Whoosh!
The wind howled and the rain poured down. The three-masted sailboat bobbed up and down among the "mountains" of waves, like a toy that was thrown and caught by a giant.
The deep red in Alger Wilson's eyes faded, and he found himself still standing on the deck, no different from before.
Then, he saw the oddly shaped glass bottle in his palm shatter with a crack. The frost melted into water and melted into the raindrops.
In just two or three seconds, the ancient wonder had completely lost all traces of its existence.
A hexagonal snowflake appeared in Alger's palm, then quickly faded until it disappeared, as though it had shrunk into his flesh.
Alger nodded indiscernibly as though he was thinking about something. He remained silent for a full five minutes.
He turned around and walked to the cabin entrance. Just as he was about to enter, he met a man wearing a robe embroidered with lightning patterns.
The man with soft blond hair stopped in his tracks and looked at Alger. He extended his right hand and clenched his fist on his chest.
"May the storm be with you."
"May the storm be with you." Alger's rough and deep face was devoid of any excess emotion. He similarly clenched his right fist and punched his left chest.
After bowing to each other, Alger entered the cabin and walked along the aisle to the captain's cabin in the distance.
Along the way, he didn't encounter any sailors or crew members. It was as quiet as the inside of a tomb.
The door to the captain's cabin opened, and a soft and thick dark brown carpet appeared in front of him. On both sides were bookshelves and wine cabinets. Books with yellowish covers and bottles of dark red wine shimmered with a strange luster under the candlelight.
On the desk where the candles were placed were a bottle of ink, a quill, a black metal telescope, and a sextant made of brass.
Behind the desk, a pale-faced middle-aged man wearing a skull captain's hat watched Alger approach. He gritted his teeth angrily and said,
He gritted his teeth and said angrily, "I won't give in!"
"I believe you can do it." Alger said calmly, as though he was saying that the weather wasn't good today.
"You …" The middle-aged man was stunned, as though he didn't expect such an answer.
At that moment, Alger arched his body slightly and suddenly charged forward, instantly closing the distance between them to only the desk.
Pa!
His shoulders tightened, and his right hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the middle-aged man's throat.
Without giving his opponent a chance to react, illusory fish scales appeared on the back of his hand as he exerted strength in his fingers.
Crack!
With a crisp sound, the middle-aged man's eyes widened in shock as his entire body was lifted up.
His legs twitched violently, but he quickly regained his composure. His vision was blank, and his pupils began to dilate. His crotch area gradually became wet, and a foul smell came from it.
Alger lifted the middle-aged man, lowered his back, and moved his feet to the wall beside him.
Bang! He used the middle-aged man as a shield and slammed forward, his arms as thick as a monster's.
The wooden walls shattered, and the violent wind and rain swept in with the fishy smell of seawater.
Alger twisted his waist and threw the middle-aged man out of the cabin into the towering waves that resembled mountains.
The sky was dark, and the wind and rain were howling. The mighty power of nature had buried everything.
Alger took out a white handkerchief, wiped his right palm carefully, and then threw it into the sea.
Taking a few steps back, he waited patiently for his companion to enter.
"What's wrong?" In less than ten seconds, the man with soft yellow hair rushed in.
"The Captain escaped," Alger panted and answered in frustration. "He still has some extraordinary power left!"
"Damn it!" The yellow-haired man cursed in a low voice.
He came to the breach and stared into the distance, but he could see nothing except the wind, rain, and waves.
"Forget it. He's just incidental." The yellow-haired man waved his arm. "We'll only get credit for finding this Specter Ship from the Tudor Era."
Even though he was the Blessed of the Sea, he didn't dare to rashly dive into the water in such weather.
"And if the storm continues, the Captain won't be able to hold on for long." Alger nodded and found that the breach on the wooden wall was beginning to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He took a deep look and subconsciously turned his head to look at the rudder and sails.
Even through the heavy wooden planks, he could clearly see the situation there.
There was no first mate, no second mate, no crew, no sailors, not even a living person!
There was nothing there. The rudder and sails were strangely adjusting themselves.
The image of The Fool shrouded in grayish-white fog appeared in his mind again. Alger suddenly sighed.
He turned his head to look at the strong wind and waves outside and said in a dreamy tone that was filled with anticipation and fear,
"A new era has begun …"
…
In Empress Borough, Baekeland, the capital of the Rouen Kingdom.
Audrey Hall pinched her cheeks, unable to believe what had just happened.
On the dressing table in front of her, the ancient bronze mirror had shattered into pieces.
Looking down, Audrey saw a "crimson" flowing on the back of her hand, like a "tattoo" of a star.
The "crimson" gradually dimmed and finally disappeared into her skin.
It was only then that Audrey was sure that she wasn't dreaming.
Her eyes shimmered as the corners of her mouth curled up bit by bit. She couldn't help but stand up and bend over to lift the hem of her dress.
Bowing to the air, Audrey's footsteps were light. She turned her body and danced the most popular "Ancient Elven Dance" in the palace.
Her figure was graceful, and her body was full of a bright smile.
Knock! Knock! Knock! Someone suddenly knocked on the bedroom door.
"Who is it?" Audrey stopped and put on an elegant posture.
"Miss, may I come in? You should get ready, "her personal maid said from outside the door.
Audrey turned her head to look at the mirror on the dressing table and quickly wiped away her smile, leaving only a faint trace.
She looked left and right, and after confirming that there was nothing wrong with her image, she said gently,
"Come in."
With a twist of her hand, her personal maid, Annie, pushed the door open and entered.
"Oh, it's broken …" Annie immediately saw the fate of the ancient bronze mirror.
Audrey blinked and said slowly, "Uh, yes, yes, Susie came in before.
"Uh, yes. Well, Susie came in before. You know, she likes to destroy things!"
Susie was a large golden retriever with an impure bloodline. She was a gift from her father, Earl Of Hall, when he bought a foxhound, but she was very popular with Audrey.
"You have to teach her a good lesson." Annie skillfully cleaned up the bronze mirror shards, afraid that they would hurt her mistress.
After doing all this, she looked at Audrey and asked with a smile,
"Which dress do you want to wear?"
Audrey thought for a moment and said, "I like the one that Mrs. Ginia designed for me for my seventeenth birthday."
"No, others will say that the Hall family is facing a financial crisis. How can you wear the same dress for the second time in a formal occasion!" Annie shook her head and rejected it.
"But I really like it," Audrey emphasized in a gentle tone.
"You can wear it at home, or at less formal occasions." Annie put on a nonnegotiable attitude.
"Then I'll take the one that Mr. Sades sent the day before yesterday. The one with the ruffled cuffs." Audrey secretly took a breath and maintained her elegant and sweet smile.
"You always have such good taste." Annie smiled and took a step back. She shouted to the door, "Number six cloakroom. Forget it, I'll get it myself."
The maids began to get busy. One was in charge of the dress, one was in charge of jewelry, one was in charge of shoes, one was in charge of gauze hats, one was in charge of Miss Audrey's makeup, and one was in charge of hairstyle.
When the preparations were nearing completion, Earl Of Hall appeared at the door in a dark brown waistcoat.
He was wearing a top hat of the same color as his clothes, and he had a beautiful mustache. His blue eyes were full of smiles, but his loose muscles, bulging belly, and the wrinkles that were starting to become obvious mercilessly destroyed his youthful handsomeness.
"Baekeland's most dazzling jewel, it's time for us to go." Earl Of Hall stood at the entrance and knocked twice on the open door.
"Father, don't call me that." Audrey stood up with the help of the maids and pretended to be distressed.
"Then, my beautiful little princess, it's time to go." Earl Of Hall bent his left arm and gestured for Audrey to hold it.
Audrey shook her head with a faint smile.
"This is Mrs. Hall, the Countess, my dear mother's seat."
"Then this way." Earl Of Hall bent his right arm again with a smile. "This is my pride as a father."
…
Pritz Harbor, Oak Island, Royal Navy Base.
When Audrey took her father's arm and got off the carriage, she was suddenly shocked by the huge object in front of her.
In the military port not far away, there was a majestic giant ship whose entire body flickered with a metallic luster. It had no sails, only an observation deck, two towering chimneys, and two open-air turrets in the front and back.
It was so majestic and huge that the nearby sailing battleships looked like newborn dwarves clustered around a giant spirit.
"Lord of Storms …"
"Oh, my Lord."
"Iron-armored warship!"
…
Exclamations intertwined. Audrey felt the same shock. It was a miracle created by humans, an unprecedented miracle of the sea!
After an unknown period of time, the nobles, ministers, and MPs of the House of Commons recovered. At this moment, a black dot in the air grew larger and larger, gradually occupying one-third of the sky and everyone's sight. The atmosphere suddenly became solemn.
It was a huge object floating in the air. It had extremely smooth and beautiful lines, and its entire body was painted dark blue. Its strong and light alloy skeleton supported the cotton cloth containing the hydrogen gas bladder. Below it hung a carriage with machine gun muzzles, projectile muzzles, and flat-firing muzzles. The exaggerated humming of the high-combustion steam engine and the crazy rotation of the tail blades formed a thrilling symphony.
The airship of the king and his family arrived, with a majesty that overlooked everything from above.
The badge of the Sword of Judgment, with a ruby crown on the hilt, reflected the sunlight on both sides of the carriage. This was the symbol of the Augustus family's long heritage that could be traced back to the previous era.
Audrey was not yet eighteen years old and had yet to participate in the "introduction ceremony". Under the queen's guidance, she officially entered the social scene of Baekeland to announce her adulthood. She could only watch quietly from the sidelines and could not approach.
However, she did not care too much. In fact, she felt relaxed because she did not have to face the princes.
The "miracle" of mankind's conquest of the sky landed steadily. The first to come down from the escalator were handsome young guards. They wore red military uniforms, white trousers, and belts. They held rifles in their hands and lined up in two rows, quietly waiting for King George III, the queen, the prince, and the princess to appear.
It was not that Audrey had not seen important people before, but she had no interest in them. Instead, her eyes wandered to the two black-armored knights beside the king who looked like statues.
In this era of steel, steam, and guns, there were still people who insisted on wearing full body armor!
The cold metallic luster and the deep black helmet gave off a heavy, dignified feeling that they had to be obeyed.
Could it be a higher Sequence Disciplinary Knight … Audrey's mind flashed through the words of the elders in her family when they were chatting. She wanted to see it, but she did not dare to approach.
With the arrival of the king's family, the ceremony finally began. The current Prime Minister, Lord Aguesid Negan, walked to the front of the crowd.
He was a member of the Conservative Party, the only non-noble to become the Prime Minister. Due to his outstanding contributions, he was conferred the title of Lord.
Of course, Audrey knew more. Aguesid's brother, the main supporter of the Conservative Party, was called Pallas Negan, the current Duke Of Negan!
Aguesid was in his fifties. He was tall and thin, with sparse hair and sharp eyes.
After looking around, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have seen it. This is an ironclad warship, one that can topple the times. It is 101 meters long and 21 meters wide, with a high hull design. The main armor belt is 457 millimeters thick, and it has a displacement of 10060 tons. It has four 305 millimeter main cannons at the front and rear.
In addition, there are six rapid-fire cannons, 12 6-pound cannons, 18 six-barreled machine guns, and four torpedo tubes.
"It will be the true overlord, it will conquer the sea!"
The nobles, ministers, and members of parliament were in an uproar. Just the Prime Minister's description was enough for them to imagine the terror of the ironclad warship, not to mention that the real thing was right in front of them!
Aguesid revealed a slight smile and gave a few more speeches. Then, he bowed to King George III.
"Your Majesty, please give it a name."
"From Pritz Harbor onwards, let's call it Pritz." George III looked rather happy.
"Pritz!"
"Pritz!"
…
The name spread from the Lord of the Admirals to the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy. Finally, it reached the ironclad warship, where the officers and soldiers cheered in unison.
"Pritz!"
Amidst the celebratory atmosphere, the salutes sounded, and George III gave the order to set sail for a test launch.
Whoosh!
The steam whistle sounded, and thick plumes of smoke spewed out from the chimney. The sound of machinery could be heard faintly.
The behemoth set sail. When it sailed out of the harbor and used the two main cannons on its bow to bombard the uninhabited island in front of it, everyone was shocked.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth seemed to shake, and dust flew into the air. Hurricanes swept outwards, stirring up waves.
Prime Minister Aguesid turned his head in satisfaction and said to the nobles, ministers, and parliamentarians,
"From now on, the seven pirates who call themselves generals and the four pirates who claim to be kings can only tremble and wait for their doom!
"Their era is over. Even if they have Beyonder powers, ghosts, or cursed ships, they can only roam the seas with ironclad warships!"
At that moment, Aguesid's chief secretary deliberately asked,
"Can't they build their own ironclad warships?"
Some nobles and parliamentarians nodded to themselves, believing that it was a possibility.
Aguesid immediately smiled and shook his head slowly.
"Impossible! It's impossible! To build such an ironclad warship requires three large coal and steel complexes, twenty or more steel factories, sixty scientists and even more senior engineers from the Baekeland Artillery Research Institute and the Pritz Shipbuilding Research Institute, two royal shipyards and nearly a hundred affiliated spare parts factories, a navy, a ship-building committee, a cabinet, a resolute king with outstanding vision, and a great nation with an annual output of 12 million tons of steel! "
"The pirates will never be able to do it."
At this point, he paused for a moment, then raised his arms and shouted passionately,
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