Translator: Cinder Translations
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The lord's castle on Alden Town Island was originally the residence of the Grayman family, but in recent years, this building has gradually moved away from its original purpose as a residence, instead becoming more focused on office use.
The main reason for this shift is that Paul's controlled territory has grown larger, and the economy of the areas under his rule has developed rapidly, far surpassing the traditional, centuries-old feudal economy of other regions. As a result, the number of matters he must handle has also increased, and one person's energy is limited, leading to more officials assisting him.
Since the establishment of the Administrative Council, and with the increasing specialization of management areas, in addition to the original seven departments—Finance, Agriculture, Industry, Fisheries, Forestry, Public Safety, and Intelligence—other departments like Science and Technology, Commerce, Transportation, Maritime Affairs, and Health have been added. Some large departments have already moved out of the lord's manor to set up independent offices elsewhere on the island, and the remaining small departments' officials still crowd within the manor, making it appear quite full.
Most of the rooms in the lord's manor are now used as offices for various departments. Unless necessary, Paul does not want to move them out of his castle, not because of a love for power, but because there were no telephones in this era. If he suddenly wanted to inquire about or discuss something, it would be quite troublesome if the person he needed was not nearby.
Moreover, he also needs to meet with people from various sectors—representatives of the public, industry leaders, local dignitaries, and so on.
For these reasons, Paul's lord's manor sees people coming and going every day.
Clearly, it was inappropriate to place Catherine and the others in the manor. Even without the above reasons, it would still make them feel like they were imposing.
So, Paul selected a picturesque woodland on the western outskirts of Alden Town, where he had built an elegant estate early on. The location is very close to the main road leading to Frand Port, making it highly accessible.
Now, he had given this estate to Queen Felice, who was soon to become his mother-in-law, and it would serve as the residence for the two princesses.
Queen Felice was very pleased with Paul's arrangement and thanked him. After seeing the scenic beauty of the Northwestern Bay, she grew more fond of her future son-in-law. Originally, she had some dissatisfaction with Rodney's use of his daughter as a tool for political marriage, but now she felt that her nephew had done a great favor.
Although Eileen had grown a few years older, she remained the lively girl she had been. When she had run away from home to Alden Town years ago, she had bought a two-story house on the island, and Paul had maintained it very well over the years. She was very grateful for this, as it held many memories of a free, joyous, and fulfilling time. She decided to make time every month to stay there for a few days.
With the arrival of royal family members and military officers from the royal army in Northwestern Bay, many of them had years of military experience. It seemed inappropriate to place them back in military school as students for a few more years of study. After discussing with Catherine, Paul made the following arrangement: they would all be placed in the Instructional Regiment.
The Instructional Regiment was a newly established exemplary combat unit of the Alden Army, responsible for military training, tactical research, and the establishment of standards, among other tasks.
Of course, other military units also conducted training and tactical research, but the Instructional Regiment specialized in these areas more professionally, systematically, and concentrically. Not only did they train new recruits, but they were also responsible for training officers, non-commissioned officers, and other personnel. The research and training results would serve as guidance and models for other units, hence the name "Instructional Regiment."
Not long after Catherine and the others arrived, Paul received an unexpected visitor—Marianna.
He had received a letter from Andrew saying that Marianna had appeared in Horns Bay and had close relations with Helen, the Duchess of the Duchy of Eaton.
Paul was not surprised by this. He had already learned from Ladia about the teacher-student relationship between Marianna, Ladia, and Helen. From this, he inferred that Eaton's recognition of the legal rights of spellcasters as the first country in the world must have had Marianna or the Arcane Order behind it.
After much hesitation, he wrote a letter to Andrew, asking him to pass it on to his mother.
In the letter, he mentioned that his wedding was approaching, without directly asking Marianna to attend, but the implied message was clear and could not be concealed from the experienced Scarlet Flame Witch.
Marianna felt a mix of emotions. Although Paul still harbored some lingering resentment for her leaving when he was a child, it was better than him treating her as if she didn't exist.
So, after the Horns Bay War ended, she immediately set off north, returning to the place that still felt like home to her.
Her other son, Nathan, seemed reluctant to come, but his mother forced him to go to Northwestern Bay. "This is your brother's wedding; you cannot be so indifferent!"
Marianna's arrival was somewhat unexpected, or rather… a pleasant surprise for Paul. He certainly wanted close family members to witness such an important moment in his life, even if there was still some awkwardness between him and his mother.
After careful consideration, Paul confessed to his fiancée about Marianna's identity, though he did not mention the Arcane Order.
Catherine was shocked. Paul's mother was still alive, and she was a… witch? Oh my!
But after the shock, Catherine took the initiative to express her desire to meet Marianna.
Paul arranged for them to meet, and to his joy, they hit it off very well. They even discussed various things about his childhood, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
But later, for some reason, their conversation turned to the orcs. It seemed that powerful women in business always found ways to talk about their causes?
The orcs' formidable army had already entered Aldor, and although the Alden army had won a battle, it had only defeated a small, scattered force of orcs.
Faced with the concerns of his mother and fiancée, Paul felt it was necessary to reassure them.
So, he took Catherine, Marianna, and his younger brother, who was trying hard to appear indifferent but insisted on following, to visit a nearby iron factory.
As expected, all three were deeply shocked!
The towering iron factory, surrounded by swirling smoke, displayed the magnificent beauty of industry.
The coke iron-making method had been widely adopted, with tall chimneys spewing thick smoke, and large waterwheels roaring, providing continuous power to the blast furnaces and hammers.
In the fiery blast furnaces, molten iron surged like lava, casting a golden-red glow that illuminated the dark factory floor, as if the blood of the earth were boiling.
The molten iron slowly flowed through the channels, emitting a scorching heat. The air was filled with the intense scent of metal and flame intertwining.
Workers used long-handled ladles to scoop up the scalding molten iron, pouring it into molds, and sparks flew in all directions, like a meteor shower in the night sky.
By the refining furnace, people wielded iron bars to transform pig iron into tougher wrought iron, and molten iron splashed under heavy blows, turning into glittering specks of gold.
In the vast factory, mechanical gears meshed and turned, the hammers fell like thunder, and iron blocks gradually took shape under heavy strikes.
This place was not just a site for iron smelting; it was a symbol of humanity's conquest of nature and mastery over technology, showcasing immense power and boundless possibilities.
What was presented here was not just a leap in technology, but the birth of a new era.
(End of the Chapter)
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