Chapter 687: A Simple talk with an Ash

The next day arrived peacefully, as it usually did.

However...

The whole Ashenlocke Estate was busier than it had been during the initial preparations.

Servants moved between the buildings, carrying documents and packages, while the craftsmen responsible for the family’s latest products continued their work.

Instructions were passed from one department to another, and the preparations for the mass production launch were well underway.

The Ashenlockes were preparing to release their firearms, gadgets, and Steam Bicycle together.

It was an important event for the family, and they intended to make the most of it.

Invitations were being sent to nobles, Non-nobles, and other influential figures across Britannia.

Advertisements had already begun circulating, while Skynet talk shows on Linsta discussed the upcoming release.

News of the Ashenlockes’ new products was spreading rapidly, drawing attention from people who wanted to see what the family had prepared.

The preparations involved more than simply displaying the products.

The family had to arrange the presentation, ensure that the necessary information was ready, and prepare explanations for the people who would be seeing the inventions for the first time.

Yet, despite all the activity, one of the main influences behind these products was nowhere to be found.

Ezra Ashenlocke.

He had played a significant role in the development of the firearms and gadgets, but he wasn’t participating in the preparations for their release.

His attention remained on his personal training and the work he wanted to complete before the second semester began.

Ezra had already informed Elder Ivanhoe that he wouldn’t be able to attend the event.

He had also made it clear that he wouldn’t be taking part in the preparations.

Of course, Elder Gram and Elder Yestin had wanted him to attend.

They hoped Ezra would play a major role in introducing the firearms and gadgets to the public.

After all, he was one of the people responsible for their creation, and his growing popularity made him an important figure to display at the event.

This time, the family wanted to do things differently.

Rather than allowing the Ashenlockes to handle the entire presentation while giving only limited credit to the people responsible for the inventions, they wanted the children who had contributed to their creation to introduce the products themselves.

It was a sensible decision.

The inventions would receive more attention if the people behind them were presented to the public, and Ezra’s growing reputation made his participation especially valuable.

His appearance would have been a solid move for the Ashenlockes.

Unfortunately for the elders, Ezra still refused to attend.

And no one could really object.

The Duke already accepted his decision, same as Elder Portia, so the rest of the family High-board couldn’t force him to stop what he was doing simply because his presence would benefit the event.

Besides, Ezra had already completed his seclusion, but he still wanted time to focus on his research and personal training.

He hadn’t even left the Duke’s Mansion yet.

He had made use of the time available to him, concentrating on the firearms he wanted to develop.

Some were entirely new designs based on his improved understanding of guns, while others came from the modern world of his past-self.

There were many firearms he wanted to introduce into Britannia. However, he couldn’t simply bring every design into existence without considering how to construct it using the knowledge, materials, and Alchemy available to him.

He had therefore spent his time developing the designs and working on their Alchemy Circle Conversions.

And finally, today, Ezra had completed all the designs he wanted to create.

"Ahh."

He sighed softly and leaned back in his chair, stretching his back and arms after spending so much time at the table.

The study was quiet.

Papers occupied much of the available space, and the holographic display in front of him showed the final design of the firearm he had been working on.

Its image remained suspended before him, allowing him to examine its shape without having to look through his handwritten notes again.

It was a handgun-like firearm, but it was wider and larger than an ordinary handgun.

Ezra studied the design for a moment longer before reaching for his Starlix 11.

He tapped the screen several times, opening a previous conversation he had with Diane.

Now that I’ll be getting a batch of manufactured Frostsilver shards and a batch of Cryosteel bars...

His gaze settled on the messages between them.

***

’Ez... are you there?’

Diane_Berg

’Yes.’

Ezra_Ashenlocke

’Okay.’

Diane_Berg

’Make your request.’

Diane_Berg

’For the two rewards from the Duke of Berg, I would like to ask for a batch of Frostsilver shards and Cryosteel bars. The amount should please, be around the Alchemist standard material pack.’

Ezra_Ashenlocke

’Hmmm... Okay, Ez.’

Diane_Berg

’But who am I supposed to deliver the request to again?’

Diane_Berg

’Just ask your maid.’

Ezra_Ashenlocke

’I’m sure she’s the one who made you send this message, in the first place.’

Ezra_Ashenlocke

’Somehow, reading this is annoying me.’

Diane_Berg

***

That had been the conversation Ezra and Diane shared a few days earlier.

Diane had surprisingly messaged him while he was busy with his second created firearm Alchemy Circle Conversion.

If it had been anybody else, they might have been confused by the way she had sent those messages without much explanation.

Ezra, however, had already guessed what was happening.

The Duke of Berg had promised him two rewards, and Ezra suspected that the duke intended to handle the request through his daughter.

Diane would then arrange for the materials to be delivered to him, when they meet in the Academy.

It was a simple enough arrangement.

Still, Ezra narrowed his eyes as he looked at Diane’s contact name.

"I should tell Lucy to remind Diane’s maid so she doesn’t forget to bring them to the Academy."

Ezra closed the conversation and placed his Starlix 11 inside his space bag, then he began packing his belongings.

He had finally completed all the firearm designs and the Alchemy Circle Conversions for the firearms that had progressed to that stage.

The documents were gathered, and the remaining information he needed had been organized.

For now, there was no reason for him to remain in the study.

Ezra checked the table one last time before turning away.

He had spent a considerable amount of time working there, and the finished designs marked the end of that particular stage of his preparations.

However, instead of returning to his room to rest, he left the study and went downstairs.

His destination was the basement of the Duke’s Mansion.

The mansion remained active despite the work taking place elsewhere in the estate.

Servants of Ash continued attending to their duties, while the Guards of Ash stood at their assigned positions.

As Ezra passed them, they lowered their heads respectfully.

Ezra returned their greetings with a nod.

He didn’t stop to speak with them.

His steps carried him farther into the basement, where the atmosphere differed from the busier parts of the mansion above.

The sound of activity gradually faded behind him.

The passageways were quieter, and the doors along the walls gave the lower level a more enclosed feeling.

Eventually, Ezra arrived at a room that, from the outside, looked like a prison cell.

The door and the surrounding structure gave that impression before anyone even stepped inside.

Yet, once Ezra entered, the interior presented a different sight.

The room was neat and well-maintained.

Marble tiles covered the floor, their polished surfaces reflecting the light from the room.

The walls were clean, and the furniture had been arranged with care.

It hardly looked like the sort of place someone would expect after seeing the exterior.

Ezra walked farther inside and stopped beside a door that was firmly shut.

Before he could say anything, a familiar voice came from the other side.

"I knew you would come, but aren’t you rather late?"

The tone was casual, carrying none of the impatience one might have expected from someone waiting for a visitor.

Ezra looked at the closed door.

"Do you want me to leave, Vera?"

He asked plainly.

"Leave, and watch me break out just to drag you back."

Vera answered without hesitation.

Her response was direct enough that Ezra didn’t need to ask whether she was joking.

"Let’s just talk."

He went straight to the reason he had come.

There was no need to waste time exchanging meaningless words, especially when both of them already knew he hadn’t come to discuss the appearance of the room.

On the other side...

Vera was seated on a couch, watching a theatre movie before Ezra arrived.

The screen had held her attention until she heard him enter.

She had paused the movie and moved to sit near the entrance of the room.

Now, she looked towards Ezra, position.

"You seem to have a lot of curious questions to ask me,"

Vera remarked calmly.

"Even though you’re the type who usually keeps your curiosity to yourself."

Her expression remained composed as she spoke.

She didn’t sound particularly surprised by his visit, and the way she phrased her words suggested that she had expected him to come sooner or later.

Ezra wasn’t someone who asked questions without a reason.

He usually observed, considered what he had learned, and kept his thoughts to himself until he decided there was something worth asking.

Vera knew that much about him.

"I also told you that if my curiosity became strong enough, I would ask eventually."

Ezra replied in the same calm manner.

He sat down beside the door, resting his back against the metal surface just as Vera did.

He didn’t appear concerned about the room’s unusual appearance or the fact that they were having this conversation in the basement.

He simply settled into a comfortable position and looked at where she could be sited inside the room.

"I’m not going to act like an investigator just to understand something I know I can ask you about."

Ezra had no intention of turning the conversation into an interrogation.

If Vera was willing to answer, she could do so.

If she wasn’t, he would have to decide what to do with that information.

Vera watched him for a moment.

Then, with the same casual expression, she spoke again.

"So, should I start first, Player, or do you want to go first, Dancer?"

She said it as though there were two people waiting to speak with her, giving both nicknames in the same sentence without any apparent concern for how Ezra might react.

Ezra didn’t show any particular response to being called two different names at once.

He neither questioned her choice of words nor asked what she meant by them.

Instead, he remained focused on the reason he had come.

"Since I’m the one who came first, I’ll ask first."

He spoke calmly, ignoring her earlier teasing.

Vera rested her attention on him.

"Speak."

Her reply was dry and straightforward.

Ezra didn’t waste time preparing an elaborate introduction or attempting to soften the question.

He had come because there was something he wanted to know, and he intended to ask her directly.

"Are the rumors true?"

His gaze remained on the door where Vera sat, as he asked.

"Can you truly see the future?"