Scientific Wizard

"Lord William is fine. It seems the Holy See hasn't caught wind of our navigation issue, but..." Cody hesitated, a shade of concern flashing across his face.

"The mist this year seems rather peculiar..."

This wasn't Cody's first time ferrying goods to Iyeta Harbor. Previously, this stretch of sea was a ship's no-go zone. Once you delved into the mist, visibility dropped to less than two meters. Sailing for extended periods, one could forget their bearings at times.

But this voyage was entirely different. Though the fog persisted, visibility extended to five meters, lacking the eerie depth and terror of previous times.

Cody glanced at Lynn. Ever since their voyage commenced, a speculation lingered in his mind. Could it be an issue in the Wizard's Land?

"The Wizard Council recently refined this magic. It's still in the trial phase. Your experiences will shape its future improvements," Lynn casually explained, withholding any news about the disruption of the 'Mist of Disorientation.'

Despite this knowledge being confined to the Wizards' Land, outwardly, the narrative blamed the shameless Holy See for sending agents to sabotage the Wizards' Land and cause chaos in the city of Greenville.

This narrative would stoke the wizards' fury, prepare for war, and prevent any traitors from sneaking out by ship.

Cody half-believed Lynn's words but still recounted everything he had seen and felt.

Is it this serious? Lynn's expression remained unchanged, but doubts lingered in his mind.

Despite knowing the insider information, Lynn hadn't anticipated this vast difference. Cody had sensed something amiss shortly after entering the mist.

This isn't good news.

Amid their conversation, a lavishly adorned alchemical carriage approached from a distance, quickly docking at the pier—the very one brought by Dennis.

However, it had undergone modifications, and its power system was replaced with a more efficient hydrogen-based internal combustion engine.

Cody and a few representatives of the ship workers were fortunate to experience the novelty and marvel of the carriage.

"No beasts to pull it. How does it move?" Cody, extremely awkward, unsure where to place his hands, dared not touch the handle or the carriage itself, asked cautiously.

"Through alchemy and magic, of course." Theodore laughed.

On the distant horizon, a massive airship soared over the city, eliciting continuous exclamations from the ship workers.

The changes in Iyeta were immense. Cody almost doubted whether he had arrived in another wizard's city, even though it had only been a year since his last visit.

"Are these all Master Herlram's creations?" Cody marvelled, hesitating with his query.

Herlram was known as the most powerful wizard, rumored to freeze seas and shatter mountains...

"No, unfortunately, Master Herlram sacrificed himself a few months ago, handling an internal conflict..." Theodore said with a somber tone.

Herlram's demise hit Cody and others like a heavy blow, inducing dizziness and intense unease. Hastily, he inquired, "Then who leads Iyeta now?"

Theodore immediately turned to Lynn, expressing with utmost respect, "The person before you is the current leader of the Iyeta Harbor, Lord Lynn."

Cody gaped at Lynn, who seemed barely twenty, almost suspecting Theodore was joking.

So young, really?

He did sense Lynn's exceptional status earlier but had presumed the person to be either a wizard's heir or a highly esteemed apprentice, never the current controller of Iyeta.

"Lord Lynn, though young, possesses extraordinary magical talent. He's also the recipient of the Sun Crown Medal. The airship you witnessed and the power system of this carriage are all Lord Lynn's inventions..."

Seemingly aware of Cody's thoughts, Theodore continued to heap praise upon Lynn, citing his achievements at magical symposiums and resolving crises with the Cult of Apocalypse in Greenville.

For Cody, it was all a haze. He didn't comprehend magical symposiums or the honor of the Sun Crown Medal, but the colossal airship and the carriage speeding like the wind left an indelible impression.

Moreover, Cody was astonished to notice everyone on the streets brimming with vitality, even the modestly dressed poor.

This was an unfamiliar sight in the Kingdom of Hadralata, where people wore expressions of numbness and despair.

Previous Iyeta never had such bustle and noise.

Cody quickly realized that the current ruler of Iyeta was a formidable, talented, and young wizard.

Throughout the journey, Lynn had been observing Cody's reactions.

William was personally chosen by Herlram as the spokesperson, and Cody was the trusted confidant. For more than a decade, the secrets of the Wizard's Land hadn't leaked, indicating their loyalty.

But this loyalty was to Herlram. Lynn wasn't certain if, with a change in leadership, they might harbor ulterior motives.

Hence, he had the alchemical carriage, the facade of Iyeta, brought over intentionally, taking Cody on a tour within the harbor city. All to show that under his leadership, the Iyeta Harbor remained mighty.

However, Lynn hadn't divulged anything about gunpowder or other critical technologies. After the tour, he ushered Cody into the Dean's office, probing.

Hadralata was one of the subsidiary kingdoms under the rule of the Sekas Empire, situated in the empire's border regions, hailed as the kingdom perched atop the mines.

Within Hadralata's borders lay extremely rich mineral resources and a population of nearly two million. Almost a quarter of the populace were 'miners' or, rather, mining serfs.

It was through the ceaseless toil of these mining serfs in dark and perilous mines that the aristocrats of the region could continuously ship ores to the empire's capital, Viknail, reaping substantial profits.

On the surface, William engaged in the ore trade, owning his fleet. This allowed him to clandestinely redirect some trade ships suddenly towards the Wizard's Land.

TL/n - 

A serf is a servant or laborer of olden times who were treated as part of the land worked on and went along with the land if it was sold.

Serfs were members of the lowest feudal class, legally bound to a landed estate and required to perform labor for the lord of that estate in exchange for a personal allotment of land.

They were unfree labourers who worked the land of a landowner (or tenant) in return for physical and legal protection and the right to work a separate piece of land for their own basic needs