Chapter 1 Everyone Rushes Out

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

For some reason, Suren felt a slight sense of foreboding.

Was the fog not naturally formed?

He thought of something called "fog of war," a wide-ranging artificial fog created on the battlefield to conceal troop movements.

A thought flashed through Suren's mind: he was being ambushed!

The sea appeared vast and boundless, but in reality, there were only one or two established sea routes from Grand Rount to the Northern Lands.

Suren estimated their course. They should be in a place called the Bartholomew Strait. It was a strait named after the great navigator who had charted the route.

This sea area was like the narrow part in the middle of a funnel, becoming increasingly constricted until, near the strait, one encountered large areas of reefs. Passing ships were only safe if they followed a fixed route.

Therefore, it was also a place frequented by pirates.

If someone wanted to intercept them, this was one of the best ambush locations.

But he didn't hear any sounds of fighting, indicating that the situation wasn't too dire. At least, they hadn't encountered a giant sea monster, pirates, or run aground.

Thoughts flashed through his mind, Suren put away his book and cautiously went to the deck.

He was also curious about what the sailors had seen that made them exclaim like that.

Then he saw it. He saw the enormous thing in the mist, and he was shocked.

Before him appeared a...very large steam iron battleship!

The medium-sized sailing ship "Maupassant" that Suren was on looked so small in comparison to that exaggerated behemoth, like a kitten next to a lion.

This was a gigantic warship as huge as an aircraft carrier from his previous life, as high as twenty or thirty stories. Three massive chimneys spewed rolling black smoke. Huge rivets fastened steel plates around the hull, like armor plating for the giant, giving a strong visual impact of being indestructible. The bow was as sharp as an axe blade, with a gilded ram shaped like a roaring lion's head at the tip. Runes shimmered faintly, visibly solid, as if any ship that collided with it would be instantly destroyed.

Most exaggerated of all, the ship was covered with cannons of various calibers.

Like the spines on a hedgehog's back, they displayed a ferocious appearance.

At the front and rear of the warship were six massive main guns, each with a barrel length of twenty or thirty meters. In addition, turrets were scattered all over the hull, with thousands of densely packed gun barrels. There were also giant harpoon guns, alchemical crossbows, heavy machine gun control stations...all sorts of war weapons that made one's scalp tingle just looking at them!

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

That was the warship manufacturing philosophy of this steam-mechanical era.

This iron battleship perfectly embodied that saying.

Huge!

Many cannons!

Solid!

.......

The ten sailing ships of the fleet heading to the Northern Lands all stopped before this iron behemoth. People flocked to the decks, all shocked by the sight of the iron beast before them.

"How...how could there be such a huge iron warship! Good heavens, has the Mafa Empire's fleet attacked?"

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

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

"..."

Besides shock, there was only shock!

The appearance of this giant battleship was beyond the understanding of everyone on board.

Seeing the battleship, Suren was shocked, but immediately realized something and felt a sense of foreboding: "Duke Raphael actually secretly developed such a powerful warship?"

Looking at the crew's shock, it was clear that there was no news of this on the outside.

It was exposed now?

Suren even guessed that the Luen royal family might not know about Duke Raphael's "assets."

As a machinist himself, he could roughly estimate the range of the cannons by looking at the caliber and barrel length of the guns on the ship.

The larger the turret, the stronger the hull needed to be to withstand the impact of the guns. Only an iron battleship could be equipped with so many, such large cannons.

It wasn't just big; it also involved complex mechanical technology!

A warship of this tonnage might appear in the Mafa Empire, but it was absolutely impossible in Luen.

Because the technology in the warship was at least decades ahead of current Luen warships!

.......

No wonder there was fog of war. It was used to conceal this super weapon, the battleship.

However, Suren was worried about something else.

Others didn't know why Duke Raphael had come here, but he knew very well.

Not long ago, the pirates under the command of the "North Sea King" attacked Black Reef and plundered Duke Raphael's "mine," Old Rount. Yesterday, the [Super Mechanical Warrior Blueprint] was still being auctioned in Grand Rount...

Now, using fog of war to conceal himself, squatting here, was clearly for revenge.

"Could it be that the blueprints weren't taken away by those Mafa people last night?"

Suren immediately recalled the soul fragment he had stripped from the mechanical warrior last night: "Our mission is to be bait..."

Thinking about it, it was entirely possible!

Even with submarines, this was the heart of Luen. After those people obtained the blueprints, they wanted to break through the encirclement and escape. It wasn't that it was impossible, but there was also the possibility of being intercepted.

"So...this is a feint attack. The Mafa legion commander himself led the troops to break through as bait, attracting firepower. In reality, the blueprints never left Grand Rount last night!"

Suren immediately connected all the clues and reconstructed the approximate truth of the matter.

Originally, he thought this had nothing to do with him, but now it seemed he was being implicated.

Moreover, Duke Raphael's warship would be lying in wait here so conspicuously, which meant that he must have accurate intelligence.

"It seems those guys have some means of locating the blueprints..."

Suren murmured to himself.

Moreover, he was now almost certain that the guy with the blueprints was hiding on one of the ships in this fleet!

"Looks like my luck isn't so good..."

Suren felt that if he hadn't left port, he wouldn't have been implicated.

Could it be that the druid's prophecy was wrong?

Coming to the sea not only didn't provide protection, but instead encountered danger.

Raphael's secretly built iron behemoth had never been exposed, which meant that those who saw this ship might be silenced.

But obviously, that wasn't all!

The danger wasn't just from that.

Suddenly, Suren felt a sense of being "targeted" suddenly hit his mind.

This feeling was exactly the same as when he was divined and found by the Regherdie people in Old Rount!

Suren immediately sensed that something was wrong: "Someone is divining me!"

At this moment, a gaze locked onto him from the giant warship.

.......

Half an hour earlier.

On the "Duke Raphael" battleship, in the captain's cabin.

Exquisite magical crystal chandeliers illuminated the large room, and the warm amber light cast a sensuous glow throughout the cabin.

The cabin was decorated elegantly and luxuriously, exuding the noble air of aristocracy. On the desk with the huge nautical chart was an opened bottle of expensive red wine from the Bobodo winery. There was still some unconsumed scarlet liquid in two goblets, one of which had a faint lipstick mark on the rim. Some clothes, a long black dress, and intimate women's apparel were scattered on the soft cashmere carpet. On the mahogany bed with its plain white silk sheets, a charming woman was entwined with a robust middle-aged man.

Before long, the swaying shadows on the wall slowly stilled, and heavy breathing filled the cabin...

After resting for a moment, the woman walked naked from the bed.

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

Although the woman's face already showed the elegance of age, the luster of her naked, shapely body in the mirror was still as smooth as a young girl's skin.

The man also got out of bed and embraced her from behind, his large hands kneading her tender skin.

The man had a beard and a robust body, yet he possessed an imposing and steady aura.

This person was none other than Vogt Raphael, the hereditary duke of the Raphael family.

"Lady Portia, your taste is truly delightful."

Hearing this, the beautiful woman broke free from the greedy hands and playfully protested, "Oh, Duke, I am already an aging woman. Your praise should be reserved for those young girls..."

Portia was indeed a duchess, but not Raphael's wife.

Duke Raphael looked at the dressing beauty before him and did not hold back his praise: "No, Madam, in my eyes, you are the perfect lover."

This kind of ambiguous relationship was not uncommon in Luen aristocratic circles.

It was too common for high nobles to have a few lovers. Not only were the lords and young masters promiscuous, but so were the ladies and young misses. Even in upper social circles, the powerful and influential took pride in their many romantic affairs.

Lady Portia did not mind at all when she heard this, and she giggled.

This was a compliment to her.

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

Lady Portia put on her intimate apparel and was pulling her dress up from her ankles, concealing a large expanse of her beauty, and casually replied, "Duke, didn't you say the blueprints would arrive in half an hour? We should go out... Although I don't mind, it wouldn't be good for William to see, after all, he is my son."

Duke Raphael smiled when he heard this. "Young Master William is indeed a talented man."

At this time, Lady Portia had already put on her clothes and was wearing a sparkling diamond necklace in front of the mirror.

Duke Raphael also graciously took the necklace and helped her put it on.

The two also chatted idly.

"Doesn't the Duke care at all about the blueprints?"

"There is a special mark on the materials used to make the blueprint itself. Whether it is a sealed space or other hidden means, I can lock onto the location of the blueprint. It can't be lost. What's more, the core part of the blueprint is a mental imprint. Even if those pirates get it, they won't have the ability to copy it in such a short time. It's hateful that they destroyed many important research equipment and those mechanics in the laboratory..."

"Those pirates are also a little clever. They sold it immediately after they robbed it. Hehe... It's ridiculous that those guys in the royal family are even thinking of taking advantage of the situation."

"Luen has rotted to its roots. The infighting in the royal family has not stopped. All the arms dealers see is the profit that war brings, and they don't care about anything else."

"Hmph, a group of fat parasites, they will ruin the entire empire sooner or later."

"..."

......

Before long, Lady Portia was dressed neatly and came to the deck.

A handsome young man in a white military uniform was on the deck, carefully flipping through a stack of documents.

If Suren were here, he would definitely find that these documents contained all sorts of information about him.

His identity in the Brotherhood, photos of his bald punk style, his interpersonal relationships, his movements, the events he participated in, the means he was good at...

Next to the young man, an old man in a court mage robe was divining something with a strand of hair and suddenly said, "Your Highness, the target has appeared within thirty nautical miles to the southwest. He is coming in our direction."

The young man was none other than the first heir of the Regherdie family, William Regherdie!

William nodded respectfully to the old man, "Thank you for your hard work, Master Mabryte."

After a pause, he looked at the sailing ships and sneered, "Hehe, he came himself. This saves us the trouble of looking for him."

At this time, Lady Portia also came over. She looked at her son and smiled, "William, what are you looking at?"

"Madam!"

Seeing her come, the old man in the mage robe and several guards nodded and left the deck, avoiding the conversation between the two.

William glanced at the woman, seemed to have guessed something, and lazily said, "Mother, I said...even if we want to form an alliance with the Raphael family, you don't have to get so close to them."

Lady Portia didn't mind the tone and said, "No, it's not entirely an exchange of benefits. Duke Raphael is a very charming man. It's a pity that his Princess Theresa had an accident; otherwise, you could have..."

William shook his head, obviously didn't want to hear this topic, and interrupted her, "Forget it, whatever you want."

Lady Portia took the information in his hand, "Still looking at that guy's information?"

"Yes."

Hearing this, William coldly said, "Hehe, my 'Fick' brother is still restless even during his exile. He actually caused a lot of trouble in the mines."

Lady Portia casually flipped through two pages and said, "Don't worry, that bastard left behind by your libertine father and his lover can't threaten your inheritance rights."

She looked at Suren's amazing record on the intelligence report, immediately felt the threat, and suddenly changed her tone: "However, he should be eliminated to avoid future trouble."

William said, "The information obtained by the branch family is that the old guy has deciphered the treasure map from the [Isaac's Alchemical Manuscript]. My Fick brother should have found Isaac's inheritance and obtained that legendary talent."

Lady Portia also raised her eyebrows and disdainfully said, "[S-018-Omniscient Eye] is just a not very useful S-class talent, far worse than yours. That talent cannot be awakened a second time and has almost no combat power. This time you have obtained the approval of the family's inherited sacred object, and you will definitely be able to advance to Tier 7 in the future. With the family's resources, the highest realm of alchemy is within reach... No one can threaten you."

After all, as the former royal family of the Mafa Empire, the Regherdie family possessed too many ancient secrets and treasures, and their foundation was by no means something outsiders could imagine.

Although William didn't say anything after hearing this, the arrogance on his face showed that he agreed with his mother's words.

Among his peers, in terms of talent, knowledge, and strength, no one could compare to him!

He had the confidence to look down on the crowd!

William thought of something, his eyes suddenly turned cold, and he said, "Although those guys in the branch family are stupid, they have helped me clear up some trouble. But almost all the others have been killed, but this 'Fick' has not been killed. Even that idiot Aven died underground... The intelligence also said that he joined some mysterious organization called the Golden-Striped Cloak. That high-level bloodkin is very strong and may be a big trouble in the future. Therefore, it is better to kill him as soon as possible to avoid future troubles."

"However, I think our William seems to be here not just for this, right?"

Hearing this, Lady Portia smiled, "I remember the fourth daughter of Grand Duke Lance is called 'Ekaterina', right? Oh, when I saw her five years ago, she was already a beauty, and I still remember her beautiful purple hair very clearly."

As a mother, she naturally knew what her son was thinking and teased, "I remember, she seems to have been your classmate at the Royal Academy, William?"

William didn't hide his thoughts and directly said, "Katyusha is the most outstanding girl I have ever met. Only I can marry her!"

A playful look flashed across Lady Portia's crystal eyes, and she smiled again: "So, you resent the elders for planning to bring back Fick and let that guy marry into the Lance family, and that's why you became murderous?"

"..."

Hearing this, a trace of wavering flashed in William's eyes.

He didn't admit it, nor did he deny it.

He vaguely felt that he shouldn't let jealousy blind him.

Portia keenly captured the subtle changes in her son's expression and said seriously: "No, my son, you did the right thing! The strong deserve to have everything. You must always remember that we are royalty. Those in power do not have so much mercy, even to anyone!"

Hearing this, William looked at his mother, and his eyes suddenly became firm.

Portia then said sternly: "If you can get the support of both the Lance family and the Raphael family at the same time, there will be great hope for the restoration of the kingdom. Now Luen is a big tree whose roots have rotted, your father and those elders have rigid thinking, and they still place their hopes on the corrupt Luen royal family, hehe... What a foolish decision!"

After a pause, she looked at the distant mist and warned, "My dear William, work hard to become stronger... Only the strong are worthy of everything!"

William felt as if something had hit the depths of his heart and calmly responded: "Understood, Mother."

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

At this time, the master in the mage robe suddenly appeared on the deck and pointed to a certain ship: "Young Master, Madam, the adventurer with the bald head and leather jacket on the deck of the pirate ship flying the parrot flag is the target!"

.......

Suren also felt quite speechless. He was on the ship, and trouble rained down from the sky.

When he felt the gaze locking on him, he immediately understood what was happening.

He had done things very cleanly, leaving almost no loose ends.

Being targeted must be because of the original owner of this body... the Regherdie family!