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Chapter 96

Translator: Yang_Wenli Editor: Yang_Wenli

As the time approached noon, the World Expo officially began.

The nobles that were present stopped their social interactions. They came to the center of the Crystal Palace and turned their eyes to the stage. In the upcoming hours, arcanotech devices with the potential to affect this world might be exhibited on the stage. All of them will become the witnesses to the transformation of this world.

It was an exciting time of greatness. The excitement affected all the people present, including young master Ricard who was at the back of the stage.

Ricard came from Farucci and has been studying abroad in Norland’s Advanced Magic University. With the aid of the professors from the university, he managed to successfully enter the exhibition with the arcanotech device he invented.

“Have faith! Ricard, your parents and nobles from all over the world will see you on the stage. This is a very rare opportunity.”

An aged professor patted Ricard’s shoulder. This young man from Farucci seemed to be feeling some stage fright.

While Ricard was the son of a noble family from Farucci, his family only had little influence.

Compared to the other nobles that received the invitation to participate in the World Expo, he could be said to be an utter nobody.

Ricard took a deep breath to calm himself. If the arcanotech device he created ended up being fancied by the crowd, it would be an opportunity for not only him but rather his entire family to rise in power.

An aged mage wearing a white robe was standing at the center of the Crystal Palace’s stage.

Everyone knew who this white robed mage was. The reason for that was because he was one of the people with the greatest authority in Norland, a member of the Council of Seven. He was also one of the people who established Norland’s social order.

He strengthened his voice with magic and gave a brief introduction. Then, he announced the official beginning of the World Expo.

Ricard was extremely lucky, he had drawn the first spot for the exhibition. Now, he could only brace himself as he pushed forth his arcanotech device onto the stage.

He had already prepared the introduction for his arcanotech device. But, the moment he got on the stage and saw the audience below, his head went blank.

The Iron Chancellor from the Nation of Steel, the Duchess of Blackwood from his own country and even the princess from the Nation of Frost...

With Ricard’s status, those were people he could only see from afar during Farucci’s National Day celebration. Yet now, he was being watched by them.

What Ricard was feeling was akin to a physics student walking onto the stage to make a presentation only to discover Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Max Planck and other great physicists being his audience.

Nervousness was not enough to describe Ricard’s current emotions. His legs were starting to shake. His head was completely blank. With his emotions running wild, Ricard had completely forgotten the speech he had prepared.

In an awkward silence, Ricard pulled the curtains to the opportunity that could allow his family to rise in power. He didn’t even have the opportunity to introduce his arcanotech device. Just like that, he brought his ‘phonograph’ and slowly walked down the stage to give the stage to the next exhibition item.

The instant Ricard came to the back of the stage, he was able to imagine how his reputation in Norland would be ruined.

Disgracing oneself in the Crystal Palace was no different from disgracing oneself before the entire world.

Or perhaps Ricard should be rejoicing at the fact that he’s the only person in the Advanced Magic University that had the opportunity to participate in the World Expo.

But, that thought was soon dispelled by a familiar figure.

“Hyr... Hyrlan... You... Why are you here?”

Ricard called to a young woman who walked past him. He couldn’t be mistaken. Even though Hyrlan was wearing a very simple mage apprentice robe, her alluring figure and beauty could still be seen through the robe.

Ricard had tried to pursue Hyrlan using all sorts of methods. Unfortunately, all his attempts were avoided by Hyrlan.

“...”

Hyrlan never expected to see her classmate at this place. But, upon thinking about it, she recalled how all the Advanced Magic Universities of Norland were able to recommend an outstanding student to participate in the World Expo. She herself had tried her hardest to fight for that spot. Unfortunately, she lost to this young master from a noble family standing before her.

Hyrlan didn’t want to think about the reason why she lost. After all, she had already managed to stand on the stage of the World Expo with Joshua’s help. There was no reason for her to feel distressed or regret from missing out on the university’s recommendation.

“I’m here to participate in the exhibition.”

While Hyrlan and Ricard were classmates, they were only classmates. After she answered his question, she slowly walked onto the Crystal Palace’s center stage.

Ciri followed after Hyrlan. Using Mage Hand, a spell from the Rune of Order, she carried along the ‘Hearthstone’ arcade machine and ascended onto the stage.

How?! Ricard clearly remembered how their university professors had heavily criticized Hyrlan’s arcanotech device! It should be impossible for her to enter the World Expo.

Unfortunately, the reality was placed right before his eyes. Ricard took quick steps and ran to the front of the Crystal Palace’s center stage. He saw the two long gray-haired young women standing on the stage.

At this moment... the entire world was focused on them.

Hyrlan took a deep breath to calm her mind. Undisturbed, she swept her gaze across the crowd. She saw Joshua standing at a corner waving his hand at her. Her younger sister was also standing beside her. Confidence rose in Hyrlan’s heart. Using magic to strengthen her voice, she started giving her introduction.

“I am Hyrlan Lloyd.”

After Hyrlan mentioned her name, especially her surname, the expressions of several nobles on the audience seats changed slightly. This was especially true for the nobles from the Nation of Frost.

Lloyd was not a simple surname in the Nation of Frost. But, none of them had seen this Hyrlan standing on the stage before. She looked like an ordinary commoner.

“What I will be exhibiting is my mother’s posthumous work.”

This day finally arrived. If gods truly exist, if her mother was able to see this from a remote place, she will most definitely be feeling very gratified.

She was finally able to present this long-awaited arcanotech device to the world.

Unfortunately, after Hyrlan introduced the usage of the arcanotech device, not many people showed interest in it.

Storing an image as a unit on the originium crystal? To arcanotech devices capable of transforming the entire world, the usage of Hyrlan’s arcanotech device was simply akin to a child’s play.

The participants of the World Expo didn’t come here to purchase paintings.

Ricard observed all the disinterested reactions from the mages and nobles in the audience. He had expected that.

The host of the World Expo, Norland’s Patent Office, knew to put the most marvelous items last. The arcanotech devices those nobles, chancellors and diplomats were interested in – those perpetual arcanotech engine, those arcanotech machine capable of replacing horse carriages, those arcanotech puppets capable of farming on their own and various other interesting arcanotech devices – were all placed at the end of the exhibit.

The arcanotech devices being shown first were all insignificant. This included his own invention.

At this moment, Ricard began to feel sorry for Hylan. He believed that Hyrlan would, like him, be instructed by Norland’s Patent Office that her time was up and told to get off stage.

Unfortunately, things did not develop in the manner Ricard was thinking.

“This here is another arcanotech device that is constructed using my mother’s posthumous work. Soon, I will have two respected elders come on stage to give a demonstration of these arcanotech devices.”

Hyrlan’s line of sight was not on the audience at all. Instead, her eyes were focused on the ‘chat box’ before her. Joshua was instructing what to do through the chat box.

Because of that, Hyrlan invited the two powerful aides at this moment.

Once the two respected elders Hyrlan spoke of got on stage, the mages and nobles that were chatting softly among themselves all gasped in surprise.

Archbishop Desireless from the Nation of the Holy Church and the Chairman in Gray from Norland’s Patent Office...

After they walked over to Hyrlan’s arcanotech device, they sat down on either seats. Witnessing this sight, Ricard had no idea how to describe the shock he felt.

In the magic university, Hyrlan was only a comparatively outstanding student. Apart from her academics, she was an ordinary girl.

But, two legendary mages were personally demonstrating her arcanotech device!

The Patent Office wouldn’t possibly dare to urge Hyrlan to end her exhibition now. After all, their own chairman was going to demonstrate Hyrlan’s arcanotech device to the audience.

The appearance of Desireless and Gray Mage immediately caught the crowd’s attention.

At the time when they were pondering exactly what use Hyrlan’s arcanotech machine had, a projection suddenly appeared on the whiteboard serving as the backdrop for the stage.

In a black background, a series of golden english characters appeared imposingly before the nobles and mages of this world.

‘Blizzard!’ It was the logo of Blizzard Entertainment!

At the time when the crowd were pondering about the meaning behind ‘Blizzard,’ and how that image was projected onto the whiteboard, a voice filled with enthusiasm sounded from above the Crystal Palace.

“Welcome to Hearthstone!”

Hearthstone’s standby screen appeared before the crowd through the projection. But, that was not the end at all.

Desireless inserted his card collection that he had spent weeks constructing into the arcanotech device. As for Gray Mage, he took out the card collection Joshua lended him out of good will and inserted it into the arcanotech device too.

“Anduin versus Jaina!”

“You’ve asked for it!” 1

“The Light shall bring victory!”1

After they finished choosing their class, the two heroes voiced their respective opening remark. With that, the first match officially began before the attentive gazes from the people in the Crystal Palace.

What appeared on the projection screen was a scenery they’ve never seen before. Even though a portion of the nobles participating in the World Expo had seen ‘Beauty and the Demon,’ what was being projected was completely different from ‘Beauty and the Demon.’

The match between the Nation of the Holy Church’s Archbishop Desireless and Norland’s renowned Gray Mage and the special arcanotech device had utterly caught the crowd’s attention.

Even though many nobles felt the arcanotech device to be a gaudy yet useless entertainment machine, there were many nobles that were fond of useless things like that. Most importantly, it was capable of bringing them a wholly new sort of entertainment.

The match between the Priest and the Mage clearly demonstrated to the crowd the rules of ‘Hearthstone.’

Some of the nobles fond of games even started making bets. Naturally, they were betting on whether the Archbishop or the Gray Mage would be the one to win.

“You’re not planning to cheer for your teacher?”

Joshua was standing at an unremarkable corner below the stage. The female templar was tasked with the heavy responsibility of monitoring him. She was standing right next to him and staring at him.

“I believe that the power of the Holy Light will not lose to magic.”

Messai swept a glance at the match on the stage and replied to the cunning demon with full confidence. She was also on alert toward Joshua’s words.

“But your teacher’s playing a Shadow Priest, no, a Steal Priest. Not only did he use ‘Shadowform,’ he’s even stealing his opponent’s cards.1 Could that still be considered as the power of the Holy Light?”

Joshua was observing the ongoing match on the stage. The way Desireless was using his Priest has overturned the impressions of Priest held by many people.

Merely the card ‘Thoughtsteal’ was enough to make many people cry out ‘shameless!’

“This... this... this is the Holy Light! There’s nothing dirty about it! You demons are slandering us!”

Messai knew that the game ‘Hearthstone’ was created by this demon next to her. As such, he would naturally be able to add elements to the game that would slander their Holy Church. This was especially true for the Priest class. A lot of the Priest class cards had to do with shadows.

That was also the reason why Messai was more partial toward using the Paladin class. The Paladin class was truly a class that fought fair and square.

“There are shadows beneath the light. Shadow and light is an equilibrium. Does the Nation of the Holy Church not understand that?”

Joshua wanted to remind this female knight that there was a thing known as the ‘Heresy Tribunal’ in their Nation of the Holy Church.

But, having been deceived by Joshua multiple times already, Messai was totally on guard against him. She refused to acknowledge his words, refused to allow her mind to be affected by him. She had determined all of Joshua’s words to be the devil’s whispers!

However, what Joshua said next once again caused her to hesitate.

“Some nobles over there have begun betting on the match. Your colleague had already betted on your teacher. Are you not planning to try out your luck too?”

Joshua pointed to a table not far away from where they’re standing. A fat noble had openly established a small gambling joint there. Joshua saw a young templar throwing down his wallet to bet on their archbishop’s victory.