A mage? A spell engineer!

Chapter 485 Unexpected Guest

In view of the chaotic security situation in the Kingdom of Bain, in order to ensure the safe conduct of industrial and food production and to maintain the harmony and stability of the special zone, the Autonomous Committee has temporarily decided to hold a large-scale mobilization exercise for "Security Guardians".

This exercise isn't targeting anyone at all!

The eldest prince, watching the personnel changes on the outskirts of Lancaster, was so angry he wanted to smash his binoculars. Those strong, muscular men were all made of iron, or at least blacksmiths—they were brothers who had come to support the city from the steel mill.

Compared to Kempson, which was located in a corner, Lanster had become the third city in the Special District, situated between Munich and Nuremberg. Its position was sensitive and awkward, so the Autonomous Committee mobilized 8,000 Iron Brothers to rush to its aid.

The vanguard arrived on the very night of the turmoil, because they were mechanized troops—each with a 28-inch motorcycle, which they rode very fast on the new road.

However, what the First Legion feared most were the iron-clad beings. A group of constructs roamed the edge of the city in formation. The four-legged ones could easily climb slopes and scale walls, and even wade through water. Those with cannons on their heads looked formidable, while those without cannons on their heads... the prince's intuition told him they were even more dangerous.

It's said they crawled out of the Vauxhall factory. Didn't the Ludwig family have a stake in it? How come we don't know anything about it? The eldest prince is certain that his second brother took the money and then abandoned them, which is why they did so many bad things behind his back.

The sheer size of the construct intimidated the soldiers of the First Army Corps, which dampened their morale.

They had witnessed the power of the Empire and Valuwa on the battlefield. Even when mages on both sides were exchanging blows and using their special skills, Bain's army could only watch for fun, relying on their agility and mobility to sneak up on the flanks with their better guns and longer range.

Now it's their turn to go to the front lines. Seeing the constructs several meters tall with their dark cannons turning nimbly, the First Legion is a little confused—both the Empire and Valuva have top-notch experts, what do they have?

"Hmm, wait a minute," the prince immediately asked the accompanying mage if the special force of air knights could be mobilized.

Judging from the cannons of the constructs, the prince judged that they might not pose a threat to the sky. If the air knights could drop explosive charges to bombard the constructs, they could break their deterrent. The remaining scattered soldiers were not a threat to the First Legion of the regular army.

"Your Highness," the accompanying mage hesitated, but then his mind cleared and he said, "Very well, as you wish."

"It's not a wish, it's a military order!"

"yes!"

The first and second squads of the Sky Knights were deployed near Munik. The first squad was responsible for protecting the royal palace, while the second squad was brought by the accompanying mage and ordered to obey the command of His Highness the Crown Prince.

The atmosphere in the Third Platoon was completely different; in fact, the entire Second Army Corps felt no tension. The Second Army Corps proactively telegraphed the Royal Family and headquarters, requesting permission for two-thirds of its troops to move north and garrison Würzburg, which was granted.

Prince Otto, the second prince, also sent a telegram praising the commander, commending him for his loyalty and ability to share the emperor's burdens.

What he didn't know was that during the six months the Second Army Corps was stationed near the Special District, they had been subjected to no shortage of bribes and favors, and had long been corrupted and bought off by the extremely wicked Rorschach. Their northward march was also driven by the selfish motives of their temporary corps mage, Mr. Barth, who feared for his beloved wife's safety in Würzburg.

The Special Zone originally had 12,000 bicycles, enough to send all the Iron Men to Lanster by express delivery, but now the majority of them were given to the Second Legion.

The road north was not as easy as within the Special Administrative Region, but that did not stop them from pedaling hard to maintain love and peace in this important northern city.

Perhaps the royal family had a vague idea, but the king and the second prince were thinking that as long as they had the power to stabilize the situation in Würzburg, that would be enough. If they could bring in two great mages to subdue Rorschach, everything could be settled later.

Tanya, the captain of the third squad of the Sky Knights, surprisingly didn't train; instead, she played cards with her men. This unusual behavior made her comrades uneasy: "Captain, haven't the legion given any instructions? And what about the court?"

Tanya's long eyelashes remained motionless: "No, we won't move without orders from above. Nobody should wear any mobility aids today."

On the other side of the special zone, the second squad, unable to hear Tanya's orders, followed the eldest prince's instructions and took off from the woods near Lanster, carrying high-performance explosives.

"Are you sure it's okay? Our equipment, explosives—everything from head to toe was provided by Master Rorschach. How could he allow us to bomb the Special Zone?"

The second team leader ripped the navigator off his wrist: "Isn't that enough? Don't forget, we are a special forces unit directly under the royal family. If you say another word, I'll execute you right now!" With that, he took to the air first.

When everyone reached the sky and was about to activate the invisibility scroll, they were suddenly enveloped by a feeling of weightlessness.

It's malfunctioning! The maneuvering system has failed! They're plummeting at top speed, and damn it, they're not high enough to deploy their parachutes.

Moreover, the propulsion nozzles automatically changed direction, giving them an accelerated dive, bringing them closer and closer to the treetops.

Just when the plane was about to crash and everyone on board was about to die, the nozzles finally returned to normal, giving them a narrow escape from the fall.

The entire squad was in the same state, with no exceptions. Everyone was in a state of great shock, and after touching the ground or hanging from a tree, they scrambled to detach their motors and throw them as far as they could.

The army's stalemate and inaction meant that the situation in the three major cities continued to deteriorate, especially in the capitals of Nurem and Byron. Fortunately, as the chaos continued into the evening and both the rioters and the guards were exhausted, representatives from the city hall appeared.

"I am the governor of the city hall, entrusted by His Majesty the King to listen to your demands!" Sweat beaded on his forehead, because he was no longer behind his desk, but in front of countless angry and unruly citizens, each of them carrying a fire poker.

However, he maintained the professionalism of a seasoned player, immediately calming the crowd: "Everyone here is a patriotic citizen! I know that times are tough right now, and everyone has their own difficulties, so please speak up. The Royal Family and the City Hall will do their utmost to meet everyone's reasonable demands!"

The word "reasonable" was, of course, unheard of, but at least some members of the public temporarily put down their guns and spoke out:

"Tax cuts!" "We need jobs!"

"Trade with the Empire!" "Bullshit! We should ally with Valois!"

"Bread prices can't go any higher!" "Release Prohibition, I want to drink!"

Clearly, many of their demands were contradictory, and the rioters quickly realized they were not all on the same side, leading to renewed unrest and chaos.

Just as the situation was about to get out of control, several horns suddenly sounded from behind the crowd, and a strange four-wheeled vehicle that almost no one had ever seen before slowly drove toward the main gate of the palace.

"Make way!" "Why should I?"

"Idiot? Didn't you see the Arcane Tower flag on the front of the vehicle?" "It can move without a horse, it must be a mage's contraption!" "I know, it's a gas-powered vehicle."

Despite the gossip, everyone made way for the carriage, and after the palace gates opened and the carriage passed through the garden and stopped in front of the palace, a serious-looking man in a red robe stepped out.

"Master Feuerbach, the Ludwig family is deeply honored that you have come to this appointment at this time," the King said, personally greeting him with Prince Otto.

Feuerbach nodded silently as a response. After he got out of the back seat, a young man emerged from the driver's seat. His robe was also red, but it was more vibrant and visually more aggressive than Feuerbach's scarlet robe.

"Master Feuerbach insisted that I accompany him. I apologize for coming uninvited," Rorschach said, but his expression showed no sign of embarrassment.

The king and prince's faces froze instantly.

(End of this chapter)