Mechanical Alchemist-Chapter 621 - 620
The next day, in the imperial capital, Lingdun.
The printing presses of major news agencies had worked overtime all night, and piles of newspapers were stacked like mountains.
In the early morning, thick fog still lingered in the streets.
With just a glimmer of dawn on the horizon, the crisp and excited cries of the paperboys ignited the quiet streets of Lingdun.
"Breaking news! Monumental news! Last night the Dawn group severely damaged the heavenly realm, killing three ninth-tier Sages of Law, nine eighth-tier great Mage instructors, and seriously injuring the enemy's invasion plans!"
"The empire's traitors have been completely exposed, Prince Carnap, Marquis Perez, Count Gardena... Today they will be sent to the gallows!"
"Her Majesty Yekaterina has issued a new decree, genetic potions to be distributed for free to all major and minor Alchemy Academies, military schools..."
"..."
The paperboys, riding simple steam machines and carrying bulging bags, darted through the streets and alleys.
They waved today's "Lyndon Daily News" in their hands, excitedly shouting the earth-shattering news printed on the papers.
The residents of Lingdun had long been accustomed to waking up to the cries of the paperboys, but today was different.
When people heard today's news clearly, they were stunned.
This content is taken from fгeewebnovёl.com.
Even those who were asleep were shocked awake and sat up in bed abruptly, thinking they were dreaming.
However, the entire city seemed to be ignited, with the hustle and bustle on the streets spreading, Lingdun gradually fell into a frenzy of celebration.
It's true!
It's really true!
The Dawn organization killed three ninth-tier enemies!
What a heartening victory!
This sounded like a tall tale of a battle report, but with photos and detailed records, it was right there on the front page headline of today's "Lyndon Daily News"!
And there's more!
The empire's traitors, aristocrats of the prince's rank, will be executed on the gallows today!
One by one, news that could only seem possible in dreams was clearly printed in bold ink on today's newspaper.
Today's thin stack of papers felt as heavy as gold.
Everyone who held it in their hands was ecstatic.
"Hey, kid! Give me a paper!"
"I'll take five over here, toss them up!"
"At Thomson's Bakery, bring ten!"
"..."
The paperboy's bag was quickly emptied, and newspapers were being flipped through by millions of Lingdun residents.
In the taverns, on the streets, at the Alchemy Guild, the Adventurer's Guild, the Alchemy Academy... everyone was excited and thrilled.
"My God, this is the Dawn group! So we too have top-tier combat power."
"Dawn is really too strong, that's a ninth-tier Sage of Law, and they killed three of them! How many ninth-tier fighters do we actually have?"
"Based on my estimates, at least more than ten."
"Hahaha... The empire will triumph! The civilization of alchemy will triumph!"
"..."
More and more people began to gather on the streets.
People spontaneously joined parades on the streets, excitedly sharing their joy with each other.
The photographs of mysterious cloaked figures on the newspaper's front page seemed to have a magical power, stirring a fervent enthusiasm in those who saw them.
And it wasn't just the words on the newspaper that were thrilling; in Lingdun Central Square, the city square that Lingdun's upper class once loved to frequent,
At this moment, rows of gallows had been erected.
Those who betrayed the alchemical realm will be publicly tried and sent to the gallows witnessed by everyone today.
Once high and mighty princes, dukes, and marquises are now pathetically huddled in cages, awaiting their imminent fates with ashen faces.
Under the judgment of the law, they will be sent to the gallows!
Their crimes are treason, betrayal of the realm, traitors to the alchemical plane!
Near the square, more and more people gathered.
Everyone was eager to witness this historical moment.
Never before had so many great aristocrats been publicly executed.
Not only the common people were surprised but even most of the empire's top brass found it unimaginable.
Last night, the Military Intelligence Division struck throughout the city, consecutively purging dozens of "Old Faction" nobles, almost entirely uprooting the Old Faction group that had remained unshaken even by the previous collapse of the Bonaparte royal family, in a thorough purge.
Those ancient families whose mere stamp of the foot could once make Ruying tremble, one by one, were raided and imprisoned, collectively stripped of their official positions and power.
Yet such a sweeping purge was puzzling to many.
The commoners watched the excitement from a distance, while the members of the Parliament were very clear—previously the royal family did not purge these cancerous elements because they could not!
The greatest problem with these "Old Faction nobles" was not only that their families had developed over hundreds of years, establishing deep-rooted and complex influence and power,
but more importantly, there was the first master of the Empire, Master Merlin!
The majority of people did not understand why the royal family dared to do this, what confidence they had to act so boldly.
But before long, when they heard that Master Merlin had been injured in the palace but still securely held the position of "First Venerable" after the purge, everyone felt it was very subtle.
The previous attack on the joint battalion and the enemy's infiltration deep into Ruying to ambush the Dawn Leader—both major incidents were clearly the result of top-secret information leaked by moles within the Empire's high ranks.
Those who truly understood politics all knew that it was the "Old Faction" causing trouble within.
Now, on the gallows in Central Square, the crimes of those individuals were clearly posted for all to see.
The Old Faction nobles were almost entirely caught in a single net.
Yet paradoxically, Master Merlin, the strongest pillar of the Old Faction, remained unscathed through the storm!
However, after careful consideration, that tiny portion of the Empire's high ranks realized the brilliance of Empress Yekaterina.
After this great purge, the imperial authority was completely consolidated, removing the last stumbling block to the development of new policies for the United Empire.
And most importantly, those beings from the Divine Plane are now likely too afraid to cooperate with the people from the Alchemy Plane.
The information provided on the two previous occasions were huge opportunities to inflict severe damage on the Alchemy Plane, but both attempts failed. Instead, it was the magic practitioners from the Divine Plane who were devastated both times.
This kind of failure was so coincidental that it even seemed like a deliberate trap had been set.
One look at Master Merlin, the "loyal and devoted" national Venerable, and it wasn't hard for everyone to guess that the master must have played a significant role in this!
Although some were aware of the trickery at play, regardless of the truth, the fact was that all the Old Faction were purged, and Master Merlin was not, that was a fact.
So in the future, even if there are a few who slipped through the net, they will likely never be trusted again.
Besides, without the support of a Ninth Order, under the iron-fisted Empress Yekaterina, any remnants of the Old Faction would not be able to cause any more trouble.
After this battle, the Empire's military heart was greatly stabilized.
...
Lingdun City was seething with excitement.
On 19 Glory Street, the residence of the Empire's Minister of Military Machinery, "Duke of Misty Mountain," Reginard Roberts.
In the garden, Reginard, who had not slept all night, trembled with the newspaper in his hands, and his aged face flushed with excitement.
Last night, the commotion caused by the arrests by the Military Intelligence Division lasted the entire night, unknown to others, but he as the Minister of Military Machinery was very clear about it.
Yesterday, he had played chess with Master Merlin in the palace all day, and at that time, he was guessing that Her Majesty Yekaterina was probably going to act against the Old Faction.
But those old nobles held vast resources and armies in their hands, and a forceful purge could bring about unpredictable turmoil to the already unstable Empire.
Besides, there was also that Ninth Order Master Merlin.
Yet Reginard, worried all night, found his concerns to be unnecessary upon seeing today's newspaper.
He immediately understood everything.
Reginard put down the newspaper and looked up at the azure sky, his gaze profound.
Today was a rare beautiful day in Lyndon.
Without the heavy fog, sunlight spilled down.
The fresh aroma of flowers and grass entered his nostrils, and the sharp chirping of birds was heard.
The news on the paper, like today's bright sunlight, cut through the oppressive fog, dispersing the gloomy clouds that had been pressing on people's hearts for many years.
Three Ninth Orders from the Divine Plane were slain, the Empire's Old Faction was completely purged, the First Venerable was resolved perfectly...
One by one, the problems that previously suffocated him seemed to be suddenly cleared, brightening up.
From now on, there would be no more hidden stumbling blocks from the "Old Faction" or "Surrender Faction."
The imperial authority was highly centralized, the United Empire was united internally, and the Alchemy Plane stood unanimously outward.
If he had not witnessed it, Reginard Roberts would not have believed that someone could so perfectly resolve these thorny issues in such a short period of time.
The old Duke was overwhelmed with emotions and after a long while, he let out a heartfelt sigh, "Her Majesty is wise indeed."
...
This thrilling scene was not only happening in the imperial capital, but at the same time, people in major cities of Ruying also learned of these inspiring news through the newspapers.
The news spread as if it had wings, reaching as far as Ma Fa across the ocean, where the rebels fighting on the frontlines also received news of the Dawn Leader slaying a Ninth Order Sage of Law.
Nothing is more inspiring than the tangible victory of a significant battle.
It turned out that the ten-thousand-strong Mage Legions of the Heavenly Plane were not invincible, and even a ninth-tier Sage of Law could be slain!
An enemy that could be defeated suddenly didn't seem so despair-inducing.
.....
Today was destined to be a day of great celebration for the United Empire.
Not only were there continuous good news, but tangible benefits also appeared on the potion counters of various alchemy shops.
These were potions of vibrant colors representing different bloodlines.
People could buy a basic Bloodline Potion for a reasonable price.
Dragon Bloodline, Elf Bloodline, Giant Bloodline, Titan Bloodline... and many other mythological gene Potions emerged in large numbers.
These were absolute treasures that could directly elevate one's talent for cultivation.
For a Magician, successful bloodline transformation was akin to gaining a rare cultivation talent out of thin air!
Before, Bloodline Potion formulas were exclusively passed down among noble lords. A single Bloodline Potion formula could be traded for a high-ranking title.
Now, gene Potions were no longer a secret passed down among nobles nor a witchcraft potion with a high mortality rate. Instead, they became accessible to everyone as items that could enhance their innate bloodline.
Not only were they available for sale on the market, but the imperial government also issued a decree, providing free basic Bloodline Potions to students at various alchemy academies, while the army and military academies could obtain advanced versions.
All could also exchange their military merits for top-tier Bloodline Potions!
If the news stories in the papers gave hope to the people of the alchemy plane, then these Bloodline Potions were the wings that added to that hope, helping the alchemy plane to take flight!
Now, with Bloodline Potions being widely popularized, and the plane's laws' upper limits constantly being raised, the empire officially opened up alchemy knowledge to everyone, causing the number of alchemy apprentices to explode by hundreds and thousands of times!
With such a large base number, there were bound to be outstanding talents who would stand out.
Today, the alchemy plane only has two ninth-tier professionals, but in the future, there might be hundreds or even thousands!
And all of this was not afraid of sabotage by traitors.
Even if the knowledge of alchemy and potion formulas were stolen by those from the Heavenly Plane, it would be meaningless.
The Mages of the Heavenly Plane regarded alchemy as a Forbidden Technique and alchemical civilization as "heresy."
Even those captured battle Mechas were destroyed on the spot by them.
Alchemy would bloom everywhere, and one day, it would blossom into an ocean.
...
While Lingdun City celebrated with joy, at an apartment by the Lokwarren River, tranquility and leisure prevailed.
As one of the leading figures on the front page of today's paper, Su Lun was very composed and had a good rest the night before.
The original intention of Mr. Jing in establishing "Dawn" was to have an absolutely neutral alchemy organization, untouched by external forces, so that this organization would shine for the development of alchemy civilization now and in the future.
Therefore, Dawn had no intention of getting too deeply involved with the official powers of the empire.
Still, an invitation from Emperor Yekaterina demanded some courtesy from Dawn.
So, Mr. Jing, the leader, did go to the palace.
And Su Lun just rested in the apartment.
Of course, with Sabina serving him, there were always delightful experiences.
The day was already bright, and sunlight poured into the apartment.
Su Lun sat on the sofa flipping through today's newspaper while Sabina, wearing pajamas, massaged him.
Even though his face was not shown in the newspaper photos, Sabina recognized him at a glance. "Wow, sir, this must be you!"
Su Lun listened and smiled, "Mhm."
The silky touch of the pajamas and the contact of skin always elicited an elusive sense of allure.
Although Sabina's massage skills were quite draining, Su Lun found them very relaxing and quite enjoyable.
Last night's battle was more than clear to him, so he didn't need to look further.
He flipped to the later sections of the paper and saw reports of the empire's internal purging of traitors, which also elicited deep thoughts, "Master Merlin didn't take action?"
Based on the current information, this Master Merlin was inevitably entangled with those people from the Heavenly Plane.
Yet, what Su Lun did not expect was that as the Royal Family purged those old aristocrats, this foremost devotee remained unscathed and even refrained from any action?
Sabina, as the current head of intelligence for the Dawn organization, had an excellent grasp of the empire's situation.
Upon hearing this, as a qualified intelligence officer, she immediately analyzed, "Merlin Gregory is the most stubborn remnant of the old faction. He would never watch his allies being purged. Once the purge happens, the status of his Gregory family would also be obliterated. Given the current situation, the only possibility is that Her Majesty Yekaterina must have done something behind the scenes, making Master Merlin submit. Last night there was intelligence that said there was a fight in the palace, and Master Merlin left heavily injured. It's highly likely that there was a skirmish. But no one knows who in the palace could harm this ninth-tier senior devotee..."
Su Lun frowned slightly upon hearing this, "Oh?"
After returning the previous evening, he had a good night's sleep and was truly unaware of this intelligence.
A ninth-tier Master Merlin suffered a setback?
Su Lun's gaze shifted, thinking of Yekaterina, the one who could manipulate the power of stars; he roughly guessed what had happened.
She is likely the only person who has witnessed her strength.
If she advances to the eighth rank, her combat power will also be very strong.
With the palace's prohibitions, she might even be able to defeat a ninth-rank.
Having thought up to this point, Su Lun already realized it clearly.
He didn't say much and continued looking through the contents of the newspaper.
They had rushed back to Lingdun City last night, originally fearing trouble from those old factions.
They had thought they might have to kill another ninth-rank Master Merlin.
Unexpectedly, the problem was resolved quietly without making any noise.
It even took care of that bunch of old noble factions from the old party without causing any disturbances.
This skill was indeed admirable.
But no matter what the situation was, the outcome was good. Now that they had cleared those traitors from the old party, the Allied Empire would have much fewer troubles.
Seeing his demeanor, Sabina, sitting beside him, turned her beautiful eyes and did not bring up any inappropriate topics.
Just then, a surge of strange energy flowed within her body, as she seemed to have grasped something, she exclaimed in surprise, "Oh, Master, this is unbelievable. I think... I think I've just perceived some understanding of ninth-rank laws!"
"Oh?"
Su Lun smiled faintly, "Not bad."
Last night, he had harvested the insights of three ninth-rank Sages of Law, and some of it was now absorbed by the charm demon's special talent. Truly... a very impressive talent.
Sabina had clearly understood something as well and revealed a charming smile, "Thank you for your favor, Master~"
Looking at his maid who was sticking close again, Su Lun interrupted, "Alright, compose yourself; I think Senior Sister will be back soon."
"Oh."
Sabina then contained the charm demon's ever-present bewitching talent and sat obediently aside.
As expected, it wasn't long before footsteps were heard outside the door.
Mr. Jing and Lena walked into the room.
They had been invited to the palace in the morning and had just returned.
...
"Your Empress is truly talented. Now that the Alchemy plane has such an Emperor, it is indeed fortunate."
"After hearing her strategies for governing the country, I feel that no one could do better than her. Just give her a few more years, and the Allied Empire will surely prosper, and the strength of the entire Alchemy plane will skyrocket, possibly exceeding the glory of a thousand years ago..."
"..."
The results of the discussions seemed very satisfactory, as Mr. Jing couldn't stop praising Ekaterina upon returning.
This was also the first time Su Lun heard his senior sister praise someone in such a manner.
But that title always felt a bit odd.
The group sat on the sofa and chatted casually.
Mr. Jing shared some details from the royal discussions, Ekaterina on behalf of the royal family and the empire expressed various thanks to the Dawn and material support. They also discussed some future cooperation plans.
From the current perspective, the situation was also developing in a good direction.
Su Lun just quietly listened.
Things like empire development didn't interest him much, and he couldn't interject anyway.
These matters were clearly best handled by his senior sister.
Clearly, Mr. Jing also had plans.
In the end, Su Lun asked, "Senior Sister, where do you plan to go next?"
Mr. Jing then mentioned the upcoming itinerary, "We don't need to worry about things here in Lingdun anymore, Miss Ekaterina can handle everything very well. I plan to check out the Mafa frontline..."
Hearing this, Su Lun also responded, "Good! Senior Sister, I will go as well."
That suited him perfectly.
He now knew the method to refine cosmic essence and was lacking ninth-rank materials, and there was nothing more suitable than the war front.
Moreover, the situation on the Mafa side was not very optimistic, and top-level combat power was urgently needed to reinforce and change the battlefield situation.
The "Dawn" going to reinforce now couldn't be more appropriate.
Moreover, after harvesting three ninth-rank Sages of Law, Su Lun now had the confidence to face a ninth-rank Sage of Law alone.
And, no one was more suited to deal with ten-thousand-member mage groups than his puppet army.
With the combination of Su Lun and Mr. Jing, at least until those top powerhouses from the divine planes came down in large numbers, they were fully capable of handling any situation.
Listening to this, Mr. Jing smiled faintly and said indifferently, "Hmm."
