Chapter 825: Farewells and Gifts

As winter gradually drew to a close, the Typhon delegation’s time to leave Cecil had finally arrived.

Inside the Autumn Palace, a farewell banquet was already underway. In the corner of the grand hall, a small orchestra played soft, cheerful melodies. Under the glow of the magic crystal lamps, the gleaming metal cutlery and gently swaying glasses of fine wine shimmered with an intoxicating luster. A light, peaceful atmosphere filled the room, lifting the spirits of everyone present.

Matilda Augustus, dressed in an elegant court gown, stood at the far end of the hall. Rebecca, also clad in formal court attire, approached the foreign princess with a plate of small cakes, greeting her with a bright smile. “Matilda! You’re leaving today, aren’t you?”

Though Rebecca and Matilda hadn’t met often over the past several days, Rebecca’s outgoing nature made it easy for her to strike up friendships—or at least, to try. In their limited conversations, Rebecca was pleasantly surprised to find that the Typhon princess genuinely understood mathematics and magical engineering, unlike the superficial image others had assumed she was projecting to appear clever. This quickly gave them a solid common ground.

And that shared interest helped bridge the gap between them—at least, that’s how Rebecca saw it.

“I’ll write to you,” Matilda smiled, looking at this “Pearl of Cecil” who was so different from the many noblewomen she knew. Though they held equal status, their lives and personalities were worlds apart. Rebecca’s boundless energy and casual manner had initially unsettled Matilda, but after a few meetings, she found the lively girl surprisingly likable. “The journey between Aldern and Cecil is long, but now that we have trains and direct diplomatic channels, we can continue our discussions through letters.”

She smiled warmly, and Rebecca returned an even more genuine, radiant smile.

Matilda felt a twinge of regret. When she first met Rebecca, she knew this seemingly youthful girl was actually one of the key pioneers of modern magical engineering. She had hoped to glean some real, cutting-edge secrets from her. But after several encounters, their talks remained limited to pure mathematics or conventional magical and mechanical technology.

This straightforward girl wasn’t as naïve as she appeared—she was simply smart enough to keep her guard up.

Yet, as Rebecca’s bright smile shone before her, Matilda’s regrets quickly melted away.

“Be sure to tell me more about Aldern when you write,” Rebecca said eagerly. “I’ve never been to such a faraway place!”

“Of course. And if you ever have the chance, I’d be delighted to host you in Aldern,” Matilda replied. “It’s a friendly city, and the view of the mist from the Obsidian Palace is truly beautiful.”

Rebecca’s eyes sparkled with longing, then suddenly she turned toward Matilda’s back, her face lighting up. “Ah! Your Majesty is here!”

Matilda immediately turned around to see the tall, imposing figure of Gawain Cecil, dressed in royal regalia, approaching with a smile.

The Typhon princess stepped forward and gave a flawless bow. “I salute you, great King Cecil.”

Gawain accepted the greeting with a smile, then glanced at Rebecca standing nearby. “Rebecca, you haven’t caused any trouble today, have you?”

“Not at all!” Rebecca quickly waved her hands. “I was just chatting with Matilda!”

“Rebecca is a wonderful friend, especially with her insights into mathematics, mechanics, and runes—I admire her greatly,” Matilda said politely, smoothly shifting the conversation. “Also, thank you very much for your generous hospitality these past days. I’ve experienced firsthand the warmth and kindness of the people of Cecil, and witnessed the city’s prosperity.”

“I hope this experience leaves you with a good impression. It will mark a promising start to a new era between our two nations,” Gawain nodded slightly, then beckoned to the attendants nearby. “Matilda, before you depart, I have prepared gifts for you and Empress Rosetta Augustus—my personal tokens of goodwill. I hope you will like them.”

It was a long-standing tradition among the nobility to exchange farewell gifts, usually swords, armor, or precious magical artifacts. But Matilda instinctively felt that these gifts from the legendary pioneer might be something special. Curiosity flickered in her eyes as she looked at the two attendants stepping forward, each carrying a finely crafted box. Judging by their size and shape, these were clearly not swords or armor.

Soon, she saw what Gawain Cecil had brought: a book, and a strange metal cube.

Both items piqued her curiosity, but her gaze first settled on the metal cube. Compared to the book, this cube was far more puzzling. It appeared to be made of a series of neatly stacked small cubes, each etched with different runes. It looked like some kind of magical device, but its purpose was unclear.

“It’s called a ‘Rune Cube,’” Gawain explained. “I made it during my leisure time, and later my chief runesmith, Jenny, modified it. You can think of it as a toy, or a tool to train your mind. I know you’re interested in mathematics and runes, so this should suit you well.”

At his prompting, Matilda carefully lifted the cube from its box. To her surprise, it was much lighter than she expected. As she fiddled with it, she discovered that the small cubes were all movable. When she twisted one face, she immediately felt the weight shift in her hand.

Though not a mage herself, Matilda’s knowledge of magic was considerable. She quickly realized the reason: the cube’s initial lightness was due to a weight-reducing rune embedded within. But as she turned the cube, the rune’s effect was interrupted.

Inside the cube was likely a miniature magic network unit supplying power, and the arrangement of the small cubes allowed the runes to combine in various ways. Through the mechanical rotation of this lifeless metal, a subtle magical force quietly flowed.

Matilda blinked, staring intently at the cube in her hands.

It was like a microcosm of magical engineering.

Just a toy… but somehow, more than just a toy.

Though initially puzzled by the “toy” nature of the gift, Matilda’s thoughts soon shifted to the other present.

It was a book with a blue hardcover, not very thick. The cover bore gilded handwritten letters:

“Society and Machines” — a gift for Empress Rosetta Augustus.

“This is a book recently compiled by our scholars,” Gawain said with a faint smile. “It also contains some of my own thoughts on social development and the future. If your father has time to read it, it might help him understand the way we people of Cecil think.”

Matilda’s eyes slowly swept over the two gifts.

Truly, these were special presents, each carrying deep meaning to ponder.

She smiled and instructed the attendants to carefully store the gifts. Then she looked at Gawain. “I will carry your goodwill back to Aldern—along with the documents and memoranda we signed.”

“A new era of prosperity and peace begins here,” Gawain smiled in return, taking a glass of red wine and raising it slightly. “It’s worth a toast.”

Matilda lifted her glass as well. The two crystal-clear goblets chimed crisply in the air. “To a new era of prosperity and peace.”

…

The banquet ended with everyone in high spirits.

At the train station leading to the Eastern Territories, the train carrying the Typhon delegation smoothly glided forward, accelerating as it gradually disappeared toward the distant horizon.

Their departure, along with the agreements reached, would dominate tomorrow’s newspapers and become the talk of Cecil’s citizens for a time. But soon, it would fade from public attention. Ordinary people would return to their busy, fulfilling lives. Only the sharp-nosed merchants and dutiful officials would continue to follow the matter.

Yet the long-term effects—the subtle shifts in the continent’s balance of power—would quietly ferment beneath the surface, slowly seeping into everyone’s lives without most even noticing.

Rebecca stood on the Autumn Palace terrace, fiddling with a small golden pendant—the gift Matilda had given her. She looked toward the city’s edge and sighed softly, “They’re gone.”

Gawain, standing beside her, turned his head. “Do you like Matilda?”

“Under normal circumstances, she could be a good friend,” Rebecca considered, then shook her head. “But she’s a Typhon.”

Gawain’s curiosity deepened. “What if you didn’t consider her background?”

“She’s not bad to talk to. She really likes and is good at math and mechanics—it’s clear she studies seriously. But she’s obviously thinking about other things too. The magical engineering knowledge… she claims it’s a hobby, but I think that’s only a small part of it,” Rebecca frowned. “She lives a much harder life than I do.”

Gawain looked at her with some surprise. “You can sense something so deep?”

Rebecca immediately waved her hands. “Ah, Your Majesty, you don’t understand how girls communicate.”

Gawain wasn’t offended; he just looked at her with a fond smile and shook his head. “That Typhon princess is definitely more burdened than you. I can feel the tension around her—it’s always there. She’s still young and not good at hiding it.”

Rebecca listened thoughtfully, then hesitated before muttering, “Hey, Your Majesty, do you think I should learn to be more like that? After all, I’m a princess too. What if one day you…”

She suddenly froze mid-sentence, realizing she shouldn’t say more. She hunched her shoulders and cautiously looked up at Gawain’s expression. The progress she’d made was that she could now sense when not to speak—but unfortunately, what she’d said was enough for him to fill in the rest. Gawain’s face immediately twisted into a strange expression.

He looked at the shrinking Rebecca with a complex gaze and sighed inwardly. Perhaps one day his reign would come to an end—and Rebecca… might just be the one to drive him back to his feet again.

After some thought, he decided it was best to keep pushing forward—maybe, by the time he reached the end of his journey, he could even posthumously crown that silly little stag king…

Rebecca, however, had no idea what was running through Gawain’s mind (and even if she did, she probably wouldn’t have much to say about it). She just stared off into space for a moment, then suddenly seemed to remember something. “Oh, right, ancestor—Typhon’s delegation has left, so next should be the envoys from the Holy Dragon Principality, right?”

Gawain was a bit surprised that Rebecca was keeping track of such details, but he nodded. “Byron has already set out for the north. Besides helping build the Northern Port, his other task is to welcome the Holy Dragon Principality’s delegation. Originally, they were supposed to arrive in the southern territories before the end of the Frost Moon, but some delays in correspondence pushed things back. Now it looks like they won’t get here until at least the Month of Renewal. But that’s fine—it means their arrival won’t overlap with Typhon’s people, so our arrangements will be a bit easier.”

“That’s great…” Rebecca squinted, a hopeful smile spreading across her face. “They’re Maggie’s kin… I wonder if we could be friends.”

Friends…

Gawain’s gaze grew distant as he quietly pondered that word.

The Dragonborn, with their mysterious origins and unknown ties to the dragons of Talrond… If they could truly be brought into the Cecil Settlement, that would indeed be a blessing.

(End of chapter)