IRM Chapter 95

On the judging platform, most of the engineers wore unpleasant expressions, their quill pens hovering in mid-air, unable to come down for a long time.

“I think this is quite a good idea, isn’t it?” A somewhat aged voice suddenly rang out. He was one of the five elders from the first selection round. “After all, no one can guarantee that their children will definitely have professions. With such equipment in existence, it’s equivalent to giving them another chance. Isn’t that good?”

He knew what this group of nobles on the platform were worried about, so he could only take a roundabout approach and smooth things over from their own perspective.

Unfortunately, some people weren’t buying it. The Marchioness exhaled a long stream of smoke, her eyes obscured by the wide brim of her hat. She suddenly laughed. “Children? Once this thing becomes prevalent in the Empire, will our children still be able to survive?”

She knocked her pipe on the table and looked up at Ji Chi. Although from her angle she could only see a slender figure, the gaze that fell upon him was still sharp, even somewhat bloodthirsty. “This can already be considered a forbidden object. For the peace of the Empire and the continent, it cannot possibly be accepted.”

“Bullshit!” Bard exploded, pointing at her and cursing angrily. “Then what can be accepted? Cruel torture devices? Puppets to replace commoners? This is the peace you speak of? That’s not peace! That’s suppression and destruction!”

The Marchioness didn’t get angry, only curved her lips in a cold smile. “Then by what authority are you standing here? As excellent engineers? As saints pitying the commoners? Or… as members of the Gladiolus Guild whose purpose is to assassinate nobles?”

The Marchioness didn’t lower her voice. As soon as the name of the Gladiolus Guild came out, it immediately stirred up a wave of panic in the stands.

The Saint Trilley nobles who had come to witness the grand event became agitated. Like startled birds, they looked around, and some of the more timid ones had already lowered the brims of their hats, trying to minimize their presence as much as possible.

Some people from other nations who saw this scene didn’t understand what was happening and asked those around them in low voices. After being educated about the Gladiolus Guild, the gazes they directed toward the device on the platform also took on a deeper meaning.

The nobles on the judging platform all remained silent. They had obviously been reminded of Ji Chi’s identity before the selection began. Now, seeing an equipment with such effects, their suspicions, which had been at fifty or sixty percent, increased to eighty or ninety percent vigilance.

Ji Chi frowned, quickly realizing who was behind this trouble. He stared directly at William and said in a deep voice, “His Highness the First Prince should know the answer to this question best, right? If I were truly a member of the Gladiolus Guild, would there be a single noble left in the arena?”

William wasn’t very panicked at this point. It was as if he had figured out Ji Chi’s concerns and bottom line. He knew very well that with Ji Chi’s temperament, it would be absolutely impossible for him to make a move here. He shook his head ambiguously without speaking, just standing there with an expression that was half-smile, half-not.

Ji Chi narrowed his eyes. The fingers hanging at his side involuntarily curved into a small arc, then slowly dropped down again.

He indeed couldn’t make a move here. At some unknown point, the people connected to him had become more and more numerous. He could guarantee his own safety, but he couldn’t protect the people he cared about at all times.

“Alright, alright. This is an equipment competition, not some kind of trial assembly.” The Duke clapped his hands with a smile, breaking the stalemate. He rubbed the quill pen in his hand and carefully observed the silver suit floating before him, saying gently, “Undeniably, this is an extremely excellent device. However, if one wants to win in the competition, the device’s utility is also a criterion for evaluation.”

The Duke turned his head to look at the King above and, making eye contact with him, nodded and continued, “I regret to tell you that the current Empire cannot accept such an equipment. I know this is unfair to you. How about this—we’ll give you a bit more time to modify this part. What do you say?”

He used the long white feather of his quill pen to point at the magic crystal at the chest of the suit that provided magic power, obviously wanting them to remove this device.

The other judges were also rarely seen high-level engineers and naturally understood the Duke’s intention. After discussing in low voices for a while, they all agreed this was the best method.

“Bah! Can Saint Trilley represent the entire continent? Just because Saint Trilley doesn’t accept it, do other nations have to listen to you too?” An old dwarf among the judges was indignant. He was beginning to feel disappointed with this competition—not because of the works, but because of those hidden man-eating systems.

The Duke smiled and reminded him, “I don’t think this is a problem between nations. Surely the King of the Underground City wouldn’t want to see such equipment either, would he?”

The old dwarf glared at him angrily. His lips moved a few times, but he couldn’t speak. He knew very well in his heart that any ruler in this position would make the same decision.

“No need to say more.” Bard suddenly spoke up, waving his hand with a look of exhaustion on his face. “We won’t change it.”

His eyes were deep and calm as he said slowly, “This is our proudest work and also the condensation of our beliefs. We absolutely will not change it.”

The three children behind him didn’t speak, only standing there silently with determined gazes.

“No matter how you evaluate it, we know that it’s the most excellent—that’s enough.” Bard looked up at the judging platform with his chin raised. Though he was clearly in the disadvantaged position, his bearing was higher than anyone else’s.

“You really haven’t changed at all…” The young dwarf in William’s team gazed at Bard’s stubborn eyes and sighed almost imperceptibly. “Then I’ll help you out too, Teacher.”

The Duke on the judging platform still wore a smiling expression, but his eyes were ice-cold. “Then I’m very sorry. However, since this is a temporarily added condition, I, Hayden Stuart, exercise the rights of the second ranked Duke of the Saint Trilley Empire to make an exception and let you enter the third selection round. But—”

He harshly drew his quill pen across the seven stars on the paper—a sign that he was unwilling to give even a single point of recognition.

The Duke tossed the parchment aside and looked down at them disdainfully, saying with mockery in a soft voice. “I wish you all the best.”

With him taking the lead, the remaining judges all raised their pens, and sounds like tearing silk rang out as they scratched across the pages. Everyone knew that even if they made it into the third selection round through this exception, it would be impossible for them to turn things around under such an enormous gap. Their defeat had already been decided.

Linton clenched his fists tightly, his eyes reddening with hatred. His shoulders slightly hunched as he trembled lightly, saying in a low voice, “I’m sorry… If it weren’t for me…”

Bard didn’t blame him, just shook his head and sighed helplessly.

Chloe also no longer had her usual reckless appearance. There were still many things she didn’t understand, but all of this was gradually settling in her core, making her heart feel heavy.

“It’s fine.” Ji Chi suddenly spoke up, a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. “Don’t we still have a chance? Why wouldn’t we follow the script of a last-minute comeback and face-slapping?”

“Hmph—confidence without regard for circumstances is called arrogance!” Bard glared at Ji Chi, but his fighting spirit was inexplicably stirred up a bit by his proud little tone.

“Arrogant is arrogant then. It doesn’t cost anything~” Ji Chi said smugly.

Linton’s nose was still red. He roughly wiped his eyes, his expression caught between crying and laughing. “Let me off the hook at a time like this. I’m not just focused on gold coins…”

Chloe looked at them a few times, then uncomprehendingly pulled out another magic crystal and stuffed it into her mouth, saying indistinctly, “Humans are really hard to understand…”

Linton: “…What are you eating?! Chloe! Spit it out! That’s not candy! Don’t tell me you ate the previous magic crystals too? Ahhh—someone get a healer ahhh!”

Bard found them too noisy and shook his head, roaring, “Shut up!”

Seeing that they had more or less pulled themselves together, Ji Chi turned his face to the side, looking in the direction of the young dwarf, his lips silently opening and closing to say one sentence: “Thank you.”

At this moment, the round orb that hadn’t been seen for a long time floated beside him to broadcast—

[Congratulations, player has completed hidden quest: Hephaestus’s Appreciation]

[Congratulations, player has obtained engineer skill]

[lv.max Heart of Machinery]