Old Gods, Rapid-Fire Guns, and Prohibition

Chapter 205 [Blackbird Johnny]

Of course, the capital city isn't just called the capital city; it does have a name.

New Traniska.

This is the full name of the capital city.

At the beginning of the kingdom's founding, the king above kings, Prince Tranisca, chose this place as the capital of the new kingdom.

Because his fiefdom in the Old World was Tranisca, this place was named New Tranisca.

Of course, by today, many people have actually forgotten this somewhat tongue-twisting name.

Most people simply refer to it as the capital.

The prosperity of the capital was already evident before the ship docked.

Leaving aside the towering buildings and the vast harbor that resembles a battlefield, the enormous statue standing at the estuary is enough to inspire awe.

It was a colossal statue, thirty meters tall, depicting a dashing naval commander. His eyes were fixed on the horizon with unwavering determination, and he pointed forward as if to engulf the sea before him.

This man was none other than Cillian Norton, the most famous naval commander in the kingdom's history.

He made great contributions in the famous defense of the capital. Facing the overwhelming Old Continent naval alliance, when the situation was extremely unfavorable, he piloted his flagship, the Giant Wave, into the enemy's formation and rammed and sank the enemy commander's flagship, thus reversing the course of the battle and completely blocking the enemy from entering the capital.

After the war, he died from his injuries and was posthumously awarded the title of Admiral of the Kingdom's Navy by the King of Kings. He also ordered the creation of this statue so that it could stand here forever to guard the Kingdom's sea frontier.

Many people on the ship had obviously heard of the general's deeds, and they immediately saluted him.

After passing the statue, the ship officially entered the port of the royal capital.

This port was also named Port Hillian because of Hillian.

As ships entered the port, more and more large ships, giant vessels, and merchant ships shuttled back and forth.

The sounds of people and steamships wove together to create a symphony for this harbor.

The people on the boat became excited.

The capital city is indeed the most vibrant city; it seems to be better than Winster in every way.

The journey ended when the ship finally came to a safe and secure anchorage in its designated berth.

As is customary, led by Carlos, the crowd began to praise the name of the sea goddess Isis.

Ethan joined in.

However, whether it was his imagination or not, he felt a flutter in his heart the moment he uttered Isis's name.

It seemed like something glanced at him.

Is it Isis?

Or rather, Afraya?
The gangplank has been lowered, and the other passengers on board are disembarking one after another.

Ethan didn't rush to leave. He waited a while until the crowd had mostly dispersed before slowly following behind.

As soon as Ethan stepped onto land, he saw a familiar face.

Jackson.

Jackson didn't come alone; he was surrounded by many people.

There was even a banner behind him that read: Welcome Ethan to the City of a Thousand Cities!
It seemed as if they were unaware that Ethan had once studied in the capital.

Ethan didn't care about that, and he smiled as he went up to greet Jackson.

"Jack, you're too kind."

“Ethan, it’s what I should do.”

Jackson went up and gave Ethan a big hug.

Then he turned around and began to introduce his companions.

"Ethan, let me introduce you. This is Mr. Malone, the vice president of the Royal Capital Art Collection Association. He has always admired your paintings, so he insisted on coming here today to welcome you."

“Hello, Mr. Malone.” Ethan looked at the man named Malone.

The man was about fifty years old, with the appearance of an old-fashioned gentleman, dressed very elegantly. He was quite approachable at the moment, and stepped forward to greet Ethan warmly and shake hands.

Afterward, Ethan greeted several people from the Royal Capital Collectors Association, as well as some from the art world.

After exchanging pleasantries, Jackson invited Ethan to lunch.

Ethan didn't refuse. He had come here to hold a solo exhibition, and there was no harm in building good relationships with these people.

So he told the others to go and find a place to stay first.

Regarding accommodation, Ethan had asked Jackson to find a place for him before he arrived, but it hasn't been decided yet, so he's checking into a hotel first.

Sofia had no interest in participating in such gatherings, so in the end only Ethan and Anya went.

Jackson prepared a car for Ethan, also from the Krauss company, but instead of the Krauss Longgun, it was another Krauss product, the Silver Bullet.

However, there is one thing that Anya might be very unhappy about: she can't drive the car for Ethan.

She had just arrived in the capital and was completely unfamiliar with the roads.

So, in the end, she could only sit in the back seat with a slight sense of unease.

She originally wanted to sit in the passenger seat, but Ethan stopped her.

They sat together in the back seat, watching the bustling, dreamlike streetscape of the capital city recede past the window.

“I can’t see the road clearly sitting here,” Anya said softly.

“It’s alright, we have plenty of time,” Ethan said softly to her.

Then he took her hand.

But that warmth was soon shattered.

Because the car suddenly stopped.

The reason was that the road ahead was suddenly blocked, and police officers could be seen controlling the intersection, and there were also some dense gunshots coming from afar.

Then, a Klaus Silver Bullet sped past on the closed road, and the law enforcement officers guarding the intersection didn't even have time to fire their guns, and could only watch the car fly away.

They tried to get in the car and give chase, but were met with a barrage of extremely dense bullets.

"Da da da da da-"

The roar was like that of a typewriter.

It's definitely a Winster typewriter.

Unexpectedly, this firearm has become so popular in the capital, and even in the hands of bandits.

With Ethan's sharp eyesight, he naturally recognized who had fired the shot from the silver bullet car that had just flashed by.

It was a man wearing a black trench coat, a black top hat, and a black bird-shaped mask. He was holding two Winston typewriters and constantly wedging himself against the car door, firing shots outwards.

In contrast, the law enforcement officers who were chasing him looked rather disheveled.

"It's Johnny Blackbird! He's pulled off another heist!"

At this moment, the driver couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Blackbird Johnny, who is that?"

"He was a Robin Hood-like figure who robbed the rich to help the poor, taking the money from the banks of the wealthy and giving it to the people in the slums. He was a hero!"

At this point, the driver glanced at Ethan as if realizing something was amiss, and then fell silent.

This is the capital, the city of ten thousand cities, a place of unparalleled prosperity.

But it's also incredibly absurd.

You can see this kind of scene even in broad daylight.

(End of this chapter)