Steel, Guns, and the Industrial Party in Another World-Chapter 717: Heart Set on Returning

TL: Rui88

For Paul, who had grown up in the Northwest Bay, the winters in Crystal Shine were rather dull.

In both his past life and this one, he had always loved the kind of heavy, feathery snow that danced through the sky, preferably accumulating to a depth that could cover one’s calves.

Whenever he encountered such weather, Paul loved to light a roaring fire indoors, set up a barbecue, or cook the hot pot that others believed he had invented. He would enjoy the warmth of the fire and the delicious food while admiring the snowy scenery outside. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

If it was accompanied by a howling gale, the atmosphere was even better—a harsh environment outside, with people inside at ease.

However, those who could enjoy such a luxury in Alda in the past were few and far between. In the first few years, living conditions throughout the Northwest Bay were poor; in the eyes of southern nobles, it was a savage place. For the common people, the kind of heavy snow that Paul enjoyed was an out-and-out natural disaster. Whenever it occurred, a large number of the old, weak, sick, and disabled would not survive. For a transmigrator who came from modern society and possessed a modicum of humanitarian concern, he would feel a certain amount of guilt at such times, as he was, after all, the local lord.

Fortunately, the economy later improved, and people no longer starved or froze to death in winter, allowing Paul to indulge in his little pleasures with a clear conscience.

But compared to the Northwest Bay, the winters in Crystal Shine were somewhat short. It rarely snowed heavily, and it was not the wild style of feathery flakes that seemed to blanket the world.

Paul felt a little nostalgic for his days in the Northwest Bay.

He put down the playing cards in his hand and stared entranced at the snowflakes falling outside the window. “Perhaps I should go back.”

Rodney XVIII, who was struggling with which card to play, looked up. “What, is the environment in Crystal Shine uncomfortable for you?”

“No, Your Majesty, the environment here is very comfortable, and life is peaceful. It is truly the best place in Ordo.” Paul smiled. “If it weren’t for my responsibilities, I would really like to live here for the rest of my life.”

“Insincere platitudes!” Rodney XVIII snorted. “The environment I’m talking about isn’t just about living conditions, but also… public opinion.”

He sighed and stood up with a melancholy expression. “Lately, there have been some unfriendly conclusions about you in Crystal Shine.”

What the king said was true. No matter how much of a homebody Paul was, he could still feel the turmoil outside, which could even be described as a storm.

Previously, the impression Crystal Shine nobles had of Paul was generally more positive than negative, but recently it had taken a sharp downturn.

The turning point was the language reform suggestion Paul had made. It was as if something had suddenly been let out of a cage, and then it ran rampant all over the world, planting a terrible impression of this new marquis in the hearts of many.

“Marquis Grayman intends to pollute our elegant Ordo language with those crude and vulgar country slang.”

“As expected of a barbarian from the countryside. Since he can’t be elegant himself, he wants to drag everyone down to the same level!”

“This is definitely a conspiracy, a conspiracy to destroy Ordo from its very roots!”

“He is as barbaric as those orcs who speak crudely and cannot write! It’s too frightening, could it be that…”

Such rhetoric spread wider and wider, and grew more and more absurd within Crystal Shine.

Its content even developed to the point where—Grayman was secretly cooperating with the orcs, and his military victory in the northwest was just a set-up by the orcs to allow him to enter the upper echelons of the kingdom, giving him enough influence to dig up the roots of Ordo culture!

Hearing such rumours, Rodney XVIII flew into a rage and dispatched guards to throw everyone who spread such talk into prison to reflect on their actions.

Thanks to the king’s personal endorsement, the absurdity of the various statements about Marquis Grayman was finally reined in a little, but the various doubts about him still continued unabated.

“I know someone must be manipulating all this from behind the scenes.” Rodney XVIII spoke his suspicion hatefully. “Great military achievements, a dazzling title, and especially since you’re so young, it’s likely made many people jealous.”

“There have been many controversies about you, but since the language reform, the dissenting voices suddenly grew much louder, like jumping off a cliff. There’s no reason it should be like this!”

Paul remained noncommittal, but in his heart, he shared the same suspicion as the king.

“Perhaps it would be better for me to return to the Northwest Bay!” he looked at the king sincerely. “Your Majesty, I have essentially finished compiling the materials you asked me to. I hope they can provide some ideas for your upcoming reforms. But let me say this first, Alda, and the Northwest Bay, are after all just one corner of the kingdom. The successful experiences there cannot be applied one hundred percent to other places.”

Rodney XVIII said with some dejection, “Are you finally going to abandon me? Very well, thank you for your hard work. I will keep your admonitions in my heart.”

The king decided to respect Paul’s personal wishes. It was also good for him to go back to the Northwest Bay to lie low for a while.

Besides, Grayman had to go back sooner or later to manage military affairs and prepare for the future counter-attack against the orcs. The sooner he prepared, the sooner the day of the counter-attack could come.

…

In a small oasis city in the desert, Arvis, supported by his guard Marek, staggered through a small alley.

“I never thought, I really never thought,” Marek said resentfully, “that they could be so ruthless.”

Arvis gave a bitter smile. “What’s so surprising about that? If I were in that position, I would absolutely not let someone who knows most of my secrets leave my control.”

“But… you practically watched him grow up! And Lord Aldridge, with your decades of friendship, did he not try to dissuade him?” The guard Marek’s tone was filled with anger.

Just now, the master and servant, who had travelled all the way north to this small city, were attacked.

As a guard trusted by Arvis, although Marek’s martial skills were superb, he was still no match for the attacker—Sigrid, known as the Ice Witch.

That His Highness the Prince had sent such a high-combat-power confidant showed that he was determined to take Arvis’s life.

During the battle, an incoming ice spike nearly finished off the scholar. Fortunately, Marek had prepared many things for this escape. He immediately swallowed a forbidden drug previously issued by the Arcane Society. His strength surged, and he desperately threw his longsword, finally forcing the witch to temporarily dodge. He then threw out several smoke bombs and, under the cover of the thick smoke, carried Arvis on his back and ran for his life, shaking off the pursuit.

“There’s no use talking about this anymore!” Arvis said weakly. “If she comes after us again, we’ll have no tricks left.” He took out a bag. “Alas, Marek, take this money and go on your own. I’m an old man; I can’t drag you down any longer.”

“Don’t say such discouraging things.” Marek frowned. “That witch has our trail. The original route through Watcher’s Fortress into northern Ordo is no longer viable. How about…”

“What?”

“We mix in with a merchant caravan and go around through the Great Plains.”

Arvis was very surprised. “Go around?”

Marek nodded. “I’ve gathered some information from merchants. It seems that to the west of the Great Plains, there are trading posts set up by people from Ordo.”