Mechanical Alchemist

The excitement of the prince and princess's wedding had gradually dissipated, and the sunny days that lingered in Lingdun City were also gone.

At dawn, the fog once again enveloped the entire Lingdun City.

In front of the Rose Manor, the fog was thick as servants were busy loading large luggage into a uniquely shaped steam locomotive parked by the roadside, signifying a long journey ahead.

Soon after, Yekaterina, dressed in a black long dress, walked out of the manor arm in arm with Su Lun, and the two intimately entered the carriage.

In the distance, journalists waiting around the corner captured the scene of the two boarding.

The honeymoon plan was to travel south by land, enjoying the coastline's scenery along the southern coast of Luye, and eventually reach the kingdom of William Regadi.

Prince Feike and Princess Yekaterina were going to inspect their domain.

Luye does not restrict the customization of locomotives, and nearly every noble family has their own mechanic, resulting in many uniquely styled strange vehicles. This was a modified steam-powered travel coach personalized in the interior and exterior by Yekaterina herself, poetically named "Windmill Castle Towards the Sun."

To call it a carriage would be an understatement; it was more like a moving magic mechanical castle.

In addition to wheels and tracks, it also had several oddly shaped mechanical arms, allowing it to tackle all kinds of terrain, even reaching breathtaking sceneries off the beaten paths.

Its interior space was as spacious as a train compartment, comfortably seating seven or eight people. The carriage was decorated as lavishly as ever, with all sorts of luxurious equipment. It also featured many magic power devices that made living in this moving castle even more comfortable.

Two maids were busy preparing tea and pastries while Su Lun and Yekaterina sat across from each other by a small table near the glass window, leisurely reading their books.

Even though they were traveling, their demeanor was no different from when they were in the study at home.

However, the "books" they held were quite special.

Yekaterina's slender hands were enveloped in a layer of luminescent energy as she held a novel emitting an overpowering chill from its curse features, which was naturally "Netherworld."

Having opened it two days before, she found profound insights that highly matched her profession and had been engrossed in it ever since.

In Su Lun's hands was an ancient manuscript shrouded in dark mist—this was the very "Isaac's Alchemy Manuscript" collected by the Regadi family.

For some reason, he had only received the notebook the night before.

Mr. Jing had mentioned that her father had the idea of using a dragon to craft a certain type of armor, which might be recorded in one of the manuscripts.

It turned out to be this very volume collected by the Regadi family.

After browsing for a while, he finally arrived at the last page.

He rubbed his temples, closed the manuscript, and sighed inwardly, "The materials required for this 'Isaac's Dragon-marked Golden Body' armor are truly outrageous; it actually needs the sacrifice of an entire dragon..."

He had only just finished a cursory review of the notebook's contents and, amidst his amazement, also felt a bit overwhelmed.

Sir Isaac's idea for the armor was beyond extraordinary, even bordering on the realm of fantasy.

In the notebook, the Alchemical Demigod wrote, "Dragons are the only magical creatures in lower planes with a complete bloodline of a higher race, making them the most perfect materials for curses I've ever seen. They possess an unbelievably perfect resistance to both physical and magical forces. Upon researching, I discovered that this dual resistance originates from a natural draconic rune language, which I call the 'Holy Dragon Mark.' It is a rune that is almost like a 'primal rune,' containing the perfect power of the laws of the origin. Moreover, according to mythological legends, the low-plane dragon marks can evolve into divine-level dragon marks, suggesting that the fundamental rune language combination constructing the dragon marks is 'perfect'..."

Su Lun was aware that, in the field of alchemy, rune systems also had quality distinctions: D, C, B, A, representing the perfection of the rune.

Sir Isaac's evaluation was that dragon marks had an SSS+ level of perfection.

Sir Isaac's idea was to craft "dragon marks" into armor, blessing magicians with the same invincible and formidable body as a dragon.

However, without even discussing how difficult it would be to create or how stringent the conditions for merging were.

The mere thought of the main material being an entire dragon (the higher the grade, the better) made Su Lun feel quite frustrated.

If it were some leftover dragon materials, one might possibly find them in some ancient ruins or cursed spaces.

But an entire dragon was simply impossible.

No wonder the Regadi family had kept this manuscript for years without much use—because this main material was something no one could find.

...

The alchemy manuscript detailed knowledge that was profound and high-end; Su Lun felt mentally saturated with the influx of information after briefly finishing it, drained by the intellectual effort.

His action of rubbing his temples did not escape Martina's notice as she was preparing tea.

With clear understanding, she approached, leaned against the back of the chair, and started massaging Su Lun with professional techniques to ease his fatigue.

Su Lun laid his head back into a gentle touch, feeling the cool relief on his temples; he smiled faintly, "Thank you."

After several days of close service, the maids had become very familiar with Su Lun, treating him much like the master of the house and caring for him with great consideration.

This made Su Lun somewhat accustomed to such intimate services.

Martina replied with a smile in her eyes, "Sir, you're too polite."

The suspension on the travel vehicle was exquisitely adjusted, making for a very smooth ride.

The atmosphere in the carriage was warm, with the "whistling" of boiling tea and a refreshing fragrance permeating the space.

Su Lun glanced outside the train window at the rapidly passing scenery and found that they were traveling along the north bank of the Lokwarren River, leaving Lingdun City behind and heading south.

After gazing at the street scenes for a while, he turned his attention back inside and happened to catch sight of Yekaterina, who was engrossed in her reading, opposite him.

His gaze lingered on her for a moment.

After several days of close companionship, they had become quite familiar with each other.

He had to admit, Yekaterina was indeed very outstanding, and she had an effort that was unreachable for ordinary people.

Su Lun had struggled up from the bottom, knowing that without striving to become stronger, he might very well die.

But Yekaterina was different.

She was born into a family that could live without worry for several generations, making her dedication all the more remarkable.

After living together for a few days, Su Lun came to realize how busy she was every day, dealing with a mountain of documents requiring her attention—from secret intelligence from Military Intelligence to feedback on various governmental affairs of the Lans family.

She also took time to improve herself, occasionally perusing collections of poetry.

She seemed to be in a state of seriousness, concentration, and efficiency almost all the time.

As if every minute was planned.

When dealing with these reports, Yekaterina never shied away from Su Lun.

Although he wasn't really interested in them.

After seeing those deeply thought-out plans, it was only gradually that Su Lun recognized beneath the noble lady's soft and stunning exterior lay a heart with great ambitions and "heroic aspirations."

The more he understood, the more he felt a profound respect from the bottom of his heart.

There was something about her that once felt very foreign.

But now, Su Lun was beginning to understand that beneath her deep and indifferent demeanor, she was burdened with too many ideals.

In her dreams were the lightness of poetry and the distance, as well as the hefty rise and fall of civilizations.

Katya was her, but she was more than just Katya.

Perhaps his gaze lingered for a moment too long, as the Yekaterina opposite him noticed, looked up at him, and asked softly, "What is it?"

As she spoke, her eyes fell back to the lines of the novel.

"It's nothing."

Su Lun withdrew his gaze and for a moment, as he caught a glimpse of her bare shoulder, something came to mind, and he asked with curiosity, "I was just suddenly reminded of something, back in the Emerald Forest, why did you bite me?"

Since they were already close companions, there were no topics off-limits, and the question just slipped out.

Upon hearing this, Yekaterina didn't look up, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly in an indifferent curve as she said, "If you've forgotten, then just let it be. When you remember, you'll realize you deserved to be bitten."

"..."

Su Lun listened helplessly and did not press further.

He just felt that the fragment of memory was probably quite important.

At that moment, the maid Leonna, who had been monitoring the communicator, suddenly came over, clearly with something to report.

Yekaterina raised her eyebrows and inquired, "What's the matter?"

Leonna immediately reported, "Miss, Military Intelligence Section II has just confirmed the whereabouts of William Regadi. He has left the city ahead of time, and someone just saw him in Yorkshire. The staff office deduced that he is likely to ambush us near Worton City."

Yekaterina was not surprised at all and responded indifferently, "Oh."

After thinking for a moment, she looked at Su Lun and asked, "At this pace, we should arrive at Worton City tonight. Should we start preparing?"

Su Lun nodded in agreement, "Yes. It's pretty much as expected, we'll go according to plan."

Upon hearing Su Lun's words, Yekaterina seemed to understand intuitively and signaled to Leonna, "Notify the gangs in Lingdun to distribute the cure for the Red Death disease. Make sure the Potion is fully distributed before tonight!"

Leonna: "Yes, miss."

Su Lun listened silently but was well aware of why distributing the Potion was related to the assassination attempt.

The whereabouts of the young master William were almost entirely within the control of Military Intelligence. Whether to defend against or to kill him was not difficult.

But clearly, there was another, deeper layer of planning in the plans of the two of them.

After Su Lun got the information about the "Undead Demon Monk" Rasputin, he had thoroughly analyzed the causes and consequences and realized that this assassination was not as simple as it seemed on the surface.

From related clues and the information he had at hand, he deduced a highly logical hypothesis.

That is, the demon monk might be a crucial figure in the collusion between the "Giant Hermitage" and the Bonaparte royal family!

This made the assassination operation even more delicate.

Both Su Lun and Yekaterina possessed considerable strategy, and once they had conferred, they decided to go for a big score!

But the only part of the plan that could be spoken aloud was William's.

The rest... must be left unsaid.

Because explicitly naming and planning could be sensed by certain deities.

They had to rely on tacit communication.

The only certainty was that once the antidote for the Red Death appeared in Lingdun, it would mark the beginning of a grand battle.

...

As Su Lun listened to the intelligence, more thoughts came to his mind.

If it was as he anticipated, once William's assassination began, what followed would inevitably be a world-shaking battle, extremely dangerous.

Even Su Lun himself couldn't guarantee absolute safety.

His pupils dilated as he pondered the various details, and when they refocused, his gaze unintentionally fell on the delicate white skin of Yekaterina's shoulder and neck. She wore a casual, low-cut princess dress today, and from this angle, he could see a swath of snow-white skin and a deep cleavage.

Yekaterina evidently noticed his gaze and shot him a look, but did not bother with it further.

Su Lun's attention was not on the seductive scenery, but rather, he had thought of something.

At that moment, he took out an exquisitely crafted rose gold necklace with a blue sapphire and placed it on the table, just about to say, "This..."

When Yekaterina saw the necklace, she appeared suddenly interested, yet somewhat surprised, and asked directly, "Is this for me?"

"Yes," Su Lun nodded, then explained seriously, "This necklace has spatial coordinates inscribed on it. Keep it close, and if anything happens, I can sense the coordinates, and perhaps we can assist each other."

Finally, he added, "Of course, if you think it's necessary."

Upon hearing this explanation, Yekaterina's eyebrows rose slightly, her expression one of amused skepticism, "Oh?"

After a pause, she seemed to think of something and said in a slightly odd tone, "I've received many gifts since I was young. But this is the first time I've received such a gift."

In her heart, she was thinking, how casual.

While she didn't mind, it was also the first time someone had given her a gift in such a manner.

This was also a piece of jewelry brought from the Sea Ruins, extremely valuable and very attractive.

But it was far too plain,

It didn't even come in a proper gift box.

The giver's attitude was casual as well.

It was like... handing over a gun: here, take this for self-defense.

The intention was certainly full,

But it really left no room for the anticipation of receiving a necklace as a romantic gift.

Su Lun could see that Yekaterina had no intention of taking the necklace, and a hint of doubt surfaced in his mind: Did she not want it?

Oh, given her strength, she indeed had no need for it.

The atmosphere had just become slightly awkward when it suddenly reversed.

Yekaterina reached out and gently touched the necklace on the table as if she quite liked it, and even praised, "This is a beautiful necklace."

"???"

Su Lun was confused as to why she had suddenly changed her attitude.

He watched as Yekaterina's gaze returned to him, and she smiled, "Could Mr. Su Lun please help me put it on?"

Su Lun was slightly stunned upon hearing this.

So she had accepted it.

But why should I help her put it on? Isn't that Jessica's job?

Hearing the conversation between the two, the maids nearby covered their mouths and giggled, with no intention of coming over to help.

"Of course."

Su Lun, without giving it much thought, stood up and walked behind Yekaterina with the necklace, then helped her put it on around her slender neck.

At that moment, a maid brought over a mirror.

Yekaterina admired herself and the necklace in the mirror, then glanced back at Su Lun with a curved eyebrow, "It really does look beautiful."

...

The steam-powered moving castle left Lingdun, and as they moved out of the urban area, the coal smoke scent in the air gradually faded away.

Upon reaching the outskirts, they could see the clear blue sky.

While the road conditions weren't great, it didn't affect the steam castle's passage.

Due to the very low level of industrialization outside Lingdun, most of what they saw was very primitive agriculture.

Castles and villages, country lanes, blue skies and white clouds, birdsong and fragrances, deers prancing... The journey offered an enjoyable view all the way.

Occasionally passing a village would draw the pointing and curious stares of children, aware that these were nobles from Lingdun.

As they traveled to the outskirts, the moving castle opened its mechanical roof, turning the top into a transparent glass room. Those inside the vehicle could feel the fresh breeze and also admire the roadside scenery.

This was the first time Suri encountered such leisurely scenery.

He and Yekaterina were like a newlywed couple on honeymoon, stopping here and there along the way.

Upon encountering a hillside covered with blooming flowers, they'd spread a mat on the green grass for a relaxing picnic.

Then they'd take pictures to record every little detail of their journey.

There were moments when Su Lun felt as if he was on a spontaneous romantic trip.

...

In the evening, the horizon was filled with red twilight.

The dark azure sky already revealed a bright full moon and spots of starlight.

On the horizon, a strangely shaped mechanical castle moved unhurriedly, already more than a hundred kilometers from Lingdun, with just over ten kilometers to reach "Worton City."
Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire

The night was quiet and peaceful.

In the grass beside the road, there was the "chirping" of insects. In the forest, the mysterious green eyes of a beast, perhaps a wolf or something else, observed the slowly passing steel monster.

Lights of orange-red glow shone from within the moving castle, where maids had prepared a rich dinner.

Su Lun and Yekaterina were enjoying their meal.

The life of high nobility had reached an extreme level of finesse; even the meals during the journey were incredibly rich with appetizers, main courses, desserts, and red wine.

They chatted idly about trivial matters while occasionally gazing at the starry sky.

They seemed utterly unaware of the cloaked man perched in the darkness on a distant hill, gripping a telescope with teeth clenched, who watched this cozy scene with eyes full of twisted, envious flames.

...

Suddenly, the castle came to a halt.

The driver in the cockpit shouted urgently, "Miss, a body has been found by the roadside!"

Su Lun and Yekaterina exchanged glances, immediately understanding that young master William had made his move.

Knowing it was an assassination, and that there was no need for bodyguards to throw their lives away in such a level of combat, Su Lun stood up and said directly, "Wait here for me. I'll go down and take a look."

"Mmm."

Yekaterina nodded calmly.

As she spoke, she toyed with several lovely little meteorites in her hand.

With a shout from Su Lun and a black umbrella in hand, he teleported outside the vehicle in an instant.

He saw a body dressed like a farmer on the ground, identified as a[body with a voodoo curse].

Su Lun's brow furrowed slightly.

Not far off, there seemed to be a small village on the hillside, but his senses detected no living soul's vibrations.

In the moment he teleported out of the vehicle, the black crow on his shoulder let out a soft cry, issuing a warning.

Su Lun's pupils contracted slightly, instantly aware of a stealth attack, "Here they come!"