LOM: Lord of Mysticism

Howling wind accompanied the downpour. A three-mast sailboat was tossed around by the crests and troughs of the incoming waves, as if it were being toyed by a giant.

The crimson glow in Alger Wilson's eyes faded, and he found himself remaining on the deck as nothing appeared to have changed.

Almost immediately, the quirky-shaped glass bottle in his palm shattered, and the frost within melted into the rain. In seconds, there were no longer any traces left that suggested the existence of the wondrous antique.

A hexagonal crystal-like snowflake emerged on Alger's palm and then faded rapidly until it was seemingly absorbed, vanishing completely in the process.

Alger nodded his head in a hardly noticeable manner and turned around, heading for the cabin. As he was about to enter, a man who wore a similar robe embroidered with lightning patterns emerged from inside.

This man had soft blond hair. Holding his right fist to his chest, he said, "May the storm be with you."

Alger replied with the same words and gesture with no emotions on his rough but well-defined structure. He entered the cabin after and proceeded to the captain's cabin, situated at the far end of the corridor.

Behind the door to the captain's cabin, a soft brown carpet overlaid the floor, while a bookshelf and a wine rack took the opposite side. The books with their yellowish covers and wine bottles with their dark red color looked peculiar under the flickering candlelight. On the desk with the candle was a bottle of ink, a quill, a black metallic telescope, and a sextant made of brass.

Behind the desk sat a pale middle-aged man wearing a captain's hat that had a skull on it, and as Alger approached him, he said menacingly, "I will not give in!"

"I believe you can do it," Alger said calmly.

"You…" The man seemed to be stunned.

Alger leaned forward slightly, dashing across the room. He tightened his shoulder and reached out to choke the man.

Illusory fish scales appeared on the back of his hand as he crazily mustered more strength.

The man's eyes widened as his body was lifted up, and his legs twitched furiously before soon becoming motionless.

Alger strode toward the wall; using the man as a shield, he smashed forward.

A hole cracked open in the wooden wall, and rain poured in, accompanied by the scent of the ocean. Alger flung the man out of the cabin, straight into the waves.

The wind continued to howl in the dark as nature devoured everything. Alger took out a white handkerchief, and wiped his right hand carefully before throwing it into the sea.

After a moment, the blonde man from before rushed in. "What happened?"

"The 'captain' has escaped," Alger answered in an annoyed manner as he panted. "I didn't know he still had some of his Beyonder powers."

"Damn it!" The man went up to the opening and stared into the distance. However, nothing was visible except for the waves and the rain.

"Forget it; he was just extra loot," he said, waving his arm. "We will still be rewarded for finding this ghost ship from the Tudor Era."

Even if he were a 'Keeper of the Sea', he would not have hastily dived into the sea under this weather condition.

"The 'captain' will not be able to survive much longer if the storm continues." Alger said, nodding in approval.

The wooden wall was repairing itself at a discernible rate. The rudder and the sail moved eerily by themselves, but there was no living person on board.

Alger again pictured "The Fool," who was covered in grayish-white fog, and looked outside at the mighty waves, thinking. A new era has begun.

---

Empress Borough, Backlund, capital of the Loen Kingdom.

Audrey Hall pinched her cheeks in disbelief of her encounter a while ago.

On the dressing table in front of her, the old bronze mirror shattered into pieces, and Audrey cast her gaze downwards to see a swirling "crimson" on the back of her hand; it was like a tattoo depicting a star.

Audrey, now being certain that it was not a dream, curtseyed towards thin air and started dancing lively, performing the 'Ancient Elf Dance'—the most popular dance among royalty at the moment.

Knock! Knock! Someone suddenly knocked at her bedroom door.

"Who is it?" Audrey stopped her dance and asked as she tidied her dress to look more elegant.

"My Lady, may I come in? You should start to prepare for the ceremony," Audrey's maidservant asked from outside the door.

Audrey looked into the dressing table's mirror and quickly wiped the smile from her face and responded after ensuring everything was presentable. "Come in."

The doorknob turned, and her maidservant Annie pushed in. "Oh, it cracked," she said, seeing the outcome of the old bronze mirror.

"Erm, Yes! Susie was here just now. I am sure you know she likes to wreak havoc!" Audrey said.

Susie was a golden retriever—a gift given to her father, Earl Hall, when he bought a foxhound—and nevertheless, Audrey adored it.

"You should train it better," Annie said as she picked up the pieces of the bronze mirror adeptly, lest it hurt her mistress. "Which dress do you want to put on?"

"I like the dress designed by Mrs. Guinea for my 17th birthday." Audrey answered.

"No, you can't wear the same dress twice to a formal ceremony or others will gossip and question the Hall family's financials," Annie said, shaking her head in disagreement.

"But I really like it!" Audrey insisted.

"You can wear it at home or when you attend an event that isn't so formal," Annie said firmly.

"Then I'll choose the one with the frilly designs along the sleeves given by Mr. Sades two days ago," Audrey said.

"You always have such good taste," Annie said. "The sixth dressing room! Ah, forget it; I shall fetch it myself."

Maidservants began to work, and the dress, accessories, footwear, hat, makeup, and hairstyle—everything was being taken care of.

Earl Hall soon appeared at the door wearing a dark brown waistcoat and a hat sharing the same color as his clothes.

"The most dazzling jewel of Backlund," Earl Hall said, knocking at the door twice.

"Father! Stop calling me that," Audrey protested as she got up with the help of the maidservants.

"Well then, it's time to set off, my beautiful little princess," Earl Hall entered and gestured for Audrey to hold his arm.

---

In the Imperial Naval Base, Pritz Harbor, Oak Island.

When Audrey took her father's arm and walked down the carriage, she was shocked by the juggernaut in front of her.

In the military port not far away, there was a huge ship shimmering with metallic reflections. It did not have a sail, leaving only an observatory deck, two towering chimneys, and two turrets at the ends of the ship.

"Holy Lord of Storms"

"An ironclad warship!"

After the aristocrats, ministers, and Members of Parliament composed themselves, a black spot entered everyone's view.

It was a gigantic flying machine with a beautiful, streamlined design hovering in mid-air. Its alloy structure's bottom had openings mounted with guns, and its ignition steam engine produced a humming noise.

The King's family arrived on the airship, exuding a lofty and indisputable authority.

On both sides of the cabin was the "Sword of Judgment" emblem that symbolized the Augustus family—passed down from the previous epoch.

Audrey was not yet eighteen; she did not attend the "introductory ceremony," led by the Queen, that marked one's debut into the Backlund social scene. Therefore, she had to remain silent at the back to watch the entire event.

Nevertheless, it did not matter to her; she was relieved not needing to deal with the princes.

The 'miracle' that mankind used to conquer the sky touched down. The first ones to step down the stairs were the young guards who wore red ceremonial uniforms and formed two lines, awaiting the appearances of King George III, his queen, and the prince and princess.

Audrey was not new to meeting important people, so she showed little interest. Her attention was on the two black-armored cavalry flanking the king.

In this era of iron, steam, and cannons, it was surprising that there was still someone who would be wearing full armor.

"Could they be the higher-order disciplinary paladins?" Audrey recalled snippets of casual conversations among adults.

The ceremony commenced with the arrival of the king's family. The incumbent Prime Minister, Lord Aguesid Negan, a member of the Conservative Party and the second non-aristocrat to become the Prime Minister, went up to the front.

He was also given the title of Lord for his great contributions. Of course, Audrey knew more. The main supporter of the Conservative Party was the present Duke of Negan, Pallas Negan, who was the brother of Aguesid.

Aguesid was a slender and almost bald fifty-plus year old man. He surveyed the area before speaking. "Ladies and gentlemen, I believe you have witnessed this history-making ironclad warship. With an amazing port and starboard design, it can reach a speed of 16 knots and conquer the seas!"

Aguesid then saluted the king and requested, "Your Majesty, please give it a name!"

"Since it will set sail from Pritz Harbor, it should be named "The Pritz," George III responded.

"The Pritz!"

"The Pritz!"

The words spread from the Navy Minister and the Admiral of the Imperial Navy to all the soldiers and officers on the deck.

George III ordered the Pritz to set sail for a trial in the midst of the gun salutes and the celebratory atmosphere.

Thick smoke spewed out from the chimneys.

The two main cannons at the ship's bow fired at an uninhabited island in its path. The ground shook as dust shot up into the sky.

Satisfied, Aguesid turned back to the crowd and announced, "From this day on, doomsday will fall on the seven pirates who call themselves Admirals and the four who call themselves Kings.

Only the ironclad warship will roam the seas, no matter whether the pirates have the powers of the Beyonders, ghost ships, or cursed ships."

Aguesid's chief secretary deliberately asked, "Can't they build their own ironclad warships?"

Some of the nobles and Members of Parliament thought that such a possibility could not be eliminated.

Aguesid shook his head as he began to boast, "No, it would not be possible. Building our ironclad warship required three big coal and steel amalgamators, a scale of more than twenty steel factories, 60 scientists and senior engineers from the Backlund Cannon Academy and Pritz Nautical Academy, two royal shipyards, almost hundred factories spare parts, an Admiralty, a ship-building committee, a Cabinet, a determined king with excellent foresight, and a great country with an annual steel production of 12 million metric tons!"

Having said that, he paused and raised his arms. "Ladies and gentlemen, the era of cannons and warships has dawned upon us!"