Chapter VIII The New Era

Whoa!

With the howling wind and the torrential rain, the three-masted sailboat undulated among the wave "peaks" one after another, like a toy thrown and caught by a giant.

The crimson color in Alger Wilson's eyes faded, and he found himself still standing on the deck, no different from before.

Then, he saw the glass bottle with a strange shape in his palm crack and break, and the frost and snow melted into water and melted into raindrops.

In just two or three seconds, this ancient wonder completely lost its traces of existence.

A hexagonal crystal snowflake appeared in the palm of Alger's hand, then quickly faded until it disappeared, and seemed to shrink into flesh and blood.

Alger nodded as if thinking about what was invisible, and remained silent for five minutes.

He turned and walked to the entrance of the cabin. As soon as he was about to enter the door, he met a man who was also wearing an embroidered lightning robe.

The man with soft yellow hair stopped, looked at Alger, stretched out his right hand, clenched his fist on his chest, and said:

"The storm is with you."

"The storm is with you." Alger's rough and deep face did not take a little extra emotion, and similarly shook his right fist and left chest.

After saluting each other, Alger entered the cabin and walked down the aisle to the captain's cabin in the distance.

Along the way, he never met any sailors or sailors again. It was as quiet as inside a tomb.

The door of the captain's room was opened, and the soft and thick dark brown carpet appeared in front of him, with bookshelves and wine cabinets on both sides, a book with a yellow cover, and a bottle of dark red wine flashing with strange luster under the light of the candle.

There is a bottle of ink, a feather pen, a black metal telescope, and a brass sextant on the desk where candles are placed.

Behind the desk, a pale middle-aged man wearing a skull captain's cap looked at Alger step by step and said angrily:

"I won't give in!"

"I believe you can do it." Alger calmly said that the weather is not good today.

"You..." The middle-aged man was stunned and seemed to have not expected such an answer.

At this moment, Alger's body slightly arched and suddenly rushed forward, bringing the distance between them to the desk.

Clap!

His shoulder tightened, and his right hand popped out and squeezed the middle-aged man's throat.

Without giving the other party a chance to respond, he showed unreal scales on the back of his hand, and his five fingers worked frantically.

Click!

In the crisp sound, the middle-aged man's eyes were shocked and his body was lifted up.

His feet twitched violently but soon recovered to calm. His eyes were in a daze, his pupils began to diverge, and his crotch position was gradually wet, with a stench coming out.

Alger raised the middle-aged man, lowered his back, pushed his feet away, and approached the wall beside him.

Bang! He used the middle-aged man as a shield and hit the front fiercely, with his arm as thick as a monster.

The wooden walls broke in response to the sound, and the raging wind and rain swept in with the smell of the fishy tide of the sea.

Alger swung his back and threw the middle-aged man out of the cabin and into the towering waves one after another.

The sky is dark, the wind and rain are howling, and the great power of nature will bury everything.

Alger took out a white handkerchief, wiped his right palm with his heart, and then threw it into the sea.

Step back, he waited patiently for his companion to enter.

"What's the matter?" Within ten seconds, the man with soft yellow hair rushed in.

"The Captain has escaped." Alger gasped and replied with regret, "He still retains some extraordinary strength!"

"Damn!" the yellow-haired man cursed in a low voice.

He came to the breach and stared into the distance, but he could see nothing but wind and waves.

"Forget it, he is only incidental." The yellow-haired man waved his arm. "We can only be credited with finding this ghost ship of the Tudor era."

Even if he is a family member of the sea, he dares not dive into the water in this weather.

"And if the storm continues, the 'Captain' will not last long." Alger nodded and found that the break on the wooden wall began to wriggle and recover at a speed visible to the naked eye.

He took a deep look, turned his head subconsciously, and looked at the position of the rudder and sail.

Even if separated by heavy boards, he could clearly know the situation there.

No first mate, no second mate, no crew, no sailor, even no living man!

There was nothing there, and the rudder and sail adjusted themselves strangely.

The "fool" whose whole body was covered with gray fog reappeared in his mind, and Alger suddenly sighed.

He turned his head to look at the wind and waves outside, and said in a dreamy voice that was both expectant and fearful:

"A new era has begun..."

...

Baekeland, Queens, capital of the Kingdom of Wayne.

Audrey Hall pinched her cheek and couldn't believe what she had just experienced.

On the dresser in front of her, the old bronze mirror was broken into pieces.

Looking down, Audrey saw a "deep red" flowing on the back of her hand, like a star "tattoo".

"Deep red" gradually faded and finally disappeared in the skin.

Until this time, Audrey was sure that she was not dreaming.

Her eyes flowed in her eyes, and the corners of her mouth turned up a little. She couldn't help standing up, bending down, and lifting the skirt.

When she saluted the air, Audrey walked briskly, turned her body, and danced the most popular "ancient fairy dance" in the court.

Her figure is elegant, and her face is full of bright smiles.

Dong Dong! The door of the bedroom was suddenly knocked.

"Who?" Audrey brushed to stop and put on an elegant posture.

"Miss, can you come in? You should be ready." The maid asked outside the door.

Audrey looked sideways at the mirror of the dressing table and quickly converged her smile, leaving only a light touch.

She looked left and right, and then spoke softly after confirming that there was no problem with the image:

"Come in."

Twisting her hand, Annie, her maid, pushed the door in.

"Oh, it's broken..." Annie saw the end of the old bronze mirror at a glance.

Audrey blinked and said slowly:

"Well, yes, well, Susie came in before. You know, she always likes to destroy!"

Susie is a big golden dog with less pure blood. She was a gift from her father Earl Hall when she bought a foxhound, but she was very popular with Audrey.

"You must teach him a lesson." Annie picked up the fragments of the bronze mirror expertly, for fear of hurting the young lady.

After all this, she looked at Audrey and asked with a smile:

"Which skirt do you want to wear?"

Audrey thought a little and said, "I like the one that Mrs. Ginia designed for my seventeenth birthday."

"No, others will say whether the Hall family is in financial crisis, and a skirt should be worn for a second time on formal occasions!" Annie shook her head and denied it.

"But I really like it," Audrey said in a gentle way.

"You can wear it at home or on less formal occasions." Annie put on a non-negotiable attitude.

"That's the one Mr. Siders sent me the day before yesterday. The cuff is the one with ruffles." Audrey took a concealed breath and kept an elegant and sweet smile.

"Your vision is always so excellent." Annie smiled and stepped back and shouted to the door, "No. 6 cloakroom, forget it, I'll get it myself."

The maids began to get busy. One was in charge of long skirts, one was in charge of jewelry, one was in charge of shoes, one was in charge of gauze hats, one was in charge of makeup for Miss Audrey, and the other was in charge of hairstyle.

As the preparation drew to a close, Earl Hall in a dark brown vest appeared at the door.

He wore a top hat of the same color, left a beautiful mustache, and had blue eyes full of laughter. However, his relaxed muscles, bulging stomach, and the beginning of the obvious law line all mercilessly destroyed his handsome youth.

"The most dazzling jewel of Beckland, we should go." Earl Hall stood at the entrance and tapped the open door twice.

"Dad, don't call me that." Audrey stood up with the help of the maid, deliberately showing a bit of distress.

"My beautiful little princess, it's time to go." Earl Hall bent his left arm and motioned Audrey to take it.

Audrey smiled and shook her head:

"This is Mrs. Hall, Countess, and my dear mother's seat."

"That way." Earl Hall smiled and bent his right arm. "This is my pride as a father."

...

Port Pulitz, Oak Island, Royal Navy Base.

When Audrey took her father's arm and walked out of the carriage, she was suddenly shocked by the huge object in front of her.

In the military harbor not far away, there is a towering ship with metal light all over it. It has no sails, only a lookout tower, two more tall chimneys, and two more open-air turrets in front and behind.

It is so majestic and huge that the windsurfing battleships parked nearby are like newborn dwarves surrounded by giant spirits.

"The storm is on..."

"Oh, my lord."

"Armored ship!"

...

With one exclamation, Audrey felt the same shock. It was a miracle created by human beings, an unprecedented sea miracle!

It took some time for the nobles, ministers, and members of the House of Commons to recover. At this time, a black spot in the middle of the sky changed from small to large, gradually occupying a third of the sky, taking up everyone's sight, and making the atmosphere suddenly solemn.

This is a huge object floating and flying in the middle of the sky. It has extremely smooth and beautiful lines. The whole is painted in dark blue. The solid and lightweight alloy skeleton supports the cotton cloth with airbags. Below it is hung a box with a machine gun mouth, projectile mouth, and flat-fire gun mouth. The exaggerated hum of the high-powered steam engine and the crazy rotation of the tail blades constitute an impressive movement.

The king's family arrived in the airship, with the majesty of overlooking everything.

A "sword of judgment" badge with a ruby crown and a vertical downward handle reflects the sun on both sides of the box, which is a symbol of the long history of the Augustus family and can be traced back to the last century.

Audrey is not yet 18 years old and has not participated in the "introduction ceremony". Under the guidance of the queen, she officially entered the social occasion of Baekeland and declared herself an adult. She can only watch quietly in the place, and can not approach.

However, she didn't care too much and even felt relaxed because she didn't have to face the princes.

The "miracle" of humans conquering the sky landed steadily. The first to come down from the escalator was the handsome young bodyguards, who were dressed in red military uniforms, white trousers, wearing ribbons, and holding rifles. They were lined up in two rows, waiting for the appearance of King George III and the Queen, Prince, and Princess.

Audrey didn't have to see big people before. She was not interested in it. Instead, she looked around the king like two black knights in statues.

In this era of steel, steam, and guns, there are still guys who insist on wearing full armor!

The cold metallic luster and the deep black helmet give people the feeling of heaviness, majesty, and obedience.

"Is it a higher order of 'punishment knight'..." Audrey flashed in her heart the words of the elders in the family when they were chatting. She was thoughtful but did not dare to approach.

With the arrival of the king's family, the ceremony finally began, and the current Prime Minister, Lord Agushid Nigan, came to the front of the crowd.

He is a member of the Conservative Party. So far, he is the only one who has become a major figure of the Prime Minister as a non-aristocrat and has been awarded the Lord for his outstanding contributions.

Of course, Audrey knows more. Agushid's brother, the main supporter of the Conservative Party, is called Palas Nigan, the Duke of Nigan of this generation!

Agushid was in his fifties, tall and thin, with sparse hair and sharp eyes. He looked around and said:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have seen that this is an ironclad ship, which is capable of overturning the times. It is 101 meters long and 21 meters wide. It is designed with a high-dry hull. The main armor belt is 457 mm thick, and the displacement is 10060 tons. There are four 305 mm main guns at the front and back, and there are also six quick-fire guns, 12 6-pound guns, 18 six-barrel machine guns, and four torpedo tubes. The speed can reach 16 knots!"

"It will be the real overlord, and it will conquer the sea!"

The nobles, ministers, and parliamentarians were in a disturbance. The Prime Minister's description alone was enough to make them imagine the horror of the armored ship, let alone the physical object in front of them!

Agushid smiled a little, made a few more speeches, and then saluted King George III:

"Your majesty, please name it."

"From Port Pulitz, call it the Pulitzer." George III looked very happy.

"The Pulitzer!"

"The Pulitzer!"

...

From the Minister of the Navy to the Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Navy, the name spread in turn and finally came to the armored ship. The officers and soldiers cheered in unison:

"The Pulitzer!"

In the festive atmosphere, the gun salute continued to sound, and George III issued the order to set sail and test fire.

Whoa!

The siren sounded, and thick smoke poured out from the chimney. The movement of the machinery was faintly audible.

The giant set sail. When it sailed out of the port and bombarded the uninhabited island ahead with two main guns in the bow, everyone was shocked.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The earth seemed to be shaking, the dust washed up in the air, and the hurricane swept away, causing waves.

Prime Minister Agushid turned to the nobles, ministers, and parliamentarians and said:

"From now on, the seven pirates who call themselves generals and the four pirates who arrogate to be king can only tremble and wait for the end!"

"Their era is over. Even if they have more or less extraordinary powers, ghosts, or cursed ships, they can only cross the sea with armored ships!"

At this time, Agushid's chief secretary deliberately asked:

"Can't they build their own armored ships?"

Some nobles and parliamentarians nodded secretly, thinking that this possibility could not be ruled out.

Agushid immediately smiled, shook his head slowly, and said:

"Impossible, never possible! Building such an ironclad ship requires three large coal-steel consortiums, more than 20 steel plants, 60 scientists and more senior engineers from the Bakeland Artillery Research Institute and the Pulitzer Ship Research Institute, two Royal Shipyards, and nearly 100 parts factories affiliated with them, a Navy Department, a ship-building committee, a cabinet, and one with outstanding vision The firm king of light and a great country with an annual output of 12 million tons of steel! "

"Pirates can never do it."

At this point, he paused, then raised his arms and shouted excitedly:

"Ladies and gentlemen, the era of giant ships and artillery is coming!"