Chapter 282: Audience and Experiment
Lanpu arrived at the Palace gates. For the first time, his grotesque face betrayed an expression of nervous unease—something akin to restlessness. He spoke in a hushed tone:
"Master, I’ve arrived."
"Enter."
The massive doors of the Palace creaked open slowly.
Cannibal Magician stepped inside, his bulky frame bowing low, tense and expectant, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead.
The mages who served under Lanpu—those who had endured endless mockery and scorn—could never have imagined that their once-derided leader would now stand trembling before the Red Dragon, utterly humbled. It was inconceivable.
"You’ve noticed, Lanpu, that my recent state has been… off," the Red Dragon said, voice calm yet heavy with implication.
"Master, I—" Lanpu dared a fleeting glance upward. Relief washed over him the moment he saw no infernal light burning in Kai Xiusu’s eyes. He wiped the sweat from his brow, exhaling quietly.
But then, another realization struck him.
The ogre dropped to his knees before the Red Dragon, a living mountain of meat.
"Master… you’ve finally returned. As your loyal follower, I failed to warn you in time. This is a grave sin. I beg you—punish me!"
His voice cracked with anguish, nearly choked with tears. His twisted face contorted in agony, making the sight unbearable for the Red Dragon.
Even Kai Xiusu, ever the calculating mind, felt a pang of reluctant amusement.
"Enough. I didn’t summon you here to hear you weep."
Kai Xiusu sighed, interrupting the display.
Lanpu instantly snapped into composure. He wiped his face with a handkerchief, adjusted his golden-rimmed spectacles, and stood silently at attention—cool, collected, a picture of a seasoned, capable mage.
Still, Kai Xiusu trusted him.
"Know this," the Red Dragon commanded. "You’ve seen it—the frenzied state, the hunger for destruction. Like the legends speak of Dragon Madness. In truth, I’ve been influenced by a Demon Lord. I require you to mobilize the entire kingdom’s strength—at all costs—to find methods that preserve reason and sever the Abyssal Will."
"Yes, Master."
Lanpu bowed deeply, his voice solemn.
"Also," Kai Xiusu added, "I need you to craft a durable magical device—one that can detect when I enter that same frenzied state, and immediately alert me, so I may snap out of it before I lose control."
"Use the chaos level of the surrounding magical weave as the detection threshold," he instructed.
Lanpu swiftly pulled out a transparent notebook and began jotting down every word.
The Cannibal Magician adjusted his spectacles, speaking with careful precision:
"Technically, constructing a device capable of reading the magical weave isn’t difficult, Master."
He paused, then continued:
"But the real challenge lies in ensuring it remains unbreakable during combat—and capable of emitting a signal strong enough to awaken you."
"I will do my utmost. I will not fail you."
Kai Xiusu gave a slight nod.
With a wave of his hand, the Red Dragon dismissed him.
Lanpu turned and left. Though the tasks were few, each was daunting. The Ministry of Magic in the Kingdom of Ashen would be swamped. The human mages—dark circles under their eyes, thinning hair—would once again be plunged into endless nights of labor, chasing better spells, greater gold, higher status.
---
Northwind Keep, outskirts of the city.
Hundreds of townspeople gathered, drawn by the spectacle. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
"What is that thing?"
"Is it a steel ox?"
"Those from the Mechanic Bureau are wasting materials—spreading fine steel across the ground! Can you believe it? That’s enough to forge dozens of swords!"
"Absurd. What use is this junk?"
Amid a guard of Tiefling soldiers, a man with a bulbous red nose and faint dragon scales on his face strode forward with pride. The crowd parted instantly—no one dared cross paths with a Dragon-Blooded noble.
"Who’s that?"
"Look at those dragon scales—enviable!"
"That’s Gilmore Sparo."
"The noble craftsman?"
"Lucky fellow."
Whispers spread.
This noble was none other than the so-called Representative of the Artisans—Gilmore Sparo. Once just an unremarkable blacksmith in the eastern district, he had risen to nobility after uncovering flaws in the rifle production line and fixing them. His rise became the ultimate symbol of the Kingdom of Ashen Dream, inspiring countless citizens to believe that, one day, they too could climb the ladder through hard work.
Seeing the Viscount arrive, the workers rushed forward.
"Viscount, the track is complete!"
"All obstacles have been cleared!"
"Coal and water are loaded into the steam locomotive. We’re ready on your command—experiment can begin now!"
The project manager pushed through the crowd, bowing obsequiously.
Gilmore grinned, sipped from his flask, face flushed.
"Good work, everyone. After all this effort, it’s time we saw results."
"Begin."
"Yes, my lord!"
The manager snapped to attention, even giving a crisp salute.
With a shrill whistle, the workers sprang into motion. The colossal Iron Ox began to stir.
Inside the magical steam boiler, a complex rune array ignited fierce fire. Water boiled into steam, which traveled through pipes to the cylinder. Controlled by a magical pressure valve, steam entered the slide valve chamber, where it was alternately directed to either side of the cylinder—driving the magical piston.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
The pistons thrashed. The iron limbs jerked. The wheels beneath groaned and turned. Slowly, impossibly, the massive iron beast began to move.
A roar erupted from the crowd.
"Look! It’s moving!"
"It’s really alive!"
"That iron ox can actually run!"
"But it’s so slow… I could outrun it on horseback!"
"Even John’s donkey cart is faster!"
Still, the locomotive pressed on. Cooled steam flowed through pipes into a condenser, then recondensed into water via a cooling arcane array—a cycle repeated endlessly as the engine ran.
Woooooo…
A long, mournful whistle echoed. Exhaust gas, produced by burning coal, shot from the top pipe. Dark gray smoke billowed into the air, like the heavy breath of the mechanical colossus.
"Success!"
"We’ve achieved the target!"
"It reached the endpoint! It actually made it!"
At the moment the steam locomotive came to a halt, every worker, manager, and even Viscount Gilmore erupted in cheers.
Gilmore surveyed the crowd, smug.
These ignorant commoners… how could they possibly understand the Emperor’s Grand Blueprint?
"Moving such a weight used to require Third Circle or higher advanced spells. Now? Just a few low-level basic arcane arrays, some coal, some water—and we’ve done it. And this," he said, gesturing proudly at the machine, "isn’t even its limit."
"Once the railway is complete, one day will be enough to deploy the King’s armies anywhere across the realm. Grain. Goods. All will flow faster than ever before."
(End of Chapter)
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