Chapter 8: A New Era

Whoosh!

Howling wind accompanied the downpour. The three-mast sailboat was

tossed around by the crests and troughs of the incoming waves, as if it

was being toyed by a giant.

The crimson glow in Alger Wilson's eyes faded. He found himself still

remaining on the deck and nothing appeared to have changed.

Almost immediately, the quirky-shaped glass bottle in his palm shattered

and the frost within melted into the rain. In seconds, there were no

longer any traces left that suggested the existence of the wondrous

antique.

A hexagonal crystal-like snowflake emerged on Alger's palm. It then

faded rapidly until it was seemingly absorbed by the flesh, vanishing

completely in the process. Alger nodded his head in a hardly noticeable

manner, as if he was thinking about something. He remained still and

silent for a full five minutes.

He turned around and headed for the cabin. As he was about to enter, a

man who wore a similar robe embroidered with lightning patterns emerged

from inside.

This man, who had soft blond hair, paused and looked at Alger. He held

his right fist to his chest and said, "May the Storm be with you."

Alger replied with the same words and gesture. There were no emotions on

his rough face which had a well-defined structure.

Alger entered the cabin after the greeting and proceeded to the

captain's cabin situated at the far end of the corridor.

Surprisingly, he did not encounter any sailors on the way. The whole

place was as quiet as a graveyard.

Behind the door to the captain's cabin, a soft brown carpet overlaid the

floor. A bookshelf and a wine rack took the opposite side walls of the

room. The books with their yellowish covers and wine bottles with their

dark red color looked peculiar under the flickering candlelight.

On the desk with the candle, there was a bottle of ink, a quill, a black

metallic telescope and a sextant made of brass.

Behind the desk sat a pale middle-aged man wearing a captain's hat which

had a skull on it. As Alger approached him, he said menacingly, "I will

not give in!"

"I believe you can do it," Alger said calmly, so calm that it felt like

he was commenting on the weather.

"You..." The man seemed to be stunned by the unexpected answer.

At this very moment, Alger leaned forward slightly and suddenly dashed

across the room until they were only separated by the desk.

Pa!

Alger tightened his shoulder and reached out his right hand to choke the

man.

Illusory fish scales appeared on the back of his hand as he crazily

mustered more strength to choke the man, giving him no time to respond.

Crack!

Amid the crisp cracking sound, the man's eyes widened as his body was

lifted up.

His legs twitched furiously before they soon became motionless. His

pupils began to widen as he stared aimlessly. There was a stench from

between his legs as his pants gradually turned moist.

While lifting the man, Alger lowered his back and strode toward the

wall.

Bang! He used the man as a shield and smashed forward at the

wall. His extremely muscular arm was monstrous.

A hole cracked open in the wooden wall, and rain poured in, accompanied

by the scent of the ocean.

Alger flung the man out of the cabin, straight into the giant waves that

resembled mountains.

The wind continued to howl in the dark as almighty nature devoured

everything.

Alger took out a white handkerchief and wiped his right hand carefully

before throwing it into the sea as well.

He stepped back and waited patiently for company.

In less than ten seconds, the blond man from before rushed in and asked,

"What happened?"

"The 'captain' has escaped," Alger answered in an annoyed manner as he

panted. "I didn't know he still had some of his Beyonder powers."

"Damn it!" the blond man cursed softly.

He went up to the opening and stared into the distance. However, nothing

was visible except for the waves and the rain.

"Forget it, he was just extra loot," the blond man said, waving his arm,

"We will still be rewarded for finding this ghost ship from the Tudor

Era."

Even if he was a Keeper of the Sea, he would not have hastily dived into

the sea under this weather condition.

"The 'captain' will not be able to survive much longer if the storm

continues." Alger said, as he nodded in approval. The wooden wall was

repairing itself at a discernible rate.

He gazed at the wall and turned his head subconsciously towards the

rudder and the sail.

He was perfectly aware of what was going on behind all the wooden

planks.

The chief mate, the second mate, the crew, and the sailors were not

present. There was no living person on board!

Amidst all the emptiness, the rudder and the sail moved eerily by

themselves.

Alger again pictured "The Fool" who was covered in grayish-white fog and

sighed.

He turned back and looked outside at the mighty waves and spoke as

though in a reverie while filled with anticipation and awe, "A new era

has begun..."

Empress Borough, Backlund, capital of the Loen Kingdom.

Audrey Hall pinched her cheeks in disbelief of her encounter a while

ago.

On the dressing table in front of her, the old bronze mirror had

shattered into pieces.

Audrey cast her gaze downwards and saw the swirling "crimson" on the

back of her hand; it was like a tattoo depicting a star.

The "crimson" gradually faded and disappeared into her skin.

Only at this point in time was Audrey certain that it was not a dream.

Her eyes twinkled as she grinned. She could not help but stand up before

bending down to lift up the hem of her dress.

She curtseyed towards thin air and started dancing lively. It was the

"Ancient Elf Dance, "the most popular dance among royalty at the moment.

She had a bright smile on her face as she moved about gracefully.

Knock! Knock! Someone suddenly knocked at her bedroom door.

"Who is it?" Audrey immediately stopped her dance and asked as she

tidied her dress to look more elegant.

"My Lady, may I come in? You should start to prepare for the ceremony,"

Audrey's maidservant asked from outside the door.

Audrey looked into a mirror on the dressing table and quickly wiped the

smile from her face, leaving only a tiny hint of a smile.

She responded gently after she had ensured everything was presentable,

"Come in."

The doorknob turned and Annie, her maidservant, pushed in.

"Oh, it cracked..." Annie said as she instantly saw the outcome of the

old bronze mirror.

Audrey blinked and said slowly, "Erm, Yes! Susie was here just now. I am

sure you know she likes to wreak havoc!"

Susie was a golden retriever that was not so much of a purebred. It was

a gift given to her father, Earl Hall, when he bought a foxhound.

Nevertheless, Audrey adored it.

"You should train it well," Annie said, as she picked up the pieces of

the bronze mirror adeptly and with care, lest it hurt her mistress.

As she finished tidying up, she asked Audrey with a smile, "Which dress

do you want to put on?"

Audrey thought for a while and answered," I like the dress designed by

Mrs. Guinea for my 17th birthday."

"No, you can't wear the same dress twice to a formal ceremony or others

will gossip about and question the Hall family's financial ability,"

Annie said, shaking her head in disagreement.

"But I really like it!" Audrey insisted in a gentle manner.

"You can wear it at home or when you attend an event that isn't so

formal," Annie said firmly, suggesting that it was not negotiable.

"Then it will have to be the one with the frilly designs along the

sleeves given by Mr. Sades two days ago," Audrey said as she drew in a

gasp inconspicuously, maintaining her sweet smile.

"You always have such a good taste," Annie said as she stepped back and

shouted towards the door, "The sixth dressing room! Ah, forget it, I

shall fetch it myself."

Maidservants began to work. The dress, accessories, footwear, hat,

makeup, and hairstyle---everything had to be taken care of.

When it was almost ready, Earl Hall appeared at the door wearing a dark

brown waistcoat.

He had a hat sharing the same color as his clothes and a nice mustache.

His blue eyes were filled with joy, but his loosening muscles, widening

waist, and wrinkles were obviously destroying his handsome youth.

"The most dazzling jewel of Backlund, it is time for our departure,"

Earl Hall said, knocking at the door twice.

"Father! Stop calling me that," Audrey protested as she got up with the

help of the maidservants.

"Well then, it's time to set off, my beautiful little princess," Earl

Hall said as he bent his left arm, signaling Audrey to hold his arm.

Audrey shook her head slightly and said, "That is for my mother, Mrs.

Hall, the Countess."

"Then this side," Earl Hall bent his right arm with a smile and said,

"This is for you, my greatest pride."

The Imperial naval base, Pritz Harbor, Oak Island.

When Audrey took her father's arm and walked down the carriage, she was

suddenly shocked by the juggernaut in front of her.

In the military port not far away, there was a huge ship shimmering with

metallic reflections. It did not have a sail, leaving only an

observatory deck, two towering chimneys, and two turrets at the ends of

the ship.

It was so majestic and large that the fleet of sails nearby were like

newborn dwarfs clustering around a giant.

"Holy Lord of Storms..."

"Oh, m'lord."

"An ironclad warship!"

Amidst the furore, Audrey was also shocked by this unprecedented miracle

created by mankind. It was an ocean miracle that had never been seen

before!

It took a while for the aristocrats, ministers, and Members of

Parliament to compose themselves. Then, a black spot on the sky started

to grow in size until it occupied a third of the sky and entered

everyone's view. The atmosphere suddenly became solemn.

It was a gigantic flying machine with a beautiful streamlined design

hovering in mid-air. The deep blue machine had airbags made of cotton

which were supported by alloy structures that were strong but light. The

alloy structure's bottom had openings mounted with machine guns,

projectile launchers, and muzzles. The exaggerated humming noise from

the ignition steam engine and the tail blades produced a symphony that

left everyone amazed.

The King's family arrived on their airship, exuding a lofty and

indisputable authority.

Two swords, each with a ruby crown at the handle, were pointing

vertically down and reflected the sunlight on both sides of the cabin.

They were the "Sword of Judgment" emblem which symbolized the Augustus

family and has been passed down from the previous epoch.

Audrey was not yet eighteen, so she had not attended the "introductory

ceremony," which was an event led by the Queen that marked one's debut

into the Backlund social scene, to announce her adult status. Therefore,

she could not be nearer to the airship and had to remain silent at the

back to watch the entire event.

Nevertheless, it did not matter to her. In fact, she was relieved that

she did not need to deal with the princes.

The 'miracle' that mankind used to conquer the sky touched down gently.

The first ones to step down the stairs were the handsome young guards

who wore red ceremonial uniforms with white trousers. Decorated with

medals, they formed two lines with rifles in hand. They were awaiting

the appearances of King George III, his queen, and the prince and

princess.

Audrey was not new to meeting important people so she showed no interest

at all. Instead, she had her attention on the two statue-like

black-armored cavalry flanking the king.

In this era of iron, steam, and cannons, it was surprising that there

was still someone who could bear wearing full armor.

The cold metallic luster and the dull black helmet conveyed solemnity

and authority.

"Could they be the higher-order Disciplinary Paladins..." Audrey

recalled snippets of a casual conversation among adults. She was curious

but did not dare go close.

The ceremony commenced with the arrival of the king's family. The

incumbent Prime Minister, Lord Aguesid Negan, went up to the front.

He was a member of the Conservative Party and the second non-aristocrat

to become the Prime Minister till this very day. He was given the title

of a Lord for his great contributions.

Of course, Audrey knew more. The main supporter of the Conservative

Party was the present Duke of Negan, Pallas Negan, who was the brother

of Aguesid!

Aguesid was a slender and almost bald fifty plus year old man with a

sharp gaze. He surveyed the area before speaking.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe you have witnessed this history-making

ironclad warship. It has dimensions of 101 by 21 meters. It has an

amazing port and starboard design. The armor belt is 457 millimeters

thick. The displacement is 10060 tonnes. There are four 305-millimeter

main cannons, six rapid-fire cannons, 12 six-pound cannons, 18

six-barrel machine guns, and four torpedo launchers. It can reach a

speed of 16 knots!

"It will be the real hegemon! It will conquer the seas!"

The crowd was roused. The mere descriptions were enough to instill

fearful images in them, let alone the fact that the actual thing was

right in front of them.

Aguesid smiled and spoke a few more lines before saluting the king and

requested, "Your Majesty, please give it a name!"

"Since it will set sail from Pritz Harbor, it should be named "The

Pritz," George III responded. His expression showed his delight.

"The Pritz!"

"The Pritz!"

The words spread from the Navy Minister and the Admiral of the Imperial

Navy to all the soldiers and officers on the deck. They all exclaimed in

unison, "The Pritz!"

George III ordered the Pritz to set sail for a trial in the midst of the

gun salutes and the celebratory atmosphere.

Honk!

Thick smoke spewed out from the chimneys. The sound from the machinery

could be heard faintly beneath the sound of the ship horn.

The juggernaut departed from the harbor. Everyone was shocked when the

two main cannons at the ship's bow fired at an uninhabited island in its

path.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The ground shook as dust shot up into the sky. Shock waves spread out,

producing waves in the sea.

Satisfied, Aguesid turned back to the crowd and announced, "From this

day on, doomsday will fall on the seven pirates who call themselves

Admirals and the four who call themselves Kings. They can only shiver in

fear!

"It is the end of their era. Only the ironclad warship will roam the

seas no matter whether the pirates have the powers of the Beyonders,

ghost ships, or cursed ships."

Aguesid's chief secretary deliberately asked, "Can't they build their

own ironclad warships?"

Some of the nobles and Members of Parliament nodded, feeling that such a

possibility could not be eliminated.

Aguesid immediately smiled and shook his head slowly as he answered,

"Impossible! It will never be possible! Building our ironclad warship

required three big coal and steel amalgamators, a scale of more than

twenty steel factories, 60 scientists and senior engineers from the

Backlund Cannon Academy and Pritz Nautical Academy, two royal shipyards,

almost hundred factories for spare parts, an Admiralty, a ship-building

committee, a Cabinet, a determined king with excellent foresight, and a

great country with an annual steel production of 12 million tonnes!

"The pirates will never achieve it."

Having said that, he paused and raised his arms before shouting in

agitation, "Ladies and gentlemen, the era of cannons and warships has

dawned upon us!"