Throne of the North.

Chapter 747 Space Express, the Dazed and Confused Hilder

The higher you go, the smaller the circle becomes; that's inevitable.

The pyramid structure inherent in human society and civilization predetermines the absence of true equality.

The legendary space mage Ophelia, as long as he lives, he will remain a legendary mage and will never leave this elite circle of humanity.

The magic of space is arguably the most terrifying power.

The mage who accepted the empire's offer is now in the northern border. Now that she has become an imperial patron, Ophelia still needs to make some achievements.

He is constructing a spatial tunnel that can allocate and transport supplies within the empire when necessary. If successful, his status within the empire will not be awkward due to his initial arrival; he will become a guest of honor for all the nobles.

This is the benefit of spatial magic.

Anselmo promised Ryan he would introduce him to Ophelia, but in reality, he probably also had ulterior motives.

No one knows what those spatial tunnels, located in the void, are like, or whether they are the same as the roads on the earth.

Meanwhile, the Russell family is plotting revenge against the Dawn Church. They need metal equipment from the Northwind Province, but they don't want to do it openly. So they want to use the power of space to do it secretly.

What appears to be an attempt to open up a passageway between Hot Spring Province and Northwind Province is actually intended to facilitate the future transport of mysterious wealth from Northwind Province to the territory controlled by Grand Duke Russell.

This is a win-win situation, once again making Ryan and Russell a community of shared interests.

Three days later, on a clear morning, Ryan met the legendary [Eternal Being of the Void] again.

In the world of the supernatural, Ophelia is mostly met with fear.

Because what's more terrifying than death is being forgotten by death while still alive.

Ophelia was able to do such a thing; it was the most desperate way to die. In a sense, the extraordinary power that Ophelia controlled surpassed most of the legendary figures enshrined in the Empire today.

"Lady Ophelia, we meet again."

When the two met alone, Ryan smiled and said that he did not have the fear that the general public had towards this legendary magician, because he had seen the legend panic. When facing a god, even a simple contact would make Ophelia lose all her composure.

Some people go mad from getting close to the gods, while others will flee in panic even if they only catch a glimpse of them from afar.

Ophelia belongs to the latter category.

He wasn't that authoritative, at least not in Ryan's eyes.

“Baron Ryan? I was quite shocked when His Highness Anselmo mentioned you before. I didn’t expect it to really be you. How is your father? It’s been so long.”

Ophelia spoke gently, without being arrogant, and he already knew the purpose of Ryan's visit.

“I know that Prince Anselmo told you that I am building a void tunnel, but since you have witnessed my power before, I can tell you frankly.”

"Actually, I can't be what the Empire wants."

“I am not qualified to construct a spatial path in the sky of the Flor Empire. Even if I could do it, it would be many, many years from now. It is definitely not something that I, Ophelia, can accomplish alone. This responsibility will fall on my students and their students.”

"It seems that Lady Ophelia has found a suitable place for her faction."

Ryan didn't doubt what the other party said. After all, it was indeed frightening to build a new road in the void of the Empire. Even a demigod wouldn't be qualified.

After Ryan finished speaking, he continued:
“I don’t care whether you can do it, Lady Ophelia. I only care whether you have the power to transport the supplies belonging to the Northwind Province across the void to the Northwind Province.”

Ophelia hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"This is not difficult. Back then, I used the power of the Rainbow Bridge to send countless resources here."

Ophelia readily agreed to Ryan's request and asked when he needed it. "I'll need it in a few days, but before that, I wonder if Your Excellency Ophelia could send me to Twilight Province? I need to visit that royal prince there."

This was not difficult; Ophelia wouldn't even realize that this was Ryan testing his abilities.

A phantom vortex appeared before Ryan. For this legendary mage, ordinary spatial passages seemed to be opened at will. However, Ryan could not travel to Twilight Province alone. This grand approach required extremely proper etiquette.

So they went outside, and Brand was the first to enter. One by one, the soldiers of Suizhou disappeared into the spatial vortex. Brand leaned back and asked Ryan for his opinion. Ryan was sitting in the carriage and slowly disappeared into the spatial vortex.

A sudden earthquake shook the mountains, and a twisting, weightless sensation washed over him. When the warhorses stopped neighing and the carriage stabilized again, Ryan had already traveled from the Hot Springs Province, across the towering mountains, and arrived at Twilight Fortress.

Compared to the dilapidated Hot Springs province, this fortress seemed prosperous, and with the departure of the orcs and the end of the war, the laughter and joy inside Twilight Fortress grew day by day.

Everyone was laughing because the royal family member occupying this place, Princess Hilde Enrique, was exceptionally generous.

He summoned thousands of craftsmen to repair the fortress and everything around it, and paid them extremely generously.

From the summaries of conversations among the nobles, Ryan could only picture a dazed old man who could barely open his eyes. He simply couldn't understand why such a dazed old man could command such awe and reverence from everyone inside and outside Twilight Fortress.

"Unless, he is not incompetent."

As a nobleman, one may have failing eyesight in old age, but one must never be incompetent, for that would lead a family to ruin.

What kind of person is Hilde?
Ryan did not see him, but he saw a member of the royal family stamping the cardboard letter in Ryan's hand with Hilde's ring, signifying Hilde's approval of the decision made by the nobles of the Hot Spring Province.

Everything was considered done at this point, but Ryan didn't rush back to Hot Spring Province; instead, he stayed behind.

He wanted to see this dazed old man because Ryan's shadow vanguard had discovered something interesting.

-

Not long ago, in order to gain immortal merit, to win the competition for the title of Emperor, and to resolve the war in Twilight Province before returning to the Imperial City.

Volvo Columbus, now the Emperor and formerly the Elector, purchased... tens of thousands of magic crystal cannons from the dwarves of the Forge Kingdom to the south.

These magic crystal cannons decimated the tiger-men and orcs of the Splendid Court and also wiped out the orcish horde that had invaded Twilight Keep.

Volvo's use of the Magic Crystal Cannon was a one-time event.

After he returned to the capital and inherited the title of emperor, Volvo no longer cared about what was happening in the north.

This also includes... those magic crystal cannons without shells.

"Hilde Enrique, this member of the royal family, during this period of incompetence, is actually secretly hoarding magic crystal cannons?"

This is a major creation of war! Is Hilder really so oblivious? Does she know nothing at all?
Or is he doing what many nobles in the North are doing, turning the Empire's war resources into his own private property?

However, with so many nobles blocking the way, no one has noticed Princess Hilde's little tricks until now.

How was the Shadow Vanguard discovered?

Of course, it was because Ryan sent his vanguard to try to break into Hilder's carriage, but what they found upon entering was not an old woman, but a glittering magic crystal cannon.

Ryan had thought that the politics of the empire was just a game between the emperor and the nobles, but now it seems that the struggles within the royal family of the Flor Empire are just as fascinating.

Hilde Enrique, the Empire's acknowledged figurehead and a substitute to prevent the fall of royal prestige, a shadowy figure, actually possesses extraordinary thoughts.

Who was he doing this for?
Ryan didn't care; he now had a bigger idea: to get a few cannons to play with.

(End of this chapter)