novelraw Chapter 126 : Heading to Feihat
Chapter 126 : Heading to Feihat
Chapter 126: Heading to Feihat
After obtaining the arrest warrant issued by the Governor, the first problem placed before Levi was transportation.
From Mules, where the Governor was located, to Feihat City, there were three routes in total.
The shortest was by ship, followed by train, and finally by carriage.
Melisia was far removed from the Empire, with even an ocean separating the two. Moreover, the Empire held little goodwill toward Melisia. As a result, Melisia found it the hardest to benefit from the achievements of the Empire’s Steam Revolution.
One only had to look at how there were still no steam cars on Melisia’s roads—people still relied mainly on carriages and horseback—to understand this.
This was fundamentally different from the Mist City, where steam cars had already begun to spread. However, Melisia’s backward state had not developed overnight, and Levi had no expectations of changing it directly. He could only find his own way.
Ship… Levi immediately passed on that option. Ever since encountering the Sea Monster, he had sworn never to take a ship unless absolutely necessary. Thalassophobia was no joke—he felt that deep-sea travel was something he would have to bid farewell to for good.
He was also unwilling to take a carriage. Given Melisia’s road conditions, which were far worse than the Empire’s, it simply wasn’t practical. The Empire already had asphalt roads everywhere, while Melisia still mostly had dirt roads—it was practically a poor countryside. Traveling from here to Feihat City by carriage would take about half a month. By then, everything would already be too late.
Thus, Levi ultimately decided to take the train.
If there was one mode of travel Levi particularly liked, it was the train.
Airplanes were fast, but putting aside safety, flying was always boring. Most of the time, one could only stay seated, watch videos or movies, and then sleep for a while.
Traveling by car was equally exhausting. Whether driving or riding, it was quite tormenting, and at every stop, one had to consider food, clothing, and lodging—it was rather troublesome.
But trains were relatively better. They were like houses that could move on their own. Passengers only needed to sit inside and could enjoy the scenery outside—mountains, rivers, and landscapes—while continuously moving forward toward unknown destinations.
Of course, the premise was that it had to be a sleeper berth, preferably a soft sleeper. If it was a hard seat or standing ticket, then forget about scenery or enjoyment.
Levi went to the railway company to inquire and learned that there would be a train heading to Feihat City at noon today. Unfortunately, the tickets were already sold out. However, this did not trouble Levi. He directly approached the railway company’s manager and spent 100 Pounds to have an additional luxury carriage attached for him.
Although Melisia was relatively underdeveloped, it was still quite decent when it came to luxury and extravagance. Or rather, as long as one had enough money, one could enjoy a lifestyle similar to modern times in most cases. For example, the luxury carriage Levi was now riding in had originally been prepared for high-ranking officials like the Governor. It not only had heating and cooling air systems but also a reception room, an independent bedroom, viewing windows, as well as a bathroom and shower.
It could be said to be quite excellent.
Before departure, Levi encountered a small incident. The manager came to him and said that an important guest also wished to board this train. Since the luxury carriage had two rooms, he asked whether Levi would allow the other party to use the remaining room. Levi neither agreed nor refused. He planned to meet and talk with the other party first—if there was no issue, then agreeing later would not be a problem.
However, what Levi did not expect was that the person who appeared was actually someone he knew.
“Ah, Mr. Levi. I didn’t expect to see you here.”
Madam Molly still looked the same—smiling warmly, plump and prosperous—as she waved at Levi. Beside her, Annie Branson stood as usual, holding a suitcase, expressionless, almost like Madam Molly’s maid.
“Ah, Madam Molly, Miss Branson, this is quite a surprise.”
Seeing the two, Levi was somewhat astonished.
“You’re also going to Feihat City?”
“That’s right. This child is going there for some university exchange… it’s called… what was it again?”
Madam Molly curiously turned her head to Annie, who answered softly.
“Miskatonic University.”
“Ah, right, right, Miskatonic University. I heard it’s related to that Sea Monster. I don’t understand such things, but I can’t let her go alone. If I had known Mr. Levi was here, I would’ve been reassured.”
Levi simply smiled slightly at Madam Molly’s words.
“Of course, it would be my honor to be of service to both of you.”
Since they were all acquainted, there was no need for further discussion. Levi quickly agreed to let them travel together, and they soon boarded the carriage.
On the way, Levi also asked Annie about the handling of the Sea Monster corpse. He learned that Annie had already preserved it and transported it back to her home country by airship—air transport was expensive in any era, not to mention considering the size and weight of the Sea Monster. The shipping cost must have been enormous.
From this, it was clear that this family was quite wealthy.
Come to think of it, the girls he knew all seemed to be well-off.
With nothing to do, Levi began pondering. Whether it was Katie, Aurelia, or Annie, each of them came from wealthy families. He wondered which of the three was the richest… though Aurelia was definitely the most generous.
After all, she had given him ten thousand Pounds in one go—and that was after tax.
“Woo———!”
Accompanied by the whistle, the train slowly started and departed from the station. Levi’s journey to Feihat City had officially begun.
Unlike the other passengers who were busy admiring the scenery outside, Levi greeted the two ladies before returning to his room. He took a bath and then lay comfortably on the bed, falling asleep.
After all, he had been busy almost the entire night before, and he was quite exhausted. If not for the need for swift action, he would have stayed in a hotel for ten days or half a month to properly relax before continuing.
Now, he could only seize the time to rest on the train.
Levi slept soundly, but others could not.
For example, the Continental Council currently in Feihat City.
The battle that took place in Lexington was quickly learned by the Continental Council, but the result was beyond their expectations.
Or rather, it was not the outcome they had hoped for.
“How could this happen?”
Hancock’s face was ashen as he sat silently in his chair. Beside him, Adams also remained silent, constantly smoking.
For the Continental Council, the battle of Lexington had dealt a heavy blow to their confidence. The Governor had already made the entire process public, so everyone knew that the Imperial army had gone to secretly destroy an arsenal but was intercepted by militia halfway. They then defeated the militia blocking their way and arrested them.
Up to this point, nothing had exceeded Hancock and Adams’ expectations. Or rather, the only unexpected part was that the Imperial army had acted uncharacteristically—rather than engaging in outright slaughter, they had arrested and detained the militia.
This was not the usual style of the Imperial army!
Previously, whenever the Imperial army clashed with militia, it was always without restraint.
In Hancock’s original plan, if the Imperial army had fought and even killed the militia, they could have used that as a reason to persuade others in the Continental Council to unite against the Empire.
After all, the Continental Council was not united.
Most regional leaders had no intention of truly opposing the Empire. They merely hoped to negotiate conditions with it rather than betray the Queen.
If bloodshed had occurred, it would have helped solidify the wavering members’ stance. However…
Bloodshed did occur, but the process and result were completely different from what Hancock had envisioned.
To rescue their captured companions, Captain Pike led four thousand militia in an attack against the Imperial army—only to be repelled.
This caused a huge uproar within the Continental Council.
Just as Levi had predicted, no matter the disputes between Melisia and the Empire, they had remained under-the-table confrontations. But militia directly attacking an Imperial army escorting prisoners—that was outright rebellion!
Moreover, according to the latest reliable information, Governor Geller was furious over this incident and planned to carry out a large-scale purge of militia in the surrounding regions.
This made many regional leaders in the Continental Council feel like innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire.
The ones who attacked the Imperial army were clearly from Hancock’s region—so why were they being dragged into this as well?
Because of this, the Continental Council had now split into two factions. One believed the situation had escalated too far and wanted to withdraw decisively. The other believed that since things had already reached this point, they might as well fight—it might even be their only chance at survival.
Unfortunately, those supporting withdrawal were the majority, while those advocating resistance were the minority.
Could it really only end here?
“Knock knock knock.”
As the two were troubled, a knock suddenly sounded. Adams looked up, stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, and spoke toward the door.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and a pot-bellied man with gray-white curly hair walked in.
“Mr. Claiborne?”
Seeing this uninvited guest, both Hancock and Adams were surprised. Claiborne was a powerful figure in the Continental Council and had maintained a neutral stance. They had originally intended to persuade him to join their side, but unexpectedly, he came to them first.
“What brings you here?”
“I wouldn’t come if I had nothing to do.”
Claiborne said as he panted his way into the room and plopped heavily onto the sofa. The sturdy, elegant sofa let out a strained creak under his weight, but he clearly didn’t care. He shifted his three-hundred-pound body slightly to get comfortable, then looked at them.
“I heard your situation isn’t looking good. The Lexington incident is something no one wanted to see. With things like this, it’s hard for you to explain yourselves to the Continental Council.”
“………But……… ”
“I’m not here to hear your explanation.”
Claiborne waved his hand, interrupting Adams.
“I’m here to make a deal with you.”
“A deal?”
“That’s right. You help me kill someone, and I’ll support your proposal in the Continental Council.”
“………”
Hearing this, both frowned. Before they could respond, Claiborne raised his hand.
“Don’t rush to refuse. This person is also related to you.”
“Who is it?”
“Detective Levi.”
“You mean that Sea Monster hunter?”
Levi’s killing of the Sea Monster had been the biggest news in Melisia recently, so Hancock and Adams were well aware of it.
“That’s right. And his identity is far more than just a detective.”
At this point, Claiborne stared at them and smiled.
“Aren’t you curious why the Imperial army behaved differently in Lexington? I’ll tell you—the reason is that one of the people commanding that force was Levi.”
“What?”
This revelation shocked both of them.
“Him? He’s just a detective—how could he command the Imperial army?”
“A detective from the Mist City.”
Claiborne corrected them.
“And I’ll tell you another piece of news—he has already obtained an arrest warrant issued by the Governor and is on his way to Feihat City. As for why he’s coming here, I’m sure you can guess.”
At this point, Claiborne took a breath and laughed, his fat belly rippling like waves.
“I assume you don’t want to be arrested in the Continental Council in the name of the Empire and the Queen, right?”
“………………”
Neither Hancock nor Adams spoke. They both understood that if it came to that, their situation would only become even worse.
“According to intelligence, he has already boarded the Explorer train of the Central Railway Company and will arrive in Feihat City in three days. If I remember correctly, that’s the day the Continental Council convenes.”
Claiborne pressed his hand against the sofa armrest and struggled to stand.
“That’s all I have to say. Whether you fight or flee… that’s for you to decide.”
With that, he turned and slowly walked out of the room, panting.
“Click.”
The door closed again. This time, Adams stared at his companion.
“What should we do?”
“………………”
Hancock did not answer immediately. He lit a cigarette, took a long drag, and then made his decision.
“It seems we have no other choice.”
Then, Hancock spoke.