Chapter 578
Ophelia's Determination
Chapter 578 Ophelia's Determination
Above the Castellón estate in the holy city, a loud cry shattered the afternoon tranquility, casting a huge shadow on the polished marble pavement.
A tall, majestic griffin was flying down from below the clouds, pulling an elegantly decorated carriage. The bronze seahorse emblem gleamed in the sunlight, as if it were alive.
The carriage landed smoothly.
The heavy wheels rolled over the marble road like stepping on a ball of cotton, and not a sound could be heard inside the carriage.
The cast-iron gates slowly opened, and servants stood at attention on both sides of the road, seemingly blending into the hedges behind them.
Only Ms. Nicola was an exception; disregarding the restraint of her crisp uniform, she strode quickly to the carriage door.
As the head maid who had served two generations of the family, she had practically watched Miss Ophia grow up and treated her like her own daughter.
"Miss, you're finally back." Looking at the pretty face that was once again bathed in the sunlight of the holy city, Ms. Nikola said in a slightly choked voice.
Ophia stepped onto the paving stones with her small leather ankle boots, and took off her travel cloak and gloves, handing them to Alice who was waiting nearby.
She gently tossed her flowing golden hair, looked at the tearful Ms. Nicola, and smiled as she spoke.
"Long time no see, Ms. Nicola. How is my father's health these days?"
"His Excellency is in good health. He just returned from the northern hunting grounds two weeks ago. If you hadn't suddenly decided to go home, he probably would have gone again."
Looking at the ever-beautiful and charming young lady, Ms. Nicola's eyes curved into crescents. Controlling the excitement in her voice, she continued speaking.
"The only person the master cares about is you. He calls your name several times a day."
“Really?” Ophia looked up at the huge birchwood door of the main house and said with a smile, “Then take me to see him quickly.”
"Please come with me!"
Following behind the head maid, Ophelia walked through the familiar garden, where rows of neatly trimmed hedges, like the walls of a maze, surrounded the bronze seahorse fountain in the center, a symbol of the Castellón family's unshakeable authority.
The place remains exactly as it was when she left; every leaf looks as if it had been meticulously trimmed, showing no signs of change whatsoever.
After passing through the hall and corridors, Ophia arrived at the door of the study.
The moment her hand touched the brass handle, the piercing sound had already penetrated the half-open door and rushed into the corridor.
"Oh! Ophia!"
André Castellion sprang up from behind the large mahogany desk, a warm smile on his face, and looked at his daughter with open arms.
"You're finally back! Haha, let me see, have you grown taller?"
Ophelia had barely stepped into the study when her brow furrowed slightly involuntarily. She casually handed her hat to the waiting servant, glanced at her father who still held a cigar between his fingers, and let out a helpless sigh.
“Father, you’re smoking in the study again.”
"It's a cigar."
Andrei's smile froze for a moment, then he quickly placed the still-smoking object next to the crystal ashtray.
"This is top-quality goods transported from the continent of Gana, unlike the ordinary goods that ordinary people can buy outside—"
Is there any difference?
"The difference is huge."
Seeing his daughter sit down on the sofa, Andrei sat down opposite her and continued explaining confidently, "I asked my doctor, and this is good for your health..."
The servant picked up a silver teapot and went to the tea table, pouring a cup of black tea for each of them.
Steam rose from the tea table.
Ophia picked up her teacup, gently blew away the tea leaves floating on the surface, and took a sip of the taste of her hometown.
The mellow aroma contained a hint of bitterness, which also helped to dispel much of the fatigue she had accumulated during her journey.
However, that didn't stop her from continuing to be sharp-tongued.
"Please be sure to tell me the source of this wise saying about 'health,' and I would be happy to speak with that doctor in person about the legal provisions that are allegedly violated by deceiving the imperial nobles."
Andrei exaggeratedly clutched his chest as if he had been shot with an arrow, but the smile hidden in his wrinkles remained unchanged.
Instead, I felt a sense of relief.
“Alright, Ophia, it seems you’ve really grown up. The little girl who used to just cry and demand this and that now knows how to use the rules. Your father is very pleased… But let’s talk about something else, like how you’ve been these past two years?”
Meeting her father's expectant gaze, Ophia pondered for a moment, then spoke casually.
"It's not too bad, but it's not great either. Prince Colin didn't stay in the Academy for long before he set off for the south. I even flew all the way to the snowfield to find him."
“Southward…” Andre stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and asked seemingly seriously, “The Kingdom of Rhodes?”
"It's the Kingdom of Ryan!"
Ophia rolled her eyes at her father, annoyed.
"To be more precise, it's the Duchy of Campbell under the Kingdom! Father, you really should study geography properly, otherwise people will say that the Duke of Castellón doesn't even know where the various kingdoms are located."
Andrei shrugged.
He didn't believe that anyone other than his daughter would offend the Duke of Castellón over such a trivial matter.
Besides, he wasn't the only one unaware that this was a rural area; such self-righteous provocations often end in self-inflicted suffering.
“I sent you to study at Xuebang not so you could come back and mock your old father.” He leaned back on the sofa and said casually, “If that place were important enough, the Duke of Castellón would naturally know. Since I don’t know, it means it’s not important.”
Ophia was not surprised by her father's answer, but simply sighed.
"Are you aware that a chaotic crisis has recently erupted there?"
"I heard something."
Upon hearing the word "chaos," Andrei took it seriously and recalled for a moment, "Chief Judge Jiménez seems to have just returned from the east. There was quite a commotion there, but I heard the problem has been resolved. St. Clement's Cathedral even held a triumphant ceremony for the returning judge. If you had come back earlier, you might have been able to make it."
"Clearly they are far from getting to the heart of the problem, which is far more complex than Chief Referee Jiménez sees."
Ophia put down her teacup, sat up straight, and her expression became serious.
That was an expression that Andrei rarely saw on his daughter's face.
That's why there's a hint of scrutiny in those always smiling eyes.
"Oh? It seems you know something?"
Ophia opened her mouth.
The secret that Prince Colin had revealed to her was almost on the tip of her tongue, and if it was true, she had no doubt that it would cause a sensation throughout the entire Holy City.
However, just as she was about to utter those words, an inexplicable intuition made her swallow back the secret that had already reached her lips.
Will her father really take her words seriously?
Does that man, who even has to think for a while about the location of the Kingdom of Ryan on a map, really care what the people there are going through?
Or to put it another way—
Would the Castellón family really defy the Senate's objections and shift the family's and allies' focus of interests from the golden sea route of the whirlpool to the no-longer-profit Old Continent for the sake of a group of border people they've never met?
Especially since she had no evidence whatsoever.
Her father would only think she was crazy and then lock her in the manor for a few months to calm her down. Even if things took an astonishing turn, everything could be attributed to the incompetence of the Church of St. Clement.
After all, the court had just been there.
This was actually a more profitable option for the Senate, which was vying for power with the tribunal...
"I have no idea."
She turned her head to look at the perfectly manicured garden outside the window and said in a calm voice, "But I thought that as a pillar of the empire, the Duke of Castellón would know something."
empire……
Andrei chuckled.
He looked at his somewhat sulky daughter, feeling both doting and helpless.
“Ophia, my daughter. Many terrible things happen in this world every day. People starve to death, people die of disease, and people are eaten by monsters. Even Saint Sith cannot do everything perfectly, no matter how small or how comprehensive... let alone us, who are just mortals?”
"So you mean it would be better for us to just sit idly by?" Ophia looked at him intently.
Andrei explained patiently.
“That’s not what I meant. But we should prioritize and… not meddle in matters that are the responsibility of St. Clement’s Cathedral without proper preparation.”
"Then what is primary and what is secondary?"
Ophia doesn't seem to be planning to let this go.
Andrei no longer minced words and went straight to the point.
"The sacred cause concerning Saint Sith is primary, while the lands abandoned by the gods are secondary. Chaos erupted precisely because the locals neglected their faith. We have warned them countless times, but what are they doing?"
"You mean they brought it on themselves?" Ophia's voice was somewhat displeased.
"Is not it?"
Seeing that his daughter still wanted to argue, Andrei raised his hand and interrupted her.
"Alright, my child, reality is cruel. To put it more bluntly, only the affairs of the Holy City are worth our concern. Because if we don't do so, the Bronze Seahorse will lose its luster, and we will slowly drift away from the center of this world and be replaced by others."
“Saint Sith only favors those servants closest to Him. This is not a new phenomenon, but has been the case since the first day of its existence… Perhaps I should have told you sooner, and I have been protecting you too well all this time.”
A brief silence fell over the study.
Ophia looked at her father, the figure that had once been all-powerful in her eyes, but now seemed cold and unfamiliar.
She suddenly felt a little listless.
All the stories and experiences I wanted to share, all the thrilling adventures in the labyrinth trials… I lost the desire to tell them at this moment.
Seeing Ophia's slight disappointment, Andrei seemed to sense the awkward atmosphere and changed to a seemingly serious tone.
"But I'm still relieved that at least you didn't risk doing something foolish that would worry your family because of that useless sense of justice."
Do I look like the kind of person who would do that kind of thing?
Ophia took a deep breath, a smile returning to her face, and casually tossed her golden hair over her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Father, I'm not a child anymore."
Andrei nodded, looking at his sensible daughter with satisfaction, his smile almost filling the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.
“I am pleased to see your growth, Ophia. As for that Prince Colin… I am sorry. Your father and he are just business partners. If I knew his father, I might be able to help you by virtue of my seniority. But you know, there is a generational difference between us, and there are some things I can only do to add to your already good fortune.”
Ophia showed no emotion or expectation; only her father's sharp tongue remained as blunt as ever.
"It's okay, I don't need your help. Just don't cause me any trouble."
As soon as he finished speaking, the Duke sitting opposite him clutched his chest again, as if he had just swallowed a whole lemon without peeling it.
His heartbroken expression was enough to earn him a salary at the theater, but unfortunately, the only audience member remained unmoved.
Andrei awkwardly lowered his hand, picked up his teacup again, and used the act of drinking tea to cover up his embarrassment.
"Alright, whatever makes you happy. I don't have any special requirements for you... except for the welcome banquet tomorrow, which you have to attend. As for other times, you can do whatever you want."
"no problem."
Ophia agreed quickly.
However, before her elderly father could finish his tea, she changed the subject.
"But I have a condition. I want to establish a chamber of commerce, and I need some start-up capital, with a budget of about 100,000 gold coins."
"puff--"
Andrei almost spat out the black tea he had just drunk.
He stared wide-eyed, as if he were seeing his daughter for the first time, his gaze sweeping over her.
That's a huge leap.
Having just returned from the highest academy of magic, representing truth and arcane arts, is he about to jump into the commercial world filled with the stench of money?
"This... this banquet was prepared for you. Does your father really have to pay for it?"
Seemingly feeling that this statement wasn't convincing enough, he continued to persuade him without stopping.
“Besides, Ophia, the Castellion family’s wealth is already enough to buy half of the Holy City. We don’t need you to show your face. That kind of thing is usually done by agents. It’s neither wise nor dignified for a nobleman to get involved himself.” “I’d rather you think of it as an investment.”
Ophia didn't argue; she simply turned to the side and took out a neatly folded drawing from her handbag.
The paper spread out on the table with a soft thud.
It depicts a complex mechanical structure, with crisscrossing lines outlining a vast and strange shape.
“This is the result of my and my classmates’ research. We designed a ship that can fly in the sky. Father, we believe it will be the future. If you don’t want me to show my face in the Holy City, I can do this elsewhere.”
Andrei leaned over, glanced at it, and couldn't help but burst out laughing.
There was no mockery in that laughter, but rather tolerance for children's innocent remarks.
“A ship that flies in the sky? That’s quite novel. You should have come back in one of those things instead of having me send a griffin carriage to pick you up. That way, Miss Castellion would have been the headline of the entire Holy City, and I don’t mind you showing your face in this way.”
"I do have that idea."
Ophia's fingers pressed against the edge of the drawing, her eyes filled with intense focus.
"But we've only designed one prototype, which is currently docked in the Principality of Campbell—"
"Alright, Ophia."
Andrei waved his hand, interrupting his daughter's rambling.
He snapped his fingers, and a checkbook flew out of the drawer, with a quill pen automatically floating up and quickly tracing lines across it.
“I can give you 100,000 gold coins as start-up capital, just to let you practice, but I have one condition.”
The signed check was pushed in front of Ophelia.
Andrei's gaze deepened, his index fingers crossed on the table, and the oppressive feeling that belonged to his father returned to him.
“You’re not getting any younger, Ophia. I can give you two years. If there’s no result within two years, I hope you can settle down and seriously consider marriage.”
Ophia's hand, which was just reaching for the check, froze in mid-air. She suddenly looked up, her beautiful eyes wide with surprise.
"Father, I'm only eighteen!"
Is there a problem?
Andrei relit the extinguished cigar, his tone calm and matter-of-fact amidst the swirling smoke.
"Your mother was only sixteen when she married me."
Ophia: "..."
……
Ophelia finally picked up the check and, with her shrewd, fox-like father, completed the bet on her marriage.
Although she didn't want to gamble with her marriage, the conditions her father offered were actually very favorable to her.
After all, the technology was readily available, and as long as enough people were gathered, it could be made. Miss Ophia had no doubt about this.
Moreover, even if things were to go awry, she could ask His Highness Colin for help, assuring him that he would not abandon his student.
Although that prince was tough on the outside, he was actually very soft on the inside. The only thing that bothered Ophia was that she wished the purple rose had only bloomed for her.
She had no doubt that he wasn't a womanizer, but rather that he seemed to be a little too bad at saying no.
Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, illuminating the corridor leading to Miss Ophia's bedroom and elongating the shadows of the two figures walking on the velvet carpet.
Elliefet followed silently behind Ophia, her footsteps so light they were almost inaudible.
Only after the door behind her closed did she speak respectfully from the doorway.
"Your Highness."
"what happened?"
"You actually have something more important to tell your father, don't you?"
Ophia turned around and looked at the maid who had been with her since childhood, with a kind smile on her face.
"What are you saying, Elliefit?"
"I just feel that you still have something on your mind."
Elliefelt didn't look up, but spoke respectfully.
"Of course, if you are unwilling to tell me, please pretend I didn't ask."
The room fell silent.
Only the occasional birdsong drifted from the garden outside the window.
Ophelia's smile gradually faded, finally turning into a soft sigh, before she sat down on the bed.
"To be honest, that's exactly right."
Can you tell me why?
"Because... it's no use saying it."
Ophia looked out the window at the garden, where the layers of hedges served as both protection and a giant cage.
“If I tell him the truth, tell him where I want to go, I’ll probably be grounded by my father. For at least a long time, I won’t be able to leave this estate.”
If Prince Colin had a more malicious mindset, he probably would have already guessed the consequences of his actions, and thus deliberately instructed her to tell his father.
After all, he was a gentle person who would rather take risks himself than let his students be in danger.
However, he still underestimated himself—
She would never let him face everything alone.
Seeing the ambition gleaming in Ophia's eyes, Alice finally showed a look of surprise.
"Are you planning to leave?"
She thought that since the young lady had just returned home, she would behave herself for a while, but she didn't expect that she was already planning her next trip.
"if not?"
Ophia looked at Elifite with a bright smile on her face and spoke in the same matter-of-fact tone as Duke Andrei.
"The world is so big, do I want to keep myself in this gilded cage, spending my whole life in banquets and balls?"
In the past, she probably wouldn't have thought there was anything wrong with this, since this holy city was her whole world.
But ever since she met Prince Colin, she suddenly felt that she could have more to pursue than just the daily routine.
For example, adventure.
For example, science.
And justice!
What Ophia didn't actually tell her father was that the past two years had been the most wonderful two years of her life, and she never felt that she had wasted her time there.
Just wait and see—
She will uphold justice to the very end!
This time, however, she will not act rashly based on passion as before, but will act according to her ability and do what she can based on her judgment of the situation.
This was also something His Highness Colin taught her.
After a pause, Ophia spoke in a half-joking yet firm tone.
"Besides, Mr. Colin is waiting for me. How can I leave him alone in the wilderness?"
Looking at the young lady who spoke these words with such bright eyes, Elliefelt's expression gradually changed from surprise to gentleness.
"It seems you've really grown up."
Ophia made a joke.
I thought you would think I was being willful.
“Reckless courage and unrealistic stubbornness are what we call willfulness, but your decision is clearly well thought out.”
Ellie nodded slightly, paused for a moment, and then continued, "In my eyes, you are more charming than ever when you have your own opinions, and I believe that His Highness would agree."
Hearing this heartfelt praise, Ophia could hardly contain her smile; it almost reached her ears.
"I'll remember those words, Elliefit. I hope you won't betray my trust. I'll have many things to ask of you in the future."
Ellie smiled gently, placing her right hand on her chest.
"I am your sword, please do not be polite."
……
Meanwhile, in the distant city of Thunder, the arrival of the School of Science has injected new vitality into this thriving city. The entire city seems to be debating how to do even more with that incredible airship.
This is probably the biggest difference between Thunder City and Twilight City.
If it were anywhere else, people terrified by the court would probably just use all their strength to pounce on the person making the strange remarks and cover their mouth... even though that's not their problem.
People nurtured by the same flowing river have no physiological differences, and there is no question of who has a higher or lower IQ.
They can only blame the court for castingrate them too thoroughly.
Building confidence, trust, and tolerance requires an extremely long process, but destroying them only takes a few flashes of inspiration, and the cost is less than one-tenth of the former.
The same applies to civilization.
Beautiful things are always fragile.
As Luo Yan strolled through the clock tower, he was introducing his masterpiece to Professor James Wally, as well as the future offices of the Magicians' Guild.
"...Incredible! This is like a living city! How did you do that?!"
As Professor James stared at the miniature Thunder City model, which was no more than a meter long and wide, an expression of disbelief crossed his face, his mouth agape as if he could fit a goose egg inside.
However, he quickly shut his mouth, afraid that even a loud breath might interfere with the operation of the magic circle.
Looking at Professor James's incredulous expression, Luo Yan smiled faintly and said in a nonchalant tone.
"To be honest, I also got my inspiration from the virtual world. The Solipsians' dual exploration of the spiritual and material worlds gave me a lot of inspiration... including their understanding of supernatural powers, etc."
Professor James looked at Colin with utter admiration, completely impressed.
"To my shame, I have read your experimental report several times. Although I have gained a lot of inspiration and insights, I am far from reaching this level."
“That’s normal, because I didn’t write it in anyway,” Luo Yan said matter-of-factly, leaving Professor James stunned.
Floating to the side, Youyou burst out laughing and rolled on the ground, her sense of humor as low as ever.
Luo Yan was just about to tell this guy to behave when he suddenly sneezed—this was the third time today!
"Your Highness, are you alright?" Professor James asked him with some concern.
Luo Yan sniffed, seemingly unconcerned.
"fine."
It's not that nothing's wrong.
He had a subtle feeling that his plans had encountered unexpected changes.
That's nothing really. The Demon King's plans are always subject to change, and his ability to adapt to changing circumstances is his greatest asset.
The only thing that puzzled him was that he didn't have any new plans lately.
'Could something have happened to Thanos?'
Luo Yan pondered to himself, hoping that the pawn he had planted in Roland City wouldn't fail him at the crucial moment...
(End of this chapter)