Woo!
The wind was howling and the rain was pouring. The three-masted sailboat rose and fell between one wave "peak" after another, like a toy being thrown and caught by a giant, and then thrown again.
The deep red in Alger Wilson's eyes faded away, and he found himself still standing on the deck, no different from before.
Then he saw the oddly shaped glass bottle in his palm shatter, and the frost and snow melted into water and merged into the raindrops.
After just two or three seconds, this ancient artifact completely lost all trace of its existence.
A hexagonal crystal snowflake appeared in Alger's palm, then quickly faded until it disappeared, as if it had shrunk into the flesh and blood.
Alger nodded imperceptibly as if he was thinking about something, and remained silent for a full five minutes.
He turned around and walked towards the cabin entrance. Just as he was about to enter, he met a man who was also wearing a robe embroidered with lightning patterns.
The man with soft yellow hair paused, looked at Alger, stretched out his right hand, clenched his fist and placed it on his chest, saying:
“The storm is with you.”
"The storm is with you." Alger's rough and deep face did not show any unnecessary emotions, and he clenched his right fist and hit his left chest in the same way.
After greeting each other, Alger entered the cabin and walked along the aisle to the captain's room in the distance.
Along the way, he didn't meet any sailors or crew members. It was as quiet here as the inside of a tomb.
The door of the captain's room opened, and a soft, thick dark brown carpet appeared before his eyes. On both sides were bookshelves and a wine cabinet. Books with yellowish covers and bottles of dark red wine shone with a strange luster under the candlelight.
On the desk with the candles was a bottle of ink, a quill, a black metal telescope, and a brass sextant.
Behind the desk, a pale middle-aged man wearing a skull-captain's hat looked at Alger approaching him step by step, and said angrily through gritted teeth:
"I won't give in!"
"I believe you can do it." Alger said calmly, as if he was saying that the weather was not good today.
"You" The middle-aged man was stunned, as if he had not expected such an answer.
At this moment, Alger slightly bent his body and suddenly rushed forward, instantly closing the distance between the two of them until only the desk was left.
Bang!
His shoulders tensed, and his right hand shot out suddenly, grabbing the middle-aged man's throat.
Without giving the other party a chance to react, phantom fish scales appeared on the back of his hand and his five fingers exerted force frantically.
Crack!
With a crisp sound, the middle-aged man's eyes were wide open in astonishment, and his entire body was lifted up.
His legs trembled violently, but he soon regained his composure. His vision was dazed, his pupils began to dilate, and his crotch gradually became wet, with a foul smell coming out. ..
Alger lifted the middle-aged man, bent his back, spread his legs, and moved closer to the wall.
Bang! He used the middle-aged man as a shield and slammed forward fiercely, his arms as thick as a monster.
The wooden walls shattered, and violent wind and rain swept in with the fishy smell of sea water.
Alger twisted his back and threw the middle-aged man out of the cabin and into the huge waves that were like mountain peaks.
The sky was dark, the wind and rain were howling, and the mighty force of nature buried everything.
Alger took out a white handkerchief, wiped his right palm carefully, and then threw it into the sea.
Taking a few steps back, he waited patiently for his companions to enter.
"What's wrong?" In less than ten seconds, the man with soft yellow hair rushed in.
"The Captain escaped." Alger panted and replied in annoyance, "He actually still retains some extraordinary powers!"
"Damn it!" The yellow-haired man cursed in a low voice.
He came to the breach and looked into the distance, but he could see nothing except wind, rain and waves.
"Forget it, he's just a byproduct." The yellow-haired man waved his arm, "We will only get credit if we can find this ghost ship from the Tudor era."
Even if he was a lover of the sea, he would not dare to dive into the water in such weather.
"And if the storm continues, the Captain won't be able to hold out for much longer." Alger nodded and found that the cracks in the wooden wall were beginning to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye.
He took a deep look and subconsciously turned his head to look at the rudder and the sail.
Even though there were many wooden boards between them, he could still clearly see the situation there.
There was no first mate, no second mate, no crew members, no sailors, not even a living person!
There was nothing there, and the rudder and sails were adjusting themselves eerily.
The image of the “Fool” shrouded in gray mist reappeared in his mind, and Alger suddenly sighed.
He turned his head to look at the violent wind and waves outside, and said in a dreamy tone of expectation and fear:
“A new era has begun”
Backlund, the capital of the Kingdom of Loen, Queens District.
Audrey Hall pinched her cheeks, unable to believe what had just happened.
On the dressing table in front of her, the ancient bronze mirror was broken into pieces.
Looking down, Audrey saw a "deep red" color flowing on the back of her hand, like a star "tattoo".
The "deep red" gradually fades and eventually disappears into the skin.
It was only at this moment that Audrey was sure that she was not dreaming.
Her eyes were moving, the corners of her mouth were slightly raised, and she couldn't help but stand up, bending down and lifting up the hem of her skirt.
After bowing to the air, Audrey walked briskly, turned her body, and danced the most popular "Ancient Elf Dance" in the court.
Her figure was graceful and her face was full of a bright smile.
Knock, knock, knock! Someone suddenly knocked on the bedroom door.
"Who?" Audrey stopped talking and assumed a graceful posture.
"Miss, may you come in? You should get ready." The personal maid asked outside the door.
Audrey turned her head to look at the mirror on the dressing table and quickly suppressed her smile, leaving only a faint smile.
She looked left and right, and after confirming that there was no problem with her image, she spoke gently:
"Come in."
She twisted the handle and her personal maid, Anne, pushed the door open.
"Oh, it's broken." Anne saw at a glance the fate of the ancient bronze mirror.
Audrey blinked and said slowly:
"Uh, yes, well, Susie came in here before, and you know, she always likes to destroy things!"
Susie was a large golden retriever of not-so-pure pedigree, a gift from her father, Earl Hall, when he bought a foxhound, but she was very much loved by Audrey.
"You have to teach it a lesson." Anne picked up the broken pieces of the bronze mirror skillfully, fearing that they would hurt the young lady.
After doing all this, she looked at Audrey and asked with a smile:
"Which dress do you want to wear?"
Audrey thought for a moment and said, "I like the one Mrs. Genia designed for my seventeenth birthday."
"No, people will say that the Hall family is in a financial crisis. They are wearing the same skirt for the second time in a formal occasion!" Anne shook her head in denial.
"But I really like it." Audrey emphasized gently.
"You can wear it at home or in less formal occasions." Anne made it clear that the matter was non-negotiable.
"Then it's the one that Mr. Saders sent me the day before yesterday, the one with ruffled cuffs." Audrey took a breath secretly and maintained her elegant and sweet smile.
"You always have such a good taste." Anne smiled and stepped back, shouting to the door, "Cloakroom No. 6, forget it, I'll get it myself."
The maids began to get busy. One was responsible for the long dress, one was responsible for the jewelry, one was responsible for the shoes, one was responsible for the veil hat, one was doing makeup for Miss Audrey, and one was considering the hairstyle.
As the preparations were nearly completed, Earl Hall, wearing a dark brown vest, appeared at the door.
He wore a hat of the same color as his clothes, had a nice mustache, and his blue eyes were full of smiles, but his flabby muscles, bulging belly, and the beginning of obvious nasolabial folds had ruthlessly destroyed his handsomeness in his youth.
"Backlund's most dazzling gem, it's time for us to set off." Earl Hall stood at the entrance and knocked twice on the open door.
"Dad, don't call me that." Audrey stood up with the help of the maid, deliberately showing a distressed look.
"Then my beautiful little princess, it's time to set off." Earl Hall bent his left arm and motioned Audrey to hold his arm.
Audrey smiled and shook her head:
"This is the place of Mrs. Hall, the Countess, my dear mother."
"Here." Earl Hall smiled and bent his right arm again. "This is my pride as a father."
Pritzker Harbour, Oak Island, Royal Naval Base.
When Audrey stepped out of the carriage holding her father's arm, she was suddenly shocked by the huge monster in front of her.
In the military port not far away, there is a towering huge ship with metallic light shining all over its body. It has no sails and only has an observation tower, two towering chimneys, and two open-air turrets in front and back.
It was so majestic and so huge that the sailing battleships parked nearby were like newborn dwarves surrounding a giant.
"The Storm Is Above"
"Oh, my Lord."
"Ironclad ship!"
There were low exclamations interweaving, and Audrey felt the same shock. It was a miracle created by mankind, an unprecedented miracle of the ocean!
It was unknown how long it took for the nobles, ministers and members of the House of Commons to recover. At this time, a black spot in the sky grew from small to large, gradually occupying one-third of the sky, occupying everyone's sight, and making the atmosphere suddenly become solemn.
This is a huge creature floating in the air. It has extremely smooth and graceful lines and is painted dark blue. The solid and light alloy frame supports the cotton cloth with hydrogen bags, and the compartment with machine gun muzzle, bomb muzzle and flat-fire gun muzzle is hung below. The exaggerated buzzing sound of the high-phlogistic steam engine and the crazy turning sound of the tail blades constitute a thrilling melody.
The airship carrying the king and his family arrived, looking down on everything with majesty from high above.
A "Sword of Judgment" emblem pointing vertically downward with a ruby crown on the handle reflects the sunlight on both sides of the compartment. This is a symbol of the Augustus family's long-standing heritage that can be traced back to the last century.
Audrey was not yet eighteen years old, and had not yet participated in the "introduction ceremony" to officially enter Backlund's social occasions under the guidance of the Queen and declare her adulthood. She could only watch quietly from the spot and could not get close.
However, she didn't care too much and even felt relieved because she didn't have to face the princes.
The "miracle" of mankind's conquest of the sky landed steadily. The first to come down the escalator were the heroic young guards. They were wearing red military uniforms, white trousers, ribbons, and holding rifles. They lined up in two rows, waiting for the appearance of King George III, the queen, the prince, and the princess.
It's not like Audrey had never seen an important person before, but she had no interest in this. Instead, her eyes wandered to the two black-armored knights who looked like statues beside the king.
In this age of steel, steam, and guns, there are still people who insist on wearing full body armor!
The cold metallic luster and the deep black helmet give people a feeling of heaviness, majesty, and the need to obey.
"Could it be a higher-order 'Punishment Knight'?" Audrey recalled some of the conversations of her elders at home. She wanted to see it, but did not dare to get close.
With the arrival of the king and his family, the ceremony finally began, and the current Prime Minister Lord Agushed Negan walked to the front of the crowd.
He is a member of the Conservative Party and one of the only two non-noble figures to become prime ministers. He was awarded the knighthood for his outstanding contributions.
Of course, Audrey knew more. Agustin's brother, a major supporter of the Conservative Party, was called Pallas Negan, the Duke Negan of this generation!
Agushide was in his fifties, tall and thin, with sparse hair and sharp eyes. He looked around and said:
"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have seen that this is an ironclad ship, an ironclad ship that can subvert the times. It is 10 meters long and 2 meters wide, with a high dry ship side design. The main armor belt is 45 mm thick, and the displacement is 000 tons. There are four 305 mm main guns in the front and rear, as well as 10 rapid-fire guns, 2 pounder guns, 10 six-barrel machine guns, and 4 torpedo tubes. The speed can reach knots!"
"It will be the real overlord, it will conquer the sea!"
The nobles, ministers and parliamentarians were all shocked. The Prime Minister’s description alone was enough for them to imagine the horror of this ironclad ship, not to mention that the real thing was right before their eyes!
Agushide smiled slightly, gave a few more speeches, then saluted King George III and said:
"Your Majesty, please name it."
"Starting from the port of Pritz, let's call it the Pritz." George III looked quite happy.
"The Prizzi!"
"The Prizzi!"
The name spread from the First Lord of the Admiralty, the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy, to the ironclad, where officers and soldiers cheered in unison:
"The Prizzi!"
In the celebratory atmosphere, salutes were fired and George III gave the order to set sail for a test firing.
Woo!
The whistle sounded, thick smoke spewed out of the chimney, and the sound of machinery running could be faintly heard.
The huge ship set sail, and everyone was shocked when it sailed out of the port and bombarded the uninhabited island ahead with its two main guns on the bow.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The earth seemed to be shaking, dust rushed into the air, and a hurricane swept outward, raising waves.
Prime Minister Agushid turned around with satisfaction and said to the nobles, ministers and parliamentarians:
"From now on, those seven pirates who call themselves generals and those four pirates who usurp the title of king can only tremble and wait for their doom!"
"Their era is over. Even if they have more or less extraordinary powers, ghost or cursed ships, the only ones that roam the oceans are ironclad ships!"
At this time, Agusid's chief secretary deliberately asked:
"Can't they build their own ironclad ships?"
Some nobles and parliamentarians nodded secretly, thinking that this possibility could not be ruled out.
Agushid immediately smiled and shook his head slowly:
"Impossible, never possible! Building such an ironclad ship requires three large coal and steel consortiums, more than twenty steel mills, sixty scientists and more senior engineers from the Backlund Artillery Research Institute and the Pritz Ship Research Institute, two royal shipyards and nearly a hundred parts factories affiliated with them, a navy department, a shipbuilding committee, a cabinet, a firm king with excellent vision, and a great country that produces 2 million tons of steel per year!"
"The Pirates could never do that."
Having said this, he paused, then raised his arms and shouted excitedly:
"Ladies and gentlemen, the age of big ships and big guns has arrived!"