Star Forge Titan

"...In other words, this guy might still be alive?" Ka Yang raised his eyebrows with a strange look on his face.

"Yeah." As he said that, Alvin lowered his head and slowly curled up the corners of his mouth.

Both of their eyes were focused on Setgorod's charred head.

Perhaps it was an illusion, but they seemed to notice that this head had just shaken slightly...?

Chapter 218: The Birth of a Champion

Ivan and Khayon looked at each other.

"Can you handle this thing? If not, leave it to the Linde people." Ivan couldn't help but ask:

"Don't underestimate me. After the last incident..." Perhaps recalling something, Khayang's voice couldn't help but lower, and the pair of eyes that usually narrowed into a slit opened a little, revealing a sharp look hidden in them.

The Necromancer stared at the charred head of the Nurulth demon for a moment with a chilling gaze, then continued:

"I've spent a lot of time thinking and experimenting about how to deal with these guys." His voice seemed to be forced out from between his teeth, low and hoarse, with suppressed emotions hidden in his calm tone.

"Then I'll leave it to you." Ivan nodded and said softly:

"Hey, come to that, how are you going to explain this to the Linde people? An alchemist killed a demon with a slap. It's suspicious no matter how you look at it, right?" Khayang's face suddenly showed that annoying smile again, and he asked the question half-jokingly and half-seriously.

"Oh, about this." Ivan paused and looked back at the severely damaged Hope.

This magic car has now turned back into a racing car, but there is a large empty space in the middle and only half of the fairing is left, making it look like a convertible sports car.

"Just say he was hit by a car."

“…” Khayang’s expression froze, and then he couldn’t help but burst into loud laughter.

"What are you kidding, hahaha, a Naurus demon was hit by a car, hahahaha! Sorry, I really couldn't help it. The demon was hit by a car and died! [Elrond swears] This is the biggest joke I have heard this year." The Necromancer laughed so hard that he couldn't straighten his back and almost rolled on the ground.

"It doesn't matter. It's just an excuse anyway." Alvin shrugged.

"When the time comes, throw this badge to them, and even the Temple of Light won't say anything. After all, no matter how things unfold, the result is that we took a huge risk to eliminate a destructive Nurul demon and successfully protected thousands of ordinary people."

"Indeed." Khayon stopped laughing.

"But a high-level evil object, even if completely damaged, still has considerable value, right? Are we just going to give it away like this?"

"It doesn't matter. The Temple of Light is very rich. They won't accept this thing without anything in return even for the sake of their own reputation." Ivan threw the cracked badge and showed a bright smile that reminded Khayon of a carnivore.

"Come on." Khayon shrugged and took out a magic shadow box the size of a jewelry box.

Considering that the attention of all forces in Linde would inevitably be focused on Ivan due to the Youth Magic Car Competition, in order to protect their own identities, the spatial prop found from the vampire has been kept by Kayang for some time.

The storage room in the box, which was originally used to store various treasures, has been converted into a small laboratory. In addition to the small puppet golem used to store and retrieve items, it is now filled with various experimental instruments.

After opening the Shadow Box with the magic key, Khayon calmly controlled the puppet golem carved in the shape of a dwarf to take out a lead metal box.

Each face of the square box is engraved with interconnected magic circles. This three-dimensional magic circle can exert more powerful power than the traditional two-dimensional plane magic circle, but it also requires very high technical skills from the engraver.

Of course, for the Elrond men's team who own the "Titan brand high-precision hand-engraving machine", this is probably just a cup of tea.

When Setgorod's charred head was placed in the box, the magic circle glowed faintly, and the gap between the closed lid and the box completely disappeared.

The two looked at each other with some surprise.

"Is he really dead?" Ivan raised his eyebrows and asked:

"It doesn't matter, it's all the same anyway." Khayon rubbed his hands and showed an evil smile that was very consistent with the world's stereotype of necromancers.

"Okay, leave quickly and don't get stuck."

"Don't worry, I'm a professional at running away."

A few minutes later, when the official authorities, including the Carolingian Royal Guard, rushed into the tunnel, they only saw Ivan leaning against the Hope, and the front of the magic car was severely dented, with faint traces of collision marks.

After an unbearable silence, a fully armed Royal Guard commander holding a high-pressure steam rifle couldn't help but ask:

"Where is the devil?"

Ivan spread his hands looking very innocent, then he pointed to the faintly visible bloodstains on the dented part of the front of the car. The bright red marks did not look like the blood left by a demon at all, but rather like the blood of an ordinary wild animal caught at random.

"As you can see, the demon was hit and killed by a car."

Hearing this, everyone looked as if they had seen a ghost.

At the same time, on the other side of the National Circuit.

In order to reassure the many spectators who are still unaware of the situation, the award ceremony for the Youth Magic Car Competition champion was held as normal.

The Lind national flag with an iris pattern was hoisted high, and countless colorful pieces of paper fell from the sky like snowflakes. They were celebratory supplies specially stored in the bomb bays of the three airships.

These behemoths, which originally belonged to the Linde Air Force, turned into celebration staff today, scattering large amounts of colored paper on the ground. Coupled with the endless noise in the racetrack, the atmosphere of celebration became more and more intense.

When Diana stepped onto the podium, the sound of salutes was heard in the distance, and fireworks exploded in the sky. The tens of thousands of spectators in the stands were also excited by this extraordinary scene.

Although the social changes brought about by the Magic Revolution did not make everyone rich, it fully stimulated the vitality of the entire society and made Lind people of all classes proud of their magic technology.

Therefore, the Youth Magic Car Competition, which symbolizes the great progress of magic technology, has been given more meaning.

So, when the final champion comes out, it doesn't matter which team people supported before.

At this moment, everyone was applauding and cheering for Diana, just as everyone was cheering for a newborn hero.

However, the cold-faced girl from an orphanage felt her whole body stiff at this moment, and even made funny movements of moving her hands and feet together when she walked up to the podium.

But this is something that Mother Teresa never taught!

Diana looked expressionless on the surface, but in her heart she wanted to cover her face and scream shyly.

In addition, her worries about the demon engine made her feel even more nervous and stressed, and she was about to lose her composure on the spot.

"Hold on!" Catherine's deliberately lowered voice came from the side.

The Duchess, who was originally dressed in a sheriff's uniform, has now changed into a full set of formal evening gown. A gorgeous sapphire necklace that makes people unable to take their eyes off is tightly clamped on her chest. Although her diamond hairstyle is as strange as ever, she still exudes a luxurious temperament that makes people subconsciously hold their breath.

Catherine held a gold medal with a magic car relief in her hand and walked slowly to the front of the podium.

"Bend down." Seeing that Diana was still standing stiffly in the same place, the Duchess couldn't help but whisper a reminder again.

"Well, okay...ok." The short-haired girl pursed her lips and bent down hard as if she was breaking her body.

Catherine sighed silently, quickly hung the gold medal around her neck, then took Diana's hand and secretly helped her up.

Two beautiful girls stood side by side on the stage, smiling and waving at the audience in the stands around them. Although one of them had a very stiff smile, it still attracted another round of extremely loud cheers.

Suddenly, Diana noticed several familiar figures in the cheap seats at the back of the east stand, cheering for her. The moment she tried to identify them, her vision blurred with uncontrollable tears.

"Mammy, little Betty, Grandpa Patton, and everyone..." Diana quickly burst into laughter, and all the tension and anxiety in her heart disappeared.

I will definitely protect everyone.

At this moment, the heroic-looking short-haired girl silently made a promise in her heart, and her expression became stern and serious, and she looked even more handsome than the boy.

Catherine, who caught a glimpse of this scene, couldn't help but feel dizzy, and her cheeks turned slightly red.

Finally, the first Youth Magic Car Competition ended successfully, and Linde's history also turned to a new chapter.

Chapter 219 Celebration Party

Night, Lower Lutetia.

Although the street lights here are as sparse as ever, the light from the gas lamps can only illuminate half of the street.

But today seems different. Everywhere you look, you can see lively crowds cheering, as if the celebration has arrived early.

People held oil lamps or torches in their hands, mostly using kerosene or animal fats such as fish oil and whale oil. The special environment of the downtown area led to the diverse sources of raw materials for these candles, even including kitchen waste.

At this moment, young boys and girls and younger children were also holding half-burnt candles, using the faint candlelight to dispel some of the darkness.

Although most objects that hold candles can be called candlesticks, the items in these children's hands cannot be compared with the silver candlesticks in the homes of nobles or merchants. Most of them are broken bowls, pottery shards, or simply a piece of wire with a hook bent out of it and a small piece of candle nailed to it.

Even so, these cheap artificial lights still make the dim night of the downtown area much brighter. The spontaneous celebrations don't have much content, just walking and chatting on the streets at night with lights, and occasionally you can see vendors selling cheap snacks such as roasted rats.

In any case, people feel that the moon in the night sky seems brighter than usual.

The person who made the residents of the lower city so happy was none other than Diana, who won the Youth Magic Car Competition.

She was just a girl who was born in an orphanage and had no relatives, but she was able to defeat so many powerful opponents and become the most famous young person in the capital Lutetia and even in the entire Central Empire Linde.

Her success seems to tell the residents of the downtown area that even if they were born in such a narrow shack, they still have a tiny chance to touch the light of hope called "success".

But, is this the truth?

Maybe the answer is not yes.

But at least for the children at Marilyn's Orphanage, today is an extremely happy day.

Shortly after the competition, funding from the Carolingian royal family arrived, the entire orphanage building was renovated, and funds became much more abundant.

At night, the small courtyard was filled with laughter and shouts. In addition to various familiar potato products, the long dining table was also filled with many delicacies that were not usually eaten. The aroma of roast chicken and beef filled the room warmed by the fire, making it feel like a festival.

After the children, both young and old, had eaten their fill, it was time for Uncle Kayan (though he preferred to be called "brother") to put on a small theater performance. Adorable puppets performed fairytale-style adventure stories tailored to their appearances on a wooden stage.

In the audience, each child held a similar stuffed animal, including a small goat that had been forced into the mix due to a shortage. Incidentally, thanks to some unsolicited rewards, Calbant's goat-shaped spirit form is now almost indistinguishable from the real thing, though maintaining it requires mana to fully materialize.

Also, it is different from the puppets in children's hands.

In the wooden theater, those cute puppets made by the necromancer with scraps of cloth, buttons and balls of yarn are actually supported by the whole bones left over from roasted rats, which make them move.

If you think about it carefully, this seems quite scary...

Who would have thought that the inside of this cute-looking puppet is actually made of bones left over from a roasted mouse.

I hope that no curious children will mischievously rush onto the stage and turn the puppet over to find out what’s inside.

After all, knowing too much is not necessarily a good thing.

As for the story content, it is a very simple hero fighting bad guys.

The Great Demon, a barbarian chieftain from the north, imprisoned the sun. Only by paying him enough gold coins could one get a small portion of canned sunshine, which made laughter and light far away from the beautiful Palladio.

At first glance, the story doesn't seem to be much of a picnic, but what gives Ivan a subtle sense of déjà vu is the villain, wielding a red axe and a painted-wood sword, a rude barbarian chieftain from the north. This gluttonous and foolish puppet is so large that it requires two rat skeletons to hold it up.

The protagonist of the story is Kahn, a genius little wizard who comes from a poor family but is smart, wise, talented, handsome, brave, loved by everyone and makes flowers bloom wherever he goes. Beside the protagonist are a beautiful female wizard, a fat druid and a stupid warrior who is also good at using an axe.

The group went through various plots such as reclaiming the huge beast king who was entrenched on the forest road (played by Khayon's magical pet, the smart and cute little flying squirrel Peanut Butter), obtaining the legendary archmage's staff (a small branch with broken glass on the end), defeating the evil necromancer under the barbarian chief (a rat skeleton wearing only a cloak, which caused a small scream when it appeared, but the excitement was far greater than the fear), etc.

Finally, the cleverly commanded... (the following is omitted) little wizard and his three companions fought hard to eliminate the villain Barbarian Chief, freed the sun that was imprisoned in the opponent's belly, and let laughter and sunshine return to the land of Palladio.

Seeing this scene, the children and Diana, who was surrounded by them, could not help but cheer, while Ivan, who had also watched the play, could only smile awkwardly but politely.

Glancing at the Karlbant, being fought over like a stuffed animal by the other children, the black-haired boy smiled brightly. This smile, brimming with sunshine, made him look like a youthful, optimistic, and sunny boy. However, Ka Yang, who had just put the doll away, shuddered at the sight of this smile.

Looking at a wizard who was hiding behind and controlling a puppet remotely, the barbarian from the north slowly clenched his fists as big as sandbags through the crude little theater made of wooden boards.

"Well, there are still some things to deal with in the lab, so I'll be leaving first." Facing the gaze that seemed to be real, Ka Yang touched his head with a dry smile, then picked up the things and rushed out the door as if he had greased his feet.

"Just wait for me!" Alvin waved his fist in the air and snorted.

It’s decided, we’ll start the internal team fighting training tomorrow!

With the end of the story, the happy celebration party finally ended.

Considering that the children at Marilyn's orphanage were all relatively young, and that it was already late at night after the show, Mother Teresa quickly urged each child to wash and go to bed, just like herding a flock of lambs back into the fold.

Looking at the children waving goodbye to her one by one, Diana, who usually had a stern face and no expression, couldn't help but smile from the bottom of her heart.

As she and Alvin walked out of the orphanage one after another, she suddenly stopped and looked at a small window sealed with bricks at the entrance of the orphanage. A melancholy look appeared on the face of the short-haired heroic girl.

"What's wrong?" Alvin asked casually.

"There used to be a stone bathtub there." Diana's voice was soft, but it sounded as clear as a spring in the quiet night.

Listening to the girl's description, Alvin gradually understood what this small window, which was obviously sealed later, was originally used for.

Back in the days of Marilyn's Orphanage, there was a stone tub there specifically for receiving abandoned babies. While the people of the Lower Town struggled to feed children, they still viewed abandoning babies as something to be despised, so much so that some would rather throw them into the wild than hand them over to the orphanage.

The bathtub is designed to avoid this. Behind the stone bathtub is a curtain that blocks the view, and a turntable is installed below.

A rope connected to a bell hangs next to the tub. When someone puts a child in the tub, they just pull the bell and the staff inside will know. They will then turn the dial and the child will be placed behind the curtain at the back.

At the same time, in this way, the orphanage would not know the identity of the abandoned baby's parents. At that time, in addition to feeding these children, the orphanage was also responsible for their education and allowing them to return to society after growing up. If some children did not want to leave after growing up, they could stay here and become staff members.

But later, the orphanage ran into difficulties and this window was closed. And it was on a rainy night that Diana was quietly placed in the stone basin.

The man didn't even ring the bell, so when Mother Teresa and other staff members found her, young Diana's face had been frozen purple, but her cries were still loud, so she was not found as a corpse the next day.

"Something else happened at that time." Diana sat on the steps at the door of the orphanage, looking into the distance, with a smile on her face that she was not even aware of.

"As soon as Mammy picked me up, the rain stopped and the moon came out."