Sword of Dawnbreaker

Byron shrugged dismissively, his gaze shifting to the dock not far away— along the long dock extending along the coast, six of the most advanced cargo magic machinery ships looked like small mountains, stably floating on the sea. The hidden cargo holds beneath the decks of four ships were currently open, and with the operation of a series of mechanical devices, a massive amount of grain was flowing like water from the giant freight vehicles on the dock into the ship’s holds. Meanwhile, another loading crew was busy beside the remaining two ships, transferring a large number of sealed wooden boxes to the stacking area on the deck.

The fine rain was still drifting down, yet a thin energy shield rose from the dock area, enveloping the entire loading operation area within a protective cover. Those Barrier Generators at the top of the reinforced concrete protective walls glowed with a soft blue light. As long as they kept running, the dock operation area would remain dry and windless.

And further away from the cargo ships, beside another pier, the majestic mechanical battleship ”Winter” observed the scene like a silent giant. Its high-tilted Magic Energy Wingboard and imposing turrets stood proudly, with two smaller, newly-fitted frigates moored beside this flagship giant. Resupply operations were being conducted in full swing.

In this increasingly bustling Northport dock, massive shipping and resupply operations almost ran day and night, especially since the onset of summer, with the enormous economic stimulus brought by the circumcontinental route. Almost any merchant with some capability had joined this feast, turning Northport into a true city that never sleeps, with the loading scenes on the dock becoming almost customary for many.

Yet the six cargo ships currently undergoing loading were exceptionally special, so much so that it warranted the personal supervision of the Grand Duke of the North and the highest official of the Imperial Navy. The reason was simple: these ships would genuinely break the ”barrier” that had blocked the mortals of the Loren Continent for centuries. They carried a mission of significant importance, one that could even be said to lay the foundation stone for the Commonwealth Alliance: they were going to sail to Talronde.

This was an even more challenging voyage than opening the circumcontinental route—they were set to challenge the distant seas beyond the ”nearshore calm line,” traditionally perceived as ”fierce, chaotic, and unchallengeable” hazardous waters.

”I can hardly believe we’re truly going to challenge the open seas...” After a long silence, Duchess Victoria finally confessed, ”And this first challenge is on such a massive scale, targeting what was once the legendary ’Homeland of the Dragons’... If someone had told me about this a few years ago, I would have immediately cast the ’Spell of Feeblemindedness Detection’ on them.”

”There’s such a spell?” Byron’s thoughts were evidently not on the same plane as the Duchess. ”What use could such a peculiar-sounding spell have?”

”It exists, and it’s a very useful spell,” Duchess Victoria glanced at the naval marshal beside her, ”Great families need to identify the intellectual potential of their heirs early on to avoid wasting massive cultivation resources. This type of spell is specifically used to select noble offspring under the age of six. In the old era, almost every great family above the rank of Earl would use this method to scrutinize their heirs.”

”...Magic is indeed convenient,” Byron curled his lips, ”but this sounds quite merciless too.”

”It’s indeed ruthless, and this practice of concentrating all resources on a handful of elites, abandoning the majority of ’ordinary offspring,’ runs counter to His Majesty’s principles of ’inclusive education’ and ’talent reserve,’” Victoria said expressionlessly, ”but you have to admit that sometimes this effective screening method still has its place.”