Chapter 990 The New Design

Nolan had expected Shion to be more cautious around him, perhaps even hesitant to act as openly as she used to.

After all, she had forgotten him. Even though Nolan had explained the gods' punishment to her, that sense of distance must still have lingered.

Unexpectedly, Shion was acting just as she always had. A wave of relief washed over him.

He was genuinely happy that she remained true to herself, unchanged in the slightest.

Nolan patted her head.

"I came to discuss the train project that hasn't been realized yet. Have you thrown away the blueprints?"

Feeling his touch, Shion's face grew hot. But she loved it and rested her cheek against his arm.

"Mhmm… I've already thrown them away and shredded them. Don't worry, no one will find them or steal them," Shion assured him earnestly.

"Good. I trust you."

Nolan nodded in satisfaction.

"So, what about Ereina? Has the Red Rose Trading House paid out the winnings?"

When the battle between Evalyn and Nathan broke out in the arena, Nolan had placed a huge bet on Evalyn and won an extraordinarily large sum—more than two billion Sharn.

At the time, Ereina had proposed paying him in installments over ten years. Naturally, he refused, even with the high interest rate.

In the end, he gave Ereina two options: pay the debt in full or settle it with assets or the blueprints for the transportation system they had developed.

Ereina rejected the second option, leaving her with no choice but to choose the first.

Shion's expression darkened at his question.

"Not yet, Master. I'm sorry."

Nolan wasn't angry. Instead, he asked, "Did anything happen while I was away?"

Shion nodded.

"If I remember correctly, the deadline was one month. Ereina has already paid seven hundred million Sharn, but she still owes another one billion seven hundred million. I've already taken her to court, but unfortunately, His Majesty Ragan has fallen ill, so the trial has been postponed for now."

The amount of money involved was enormous, so no ordinary judge dared to take the case.

What's more, the two opposing parties were the Blue Moon Trading House and the Red Rose Trading House.

One was a giant throughout the empire, while the other was a smaller giant, backed by the Asbourn family—one of the two heroes' families.

Nolan wasn't surprised to hear that. From the start, he'd known that Ereina couldn't possibly pay him.

After all, she didn't have that much cash on hand.

Even if she did, paying the debt would ruin their cash flow, since that money was needed to keep their business running.

"I understand. It's fine. I'll settle it later," he said soothingly.

He took a sip of tea, then smiled cynically.

"No one is allowed to take my money, not even one of the singularities."

Shion said nothing, but deep down, she felt relieved. She'd thought Nolan would get angry, but he didn't.

"Forget about that for now. I'm here to discuss the train project. Please get me a large sheet of paper and a pen."

Shion nodded and stood up, then walked out. Five minutes later, she returned with a sheet of paper half a meter long.

She placed the paper and pen on the table.

Nolan picked up the pen, closed his eyes, and began sketching the blueprint he'd obtained from the alternate Earth he'd once visited.

Shion stood silently beside him, watching. She still remembered the snake-shaped train Nolan had drawn.

She wondered… was the design still the same, or had he made some changes?

Ten minutes later, Nolan finished drawing and looked over his work with satisfaction.

"This…"

Shion's eyes widened as she stared at the drawing.

Just like before, it looked like a snake-shaped train, but the details were way more impressive than the original.

Nolan had also labeled the different parts and their functions with arrows.

"This is the blueprint. Take a closer look."

Shion nodded and hurriedly sat down beside him.

"Can I take it?" she asked cautiously.

"Sure."

Nolan didn't refuse.

Shion took the blueprint and examined it more closely.

A few minutes later, she carefully placed it back on the table and asked, "How are we going to make this happen? I've already tried asking for permission, but Princess Seira is very secretive. It'll be hard to get her approval."

Nolan patted her on the shoulder.

"Don't worry. Leave this to me. But please arrange a meeting with the imperial palace. I'll take care of the rest."

Nolan had forgotten that bureaucratic matters couldn't be taken lightly, especially when it came to a massive project like a railroad.

He would have to step in personally to get things moving.

"All right, I understand."

Shion nodded enthusiastically. Suddenly, she began shifting restlessly in her seat.

"Oh, right."

Her face flushed.

"Master, do you… have time tonight?" she asked shyly.

The corner of Nolan's mouth twitched. He knew exactly what she meant, but he couldn't oblige.

"Sorry, I don't have time. Maybe next time."

Shion pouted and clutched the sleeve of his robe.

"Then tomorrow?"

Nolan: "…"

…

Cedric stood by the window, gazing at the beautiful stars in the sky.

He took a sip of wine and whispered, "Aldric has already taken action. He really hasn't changed at all."

Playing the hero certainly had its perks, but the risks were high. The chances of Aldric dying on the battlefield were even higher.

Cedric couldn't understand why Jason and Vanessa were simply letting him go like that.

Weren't they afraid Aldric might die?

The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that something was being hidden from him.

"But this rebellion broke out so suddenly, didn't it?" he muttered. "Could someone be pulling the strings behind the scenes?"

Several possibilities came to mind. One was the five kingdoms demanding compensation from his father for the deaths of their princes and envoys at last year's imperial anniversary celebration.

And finally, the most likely culprit—the Holy Empire of Valtanir.

"This is all getting more and more interesting," he chuckled.

"What are you laughing at?"

A soft voice came from behind him.

Before he could react, two arms wrapped around his neck.

Cedric smiled.

"I wasn't thinking about anything."

"You're lying."

10:40

Margaretta pouted.

Cedric shook his head helplessly.

"By the way, what about the Corvayne family I mentioned? Have you found out anything about them?"

Margaretta released her embrace and walked over to stand beside him.

"I did. Their son, Castar, has passed away. In fact, he's been dead for quite some time. The person who took his place was one of the Underworld Gate members I caught spying on the Ashvale family a while back."

Hearing the name "Underworld Gate," Cedric couldn't help but laugh.

"It's been a long time since I've heard that name. So, what did you find out?"

"The Corvayne family has an illegitimate daughter named Leona. She's also the family's next heir."

Cedric swirled his glass and nodded slightly.

"Leona, huh? I see. I'd like to meet her tomorrow. Please arrange a meeting with the Corvayne family."

Margaretta smiled slightly.

"Of course."