Mystery: The Undead Don't Die from Linking the Fire

Chapter 199 Blind Student, You've Discovered the Key Point

Ugh!

A steam locomotive, spewing out large plumes of smoke, pulled carriage after carriage into the station, growing slower and slower.

On January 11, the steam train carrying Ember finally arrived in Constance, the capital of Intersea County.

The straight-line distance between Backlund and Constance is over 1,100 kilometers, but the actual length of the railway track is much longer. After all, the route is not flat or straight, and railway companies have to consider economic interests, so they will try to pass through as many cities as possible when laying the track, which inevitably involves detours.

Although the steam patent that Ember and his companions were traveling on didn't need to stop in other cities along the route, it still took them more than a day to reach Constance.

A girl in a pure white dress with gold lace trim followed Yu Jin out of the carriage. Her long golden hair was casually tied up, flowing smoothly and glossily. Her emerald green eyes reflected a bright luster, as deep as the sea and as pure as the finest gemstones. The girl's features and face shape combined to create a breathtaking beauty, with an elegant and pure temperament.

"Is this Constance?"

Audrey looked around at her surroundings, her eyes sparkling.

Ember glanced around and suddenly asked:

"There doesn't seem to be anyone here?"

The platform at Constance City looked spacious and bright, but it was completely deserted, making it hard not to wonder if something had happened.

Anne, Audrey's personal maid who was carrying the suitcase and following beside her, explained softly:

"Mr. Ash, this is the platform prepared for the special train. It's normal that there aren't many people here. Ordinary people are on the other platform."

Yu Jin nodded silently, slightly dispelling his doubts.

This is a platform built specifically for special trains. In a world ruled by nobles and extraordinary individuals, such things are not uncommon, after all, rulers always enjoy many privileges.

Susie, the golden retriever, looked around curiously, everything in the city fascinating her. Compared to Audrey, Susie was much less concerned with hiding her feelings; her tail wagged from side to side, showing her owner's joy and excitement.

Ikonser Bernard approached them with a team of members from the Mechanical Hearts squad, greeting them with a smile:

"Good morning, Viscount Black, Miss Hall."

"Good morning, Deacon Ikonser."

Audrey nodded slightly with a reserved air and replied politely.

Deacon Iconse explained:

"The special train will stop at the platform for repairs and replenishment, and will depart tomorrow morning. Before that, you can have a good day exploring Constance. Of course, we have already booked rooms at the Azure Sea Hotel, so you can go and rest first."

After a pause, Iconsel added with a smile, "But I don't think you want to listen to me ramble on here. The exit is this way."

Ikonser pointed in a direction, and from that direction a group of people came to meet them.

One group consisted mainly of young people who appeared to be in good spirits. Their clothing suggested they were Ikonser's colleagues in Constance, members of the Mechanical Heart of the Steam Church. Leading them was a man of similar age to Ikonser, with a broad forehead, serious brown eyes, and gold-rimmed glasses. He appeared refined yet carried a certain inexplicable sternness.

On the other side, most of the people were dressed like servants, both men and women. The leader was a middle-aged gentleman who was impeccably dressed, with a crisp white shirt, a thick gray-blue vest that perfectly concealed his belly, and a long swallowtail coat with clean lines and no flaws.

The gentleman wore shiny leather shoes and white knitted gloves. A few strands of silver hair peeked from his temples, and his face was marked with deep nasolabial folds. His light brown eyes also gave him a very serious look. Perhaps because he lived by the sea, his skin was dark, but he looked very healthy.

"Bruce, it's been a long time."

Ikonser greeted the man in the lead with a smile and extended his hand.

The man called Bruce hesitated for a second before extending his hand to shake hands with Iconsel, but quickly withdrew his hand as if he had been electrocuted.

Ikonser's face darkened. "What are you afraid of? Are you afraid I'll eat you?!"

Bruce noticed that Iconsel's expression was not good, and quickly changed the subject:

"Ikonser, everything is ready. Don't waste time, come with me."

Iconsel's expression softened slightly, but he still shook his head and explained:

"Wait a minute, arrange for someone to take them to the hotel first."

He turned to look at Yu Jin, the other two, and the dog, seemingly wanting to invite them to come along.

Then he saw that the middle-aged gentleman had successfully made contact with Yu Jin and the others.

"Viscount Black, Miss Hall."

The middle-aged or elderly gentleman removed his hat, placed it against his chest, and bowed with the most standard gesture:

"My name is Derek Woolley, and I am the butler of all the Hall family's estates and villas in Constance."

Without a doubt, the middle-aged gentleman with a large group of servants was a butler who had come to greet Yu Jin and his companions.

Iconsour's expression froze, and Bruce's eerie voice immediately reached his ears:

"I know that young lady. She's the most dazzling jewel in Backlund. She's the daughter of Earl Hall, the second-largest shareholder of the Constance Coal and Steel Corporation. And in the city of Constance, the Constance's word carries more weight than the King's. I think you don't need to worry about her."

Audrey smiled gently and said:

"Deacon Ikonser, you may proceed ahead without waiting for us."

"All right."

Iconsel sighed and said helplessly, "I was just being presumptuous."

"Then, farewell, Viscount Black, Miss Hall."

"See you tomorrow, Butler Iconsel, Mr. Bruce."

The two sides said goodbye to each other and formed two separate groups, walking towards the exit one after the other.

As soon as they left the station, Ikonser and his companions boarded a carriage and left directly. It was clear that they had come to this city with a specific purpose.

Meanwhile, Yu Jin and his group had arrived at the luxurious carriage bearing the Hall family crest parked by the roadside.

Audrey gracefully offered her right hand, clad in a light-colored gauze glove, to Ember, allowing him to lead her into the carriage. At the same time, she gently pressed her gauze hat, adorned with blue ribbons and silk flowers, with her other hand to prevent it from being blown away by the wind—the wind was always strong here due to the proximity to the sea.

The old butler respectfully stepped forward and personally opened the car door for them. Shoes adorned with ribbon roses trod on the thick brown carpet. The young girl's gaze swept over the wooden cabinets containing red wine, white wine, champagne, Ranzi, and Blackland wines, as well as rows of crystal glasses, before she sat down by the window.

Due to his work, Earl Hall, the second largest shareholder of the Conston Coal and Steel Consortium, often needs to come to Conston for business. This carriage was clearly prepared to meet Earl Hall's needs, so that he could have a drink or two on the way.

Ember followed closely behind and boarded the carriage, sitting opposite Audrey, while Anne sat next to Audrey.

Susie glanced around as she got into the car, then silently squatted down at Yu Jin's feet.

Woolley got into the car and asked:

"Viscount Black, Miss Hall, shall we go to the villa or the manor?"

Ember casually remarked:

Let's go to the nearest one.

Audrey nodded slightly and echoed:

"I also think it's better to be closer; it's more convenient."

"OK."

Woolley replied respectfully and gave an instruction to the coachman outside.

With the sound of whipping reins, the carriage slowly drove through the street.

Audrey looked out the window at the scenes flashing by, and had already formed a certain impression of the city.

It was only then that Audrey finally saw the true face of the city and realized its differences from Backlund.

Everywhere you look, there are towering chimneys and blast furnaces, resembling a man-made steel forest, creating a striking visual impact. Although Backlund's industrial district also has many factories, they pale in comparison to Conston. As the second largest city in the Kingdom of Loen, Conston represents industry far more than Backlund, the capital.

The buildings here extensively use concrete and steel reinforcement, and are taller, larger, and denser than their counterparts in Backlund. Perhaps due to the abundance of mines here, many places are covered in coal dust, including human skin, but the air quality is actually better than in Backlund—thanks to the strong sea breezes.

The horse-drawn carriage traveled through the city's concrete jungle, passing through streets and eventually entering the lakeside forest area.

Like Queens in Backlund, Constance also has its own "aristocratic neighborhood," namely Lake Forest.

It is close to the sea, but in a completely different direction from the port and factory area. It enjoys a large green park, even forest and artificial lake in the city!

As the carriage travels around the artificial lake along the tree-lined forest path, it feels as if you have suddenly entered a primeval forest from a steel jungle, surrounded by a vibrant atmosphere where everything is thriving.

More than half an hour later, the carriage finally arrived at its destination—a luxurious villa located by the sea. In terms of area alone, it was larger than the Hall family's luxurious villa in Queens, and could even be described as a small estate.

As Audrey entered the villa, she suddenly asked:

"Mr. Woolley, is there a church of the Church of the Night here?"

Woolley explained:

"Yes, there is a Church of the Night in the Lake Forest area. But in Constance, the Church of the Night has relatively few members."

Audrey nodded thoughtfully. Her previous environments were mostly populated by members of the Church of the Night. This was because both Backlund and East Chestershire were traditional missionary territories of the Church of the Night.

Even in Backlund, the home of the royal family who worship the Lord of Storms, the Church of the Night still constitutes a large portion of the population, as most nobles and commoners are followers of the Goddess of Night. East Chester County, located in the northeast of the Kingdom of Loen and bordering Winter County, is almost entirely populated by believers in the Church of the Night.

In contrast, coastal cities mostly worship the Lord of Storms. For example, overseas colonies were almost entirely filled with churches of the Church of Storms, while the Church of Night only had churches on a few important islands such as Denos Island.

Similarly, in the factory districts of large industrial cities and other cities, the workers mostly believed in steam churches.

As a coastal industrial city, Constance presented a significantly easier missionary challenge for the Steam Church and the Storm Church compared to the Night Church.

Yu Jin seemed to be deep in thought as he said:

"This may also be related to the strategic layout of the Kingdom of Rune."

"Huh?"

Audrey blinked and asked curiously, "Why do you say that?"

Ember glanced at Audrey and asked:

"Among the four great kingdoms of the Northern Continent, who is the greatest enemy of the Kingdom of Rune?"

"The Fussac Empire," Audrey said without hesitation.

The four kingdoms of the Northern Continent were all established at the end of the Fourth Era and the beginning of the Fifth Era, and all four have continued to exist to this day. In the past thousand years, the Kingdom of Rune has had friction with various countries, but these have remained just that—friction. The only country that has truly waged multiple full-scale wars against the Kingdom of Rune is the Fusak Empire.

At the end of the Fourth Age, the Kingdom of Rune suffered a crushing defeat in the Twenty Years' War, surrendering the island of Sonia and a large tract of land north of the Amanda Mountains to the Fusak Empire. Meanwhile, the headquarters of the Church of the Night, originally located in the heart of the Kingdom of Rune, now found itself on the front lines against the Fusak Empire.

This war was undoubtedly the greatest humiliation for the Kingdom of Rune, and everyone in the kingdom, from top to bottom, wanted to regain face from the Fusaks. Reclaiming the island of Sonia and the territory north of the Amanda Mountains was also the greatest aspiration of the successive kings of the Kingdom of Rune.

"right."

Yu Jin nodded slightly and explained:

"The Kingdom of Rune's greatest enemy is the Fusak Empire, so we must always be on guard against Fusak attacks. The Church of the Night is responsible for the defense of the northern part of the Kingdom of Rune, the Church of the Storm is responsible for the defense of the Sunia Sea region, and the Intersea and its coastal cities are the responsibility of the Church of Steam. In the event of war, the three churches will launch a counterattack against the Fusak from their respective areas of responsibility."

Audrey immediately understood the implication of Ember's words—

If the Fusaks launch a surprise attack, the three major churches must prepare for defense and be ready to launch a counterattack at any time.

On the other hand, if the Kingdom of Rune decides to declare war on the Fusak people, then the three major churches will also need to cooperate with the Kingdom of Rune to launch simultaneous attacks on the Fusak Empire from the Intersea, the Amanda Mountains, and the Sunia Sea.

For the three major churches, while this might seem like they were being used by the royal family, it perfectly aligned with their interests. Since the three churches needed to preach in the Kingdom of Rune, they naturally wanted the kingdom to be as strong as possible.

If the Kingdom of Rune can defeat the Fusak Empire in one fell swoop, it will not only expand its territory, but the three major churches will also gain more believers.

Conversely, if the Kingdom of Rune were destroyed by the Fusak Empire, the three major churches would lose the opportunity to spread their faith, and might even perish as a result...

Audrey paused for a moment as she thought of this.

She suddenly realized that if the Kingdom of Rune were truly destroyed, both the Church of the Night and the Church of the Storm would lose their only missionary home. But one church would not perish with the Kingdom of Rune—the Church of Steam!

This is the only orthodox church on the Northern Continent that can openly and on a large scale preach across two countries. This means that even if the Kingdom of Rune is destroyed by the Fusak Empire, the Steam Church can continue to preach in the Republic of Intis.

(End of this chapter)