Chapter 471

"That, that is..."

The young boy's expression distorted unpleasantly upon recognizing Davey's identity. While this city-state held significant influence as the homeland of the Alchemy School, from a prince's perspective, it would have seemed almost improbable to unexpectedly encounter someone he needed to tread carefully around. Or so he might have thought.

"Uh, Crown Prince Davey..."

"Yes, Prince of Pogos City-State. Can I assume that your kingdom's official stance toward me is hostile?" Davey asked.

"That is..."

"An offense of this level can easily escalate into an international dispute."

Upon hearing this, the color drained from the boy's face. He was now seen as a reckless individual, intoxicated with power and unaware of the need for responsibility. If he had a more sensible disposition, he might never have acted in this manner in the first place.

"C-Calm yourself, Crown Prince Davey."

Once a personal dispute escalated to a national level, the repercussions would become unpredictable. The boy probably never intended for things to spiral this way.

Speaking on the prince's behalf to mediate the situation was an elderly man with a thin beard: the Grandmaster of the Alchemy School. That was his position.

"Let's consider this a misunderstanding..."

"A misunderstanding? Someone could have been seriously injured here."

"Please, appease your anger. The prince is still young and prone to mistakes. If you, with your esteemed stature, could find it in your heart to forgive him just this once, the gratitude for such kindness will not be forgotten."

If one wanted to behave childishly at this level, they could. Or so the implication went. In that case, Davey would play along. As the saying went, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone."

"Well, since this is an unofficial visit, I'll let the diplomatic complaints slide," Davey said.

Hearing this, color returned to the prince's face.

"However, from this moment on, all trade between the Heins estate and the Alchemy School will cease. Every quarterly support payment and income sent from the Heins estate will be halted entirely."

‘It won't be a loss on our side since it's estate-managed income. Self-sustainability has its advantages. Of course, for the Alchemy School, which operates numerous trade outlets across the continent, the loss might not be significant. They can function without the Heins estate. However, that's the perspective of the broader Alchemy School, not the Grandmaster. In essence, the Alchemy School is a quirky conglomerate of many factions that keep each other in check.’

That meant, despite holding the title of Grandmaster, one wrong move could set off a swarm of faction leaders eager to tear him apart, especially if internal adversaries spotted even a minor loss stemming from a trivial incident. Did they believe Davey wouldn't see this amusing twist in the narrative?

"Especially with the upcoming Grandmaster elections."

It was common knowledge that the Emperor of the Three Empires wielded significant influence in these elections, given the substantial support funds they received. While the Alchemy School's products commanded high prices, considering the opportunity costs they incurred, their losses were substantial. In reality, the Grandmaster's position was already shaky due to financial misconduct. What if the Heins estate, which provided a non-negligible amount of support, suspended trade over this ridiculous incident?

Although the Alchemy School might endure, the Grandmaster would find himself in an incredibly tight spot. The opposing political factions, eagerly waiting for an opportunity like this, would surely seize it to tear him apart. And it wouldn't stop there. The prince who had impulsively attacked Davey would also face a precarious situation, having potentially inflicted significant harm on his nation due to his rash actions.

"P-Prince Davey! Please reconsider! If you abruptly end our trade now..."

"If I had died, the trade would have ended right there. Need I say more?"

At Davey's words, the man's face contorted with discomfort. However, he soon gritted his teeth and met Davey's gaze. “If you sever ties with the Alchemy School, it would result in significant losses for you, Prince Davey.”

Upon hearing that, Davey nodded in agreement. “That’s true. The Alchemy School has produced countless inventions essential for daily life.”

“So, even now, it would be best if you reconsider...”

“Break it off.”

“Pardon?”

“What’s the harm? They can be self-sufficient. Though there might be limits to what can be done with your authority, you can determine for yourself which side suffers more.”

Davey closed his mouth as if he had nothing more to say, making the other clench his teeth.

The situation seemed unbearable for the man, as if it would be humiliating to back off now. But soon he swallowed his pride, bowing deeply to Davey. “Please forgive me. He is still a young prince. If you could just show mercy just this once...”

“How about this then,” Davey proposed with a smile, making the other widen his eyes in surprise. “It seems you have a rivalry with Mr. Edison here.”

“Ah... Yes, that’s correct,” the dean responded nervously.

“If you win against him, I’ll forgive you. It’s amusing how such childish disputes escalate into national issues.”

At Davey's words, the dean's face flushed, probably seeing an opportunity to improve his shaky standing.

“Really... Just that, and it’s settled?”

“There is a condition,” Davey responded, causing the dean to look at him in anticipation. He added, “I would like some authority to support Mr. Edison’s work.”

The dean seemed confused, not comprehending Davey's intention, while Edison’s face turned red with fury. He was, after all, a technician. The idea that he might need help due to insufficient skills was naturally infuriating.

Davey gave a subdued nod. "I see."

"The conversation has shifted. Whatever happened, due to some circumstances back then, the engagement was broken off, and I took her in. The engagement between you two then vanished into thin air. It's quite amusing that the engagement was made and broken without the actual person even knowing about it."

Edison, with a bitter tone, started hammering metal again. Despite his title, he was a dwarf with artisanal blood. His hammering technique was exquisite. Everyone had since forgotten about that time, especially his granddaughter, who did not mention the broken engagement anymore.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Do you remember the imposing prince who came earlier?"

Davey recalled the prince of Pogos – a foolish young man intoxicated by his status and privilege.

"That prince proposed a formal marriage to my granddaughter. It's absurd. How could I give her to that clueless fellow who can't even manage himself, let alone understand the world?"

Davey silently agreed. What parent would want to hand their daughter to an unworthy son-in-law?

"He's merely infatuated because she's reputedly one of the six most beautiful women on the continent."

"That's repulsive," Rinne stated coldly.

Edison shot Rinne a brief glance, chuckling. "Yes, it is. But what can I do? I've accrued many debts, mostly to the state. Those debts have put me in a position where I can't refuse the marriage proposal."

So, in a desperate act, he even considered letting his granddaughter flee. Especially considering she would rather die than marry that naive prince.

"But he vehemently objected, saying it would put him in a difficult position if she did."

Using every means possible, Edison tried to refuse but eventually got cornered. A contest was proposed: if Edison won, his debts would be cleared, and the engagement forgotten. But if he lost, he would have to honor the engagement without any complaints. And also...

"All the copyrights to my technologies would be fully transferred."

The contest was between the chief engineer and Edison, but behind the chief engineer stood the prince – young and naive, but a prince nonetheless. They resorted to dirty tricks, even damaging the golem Edison was constructing for the contest. There were suspicions, but no concrete evidence. Edison was in an absolute corner.

"That's why I have to win. I have to protect my granddaughter."

"Well, you shouldn't have rejected my help then," Davey remarked.

Edison smirked bitterly. "You think I'd involve an outsider in such a messy contest? How low do you think my pride as a technician goes?"

His love for his granddaughter and the remnants of his pride as a technician clashed, causing his turmoil.

"We just need to win."

"It's not as simple as you think. Do you know why I got angry when you tried to interfere? He's the top authority on combat golems! Recognized even in academic circles! With the odds already against us, all I have to show for is this pile of metal!"

"Why are you meddling in such trivial matters, risking yourself?" Davey questioned.

Davey responded with a playful smile. "I just need to win. What's so hard about that?"

"There's no one that can rival Golem. Even if the principal has strong personal desires, his skills are remarkable. In fact, all the combat golems in the world were designed by him. I have no confidence in creating something better than his craftsmanship."

To his words, Davey simply nodded. "That makes it even more interesting."

"What part of what I said did you misunderstand?!"

"Mr. Edison, do you think the golems that are out in the world now are the epitome of golem craftsmanship?"

"Sadly, they're impeccable golems."

"They just looked like chunks of metal to me."

"What did you say?"

"People say the Alchemical Faction has lost its touch."

Just then, Rinne chimed in with a mocking laugh, causing Edison's face to flare with anger.

"What does this kid know to be spouting such nonsense? Even the most ignorant would know how remarkable those golems are! If you have eyes, look! Can you create something even more incredible in such a short time!? No, even with ample time, it's impossible with the world's technology..."

"So, how would you judge Rinne’s technology? I'd like your opinion."

As soon as Davey said that, Rinne quickly lifted her dress, briefly revealing the astonishingly advanced tech integrated into her abdomen.

"..." After a moment of stunned silence, Edison approached Rinne with a dazed expression, taking a swift peek inside. He then exhaled sharply and collapsed backward, clearly passing out.

Davey looked at Rinne, showing an expression of disbelief, and lightly tapped her on the head. "Pull down your skirt. Don't you have any sense of modesty?"

Rinne looked up at Davey with shining eyes in response to his words.