Alice in the Land of Steam

Chapter 614: Discount for the first customer?

Rorona left the room and walked along the corridor that led to the garden, all the way to the outskirts of the Palace of Silent Night. The wheelchair seemed so smooth under her control that she didn't need anyone to help her turn corners or go up and down stairs. Her walking speed was no different from that of a normal person. It only took her a few minutes to leave her living area and bump into a soldier who was patrolling back and forth in the dome.

The soldier was obviously surprised when he saw her, but he reacted quickly. He immediately knelt on one knee and saluted Rolena: "Your Highness!"

"Well, get up."

Rolena waved her hand casually, asking him to stand up. Then she looked up at the main hall of the Ice Water Palace not far away and asked, "What happened? I heard a commotion outside, so I came out to check."

The soldier then realized that the riot in the Ice Water Palace must have attracted the attention of the Second Princess. Because Rolena's acting was so natural, he did not suspect that the riot was related to the Second Princess, and quickly explained: "Please do not worry, Your Highness, it is just a small number of thieves who want to take advantage of the situation to cause chaos. Lord Katins has personally led a team to track them down, and I believe they will be able to capture those thieves soon!"

"is it?"

"That's right." The soldier said in a deep voice, full of confidence: "With Lord Katins here, no matter what conspiracy the villains have, they can't stir up too much trouble. But the riots have not subsided, and the identity and purpose of the thieves are not yet clear, and they may have ill intentions. Your Highness, as a princess, should not stay in a dangerous place for a long time. I beg Your Highness to put your own safety first and go back to your room to rest, and wait for us to report the victory!"

His words were powerful, full of firm conviction, and at the same time, they also revealed some appropriate concerns and exhortations. He was clearly carrying out the Queen's order to put her daughter under house arrest, but he did not let Lorena feel offended. This was not surprising, because except for a small number of soldiers in the Crystal Guard who relied on their own talents and passed many tests to join, the others basically came from noble families of all sizes in the city of Nereids and could not be regarded as ordinary soldiers. They were influenced by their families and taught by their parents since they were young, and their understanding and sensitivity of politics were no less than those officials in the royal court who participated in government affairs all day long, but they still lacked some practical experience.

The experience in the Crystal Guards was a training for them. If nothing unexpected happened, these soldiers would soon leave after a period of settling down, return to their original identities, and enter politics with the help of their families and parents, becoming an official in the royal court. The families that could recommend their children to join the Crystal Guards were basically attached to the Nierid royal family, or simply subordinate to them. Therefore, even if these people left the Crystal Guards, they would still swear allegiance to the queen and become a strong arm of the Nierid royal family in the political field.

If the people are the cornerstone of the royal family's consolidation of its rule, then these people are the pillars. In the future, when her sister Galene inherits the throne, she will have to rely on these people's assistance to gain a firm foothold in the distant chaotic sea. Lorena herself is also aware of this, so she never puts on airs in front of these people, and she will not look down on them because of their status as soldiers. This made them feel uneasy when they were first sent to perform the house arrest mission, fearing that they would offend the Second Princess, but later they were completely relieved.

The Second Princess is indeed as kind-hearted, gentle and beautiful as the rumors say.

The soldiers on duty and patrolling in the Silent Night Palace all had the same thought in their minds.

It’s a pity that today, Her Royal Highness the Second Princess, who is kind, gentle and beautiful in the eyes of these people, may do something that they can’t expect.

When Rolena thought of this, she couldn't help but look at the soldier in front of her with sympathy and whispered, "I'm sorry."

"Feel sorry?"

The soldier was stunned for a moment, then probably misunderstood something, and hurriedly said: "Your Highness, there is no need to apologize. It was the negligence in our garrison work that allowed the thieves to take advantage of the opportunity to create chaos and affect Your Highness's rest. It is also our responsibility that we have not yet arrested and convicted the rioters. It has nothing to do with Your Highness!" What a loyal and reliable guard.

Rolena felt a little guilty. She had foreseen that her reckless behavior might disappoint many people and even make them lose their love for her. But at this point, is there still room for regret? She raised her head and gave the soldier an apologetic smile: "I'm not sorry about this."

"Not about this?"

What does that mean?

The soldier was confused, but before he could figure out what this meant, he saw the Second Princess smiling unchanged, moving her left hand to the side of the wheelchair armrest and gently pressing a secret button.

Whoosh!
A deep voice whistled like an arrow, and a faint white light pierced the seawater. Before the soldier could react, it penetrated the gap between the armor and pierced into his skin. An indescribable feeling of dizziness surged into his mind. The soldier's pupils suddenly shrank, and the look of astonishment and confusion solidified before it dissipated. The next second, his body slowly fell down, and the spear in his hand quietly loosened, falling to the ground powerlessly.

after that.

Then the sound of steady breathing was heard.

He fell asleep.

The "Dream Needle" made of the extract of the sleeping water lotus and silver fine sand can make people fall into a coma in an instant. This coma has nothing to do with the physiological state, but is a hypnosis at the soul level, so even the best physique of the Beowul Snail Beast cannot be exempted. The sleeper will enjoy a fine sleep in the next eight hours, and will definitely see the things he desires in the dream. If he can see through the dream and wake up early, he can even sublimate his willpower. In the future, when facing magic and holy relics with similar effects, even if he cannot be exempted, he can greatly weaken their effects.

Although I deceived you, I compensated you with a beautiful dream and gave you a chance to improve your strength. This should be the so-called equal exchange, right?
Lorena thought so, then opened the secret compartment under the armrest of the wheelchair, took out a few mud balls from her sleeves and filled them up - each alchemical item was unique, and even Lorena could not replicate the same props, so the Dream Needle disappeared after it was fired. Fortunately, she had prepared a lot of props in advance, so she would use these "sludge bombs" instead. They had the same effect, but the specific way they worked might not be very friendly.

The Needle of Dreams hypnotizes the soul to make people fall asleep, while the Mud Bomb releases a cloud of extremely foul-smelling mist that directly knocks out enemies in the range - there is no other way, because the main ingredients of this alchemical item are the gall bladder and bile of the sea worm, the most bitter creature in the deep sea.

The next guards might have to suffer some minor punishments. In comparison, the guard who was hypnotized by the Dream Needle was considered to be the luckier one.

This is probably what they mean, the first customer gets a discount, but the rest can only enjoy the original price service, right?
Lorena, the proprietress of a mysterious workshop, drove her wheelchair past the sleeping guard and slowly went to look for the next lucky customer.

　Give me some meow
　　
　
(End of this chapter)