Bellum Alíu Orbise

Chapter 4

A few minutes earlier

"So this so-called umbrella is really helpful."

"Sure."

Under a blue umbrella, shielded from the heavy water droplets from the sky, Aurora and Belisari are walking toward the closest palace to their position: the Voyage Latilus Palace. Although Aurora is mildly concerned whether or not she is going to be welcome there, Belisari assured her that she would be treated as a guest. Added to that is the heavy rain tapping all over the blue umbrella, they would be wet if unable to find somewhere to stay soon, Aurora's decision was to listen to Belisari and follow him to Voyage palace.

Besides, Belisari looks like an aristocrat to her, and his surname is Latila, sharing the same name with the nation. Aurora guessed that he's a high class aristocrat, definitely had some monarch blood flowing in his veins, or at least something like that.

"Say"-Aurora speaks-"There are two stand out palaces in this city, one belongs to the Latila Royal family and one belongs to the House of Voyage. Am I right?"

Aurora was referring to what Belisari told her earlier on the street. Latila has had three aristocratic family lineages that at least once took this city as their headquarter: Latila, Voyage and Flemton. House of Voyage-the offensive militarism faction of Latila-had the largest, most ambitious building standing right close to Latila port, overshadowing even the Royal Palace itself.

Meanwhile, amidst the rainfall beyond their visual range, Latila Palace of the House it shared name with stands proudly in the middle of the city. From the highest tower of the palace, in the clear weather, one could see the entire nation of Latila, and even an Elestovakian village from afar.

House of Flemton, less noticeable, but they used to have a castle near the coastline of the city; one could over watch any ship that approached Latila from the south. It was abandoned after the entire family line was killed in the Elestovakian War.

"Yes. And we're heading to one. Voyage, I expect it should take five minutes before we arrive at the gate."

Belisari points toward a weak orange light source on top of the outside wall. The gate of the palace is relatively close, they could determine it even in the rain.

"By the way, Aurora"-Belisari asks her-"Where did you come from?"

"Ehh...Russia."

"Russia? Never heard of it, is that a region in the Further North?"

Nodding"Yeah, very far from Latila, I had to risk my life to get here."

"Glad that you made it. Why did you come here? Is there any particular reason?"

"I want to become a saint."

"...That was...ambitious to say the least."

Still a bit of time left before they arrive, Aurora speaks out a question that she should have asked earlier:

"I know I would be mainly responsible for the manufacturing progress, but can you please tell me about Latilian industrial capability? No bias, I need to know everything as correctly as possible."

Belisari stopped walking, his face turned to her, both arms crossed, seemingly serious:

"As far as I know, we could mass produce black gunpowder, but just that, maybe welding guns and cannons, but not in large quantities-"

"Knowing how to produce gunpowder is enough, that means your nation could produce those chemicals that I need. Hey, it's your turn to hold the umbrella."