Free Web NovelChapter 619: Long Distance Communication Device
"In twenty days, the Magical Energy Machinery Exhibition will open. Many nobles have traveled from afar to the imperial capital just to witness the empire’s grandeur. At the academy, the handover ceremonies between the exhibition hall and the magical energy machinery are proceeding smoothly, thanks in no small part to Dean Anthony’s strong cooperation during this period."
Inside the headmaster’s office at Elizabeth Academy of Magic, a silver-haired girl dressed in an elegant noblewoman’s formal dress sipped her tea. Her cold red eyes gazed across the desk at the elderly mage whose hair was streaked with white.
"On behalf of the royal family of the Valeria Empire, I thank you, Dean, for your support."
The slender heel tapped faintly against the floor, then arced gracefully through the air as her legs crossed. The finely crafted leather toe gleamed softly in the light, while the smooth, silky expanse of her black-stockinged foot resembled a piece of exquisite black jade.
Upon hearing Astrid’s words, Anthony gave a slight nod and replied quietly.
"Developments in magical energy machinery have brought enormous convenience to people’s lives, it benefits both the nation and its people. As a subject of the empire and a servant of the empress, it is only natural that I do my utmost."
"All of this is, in truth, more due to the far-sightedness of Her Highness the Regent."
Astrid smiled faintly at his words, courteously replying.
"Dean Anthony, you flatter me. I’ve merely done a small, insignificant part."
"Whether it’s Her Majesty the empress, who has been responsible for pushing forward legislation, Vice Dean Charlotte, who has remained on the front lines of magical energy machinery research, or the other returning mages who have devoted their time and energy to magical studies, all have contributed far more than me."
They exchange polite compliments, going through the formalities typical of noble discourse. After that, Astrid and Anthony discussed logistical details, venue arrangements, entry tickets distributed with the Imperial Weekly, specific opening hours for the exhibition halls, crowd control measures, and most importantly, on-site security.
"I’ll trouble you, Dean Anthony, to remain in the capital during those days to help oversee things," Astrid said softly, resting her cheek on one hand.
"I have great confidence in your abilities."
The Magical Energy Machinery Exhibition aims to showcase to the capital’s nobles the benefits of magical energy devices, deliberately downplaying any potential risks hidden beneath the surface.
The conservative nobility’s concerns about magical energy machinery generally stemmed from two sources. First, they feared that such devices might give commoners easier access to means of harming them, nobles who prided themselves on their magical superiority. No one was immune to fear of physical destruction, especially nobles who had lived their entire lives in luxury and cherished their lives above all.
Second, they worry that the magical secrets embedded within these devices might be stolen by commoners, leading to the leakage of core knowledge underpinning noble rule and undermining their own status.
Of course, these were merely the views of the majority of nobles with limited vision. Some saw further, they foresaw the transformation in productivity brought by the rapid development of magical energy machinery, and the inevitable emergence of "new nobles" who would seize the share of benefits from their plates.
This small minority, difficult to deceive or mislead, had only two choices: either actively cooperate to maximize their gains, transitioning from "old nobles" to "new nobles," or resist to the death and become thorns in the eyes of imperial authority.
Upon hearing her out, Anthony nodded slightly and replied in a gentle tone.
"As Her Highness the Regent commands."
The magical energy weapons displayed in glass cases had mostly had their power crystals removed, serving merely as semi-finished exhibits to showcase external designs or internal structures, posing virtually no safety hazard. Only a few were equipped with elemental crystals, intended for military demonstrations.
Still, Anthony understood the importance of this exhibition. He would rather be cautious, investing extra time and effort, than allowing any negligence.
Astrid nodded slightly, her red eyes blinking gently.
"At that time, I’ll also deploy a contingency of the Imperial Royal Guards to maintain order on-site, preventing any troublemakers from sneaking in and attempting to sabotage the event."
"I hope this Magical Energy Machinery Exhibition, destined to be recorded in imperial history, concluded successfully."
If this move succeeds in winning over even a portion of the nobility’s hearts, the resistance they will face in subsequent reforms will be greatly reduced. The vast potential of magical energy machinery lay clearly before them, the pie was bound to grow ever larger. Although the exact method of distribution remains unclear, it could at least somewhat weaken the resistance mentality of the stubborn factions.
Anthony expressed his agreement, then handed Astrid the pre-prepared exhibition draft for her review.
Warm sunlight streamed into the office, illuminating the yellowed parchment and the waterfall of silver hair. The girl’s pale fingers shone dazzlingly, and even the deep black hem of her dress reflected a faint, silken luster.
After a quarter of an hour, Astrid relaxed her brows, uncrossed her legs, and the slender back strap of her high heel lightly tapped against the chair, producing a faint sound.
"An excellent draft. We’ll proceed as planned."
Hardly had the words left her lips when Astrid heard the clear chime of a bell echoing in her ears. Immediately after, an extremely faint sound came from beyond the window, distant, perhaps the noise of students leaving class.
"Time has slipped by without notice... they’ve already graduated..."
Astrid murmured softly, a hint of unmistakable nostalgia in her voice.
There was a time when she, too, would leave the classroom to this familiar bell and class-ending chime, walking back to the dormitory arm-in-arm with her current lover.
In the blink of an eye, it had nearly been two years.
Noticing Astrid’s expression, Anthony remained silent, merely watching as the silver-haired regent rose to her feet. Her pale hands, clad in black silk gloves, rested on the windowsill as she gazed into the distance at the academy square.
After a moment, Astrid spoke softly.
"What do the students think about the Magical Energy Machinery Exhibition?" frёeωebɳovel.com
"... ... "
After a brief silence, Anthony answered.
"They are the first generation to enjoy the benefits of magical energy machinery, so they generally look forward to seeing even more novel inventions at the exhibition."
Compared to the past, the expensive yet convenient magical energy devices had brought them millions of conveniences.
Upon hearing this, Astrid smiled faintly and said softly.
"Indeed. Young nobles sheltered within ivory towers tend to think this way."
Having never experienced the pains of transformation, enjoying only the comfortable environment brought by new technologies, they were more creative and open to new things.
Even Astrid couldn’t say whether this mindset was good or bad. But one thing was clear: these people would greatly benefit her and Amalia’s upcoming magical energy machinery reform.
That was enough.
Using magic-enhanced acute, Astrid listened for a hearing while two students discussed the exhibition two weeks away. Then she picked up the small black hat hanging on the nearby hat rack, elegantly placing it atop her head, partially concealing her silver hair.
"I’ll take my leave for today. I apologize for disturbing you, Dean Anthony."
Looking at the imperial regent before him, outstanding in both grace and beauty, Anthony bowed politely.
"It is my great honor to have Her Highness the Regent grace my office with her presence today."
Then Astrid opened the door, her crisp, sharp footsteps fading into the distance, mingling with the light, almost weightless sounds of maids’ shoes stepping on the floor.
..................
Back at the palace, upon hearing that Charlotte had arrived, Astrid didn’t even take time to rest. She strode forward on her long legs towards the magical energy workshop where the other woman was.
It seemed that, except for the few times when Charlotte hadn’t known she was coming, every time Astrid met Charlotte, the latter was wearing a form-fitting dress that accentuated her figure. Today was no exception.
A light purple court gown clinging to the mature, alluring figure of the dark-haired beauty. Her two snow-white, flawless legs were adorned with thin, transparent stockings. Her feet wore pointed high heels decorated with wing-shaped metal embellishments, her pale instep and delicate heels exposed. Delicate light apricot-colored straps wrapped around her ankles, faintly revealing the texture of the silk on her skin, dignified, yet with a touch of allure.
"Lady Charlotte, you’re coming today, so you won’t be leaving, right?" Astrid took the other’s hand first, her voice gentle.
A few days earlier, Astrid had suggested to Charlotte that unless absolutely necessary, she should move into the palace as soon as possible.
First, it would make exchanging knowledge about magical energy machinery more convenient. Second, it was a way of fulfilling the promise made that night, leaving a door open, to spend more time with Charlotte.
After all, she, Astrid, wasn’t the type to forget her aunt just because she had a girlfriend.
Feeling Astrid’s closeness, Charlotte nodded, affirming this.
"Mm, I’ll be relying on Little Astr for a while~"
"Lady Charlotte, you can stay as long as you like, and sleep wherever you want."
The way she said it made it sound as though the imperial regent’s soft bed was opened to her too.
Recalling what had happened that night, Charlotte’s tea-colored eyes narrowed slightly. Her gaze flickered for an instant, but her tone quickly returned to normal.
"It’s only because Lyra isn’t here that Little Astr can say such things..."
With just Amalia, Astrid still had time for other matters. But when the other lover returned from her family visit, her evenings would likely be completely occupied.
Detecting perhaps a tiny trace of jealousy in Charlotte’s words, whether imagined or real, Astrid lifted her lips in a smile.
"Lovers need companionship, but I don’t want to let go of you, Lady Charlotte."
Marrying a wife didn’t mean forgetting one’s mother. In Astrid’s case, Charlotte was nominally an aunt, but in practice more like a caretaker for an adopted daughter. Thinking this way wasn’t wrong at all.
Hearing Astrid’s words, Charlotte exhaled softly through her delicate nose, looking at her with a complex expression.
"Alright. I believe you, Little Astr."
Just... I hope next time I knock on the door, the noble regent won’t once again have her back pressing against it, oblivious even to the person just one door away.
After a few pleasantries, Astrid reviewed with Charlotte the content she had previously asked Evelyn to translate. Upon hearing it, Charlotte fell into thought. ƒreewebɳovel.com
"Lorraine City... Carter Lake..."
"I remember, Charlotte, you once went to Lorraine City to attend a teaching event at Velmoria Knight Academy?"
"Yes, a few years ago," Charlotte didn’t deny it, continuing. "That time, I flew the entire way and didn’t see any possible floating city."
She was a mid-tier Arcanist mage specializing in wind elements. With her full mental power extended, she would have detected any object at altitudes above one kilometer.
Let alone the description of the floating city mentioned a "perpetual wind barrier surrounding the city’s edges."
"However, the origin of Carter Lake does indeed hold mysteries. Some say it was formed by geological activity, others claim it was artificially created by the Spell creator Lady Gemini. Opinions vary widely, but none have particularly reliable evidence."
After speaking, Charlotte continued.
"Of course, it’s also possible my flight altitude wasn’t high enough to detect a sky city at a higher elevation, or perhaps, like many ruins, it possesses a special barrier concealing its existence."
Regardless of the possibility, it would be necessary to investigate in the future.
Astrid nodded upon hearing this, sharing intelligence with Charlotte.
"Amalia has already sent people to investigate. We should have news within a month."
"This most basic method of message delivery... is still too slow..."
At moments like this, Astrid especially missed the information network technology of her past life. Even across thousands of miles, appearances and voices can be transmitted through signals. Originally, Astrid had planned to have Lyra send a letter home to report she was safe, but then she realized, the time it would take for the letter to be sent, received by the post office, and transported by carriage to the capital, Lyra would likely have already finished her visit and flown back to capital City.
After speaking, Astrid looked at Charlotte and said softly.
"Lady Charlotte, do you remember something I talked to you about a long time ago?"
"Which one?" Charlotte asked.
Astrid had had many night-time conversations with her, discussing different topics each time. This was indeed too vague.
The silver-haired, red-eyed beauty of the empire lightly touched her lips with her index finger, speaking slowly.
"It was about magic-energy communication devices."
"At the time, Lady Charlotte thought that to achieve long-distance voice transmission, we’d need to rely on the unpredictable micro-particles of wind elements."
"But my idea then was that we should consider the Arcane more seriously."
In fact, the current method used in the Valeria Empire for short-distance voice transmission did rely on wind magic. Aligned wind element particles transmit sound vibrations to specific targets, achieving both sound delivery and encryption. As a master mage who had spent a lifetime teaching and working with wind, Charlotte’s considerations and optimization in this direction were reasonable.
But this method had an obvious flaw: the elemental nature of wind particles inherently makes them difficult to fix in place. Wind was a free and loose element. Once the distance increased, not only will the caster’s mental control range fail to keep up, but control precision will also greatly diminish.
Hearing this, Charlotte seemed to have an epiphany. Looking into Astrid’s clear red eyes, her voice was soft.
"Little Astr means... using arranged arcane particles to achieve long-distance sound transmission?"
