193 Pocketing Books (1/2)
Back at the centermost region of the Capital, on the top floor of the Royal Palace, Heinrich was seated outside. He had moved his study to the balcony, where he could bathe in the afterglow of the setting sun and overlook the development of the kingdom.
Heinrich had a peaceful expression as if he had come to terms with the changes of the kingdom. A ruler shouldn't be inflexible. He had to be open to change. Only then would he be able to move forward.
”Rules are made to be broken, huh?”
Heinrich quietly thought as he gazed into the distant lands, where a silver line could be seen from the Lower District stretching into the north. It was the steel railway track to the Rainwallow City that's still under construction.
He had realized many things upon waking up from his long slumber. He had abided by the royal family's teaching, but at this moment, he truly thought it was outdated.
A higher wall will not protect humanity, nor would a strong grasp over vital resources develop the kingdom if it is not used correctly. The Crawford Kingdom had undergone more changes in the last three months than it did in the last four hundred years.
Would they still need to hide behind a wall, if they had powerful cultivation? The discovery of heavenly crystals had ensured that humanity was on the rise. Heinrich hadn't slacked in his cultivation since he awoke. He was driven to catch up to his wife quickly. He estimated it would take another two weeks for him to reach Transcendent if he devotes all his time to cultivate.
However, that's not possible. Someone had to keep track of the ongoing projects in the Capital, and he certainly wasn't willing to dump that work on others.
The Capital was experiencing its most aggressive development using steal and steam-powered technology, and it filled Heinrich with excitement. He was even tempted to tear down the wall for raw material, but he quickly shook the dangerous thought out of his mind. It was a pity that the production of their alloys couldn't be quicker.
Heinrich was glanced at a piece of paper on his study table, listing the information of the two sects: The Illusory Butterfly Sect and Bloodfiend Sect. These were the current enemies of the kingdom. One was responsible for the recent disaster befell on the Capital, and the other was suspected for the events of 17 years ago.
So far, the information they had on hand was too limited. They did not understand the extent of their strengths nor their numbers. It was strange how they had not known about these two sects before. But what was stranger was how the other kingdoms allowed the existence of these sects to grow to the point of threatening their own sovereignty.
Heinrich narrowed his eyes but did not focus on anything in particular as he ponders in deep thought. Each kingdom had its own remnants of ancient ruins. No one could say for certain that there weren't any strong heritage or heavenly crystals lying deeper in those ruins.
Heinrich's concern was if there was, had it already been excavated yet?
A few sheets of paper were blown by a sudden gust of wind from the balcony, but a palace maid immediately leaped out and collected all the papers in midair in an instant, before placing it back on the table in an orderly and practiced matter. It was apparent that it was not the first time.
”Thank you, Jenna.”
”Once again, I am not Jenna. I am Lily and it would be great if we can move the study table back inside, Your Majesty.” Lily said with veiled annoyance.
The palace maid and corrected for the Nth time. Jenna was her mother. Heinrich did not seem to have heard her as he seem to be pondering an entirely different matter. At much consideration, he started to write a letter, before sealing into an envelope and passed it to Lily. ”Send this letter to the Royal University's dean and have him come see me at once, Jenna.”
Lily rolled her eyes and accepted. Nothing she said was getting through to the king.
While Elizabeth had Lily serve the king, she was assisting the people in the railway construction. Although Leon might have joked about, she had given it some serious thought after a period of time.
It was true that if they had more metal-users, it would certainly cut down on the construction time of all projects, but the most present issue wasn't cultivating a group of metal-users, but a group of experts.
With the strength of their enemies remaining unknown to them, they did not have the luxury to hoard the heavenly crystals. The crystals were first distributed to the Lancaster family and every member of the royal faction, before finally allocating some quotas to the other nobles.
A single Transcendent might have changed the fate of humanity in the past, but after 500 years have passed, they can't expect it to happen again. They weren't fighting the beasts but among themselves.
Heinrich rolled back in his seat for some brief relaxation, but not long after Lily left, a grumpy Elizabeth returned. He glanced at the blood on her armor, before casually asking, ”Did something happen along the tracks, my dear wife?”
”En, some members of the Bloodfiend Sect were trying to sabotage the railway tracks. I tried to capture one alive to interrogate them, but then exploded into a pool of blood.” Elizabeth nodded with a grumble.
”So, the sects are already making their next move, huh? Of course, they won't let us develop in peace…” Heinrich said, before raising an eyebrow with confusion. ”But why the hell would they attack the railway tracks? They place more importance on the railway than the underground mines?”
Elizabeth was also confused.