"Train stopping at Steelhaven!"
The loud announcent echoed across the station as a Senior First-Class Streamliner slowly rolled to a halt.
At almost the sa ti, another announcer’s voice sounded from a neighboring platform where a different First-Class Streamliner was preparing to depart.
Steam burst from beneath the massive locomotives.
Hisss...
The station was filled with movent.
Passengers stepped out one after another.
Nobles dressed in expensive coats.
rchants carrying leather briefcases.
Servants rushing after their masters while struggling with piles of luggage.
The entire station felt alive.
The sound of footsteps mixed together with the hiss of steam and the occasional whistle of departing trains.
Among the crowd, Rena stepped out of the train.
A large black suitcase rested in one hand.
She wore a tailored black suit that gave off the appearance of a capable executive rather than a noble lady.
Black high-waisted trousers fitted neatly around her legs.
A white long-sleeved shirt sat beneath a black waistcoat draped across her shoulders.
The outfit was simple.
Yet it suited her perfectly.
Removing her dark shades, she scanned the crowd.
Her sharp black eyes quickly found the two people waiting for her.
One old.
One young.
"Auntie!"
The mont Lenny spotted her, he imdiately waved and ran over.
The excitent on his face was genuine.
Rena’s expression softened slightly.
"Lenny."
She opened her arms and hugged him tightly.
It had been years since she had last seen her nephew.
The boy she rembered had grown considerably.
After pulling back, she grabbed both of his cheeks.
"You’ve gotten more handso."
Lenny imdiately beca embarrassed.
"Auntie..."
His ears turned slightly red.
The sight almost made her laugh.
"Cough... Cough..."
An awkward cough suddenly interrupted the mont.
Both of them turned.
Rogers stood nearby scratching the side of his face.
His smile looked sowhat forced.
"You won’t greet your uncle?"
He pointed toward himself.
The hopeful expression on his face looked almost pitiful.
Rena stared at him.
Silently.
The station suddenly felt colder.
At least for Rogers.
She slowly released Lenny’s cheeks, then she placed her shades back on.
"Where is the person taking us to your so-called genius’ house?"
Her voice ca out cold.
Cold enough that even Lenny looked away.
Rogers sighed helplessly.
"She should already be waiting outside."
The old blacksmith suddenly looked much older than before.
Lenny almost felt bad for him.
Almost.
"Let’s not waste any more ti."
Rena handed her suitcase to Lenny.
The poor young man was now carrying his own luggage and hers.
"Yes."
Roger imdiately nodded and led the way out of the station.
The three exited the busy terminal and arrived at the front entrance where steam carriages lined up waiting for passengers.
Lucy was already standing there.
A black steam carriage rested behind her.
The vehicle quietly released small streams of steam from its engine system.
The mont she noticed them approaching, Lucy perford a perfect maid bow.
"Good morning."
Her greeting was calm and polite.
Then she looked at Lenny and offered him a small wave.
"Hi Miss Lucy."
Lenny imdiately waved back.
His smile beca noticeably softer.
Almost shy.
Rena’s eyes narrowed slightly behind her shades.
Ehhh...
"Please hand over your luggage and enter the carriage."
Lucy maintained her professional smile.
Without wasting any ti, Rena handed over her suitcase and imdiately entered the carriage.
anwhile, Lenny helped Lucy arrange the luggage inside the storage compartnt alongside the driver.
"It’s good to see you again, Lucy!"
Rogers greeted loudly while climbing into the carriage.
His booming voice instantly filled the interior.
"You are being too loud, old man."
Rena glared at him.
Rogers imdiately shrank slightly.
"Sorry."
He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
Lucy silently watched the interaction, then she glanced at Lenny.
The young man simply shrugged.
"It’s a long story."
That answer sohow explained everything.
Once everyone entered, Lucy climbed inside last, then the driver activated the engine and the Steam Carriage slowly pulled away from the station.
***
The journey through Steelhaven lasted several hours.
Steam Carriages traveled up and down the roads.
Occasionally, horse-drawn carriages could still be seen.
However, compared to so other cities, they had beco increasingly rare in Steelhaven.
Eventually, the city scenery began changing.
The roads beca quieter.
The houses beca larger.
Then finally...
They arrived.
The carriage stopped before Ezra’s mansion.
Rena stepped out first.
Her eyes slowly moved across the property.
The mansion wasn’t overly extravagant.
Yet it possessed a quiet elegance.
The surrounding land was spacious.
The walls were well maintained.
The workshop building visible from the side imdiately caught her attention.
"So, this is where the genius boy lives."
A hint of surprise appeared in her voice.
After all, Ezra was still just a teenager.
Then again...
He did rank sixth in the Trial of Steel.
The rewards alone should allow him to be able to purchase a place like this.
"We’ve arrived."
Lucy stepped down and opened the carriage door completely.
The others followed shortly after.
The luggage was unloaded.
After that, the carriage that brought them departed soon afterward.
"Where’s Ezra?"
Rogers asked while looking around.
His eyes wandered across the courtyard and the large training field beside the mansion.
"Master is in the workshop."
Lucy answered.
She lifted two fairly big suitcases with ease.
"I’ll first show you to your rooms." Then she looked back at them. "Afterward, I’ll take you to him."
"Okay."
The group followed her into the mansion.
The interior was clean and well organized.
Not overly luxurious.
Yet comfortable.
Lucy gave them a brief tour and showed them their rooms.
Only after everything was settled did she lead them toward the workshop.
Clang!
Clang!
Clang!
The sound of tal echoed through the building before they even arrived.
Soone was dismantling sothing.
The rhythmic noises continued as they approached.
When they finally entered the workshop, they found Ezra standing beside a partially dismantled Noble Steam Carriage.
Several exterior panels had already been removed.
Tools rested neatly nearby.
Bolts.
Wrenches.
chanical parts.
Everything was organized.
"Master."
Lucy called out.
Though she already knew he had sensed them.
Ezra’s perception had long since picked up their presence since the steam carriage entered his compound.
He stopped working and turned around.
"Welco, Uncle Rogers."
His gaze shifted.
"Mrs. Rena."
Then finally...
"Lenny."
He gave a polite bow.
Lenny imdiately waved energetically.
"Ezra!" Rogers strode forward. "What are you working on?"
The old blacksmith’s curiosity was obvious.
His eyes quickly landed on the dismantled vehicle.
"I’m dismantling the exterior of this Noble Steam Carriage."
Ezra answered plainly.
"I assu it’s connected to your invention."
Rena walked closer.
She removed her shades and placed them inside her space bag which was in the form of a won’s handbag, not like the space bag Ezra and Lucy used.
Her eyes carefully examined the dismantled carriage.
"I’ve been wondering about that."
The curiosity she had been suppressing since the phone call was finally visible.
Ezra nodded.
"I won’t waste ti explaining."
He pointed toward a large table.
Several chairs had already been arranged there earlier by Lucy.
The group sat down.
anwhile, Ezra retrieved the presentation board covered by a large sheet.
He placed it before them.
Lucy stood quietly by his side in her usual maid posture.
"This..."
Ezra placed a hand on the sheet.
"...is what I’m working on."
The covering was pulled down and the design beneath was revealed.
A completely new exterior design for Steam Carriages.
The Rolls-Royce Coachwork inspired blueprint.
For several seconds...
Nobody spoke.
Lenny froze.
Rogers froze.
Even Rena froze.
Their eyes widened simultaneously, and the workshop beca silent, with only the distant ticking of machinery could be heard.
"Wow..."
Lenny stood up.
His eyes remained fixed on the blueprint.
"What is this elegant creature?"
Rogers imdiately nodded.
"Elegant is exactly the right word."
His gaze moved between the design and the dismantled Steam Carriage nearby.
"And you’re saying this is a completely new exterior design?"
The old blacksmith pointed at the blueprint.
"This is unique, Ezra."
anwhile...
Rena remained focused on the design.
Her eyes moved slowly across the blueprint.
From the front section.
To the sides.
Then toward the rear structure.
The longer she looked, the more details she noticed.
At first glance, the design appeared simple.
Far too simple compared to the luxurious Steam Carriages currently used by nobles and royalty.
Yet sohow...
The simplicity itself was what made it stand out.
"I told yo..."
Rogers suddenly opened his mouth.
Already preparing to loudly boast about how right he had been from the beginning.
"Sheeesh."
Rena imdiately raised a finger without even looking at him.
The old blacksmith instantly shut his mouth.
Lenny looked away and bit his lip.
His shoulders trembled slightly.
The sight of the usually loud Rogers being silenced so effortlessly was becoming increasingly amusing.
anwhile, Rena’s attention never left the blueprint.
"The design looks so simple."
Her voice beca quieter and more thoughtful.
"There aren’t any excessive decorations."
Her fingers lightly tapped the table.
"No layers of gold ornants, no gemstones attached everywhere, no exquisite patterns."
She leaned forward slightly.
Her eyes narrowed.
"But the more I look at it..."
A small smile slowly appeared on her face.
"...the more amazing it becos."
The smile widened.
For the first ti since arriving, excitent beca visible in her expression.
The excitent of a true craftsman.
The excitent of soone discovering a completely new idea.
Inside her mind, countless possibilities imdiately began appearing.
Different materials.
Different color combinations.
Different body shapes.
Different noble customizations.
One idea after another erged.
I thought that even though Rogers called him a genius, his invention would be so existing concept recreated through skill.
Her gaze briefly shifted toward the old blacksmith.
After all, craftsmanship and innovation weren’t always the sa thing.
A person could be an incredible craftsman without creating anything new.
But Rogers you shaless old man, you never ntioned anything about innovation.
Her eyes returned to the blueprint.
This...
This...
This is groundbreaking.
The realization struck her repeatedly.
Not because the design was complicated.
Not because it used so impossible ideology.
But because it was simple enough that people would imdiately understand it.
And once they understood it...
They would wonder why nobody had thought of it before.
That was the frightening part.
"How, did you think of this?"
Rena finally asked.
Her eyes now remained fixed on Ezra.
The curiosity inside them was impossible to hide.
"I know I’m only here to help."
She folded her arms.
"But I’d like to know what led you to this idea."
The workshop beca quiet.
Roger looked toward Ezra.
Lenny did the sa.
Ezra remained calm, his expression barely changing.
"I’ll tell you why I ca up with this idea."
His voice remained flat.
"But that will be all."
He calmly rolled the blueprint back up.
The sound of paper moving echoed softly through the workshop.
"If you want more information."
His gaze moved toward Rena.
"You’ll have to wait until I officially present it to Britannia."
"So, you plan to publicize it."
Rena observed him carefully.
Ever since arriving, she had been trying to understand him.
Yet the boy remained difficult to read.
Most inventors beca excited when discussing their creations.
Others beca proud.
So even beca nervous.
But Ezra sohow managed none of those things.
He simply stated facts.
Almost as though he were discussing ordinary household matters.
Still...
She couldn’t care less about that at the mont.
The only thing occupying her thoughts was the invention itself.
"Okay."
Rena nodded.
Accepting his answer.
For now.
"With that said."
Ezra placed the blueprint aside.
"I think we can begin the actual work tomorrow."
He walked toward another worktable.
Several stacks of papers rested there.
Detailed calculations.
asurents.
Alchemy conversion notes.
Structural sketches.
"For today, I’ll brief you on the schematics and the sections where I need your assistance creating the shape molds of the exterior parts."
"That won’t be a problem."
Rena answered imdiately.
Her professional side, already taking over.
She was already now planning how the work would proceed.
What materials would be needed, how long the shaping process would take, and the sequence of production.
"I can begin creating the Alchemy Circle today."
She spoke while ntally arranging everything.
However...
"I’ve already started the Alchemy Circle conversion process for the castings of the parts."
Ezra casually replied.
Rena blinked.
"What?"
For a brief mont, she genuinely thought she had misheard him.
Ezra continued.
"I’m currently thirty-five percent done."
Silence.
The workshop beca quiet once again.
Even Rogers stopped smiling.
Lenny slowly turned toward Rogers and Rena, confused on why they were looking at him like that.
Lucy smiled pleased about the attention Ezra was getting.
Rena simply stared.
Then stared harder.
"You can handle Alchemy Circle conversion too?"
Her voice carried genuine disbelief.
That wasn’t basic craftsmanship.
That wasn’t ordinary drafting.
Alchemy Circle conversion was a specialized field, where one requires years of study and practical experience to even be able to grasp a bit of the knowledge.
This field was sothing only specialized Alchemists could focus on.
Other Alchemists...
No.
Majorly, all Alchemists, focused on studying already created alchemy circles in order to learn their alchemy paths, but formularizing out an alchemy circle one your one was a completely different story entirely.
Yet Ezra spoke about it as casually as soone discussing the weather.
This boy is really sothing.
The thought surfaced naturally.
She looked at him again.
The more she learned about him, the more unreasonable he seed.
"Please."
She said with curiosity and excitent written on her face.
"Can you show ?"
"I was already planning to."
Ezra answered.
The response was so natural that Rena almost laughed.
He genuinely didn’t seem aware of how unusual his abilities were.
Or perhaps he simply didn’t care.
Still...
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
Why is he always so blank-faced?
The question appeared once more.
Ever since arriving, she had been observing him.
The boy wasn’t rude and he wasn’t arrogant either.
Yet there was a strange distance between him and the people around him.
As though a wall existed sowhere inside him.
Perhaps...
Her thoughts shifted toward the Trial of Steel.
Unlike many mbers of the Branch Family, she knew fragnts of what exactly happened inside those trials.
Not everything.
But enough.
Enough to understand that children rarely erged unchanged.
"Lucy."
Ezra’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Yes, Master."
Lucy imdiately stepped forward and bowed.
"Please take them inside and prepare sothing for them to eat."
Ezra picked up his blacksmithing gloves.
The leather creaked softly as he pulled them back on.
"I want to continue dismantling the exterior."
His gaze shifted toward the partially dismantled Steam Carriage.
Several panels still remained attached.
There was still plenty of work left to do.
"Also..."
Ezra suddenly paused.
His eyes moved toward Rogers and Lenny.
The pair were still discussing the design.
Occasionally pointing at certain sections while debating which part looked the most impressive.
A brief silence followed.
Then Ezra spoke.
"I didn’t expect either of you to co."
Both n looked toward him.
"But now that you’re here."
He adjusted one of the gloves.
"I’d appreciate it if you joined us."
The invitation was sincere, even if his expression didn’t reveal it.
Rogers imdiately burst into laughter.
A loud laugh that echoed throughout the workshop.
"That’s why I ca in the first place!"
He slapped his chest proudly.
The sound echoed through the room.
"You think I’d miss sothing this interesting?"
Beside him, Lenny nodded repeatedly.
"We definitely can’t miss sothing this crazy."
His excitent remained impossible to hide.
Ever since seeing the design, his mind had been racing with possibilities.
Compared to ordinary projects, this felt like the beginning of sothing important.
Sothing people would rember.
Ezra quietly looked at the two.
Then he nodded.
"Thank you."
He bowed once again.
Not because he was being polite, but because he genuinely appreciated their help.
The workshop slowly beca lively again.
Rogers and Lenny resud discussing the design.
Rena moved toward the Alchemy conversion papers.
Lucy prepared to head back toward the mansion.
And Ezra...
Ezra returned to dismantling the Noble Steam Carriage.
The sound of tal echoed through the workshop once more as another bolt loosened beneath his wrench.
The real work was finally about to begin.
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