Chapter 171 –

Dolce felt the wanting of hanging herself. The trip to the city of Alva was boring. Not to mention that arriving there, she was welcomed by strange gazes from the people of the city who have never seen a skyship. Thankfully, her appearance made the city guards calm.

She was welcomed with mixed reactions. Some lauded her return, praising her for the slaves she freed. Some sneered at Dolce for doing such things. But most of the nobles who caught sight of Dolce looked at her with disdain. She was known in the city as the heiress who gave her virginity to a mere slave.

It was known to everyone. Dolce doesn’t care, however. She strides through the house-lined streets of the city. She was wearing her jacket. She did not wear her frilly black dresses. Dolce has outgrown wearing such tiring dresses. She was now fond of tight pants and jackets. On her waist were belts for her holster and pistol. Behind her was Elesia and Henry, they were carrying their rifles, trying to look tough.

“Hmm,” Henry murmured. “The city seems like it is of two places.”

The architectures of the city were different. Most of the buildings were built of brick and mortar. The roofs were arching and some were straight flat. It was a melting pot of different styles of buildings. The roads were paved well. There were cleaners and on the side, there were hawkers peddling their goods.

There were carriages being pulled by horses. There were motor cars and was loud because of the engine. The guards of the city were armed with repeating rifles. Some of them still keep their plate armor. On their side were swords and some of them even wielded spears.

Dolce was used to firearms, so seeing them keep their spear and swords made her curse all the fencing lessons she was battered to learn. The age of swords and axes was long gone. It was now an age where firearms and artillery reign supreme. A veteran knight who spent his life training could be killed by a greenhorn with a repeating rifle.

She could be killed by a single well-aimed bullet. It was terrifying to think about. She could imagine that the world’s way of fighting will soon change. Not to mention that moving vehicles armed with cannons and walking bipedal machines capable of destruction. Then there are the skyships that could bypass walls and fortifications. A well-placed drop could possibly kill a leader.

There were also talks of long-range artillery. Mortars were deadly but a weapon that could fire from miles? It was unheard of. A fortified place with those kinds of weapons could easily take down cities and bring devastation to any marching army.

The Demesne has been planning to fortify the beaches and placed such weapons. But with the Bali and Cagan natives occupying most of them, how could they ever anticipate the Empire that is across the Gigantes Sea? It would be good if they get annihilated. But it would be stupid for such thing to happen. They could make use of the Cagan and Bali forces. They could possibly ally with the Empire, leaving them to be cornered.

Dolce has been given reports of plans to conquer the Bali and Cagan areas. They call the plan as the thunder of God and they planned to shock and awe the Bali and Cagan natives to surrender. It was a harsh plan that involves the deaths of many. But if that means they could conquer the Bali and Cagan natives. Then they are willing to do everything.

...

The three of them didn’t go to the compound of the Alva’s. Dolce took her time walking and only went to the cemetery when the weather seems like it would go bad.

The cemetery was filled with snow. A lone gardener carried a shovel. He was old and wrinkled. He was clearing the stone path for the visitors. He was getting paid so it didn’t matter if the cold wind was hurting his bones. The old gardener glances at the old gate. His weary eyes gazed at the three who entered. His wicker hat was getting filled with snow.

The gardener trotted to them. He took his wicker hat. He bowed his balding head. “Welcome milady, are you here to visit the lady?”

“Yes,” Dolce answered. “I thought you’d be under a roof by now, Uncle.”

“I should be. But I can’t let them be.”

“I see. Same as always are you, Uncle,” Dolce smiled. “Is mama’s grave well tended?”

“Not a single day that I do not take care of the lady’s grave. The lady’s a merciful anger who made this old man caretaker of this noble’s cemetery. How could I let her grave go untended?”

The old gardener was a person who was employed by Dolce’s mother. Dolce’s mother found the old gardener in the road and made him work in the cemetery. The cemetery was made for nobles. So it was a blessing for the old gardener to be able to work in the cemetery.

“Thank you for all your work, Uncle,” Dolce said. “But next time, try letting your sons do the work. Or unless you want to join the late gardeners soon?”

“Aye, I might do so. But for now, the work is good for me.”

“Then do what you want, Uncle,” Dolce told the gardener. “Can you lead us back to ma’s graves?”

“Certainly,” the gardener nodded.

The three were then led to the tomb where the Alva’s are laid. The gardener bid his farewell and let Dolce descend down to where her mother was laid to rest. Dolce saw that the tomb was indeed clean. There were no webs or dust. The lamps were also oiled properly.

Dolce approached the grave of her mother. There, a painting was put up. Dolce looked at that painting with sadness. Elesia and Henry took their leave as Dolce kneels in prayer. It was a short prayer. Then, she narrated what her experiences were for the year. How she has changed and how the world was. Dolce spoke of her fears and hoped that her mother would give her strength.

Dark days were ahead. So she wished that she could endure it.