Exploring Technology in a Wizard World-Chapter 1318 - 1316: The Time Is Near

Impossible, absolutely impossible.

Richard shook his head inwardly, thinking that the speculation did not match reality.

It’s not that Soron wouldn’t think of this, but even if he did, the result would be hard to control, and he wouldn’t really choose to do it.

After all, the Sika Kingdom is a major power, and the domestic situation is very complicated. Especially when facing a formidable enemy and the possibility of destruction, anything could happen. It might turn worse, but it might also unite against foreign foes. If it’s the latter, such a long delay would inevitably give the opponent a chance to catch their breath, leading to a turnaround in a war that could have been won.

And this is something Soron absolutely doesn’t want.

So, what exactly is going on?

Puzzled, Richard heard a report from his subordinate that someone came to visit him, and the person was different from others, claiming to be his friend.

His friend?

With doubt, Richard met with the visitor and finally knew who it was.

It turned out to be Molli’s subordinates.

One was the witch Su, who had a limp. He remembered she was very skilled in Wind Magic. Although she was missing a leg, she could run faster than a wizard with two healthy legs.

The other was the one-eyed Dragon, proficient in Fire Magic, wearing the same signature red robe as before, making him impossible to miss.

Receiving the two in the guest room, Richard briefly inquired about the purpose of the visit. The other party candidly revealed: they wanted to gain his support.

Molli, as the Blood Princess, is a very powerful rebellious force in the Sika Kingdom, keen to overthrow the current Royal Family to establish a new kingdom. In this regard, there are some areas for potential cooperation with the current Alliance.

Molli sent these two, already knowing that he is the second-in-command of the Alliance Army — the Command Consultant, to scout his intentions and find out what the Alliance plans to do next. If possible, under the premise of not destroying the Sika Kingdom, they are willing to cooperate.

But the problem is that he doesn’t even know what the Alliance plans to do next, so how could he reveal it to the other party?

Reluctantly offering some polite words, he sent them off, stating that it wasn’t the right time for cooperation, but when the time came, he would contact them himself.

After sending away Molli’s subordinates, Richard became genuinely curious about Soron’s various actions.

He could guess that Soron’s frequent visits lately, along with his orders to halt the army, surely had an intriguing plot. And this plot definitely wasn’t something that could be guessed at easily, or else Soron, the Commander, wouldn’t have needed to act in person, pulling Richard into the play.

Without any accidents, this plot might have been devised at the beginning of the war. Back then, Oscar proposed the terms for him to become the Command Consultant, which was a foreshadowing.

After all, in normal circumstances, no country would directly appoint someone with no status to be the second-in-command of the army, entrusting the nation’s fate into their hands.

Doing so could only mean ambition of great magnitude, willing to pay a certain price and risk for it.

Initially, he sought to uncover the truth but found nothing.

Now, without seeking the truth, the result gradually became apparent.

So, what could it be?

Next, Soron continued to visit, and Richard no longer let him sit alone in the guest room drinking tea; when not busy with research, they would have brief conversations.

He didn’t think Soron would reveal the secret but wanted to use the conversation to gauge indirectly how close they were to revealing everything.

At worst, they would at least become friends.

Thus, they started to understand each other, with their "friendship level" increasing.

Slowly, when Soron visited again, he started bringing some homemade petal tea to share — from this perspective, it was clear he wasn’t accustomed to the malt tea that was always served — only out of courtesy did he endure it without saying a word, trying to show appreciation, truly arduous.

Gradually, Soron became somewhat interested in Richard’s ongoing research, and Richard didn’t hold back — in his view, even if he taught him hand by hand, he didn’t think Soron could learn it — he invited him several times to observe the latest Magic Testing.

In the garden used as an outdoor Magic Testing Field, Soron witnessed Bi Bi being tormented repeatedly, and afterward, receiving only a piece of bread, a small bottle of wine, or a little other food as a reward.

Soron gently expressed his concern: wasn’t this method a bit inhumane, a bit miserly? If there were financial difficulties, the army could certainly provide resources, letting the poor girl have a full meal before being beaten... After all, even the most heinous criminals get a last meal before execution, don’t they?

Of course, Soron only gently expressed this, while his main focus remained on Richard’s Spell Effects. As an ordinary person without Extraordinary Power, he couldn’t offer insights from a wizard’s perspective, but he highly praised Richard’s use of "Extraordinary Cohesion" and "Blood Ability Extraordinary Factor Binding Force," considering the combination to be an outstanding cage.

"If it successfully tests completely, it’s more than just a cage." Richard remarked.

"Then what could it be?" Soron asked curiously.

Richard smiled mysteriously, "That must remain a secret, just like you never told me why you used my name to deceive those advisors of yours, I won’t tell you the ultimate effect of my spell conception."

"Alright." Soron reluctantly shrugged, paused, and said, "Actually, I could tell you the reason, but it hasn’t come to that time yet. When the time comes, I think you won’t even need me to tell you; you will understand everything."

"Oh?!" Richard raised an eyebrow, feeling like Soron was deflecting him, much like he deflected Molli’s subordinates. However, he couldn’t deny that Soron indeed knew the truth. He pursued, "Then when, exactly, will it be that time?"

"Soon, very soon," Soron replied.

And so time passed day by day.

In the blink of an eye, it had been a month since the Battle of Kasha City.

During this month, many things happened, and many changes took place.

For instance, the Alliance mobilized several second-line troops from within to station and occupy areas, maintaining order and consolidating security. Meanwhile, inside the Sika Kingdom, Blood Princess Molli openly rebelled, raising the flag, gathering many people to oppose the Royal Family.

But on the larger scale, the changes were actually not significant.

Though the Alliance had deployed several second-line troops, the loyalty of the Sika people in the occupied areas remained extremely low, the chaotic situation had not greatly ameliorated, only maintaining surface order. Likewise, Blood Princess Molli’s formal rebellion caused only minor ripples in the Sika Kingdom; the people she gathered were simply unable to contend with the Sika Army, and the Sika Army lacked the resources to concern themselves with Blood Princess Molli, focusing more on the standoff with the defensive Alliance Army.

Amidst the standoff between the armies of the two countries, during an ordinary afternoon, Soron once again visited Richard.

However, this time Soron did not head to the guest room for tea but directly entered the garden, finding Richard amidst his spell testing.

Seeing Soron’s serious expression, Richard raised an eyebrow, sensing something unusual, speculating, "Could it be... today is a special day?"

"Yes, today is a special day," Soron said solemnly, "Lord Richard, I apologize for troubling you during this period, but unless something unforeseen happens, today will likely be my last visit."

"So, that time you mentioned, has arrived?" Richard squinted.

"No, not yet," Soron shook his head, then shifted his tone, "But it’s... very close, very close..."

"Alright, if there’s an opportunity, I’ll visit you again in the future." Soron said goodbye briskly, stepping out of the garden without looking back, speaking while walking, "If you have some free time, in the coming days you might want to pay attention to the happenings on the streets, and also take care of your own safety — that’s all I can say, goodbye."

With those final words, Soron’s figure disappeared outside the garden gate.