Chapter 140: Magic Energy Ship
The Kennedy Clan’s Earl’s Territory straddled both banks of the Great Michaelson River. If Count Kais so wished, he was fully capable of blockading the river mouth and preventing any ships within the territory from entering the Silent Sea.
Of course, he would never do that.
This was because Silent Harbor was not one hundred percent an asset of the Kennedy Clan; it involved the interests of the Royal Family, the Calvin Clan, and many other families, both large and small.
Unless Count Kais wanted to rebel, at most he would only target the ships of a specific family or faction. He would never do something so outrageous.
Sea Cliff Castle was located on the east bank of the Michaelson River, while the Calvin Clan’s Viscount’s Territory was on the opposite bank to the northwest. Their castle was even further north.
Therefore, when Duane accompanied Natalia to the banquet, they would have to cross the Michaelson River at an angle, a journey that would generally take three to four hours.
The next afternoon, a carriage from Sea Cliff Castle appeared outside the inn right on time to pick Duane up.
Natalia was the young lady of an Earl’s Family, so she traveled with quite an entourage.
Besides her escort, the Human Tier Warrior Eleanor, she also had a squad of guards.
It was said that the squad not only had an Earth Tier Warrior, but also several Human Tier and Advanced Warriors.
Duane carefully examined the passenger ship. Its biggest difference from a cargo ship was its superior living environment. It had many private cabins and even two decks.
What surprised Duane the most was that although the ship had only a single sail, it could travel against the wind at a speed comparable to a normal ship sailing with the wind.
"This ship seems... different, doesn’t it?"
Duane looked up at the sail, feeling as though it possessed some other kind of "technology."
Natalia smiled and said, "You have good instincts. This passenger ship utilizes magical knowledge."
She pointed to the top of the mast. "Up there is a small Wind Element Magic Array. It draws energy from a Mid-Level Magic Crystal Stone and converts it into wind power to push the sail, increasing the ship’s speed."
A glint appeared in Duane’s eyes. He hadn’t expected Magic to already be applied to navigation.
"This is my first time on a ship like this. They don’t seem very common, do they?"
Natalia hummed in agreement. When it came to shipbuilding, the Kennedy Clan were the experts.
"In recent years, the Power of Elements on the Shadow Mist Continent has grown denser, and more Secret Realm ore deposits have been discovered. Many families are trying to apply Magic to various aspects of daily life, and quite a few have attempted to create ’Magic Energy Ships’."
At this, she smiled faintly, a hint of pride in her voice. "My family has some expertise in shipbuilding, so our results have been a bit more fruitful."
"However, the number of Magic Energy Ships is currently limited, and they are restricted to inland rivers. As for ocean-going models, they are still under research."
Duane felt like he had just gotten a glimpse of this world’s "cutting-edge technology."
He had, in fact, considered creating steam-powered or internal combustion engines himself.
’It’s just that this world, perhaps due to the influence of the Elements, seems to be different on a microscopic level.’
’Steam doesn’t provide much power, and as for internal combustion engines... I haven’t heard of any suitable fuel for them here.’
’However, even if I can’t replicate them directly, I could use their design principles and combine them with this world’s Magic Elements to achieve a similar result in a different way.’
’That would be a step up from the less efficient method of ’using wind to blow a sail.’’
’Sometimes, a difference in concept can lead to vastly different final products.’
Of course, for now, the Kennedy Clan’s sail-powered ship was still at the forefront of Magic Energy Technology.
Duane suddenly felt an urgent desire to raise his Mage Level.
He was discovering that whether it was in Magic Potions, Enchantment, Magic Arrays, or other fields, a Mage could truly do so many things that a Warrior could not.
Seeing Duane lost in thought, Natalia asked curiously, "What are you thinking about? You’re so absorbed."
Duane snapped back to reality and laughed. "Oh, nothing. I was just admiring how powerful your family is. To create a Magic Energy Ship like this, you must have invested a great deal in magical research."
"That’s only natural. We’re researching everything from the inscription of the Magic Array to the output of wind speed. There’s still a huge amount of room for improvement."
The difference in resources and foundation between a minor family and a great family was clear at a glance.
"The Kennedy Clan is already at the forefront. If you were to sell these Magic Energy Ships, you should be able to recoup all your investment very quickly."
He was suddenly interested. "I wonder how much a ship like this costs on the market? I’d like to see how far I am from being able to buy one."
Natalia covered her mouth and chuckled softly. She could tell he was basically saying he was broke, but there was no sense of inferiority in his tone. It was a rather admirable mindset.
After all, many members of the Nobility were extremely cautious when speaking to her. Someone like Duane, who would get lost in his own thoughts, was a rare sight.
"For now, we’ve only gifted a few. They’re not for sale yet. But if we were to sell one, an inland river passenger ship would probably cost at least several thousand Gold Coins."
She wasn’t too familiar with market prices, so she was just giving her own estimate.
In reality, a new item like this would sell at a massive premium when first released.
Never mind a few thousand; ten thousand Gold Coins or more was possible.
At that price, a single inland Magic Energy Passenger Ship would be comparable in cost to a large warship.
He spread his hands and teased himself, "Well then, I’ll need to save up for more than a decade to afford one."
Natalia couldn’t help but encourage him, "Then you’d better work hard, Baron of Black Forest Island."
The two chatted for a while longer before retiring to their respective rooms to rest.
Natalia drank a cup of tea and began her Meditation. Duane, on the other hand, continued his experiments with consuming Magic Potions.
Before long, as the sun began to slant westward, the Magic Energy Passenger Ship docked at the Calvin Clan’s Silver Scale Port.
The name supposedly came from the view from the port, where the Michaelson River often shimmered like a blanket of fish scales.
As soon as the Magic Energy Ship, with its distinctive Sail Banner, docked, the welcoming party on the shore knew that people from the Kennedy Clan had arrived.
"Welcome, Miss Natalia!"
The lead Knight bowed respectfully. "Young Master Elwin is currently occupied, so he has delegated me to await your arrival. Please forgive us."
"Then I’ll be in your care, Sir Knight."
Natalia said, then made the introduction, "This is Baron Duane Brian of Black Forest Island."
The Knight turned to Duane and gave him a Knight’s salute. "A welcome to you as well, Baron!"
Duane returned the salute.
The group left the port under the Knight’s guidance.
The location for this banquet was not Fire Source Castle in the main city of the Viscount’s Territory, but rather at Elwin’s private manor.
As the youngest and only son of the Calvin Clan, he held a very high status within the Viscount’s Territory.
It was said he owned several manors, one of which was located right on the Silent Shore.
The journey took over an hour before they finally reached their destination.
Duane stepped out of the carriage and glanced at the sky.
The sun had already set in the west, and the sky was ablaze with the evening glow. Night was about to fall.
’The people here aren’t too particular about these things,’ Duane thought. ’Otherwise, it would have been more appropriate to arrive in the morning when visiting someone’s home.’
He looked around at the scenery again.
The manor was situated in a valley. The environment was tranquil and the scenery was beautiful. Looking up at the mountains, the rising mist made Duane feel as if he had returned to his old home.
"The scenery is nice," he remarked.
Natalia gave a noncommittal response, leaned closer to Duane, and said in a barely audible voice, "It would be even better if the people were nice, too."
"Oh?"
’So, it seems Natalia has some issues with Elwin?’
Just as they were speaking, a young man strode out to greet them.
"Hahaha, welcome..."
His eyes landed on the sight of Natalia and Duane whispering to each other, and he froze for a moment before recovering.
"Welcome, Natalia! Having you here is my greatest honor!"
Duane watched the young man approach quickly. His formal attire was extremely extravagant.
It was made of velvet, trimmed with ermine fur, and the gold-threaded belt was studded with countless glittering red and blue gems.
Without needing an introduction, Duane knew that the person before him was Elwin Calvin.
The man stepped forward, apparently intending to take Natalia’s hand for a kiss.
But she preempted him by taking a step back and giving a slight curtsy. "Happy birthday, Elwin."
Elwin retracted his hand quite naturally. "Thank you for your blessing. You look beautiful today."
"Thank you."
Natalia gestured and introduced him. "Elwin, this is Baron Duane, my friend."
"A welcome to you as well, Duane!"
Elwin merely gave a nod. "I didn’t expect this banquet would receive such a special guest as yourself. This is my honor as well!"
Duane returned the nod. "This should be our first time meeting. Happy birthday!"
"Both of you, please come in!"
Elwin turned to the side, making a gesture to welcome them inside.
Inside the manor, a crowd was already bustling about, their joyous laughter unending.
With no elders present, the etiquette was relatively relaxed, which contributed to the lively atmosphere.
As Natalia entered, she immediately drew countless cries of welcome and greeting.
The daughter of a Kingdom Count, a genius Mage—such an aura of status made Natalia stand out from the crowd.
Combined with her beautiful features and a contrasting disposition that was gentle yet tinged with a bit of aloofness, she attracted the ardent gazes of many young men.
If her status weren’t so lofty, many of them would have probably walked right up to her and tried to strike up a conversation.
In comparison, Duane was more like a personal guard accompanying the beautiful young lady, completely unnoticed.