Chapter 262

Chapter 262: Victoria’s Resolution

Originally, as the navigator of the Spice Route and true master of the Narwhal, successfully crossing should have been a cause for celebration.

This trade held exceptional importance—its profits would determine whether Victoria could maintain her position within the Rothschild Guild and even crush her two elder brothers. Yet after lingering at the edge of the Ice Cloud Circle and witnessing Midi slay a colossal cloud beast like a descending war god, the Guild’s internal conflicts and the triumph of crossing the Black Cloud Circle now seemed trivial to her.

Then there was the Ice Soul Pearl.

Midi had claimed it in mere ten minutes.

Its staggering value left even the discerning Victoria awestruck. Was this the true face of the Stormy Region?

The irony stung—she who controlled the Spice Route closest to the Stormy Region had never dared explore it, instead clinging to fear and avoidance. How foolish that shortsightedness now seemed.

If one didn’t advance, they’d inevitably be left behind.

Watching the black-haired human youth on the deck, the heavenly girl reached her decision.

"Lord Blade, I’ve a question." Victoria closed the distance between them, her proximity bordering on intimate yet her tone gravely earnest.

"Speak freely, Lady Victoria. I’ll share all within my knowledge." Midi answered lightly, a faint smile playing on his lips.

The moment had come at last.

He’d revealed enough about the Stormy Region’s secrets and worth. Now, perhaps, this cloud sea native’s ingrained fears were finally shifting.

"Plainly speaking—how does one traverse the Stormy Region?" Victoria locked eyes with his obsidian gaze.

Her stance lay bare. Hesitations lingered, but the will to collaborate with Midi existed—anchored in staggering profits and controlled risks.

A merchant first, not a soldier, Victoria wouldn’t stake everything on newfound goals. Yet Midi’s cloud beast slaying had proven two truths: profits awaited, and the beasts could fall.

But what price would breaching the Ice Cloud Circle demand? This conversation held the cold calculus of business.

Midi paused before responding. "I’d hoped the Spice Route might bypass obstacles to reach the Stormy Region’s core. Now I see it merely crosses the Black Cloud Circle. No shortcuts exist to the Star Ocean—we must take the King’s Path."

"The King’s Path?"

"Carve a broad road and enter openly. The method holds no mystery—we need sufficiently advanced Skyships."

"How advanced?" Her eyes flicked to the Narwhal, its hull still battered from a single cloud beast’s roar despite bearing the Guild’s finest alchemy techniques.

"They must dispel shadows, resist magnetic interference—which the Narwhal achieves—and withstand extreme cold. Only such sturdy, cold-enduring ships can penetrate the Ice Cloud Circle, even assault cloud beasts internally. These two criteria enable crossing."

"Your beast-slaying method… applies to Skyships?" Her eyes sharpened.

"Miss Victoria," Midi’s smile widened, "that tactic was always meant for Skyships."

Across lifetimes, few possessed awakened Secret Techniques, fewer still those granting Flying Ability. Plundering star-like entities from cloud beasts required Skyship support—mere adventurers’ flesh couldn’t suffice.

Though now an Awakened One of Extraordinary Awakening, Midi the genius commander never neglected scalable, simple techniques. For true victory, one needed methods anyone could wield.

"Relying on Skyships to break through, with adventurers delivering the final strike – humans and mechanics working together. That’s how we cross the Stormy Region. Lady Victoria, don’t worry. If you cooperate with me, I’ll teach you this strategy completely," Midi said seriously, patting the Narwhal’s railing. "But first, we need proper transportation."

"That would take three… no, at least five years," Victoria sighed deeply.

Just like the Hawk Brigade’s magic research division, the Rothschild Guild had its own alchemy institute with centuries-old traditions and master alchemists. Skyships like the Arrow Fish, Tiger Shark, and Narwhal – all top-tier vessels in the Sea of Clouds – were Rothschild creations. This technical prowess helped the Guild rank among the Sea’s greatest factions.

Yet Victoria estimated developing a Stormy Region-worthy Skyship – one enduring ice storms and cloud beasts – would still take years. And that required her becoming Guild President first. Currently, maintaining control of the Spice Route against her brothers’ schemes was challenge enough.

"Five years…" Midi sighed. No shortcuts existed. Last life, adventurers needed seven years preparation. Now, despite his foreknowledge and shared intelligence, the timeline remained fixed. High-performance Skyship development couldn’t be bypassed. Some obstacles resisted even reincarnation’s butterfly effect – solid technical walls unbroken by foresight or personal strength.

Wait? Modi sighed inwardly.

Victoria’s clear voice interrupted him. "Lord Blade, perhaps we can accelerate things. Developing Skyships demands time and resources, but imitation could lower costs."

"Imitation?" The reincarnator blinked.

"Imitation." Victoria produced the Constant Compass. This device nullified Stormy Region magnetic fields, guiding Skyships through Black Cloud Circle. Vital for the Spice Route and future breakthroughs, it was itself a replica! The Rothschild ancestors had reverse-engineered it from wreckage of an ancient sky warship.

This compass birthed the Spice Route, profits, expansion – the Guild’s glory. Now Victoria proposed repeating history through imitation.

But where to find sky warships? The ancestral wreck Victoria saw was barely recognizable – just connected rooms from captain’s quarters and helm, scattered across floating island rocks.

Yet Victoria’s confidence suggested leads. "Across the Sea of Clouds, intelligence agencies abound. When Tyrant Dragon King Bacal warred in the heavens, he tore space open – countless wrecks fell. Our destination’s perfect for gathering ancient battlefield intel."

Determination transformed the heavenly woman, impressing even Midi. The future Rothschild President, ideal reinforcements for the Storm expedition…

Smiling slightly, Midi said: "I’m intrigued."