Mechanical Alchemist

Hearing the sailors' exclamations on deck, everyone in the cabin rushed out.

Su Lun didn't know why, but he had a slight sense of foreboding.

The fog wasn't natural?

He thought of something called "war fog," which is a large-scale artificial fog developed to conceal military movements on the battlefield.

Su Lun instinctively had a thought: they had been ambushed!

The sea looked boundless, but in reality, the shipping route from Gadronte Harbor to the northern lands was fixed to only those one or two mature routes.

Estimating their journey, they should currently be in a place called the "Bartholomew Strait." This strait was named after the navigator who discovered this shipping route.

This sea area was like the narrow middle part of a funnel, getting narrower and narrower. Near the strait, there was a large area of reefs, and passing ships could only be safe by following the established shipping lanes.

If someone were to set up a blockade, this would be one of the best ambush spots.

Moreover, this was an area frequently infested with pirates.

At the moment, since there were no sounds of battle, it seemed that the situation was not too urgent—at least there would not be an emergency such as encountering giant sea monsters, pirates, or running aground on a reef.

As these thoughts flashed through his mind, Su Lun put away his books and cautiously made his way to the deck.

He was also very curious about what the sailors had seen to elicit such exclamations.

Just as he looked up, the massive object in the fog rudely burst into his field of vision.

A... very huge steam-powered steel-clad warship!

The "Monte Cristo" the medium-sized sailing ship that Su Lun was currently aboard, seemed like a kitten compared to a male lion when placed in front of that exaggerated behemoth, appearing so fragile and defenseless.

This was a massive warship as gigantic as an aircraft carrier from his previous world, with a height equivalent to twenty or thirty-story buildings. Three huge smokestacks were spewing thick black smoke. Large rivets fixed steel plates around the hull, as if they were armoring the behemoth with a layer of armor, creating a strong visual impact of invincibility. The bow was as sharp as an axe, with a lion's head-shaped gold ram at the top, adorned with inscriptions oozing with firmness, visible to the naked eye, as if any ship that collided with it would be instantly destroyed into dust.

The most exaggerated aspect was that the ship bristled with artillery of various calibers!

Like the spines on a hedgehog's back, ominously displayed.

There were six long main gun barrels, each twenty to thirty meters, at the front and rear of the ship. Aside from that, there were turrets scattered all over the hull, with thousands of densely-packed gun barrels. There were also giant harpoons, alchemical crossbows, heavy machine gun control stations... a myriad of war weapons that made one's scalp tingle at the sight!

More is better, big is beautiful, caliber is justice, and within the range is the truth!

This was the shipbuilding philosophy of this steam-mechanical era.

This ironclad warship perfectly encapsulated the meaning of that phrase.

Massive!

Armed to the teeth!

Sturdy!

....

Ten wooden sailing ships on their way to the northern lands all stopped in front of this steel behemoth, with everyone crowding onto the deck, utterly astonished by the iron beast that lay before them.

"This... how can there be such a huge steel ship! My God, could it be that the Mafa Empire's fleet has come to attack us?"

"Look, it's not a Mafa ship. That on the warship is Duke Raphael's noble flag!"

"How is that possible... How could our empire have such a gigantic warship?!"

"..."

Beyond shock, there was only more shock!

The appearance of this massive battleship completely exceeded everyone's knowledge on board.

Seeing this battleship, Su Lun, in addition to being shocked, immediately realized something ominous: "Duke Raphael actually secretly built such a powerful warship?"

Seeing how shocked the crew members were, it was obvious that there was no news of it in the outside world.

And now it was exposed?

Sulin even suspected that the Royal Family of Ruleen might not be aware that Duke Raphael had this "asset."

Being a mechanic himself, he glanced at the caliber of the cannons and the length of the gun barrels on the ship, roughly estimating the range of these guns.

The larger the turret, the sturdier the ship's body needed to be to withstand the impact of the gunfire. Only an ironclad battleship could be equipped with so many and such massive cannons.

It was not just about size; this also involved complex mechanical engineering!

This type of warship might appear in the Mafa Empire, but absolutely not in Luying.

Because the technological content within the warship was at least several decades ahead of Luying's current warships!

....

No wonder there was a war fog—it was used to conceal this super dreadnought.

However, Su Lun was worried about something else.

You've seen the secrets, can they let you live?

Traditional sailing ships stand no chance against such maritime steel fortresses, even with top enchantments and materials, they are easily destroyed.

Apart from the advantage of speed in fleeing, none of their other qualities could compare.

The cannons on these sailing ships are like rifles against tanks—simply inadequate!

Sailing warships might have a chance to escape from ordinary ironclad ships,

But not from this behemoth!

The range of cannons this size could be tens of nautical miles; if you see it, you're within range, with no chance to escape!

...

Others didn't know what Duke Rafael was doing here, but Su Lun immediately guessed it.

Not long ago, the pirates under the "King of the North Sea" attacked Black Reef and looted Duke Rafael's "mines", and just yesterday, the [Super Mechanic Soldier Blueprint] was auctioned off at Gadronte Harbor...

This was no small grievance.

He was now concealed by the war fog, lying in wait here, obviously out for revenge.

"Could it be that the blueprint wasn't carried off by Mafa's people last night?"

Su Lun immediately thought of the Soul Shard from the mechanical soldier he stripped last night, "Our task is to act as bait..."

It was indeed possible!

Even with submarines, this was Luying's hinterland; it would be difficult for those people to break out of the blockade with the blueprint and escape.

It's not impossible, but the likelihood of being intercepted was greater.

"So... last night was actually a feint, the Mafa legion commander himself led people to break through as a decoy to attract fire. In fact, the blueprint didn't leave Gadronte Harbor at all last night!"

Su Lun immediately connected all the clues in his mind and deduced the rough truth of the matter.

He originally thought that such matters had nothing to do with him, but now it seemed he had been implicated.

Moreover, if Duke Rafael's warship was keeping such a high profile here, then he must have some precise intelligence.

"It seems that those guys have some means to locate the blueprint..."

Su Lun murmured to himself.

And now he was almost certain, the one with the blueprint was hidden on one of the ships in this fleet!

"Seems like I'm not having the best of luck..."

Su Lun felt as though if he did not leave the harbor, he might not be implicated.

Could the Druid's prophecy have been wrong?

Coming to the sea, not only did he not receive protection, but encountered danger instead.

But obviously, that was not the case.

The crisis stemmed not only from this ironclad ship but from something else!

Suddenly, a strong palpitation struck him, that familiar sensation of being "thought of" washed over him like dark clouds overhead.

This feeling, just like the one he had in Old Lington when he was tracked down by the divination of William Regadi's people!

Su Lun immediately had a bad premonition, "Someone is divining me!"

And by the time he sensed it, a gaze from the dreadnought locked onto him as well.

....

Half an hour earlier.

On the "Duke Rafael" battleship, in the captain's quarters.

The exquisite magic crystal chandelier illuminated the spacious room with a warm, dim yellow glow that bathed the chamber in a lush spring hue.

The cabin's decor was elegant and luxurious, exuding the noble air of aristocracy in every detail.

Directly opposite the door was a row of neatly arranged bookshelves, and in front of a vast sea chart was a solid wood desk. Adorned with navigation instruments, on the desk was an open bottle of red wine, and in two tall glasses remained some undrunk scarlet liquid. On the rim of one glass, there still lingered the faint mark of lips. Walking towards the inner room, the soft cashmere carpet was scattered with some clothing items—luxurious black gowns, women's intimate garments.

After a while, a mature woman with undiminished charm walked naked from the bed.

She picked up the clothes scattered on the carpet and chairs, standing in front of the dressing mirror.

Though the woman's face bore the grace of years, the splendid naked body reflected in the mirror shone with a luster no less smooth than a young girl's skin. One could tell from the skin alone that this was a noblewoman of exceptional care.

The middle-aged man also got out of bed, embracing her from behind, his large hands kneading the delicate and smooth skin, seemingly insatiable.

The man had a beard, a robust body, yet there was a calm and intimidating composure about him.

This man was none other than the current hereditary Duke of the Rafael family, Vogt Rafael.

"Lady Portia, the time spent with you is truly delightful," he said.

Hearing these frivolous words, the mature woman didn't find anything amiss; instead, she smiled coquettishly. She freed herself from those greedy hands and said, "Oh, Duke, I am but an old woman whose charms are fading. Your compliments should be reserved for those young girls..."

Lady Portia indeed was a duchess, but not Duke Rafael's.

Duke Rafael looked at the naked beauty before him and generously lavished his praise: "No, madam, in my eyes, you are the most perfect lover."

Lady Portia, not minding in the least, laughed lightly at his words.

This was praise for her.

Such ambiguous relationships were not uncommon in the Lu Ying noble circles.

It was no novelty for high-ranking nobles to have several lovers; not only were the lords and young masters promiscuous, but the ladies and misses were too. Even among the upper-class circles, the elites would brag about their numerous affairs.

Duke Rafael asked, "Won't you stay a little longer?"

Lady Portia had just put on her intimate garments and was pulling her skirt over her hips to cover much of her revealed charms, casually replying, "Didn't you say, Duke, that the blueprints will arrive in half an hour? We should also be going out... Although I don't mind, it would be rather awkward if William saw us, given that he is my son."

Duke Rafael laughed at her words, "Young Master William is indeed talented."

By this time, Lady Portia had already dressed, and she was now standing in front of the mirror, putting on a dazzling diamond necklace.

Duke Rafael, ever the gentleman, took the necklace from her hand and helped her put it on.

The two engaged in sporadic conversation.

"Duke, are you not the least bit concerned about the blueprint?"

"The blueprint's material itself contains a special marker. Whether through sealing in space or other hidden methods, I can lock on to its location. It can't be lost. Moreover, the core part of the blueprint is inscribed with spiritual power. Even if given to those pirates, in such a short span of time, they would have no ability to copy it. The infuriating thing is that they destroyed a lot of important research equipment in the institute, and those mechanics..."

"Oh? Is that so..."

"Those pirates have some smarts too, having sold what they stole immediately. Heh... It's hilarious that the royal family thought they could take advantage of the situation."

"Lu Ying has decayed to its core, the royal family's internal struggles never pause. Arms dealers only see the profits brought by war, without a care for anything else."

"Hmph, a bunch of bloated parasites; they will soon be the death of the entire empire because of their actions."

"..."

...

Before long, Lady Portia, now fully dressed, made her way to the deck.

A handsome young man in a white military uniform was diligently sorting through a pile of documents on the deck.

If Su Lun were here, he would certainly have realized that these documents contained various kinds of intelligence about him.

His identity within the Order of the Cross, photos of his bald punk style, social connections, movement trajectories, events participated in, and the methods he was skilled in...

By the young man's side, an old mage dressed in a court mage's robe was divining something with a strand of hair when he suddenly said, "Your Highness, the target has appeared within thirty nautical miles to the southwest. He's heading in our direction."

The young man was none other than William Regadi, the primary heir of the Regadi family!

William respectfully nodded to the old man, "Thank you for your efforts, Master Maburite."

He paused, then smirked, "Heh, he's coming right to us. That saves us the trouble of looking for him."

At that moment, Lady Portia had also approached.

She looked at her son and smiled gently, "William, what are you looking at?"

"My lady!"

Seeing her approach, the robed elder and several guards nodded in turn before leaving the deck, giving the two space for their conversation.

William glanced at the woman, seemingly guessing something, and said lazily, "Mother, I mean... even if we need to form an alliance with the Rafael family, you don't have to get that close to them."

Lady Portia, not minding his tone, replied, "No, it's not entirely about the exchange of interests. Duke Rafael is quite a charming gentleman indeed. What a pity that his Princess Teresa met with an accident, otherwise you could have..."

This sort of matter wasn't something worth fussing over in noble circles. William shook his head after listening, obviously not interested in the topic, and cut her off, "Whatever, as you wish."

Lady Portia reached out and took the intelligence report from his hands, "Still looking at that guy's information?"

"Yeah."

Hearing this, William said coldly, "Heh, that 'Brother Fick' hasn't been quiet even during his exile. It's surprising how much trouble he can stir up even in a mining pit."

Lady Portia casually flipped through a couple of pages before saying, "Rest assured, the bastard left by your philandering father and his lover poses no threat to your inheritance rights."

She looked at the astonishing achievements listed on Su Lun's report and immediately felt threatened, her tone shifting abruptly, "However, he indeed should be eliminated to prevent future problems."

William said, "The fact that Fick has caused such a stir clearly means he's come upon some great fortune. The intelligence from the branch family suggests that the old man has deciphered the hidden treasure map in 'Isaac's Alchemy Manuscript.' My Brother Fick must have found Isaac's legacy and received that legendary talent, or perhaps some other inheritances..."

Lady Portia also raised an eyebrow, disdainfully saying, "'The All-knowing Eye' is just an S-rank talent that isn't very useful, far inferior to yours. That talent can't undergo a second awakening and has almost no combat power. This time, William, you've received the recognition of the family's heirloom relic, and you will inevitably advance to the seventh rank in the future. With the support of family resources, reaching the pinnacle of alchemy is within reach... No one can pose a threat to you."

After all, they were once part of the Mafian Empire's royal lineage, the Regadi family had too many ancient secrets and treasures, their foundation incomparable to outsiders' imaginations.

William listened and, although he said nothing, the pride on his face showed he agreed with his mother's words.

Among his peers, whether in terms of talent, knowledge, or strength, no one could match him.

He had the confidence to look down upon his rivals!

At that moment, William's gaze suddenly turned cold as he thought of something, "Although those fools from the branch family are stupid, they have cleared some troubles for me. Almost all of them have been killed, yet this 'Fick' is still alive. Even the dimwit Eiven died underground... The report also says he has joined some mysterious organization, the Gold-Patterned Cloak. The strength of that high-order blood race is formidable, he could become a big problem in the future. So, it's better to eliminate him sooner rather than later."

"However, I believe our William didn't come personally just for this, am I right?"

At her words, Lady Portia smiled and changed the subject, "I remember Duke Lance's fourth daughter is named 'Yekaterina,' right? Oh, she was such a beauty when I saw her five years ago. I still clearly remember her lovely purple hair."

As a mother, she naturally knew what her son was thinking and teased, "I recall, she was also your classmate at the royal academy, wasn't she, William?"

William didn't bother hiding his thoughts, saying forthrightly, "Katyusha is the most outstanding girl I have ever met. And only I am suited to marry her!"

A glint of mockery flashed through Lady Portia's bright eyes, and she laughed again, "So, are you resentful because the elders plan to bring back Fick, letting that guy arrange a marital alliance with the Lance family, and that's why you have a murderous intent?"

"..."

At those words, a flicker of hesitation crossed William's eyes.

He neither confirmed nor denied it.

He felt vaguely that he should not let jealousy cloud his vision.

Portia, keenly catching the subtle change in her son's demeanor, spoke seriously, "No, my son, you did nothing wrong! Only the powerful can have everything. Always remember, we are royalty. The one at the top isn't that merciful, not even to anyone!"

Upon hearing this, as if something struck a chord deep in his heart,

William looked at his mother, and the wavering light in his eyes suddenly became resolute.

Portia spoke earnestly, "If you can secure the support of both the Lance and the Rafael families, our hope of restoring the nation is promising. Now Ruying has become a tree decaying at its roots, your father and those old-fashioned elders are still pinning their hopes on the Ruying royal family, heh... How foolish!"

After a pause, she gazed into the distant fog, advising, "My dear William, strive to become stronger... only the strong deserve to have everything!"

William responded calmly, "Understood, Mother."

While they were talking, they watched a fleet of sailing ships disappear into the mist.

At that moment, the Mage in the robe suddenly appeared on deck, pointing at one vessel and saying, "Young Master, my lady, the adventurer in the bald leather attire on the deck of the ship flying the parrot flag—that's the target!"

....

Su Lun felt rather speechless; on a ship, trouble comes from the sky.

When he sensed the gaze that had locked onto him, he understood immediately.

His actions had always been clean, hardly leaving any trail.

Being the object of someone's attention was undoubtedly due to his original... Regadi family!