Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 708: Old Matters

TL: Rui88

The flame on the candle flickered, casting the figures of the two ladies onto the white wall.

“Ladi, you seem to have something on your mind.”

Paul’s mother, Lady Mariana Grayman, asked with concern of her former student—Lady Ladi Sertia Gerard, who was also a female spellcaster from Horn Bay.

Since their unexpected reunion in Alda not long ago, the two had often spent time together, either reminiscing about the past or discussing magical knowledge. Of course, Lady Mariana, or rather, Mrs. Grayman, also learned about many things that had happened to her son and in Alda through this student.

As she gathered more and more information, Mrs. Grayman formed a new impression of her eldest son each time.

Ladi, on the other hand, held some resentment towards her teacher. After guiding her and her senior, Helen, onto the path of magic, why had the teacher disappeared?

For a long time, there had been no news, which had made her worry that her teacher might have fallen victim to some local church.

Then, she had appeared in a capacity that was completely unexpected to her.

A high-ranking member of the Arcane Society, and… Paul Grayman’s mother.

Fate was so wonderfully strange that Ladi suspected she might be living in some fabricated story.

But as their exchanges increased, the resentment between the two gradually dissolved.

Ladi Sertia soon understood a certain intention of Mariana’s—if a student knew that her revered teacher was a member of the Arcane Society, then when the organization had extended an invitation to Ladi long ago, this fact might have influenced her independent judgment.

Mariana wanted her to choose her own path without interference.

Hearing her teacher’s concerned inquiry, a trace of bitterness arose in Ladi Sertia’s heart.

“No, I don’t!” she replied, rather stubbornly.

Mariana smiled. “I can tell you’re not indifferent to that boy. What’s wrong…”

She switched to a careful tone and asked, “Has he… bullied you?”

Mariana knew that Paul was engaged to the kingdom’s princess, but she worried if Paul had done something cliché—like abandoning an old love to climb the social ladder.

“No, absolutely not!” Ladi Sertia firmly denied it.

“He hasn’t? You don’t have to cover for him.”

“Truly not, please believe me, Teacher!” Ladi carefully chose her words, afraid of causing a misunderstanding with Mariana. “Lord Grayman and I simply… have a spiritual resonance due to a convergence of certain viewpoints. I…”

As she spoke, a blush appeared on her face.

Mariana sighed. “Dear Ladi, no matter what spiritual resonance you two have, as someone who has been through it, I must give you young people some advice.”

Ladi’s face fell. She seemed to have realized what her teacher was about to say.

“A union between a mortal and a spellcaster will not end well.” As expected, Mariana said sternly, “The pressure from religion and the secular world will plunge you into misery. As your mother and teacher, I do not wish for you to endure such suffering.”

She even used Helen as an example. “It was Helen and her sister’s bloodline that brought the disaster of war upon her husband’s country.”

“But, wasn’t Teacher Mariana also…” Ladi mumbled softly, but her voice contained a hint of defiance.

“Yes, it is precisely because I have not only seen it but also experienced it myself that I do not want you to repeat that kind of pain.”

Mariana’s eyes suddenly became moist, which was unbelievable to Ladi. She had never seen the powerful Teacher Mariana like this.

“Do you know how I’ve gotten through these years? The pain of being separated from my closest family for more than a decade has kept me in constant torment. Even… even…”

She seemed to suddenly break down, tears pouring out like a broken dam. “Even when Paul’s father passed away, I couldn’t be by his side. I couldn’t see him off one last time.”

Ladi went forward and hugged her weeping teacher, gently stroking her back as if comforting a child. “I’m sorry, I brought up your sad memories.”

“It’s alright, I was just momentarily emotional!”

It came quickly, and went just as quickly. As if suddenly, the strong and resolute witch had returned. Her delicate face resumed its usual pride and coldness. She was like a different person from the fragile figure just now, only the redness of her eyes could reveal her previous lapse.

Ladi said in a reassuring tone, “Please rest assured, Teacher. I am now Lord Grayman’s subordinate, and he is my lord. What I have for him is the loyalty and reverence of a subordinate to their lord.”

Mariana looked at her with suspicion but still said, “One can control one’s own desires. You are different from Helen; you have always been a rational and calm person. I hope you can choose the path you want to walk with caution.”

The teacher and student continued to chat for a long time, even talking about Mariana’s past.

Ladi asked casually, “How did you meet the elder Lord Grayman?”

“It’s all in the past. At that time, he was a young and impetuous lad, goaded by his bad friends into venturing deep into the forest alone…”

As she spoke of this, another layer of fortitude peeled away from Mariana.

“Legend had it that a witch lived in seclusion deep in the forest, and this witch had a magical crystal ball. Hart planned to steal the crystal ball to prove his courage…”

Her teacher’s eyes revealed a sense of nostalgia. Although she tried to hide it, Ladi could see it and couldn’t help but ask curiously, “And then?”

The red-haired lady turned her head slightly to hide the smile at the corner of her mouth.

“He failed. He couldn’t steal the witch’s crystal ball.”

“And then?”

“He stole the witch’s heart…”

…

In another place, Paul looked vexedly at the map hanging on the wall, surrounded by Schroeder, Bryce, and other senior officers.

During the day, he had refrained from commenting in front of the king’s special envoy. Now, surrounded by his trusted confidants, he could complain without restraint.

“Honestly, I can’t believe Crystal Shine could do something so stupid.”

The others did not understand his meaning, but they figured it was not a compliment.

Paul asked them, “If we continue to attack eastward, can we drive the orcs back to the plains?”

What did he mean? Wasn’t this a slap in the face to Crystal Shine?

It seemed quite exciting. The generals seriously discussed this possibility.

After a while, Schroeder was the first to shake his head. “The main force of the orcs is currently deployed in a southward direction. Without the southern army to pin them down, the orc main force could quickly turn around and head northwest. And without the Royal Family’s rallying power, I’m afraid our allies around us will also become hesitant.”

Among those present, Schroeder was the most heartbroken. As a knight from the Watcher’s Fortress, it was not difficult to imagine how he felt about the place he had fought for half his life falling to the orcs.

The other generals also voiced their opinions one after another, all similar to Schroeder’s view.

“Alright!” Paul gave up the idea.

“We will continue to station here for a while to monitor the orc army on the other side. It wouldn’t be good if they tore up the treaty and launched a surprise attack on us as we retreat.”