Chapter 50: Ophelia
By the time Raven returned to the rented mansion, the sky had already darkened into deep violet. It was nearly 9 P.M.
The assassination of the Prime Minister had plunged the Capital into a state of absolute lockdown. Main roads were barricaded, checkpoints doubled, and every street bristled with armed officers and Royal Guards.
The Emperor's decree spread like wildfire:
The 66th Prince was officially branded a Rebel.
City gates sealed. No entry. No exit. For one full week.
Raven stepped out of the carriage, top hat pulled low.
'Oh? Only a rebel? Not a traitor?'
He almost laughed.
The moment he entered the mansion gate, three familiar figures rushed toward him.
"My Lord?!"
"Where were you?"
"Are you hurt?"
Jacob, Selene, and Stephanie nearly collided with him, faces pale with worry.
"What's wrong?" Raven blinked. "Why are you three reacting like this?"
Jacob spoke first, voice tight.
"The whole Capital is in chaos, My Lord! The Prime Minister was assassinated!"
"We heard it on the streets. The city's shut down," Selene added.
Raven nodded and handed Jacob a leather pouch.
"There are five hundred gold coins. Extend our stay for one more week. And book the return ticket to Giaris for October first."
"Yes, My Lord." Jacob bowed and left immediately.
Raven climbed the stairs, his voice drifting behind him.
"I'll stay inside for the next seven days. Closed training. No one comes upstairs or into the basement except Selene, Stephanie, or Jacob."
He reached the third floor, entered his room, and shut the door.
"It will take a while for Judith to track me," he murmured. "Security is too tight."
But once she learned he lived right next to her mansion the entire time?
She would barge in without knocking.
'No help for it… To secure backing for Thomas Holmes, I need to do this.'
[Can you tell me the reason now?] Zera asked.
Raven sighed and sat on the bed.
'Because the link between Thomas and Raven will surface eventually. The intelligence department will investigate everything.'
He began listing the clues.
'One: I arrived on the exact day of Aunt Shirley's hearing.
Two: Everyone knows Charles Nightwind is Raven's mentor. I used his name during my registration as Thomas.
Three: I used Thomas's identity to enter the courtroom.'
[Ah. That's enough to tie the identities together eventually.]
'Exactly. Even without proof, they'll fabricate reasons to arrest me. The Wizard Alliance and the Emperor both will.'
[Then why expose Thomas to Judith?]
Raven leaned back.
'Because when the investigation begins, they'll ask how Raven slipped into the courtroom. The policeman who led me inside knows only my first name: Thomas.'
He continued:
'Thomas will become a prime target. They'll check the Wizards' Guild, the Mercenary Guild. They'll find Thomas Holmes, Charles Nightwind's disciple… and arrest me.'
He smirked darkly.
'Before they dig too deep, I need Judith to erase those traces.'
[Judith is perfect for that.]
'Yes.'
Satisfied, Raven changed out of his formal attire, lay down, and let sleep take him.
…
Next day, Raven spend him time reading the book about electricity and about how the signal pass. If it were an ordinary mortal, they would need over a month to memorize the book. But thanks to 'Instant Memorize' skill, Raven completed the book by evening itself.
'How could a signal travel through a wire without the message being lost? How could the receiver distinguish one signal from another? And if a signal could carry a coded message, could the same principle be adapted to spirit power?'
[Why not? There are already some communication spell books in memory library. You can refer them if you want. You might get a lead about how signal moves. Though electricty and spirit may appear opposite as electricity is science and spirit is magic, both follow similar concept.] Zera chimmed in.
"You mean… the underlying principles of communication might be the same, even if the mediums are different?"
[Yes. Even I'm not much of an expert in this field. You better refer the spell models related to communication and study them. You might fild some clues.] Zera said in his mind.
Raven entered the memory library right away and started searching for all the Rank-1 spell books related to communication.
"Hmm, Telepathic Bond, Animal Messenger, Beast Sense, Speak with Plants, Shadow Summon, Familiar Summon, Thought Transmission, Mental Whisper, Collective Consciousness, Psychic Broadcast, Astral Message…" Raven actually found over a dozen of spell books related to communication.
For the next seven days, Raven immersed himself in the communication spellbooks, deciphering their runewords and studying their spell models. Gradually, he recognized a common principle. Most communication spells involved three processes: forming a thought, transmitting it, and receiving it. Forming and understanding thoughts were relatively simple. Transmitting information over a distance was the real challenge.
Even an apprentice wizard could extend their spirit power roughly twenty feet beyond their body. By shaping it through a Telepathic Bond spell model, they could transmit thoughts to a specific person and receive their thoughts in return. Spells such as Animal Messenger and Beast Sense used spirit imprints to establish bonds between wizards and beasts, allowing them to sense their master's emotions and respond to their intentions.
But Raven wasn't interested in creating another communication spell. He wanted to understand electricity.
How does electricity carry a message?
He returned to his notes on Francis Ronalds' experiments. A wire could conduct electricity, but electricity itself wasn't the message. Something had to change at the sending end, and the receiving end had to detect that change.
Then what happens when the sender opens or closes a circuit? Does the electrical current begin or stop? And if the current can be controlled deliberately, could those changes represent different symbols?
He began to see the logic. A telegraph didn't need to transmit letters as physical objects. The sender could use a switch to control an electrical circuit, producing a sequence of signals. A brief electrical pulse could represent one symbol, a longer pulse another, and the intervals between them could help distinguish one signal from the next. At the receiving end, a mechanism would detect the changes and record or display them. If both ends followed the same code, the receiver could reconstruct the original message.
But how does the receiver know when one signal ends and another begins? What prevents a weak signal from being mistaken for a strong one? And how can the receiver distinguish a deliberate signal from an accidental fluctuation?
Those were the real problems. The system needed a reliable source of electrical power, a way to control the current, a receiver sensitive enough to detect its changes, and an agreed method of encoding and decoding the signals.
Raven studied Ronalds' notes again, paying particular attention to his use of synchronized letter dials and electrical signals. He finally understood the fundamental principle: the wire did not carry the meaning of the message. It carried controlled changes that the receiver could interpret according to a predetermined system.
If I can control the signal, distinguish its different states, and ensure the receiver interprets them correctly, then information can travel through a wire.
It wasn't a complete design, but it was a workable theory. Raven now understood the problem Francis was trying to solve—and, more importantly, the questions he needed to ask next.
He also focused on concocting potions the next seven days.
Poison Affinity PotionBlood Affinity PotionDarkness Affinity PotionLightning Affinity Potion
And using rare materials, he brewed:
Four Rank-1 Strength Potions — Brew of MightThree Rank-1 Agility Potions — Nectar of Agility
Each temporary doubling stats for ten full minutes.
Beginner Radiant Walker strength… for ten minutes.
Dangerous, but priceless.
Simultaneously, his Spearmanship comprehension soared to 89%.
…
September 30th, 1420 Rune Era
Morning sunlight warmed his room as Raven sat up, refreshed.
He summoned his status panel.
…
[Status Window]
Name: Raven SillalusJorvot
Age: 15
Nationality: Zenith Empire
Titles: 66th Prince, Rebel Prince
Level: 9
Class: Acolyte Warlock (8th Circle)
Soul Rank: Mortal
Life Pathway: Beginner Alchemist
Health: Normal
Attributes
Strength: 9.9
Agility: 9.9
Vitality: 9.9
Luck: 4
Spirit: 19.99
Bloodline Spells:
Iron Resilience, Poison Touch, Fortuitous Finder (Completed), Blood Control, Face Morph, Mind Eye, Cold Breath, Past Self, Eye of Destruction, Shadow Shift, Memory Seal
Additional Skills:
Basic Spearmanship (89%), Ruler's Dominance (Beginner)
Affinities:
Life—Low
Blood—Low
Poison—Low
Lightning—Low
Darkness—Low
Time—Low
Ice—Genius
Spear—Low
…
Raven blinked.
'Four points of Luck?'
[I assume it came from the Prime Minister's death. Maybe that's the limit of the Luck Circlet.]
'Maybe…'
He shifted his focus inward—into Mind Space. Most spell models had already merged into their respective elemental circlets.
Only two models remained separate: Memory Seal and Face Morph.
'All circlets are filled except Light… and the tenth slot.'
[Those two spells don't need elemental energy. Replace the Light circlet with another element. I recommend Time and either Darkness or Lightning.]
'Time and Darkness… good for escaping. I'll do that soon.'
He rose, bathed in hot water, and changed into clean attire—a charcoal-gray frock coat with silver embroidery, a crisp shirt, a red cravat with a sapphire pin, polished boots, gloves, and his top hat.
He adjusted his monocle—
A knock.
"My Lord, a guest has arrived," Jacob called.
Raven opened the door. "Who?"
Jacob's face tensed.
"Daley Findlay, My Lord. And… he brought a Wizard."
"A Wizard?" Raven narrowed his eyes. "Let's meet them."
…
The main hall was bright with lamplight as Raven descended.
Daley stood at the front—dressed in a navy blue suit with golden embroidery, smiling nervously.
Behind him stood a woman.
And the temperature in the room dropped instantly.
She was older—silver hair pinned elegantly, wearing a deep azure robe etched with frost-like patterns. Ice-blue eyes scanned the room like frozen blades. Two attendants stood behind her: Maisie and Kingston.
Raven's monocle glinted as he inspected her.
…
[Ophelia Nas Ritter]
Age: 548
Race: Human
Affiliation: Crows' Misery — Velvet Circlet Elite
Title: Winter Witch
Class: Expert Wizard (8th Circle)
Traits: Cold-Hearted, Practical, Selfish, Greedy, Narrow-Minded, Impulsive…
Current Status: Disappointed, Angry, Regretful
Affinities: Ice—Extraordinary, Earth—Intermediate
(Other stats hidden)
…
'Velvet Circlet… deep roots in Crows' Misery. Far more than I expected.'
Raven bowed politely and sat across from her.
"I'm Thomas Holmes, Ma'am. How can I help you?"
Ophelia finally spoke—her voice cold and sharp.
"I'm Ophelia, Ice Wizard, teacher at Crows' Misery. Tell me—how did you know my disciple hit a bottleneck due to low Ice affinity?"
Raven's thoughts raced.
Daley didn't tell her about the Spatial affinity? Did he hide it?
"I can't answer that, Ma'am," he said calmly. "But it's true—your disciple's bottleneck comes from Low-Rank Ice affinity."
Ophelia scoffed.
"We checked his affinity during admission. It showed High—maybe higher. If I'd known otherwise, I would've chosen Talia."
Daley lowered his head, trembling.
"I'm sorry, Master…"
Raven frowned inwardly.
She took him because of family background and affinity… and now regrets it.
"You didn't recheck his affinity?" Raven asked.
Silence. A hint of shame passed through her eyes.
She had twenty-two disciples. Most were average. Checking their growth frequently wasn't worth her time.
"I didn't check until yesterday," she admitted. "But that isn't why I came."
Her gaze sharpened—predatory, probing.
"I came to find out how you discovered his low affinity when I couldn't."
The temperature in the hall dropped further, frost creeping across the edges of her aura.
Raven met her gaze calmly.
He had expected this.
'She's dangerous. One wrong word and she'll become an enemy.'
Raven lifted the fruit juice to his lips, took a slow sip, and then spoke:
"Lady Judith said Affinity Potions are possible to concoct. Why not ask her to help your disciple, Ma'am?"
Ophelia's frown deepened.
"That is not an answer to my question." Her voice dropped several degrees—sharp, cold, suffocating. Frost crept through the air.
Raven didn't flinch.
"I advise you not to act recklessly, Ma'am. This isn't an ordinary house—it's the Crown's Tavern."
He turned his head to the left.
Two blue-uniformed guards stood a few steps from the entrance, rifles raised and pointed directly at Ophelia.
Annoyance flashed across her face.
"Haa… You think concocting an affinity potion is easy, kid?"
Her voice rose sharply.
"I don't know how Judith got her hands on such a potion, but she must be bluffing. Only a handful of powerhouses in the Main Continent possess Affinity Potion formulas! Even in the Arcane Mist Empire, a High-Rank potion costs ten thousand Arcane Coins—around hundred million gold! Do you think someone like me can afford that? If I had that money, would I be running errands in this barbaric land?!"
Her breath steamed in the cold air.
"Now answer me—how did you know his Ice affinity was low?"
Raven set the glass down.
He had been prepared for this.
"I discovered it because I have a deep understanding of the Ice element," Raven said calmly. "My teacher said those with 'Extraordinary' or 'Genius' affinity can sense another's elemental rank at a glance. I sensed his unstable Ice spell models the moment I saw him. I'm simply… surprised you didn't."
Ophelia froze.
For a moment—pure silence.
Then she exhaled sharply.
"I–I sensed something irregular long ago. I assumed it was a bloodline trait," she muttered, waving the topic away before it damaged her pride further.
Her gaze sharpened again.
"And you claim you already have a teacher. Who is it?"
Raven reached into his coat and produced a peculiar badge engraved with a cockscomb flower.
"My teacher is someone you might recognize."
Ophelia's eyes widened the instant she saw it.
Then they narrowed.
"Haa… so you've already been taken." Her tone dripped with disappointment. She rose abruptly. "I'm returning to the Academy. Daley—come to my office when you return. I will draft your expulsion papers."
"T-Teacher?!" Daley jumped to his feet, panic spreading across his face.
But Ophelia didn't spare him a second glance.
Her body dissolved into a swirl of frost-mist and vanished.
Raven blinked.
'Teleportation?'
[More like she moved faster than you could perceive.]
The guards lowered their rifles and quietly left the hall.
Daley slumped into a chair, face buried in his hands.
"My life is… over…"
Raven took another sip of juice.
"Can we talk now?"
Daley's voice cracked. "What is there to talk about? I failed my Master… my family… everything…"
Raven set the glass down.
"I am gifted in both Ice and Spatial elements."
Daley froze. Maisie and Kingston, too.
Raven glanced at them.
"Can we talk privately?"
"They've been with me since I joined the Academy," Daley said. "They're trustworthy."
"I don't doubt their loyalty," Raven said gently, "but this is information that cannot be shared with anyone."
Daley hesitated… then nodded.
"Both of you—please wait outside."
Maisie and Kingston bowed and left.
Raven looked at his own attendants.
"Jacob, Selene, Stephanie, Harold—everyone. Please step out."
Soon, only Raven and Daley remained.
The air grew quiet.
Raven's expression hardened.
"In truth… I came to the Crown's Tavern under someone's order, Young Master Daley."
Daley frowned. "What are you talking about? Who?"
"We call him 'Prince.' He told me to save a soul from falling into despair."
Daley's heartbeat quickened.
Prince? Which prince? There are many…
"Is it the 66th Prince? Raven?" he asked, voice trembling.
Raven nodded.
"Although I've never met him personally, I know one thing: he wishes to prevent foreign powers from seizing influence in this Empire. He needs reliable aides. He sent an invitation… for you to join his Organization."
"Organization?" Daley leaned forward.
Zera's voice erupted inside Raven's mind:
[An organization?? When did you create that?!]
'Just now.'
Raven smiled.
"Golden Wheel."
Daley's brows knit. "What kind of organization is that?"
"An organization created by the Prince," Raven said smoothly, "to spread Wizardry knowledge to commoners and restore Zenith's glory. But entry isn't simple. Prince must observe you, assign tasks, and test your loyalty."
"So… it's to help him fight for the throne."
Daley paused.
"Why me? Not my cousin brothers?"
"Only the Prince knows. But he prophesized you have a Prodigy level Spatial affinity. You are a serpent born once in a billion."
A new robotic voice—NOT Zera's—echoed in Raven's mind:
[You have acquired 'Bullshitting' Skill.]
Raven did not react.
Daley stared, stunned.
"Prodigy level…? Above Genius?"
"Yes."
Daley swallowed hard. "What are the conditions to join?"
"There are three," Raven said firmly.
"First: swear never to expose Golden Wheel's existence. You must sign a Magic Contract.
Second: you must prioritize the Organization's goals above your own.
Third: never harm or reveal fellow members."
Daley hesitated. "And if I tell someone now and then join?"
"Prince sees past, present, and future," Raven replied calmly. "Speaking to you now is only a formal invitation. To truly join, you must earn his trust."
Daley took a deep breath.
"What benefits will I get?"
Raven leaned forward.
"The Organization will cure the Frost Curse placed upon you."
Daley's eyes widened.
"Frost… Curse? Does that mean I actually have High Ice Affinity but it was weakened by—"
"If you want answers," Raven interrupted, "prove your loyalty. Become an official member."
Daley clenched his fists.
A family member… cursing him? Weakening him?
The possibility shattered him.
"What must I do?"
"Quit the Academy voluntarily," Raven said. "Cut ties with your family's main house. To outsiders, it must look like you've given up your successor position. Also—stop taking Ice affinity medicine."
"That's all?"
"Yes. If you do so, the Prince will visit you personally, give you a code name, and reveal the gathering date."
"Gathering date?"
"There will be a meeting for Golden Wheel members. There, you can purchase rare spell models, top-tier techniques, recipes—even Elemental Circlet techniques."
Daley inhaled sharply.
"…Alright. I'll wait for the Prince."
He stood and walked toward the exit. Before leaving, he turned.
"One last question. Your code name?"
Raven smiled faintly.
"I'm not a member—only a messenger. But I do have a nickname."
He paused dramatically.
"Devil."
Daley stiffened.
"Ominous… but fitting. I like it."
He left the mansion.
…
A few minutes later, Jacob and the others returned, puzzled.
Raven stood up.
"When do we leave?"
"Today night, My Lord."
"Good."
He walked toward the dining hall.
The table was covered in a lavish spread—fresh scones and croissants, smoked fish, fruit platters, honeyed porridge, and steaming tea.
Raven ate calmly while Jacob asked,
"Is there anything else you require before departure?"
"Our train leaves at 11 P.M., yes?"
Jacob nodded.
"Prepare the carriage. Selene and Stephanie—come with me."
…
Mystic Cauldron
The streets buzzed as Raven, Selene, and Stephanie took a black carriage to their first stop: the Mystic Cauldron.
Anastasia bowed as soon as Raven walked in.
'She did a background check… I never told her my name.'
"Good morning, Mr. Holmes," she greeted.
"Good to see you again, Miss Anastasia." Raven smiled. "I want to sell a few potions."
He placed four vials—two Strength, two Agility—onto the counter.
"Freshly brewed."
Anastasia inspected them carefully, her fingers moving with practiced grace.
'The ingredients don't match the standard recipes. Did he invent a new type?'
"May I test them?"
"Yes."
She extracted a few drops and diluted them with a bluish liquid.
"Lila!"
A blonde young woman hurried in.
"Yes, My Lady?"
"Drink this."
Lila obeyed, and a moment later, Anastasia raised her palm.
"Punch my hand every ten seconds."
Lila punched. Then again. And again.
By the fifteenth punch, she had the strength of a Peak Official Realm Walker.
"Amazing…" Anastasia whispered.
At the thirtieth punch, Lila collapsed—weak, drained—but unharmed.
Anastasia caught her gently.
After stabilizing her, she turned back.
"Impressive quality. Not top-tier expert level, but certainly high-grade. Three thousand gold coins each."
She packed platinum coins into a pouch and handed it over.
"Accepted," Raven replied.
He then scanned the ingredients behind her.
"Can I get forty milliliters of Owl Feather Oil, thirty milliliters of Elder Treant Leaf Nectar, one hundred milliliters of Starlight Dewdrops, ten drops of Rank-2 Unicorn Tears, one liter of Crystal Spring Water, thirty milliliters of Snow Wyvern blood?"
Anastasia stared.
"…Are you attempting an Adept Rank potion?"
"My senior asked me to buy them."
She frowned.
"Can you afford it? Owl Feather Oil is four thousand gold coins… Elder Treant Nectar is seven thousand… Starlight Dewdrops—"
"I'll buy them next time," Raven cut her off.
'Thirty thousand gold just for materials…'
[You're only an Adept Alchemist theoretically. Your success rate is 1–1.5%.]
'…So I'd need a hundred sets to succeed once?'
He took a deep breath.
"I'll buy thirty sets of 'Mind of Insight' instead."
"That will be three thousand gold coins."
Raven paid without hesitation.
"Oh, did you meet Francis Ronalds?" Anasthasia asked as Raven and others prepared to leave.
"Yes, My Lady. We discussed a lot about his research last time. I might as well visit him again before leaving." Raven said after some thought.
"That's nice." Anastasia nodded.
Raven bid farewell to Anastasia and left the Mystic Cauldron with Selene and Stephanie.
Before leaving the city, he had one final stop to make.
Francis Ronalds.
The carriage rolled through the streets, eventually arriving at its destination. Raven asked Selene and Stephanie to wait inside while he stepped down and adjusted his bowler hat.
He approached the entrance and knocked.
A servant soon opened the door. After recognizing Raven, he welcomed him inside and led him to the workroom at the rear of the house.
"Mr. Holmes!" Francis Ronalds exclaimed when he saw his visitor. "I wasn't expecting you so soon."
"I hope I'm not disturbing you."
"Not at all. In fact, you've arrived at an interesting time." Ronalds gestured toward the apparatus on his worktable. "I've been trying to improve my electrical telegraph. I believe I'm getting closer, but there are still difficulties to overcome."
Raven smiled. "Then perhaps I can help you examine them."
Ronalds chuckled. "You certainly have a talent for asking questions that make me reconsider my work. Come in."
Raven approached the table. Several lengths of insulated wire stretched between wooden supports. Nearby stood an electrical machine, two instruments containing suspended pith balls, and a pair of circular dials marked with letters.
The books and research papers lay stacked on a chair beside the table.
Raven glanced at the apparatus before turning to Ronalds.
"Have you made any progress since our last meeting?"
"Some. I can produce an electrical charge, and I can observe its effects at the receiving end. But making the arrangement reliable enough for communication remains a challenge." Ronalds tapped one of the dials. "Even if the receiver detects a signal, I must ensure that the correct letter is identified."
Raven examined the instruments.
"Perhaps we should separate those difficulties. First, we need to establish whether the signal can be transmitted and detected reliably. Only then should we concentrate on how to interpret it."
Ronalds paused.
"I've been attempting to solve both problems together."
"Which makes it difficult to determine why an experiment fails," Raven observed. "If the receiving instrument doesn't respond, we won't know whether the signal failed to travel, the receiver failed to detect it, or the mechanism misidentified it."
Ronalds slowly nodded.
"You're right. Let us begin with the transmission itself."
He moved the books aside and prepared the electrical machine.
Raven watched as Ronalds checked the connections and examined the insulated wire.
"Shouldn't we repeat the same test several times?" Raven asked. "Charge the apparatus, observe the receiving instrument, discharge it, and repeat the process. If the response is consistent, we'll know the arrangement is functioning under these conditions."
"An excellent suggestion."
Ronalds began turning the machine. The apparatus produced an electrical charge, but the pith balls at the receiving end barely moved.
He frowned and inspected the connections again.
"Something is interfering with the result."
"Then we should change one thing at a time," Raven suggested. "Otherwise, even if the next attempt succeeds, we won't know which adjustment made the difference."
Ronalds gave him an approving look.
They checked the connections, examined the insulation, and adjusted the arrangement before trying again.
This time, the pith balls at the receiving end separated visibly.
Raven leaned closer.
"There."
Ronalds stared at the instrument.
"It responded!"
He repeated the experiment. The pith balls moved again when the electrical charge reached the receiving apparatus. After discharging the instrument and allowing the balls to settle, he performed the test once more.
The result was consistent.
Ronalds let out a delighted laugh.
"We have demonstrated that the electrical effect can be detected at a distance through the wire!"
"Under these conditions," Raven reminded him. "We still need to determine how reliable it is over longer distances and repeated transmissions."
"Quite right." Ronalds was still smiling. "But at least we now know what to investigate next."
His attention shifted to the two circular letter dials.
"The next difficulty is identifying the message. My intention is to use synchronized dials. If both rotate at the same rate, the same letter should occupy the corresponding position at each end. A signal would indicate when the recipient should read the letter."
Raven studied the dials.
"Then their synchronization is just as important as the signal itself. Even if the electrical effect reaches the receiver perfectly, the message could still be wrong if the dials have drifted out of alignment."
"Precisely. A slight difference in their rates could gradually separate the corresponding letters."
"Could we begin by setting both dials to the same starting position, then test whether they remain aligned over a short interval? We should verify that they move together before attempting to transmit a message."
Ronalds considered the suggestion.
"Yes. We needn't solve every difficulty at once. First, we must establish that the dials can remain synchronized for a useful period."
He adjusted the clockwork mechanism attached to the dials. Raven watched as he aligned their starting positions and checked their movement.
The first attempt revealed a slight discrepancy.
Ronalds adjusted the mechanism again.
They repeated the test, comparing the dials at several intervals until their positions corresponded closely enough for the next trial.
"Let us try sending a letter," Ronalds said.
He selected a letter on the sending dial and waited for the corresponding position to come around. At the appropriate moment, he activated the electrical apparatus.
At the receiving end, the pith balls separated, providing the signal. Ronalds immediately checked the receiving dial against the agreed timing.
Raven examined the corresponding position.
"The letter matches."
Ronalds looked at him.
"Again."
They repeated the procedure with a different letter, carefully observing the signal and checking the corresponding position on the receiving dial.
The result matched once more.
They conducted another trial.
Again, the signal was detected, and the receiving dial indicated the intended letter.
For a moment, Ronalds said nothing. He stared at the instruments as if he were seeing them anew.
Then he turned toward Raven, his face bright with excitement.
"We have the beginnings of a practical telegraph!"
Raven smiled. "The beginnings, yes. But there's still work ahead."
"Of course. The signals must remain detectable, the dials must stay synchronized, and the system must function over greater distances. A longer message will introduce further complications."
"Then you already have your next set of problems."
Ronalds laughed. "And you have a remarkable habit of discovering them before I've finished celebrating the previous success."
"Every answer produces another question."
"Indeed. And today, your questions have helped me find a way forward."
For several moments, they discussed the experiments Ronalds intended to conduct next. He planned to repeat the trials, examine the reliability of the receiving apparatus, and improve the synchronization mechanism before attempting a more demanding demonstration.
Raven listened carefully but did not offer to take charge of the work. The apparatus belonged to Ronalds, and so did the achievement. Raven had helped him approach the difficulties more methodically; it was Ronalds who would have to turn the promising experiment into a reliable invention.
Eventually, Raven glanced toward the books resting beside the table.
"I believe these belong to you, Mr. Ronalds."
He gathered the borrowed books and research papers and handed them over.
Ronalds accepted them with mild surprise.
"Have you finished studying them already?"
"For now. They gave me the foundation I needed."
"You certainly read faster than anyone I've met."
Raven merely smiled.
"I must return to Giaris. There are matters waiting for me at home."
Ronalds' expression became more serious.
"Then I suppose this is goodbye for now."
"For now," Raven agreed, glancing at the experimental apparatus. "But before I leave, I want to ask something of you."
"Go ahead."
"Continue your experiments. Test the apparatus until you understand its limitations. Improve the reliability of the signals, work on keeping the dials synchronized, and find a way to transmit messages over greater distances. Don't abandon the project simply because the first successful experiment is behind you."
Ronalds looked toward the wire stretched across the room.
"You needn't worry about that. After today's results, I have even more reason to continue."
"Good." Raven's expression brightened. "Because the next time I visit, I want to see your invention spreading throughout the entire Zenith Empire."
Ronalds raised his eyebrows.
"The entire empire?"
"Why not? Imagine merchants exchanging information between distant cities without waiting days for couriers. Imagine government offices communicating without dispatching riders along dangerous roads. Even ordinary people might one day benefit from such a system."
Ronalds fell silent, contemplating the possibilities.
For years, he had pursued experiments that most people would struggle to understand. His immediate concern had been proving that electrical effects could be used to transmit information. Raven, however, was already imagining what might happen if the invention could be made reliable, affordable, and widely available.
"You speak as though you can already see it," Ronalds said.
"I can see the possibility. Whether we reach it depends on the work we do now."
Ronalds smiled.
"You've given me more than a few useful questions, Mr. Holmes. You've reminded me why this work matters."
"And you've given me a better understanding of how an idea becomes an invention."
Ronalds extended his hand, but Raven stepped forward and embraced him instead.
Ronalds stiffened briefly in surprise before returning the embrace.
"Thank you," Ronalds said. "I had been struggling with the whole problem at once. You helped me examine each difficulty separately and test my assumptions instead of repeatedly changing everything. I might have spent considerably longer finding this direction without your help."
"You did the work yourself," Raven replied as they stepped apart. "I merely helped you look at it differently."
"Nevertheless, I am grateful."
Ronalds held Raven's shoulders for a moment, looking at him with genuine affection.
"And I shall make you a promise in return. Once my work has progressed sufficiently, I will visit you in Giaris. I want to see your hometown for myself—and when I arrive, I hope to bring you something worthy of your expectations."
Raven smiled.
"Then I'll be waiting. And I expect you to keep that promise."
"I intend to."
They exchanged a final handshake.
Ronalds accompanied Raven to the entrance, where the two men paused for one last farewell.
"Continue your work, Mr. Ronalds," Raven said. "I look forward to seeing what you accomplish."
"And I look forward to seeing you again, Mr. Holmes. Safe travels to Giaris."
Raven stepped outside and made his way toward the waiting carriage. Selene and Stephanie were already seated inside.
As the carriage began to move, he looked back through the window.
Ronalds remained at the entrance, raising a hand in farewell.