parentshiftbook Chapter 1222 - 1149: Reliable Kapen
Chapter 1222 - 1149: Reliable Kapen
The dawn lights up the sky, and sunlight spills over the treetops.After several consecutive rainy days, the Mechanical Palace welcomes an autumn day imbued with the lingering heat of summer.
Monks and engineers carrying briefcases, technical priests and secret monks clutching stacks of documents, descend the steps of the mansion.
As they step out from the shadows, each makes a gesture to block the sun, squinting or using a file or a hand to shield themselves from the glaring light.
Having spent the night among lamps and darkness, they haven't yet adjusted to the natural sunlight outside.
They glance back at the Holy Seat Mansion, where blue glass reflects a gem-like luster, and behind the clock-shaped circular windows, silhouettes of people moving about can be faintly seen.
No matter how confident Horn is, the reliability of Leonardo's new machine tools and the Pilgrimage Efficiency Management method remains uncertain.
The higher up you go, the more independent the mindset.
These high monks and engineers, as well as technical priests, are all specialized talents accumulated through vast experience and learning.
Ordinary people may blindly believe in the absolute correctness of the Holy Words, but according to the Holy Path sect's own advocacy, the more rational a person is, the more skeptical they become.
After all, even rational deductions require empirical evidence.
But the Saint's Grandson seems to possess knowledge either prophetically or intuitively, making them cautious in blind belief.
Regarding the attitude of the high monks and technical priests, Horn felt both gratified and helpless.
Gratified that they can think independently beyond him, but helpless because his advanced knowledge from another world often requires numerous doubts and tests.
However, reason will always become clearer through debate; the results will be evident soon.
Soon, the project for Spring Machine cars started in full swing.
The evening edition of the Mechanical Palace newspaper published a story titled "Flanlaya Spy Plots Explosion, Meeting Confirms Reconstruction in Ten Days."
If such news appeared in second-rate newspapers, like the Faithful Citizen Daily or New Life Bridge Tabloid, people probably wouldn't believe it.
But since the Truth News is known for its rigor and official stance, if it's reported there, it must be believed.
Paperboys hop along, distributing newspapers that are then pulled out and fall into the hands of employees, workers, and scholars.
Many read the article, suddenly understanding why they were woken up last night to be asked technical questions.
More workers also realized why their boss suddenly ordered overtime, a pay raise, and new temporary hires for shift work this morning.
Elsewhere, it's hard to say, but given the current luminescent system of the Mechanical Palace, shift work isn't an issue.
Ever since the Ether Clock enabled the use of Spring Machines, difference machines have proliferated like mitosis.
Now, upon entering the side hall of the Mechanical Palace, the Hall of Ten Thousand Machines, one can see dozens of stacked rows of difference machine groups reaching up to the beam.
With the continual increase of difference machines, more and more star realm weak points are appearing near the Ethereal Tower, soon capable of supplying ether around the clock.
Supplying luminescent lamps at night is quite easy for the Mechanical Palace.
Citizens of the Holy Alliance mostly fully believe in the ten-day completion; outside travelers are half-believing.
As for those who don't believe, they're few in number.
"Ten days completion, what a load of nonsense!"
In a hotel at New Life Bridge Wharf, Grelerban, as one of the Flanlaya Spy leaders of the Mechanical Palace, slammed the newspaper on the table.
The smell of ink dispersed, startling his companion Dewanbe, who was napping against the wall.
"What's wrong?" He rubbed his eyes and asked.
Grelerban pointed at the newspaper: "See for yourself."
Their actions this time had been meticulously calculated.
The goal was to catch the Holy Alliance off guard, which is why they chose this timing.
Too early and the Holy Alliance might have newly built something; too late and the Holy Alliance would have an excuse to say the cars were destroyed so the exhibition must be canceled.
This ten-day timeframe was calculated as the period when the Holy Alliance would be most helpless.
Either they'd admit to a delay or simply couldn't complete it.
What kind of workload is this, fifteen cars, saturated production?
Falan, in Huaqiu City, has so many master artisans and skilled craftsmen, and a simple bronze car, which is far less sophisticated than the Holy Alliance's Spring Machine cars, took over a month to build.
Asking the Holy Alliance how long it would take? Ten days!
Fifteen Spring Machine cars in ten days; what are they talking about!
I must admit, the Holy Alliance's Truth Court indeed has a few tricks up its sleeve.
They knew they couldn't hide this incident, so they simply made it public with this grand meeting.
Instantly, it boosted morale and restored the previously low expectations.
Even if the cars aren't completed, it doesn't matter.
This is the Holy Alliance's home field; whether for horse racing or car exhibitions, making adjustments is a simple matter.
Dewanbe skimmed through the newspaper: "Boss, what if they really accomplish it?"
"If the Holy Alliance really pulls it off, then my head could produce vanilla ice cream, and I could fly using my hair."
"Boss, I'm serious."
"Isn't there still Kapen? Just having Kapen is worth it." Grelerban tapped out the ashes from his pipe, cheerfully lit it, "Where's Mr. Kapen now?"
"He's disguised as a tourist and has secretly crossed the border checkpoint; if nothing goes wrong, he should be at Red Leaf Hill by now."
"Don't let your guard down at Red Leaf Hill," Grelerban quickly reminded, "Those Red Leaf Hill folks are in cahoots with the Holy Alliance; don't reveal your identity."
"I know, I've informed them beforehand, the ship can't dock at Flower Hill, and no one's allowed to leave the cabin."
Recalling the elite engineer Kapen, Grelerban's typically insincere smile showed a bit of genuine humor.
Ever since learning about the Holy Alliance exhibition, and after Prime Minister Lorenzo's approval and three months of planning, their major operation against the Holy Alliance finally succeeded.
This time, truly hitting the bullseye.
The "car explosion" operation not only prevented the exhibition but yielded a significant result—the capture of Kapen Lorlock.
Who is Kapen?
A recipient of the Holy Alliance's "Mechanical Grand Sage" medal, chief overseer of the Holy Council's Hall of Ten Thousand Machines, dean of the mechanical academy at Holy Machinery Court Pope University, and student of Leonardo.
Though only a student, being Leonardo's disciple is remarkable in itself.
In Leonardo's lab, the first preliminary academician, Lotton, once emerged.
This Lotton has already received "Mechanical Prophet" and "Miracle Insight" medals, currently the head of the Theological Technical Priest society.
But Lotton even entered after Kapen.
When Lotton saw Kapen, he would respectfully call him senior or elder brother.
As Leonardo's first student, and one of the main engineers of the Spring Machine car, Kapen's value is incredibly high.
Especially since Falan's Spring Industry is still barren.
With the capabilities of Kapen, being Lotton's senior and Leonardo's student, along with Falan's vast resources, overwhelming the Holy Alliance is no problem.
Looking at his superior's smug expression, Dewanbe hesitated for a long time before speaking: "Boss, but if he's truly an elite engineer, why did we manage to convince him to defect?"
"What do you mean by that?" Grelerban's face darkened, "Can't there be a few ungrateful people in the Holy Alliance?"
"No, no, I didn't mean that..." Under Grelerban's intense gaze, Dewanbe slowly closed his mouth.
He had personally encountered Kapen, but somehow felt that there was something off.
Whether it was a misconception, Dewanbe felt Kapen exuded an aura of unreliability.
"Alright, alright." Exhaling a smoke ring, Grelerban took a sip of the Holy Alliance's strong liquor, "Drink, drink, it's past three, let's have a drink first."