After making sure nothing went wrong, Anna finally led the group to the mayor's office.
On the way, the noble couldn't help but look down, contemplating this new invention.
'This is too ridiculous. They can actually bring so many materials at the same time? No. I don't think that's a reason for us to worry about it.
'What if the Earl plans to use them as a way to attack us? Those carriages can transport hundreds if not thousands of people at once, including horses. If he used it to bring his people, he could launch an invasion much faster and more terrifying than what people could imagine.
'In addition, what if he actually used that to ram the city's wall? The Earl is known to have the runes that could reinforce its defense, right? That's probably why the Zaecuria Kingdom worked together with him. They wanted that enhancement rune to actually destroy the wall…
'This will become even more troublesome because this invention can carry numerous explosives, resources, or materials. Once this thing enters the city and explodes, the destruction is unimaginable.
'Even if it stays outside, it can keep bringing resources for hundreds of thousands of people. This will be extremely useful for a siege.
'And more importantly, there is a chance for a new type of war. He can actually split his troops into two, one siege and one plunder. The siege army will stop the city while the plundering army will get all the resources that the territory has, either their natural resources or the materials they can plunder from villages or other cities.
'During a territorial war, people usually focus on defeating the lord of that territory, but what if he doesn't intend to take down the lord in that territory? Instead, he just wants to prolong the war so that he could get all the resources?'
The old noble couldn't believe what he was thinking. That was how much of an impact the new invention had.
It was clear that, if they let it be, this new invention would definitely dominate the entire kingdom.
The old noble gritted his teeth, feeling frustrated. 'What can I actually do to stop this? Should I destroy this new invention? But it's going to be hard to do it without getting any suspicion.
'In addition, we don't know how long they need to actually manufacture this new invention. If it doesn't take too long, it will be useless.
'And there will be a lot of lords interested in it. In that case, we have to acquire it… Studying it and learning how strong it can become will benefit us in the long run. And by using my authority, I can force them to allow me get one for inspection to ensure the safety of the common people.'
"What's wrong?" The crown prince asked, noticing the grim expression that his adviser had.
The old noble didn't reply to him immediately. "Things are not looking good, Your Highness. The invention is too dangerous. Destroying it might not be possible for now, but if we can acquire it and study it… we can halt the Ardagan family's progress."
The crown prince squinted his eyes. "So…"
"Yes." The noble nodded. "We have to force Anna Stargaze to hand it to us."
The crown prince thought for a moment. "Alright. We will do it."
The noble felt relieved. They still believed that Anna wasn't an elite in politics from all the past experience they had with her. So, this shouldn't be too hard to do.
Now that they had sealed Noel in the capital city, they could definitely defeat Anna.
As soon as they reached the mayor's office, the mayor stood up and said, "The Mayor of Laivaen City greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"Mhmm." The crown prince nodded with a nonchalant expression.
Anna sat down next to the mayor, while the crown prince was accompanied by the old noble.
"Your Highness. Please allow me to speak." The old noble lowered his head.
"You may."
"Thank you, Your Highness." The old noble then turned to Anna. "Young Lady Anna. As the representative of the Ardagan family, how sure are you that the inventions won't cause any harm to the common people?"
Anna's expression turned serious. This kind of change right at the bat was a signal for the old noble to confirm that Anna was really lacking in experience. A good politician wouldn't change their expression so easily when presented with a matter. They would have to maintain their poker face so that they didn't get attacked.
Anna said, "The inventions are very safe and more convenient. This city has used it for a couple of months, and there have been no incidents so far. Besides, it's based on the improved version of the Spirit Enchantment. I don't think you should worry, Earl Jean."
"Yes. There have been no incidents so far." The mayor confirmed it without hesitation and added, "Also, the cost of operating it is very low."
"What if it's destroyed or something? Won't it cause the device to malfunction?"
"Not at all. Our blacksmith has put safety into consideration. For example, the automatic well has been equipped with at least two safety features. Even if the rod is split into two, it can still be retrieved and replaced.
"At the end of the day, their fuel is the Demon Crystals. The Demon Crystals will run out of power sooner or later," the mayor explained carefully.
"Then, what about that scaffolding that brings you to the top of the wall?"
"It's much safer than stairs or the normal scaffolding for workers and citizens. That's the reason we're using a cage shape as the platform. This way, even if you're drunk, you still won't fall down. Even the children can use it."
Earl Jean didn't plan to lose, so he added one more example that was the most dangerous among them. "What about that automatic carriage? If they drive it at high speed, it will definitely kill people."
"That's where you are wrong, Earl Jean." Anna shook her head. "A normal carriage is much more dangerous than our automatic carriage. After all, no matter how trained the horses are, they are still unpredictable when presented with weird things. The horses could easily go berserk and no one will be able to stop the incident.
"On the other hand, our automatic carriage only requires the demon crystals to operate. This is much safer than a horse. There is always a brake that can stop this automatic carriage."
Earl Jean raised his finger. "No. You don't understand, Young Lady Anna. We have to count the human's error in this scenario. What if the human actually falls off the carriage? What if humans drive it toward buildings? Nothing can stop it."
Anna bit her lips, looking frustrated. She asked, "Then, the same can apply to the horses."
"That can't be compared at all. We might not be able to understand horses, but they still have brains. They won't go to the building, no matter how foolish they are." Earl Jean was happy inwardly. The more frustrated Anna is, the easier it is to win this argument.
The mayor noticed what was happening and remembered the instructions Anna had given him prior to this. He suddenly interjected, saying, "I apologize, Earl Jean. There is one thing that you forget about this.
"The carriage itself is still in the experimental stage. According to the Kingdom Law, Chapter 27, Number 2, anything that is in the experimental stage doesn't require testing yet." The mayor stopped him.
"And you're risking people's lives with these so-called experiments. Are you going to break the law?"
"We are not breaking any laws. Just like the Tower Association, we are conducting a social technology experiment. If this is illegal or breaks any laws, then it also means that you have to prosecute the entire Tower Association with it." The mayor shook his head.
Elder Jean realized that the mayor was actually much harder to deal with. If this continues, the mayor might be able to stop him from procuring it. Hence, he might have to drag this mayor outside.
Even though the crown prince had to deal with Anna personally, he had confirmed that Anna wasn't a good politician. The crown prince should have no problem forcing her to give them the invention.
All he had to do was buy time from this mayor.
"I am merely worried about the people. And take your invention that is located outside your city as an example. What if that kind of behemoth rammed its giant body into the city? It will cause massive destruction, and the casualties will be insanely high.
"I, by no means, intend to question or accuse the Ardagan family for breaking the law. It's just I have to ensure that this is safe… not as Earl Jean, but as a minister. Since the mayor has used the new technology for a few months, I'd like to learn a lot of things from your experience with this new technology. I wonder if you have the time for it?"
"I…" The mayor looked hesitant before shaking his head. "As someone who has experienced the new invention, I'm more than happy to share my experience. However, I believe that if you want to know whether it's safe or not, you should discuss it with the creator of this technology."
The mayor was trying to imply that they should stay here so that he could still help Anna in the negotiation.
However, Earl Jean simply stated, "Of course, I'm going to discuss it with the inventor of the runes themselves, Earl Noel Ardagan. It's just… I want to know about your experience first."
The mayor frowned and glanced at Anna. It looked like she was being pressured as well. After a moment, she ended up nodding her head, giving him permission.
"I understand. In that case, it would be better to talk about it in another room." The mayor nodded reluctantly.
Earl Jean thought he had won the battle. With this, the crown prince simply had to deal with the finishing blow.
Without hesitation, Earl Jean stood up and extended his hand. "Please."
The mayor walked out of the room, followed by Earl Jean. The office had one room on the right and another room on the left.
The mayor actually led Earl Jean to the room on its left. "Please follow me."
It was just an empty room that looked like an office, probably for his subordinate or something. Since it was empty they could use it for their meeting.
Unbeknownst to Earl Jean, leaving the crown prince alone was the biggest mistake he could ever make in this city.
After all, inside the room on the right, Duke Lorelei was actually sitting on it as if waiting for something.
