"Isn’t that part of Flame Alchemy?"

Lucy asked, a confused look appearing on her face as she dropped the novel she had been reading on the table.

The question lingered in the workshop for a moment.

"It’s not the same, I guess."

Ezra replied thoughtfully.

The tip of his pen rested against the paper while he thought about the difference.

Unfortunately, he couldn’t think of anything that differentiated the path of Sun Alchemy and the Flame Alchemy path.

Still...

He instinctively knew they weren’t the same.

Just as Steel Alchemy differed from Gun Alchemy despite both involving metal.

The similarities only existed on the surface.

The foundations were completely different.

Rena nodded.

"I don’t know much about the Path itself either."

She rested both elbows on the table.

The fork in her hand moved lazily back and forth as she spoke.

"Andraver never revealed the secrets behind it."

Her eyes drifted toward the ceiling.

Almost as though she was trying to remember stories from her childhood.

"Because of that, countless people wanted it."

She laughed softly.

"The Royal Family, especially the Burnwick Duke House, some powerful Alchemists, top scholars and even entire organizations. They all approached him."

Her smile widened slightly.

"They begged him to teach their descendants the Path of the Sun."

"But he refused."

Ezra calmly finished the sentence.

"Correct, boy."

Rena pointed her fork toward him.

Then she winked.

The pineapple slice that had been sitting on the fork the entire time finally disappeared into her mouth.

"When I was little, my parents used to tell me stories about him."

Her expression softened.

Back then, she had listened to those stories the same way children listened to tales about heroes and dragons.

"Andraver wasn’t just famous. He was legendary."

Her voice carried genuine admiration.

"Every young Alchemist wanted to become him."

For a moment, she looked almost nostalgic.

Then she sighed.

"But he disappeared."

Ezra’s voice remained flat.

The words came out naturally.

As though the conclusion had already been obvious.

"Yes."

Rena nodded.

A trace of sadness appeared on her face.

"Sadly."

For several seconds, nobody spoke, then...

"The only thing people know..."

Rena continued.

"...is that his disappearance happened sometime after the Second War between Britannia and the Servient Union."

She picked up another pineapple slice.

"The conflict only ended after the Holy Empire of Rome and several powerful nations intervened."

The sweet taste filled her mouth.

Yet the topic itself wasn’t sweet at all.

Lucy immediately nodded.

"I know that war."

Her eyes brightened slightly.

"It’s called the War of Aether."

"The war fought in the skies."

Ezra added.

His eyes remained on the incomplete alchemy circle before him.

"The amount of destructive power used was so large that it permanently altered sections of the atmosphere."

He leaned back slightly.

"At least that’s what the history books claim."

The workshop became quiet again.

The statement alone painted a frightening image.

A war capable of changing the sky itself.

Lucy looked toward Rena.

"Did you experience the war personally, Mrs. Rena?"

Rena paused.

Her fingers stopped moving.

Then she nodded.

"A little."

The playful atmosphere around her slowly faded.

The change wasn’t dramatic.

Yet both Ezra and Lucy noticed it.

She carefully placed her fork onto the plate.

The small metallic sound echoed softly, then she leaned back into her chair.

"Although, if you want more details about that war..."

Her gaze drifted toward the mansion.

"...you should ask Rogers."

Ezra looked up.

Lucy did the same.

"He was very much a participant."

A complicated emotion surfaced in her eyes.

Regret.

Sadness.

Memories that clearly hadn’t faded despite the passing years.

"But..."

She clasped her hands together.

The smile returned.

Though it looked weaker than before.

"I’m sure he doesn’t want to remember those days."

She slightly lowered her head.

"So please don’t bring it up around him."

Lucy immediately nodded.

"Okay."

"Don’t worry."

Ezra returned his attention to the papers.

"No one will mention it."

But, why did you pick our curiosity if you don’t want us asking?

He narrowed his eyes on Rena.

"Thank you, kids."

Rena smiled.

The heaviness in the atmosphere gradually disappeared.

Soon enough...

Work resumed.

Hours passed, then the day passed, then several more days passed.

Before they realized it, the final Alchemy Circle conversions for the exterior molds had been completed.

The planning phase was finally over.

Now, came the actual construction.

The Steam Furnace roared to life.

Heat spread throughout the workshop.

Rogers and Lenny carefully loaded aluminum ore into the furnace.

The metal slowly melted.

Its solid shape gradually disappeared beneath the intense temperature.

At the same time, Lucy, Ezra, and Rena performed Joint Alchemy to create the exterior molds needed for the casting process.

The three stood around the completed Alchemy Circle.

Their palms rested against the engraved symbols.

White and Grey Cognis flowed out from their bodies and streamed into the circle like countless threads gathering into a single river.

The Alchemy Circle lit up.

One pattern after another activated.

The engraved pathways glowed faintly beneath their feet.

As the Joint Alchemy continued, the first mold began taking shape and like that, they began performing joint Alchemy on all the drawn Alchemy circles of the exterior molds.

Large molds.

Small molds.

Curved molds.

Flat molds.

Every single exterior component required its own casting mold.

Nothing could be rushed.

A single mistake would mean wasting both materials and time.

Once the molds were completed, they were carefully transferred into the baking furnace.

Although similar in appearance to the Steam Furnace, the baking furnace served an entirely different purpose.

It wasn’t built for smelting ore.

Instead, it specialized in controlling and maintaining precise temperatures.

Much like the heating devices used during circuit creation, it could retain heat for long periods.

At the same time, its internal temperature could be reduced rapidly whenever cooling was required during the casting process.

Because of that function, it became the perfect tool for manufacturing exterior parts.

It’s also one of the main machines used for mass production, by the industries and metal companies in Britannia.

That was how the creation process began.

The aluminum ore and other needed ores had already been prepared.

The molds were ready.

The furnaces were operating.

Everything had finally reached the stage where actual production could begin.

Inside the Steam Furnace, the aluminum slowly melted.

The solid metal gradually transformed into a glowing liquid.

Heat spread throughout the workshop.

The air itself felt warmer.

Sweat occasionally appeared on everyone’s foreheads as they continued working.

Once the aluminum reached the required state, it was carefully poured into the prepared molds.

Nobody spoke during those moments, because of how everyone remained focused.

The glowing liquid metal flowed into each mold.

Then came the waiting.

The cooling.

The inspection and the refinement.

After the cast pieces hardened, they were removed and carefully smoothed.

Any imperfections were corrected.

The finished parts were then transported to a safe section of the workshop where they were arranged neatly according to their purpose.

Then the entire process repeated.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Days slowly passed.

The pile of completed components steadily grew larger.

Until eventually...

Every exterior part had been completed and the assembly stage finally began.

The invention slowly started taking shape.

At first, it looked like a collection of unrelated components.

Then a frame appeared.

Then the body.

Then the doors.

Then the wheel arches.

Each passing day revealed more of the design.

The expectations Lucy, Rogers, Rena, and Lenny had carried since seeing the blueprint slowly transformed into reality.

And the reality was somehow even better than what they imagined.

The elegant body.

The smooth lines.

The noble appearance.

The vehicle gradually became more magnificent with each completed section.

Even Ezra found himself occasionally stopping to observe the progress.

Although his expression remained mostly unchanged, he couldn’t deny the satisfaction building inside him.

During the assembly process, he also made several modifications to the interior.

Ideas from his previous life.

Small conveniences.

Better comfort.

Improved arrangements.

The additions weren’t large enough to alter the core structure, but they still required extra time.

As a result, the creation period became longer than originally expected.

Still...

Nobody complained.

Instead, everyone became even more invested.

Sleepless nights became common.

Workshop lights remained active long after midnight.

Some nights, they worked until dawn before finally taking a short rest.

The closer they got to completion, the harder it became to stop.

Excitement continued building.

Even Lucy, who normally maintained her calm maid composure, occasionally found herself staring at the unfinished Phantom Rolls with sparkling eyes.

Eventually, however, Rena had to leave.

Her responsibilities couldn’t wait forever.

Still, she left satisfied.

Before departing, she spent several minutes walking around the nearly completed vehicle.

Examining every section.

Every curve.

Every detail.

By the time she stepped into her Steam Carriage, she carried a smile of genuine satisfaction.

A whole month passed before the creation process finally ended.

The invention was complete.

***

It was early in the morning.

The grass surrounding the mansion was still covered with traces of morning dew.

Cool air drifted across the open field.

Ezra, Rogers, and a completely exhausted Lenny jogged around the large grassy area surrounding the estate.

"COME ON, YOU BRAT!"

Roger’s loud voice echoed across the field.

Lenny looked like someone whose soul had already left his body.

His legs moved purely through willpower.

Each step looked painful.

"Why the hell am I jogging when I’m supposed to be enjoying my first vacation?!"

Lenny complained.

His breathing sounded terrible.

"You lazy brat!"

Roger immediately barked back.

"Who said we came here to play around?"

He shot Lenny a displeased look.

Despite his age, the old blacksmith maintained a steady pace.

Sweat dripped from his face.

His clothes were soaked.

Yet his breathing remained stable.

"I haven’t exercised properly because of the project!"

He pointed dramatically ahead.

"So now WE EXERCISE!"

Then he accelerated.

Lenny stared at him with an annoyed expression.

Argh...

This damn old man is only acting like this because Auntie is gone.

The thought remained safely inside his head.

There was no chance he would say it aloud.

Not if he wanted to survive.

Ahead of them, Ezra continued jogging steadily.

His pace remained consistent.

Not fast.

Not slow.

Just steady.

Eventually Roger ran past him.

"You are an Alchemist!"

The old man laughed loudly.

"So, increase your pace! HAHAHAHA!"

Ezra narrowed his eyes.

Then continued moving at exactly the same speed.

The sight somehow made Roger laugh even harder.

After finishing their morning exercise, the three returned to the mansion.

They cleaned themselves up.

Changed clothes.

And enjoyed the breakfast Lucy had prepared.

Several hours later...

The moment they had all been waiting for finally arrived.

"Alright."

Ezra stood before the covered invention.

Lucy held the Starlix 11 carefully with both hands.

Ready to record.

Lenny stood slightly behind her, barely containing his excitement.

As for Roger...

"Ready, Master."

Lucy gave him a thumbs-up.

Ezra nodded.

Then Lucy started recording.

"Hey, my fellow Britannians."

Ezra spoke in his usual calm voice.

However, the way he carried himself felt different.

Like a presenter.

Like someone unveiling an important product.

A faint smile appeared on his face.

Just enough to make him look approachable.

Not enough to feel forced.

"We also know how beautiful our Steam Carriages are."

Ezra slowly walked slowly around the covered invention.

"Especially when we’re talking about Noble and Royal Steam Carriages."

The afternoon breeze lightly moved his hair, while the camera followed him.

"The craftsmanship of the carriage, the decorations, the expensive materials. They are all beautiful."

His voice remained calm.

Not loud.

Not emotional.

Yet the confidence behind his words made them easy to listen to.

"Noble families spend enormous amounts of money making their carriages look more luxurious."

Ezra continued.

"Gold decorations, Silver engravings, Rare woods, even precious gems."

As he spoke, Lucy carefully adjusted the camera angle.

Her movements weren’t perfect.

Occasionally, the frame shifted slightly.

Still...

She was doing her best.

And strangely enough, that made the recording feel more natural.

"But..."

Ezra slowly walked toward the opposite side of the covered invention.

His hand lightly brushed against the cloth concealing the vehicle.

"What happens if you remove all those decorations and engravings?"

His gaze remained fixed on the camera.

"What happens if you place a Noble Steam Carriage beside a Royal Steam Carriage and compare them to an ordinary Steam Carriage?"

He paused.

Allowing the question to linger.

Allowing people to think.

The wind gently rustled the grass surrounding the mansion.

In the distance, birds could be heard.

Then Ezra finally continued.

"The answer is simple."

He returned to the center, his expression remained calm.

"They’re all fundamentally the same."

His hand rested against the cover.

"The exterior shape never truly changes."

The statement carried more weight than expected.

Because it was true.

People spent fortunes adding more decorations to their carriages.

Yet very few people ever questioned the shape itself.

"That’s why I thought of something different."

Ezra’s fingers tightened around the cover.

"Just as the fashion of clothing continues to change with every generation."

The afternoon breeze gently moved the edges of the cloth.

"And just as accessories continue to improve in different beautiful forms."

His gaze remained fixed on the camera.

A faint smile rested on his face again.

"I present a new evolution of what a true noble/royal-class Steam Carriage should look like."

With a single motion...

He pulled away the cover.

The cloth slid down.

The invention appeared.

For a brief moment, the world seemed to pause.

The black exterior reflected the afternoon sunlight beautifully.

The polished surface gleamed beneath the clear sky.

Every curve flowed naturally into the next.

Every line felt intentional.

The elegant silhouette stood proudly in the open field, carrying both noble dignity and modern beauty.

Even through the camera lens, the vehicle looked breathtaking.

The sunlight danced across the black paintwork.

Reflections shifted as the angle changed.

The entire carriage seemed alive beneath the afternoon sun.

Lucy immediately moved, with the Starlix remaining steady in her hands as she carefully circled around the invention.

The front.

The sides.

The wheel arches.

The rear.

Every angle revealed another layer of beauty, every movement captured another detail.

Then Ezra calmly placed a hand on the roof.

"I give you all..." His voice remained steady. "...the Phantom Rolls."

The moment those words left his mouth...

Roger activated the engine.

Whummm...

The Steam Engine came alive.

Unlike ordinary Steam Carriages, the sound wasn’t rough or aggressive.

It didn’t rattle.

It also didn’t shake violently.

Instead, a smooth and refined hum spread through the air.

The vibration felt controlled, balanced and powerful.

The sound carried a strange sense of luxury.

Almost as though the machine itself understood it belonged to something special.

A chill immediately ran down Lenny’s spine.

His eyes widened.

The grin on his face appeared before he even realized it.

"This is so freaking cool."

The words escaped naturally, but low toned.

Even Lucy couldn’t stop the pleased expression that appeared on her face.

Her eyes sparkled slightly as she continued recording.

Inside the driver’s seat, Roger looked even happier.

The old blacksmith rested both hands on the steering controls and pressed the accelerator.

Once.

Then again.

Then once more.

Like a child who had received his favorite toy.

Each response from the engine only made his smile grow wider.

The smooth roar echoed through the field.

After allowing several more shots to be captured, Ezra finally raised his hand.

The signal was immediate.

Lucy stopped recording and the video ended.

The group quickly gathered around the Starlix 11.

Roger climbed out of the driver’s seat.

Lenny practically rushed over.

The footage began playing.

Everyone watched carefully.

Some scenes looked perfect.

Others needed improvement.

A few camera angles failed to properly showcase the vehicle.

Several sections of Ezra’s presentation felt slightly rushed.

Because of that, multiple scenes had to be recorded again.

The process repeated several times.

Each retake became cleaner.

Each adjustment improved the overall presentation.

Ezra approached the task seriously.

After all...

This wasn’t simply a video.

This was the first public introduction of the Phantom Rolls.

The first impression Britannia would receive.

Naturally, it needed to be as good as possible.

Fortunately, the Book of Memories contained more than knowledge about engineering and warfare.

After retiring from the army in his previous life, his past-self had spent countless hours watching content online.

Influencers.

Comedians.

Talk-show hosts.

Product reviewers.

Advertisement campaigns and Presentation videos.

Which was now stored in the book, giving information on the way they spoke.

The way they held attention.

The timing of their pauses.

The pacing of their presentations.

All of that information remained preserved inside the Book of Memories.

Ezra carefully borrowed those techniques.

Not copying them directly.

But adapting them to fit Britannia’s culture.

The results became obvious.

The presentation steadily improved.

The pacing felt smoother.

The unveiling felt more impactful.

The final product looked increasingly professional.

Eventually...

Everyone agreed they had gotten the perfect version.

Ezra watched the completed video one final time.

The Phantom Rolls appeared on the screen.

The unveiling.

The engine demonstration.

The exterior showcase.

Everything flowed naturally.

Satisfied, he nodded.

Without hesitation, he opened his Linsta account.

Then uploaded the presentation video for the Phantom Rolls.

The moment the upload finished; the invention officially entered the eyes of Britannia.

Now...

All that remained was waiting for the reaction.