When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

The shadow of the machine was really closing in bit by bit with the carriage.

From being two car lengths behind, to one, then to half a car length, Heber’s body visibly stiffened and trembled.

"What’s going on? How can this hunk of metal still speed up?!" Sibangqi tightened the telescope, "Isn’t he claiming to be the empire’s top reinsman? How can he lose to a big lump of iron?"

The engineers and Dwarf Artisans on the viewing platform had already stood up, even risking a fall by standing on the railings.

Leonardo’s face was wax-yellow, yet with a hint of blush.

How beautiful, the chaotic force transformed into order, the waste metals into the hard steel of flesh.

The few Dwarf Artisans beside him were muttering: "Faster... a bit faster... don’t break down!"

As the distance between the carriage and machine lessened, the crowds beside the track grew quieter.

The previous jeers had gone, leaving only the sound of hooves and the machine’s "klang" sound.

Suddenly, a gambler who bet on the machine couldn’t help but shout: "Faster! Catch up with it!"

It was unclear whether he was shouting to the machine or to the warhorse.

That shout was like igniting a fuse, those betting on the machine followed with "Machine, faster," while those betting on the carriage were anxious, pulling their throats to shout "Heber, keep your spirit, don’t lose face!"

The shouts from both sides mixed together, even louder than the previous jeers, shaking the leaves.

Sweat streaked down his cheeks, Heber also noticed something wrong.

He could feel the wind behind him growing stronger, the machine’s "klang" sound was about to overtake the sound of hooves.

In his spare moment, he glanced with the corner of his eye and saw the brass-colored machine head almost sticking to the back wheel of the carriage.

Heber was so shocked he nearly fell off the carriage on the spot; he instinctively lashed out with a whip.

"Giddyup!"

The warhorse neighed, picked up speed a bit more, but after several steps, its panting became much heavier, the rhythm of its hooves striking the ground started to falter.

Heber immediately regretted it; if in ordinary times competing with other reinsmen, such a small mistake wouldn’t matter much.

After all, people make mistakes, horses too, if everyone makes mistakes, it means no one made mistakes.

But now, he was pitted against an almost error-free spring machine!

The consequence of that whip quickly became apparent.

"They’re neck and neck!" someone screamed.

Staring dead at the track, Sibangqi squeezed the viewing port until it creaked.

The machine and carriage ran side by side on the track, the machine’s drive shaft spun fast, without any sign of stopping or tiring.

Looking at the carriage, the initially stable state started to wobble, Heber’s body tilted along with it.

Having controlled horses for years, Heber naturally knew the warhorse was about to lag.

In a normal race, he should be slowing down to find an opportunity.

But facing the unyielding spring machine, he absolutely couldn’t do that.

He had to accelerate, he could only fight it out!

Sibangqi’s forehead was drenched in cold sweat.

He thought of the pocket money he bet away, thought of the scene if his daughter really got together with Harbin, both anxious and flustered, he wished he could rush up and help Heber wield the whip.

But it was useless.

In the last mile, the machine’s head gradually overtook the carriage, from half a car length, to one length, then to two lengths.

The warhorse was thoroughly spent, the sound of hooves striking the ground slowed, even its tail drooped.

Fifty meters!

Twenty meters!

Five meters!

Three meters!

The wails and cheers marked the crossing line of the race.

The spring machine—rolling over Sibangqi, over Axent, over secret Knights, over countless naysayers—

loaded with flowers, waving the banner of the five major slogans of the Holy Alliance, charged through the finish line with thunderous momentum.

"Beep beep—"

Amid the horn sound, the machine glided forward a long way before gradually stopping.

Seeing its leisurely stance, it seemed as though it had finished a trivial stroll.

The entire park fell silent, even birds stopped their chirping.

Yet, the next moment, a tide of noise filled people’s ears.

"My entire fortune!"

"Heber, what will you use to pay me back what you owe?"

"Won! The machine won!"

"Woohoo—"

The laughing, the crying, immediately overturned the roof.

Countless hats were thrown into the sky as people hugged each other, spinning around.

This time, those travelers who had been jeering earlier were downcast, some dropped their heads and shrank to the back of the crowd, others pretended to watch the scenery, not daring to say a word.

Leonardo let out a long breath, his companions shook his shoulders, unable to stop laughing: "Succeeded! Truly succeeded!"

The machine charged through the finish line amid a sky full of ribbons and floral rain, ribbons hanging on the machine head’s spring compartment, gold dust falling on the windows, like sprinkled bits of gold.

About two seconds later, Heber’s carriage breathlessly crossed the finish line.

The moment the warhorse stopped, it nearly knelt to the ground, Heber hurriedly jumped off, supporting the horse’s neck, his face as pale as paper.

As for the viewing platform, Sibangqi retreated backward, attempting to sit down.

But after two steps back, his legs wobbled, nearly sitting onto the ground.

Luckily, a pair of warm big hands on one side held his arm, helping him up.

"Thank you... Madlan, Chief?"

"Hehehe, Great Monarch, you’re getting older, you need to stand straight and sit upright, don’t accidentally fall, or it’ll be hard to get up."

He knew what Madlan meant in his words, Sibangqi the Great Monarch sat on the chair, his face alternating between sorrow and joy, sitting for a long time.

Until he raised his head again, only to find all the attention from the viewing platform and audience was fixed on him.