Ravenna sat in the meeting room of the Herptian Church, fag High Priest James across a polished wooden table. The soft glow of dlelight flickered against the walls, casting shadows that danced across the grand hall’s intricate carvings.

  She set doweacup, her expression unreadable as she tapped a finger against the rim.

  “So the preparations are plete, yet we ’t proceed with the ceremony today?” she asked, her gaze steady.

  James sighed, rubbing his temples before responding.

  “Unfortunately, yes. We received word from Chief Bcksmith here’s been an issue with the steam-powered printing press. It’s not operational yet.”

  Ravenna’s eyes narrowed slightly as she processed the news. The printing press was a vital po of their rger strategy, and without it, the ceremony’s impact would be signifitly weakened.

  “I see,” she murmured, liftieacup again for a slow sip. “Then we’ll have to postpone. I’ll stop by the bcksmith distriy way back to the castle and che the progress myself.”

  Beside her, Marie, who had been quietly listening, tilted her head in fusion.

  “Master, why does the printing press matter so much? The ceremony was meant to disce crime—shouldn’t we proceed regardless?”

  Her curiosity was genuine, but Ravenna could see the deeper question in her eyes.

  Setting her cup down, Ravenna leaned ba her chair.

  “Because the printing press is crucial to a much bigger pn.”

  Marie blinked, still puzzled.

  James, seeing her fusion, stepped in.

  “Her Highness is referring to something called a neer,” he expined. “It’s a form of publiformation that will be printed and distributed daily to households across the dukedom.”

  Marie frowned slightly.“So it’s like a publiotice board? The vilges usually send officials door to door to annouax ges or ws. But since everyone in Jo is literate, we’d just be handing them a sheet with all the informatiht? Tax updates, news of crimes, Master’s new policies… and maybe even gossip?”

  Ravenna chuckled.“That’s exactly right.”

  Marie uood the cept now, but she still wasn’t seeing the e.“But what does this have to do with the public execution?”

  James csped his hands together, his gaze serious.“Because the execution isn’t just about punishing criminals—it’s about making a statement.”

  Marie leaned forward, listening ily.

  “Two child predators are scheduled for execution,” James tinued. “We pn to frame their punishment as divine justi unshakable message that wlessness will no longer be tolerated.”

  Ravenna picked up where he left off.“The printing press would have uhe neer on the same day as the execution.”

  She tapped the table, emphasizing her point. “Over the following weeks, we’d start subtly weaving in news about the fate of criminals—stories of swift, merciless justice, each case reinf the idea that crime leads to unavoidable punishment.”

  Marie’s eyes widened as realization dawned on her.“Ah… so by witnessing a public execution first, people will already associate your rule with strict justice. Then, when they read about criminals being arrested and punished in the neer, they’ll assume every case is treated just as ruthlessly.”

  “Exactly,” James nodded. “When there was no administration, crime became a way of life. No oed thefts, murders, or assaults because there was no oo enforce ws. People accepted wlessness as the norm.”

  Ravenna’s tourned sharp. “That ges now.”

  James tinued, “If the people believe every crime—no matter how small—is swiftly and severely puhey will start polig themselves. They will fear the militia’s authority. They will hesitate before itting offenses. And over time, the crime rate will naturally dee.”

  Marie nodded slowly, processing the strategy.

  “So… by creating fear first, we force them to adapt. Eventually, Jo will bee safer, not because of stant executions, but because no one will dare it crimes in the first pce.”

  Ravenna smirked. “Now you uand.” Marie let out a breath, now seeing the full picture.

  James cleared his throat, shifting the versation.

  "On a brighter note, just before you arrived, I received hat the stru of the elevated water tanks has been pleted."

  Ravenna's eyes lit up with i."Is that so? When will they be operational?"

  James nodded, his expression pleased."If all goes well, they should be fully funal within a week. The Magnolia flowers yht back from Ronin Town during your st trip have pyed a crucial role in making the system far more effit."

  Marie, who had been following the versation closely, furrowed her brows."Magnolia flowers? How did those help with the water tanks?"

  James chuckled at the young girl’s curiosity.

  "The design Her Highness came up with is quite ingenious," he began, shifting into an expnation. "The elevated tanks were built to pump seawater inte lower basins. From there, the sun's heat causes the water to evaporate, leaving the salt and impurities behind. The purified steam then rises into upper tanks, where it denses bato liquid form—essentially funing as a rge-scale sor still."

  Marie nodded slowly, trying to visualize the process.

  James tinued, gesturing with his hands as he spoke."The key to making this work was the city’s yout. During the pnning stage, we ied a pipe work into every apartment plex. Ohe purified water collects in the upper tanks, it flows down naturally through these pipes, providing every household with drinking water via simple taps."

  Marie’s eyes widened."So it's like the hand pumps and rotational wells used in the mainnd?"

  James shook his head slightly."Not quite, but somewhat simir in cept. Instead of relying on manual bor to draw water, this system uses gravity. Sihe tanks are elevated, the water flows downward on its own after purification, requiring no additional effort from the people."

  Marie hummed in thought, but she was still stu ohing."But how do the Magnolia flowers fit into all this? I only know them for being used for ells—they dense air and release it in one dire, but that’s hardly useful in bat."

  Ravenna, who had been quietly listening, smirked."That ell happens to be extremely useful in water purification," she said.

  James picked up from there, his tone full of excitement."You see, ohe sus the lower tanks, the water turns into steam, leaving behind salt and other impurities. Normally, we'd have to rely on yers of cloth to trap the steam a deurally—but that process is terribly slow and ineffit."

  Marie’s eyes suddenly widened in realization."Wait… a Magnolia flower's densation spell! It rapidly deeam bato water!"

  James chuckled."Exactly! By strategically pg ented Magnolia flowers around the upper tanks, we instantly vert the rising steam into purified water. This means we don’t have to wait for natural densation, making the whole process much faster and more effit."

  Marie sat back, impressed."So the upper tanks fill with drinkable water almost immediately after evaporation… That’s brilliant!"

  She paused for a moment, her mind rag. Then, as if struck by sudden inspiration, she blurted out, "Wait a minute! If steam be dehis easily, doesn’t that mean ply the same principle to steam ehe leftover steam from the engine could also be verted into drinkable water!"

  James let out a hearty ugh, while Ravenna smirked at Marie’s enthusiasm.

  "That’s exactly what we’re doing, Lady Marie," James said, his voice full of approval. "We’re not just using sunstill tanks—we’re also iing this teique into steam-powered maes. That way, we maximize water efficy while also advang our industry."

  Marie beamed, her admiration for Ravenna growing even more. Before she could voice her thoughts, a sharp knock echoed through the room, breaking the moment. The heavy wooden door swung open, revealing John, one of Ravenna’s trusted aides. His expression was serious, indig the importance of his visit.

  "Yhness," he said, bowing respectfully, "a message has arrived from the imperial capital via the Mert Association."

  Ravenna raised a brow as John stepped forward, handing her a sealed letter. She immediately reized the golden wax imprint—it bore the emblem of the imperial family.

  She examihe letter closely before breaking the seal. If this were an official decree or a direct order from the emperor, it wouldn’t have e through the Mert Association. Messages of true urgency would arrive directly through the imperial pace. This, however, was different. Invitations, annous, and formal notices were usually sent this way.

  As her eyes sed the ly penned words, a sigh escaped her lips, followed by a soft chuckle. She folded the letter and pced it oable before looking up at John.

  "Notify Alice to prepare my fi dresses. And while you’re at it, have a suitable wardrobe prepared for Marie as well. We will be traveling soon."

  John bowed again, aowledging the and before swiftly exiting the room to carry out his orders.

  Marie, still caught off guard by the sudden turn of events, blinked in fusion. "M-Master, what’s going on? Why are we traveling all of a sudden?"

  Ravenna smirked and reached out, gently patting Marie’s head as if she were an inquisitive child.

  "We’ve been io a grand ceremony, my dear disciple."

  Marie’s eyes widened. "A ceremony? What kind of ceremony?"

  Ravenna chuckled before casually leaning ba her chair. "It’s an imperial wedding, Marie. My elder sister is returning from the western ti and is getting married."

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