Chapter 301: Remembering Myself as Time Passes
The old emperor fell into a coma again, and Ymir stayed in the palace, intending to accompany her brother through the last days of his life.
Ryan had his fill of the royal "big melon" and didn't stay any longer, so he left the palace.
Metternich was the illegitimate son of the Omani Emperor. If this news were to spread, it would probably immediately detonate the entire Omani high-level leadership.
From the very beginning, Metternich's purpose of joining the Queen's camp seemed clear: to seek revenge.
It is obvious that the old emperor knew that he was cheated on by Metternich.
No wonder he is so tolerant, it turns out he is his biological son.
However, Ryan always felt that Metternich deliberately let the emperor know in order to torture him both physically and mentally.
What should we do if the queen has an affair with her illegitimate child?
No matter who is killed, the old emperor himself will be tortured.
Moreover, it seems that the queen is still unaware of it, so there may be more interesting things to come.
However, Ryan just treated it as gossip and it did not have much impact on him.
After all, the queen's private life had nothing to do with him; and who would be the emperor of the Omar Empire had little impact on their Black Dragon City.
In the current situation, no matter who becomes the emperor, civil strife seems inevitable.
That guy Metternich seemed to be planning to turn the Omar Empire upside down.
Compared to gossip, Ryan is more concerned about the threat from Glory City.
…
After leaving the palace, Ryan and his guards found Tust and his grandson.
This time I came to the Royal Capital of Oma to seek justice for the old man, which is also a serious matter.
The old man was now a loner, and Ryan was worried that he would suffer if he went to ask for justice. As the city lord, he naturally had to accompany him on the trip.
The Omar Royal Academy of Sciences has an independent mechanical city in the imperial capital, which is about the same size as the university in Ryan's previous life.
The area is quite large, with teaching areas, dormitory areas, gardens, open-air playgrounds, and even an artificial lake called "Tingyu Lake".
There is a staff dormitory area by the lake.
According to the information we got, the girl "Alma Garcia" that the old man couldn't let go of is now living here.
Of course, this was also the lake where she committed suicide by jumping into it.
The old man plans to go there first to fulfill his wish.
…
Soon, Ryan led the guards and Tust and his grandson, a group of eight people strolling in the campus of the Royal Academy of Sciences.
Young mechanic apprentices can be seen everywhere in the tree-lined avenues of the academy. They are all dressed in gorgeous clothes, and their faces are full of youthful vigor. These young men and women have a hint of pride on their faces that is different from ordinary people. Because those who can study in the academy have at least one official noble above the baron in their family.
The weather today is not very good, it has been drizzling all the time.
The wind blowing in the air brings a hint of coolness, which blows into the clothes and makes people feel a slight coolness on the back.
The arrival of Ryan and his group did not attract anyone's attention.
Little Carl seemed a little excited. His big, quirky eyes looked around the campus and he was interested in everything he saw. As he walked, he exclaimed, "Wow! This is the legendary birthplace of steam machinery... It's so spectacular."
Since childhood, Carl has been studying with Grandpa Tust and has never been to college.
Now he has come to the so-called holy land of mechanics, which makes him feel that everything is new.
The architecture, the sculptures, the atmosphere... and those beautiful mechanic girls who are twelve or thirteen years old.
Perhaps there is some inexplicable attraction between mechanics.
Little Carl couldn't help but take a few more glances at the young ladies with robotic arms.
The girls in the capital were obviously more unrestrained than those in other places, and they dressed more sexy, especially the nobles. They saw Karl looking at them, not only did they not avoid him, but they also covered their mouths and smiled softly, and whispered something in his ear.
The little boy Karl blushed shyly when he was stared at by them and didn't dare to look them in the eye.
Ryan was very perceptive and heard clearly what the girls were whispering. He joked, "Karl, they are saying that you are very handsome."
When Karl heard this, joy obviously flashed in his eyes, but he said shyly, “No.”
The rosy color on his face betrayed his inner excitement, and the young boy's love affair was clearly revealed on his face.
Ryan smiled.
Carl felt even more embarrassed.
So I simply decided not to go see the young lady.
There are many sculptures and display cabinets on the roads in the college, all related to steam machinery.
Even Ryan, a layman, found it quite eye-opening.
Little Carl was more like a commentator, exclaiming all the way.
"Eh... that sculpture is actually the 'first generation steam engine' from a thousand years ago!"
"Is that a statue of Emperor Spurgrim?! I've seen his portrait in the Chronicle of Steam Machinery."
"And that, the first 'double boiler steam machine'..."
“…”
One has to admit that in terms of hardware equipment alone, the "Omar Royal Academy" is indeed much better than the "Black Dragon Academy" which they had just built.
Ryan thought that he would create some "campus culture" for their Black Dragon College when he returned.
To go to "Tingyu Lake", you need to pass through the experimental area.
In this area you can see groups of mechanical apprentices.
In the School of Mechanical Engineering, monocles, auxiliary powered robotic arms, external mechanical skeletons...are almost standard equipment.
Several pieces of mechanical equipment can be seen on all students.
At this time, a group of students happened to pass by not far from Ryan and his group.
Carl glanced at the leader and muttered unconsciously: "Grandpa... Look, the mechanical arm on that man just now seems to be an improved version of the 'Estar VI Power Arm'. Unfortunately, that technology is from a long time ago, and the mobility defects are also obvious. Oh, I think its original 'single circuit' should be designed as a 'dual conduction pipeline', which would be better..."
Perhaps the voice was a little loud and the group of students happened to hear it.
They turned around and saw Ryan and his group. When they saw that the person talking was Carl, they immediately showed a sneer of dissatisfaction on their faces.
The more complex the machine, the richer the knowledge required to support it. The robotic arm of this level that the students can make is already a very good "graduation work".
If a formal mechanic of intermediate level or above had said that, those apprentices might have been willing to learn.
But how could a guy who looked to be the same age as them dare to utter such “outrageous words”?
The student with the mechanical arm stopped and asked Karl unceremoniously: "Hey, hey, hey... I'm Mark from the advanced class. Boy, which class are you from?"
The “advanced class” is already senior mechanical apprentices, and they can usually be assessed as “junior mechanics” after graduation.
And this Mark is also a leader in the advanced class, so he naturally has the confidence to look down on other students.
After he said this, his seven or eight companions looked at Carl with disdain and whispered to each other.
"He looks very unfamiliar, and doesn't seem to be from our college."
"Humph, he's really arrogant. The 'Estar VI' is a classic robot arm style that professors all praise. Even our advanced class can only build a handful of them. That guy actually dared to say that there are technical defects..."
"Tsk, maybe he's just that bumpkin from the countryside who has never seen the world."
“…”
Listening to others pointing and talking, Carl felt a little overwhelmed.
He felt that he had said nothing wrong, so why were those people so hostile towards him?
He glanced at Ryan beside him, like a child who had made a mistake, and murmured weakly: "Brother Ryan..."
Ryan responded with a confident smile and said calmly, "We in Black Dragon City are not afraid of anyone."
Although Carl is very smart, he rarely communicates with others, especially people of his own age.
To put it simply, they have a high IQ but a low EQ, and lack the basic tact to communicate with others.
This is also a common problem for many technically specialized mechanics.
Moreover, Carl had never been to school properly, he just followed Tust to learn.
He didn't know that his skills were already considered "monster" among his peers. Although what he said just now was true for people like Ryan, it sounded a bit arrogant to people who didn't know him.
Ryan's smile gave Carl confidence. He looked at the group of people and introduced himself formally: "I'm Carl Fuernst. From Black Dragon City. Nice to meet you..."
Ryan raised his eyebrows, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and thought: Carl, the other party doesn't really want to ask your name...
Sure enough, before he could finish his words, the group of people burst into laughter.
"Black Dragon City? I heard it's the new city built in the wilderness..."
"Haha, you're really a country bumpkin. I heard that the people in that city still live like barbarians, using stone tools. With this, you're still qualified to speak so arrogantly in the great field of machinery?"
"Let's go , Senior Mark, don't get involved with this kind of person..."
“…”
When the teenagers heard what Carl said, they had no interest in "getting to know" him at all. They mocked him a few times and left together.
People in the imperial capital are naturally more arrogant than those in other places. In their eyes, anyone who is not born and raised in the imperial capital can be called a country bumpkin.
What's more, the "Omar Royal Academy of Sciences" is a holy place for steam machinery, which represents the most advanced and complete heritage of the mechanical city.
The students in these academies naturally have the capital to look down upon mechanics from other places.
So, as soon as Carl introduced himself, he was naturally ridiculed as a country bumpkin.
…
The man left without giving him any chance to explain.
Carl was ridiculed again, and his previously high spirits immediately died down.
Ryan smiled and comforted him, "Karl, don't take it too seriously."
As he spoke, he looked at the academy in front of him and said meaningfully: "It won't be long before they realize the strength of our Black Dragon City."
Even without talking about goblin technology, Black Dragon City's current technological level is more than one level higher than Omar.
Now the news of Black Dragon City has been blocked by both Omar and Sid Empires. Apart from the top leaders, few people at the bottom really know the situation of Black Dragon City. These guys are still living in a false prosperity, thinking that their "Omar Royal Academy" represents the highest level of mechanics...
He understood the truth, but Kalman still looked unhappy when he was ridiculed.
He pursed his lips and muttered, "Oh..."
…
Passing through the experimental teaching area is the faculty and staff residential area with lush vegetation.
Walking through a corridor full of pink thorn flowers, a beautiful man-made lake comes into view.
The area is about several hundred square meters. Although it is not large, it is the first time for Ryan to see such a luxurious thing as a "lake" in the Mechanical City.
It is like an emerald gem inlaid on this steel city, adding a bit of vitality to the cold mechanical city.
There are various carefully cultivated flowers and plants around the lakeshore, and gardeners are carefully watering, fertilizing and pruning the branches.
Probably because of the rain, on the clear lake surface, you can see beautiful little fish, their mouths opening and closing, swimming leisurely...
Karl looked at the beautiful garden in front of him, and his depression just now was swept away. He lay on the fence and looked at the small fish on the lake, exclaiming: "Wow... Grandpa, look! There are so many small fish in the water!"
Ryan also turned his head and saw a pair of cloudy eyes full of melancholy.
The water of Tust was sparkling, and the ripples caused by raindrops falling on the lake were reflected in his eyes.
Along the way, the old man said nothing.
Now that he had come to the lake, he pointed in a direction and said, "That's where I used to live..."
His words seemed to bring his thoughts back to thirty years ago, where he had left behind memories of the first half of his life.
Once upon a time, his laboratory was right at the corner of the lake.
Now, thirty years have passed and the building has been renovated a lot, and the old man feels it is a little unfamiliar.
But the little house still looks the same as before.
The brown-painted tin roof, the mottled blue peeling, and even the weather dolls hanging at the door are exactly the same.
There are also violets hanging from an iron pipe on the wall near the lake...
The girl in my memory had planted it with her own hands.
He remembered her once saying that a laboratory full of steel lacked vitality and it would be better with some flowers to decorate it.
The flowers are in full bloom, the scene is exactly the same as it was thirty years ago, nothing has changed.
…
In fact, when Ryan heard the news that Alma Garcia was still living in the college, he was a little surprised.
He thought it was the plot of that "scheming woman" who knew from some special channels that Tust was coming and wanted to play some tricks.
But upon inquiry, I found out that Mrs. Garcia had lived here for many years.
This made Ryan a little puzzled.
When Tust's patent was stolen, this woman must have played an ignominious role. She was probably also involved in the poisoning incident later...
Also because of Tust's downfall, the woman's family became rich and powerful, and now her family has also squeezed into the upper class of Omar society.
But what's the meaning of her living in this shabby house for so many years?
Ryan didn't think about it too much, as it was old man Tust's private matter.
…
The guards stayed by the lake, while Ryan and Carl accompanied Tust along the covered bridge by the lake to the cottage.
At the door of the house, the old man stopped.
He faced the iron door, raised his hand, but did not knock on it, and then put it down.
Ryan and Carl didn't say anything either, they just stood quietly behind him. Although they didn't see Tuster's expression at the moment, his shaking hands showed that he was not calm at the moment.
I don’t know how long I stood there, but at this moment, the rain stopped.
The scent of violets wafted into my nose, a light floral scent that made me feel very fresh.
In the puddle in front of the house, there are several blooming pink water lilies. The raindrops fall on the lotus leaves and merge into crystal clear water droplets.
I don’t know if it was because they were standing at the door, blocking the light from the glass viewing the lake, but at this time, the people in the house also noticed that someone was visiting.
Before the old man could knock on the door, he heard footsteps in the room, getting closer and closer.
With a "click", the door opened from the inside.
What came into view was a middle-aged woman in a purple dress.
Her hair was done meticulously, her makeup was just right, her features were beautiful, and her demeanor was elegant. It was conceivable that she must have looked pretty when she was young.
“You are…”
The middle-aged woman looked at Ryan and the other two.
For a moment, it seemed as if time had stopped.
Both sides looked at each other.
The first time Ryan saw her, he guessed her identity.
After all, this lady looks 70% similar to Phoebe, the vice president of the "Sunflower Chamber of Commerce".
Mrs. Garcia was younger than Tust, and she should be in her early fifties. Nobles were well-maintained, and her appearance at the moment showed the shadow of her youth.
But Tust has changed a lot. The toxins and the ravages of time have left too many marks on his face. It seems that he has been reborn. There is no trace of the heroic and talented mechanic he used to be.
I don’t know how the lady in purple recognized him, but when she looked at the three people at the door, her eyes instantly fell on Tust.
When she first saw him, there was a gleam of doubt in her eyes.
But in a moment, his expression froze there.
In a blink of an eye, a relieved smile appeared on her face again.
But as he laughed, he burst into tears.
As time went by, she remembered the old friend in front of her, and it seemed as if she also saw herself in those years.
