Shepherd Tantra

Chapter 723 Leipzig, the City of Knowledge

As night falls, the city of knowledge, Leipzig, is lit up with stars.

They were white illusory spheres suspended above the street, flashing bright but not dazzling light one after another.

“It’s quite beautiful.”

Aleister held up a black umbrella and strolled along the street on a rainless night.

She marveled at the sight before her and asked, "Is this the product of the alchemy of Star Antimony?"

"Strictly speaking, it should actually be considered a by-product."

Honey badgers apparently know better.

There were no outsiders here, so she didn't need to pretend to be a follower, so she spoke directly: "A few years ago, the Royal Alchemy Association of Xingti developed a technology that can crush the products of failure and turn them into a pure energy source.

"This energy source itself is quite unstable and extremely mixed, but under the separation and purification of the alchemy array, it can be mixed in different proportions to support the energy supply of the entire city... just like the blood of the giant tree in the Theocracy. There are also goblin merchants who have offered a huge price to buy this technology, but Count Leipzig refused to sell it to the outside world.

"Its energy efficiency is even higher than the electricity that has been widely used in Star Antimony for decades. However, Hawkeye believes that there may be something wrong with the experimental data. After all, alchemists really need to popularize this recycling device to digest the large amount of alchemical waste they have stockpiled, so the possibility of data falsification cannot be ruled out."

The honey badger was evaluated relatively objectively.

But from her reaction, she obviously didn't believe that the Xingti people could invent this technology.

"This is the miracle of mortal wisdom."

Aleister exclaimed: "What the elves can do with the blood of the apostles, the Star Antimony people can achieve with just waste materials. Maybe the lighting efficiency is not high, but the heating efficiency and safety are much better than the past technology."

"Not necessarily."

The honey badger shook his head: "As far as I know, this energy can also be mixed into dangerous explosives. From this perspective, building this kind of 'golden circuit' in the city is equivalent to building the city on bombs?"

"If I'm right, you're so determined that this technology has problems..."

Aleister glanced at her, the corners of his mouth slightly raised: "Actually, it's because you don't want it to exist... Am I right?"

As an Iris person, the honey badger has a natural hostility and wariness towards Star Antimony. If there is no problem with this technology, it will be a big deal - it means that Star Antimony, which is already relatively dependent on energy imports, has completely solved its energy problem. Therefore, it must have a problem.

The popularization of alchemy has brought more changes to the lives of Leipzig residents than just this.

There were large rune devices at the port, loading and unloading cargo at a very high efficiency. Compared with the old fuel cranes in Avalon, they were much more accurate and efficient, and there was no black smoke rising during the whole process. All you could see was a clay giant with glowing runes all over its body and several arms that had been precisely modified, spontaneously picking up and transferring the cargo.

On the streets and alleys, there are "large TV screens" similar to the crystal screens on the elves' side.

Yes, although the image quality was not very good - it looked like an early color movie with not many colors and a low refresh rate. With Aleister's current superhuman vision, she could clearly see the refresh tape scanning down line by line with her naked eyes... This made her eyes hurt if she watched for a while longer.

But it was exactly what Aleister had imagined a "television" to be, and it was even in color.

The walls of buildings at least 20 to 30 meters high are made entirely of this kind of "screen". You can also see advertising signs flashing in various colors gradually lighting up.

Obviously, after this convenient energy source became popular, the Xingti people did not give up electricity directly.

"Wow!"

Suddenly, Aleister heard the surprised laughter of a group of children.

Under the black umbrella, she quietly turned her blushing eyes away.

There was a juggler on the corner.

He looked like a young man in his twenties or thirties, and seemed quite optimistic and cheerful.

As he waved his hands and moved his feet, flames were constantly restrained and formed into balls, which he hit like basketballs and threw back like boomerangs.

From time to time, a lot of golden flames with golden stars, like fireworks, would spurt out of his hands. His hands would constantly explode and extinguish in the air, causing the children to jump, applaud and scream enthusiastically.

In addition to the children, there was also a group of adults around. There were couples, elderly people, and passers-by who stopped to watch. They admired this wonderful magic show, and from time to time someone threw a coin into the hat at his feet.

"what is that?"

Selene hugged Aleister's arm and couldn't help but ask curiously: "A supernatural being performing on the street?"

——She found it a little hard to understand. How could such a strange existence exist?

After all, Selene's personality and knowledge were based on Lily's. In Lily's cognition, extraordinary people were either extremely dangerous criminals or official thugs. But no matter which kind they were, they were special beings far beyond ordinary people... How could they perform on the streets with others?
“That’s not a transcendent.”

The honey badger took a look and said with little interest: "That's called 'Magician'."

"magic?"

Selene murmured.

Of course, she also knew about magicians - even in Avalon, there were street magicians. However, they usually performed some insignificant tricks to pretend to be extraordinary people. Basically, this profession was equivalent to a liar... and it only worked on ordinary people who knew nothing.

But...what was sprayed out from the magician's hands was real scorching flames!
The fireball that he controlled as freely as a frisbee was not a problem even against one or two second-level extraordinary people.

"Because magic is also an extension of alchemy." Aleister chuckled and said, "It is also based on the technology of 'disenchantment'...but it is the art of 'enchantment' used in reverse.

"Magicians use various products and technologies developed by alchemy to achieve the goal of 'using some of the abilities of extraordinary people'. In a sense, 'firearms' are a copy of hunter shooting. However, normal alchemists are very resistant to and even hate this behavior... They believe that this is contrary to the essence of alchemy and is returning the mystery they have analyzed back to themselves."

"A normal...alchemist?"

"That's right. The principles of Star Antimony alchemists are different from those of alchemists in other countries. They emphasize pragmatism and ignore philosophical pursuits. They also need to accept capital sponsorship because of insufficient funds... This makes their inventions often have a distinct 'practical purpose'.

"Among them, 'magic supplies' are the unique products of Star Antimony Alchemy."

Aleister looked at the cheerfully smiling magician, and the corners of her mouth slightly raised: "But generally speaking... these magicians rarely perform on the streets. That's why those children are so happy."

"He should be practicing."

Honey Badger said softly, "That man's face is fake. He used another magic technique to disguise himself. The face underneath the disguise is called 'Harry the Skillful'. He is a very famous magician... He is the Iris Man."

"Isn't he a transcendent?"

Selene was a little puzzled: "Such outstanding and intelligent people should all become extraordinary people, right?"

"He can become extraordinary at any time, because this is also the path of beauty."

The honey badger replied: "But he chose to 'exhaust possibilities as a mortal first, and then let himself witness the truth' in order to preserve his 'naive imagination'."

"——This person will become a great man in the future."

Aleister said in a very sure tone.

It was as if he had seen through the future and witnessed the other party's ending.

It was as if I heard Aleister's voice, and as if I felt something.

Suddenly, "Harry with Skillful Hands" turned around, smiled, and drew an arc in the air with his right hand burning with fire, then turned horizontally to the left with his palm facing up, and gracefully performed a unique etiquette of the Iris people to the three of them.

He then turned around and saluted his audience with his left hand again. He then put his hands together, and a ball of blazing fire burst out, which once again aroused the audience's amazement.

When the fire died down, he and his big hat had disappeared from the spot.

Aleister and the others could clearly see that after the flames burst out, he immediately lowered his head and bent over, pulled out a cloak from behind and covered himself with it, and kept squatting while using three limbs to quickly crawl to the corner of the wall. In his left hand, he held up the hat full of change, looking like a strange creature.

After he stood up, he smiled at Aleister a little embarrassedly, then poured the money out of the hat and put it in his pocket, swapped his coat with the inside and outside of the hat, changed into a gentleman's outfit, and walked away slowly with a walking stick.

"interesting."

Aleister smiled and gave him a soft smile.

What attracted her attention more was actually a parent behind the children.

One of them was appreciating the magic when she suddenly turned around and saw Aleister's red eyes under the black umbrella. The woman was startled and immediately took her child and quietly left.

The direction she left was the building at the end of the street, which was also Aleister's destination.

——White Dove Opera House.

Its decoration style looks more like an amusement park than an opera house. The colorful light poles, like spotlights on a dance floor, reach straight into the sky, intersecting and separating from time to time. You can faintly hear melodious songs coming from the open-air opera house.

From a long distance away, you can see a huge, glowing logo floating in the air. It is a cute-looking white dove logo holding a microphone and singing with its eyes closed.

At the same time, there was a message saying "White Dove Opera House, your best friend in your leisure time! Leipzig's special guests in May: Alanis Purgar, Lutetia Norton and the Nightmare Theater. Perhaps this wonderful performance only comes once, so don't miss the chance!" A long, flashing moving light strip circled around the opera house like a roller coaster, speeding along with sparks.

When you get closer, you can see that it is actually a roller coaster - a driver is driving a row of dark trains with glowing letters on them, running on the same dark track. The closest part is less than half a meter above the ground, and the highest part is around the "singing white dove".

It is so eye-catching that if someone accidentally sees part of it, they have to stop and read it in its entirety. Two of the letters seem to be damaged and no longer glow, but in the context of the context, it is understandable what they want to express.

As soon as Aleister walked into the Dove Opera House, two hot bunny girls wearing high heels and black fishnet stockings came up to him with smiles on their faces.

"…Why are there bunny girls in the opera house?"

Selene made a puzzled sound.

What puzzled her even more was that the bunny girls didn't care about their gender at all and just came up to her as usual.

"Sister, you're beautiful!"

One of them, a little girl dressed as a bunny girl who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, hugged Aleister's other hand, with a longing light in her eyes. Only Selene had no one around her.

She looked at the girl with some jealousy, baring her teeth like a dog guarding its food. But Aleister patted her head lightly, and she became quiet again with grievance.

"I'm looking for your manager."

Aleister gently touched the girl's head: "Take me there, okay?"

(End of this chapter)