When the Saintess Arrives, No King Exist

Just a moment ago, Aunerok didn’t examine it closely, but if you get nearer, you can see the steel framework between the glass.

The glass dome looks transparent from a distance, but up close, you can see its intricacies.

The supporting steel framework is a regular triangular truss. The steel bars are smooth and straight, and the rivets lock the joints, forming tight triangles one after another.

This structure is the most stable, and even if the dome spans over twenty meters, it can support the weight firmly.

Between the framework are flat glass panels, regular triangular glass half a person’s height, with edges polished smooth without any roughness.

The gaps between the glass and the steel frame are embedded with Slime glue strips, which can both fixate and block rain.

Sunlight pours through the glass, casting intertwined shadows on the ground, and even the dust in the air can be seen clearly.

Aunerok’s gaze was fixed on the steel framework, the sarcastic curve of his lips trembling slightly.

He grew up in Falan and is well aware of how precious steel is.

A top steel workshop in Falan can’t produce enough refined steel in a year to make thirty sets of knight armor.

Ordinary noble families can only see steel on their inherited armor, and only the top nobles can own White Crystal Steel.

Yet here, the Holy Alliance actually uses tons of steel for domes.

He instinctively reached out wanting to touch the steel bar, but just as his fingertip was about to touch it, he pulled back.

The moment of surprise was quickly overridden by disdain: "Hmph, such extravagance!"

Alexei frowned, glanced at Baleri, and both saw amusement in each other’s eyes.

Clearing his throat, Alexei feigned confusion as he looked at Baleri: "Isn’t using so much steel for the dome too wasteful? If Norn had this steel, they could replace all the Shooting Army’s armor with steel."

Baleri found it absurd and, with a peculiar expression, touched Alexei’s forehead: "Have you become muddled from sleeping on the train, or have you lost your memory? Steel in the Holy Alliance is only a few Silver Coins more than pig iron, even farmers can afford steel plows."

"What... You’re lying!"

With a chuckle, Alexei pulled a newspaper from a nearby newsstand, pointing out the price list section.

"Here, look for yourself. This is from the Truth Newspaper, the Holy Alliance wouldn’t joke about its credibility, right?"

Aunerok’s expression immediately changed, his lips pressed together, wanting to say something but stopping.

Baleri saw his distorted expression and patted his head: "Oh right, you came from Falan, you don’t know about the situation in the Holy Alliance, understandable."

He pulled him over to the side of the steel framework, pointing to a steel mark on it: "This is from the Holy Mechanism Court’s steel factory, using the improved electric furnace steelmaking method, they can produce several tons a day, even tens of tons."

Alexei followed up immediately: "Now the Holy Alliance’s annual steel output is three times that of Falan and Leia combined, and that’s not even counting the small workshops."

Pausing, Baleri pointed to the dome glass: "As for why this glass doesn’t collapse, I think this is the question you are most concerned about. I’ll tell you now, to save you from worry.

This isn’t small pieces of colored glass from Falan, but a new formula, factory-produced, dozens of large flat panels at a time, very cheap.

The newly built technical library in Rapids City, the entire wall is made of this glass, clearer than the windows in any noble mansion you’ve seen in Falan."

Aunerok stood there, a buzzing sound in his ears.

So much steel, enough to equip how many Military Police Knights, to arm an army of a hundred thousand.

If used for military, who could stop it?

A chill went from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.

But then, he relaxed.

Luckily, the Holy Alliance used the steel for building domes and making glass, not turning them into weapons.

He opened his mouth, wanting to retort "steel technology is useless without skill," but the words stuck in his throat.

The steel frame before him fit seamlessly together, and there wasn’t a single bubble in the glass, even Falan’s best artisans might not manage this.

The usually eloquent Aunerok fell silent for the first time.

Seeing the moment was right, the two didn’t press further, just smiled and continued forward.

While Aunerok followed Alexei and Baleri, his steps heavy as he walked on.

Walking through the main street under the dome, the exhibition area ahead was more bustling, full of shouting and gasps of amazement.

A vendor fiddled with a fist-sized brass monkey, dressed in a red velvet vest, with a wind-up key on its back.

After a few twists, the monkey clapped its paws with a "pop," its black glass eyes spinning around.

"This is the latest model clockwork monkey, it can even squeak!" The vendor grinned from ear to ear as he held up the clockwork monkey.

As for the citizens’ children accompanying their parents, they had never seen such high-end toys and cried and pleaded for them.

Before long, a large batch was sold.

The booth next to it was even more interesting, displaying metal finger sets, with adjustable spring mechanisms for force. The vendor shouted: "This is a Flick Assist Tool!"

A young man in suspenders flicked a melon with it, and with a crack, the melon split apart.

He switched to a plank, flicking again, and it once more split apart.

The vendor loudly proclaimed: "Three levels of force, perfect for horsing around with friends or disciplining apprentices!"

Walking further, there was a miniature theater, with a stage only the size of a table.

Inside stood palm-sized mechanical dolls, dressed in exquisite silk clothing, depicting a king, a queen, and a knight.

An artisan turned the side of the stage’s mechanism, gears clicked, and the dolls started to move.

The king nodded on his throne, the queen twirled her skirt, and the knight waved his tiny sword "battling."

It was incredible.

Alexei watched in amazement, growing more excited the more he saw, grabbing Baleri’s arm: "With the Holy Alliance’s level of machinery, in a few more years, they won’t even need people to farm anymore!"

Aunerok, following behind in silence, was also captivated by the novelties.

A booth in the corner was surrounded by people; he approached to take a look.

It was a "Slime Automatic Filter Bed," a wooden box with glass, filled with light blue Slime and a pair of rotating blades.

Extracted agents flowed in from one end, filtering and flowing out from the other end in three layers, which were Slime Juice, Liquid, and Glue respectively.

And around were a group of agents from the Black Snake Bay Wizard Clan, slamming drafts and bills onto the table one after another.

On one side, powered by a spring mechanism storage, a man-high unicycle pompously rolled by.

Further ahead, a land-bound canoe fitted with four wheels cruised along the wide street, chased and marveled at by countless travelers.

Since it was within the range of the ether clock, these spring mechanism contraptions didn’t need bulky mercury dampening liquid storage tanks.

Naturally, they also didn’t require any sealed enclosures to prevent the loss of dampening liquid.

Thus, almost all parts were exposed to the air, with the precision of the mechanical transmission visible to the naked eye.

Brass gears turning gear by gear.

Springs and drive rods moving back and forth.

Mechanical joints opening and closing up and down.

White Silver instrument panels resembling clock faces in spring warehouses.

Everything was exposed under the sunlight, even the nearby buildings featured spring mechanism elevators.

Slowly turning gears were exposed right in front of the eyes, and such huge gears without any animal power at all.

In a trance, Aunerok suddenly felt as if he wasn’t in a foreign land but in some era of the future!

Falling into an unusual state of bewilderment, he just walked forward numbly.

Every time he wanted to show off his knowledge, the recent crystal dome scene would flash in his mind.

"Quick, get out of the way!"

Aunerok raised his head in confusion, returning to awareness only to hear a disorderly clatter of hooves, mixed with metal creaking.

"Get out of the way! The mechanical horse is going berserk!"

The turn took time, Aunerok’s pupils shook.

It was a horse, a half-man-high mechanical horse!

Damned, mechanization of animals is an unsolvable problem for the empire for a thousand years, this kind of balance unless there’s a real biological brain inside the mechanism.

But before his eyes?

A steel body, streamlined leg casing, joints exposing gears, eyes glowing with phosphorescent red light.

Its front legs occasionally jammed, yet it ran faster and faster.

Has the Holy Alliance’s technology reached this point? If they can build a spring mechanism mechanical horse today, doesn’t that mean they can build a spring mechanism robot tomorrow?

The street stalls were knocked into disarray, the inventor blushing and panting, chasing after it desperately, shouting: "When did you learn to run? My design is only for walking!"

Travelers screamed and dodged, Baleri’s face turned pale, and he pulled Aunerok behind a column: "Get down! The mechanical horse’s gear is stuck, out of control!"