Translator: Cinder Translations
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The capital city of Aldor, Crystal Glare Castle, remained shrouded in a tense and somber atmosphere.
Although it had been some time since the royalist army reclaimed the capital, the level of martial law had not decreased in the slightest. Soldiers patrolled the streets and alleys at every few steps, often stopping suspicious individuals for thorough interrogation, delving into their family histories.
The once lively taverns were now eerily quiet. Customers came in, bought their drinks, and left hurriedly. Those who did sit down for a drink exchanged only trivialities, far from the spirited debates that usually ensued after a few drinks.
A couple of horse-drawn carriages raced towards the palace. In one of them sat a tall, lean man with a pointed beard—Earl Merlin, in charge of the kingdom's intelligence system.
At this moment, Earl Merlin sat with closed eyes, outwardly calm but inwardly troubled.
On the night that Princess Catherine led her troops to reclaim the capital, a massive fire broke out in the grain warehouse, destroying nearly eighty to ninety percent of the stored provisions. This fire had severe consequences, directly disrupting the royalist army's plans to march south and quell the rebellion.
Fire prevention at the granary was always a top priority, with stringent measures in place. Even in the event of a fire, it was inconceivable for almost all storage facilities to be engulfed.
Clearly, this was a provocation—a serious one. Giles, the traitor, was blatantly slapping the royalists in the face, saying, "You think you've won, but I have plenty of tricks left to deal with you, right under your noses."
One could imagine how furious Princess Catherine was. During the emergency meeting following the fire, in a fit of rage, she drew her sword and cleaved the table before her, swearing enmity with Giles until death.
As the head of intelligence, Earl Merlin was naturally tasked with investigating the truth behind the fire. However, the more he investigated, the more perplexing it became. He painstakingly reviewed the information he had gathered repeatedly in his mind, pondering how to report the situation to His Majesty the King and Princess Catherine.
King Rodney XVI of Aldor had finally recovered from his illness after being brought back to the capital by his daughter. Now, he was gradually resuming his duties of state.
After a thorough search by the royal guards, Earl Merlin hurried into the palace. In such times, even he, a core member of the royalists, was not exempt from scrutiny.
He rushed to the study door of King Rodney XVI, and the attendant inside promptly announced his arrival. The King immediately granted the Earl entry.
Upon entering the study, Earl Merlin found Princess Catherine already present.
"Earl Merlin, how goes the investigation into the warehouse fire?" King Rodney XVI waved off Merlin's formalities, getting straight to the point. Approaching forty, King Rodney XVI was usually a benevolent monarch, but the strain of constant state affairs had prematurely grizzled his hair. At this moment, his face was marked with visible concern.
"Your Majesty, I regret to inform you that we have yet to make any substantial breakthroughs in the case."
Despite the sorrow he felt upon delivering such bad news so soon after the King's recovery, after much deliberation, Earl Merlin decided to report honestly.
Princess Catherine, standing beside the King, interjected, "Have you encountered any difficulties?"
"Yes, Your Highness. Allow me to explain." Earl Merlin pulled out a parchment scroll and began to report the information currently at his disposal.
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Firearms in a Fantasy World
FantasyTransmigrated as the young Earl of a declining noble family, Paul Grayman sets out to take his territory to the peak. Armed with the knowledge of the modern world, he will create firearms, paper, porcelain, industrial tools and much more. Follow Pau...