Chapter 6: The Envoy, Part 1
Year 834 of the Falling Stars Era, October 15th.
Outside the main city of the Moldavia Territory, a floating airship laden with gifts slowly descended into an open landing field built using magic. Turbulent air currents, accompanied by the hum of a wind-element mana core, scattered the loose dust and frost on the ground.
Ever since the Great Magic Tide descended, the minor problems that had plagued the Imperial Royal Technical Association's popularization of floating airships—such as 'insufficient mana core pressure'—had vanished with the wind. In an elemental concentration several times greater than before, even a mana core made from the cheapest materials could provide enough power for a massive airship. Thus, within less than half a year, it was no longer just birds that could freely soar through the sky, but also humanity's steel creations.
The newly landed floating airship, guided by ground personnel, had steadily docked in the landing field. White jets of gas vented from the gondola area near the core, and one could hear the exquisite magical machinery inside gradually ceasing its operation, expelling excess mana elements. Anyone knowledgeable could tell from this steady, noise-free pressure release that this small airship, less than a hundred meters long, was equipped with the most expensive and top-tier [Radiance-class] third-generation pressurized core, built without any skimping on materials.
Albert Warner, supported by his attendants, stepped out of the floating airship. The wind whipped the hem of his coat back and forth. The old noble, his hair already streaked with gray, pressed a hand to his chest, where a delicate golden emblem gleamed.
The emblem of an Imperial Royal Ambassador.
The seemingly aged Imperial Ambassador declined his attendant's continued support and descended the airship's ramp. Albert surveyed the landing field. In this open, flat landing area, there were several other magical constructs of various designs.
—The Starlight Ships of the Far South Elves, the Flying Fortresses of the Dwarves, the Holy Light Rings of the Far Sea Holy Mountain.
It seemed he hadn't arrived too late. An inconsequential thought flashed through the ambassador's mind. He studied these unique magical constructs of the major powers with some curiosity. Because of the Great Magic Tide, almost every faction's magical technology had broken through several technical barriers and bottlenecks. The Empire was also gathering information on these creations, which were similar in principle to floating airships. But before Albert could observe for long, the envoy team had finished their preparations, and the group, guided by the Moldavia Territory's personnel, began walking towards the main city not far away.
"Do you require a carriage, esteemed Ambassador?"
Before they set off, a young guide in a black uniform respectfully inquired. "We have prepared one; please don't hesitate."
"No, that won't be necessary. I wish to see the scenery of Moldavia along the way."
With a genial smile, Albert declined the offer. He genuinely wanted to see for himself what this city, which had become the center of public opinion, was really like. As a noble known for his meticulousness and caution, he clearly understood that the details of a territory could reveal the character of its lord.
Joshua van Radcliffe. This was the target of his visit. Before meeting that young legendary expert, the ambassador wanted to learn more about him.
Between the airship landing field and the main city of Moldavia, a brand new stone road had been built. The solid rock, magically leveled and hardened, could support an armored mountain dragon charging at full speed. The small envoy delegation walked leisurely along this road, allowing Albert to clearly observe the current state of the city's outskirts.
—The city was being expanded.
With just a single glance, this experienced ambassador could tell that a large-scale expansion was underway. In the vacant lots around the city, workers in peculiar uniforms were busy leveling the ground and digging foundations. The outlines of several roads had been specially planned out by magic, the prototypes of future main thoroughfares. He could see that one or two buildings, constructed faster than the others, had already had their frameworks erected. Noticing Albert's gaze, the young guide smiled and explained, "That's the Knight Department branch of Winterfell Academy. The Lord said the city's expansion should center around the academy, hospitals, and mana factories, so these are completed earlier."
Nodding in acknowledgment, Albert couldn't help but take another look at the building with its finished framework.
Winterfell Academy, with Nostradamus, the president of the Imperial Royal Mage Association, as its principal—how could he not know of it? But when did this commoner mage academy get a Knight Department branch? No, if there's a Knight Department, then there must naturally be Warrior, Alchemy, Theology departments... maybe not that many, but it certainly meant this academy, looked down upon by the nobles of the Imperial Capital, was far more extensive than it seemed.
Was it truly sufficient funding, or some kind of compromise?
Filing this information away in his mind, the ambassador narrowed his eyes. Soon, he arrived at the city gate.
"Hiss—"
A sudden chill swept over him. Albert shivered and involuntarily took a step back. Behind him, his accompanying staff and attendants fared even worse, their legs seeming to go weak. The well-traveled old noble, startled and uncertain, scanned the seemingly ordinary steel gate. He observed the tall, sturdy city walls, which seemed to have been recently renovated, as if sensing something.
"Our oversight, Ambassador. Since this area will become the inner district of the new main city, the generous Lord had the city walls renovated a few days ago, using dragon bones as the framework," the young guide hastily sent people to help the unsteady accompanying envoys, speaking with a hint of apology. "I'm terribly sorry. This is a recent development, and we locals have grown accustomed to the dragon's might, so we honestly didn't think to mention it..."
"...It's nothing. I was the one who was undignified."
Taking a restorative smelling bottle from his attendant and inhaling to steady himself, Albert was inwardly shaken. Although he had long known of this lord's fame as a dragon slayer, he never imagined he would be so extravagant as to reinforce city walls with dragon bones. Just how many dragons had Joshua killed to have so many bones?
What was even more astonishing was the guide's words—what did he mean by 'the locals have grown accustomed to the dragon's might'? Could one even get used to dragon might?! This was the pressure released by a powerful creature at the top of the biological chain! Unless one saw dragons every day, how could one possibly get used to it!
Albert Warner was one of the powerful figures of the Warner family. He had represented the Northern Empire on diplomatic missions to many powers and nations. Compared to the Mother Tree of Life of the Far South Elves or the Lava Fortresses of the Dwarves, the main city of Moldavia wasn't particularly impressive. Even using dragon bones to reinforce the walls only earned the assessment of 'extravagant' from him. But he also knew that this city was once just the main city of a Count's territory.
About twenty years ago, when the previous Count of the North was still alive, Albert had visited Moldavia once. The main city back then, while not dilapidated, was by no means prosperous. The old noble truly hadn't expected that in just twenty years, the span of a single lord's rule, the entire city could undergo such a dramatic change.
Lost in these thoughts, Albert entered the city.
The clamor of voices immediately reached the ears of the envoy group. The sound of people coming and going testified to the city's prosperity. Numerous adventurers and newly relocated residents were injecting vitality into the main city, which had been growing somewhat lifeless with the approaching winter. Not to mention the figures of engineering personnel renovating old buildings everywhere.
"The main city is undergoing a comprehensive renovation."
The guide proactively explained, looking quite proud of it. "Old sewers, damaged streets, glowstone lamps, and buildings over three hundred years old—the order of renovation isn't fixed, but the pace is fast. If you were to visit again in a few months, Ambassador, I'm sure we would have finished everything."
"Indeed, very impressive."
Nodding slightly, Albert felt the enchanted ring on his left hand alerting him—this meant one or more magical arrays were currently monitoring him. However, the old noble, who had lived long in the Imperial Capital, wasn't surprised by this. As the residence of a legendary expert, it was only normal for the main city of Moldavia to be constantly enveloped by magical arrays.
"Then, please continue leading the way."
Saying this, Albert smiled. "Take it slow. I want to observe this city carefully."
"Yes, my lord."
The envoy delegation continued forward. Due to their low profile, no crowd noticed this slow-moving group. Walking on the road, which had been replaced with solid granite, Albert couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
How much gold did the expansion of a city cost? It was an astronomical figure that could dizzy even the greatest nobles. Such a project required decades, or even centuries, to complete slowly, unless the noble family ruling the city had centuries of accumulated wealth.
Did the Radcliffe family have such savings? Of course not. But its current ruler, Joshua, was a legendary expert.
That outweighed everything.
Back in the Imperial Capital, the old noble had heard that this rather famous young legend had turned a large area of the Black Forest around the Great Aias Mountains to ashes and relocated his family's ancestral tomb to a peak there, making it the new apex of the Moldavia Territory, overlooking the entire Northern Lands. If ordinary knights were to undertake such a project, just exterminating the monsters in the Black Forest would cost hundreds, or even thousands, of lives, and the gold spent would be incalculable.
But Joshua had only taken ten minutes to complete all that tedious work.
Thinking thus, as they walked, Albert and his party arrived near the Lord's Mansion.
A large contingent of clergy seemed to have known in advance that the envoy delegation was coming and were waiting there.
Before Albert could even ask why the church personnel were here, hundreds of amplified divine spells crashed down upon him.