Chapter 660: The Journey Back to Home

Before Ezra boarded the Royal Steam Bus that would take the Ashenlocke family members to the Royal Airport, he spent a little more time walking with Cyrus.

The two had arrived through their families’ private Dirigibles, but the time had come to leave the Royal Palace grounds and return home to resume their holiday.

Cyrus slowed his steps and turned toward Ezra.

He raised his right hand, offering a handshake.

"So, till next month."

His tone was calm, as usual.

Ezra looked at the offered hand and shook it.

"Have a good holiday, Cyrus."

His reply was plain and brief.

After they released their hands, Cyrus stepped back and turned toward the Royal Steam Bus assigned to carry the Burnwick family to the Royal Airport.

He raised one hand in a lazy wave before joining his family members.

Ezra watched him go for a moment, then continued toward the Ashenlocke family’s vehicle.

"Today was really stressful, Master."

Lucy spoke from in front of him.

Ezra turned his head toward her, giving her a dry look.

Lucy was already down with her duties that all the Present Servants of the Families had to do during the Royal Academy First Semester Ending Party.

"It was also fun, too,"

Lucy added with a simple smile.

She moved closer to his side as they walked.

"I was dancing a lot when I heard the music you and Lady Selena Galehart were playing."

Her expression brightened as she recalled the performance.

She had enjoyed the music enough to forget about the time she had spent waiting for it to begin.

The rhythm had made her want to keep dancing, and she had taken full advantage of the opportunity.

Ezra, however, did not seem to share the same enthusiasm about the evening as a whole.

"Today was more annoying, to be honest."

He continued walking toward the Royal Steam Bus assigned to the Ashenlocke family.

His voice remained flat, and he made no effort to hide his opinion.

"I was also really annoyed."

Lucy showed a faint look of displeasure.

The events of the day had given them plenty to talk about, though neither seemed interested in going over everything again.

Instead, Lucy turned her attention to the holiday ahead.

"So, what are we going to be doing for the remaining weeks before resumption, Master?"

She looked at her Master with curiosity.

She wanted to know what the holiday had in store for her, especially since there were still several weeks before they had to return to the Royal Academy.

"Tomorrow, we’ll be going to The Eclipse Headquarters."

Ezra turned his head slightly to look at her.

"Let’s go get our vehicle made."

Lucy’s eyes sparkled almost immediately.

It was finally happening.

She had waited for this moment for what felt like all her life. And now, she was about to get a personal vehicle.

Not just any steam vehicle, either.

The Phantom Rolls.

A Royal one at that.

The vehicle would be custom-made by the best craftsmen in The Eclipse, the vehicle production company responsible for bringing their design to life.

Lucy could hardly contain her excitement at the thought.

She had made sure to take the driving course during the First semester of academic life of her Master just for this moment.

Driving the steam vehicle her master created to improve the whole field of land transport of the kingdom by himself was something that would make her so proud.

The idea of finally having the Phantom Rolls to personally drive her master around was more than enough to lift her mood after the day’s stressful events.

The two boarded the Royal Steam Bus.

A long minute later, the vehicle reached the Royal Airport.

As always, the place was crowded.

The airport was filled with members of the Kingdom’s major families, along with their relatives and household members.

People moved between the waiting vehicles and the Dirigibles assigned, as well as the Private Dirigibles to carry them home.

Conversations overlapped as families prepared to depart after the gathering.

The Ashenlockes were among them.

Nearby, Nickolas hugged Celestina tightly before saying goodbye to her.

She was about to board the BNC Private Royal Steam Dirigible, where her parents and siblings were waiting.

He held her for a little longer before finally letting go.

Linda and Tracy watched them with the same faint jealousy they had felt before.

Neither had found a love life of her own yet.

Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say they were still holding out for the particular person they truly liked.

Their gazes lingered on Nickolas and Celestina for a moment before they turned their attention back to the others.

Veda, meanwhile, was unable to accompany them into the Ashenlocke Private Royal Dirigible in the usual manner.

He had been led into the airship ahead of the others, without much of the checking they had to go through.

After all, he was the Young Lord of Ash.

Ezra was also escorted into the Dirigible quickly.

The reason was simple.

Journalists from different broadcasting groups were still waiting for an opportunity to question him about the accusations in the article that claimed to reveal the truth about him killing his own family.

The matter had not gone away just because the day’s celebration was over.

The journalists wanted answers, and Ezra’s presence at the airport gave them another chance to approach him.

To avoid that, he was moved into the Dirigible before they could get close enough to question him.

Linda, Nickolas, and Tracy watched him being escorted away wearing complicated expressions on their faces.

They had seen how quickly he was taken inside.

None of them could say much about it, but the sight left them with thoughts they had difficulty putting into words.

Among the many young Ashenlocke Alchemists who knew Ezra, even if only a little, the same feeling had begun to spread.

The article had raised a question they had never wanted to consider.

Whether the accusations were true or false, the information had opened a door they would rather have left closed.

Did they really know who Ezra was?

And another question followed.

Did Ezra even consider them his friends?

They all seemed to be thinking about the same thing.

Nate glanced at the three before shifting his gaze toward the entrance of the Dirigible.

"Come on, Nate. Let’s go."

Priscilla’s voice carried a hint of irritation.

She had noticed that he was moving slowly and did not seem interested in waiting any longer.

"Coming."

Nate answered calmly and began walking, following behind Priscilla.

Soon, the Ashenlocke Private Royal Steam Dirigible was ready to depart.

One after another, the private Royal Dirigibles belonging to the Kingdom’s other powerful families began lifting into the air.

The Royal Airport staff coordinated their departures, ensuring that the airships left in an orderly manner.

The Dirigibles rose above the airport and began their journeys.

With the families departing, the journey back home had officially begun.

Inside the suite of a private Royal Steam Dirigible belonging to a certain Count House...

A young noble boy clicked his tongue.

"Tsk."

His eyes were fixed on the comments beneath the article about Ezra.

As he continued reading, his expression grew more displeased.

"Are you really that displeased?"

A young noble lady asked him in a dry tone.

The boy did not look away from the screen.

"Not completely displeased. I just don’t like how he managed to get away with a situation that should have made him look bad, at least a little, but things randomly turned into something that made him look good to the crowd."

His brows drew together as he read more of the comments.

People were defending Ezra.

Despite the accusations and the noticeable names attacking the image he had built, the public’s reaction had not turned out as the boy wanted.

The comments made that much clear, and the more he read, the less satisfied he became.

The noble lady watched him for a moment before sitting on the side of his bed.

She crossed one leg over the other and spoke without much change in her expression.

"Well, the plan is going smoothly, isn’t it?"

The boy finally shifted his gaze from the screen.

"I already knew that disgusting Elder of Ash and that stupid Prince Two would make a plan to get at Ezra after seeing the achievements he gained from the Combat Festival."

His voice was calm, despite the contempt in his words.

"But it was clear their plan would have been something stupid. Neither of them is smart enough to come up with anything good."

He leaned back slightly, continuing to speak as if the matter had never been in doubt.

"So, I helped them adjust the plan. I gave them some hidden pieces that would be difficult to notice and would have a clear effect."

The noble lady listened without interrupting.

Then she brought up the instruction that mattered to her.

"But the Count instructed us to bring him to our side instead."

Her expression remained straightforward.

The boy raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

"Do you know how many families already want to bring him close to theirs?"

His question carried an obvious point.

Ezra’s growing reputation had attracted the attention of people who wanted to benefit from his abilities, and the boy was well aware of that.

"That’s because of his usefulness."

The lady answered flatly.

The boy’s expression changed only slightly.

"That’s the issue..."

He stood up calmly.

"Ezra Ashenlocke is becoming something more than he should be."

He looked at the noble lady, his voice still controlled.

"Basically, he shouldn’t be the one capable of making the whole of Britannia see him as a rising craftsman when I already exist."

He pointed at himself.

There was no hesitation in his words.

He did not speak as though he were making a guess or voicing a passing complaint.

He believed that Ezra’s growing reputation had become a problem that needed to be dealt with.

The noble lady watched him for a moment.

"Two apex predators can’t live in the same territory."

Her reply was plain. She understood what the Young Lord meant.

"So, you want to get rid of him?"

She asked the question directly.

The boy’s expression remained relaxed.

"It’s either he submits to me, or he dies. It’s his choice."