Age of Arcane

Luke returned to 236 Copper Mulberry Drive in the carriage.

There were not many people on the roads of the imperial capital at night, the street lamps illuminated the smooth bluestone ground, a night shift tram occasionally drove in the middle of the road, and a sheriff patrolled along the side of the road with a sword in his hand.After a while, the sky began to rain lightly, and the north wind blew the raindrops on the glass of the carriage.

Luke reached out his hand, and a ball of fire burst out of his palm, and the heat dispelled the cold air that had penetrated.

His thoughts recalled what happened after arriving in the imperial capital today.

Queen Christina is capable and talented in handling government affairs, but she has too little understanding of the interior of the court, and she doesn't know how much power the Cross has in the imperial court, and she doesn't know how deeply the two princes are tied to them.

With regard to the sky-high purchase order, no one except Augustine the Great has the strength to investigate the case inside.

And what is Augustine doing?
According to his understanding of the emperor, as long as his mind can still think, he will never give up power to others easily.This time behind closed doors, he had given all the power to the queen, so there must be some important matter that forced him to do so.

Was he really overworked and sick?
Or for other reasons?

Without clues and intelligence, no accurate judgment can be made.

So Luke thought about letting the eldest prince Fania be a stepping stone.With Fania's personality, the more impatient he is when he is finishing the goal.And the last time he attacked Dai'er, it proved his gambler mentality, and at the same time, family affection has long been worthless in his heart.

Therefore, Luke judged that Fania would not go to the Cross Society to discuss countermeasures after knowing the sky-high purchase order.When the queen goes to the north, she will definitely take away a group of royal knights and palace guards.

The guard force of the palace has been greatly reduced, and Fania is likely to take risks.

Let Fania find out what Augustine is doing in hiding.

Luke squeezed out the fire with his fist, and then knocked on the carriage: "Go to the Adrian Alchemy Factory in the lower city."

The carriage turned around at the next intersection and headed down the city.

A large amount of capital has been invested in the lower city of Shenglun City, which has already achieved initial results.

Once people have hope, they will burst into a positive side.The previously dirty streets were cleaned up spontaneously by the residents living nearby, and the potholes were also filled in.

The gang members organized patrol teams according to their respective territories. Even on rainy nights, they patrolled decently wearing raincoats and holding weapons, and their due diligence was no less than that of the sheriff in the upper city.

So not long after Luke's carriage entered the lower city, it was stopped by a patrol.

It rained harder.

The gang surrounded the carriage in the middle, and the heavy rain washed away their raincoats. Everyone held their weapons and were on guard.

The luxury of the carriage represents the dignity of the people in the carriage.

According to common sense, people of this status would not come to the downtown area on a rainy night, but since they came, there must be something important.

A boss stepped forward and knocked lightly on the carriage door.

"This is the lower part of the city of St. Lun. It's very unsafe at night. Who are you? What are you doing in the lower part of the city so late?"

The leader inspected the decoration of the carriage and the clothes of the driver, wondering if he could extort a sum of wine money from the other party.

At this time, the window of the carriage opened a small gap.

"Rage City, Luke! Come to old Adrian."

The leader saw the profile of the person sitting inside from the gap in the window, and immediately stepped back and bowed when he heard the person inside tell his identity.

"Mr. Luke, good evening, I just offended, please forgive me."

When the gang members heard that it was Mr. Luke in the car, they immediately put away their weapons and saluted together.

"Mr. Luke, good evening!"

Luke said lightly: "It's your duty to maintain the law and order in the lower city at night, you didn't offend me, so naturally I don't need to forgive you.

Take me to the alchemy in Adrian, I don't want to stop every patrol I see. "

"It's an honor to lead the way for Mr. Luke!"

The leader pulled over a fast-footed subordinate and asked him to report to Adrian's alchemy factory that Mr. Luke was coming.

Then he led the other gang members to step on the rainwater and trot along with the started carriage.

As the number of patrols encountered on the road increased, more people escorted the carriage.At the same time, the news that Luke came to the lower city quickly spread to all the streets in the lower city.Those who had fallen asleep hurriedly got up, waiting for the news from Adrian's alchemy factory.

When the carriage arrived at the alchemy factory, old Adrian had already greeted him outside the door with his son and leaders.Lightning pierced the sky, and heavy rain poured down. Everyone stood in the rain, speculating in their hearts... Mr. Luke must have something important to do when he came to the downtown area in such bad weather.

The door is open.

Old Adrian stepped forward and held up an umbrella to block the shower for Luke who got out of the car.

"Mr. Luke, has something important happened?"

Luke walked forward stepping on the stagnant water, waved to the people who greeted him, and said to old Adrian: "There is something important, notify the major shareholders of Polaris to come to a meeting, and we will talk at the meeting. Ed Are you here?"

Old Adrian thought that Mr. Luke blamed Ed for not coming to greet him, and immediately explained: "Ed is in the alchemy laboratory. Since Mr. you taught him the formula of the mysterious substance mixture, he has been obsessed with researching more advanced mixtures. Due to the danger of the mysterious substance, I did not send anyone to inform him.

I beg your pardon, sir. "

"It's a good thing to like to study new mixed substances." Luke took the umbrella from the old Adrian: "You go to prepare for the meeting, and I'll go and see Ed."

"Yes, Mr. Luke."

Old Adrian sent someone to the alchemy laboratory first, and asked the guards there to let Mr. Luke go immediately when they saw Mr. Luke.

Luke skillfully found the alchemy laboratory of the factory.

The alchemy laboratory in the factory is much better than the alchemy room in the workshop next to the sewage reservoir.Old Adrian, who had money in his hands, purchased a batch of second-hand alchemy equipment, which filled the entire alchemy laboratory with a sense of luxury.

The first generation of mysterious substance mixtures are prepared in a special studio, protected by guards 24 hours a day.

When Luke saw Ed, he was on a crafting table full of various experimental utensils, carefully mixing a mysterious substance mixture experimental reagent.Wearing a protective mask, he has a calm expression and a steady wrist. He already has strong confidence and experience.

Luke didn't disturb Ed, just watched quietly from the sidelines.

Ed also didn't notice Luke's arrival, and he was completely focused on the mixture reagent in his hand.

After an unknown period of time, the originally stable reagent suddenly became unstable.The liquid transpired, and the mysterious substance turned into colorful gas and sprayed out from the test tube.

Ed skillfully used the special aspirator to suck up all the mysterious substance, and then he couldn't help but let out a sigh.

"Failed again!"

"But one step closer to success."

"Lu... Mr. Luke!"

When Ed saw Luke, he immediately put down the test tube in his hand and saluted in a panic.

Ed, who uses the first generation of mysterious substance mixture, has a very strong body, but he is still shy when he meets Luke.

Luke walked over, picked up the experimental notes from the table, pointed to some of them and said, "Adjust the measurement here to 12 milliliters, first heat it to 60 degrees, then lower it by 10 degrees every 5 minutes, and keep it at a constant temperature after reaching 40 degrees." 20 minutes.

Here you need to use purple light for irradiation; here you need to add stabilized quartz powder..."

Ed recorded carefully, and after Luke finished speaking, he couldn't help asking: "Mr. Luke, this is an advanced potion I thought of based on the first-generation mysterious substance mixture, how do you know its correct formula and production process. "

Luke put down the experimental notes and said with a smile: "I know there are still many formulas for the mysterious substance mixture. I asked you to pay attention to where is the mysterious substance collected?"

"It's all in the mysterious substance vault, please follow me." Ed took Luke to the depths of the studio, and said at the same time: "Since my husband asked me to pay attention to the special mysterious substance produced in the sewage reservoir, I will send it every day. People are patrolling around the sewage reservoir. Once I find it, I will collect it immediately, and now I have a lot of reserves.

It's all here. "

Ed opened the safe and pulled out a large storage box.The box was filled with glass test tubes, some empty and others filled with mysterious substances of different colours.

Luke pulled out the test tubes one by one to observe the color and change of the mysterious substances inside, and handed over to Ed the ones that needed to be used. After a while, he selected seven special mysterious substances.

Then Luke took some regular mysterious supplies and left the vault with Ed.

"The number and types of special mysterious substances collected are not bad. I will continue to pay attention to the collection in the future. I will be useful."

"Yes, Mr. Luke."

"I want to prepare a mixture of mysterious substances, and you will be my assistant. Old Adrian and the others are still waiting for my meeting, let's hurry up."

Hearing that Luke wanted to prepare a new type of mysterious substance mixture and allowed himself to be his assistant, Ed said happily, "Thank you, Mr. Luke!"

Luke put the selected mysterious substances on the potion racks of the experiment table, and then labeled them one by one, and then took out the beaker and alcohol lamp to start the preparation of the mixture.

"I only do it once, it's up to you whether you can learn it."

"I'll learn by heart, Mr. Luke."

“去，把4号和5号混合物以1：3的比例混合融进60度的酒中，放置进零度恒温箱。”

"Yes, Mr. Luke."

Ed obeyed the instructions and started making the ingredients for the mysterious substance mixture. Luke picked up the No. 1 mysterious substance and poured it into the beaker, then lit the alcohol stove to heat the flask.

The two were busy in the laboratory. Apart from the brief experimental communication in the room, there was only the sound of bottles and jars colliding.

At the same time, the news that Mr. Luke was going to hold a meeting of the major shareholders of Polaris spread from the Adrian Alchemy Factory to the entire lower city.The gang bosses who received the notice set off immediately. Although the outside had been severely flooded due to the heavy rain, they did not dare to delay.

The northerly wind blew more violently, washing the entire city with icy rain.

In the laboratory, Luke operated quickly, and with Ed's assistance, the entire process of making the mixture was greatly shortened.

The eight mysterious substances were refined, concentrated, mixed, modulated, and finally turned into a small square crystal.Each side of the crystal presents a different color, and the internal lines of the crystal form countless cross-sections, with a burning fire point in the middle.

The light from the fire point is refracted by the section, giving off a brilliance brighter than diamonds.

"Bring the chilled wine here."

"Yes, Mr. Luke."

Ed took the wine that the experiment had started out of the incubator and placed it on the table in front of Luke.

Luke picked up the square crystal with tweezers and placed it on top of the wine glass.

"At this point, pay attention to adjusting the height of the crystal. The light inside the crystal will focus on the surface of the wine. When the wine is ignited, you can put the crystal into the wine glass."

With that said, Luke adjusted the height of the crystal, and a fire point appeared on the surface of the wine.The wine made with the mysterious substance was ignited, and a blue flame rose upwards.Luke let go of the tweezers, and the crystals fell into the wine, melting on contact.

Then the upward burning fire turned downward burning, and the inside of the whole glass of wine was filled with blue fireballs.

Luke picked up the wine glass and said to Ed: "This is a kind of second-generation mysterious substance mixture called 'passionate wine'. Not everyone is suitable for this mysterious substance mixture, it is only suitable for people with fire affinity. The body has a beneficial effect, and people with other physiques will suffer from it.

The way to use it is..."

Luke tilted his head back and drank the whole glass of soju in one gulp, the burning wine glistening from his throat.Immediately afterwards, the pores of Luke's body overflowed with the smell of burning alcohol, forming an explosively expanding air pressure.

At this moment, Luke felt that he was bathed in flames inside and out, and the blood of the lava rock demon was revealed by the strong fire attribute ability.More powerful flames erupted outward, mixed with flashes of lightning.

Sensing signs that the energy in his body was about to get out of control, Luke immediately activated the Lightning and Fire Eyes.The frantic currents were controlled and concentrated in one place, turning into an electric chain that revolved around Luke, and then gradually disappeared.The burst of fire was also forcibly suppressed, and then retracted into the body.

Jianglei Huopu burst out with intense light, and the entire right eye was filled with compressed energy.

As Luke gradually mastered the control of the rampant energy, the vision quickly disappeared, and his right eye returned to normal.

Only then did Ed, who was stunned, dare to ask: "Mr. Luke, are you all right?"

"No..." Luke opened his mouth, and a mouthful of fire almost burned Eddie.Luke shut his mouth immediately, and after regaining control of his energy, he tried again before saying: "I'm fine, this 'passionate wine' boosted me too much, and I almost lost control.

Looks like you're going to have to redecorate here. "

Luke looked around, and his short-term energy went berserk, leaving the laboratory in a mess.The instrument rack was twisted and fell down, and broken glass was scattered all over the ground.

Eddie immediately said: "Compared to the potion formula you taught me, sir, these are nothing worth mentioning. Thank you again, I have learned the manufacturing process of a precious mysterious substance mixture."

"You can learn to explain your talent once and for all. I leave it to you to clean up here. I'm going to chair the Polaris shareholder meeting.

In the future, the use of the first-generation mysterious substance mixture will increase, so you should make more reserves. "

"Don't worry, Mr. Luke."

Luke bid farewell to Eddie and left the alchemy laboratory. The guards outside told him: All the major shareholders of Polaris are here, waiting for Mr. Luke to arrive in the conference room.

Luke took out his pocket watch and found that it took three hours to make the potion.

……

As the night deepened, the wind shook the windows of the conference room wildly, and the rain hit the glass with a heavy slap.

The two sides of the long conference table were full of gang leaders who came to the meeting. The chandelier on the ceiling was swayed by the air current, and the swaying light illuminated different faces.

No one spoke, and everyone quietly waited for the arrival of the person on the main seat.

The door of the meeting room was pushed open, and the gang leaders immediately stood up when they saw the people coming in.

"Hi Mr. Luke!"

"Hello everyone, sit down!" Luke strode to the main seat and sat down, and then asked the old Adrian next to him: "The Polaris Small Commodity Production Company has been established for a while. I have some things recently. Didn’t pay attention here, report to me about your current business situation.”

"Yes, Mr. Luke!"

The prepared old Adrian took out a book and read it according to the record...

Everyone listened quietly.

The production of small commodities does not require large-scale equipment. Small-scale production tools such as sewing machines can be produced and imported in large quantities in Raging Waves City, and then transported to Shenglun City by rail, and then distributed to family production units in the lower city.

It can be produced after simple training.

As long as the supply of raw materials and the sale of finished products are guaranteed, the return on investment will soon be seen.

Raging Waves City is a large market that simultaneously connects the empire's interior and the world. In this era of rapid economic growth in the world, there is no upper limit to demand.As long as there are channels, there is no need to worry about not being able to sell commodities after they are produced.

Therefore, with the continuous supply of equipment and endless orders from Raging Waves City, family-based production has spread rapidly in the lower urban area.Although the profit is very thin, a stable income is much more valuable than the previous life of eating the last meal without the next meal.

In the lower city, everyone knows who gave the meal, and everyone respects Mr. Luke.

Now the lower city, which has a little money in hand, is preparing to raise funds to rebuild the roads in the city and dig drainage pipes.In bad weather like today, it is difficult for people to get in and out, let alone the vehicles that deliver goods.

If you want to be rich, the road must first be repaired.

Old Adrian also thought about laying a set of electric lines and purchasing some large steam engines.If the energy supply in the lower city is abundant, it can also increase the production speed.

After listening to the old Adrian's report, Luke asked Alice about the use of the investment and the revenue status of Polaris.

Then I talked with Malcolm about how super pets are sought after by the upper class in Raging City.

Finally, I made a concluding speech: "Actually, from the attitudes and expressions of everyone, I can see that the current development momentum of the lower city is very good, and everyone can feel that it will be even better in the future.

Today you think about building roads and laying out power grids; in a few days you may think about demolishing all those low houses and building tall buildings or opera houses. "

Luke's words drew easy laughter from everyone.

The future is really bright!
"But... have you thought about how to keep the wealth you have now and the wealth you will have in the future?"

Luke's next words made the laughter stop abruptly, everyone's face changed from amiable to fierce, as if whoever dared to rob their wealth, they would do their best.

The nature of the villain is revealed.

The old Adrian asked Luke in a low voice: "Sir, is it because your investment income in the lower city has attracted the covetousness of the imperial officials?"

"Did the imperial officials trouble you?"

Old Adrian answered without consideration: "No."

Malcolm said suspiciously: "This is very strange! In the past, there was no oil and water in the lower city, and those imperial officials didn't care about it at all. Now that the lower city passes through the Shenglun City Railway Station to import and export so many goods, the imperial officials did not make things difficult for us and paid the taxes. It was released smoothly.

This is not in line with common sense. "

Malcolm had worked in the Empire's Extraordinary Creature Cultivation Center and knew what imperial officials looked like.When they saw the big merchants in Raging Waves City near the lower city, they should pounce on them to get some benefits.

It's not like their style to do nothing now.

Others also felt abnormal, as if some kind of power was protecting them.

Luke looked at the meeting place where discussions gradually started, his eyes swept over everyone's faces, and then said: "The eldest princess said that there are people who work in the Secret Service among you, stand up!"

princess!Secret Bureau!

There was a moment of silence in the venue, and no one expected that there was an eyeliner from the Secret Affairs Bureau here.Everyone looked at the people in the venue vigilantly, thinking in their hearts to find out the inner ghost and then impose the death penalty.

A man sitting at the end of the conference table stood up.

When everyone was about to shoot the case and yell at the inner ghost, the man showed a helpless expression and said, "It's me... Governor Meteor. I was working for the Bureau of Secret Affairs, but at that time I didn't know it was you.

Her Royal Highness the Princess asked me to fully cooperate with your work in the lower city and protect your safety. "

Meteor Governor!

Everyone in the venue was dumbfounded.Meteor, that is the hottest figure in the empire right now. Could it be that Mr. Luke is...

Facing the looking eyes, Luke said to the informant of the Secret Service: "We all work for the Secret Service, and you are just fulfilling your mission with due diligence. Since you know who I am, you should be responsible for my identity. Let's prove it once."

"Obey, Governor." The informant saluted Luke first, and then introduced to everyone present: "Mr. Luke, who helped and saved our homeland, is actually a Viscount of the Empire, an Honorary Royal Knight, and a special six of the Imperial Secret Service. Director of the Department, Senator of Raging Waves City, Governor of Meteor of Raging Waves City."

Following the introduction of the informant, the mouths of all the people in the conference room grew bigger and bigger, and then they all stood up involuntarily.

The informant breathed a sigh of relief after introducing Luke. Keeping this secret put too much pressure on him.

Old Adrian said excitedly: "Mr... Your Excellency Governor."

The puzzle just now was solved. It was Mr. Luke who saved the lower city...it was Governor Meteor who protected the lower city.

"Sit down!" Luke pressed his hand: "Don't stand, sit down! If it weren't for urgent matters that made me have to reveal my identity, I would prefer to communicate with you as Mr. Luke."

Everyone sat down again at Luke's order.

Old Adrian said: "Your Excellency, the entire lower city is yours. If there is anything for us to do, please tell us."

"Then let's start with the new position I just got." Luke paused, and seeing that everyone was listening intently, he continued: "Now I am the newly appointed special cabinet minister, responsible for the special transportation of materials in the northern border office."

Seeing that everyone was about to stand up and salute again, Luke immediately stopped them: "It's too late today, I'm going back to Raging City early tomorrow morning, so I'll save some etiquette first.

At this meeting, I want to tell you that the northern border of the empire is about to face a full-scale attack from the Attorney League, and the situation is extremely unfavorable to us. Even the queen of the empire has to go on her majesty's behalf to boost the morale of the northern legion.

If the Legion of the Art County United breaks through the northern fortresses, the entire empire will be in turmoil. "

The information Luke disclosed was too explosive for the gang leaders in the conference room.

During the war, the empire's internal propaganda was to report good news but not bad news.The attack on the Tedgar Hills on the southern front was not going well. The people heard that the barbarian army was marching and killing the imperial army, and they were defeated. It seemed that the capture of the Celtic Duke was just around the corner.

Although there is publicity about the crisis in the northern border, it is even more emphatic about the powerful army in the northern border.It only talks about the "brilliant record" that the Northern Legion has played against the Yate County United before, and never mentions that the Northern Army has been transferred to the southern line with half of its troops. Not on the same order of magnitude as previous border skirmishes.

The Western Territory Crisis didn't even have any publicity.

In short, the people of the empire maintained a very optimistic attitude towards the war, and their daily life was hardly affected much.

Now that Luke said that the northern border was so dangerous that the queen had to go to the northern border to supervise the battle, these gang leaders realized that the war was so close to them.

Old Adrian asked: "My lord governor, what do we need to do?"

"I want to recruit troops in the lower city!"

"How many people are needed, we must recruit for adults."

The gang bosses didn't have any hesitation. Whether it was to block the Yate County United and keep the good life they just got, or to repay the Governor of Meteor, they were willing to give up their lives.

"5000 people!" Luke said that he predicted the number of troops that might be recruited in the lower city: "The soldiers from the lower city went to Rage City for reorganization in the name of labor, and received at least three months of military training.

When the situation in the northern border is in crisis, Raging Waves City will send troops to support the northern border. "

On the train, Luke received a lot of news from Raging City, including the formation of the city militia.

Viscount Iskran has expanded the size of the militia in Raging City to 2000 people.And because the residents of Raging Waves City generally have a high level of education, Viscount Iskran suggested that the city militia be equipped with a large number of war machines, alchemy puppets, magic projectile cannons, small scout airships, and armored trucks to form an armored assault division. Fortress of War enters the North to fight.

At the same time, Viscount Iscoran also expressed his own difficulties. Since he could not arouse the panic of the citizens of the city, he could not recruit troops on a large scale within the city.Before Raging Waves City entered a state of war, the size of the city militia could only reach 4000 to 5000 people.

This is slightly insufficient for a purely armored assault division.

The armored assault division is the strongest and most expensive combat force for any country.

The reason why the Imperial Northern Legion is strong is because it has thirteen armored assault divisions that the empire has spared no effort to build.

每支装甲突击师配备：十座攻防型战争堡垒；十六座后勤型战争堡垒；战争机械1000台到1500台；各种功能炼金傀儡3000台；战役型、战略型魔法投射炮800门；小型侦查飞艇20艘；各式车辆3000台。

The force ranges from 10000 to 15000.

It can be said that the attack of an armored assault division is a torrent of steel, and the garrison is a steel fortress.

The fighting power is astonishing, and the cost is astonishing.

At the same time, if you want to form an armored assault division, you need a large number of high-quality soldiers.Due to its special economic status, Raging Waves City has a high-quality military source. Even the gangsters in the port can play with machines and drive cars.

The soldiers recruited in Rage City can be placed in the technical positions of the armored assault division to build a skeleton. In addition, they need to be filled with light infantry to cooperate with the war machine attack and protect expensive weapons such as magic projectiles.

So Luke thought of downtown.

The people here, if they were to drive a war machine, they would definitely stumble one step at a time, but if they were given a knife to make them go all out, they would definitely rush upwards.With such fierce light infantry looking around, technical soldiers can drive war machines and war fortresses to attack and defend boldly with confidence.

Old Adrian communicated with other gang leaders, and felt that there was not much pressure to recruit 5000 soldiers from the lower city in a short time.Moreover, the development of the lower urban area and a large number of low-tech jobs have begun to attract the slums and rural areas of the imperial capital circle, and many relatives and friends of residents have defected here with their families.

If you want to settle down in the lower city, then send out a male to fight.

Old Adrian asked Luke in a low voice: "My lord, is 5000 soldiers enough?"

Luke asked, "Can there be more?"

Old Adrian replied: "The five thousand soldiers, I guarantee that they will all report to Rage City within half a month. Give me another two months, and I should be able to recruit another 5000 soldiers."

Luke was overjoyed: "Very good! All families that give birth to males will be given better treatment. Raging Waves City will specially allocate a batch of high-profit orders to military families, and the lower city will also take special care of their lives. Everything Welfare should be given priority.”

10000 is the minimum number of people for an armored assault division. If 10000 soldiers can be recruited from the lower city, the armored assault division of Raging Waves City can be fully staffed.

Only when such an armored assault division with complete combat capabilities is brought to the north can it play its due role.

The harvest in the lower urban area this time was even greater than expected.

Luke discussed with the gang leaders the details of conscription and the way to send them to Rage City. When he left the alchemy factory, the rain outside stopped at some point.

The dark clouds dispersed, and a full moon hung high in the sky.

Luke looked at the moon in the sky, and Clear Sky, who was riding a horse in the desert of the western border, also looked up at the moon.