowd.

He was a member of the Conservative Party and one of the only two great figures to become Prime Minister without a noble background. Due to his outstanding contributions, he had been granted a lordship.

Of course, Audrey knew more: Aguesid’s older brother, a major supporter of the Conservative Party, was Pallas Negan, the Duke of Negan of this generation!

Aguesid was in his fifties, tall and thin, with thinning hair and sharp eyes. After scanning the crowd, he said

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have already seen it. This is an ironclad, an ironclad capable of overturning the era. It is 101 meters long, 21 meters wide, with a high-freeboard design. The main armor belt is 457 millimeters thick, with a displacement of 10,060 tons. It has a total of four 305-millimeter main guns, front and rear, as well as 6 quick-firing guns, 12 6-pounder guns, 18 six-barreled machine guns, and 4 torpedo tubes. Its speed can reach 16 knots!"

"It will be the true hegemon; it will conquer the sea!"

The nobles, ministers, and members of parliament were in an uproar. The Prime Minister’s description alone was enough for them to imagine the terror of this ironclad, not to mention that the real thing was right before their eyes!

Aguesid revealed a slight smile, gave a few more words of speech, and then bowed to King George III

"Your Majesty, please name it."

"Starting from Pritz Harbor, let’s call it the Pritz." George III’s expression was quite pleased.

"The Pritz!"

"The Pritz!"

...

Starting from the Minister of the Navy and the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy, the name spread in turn, finally reaching the ironclad, where officers and soldiers cheered in unison

"The Pritz!"

Amidst the celebratory atmosphere, salute cannons fired in succession, and George III gave the order to set sail for a test fire.

Woo!

The steam whistle sounded, thick smoke billowed from the chimneys, and the movement of the machinery was faintly audible.

The behemoth set sail. When it exited the harbor and bombarded a small uninhabited island ahead with the two main guns on its bow, everyone was shocked.

*Boom! Boom! Boom!*

The earth seemed to shake, dust rushed into the sky, and a hurricane swept outward, churning up the waves.

Prime Minister Aguesid turned around with satisfaction and said to the nobles, ministers, and members of parliament

"From now on, those seven pirates who call themselves generals, those four pirates who have usurped the title of king, can only tremble and wait for their doom!"

"Their era is over. Even if they have more or less Beyonder powers, or ghost or cursed ships, the ones who will dominate the ocean can only be ironclads!"

At this moment, Aguesid’s chief secretary asked deliberately

"Then can’t they build their own ironclads?"

Some nobles and members of parliament nodded secretly, thinking this possibility could not be ruled out.

Aguesid immediately revealed a smile, shook his head slowly, and said

"Impossible, never! Building such an ironclad requires three large coal-steel conglomerates, twenty large-scale steel mills, sixty scientists from the Backlund Artillery Research Institute and the Pritz Shipbuilding Research Institute, and even more senior engineers. It requires two royal shipyards and nearly a hundred affiliated parts factories. It requires an Admiralty, a Shipbuilding Committee, a Cabinet, a determined King with excellent vision, and a great nation with an annual steel output of 12 million tons!"

"Pirates will never be able to do it."

Having said this, he paused, then raised his arms and shouted passionately

"Ladies and gentlemen, the era of giant ships and heavy cannons has arrived!"

(End of chapter)