The Lord Of Mysteries
Chapter 8: The New Era

Whooshing sound!

The wind accompanies the rain. The three-pole sailboat was swayed by the incoming peaks and troughs of waves, as if it was being toyed with by a giant.

The red light in Alger Wilson's eyes faded. He finds himself still left on the deck and nothing seems to have changed.

Almost instantly, the uniquely shaped glass bottle in his palm broke and the ice inside melted into rain. Within seconds, there was no longer a trace that indicated the existence of such an amazing antique.

Snowflakes like hexagonal crystals appear on the palms of Algeria. It then fades quickly until it seems to be absorbed by the flesh, disappearing completely in the process. Algeria nodded her head in an almost invisible way, as if she was thinking of something. He remained silent and silent for a full five minutes.

He turned around and headed towards the cabin. Just as he was about to enter, a man wearing a similar robe embroidered with a lightning pattern appeared from within.

This man, who had soft blonde hair, stopped and looked at Algeria. He held his right hand to his chest and said, "May the Storm be with you."

Algeria responded with the same words and gestures. There was no emotion on his rough face that had any clear structure.

Algeria entered the cabin after greeting and proceeded to the captain's cabin located at the end of the corridor.

Surprisingly, he did not meet any sailors on the road. The whole place was as deserted as a cemetery.

Behind the captain's cabin door, a soft brown carpet covered the floor. Bookcases and wine racks take opposite sides of the walls of the room. Books with yellowish covers and bottles of wine in deep red looked strange under the twinkling light of the candle.

On the table with candles, there was a bottle of ink, a quill pen, a pair of black metal telescopes, and a sextant made of brass.

Behind the table sat a pale middle-aged man wearing a captain's hat that had a skull on it. As Algeria approached him, he said in a threatening tone, "i won't give up!"

"i'm sure you can do it" Algeria said calmly, so calmly that he felt like he was commenting on the weather.

"You ..." The man seemed stunned by the unexpected answer.

At this time, the Algerians leaned slightly forward and suddenly ran across the room until they were only separated by a table.

Pa!

Algeria tightened her shoulders and extended her right hand to strangle the man.

The scales of the illusory fish appeared on the back of his hand as he crazily gathered more strength to strangle the man, not giving him time to respond.

The crack!

Amidst the crisp sound of cracks, the man's eyes widened as his body lifted.

His legs twitched furiously before they immediately became motionless. His pupils began to widen as he stared aimlessly. There was a foul smell from between his legs as his pants gradually became moist.

Raising the man up, Algeria lowered his back and stepped onto the wall.

Bang out! He used the man as a shield and smashed into the wall forward. His extremely muscular arms were terrifying.

A crack hole opened in the wooden wall, and it rained down, accompanied by the scent of the sea.

Alger threw the man out of the cabin, directly into the giant mountain-like waves.

The wind continued roaring in the darkness as almighty nature devoured everything.

Algeria took out a white handkerchief and wiped his right hand carefully before throwing it into the sea as well.

He stepped back and waited patiently for company.

In less than ten seconds, the blond man from before rushed in and asked, "What happened?"

"'Captain' has escaped," the Algerian replied in annoyance while panting. "I didn't know he still had some of his Beyonder powers."

"Suck!" the blonde cursed softly.

He went into the hole and stared into the distance. However, there was nothing to be seen except the waves and rain.

"Forget it, he's just extra loot," the blond-haired man said, waving his hand, "We'll still be rewarded for finding this ghost ship from the Tudor Era."

Even if he was a Sea Guard, he would not rush into the sea under these weather conditions.

"'Captain' won't be able to last much longer if the storm continues" Algeria said, nodding in agreement. The wooden wall was repairing itself at a visible speed.

He stared at the wall and subconsciously turned his head towards the steering wheel and the screen.

He was well aware of what was going on behind all the wooden planks.

The head mate, second mate, crew, and sailor were absent. No one lives on the ship!

Amidst all the emptiness, the steering wheel and the screen moved on their own eerily.

The Algerians again imagined the "Stupid" shrouded in a grayish-white mist and sighed.

He turned around and looked outside at the huge waves and spoke as if in a daydream while filled with anticipation and admiration, "A new era has begun …"

…

Consort of Borough, Backlund, capital of the Loen Kingdom.

Audrey Hall pinched her cheek in disbelief at her meeting some time ago.

On the dressing table in front of him, the old bronze mirror had been smashed into pieces.

Audrey directed her gaze down and saw a "red" swirling around on the back of her hand; it was like a tattoo depicting a star.

"Crimson" gradually faded and disappeared into his skin.

Only at this moment was Audrey convinced that it was not a dream.

His eyes sparkled as he grinned. She could not help but stand up before bending over to lift the tip of her dress.

He bowed towards the thin air and began to dance with life. It was the "Ancient Fairy Dance," the most popular dance among nobles today.

She had a bright smile on her face as she moved gracefully.

Knock it! Knock it! Someone suddenly knocked on the door of his room.

"Who is this?" Audrey immediately stopped her dance and asked while tidying up her dress to make it look more elegant.

"Miss, can I come in? you should start preparing for the ceremony," asked Audrey's maid from outside the door.

Audrey looked at the mirror on the dresser and quickly wiped the smile off her face, leaving only a slight smile.

He replied gently after he made sure everything was neat, "Get in."

The doorknob turned and Annie, his servant, pushed in.

"Oh, crack." said Annie while directly looking at the results of the old bronze mirror.

Audrey blinked and said slowly, "Erm, Yes! Susie's here now. I'm sure you know he likes to make a mess!"

Susie is a golden retriever that is not purebred. It was a gift given to his father, Count Hall, when he bought a hunting dog. Even so, Audrey adored him.

"You should train it well," Annie said, while taking the pieces of the bronze mirror carefully and carefully, lest it hurt her master.

Audrey thought for a moment and replied, "i love the dress that Madame Guinea designed for my 17th birthday."

"No, you can't wear the same dress twice for a formal ceremony or someone else will gossip and question the Hall family's financial ability," Annie said, shaking her head in disapproval.

"But I like it so much!" Audrey insisted gently.

"You can wear it at home or while attending a not-so-formal event" Annie said firmly, hinting that it was not negotiable.

"Then it must have been a lotus design along the sleeves of the shirt given by Mr. Sades two days ago," Audrey said as she sighed inconspicuously, maintaining her sweet smile.

"You always have good taste," Annie said as she stepped back and shouted towards the door, "Sixth changing room! Ah, forget it, I'll take it myself."

The servants started working. Dresses, accessories, footwear, hats, makeup, and hairstyles—all must be considered.

When it was almost ready, Count Hall appeared at the door wearing a dark brown vest.

He had a hat that had the same color as his clothes and a nice mustache. His blue eyes were filled with excitement, but his loosened muscles, widened waist, and wrinkles clearly shattered his handsome youth.

"The brightest jewel in the Backlund, it's time for our departure" Count Hall said, knocking on the door twice.

"Dad! Stop calling me that," Audrey protested as she got up with the help of the servants.

"Then, it's time to set off, my beautiful little princess," Count Hall said as she bent her left arm, gesturing for Audrey to hold her arm.

Audrey shook her head slightly and said, "That's for my mother, Madam Hall, Countess."

"Then this side," Count Hall bent his right arm with a smile and said, "This is for you, my greatest pride."

…

Royal Navy Base, Pritz Harbour, Oak Island.

When Audrey grabbed her father's arm and walked down the carriage, she was suddenly startled by the giant in front of her.

In a military port not far away, there was a large ship glittering with metallic reflections. The ship had no sails, leaving only an observatory deck, two towering chimneys, and two towers at the end of the ship.

It was so majestic and huge that the nearby display fleet was like a newborn dwarf swarming around a giant.

"Holy Lord of the Storm …"

"Oh, my lord."

"A powerful warship!"

…

Amidst the uproar, Audrey is also struck by an unprecedented miracle created by mankind. It was a sea wonder never seen before!

It took a while for nobles, ministers, and lawmakers to calm down. Then, a black dot in the sky began to enlarge until it occupied a third of the sky and entered everyone's gaze. The atmosphere suddenly became solemn.

It was a gigantic flying machine with a beautiful slender design floating in the air. The dark blue machine had airbags made of cotton that were supported by a strong but lightweight alloy structure. The bottom of the alloy structure has openings mounted with machine guns, projectile launchers, and muzzles. The excessive humming sound of the ignition steam engine and tail bar produced a symphony that amazed everyone.

The King's family arrived on their plane, exuding a majestic and undeniable authority.

Two swords, each with a ruby crown on its hilt, point vertically downward and reflect sunlight on both sides of the cabin. They are the epitome of the "Sword of Judgment" symbolizing the family of Augustus and have been passed down from earlier times.

Audrey is not yet eighteen, so she has not attended the "introduction ceremony", which is an event led by the Empress that marks one's debut on the social scene of Backlund, to announce her adult status. Therefore, he could not get any closer to the plane and had to stay still behind to watch the entire event.

But that doesn't matter to him. In fact, he was relieved that he did not need to deal with the princes.

'The 'miracle' that humans used to conquer the sky landed gently. The first down the stairs were handsome young guards wearing red ceremonial uniforms in white trousers. Decorated with medals, they formed two lines with rifles in hand. They were waiting for the appearance of King George III, his queen, as well as the prince and princess.

Audrey is not new to meeting important people, so she shows no interest at all. Instead, he focused his attention on the two black armored cavalry like statues flanking the king.

In this era of iron, steam, and cannons, it was surprising that there was still someone who could stand wearing complete armor.

The cold metallic luster and the dull black helmet showed solemnity and authority.

"Maybe they are high-level Discipline Paladins." Audrey recalled the casual conversation pieces among the adults. He was curious but did not dare to approach.

The ceremony began with the arrival of the king's family. The incumbent Prime Minister, Lord Aguesid Negan, came forward.

He is the second Conservative and non-noble party member to become Prime Minister to this day. He was given the title of God for his great contribution.

Of course, Audrey knew more. The main supporter of the Conservative party was the current Duke of Negan, Pallas Negan, who was the brother of Aguesid!

Aguesid is a slimmer, almost bald fifty-year-old man with a sharp gaze. He scanned the area before speaking.

“Gentlemen and ladies, I'm sure you've witnessed this warship that made history. The ship has dimensions of 101 by 21 meters. The ship has a superb port and right design. The protective belt is 457 millimeters thick. Displacement 10060 tons. There are four 305-millimeter main guns, six fast guns, 12 six-pound guns, 18 six-barrel machine guns, and four torpedo launchers. The speed can reach 16 knots!

"This is going to be a real hegemon! It will conquer the ocean!"

Crowd wakened. A mere description was enough to instill frightening images in them, let alone the fact that the real thing was right in front of them.

Aguesid smiled and spoke a few more lines before saluting the king and asking, "Your Majesty, please give it a name!"

"Because it will sail from the Port of Pritz, it should be named "The Pritz" replied George III. His expression showed his excitement.

"Pritz!"

"Pritz!"

…

Those words spread from the Minister of the Navy and Admiral of the Royal Navy to all the soldiers and officers on the deck. They all cried out in unison, "The Pritz!"

George III ordered the Pritz to sail for a test run amidst a salute of weapons and a celebratory atmosphere.

Ring it!

Thick smoke came out of the chimney. The sound from the engine could be faintly heard under the sound of the ship's horn.

The giant departed from the port. Everyone was shocked when the two main cannons at the bow of the ship opened fire on an uninhabited island in its path.

The explosion! The explosion! The explosion!

The ground shook as dust surged into the sky. Shock waves spread, producing waves in the sea.

Satisfied, Aguesid returned to the crowd and announced, "From today, the apocalypse will befall seven pirates who call themselves Admiral and four who call themselves King. They could only shiver in fear!

"This is the end of their era. Only powerful warships would roam the seas no matter if the pirates had the power of Beyonders, ghost ships, or damned ships."

Chief secretary Aguesid deliberately asked, "Can't they build their own warship?"

Some nobles and Members of Parliament nodded, feeling that such a possibility could not be eliminated.

Aguesid immediately smiled and shook his head slowly as he replied, "No way! That will never be possible! Building our sturdy warship requires three large coal and steel amalgamators, a scale of over twenty steel mills, 60 scientists and senior engineers from the Backlund Cannon Academy and the Pritz Nautical Academy, two royal shipyards, nearly a hundred spare parts factories, Admiralty, shipbuilding committees, Cabinet, a persistent king with far-sighted, forward-looking, and a big country with an annual steel production of 12 million tons !

"The pirates will never reach it."

After saying that, he paused and raised his hand before shouting agitatedly, "Master and Madam, the era of cannons and warships has arrived before us!"