Panda Novel

“Master Antonio, please have some black tea. That is the tribute tea that Earl Gray has grown for the imperial family. The annual output is only about a hundred catties. I finally managed to get a catty from him after much difficulty.”

They were in the Ptolemy family’s living room. Daniel pointed at a cup of black tea in front of Antonio.

Antonio picked up the silver teacup and took a sip. As he felt the mellow tea flowing down his throat, he revealed an expression of enjoyment and nodded. “Not bad. I only drink this kind of tea once in a while. I didn’t expect you to be able to get as much as one catty. It looks like the Ptolemy family has been developing quite well.”

When he saw Antonio drink the tea, Daniel rubbed his hands. “Master Antonio, you flatter me. Thanks to the King’s great affection and the help of the various families in the kingdom, the Ptolemy family has grown! Of course, our minimal achievement can’t compare to you, Master Antonio. Previously, you told me that you wanted us to cooperate with your disciple to participate in the trial. I don’t know when it will start. Actually, there’s no need to be anxious about that. Master Antonio, you might as well stay with us for a while longer.”

Daniel’s eyes flickered as he said that. Previously, he had asked Antonio many times to become his children’s master, but Antonio had never agreed to it. As long as he let Antonio stay here for a while longer, even if Antonio still refused to become their master, he could still give them a few pointers from time to time.

“Daniel, I can already guess what you’re thinking! I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. I brought Watson here to head to the capital to participate in the Royal Academy’s enrollment, and it will start soon. I would like you to arrange a trial tomorrow; the sooner, the better.”

“To tell you the truth, Master Antonio, the city hasn’t been peaceful recently. A group of sea folks appeared out of nowhere to covet the sea god’s trident. They keep appearing and attacking our citizens! I have already sent soldiers to capture those sea folks, but they are too cunning. Oh, right, my second son, Casey, who is useless, was doing that too.”

“Daniel, if you want to say something, just say it. No nee to hide it from me.”

Antonio put down the teacup and waved his hand. He could see that Daniel deliberately mentioned Casey to help the young man find an excuse to explain the situation. According to Daniel, Casey did not capture those mermaids to sell them. Instead, he was working to protect the floating city.

“Then I’ll be straightforward, Master Antonio. Because of the sea folks, our family has placed the trident in a very secret place and placed layers of seals on it. It can’t be easily moved. Otherwise, if the sea folks discover it, they will send people to steal! Master Antonio, your disciple must ensure his safety during the trial. If he gets injured because of the sea folks, that would be my fault.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. Watson isn’t a fragile child. It’s a good thing because the greater the difficulty, the greater the improvement for him.”

“Master Antonio, but—”

Daniel wanted to say something else. Even though he agreed to Watson’s request for the sea god’s trident for Antonio’s sake, he was still worried. Watson must have extraordinary strength to be able to become Antonio’s disciple. Otherwise, Antonio would not be at ease letting him replace the sea god’s trident to supply energy to the floating city.

However, Watson was a child after all. If something happened during that process, it would not be as simple as a simple malfunction. The entire city might sink. He was unhappy that Antonio’s training would leave him to foot the bill.

Before Daniel could finish his sentence, a servant suddenly rushed in from the outside. He went to Daniel and whispered a few words to him.

“What did you say? Casey brought out the damaged ship to make things difficult for Master Antonio’s disciple, and in the end, Master Antonio’s disciple had repaired it?”

Daniel looked at Antonio. “Master Antonio, there seem to be some problems outside. We will discuss these matters later. Let’s go out and take a look.”

….

At that moment, the outside of the mansion was filled with laughter.

“Is there anyone else who wants to experience that ship? Young Master Casey, I thought you didn’t believe that the ship had been repaired. Why don’t you come up and take a look? ”

Watson walked out of the submarine and used magic to freeze the surface of the water under his feet. Many noblemen and ladies followed him too.

“This is the first time I’ve seen a ship that can sink into the water unscathed. That design is really amazing. Our family also manages the construction of some ships. If you have some free time, Young Master Watson, I wonder if you can come to my residence and help build a few similar ships?”

A nobleman looked at the submarine that was docked in the water. It was obviously made of metal, but it did not sink. He sighed. When he was inside the submarine, he could see that the seawater was less than a meter away from him. However, he could not get it on him, which gave him a full sense of security.

As the kingdom’s largest water trading port, even if the shipbuilding industry in the floating city did not monopoly the whole trade in the entire kingdom, they were still at the forefront. Most of the aristocrats in the city were engaged in work related to sea transportation. Therefore, he could see the value of the ships Watson had created.

First of all, the defense of such a ship was very strong, and it could avoid natural disasters such as tsunamis and thunderstorms. Secondly, the ship was in the water, so its concealment was greatly increased. It could also see any magical beast in the surroundings clearly, which increased the success rate of dodging or attacking.

There was a most important point.

“The scenery is so beautiful. The sparkling bubbles are like the stars in the sky! If that was not a water surface constructed with magic, but a real ocean, it would surely be even more beautiful.”

Not far away from the men, a few ladies placed their hands on their chests; their eyes were shining. They recalled the colorful bubbles that rose from the seawater that they saw through the submarine wall.

The biggest advantage of the ship Watson designed was that it could see scenery that normal ships could not. There were many things in the ocean that could not be seen on land. Usually, only the strong would dare to dive into the sea, but with that ship, even ordinary people could dive into the sea. If they could get that ship without hunting, they could earn a lot just by going out to see the scenery and charging entrance fees.

After getting off the submarine, many nobles had thoughts running through their minds. The way they looked at Watson had changed. Previously, they were respectful to Watson because of his identity as Antonio’s disciple, but after that, they realized that Watson was a capable young man.

The only one who was upset was Casey. Faced with Watson’s question, his expression was unsightly. He stared silently at the churning ocean and the large ship floating in the water in front of him.

Even if he did not want to admit it, the ship Watson had built was indeed beyond his expectations. As the Ptolemy family’s second young master, even if he did not specifically study it, he was very familiar with that knowledge. He finally understood that the ship was particularly amazing.

‘D*mn it, that metal lump the brat created can really move in water. Isn’t he a mage? How can he still build a ship? Did Master Antonio teach him that?”

Cassie thought about it with an ugly expression on his face. He had originally wanted to use the damaged ship to make things difficult for Watson, causing his reputation to be tarnished. In the end, he had helped Watson create a lofty image in the hearts of many noblemen instead.

‘Is there any way to suppress that brat’s arrogance?’

Casey pondered that. At that moment, Daniel and Antonio walked out of the mansion.

“It’s so noisy here. What happened? ”

Daniel looked around with a dignified expression. His gaze finally landed on Casey, and a hint of dissatisfaction flashed in his eyes.

“Father, didn’t Watson damaged our gold-tier magical ship? I asked him to repair it, and he really did repair it.”

Casey hurriedly went up to explain to his father, hiding the fact that he had deliberately made things difficult for Watson. Then, he turned his head to look at Watson and smiled. “Watson, since you’ve repaired the ship, there’s no need to show it anymore. I believe in your ability as Master Antonio’s disciple. Now is the time to return that ship to our family.”

“Return it to you?”

Watson shook his head. With a casual wave of his hand, the seawater that filled the entire courtyard instantly evaporated, as if it had never appeared before. The submarine slowly landed on the grass, and the hull of the ship contracted in a burst of light, turning into a palm-sized model. It landed in his hands.

“That ship can shrink? That’s amazing.”

His actions once again attracted the noblemen’s attention. The brand-new ship that could fly and sail the seas was not only far more functional than ordinary ships, but it was also even more convenient to carry. If Casey had not mentioned that that ship belonged to the Ptolemy family, they would want to fork out money to buy it.

“I built that ship, so it is my property. If you want it, you can’t ask me for it. You should pay to buy it, Young Master Casey.”

“Watson, what do you mean? I provided the raw materials for that ship. You only put in a little effort to build it. No matter how you think about it, that ship should belong to our family,” Casey retorted righteously.

As he looked at his father, he said, “Father, don’t you think I’m right? Even if Watson is Master Antonio’s disciple, he can’t take our family’s assets for no reason. Furthermore, even if Watson wants to, Master Antonio can’t agree to it. After all, who does he think Master Antonio is?”

“I don’t have any special identity. I’m just a mage who has lived for a long time in the kingdom. This matter has nothing to do with me. It’s between Watson and you. Since it’s a problem between two young people, then it’s better for the young people to solve it.”

Antonio clearly did not want to care about it. That attitude made Casey feel a little uncomfortable. He could only look at her father for help. However, Daniel did not help him. Instead, he reached out and slapped his face.

Casey’s face was red and swollen. He could not help but take two steps backward. Blood flowed down the corner of his lips. Since his arms were wrapped in bandages and tied in front of his body, he could not rub his face with his hands. He could only endure the pain and show an expression of disbelief. “Father, why?”

“You idiot. Don’t think that I don’t know what you did. Apologize to Watson. ”

“Father!”

“I’m ordering you to apologize. Or, you can choose to be locked up at home for three months. Every day, I will personally teach you the etiquette of a nobleman.”

Hearing Daniel’s gradually lowering voice and feeling the strength in his words, Casey could not help but tremble. He knelt on the ground with grievance and lowered his head to say, “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t say it to me. Say it to Watson.” Daniel extended his hand and pointed into the distance. Casey’s face was flushed red. Using all the strength in his body, he struggled to move in Watson’s direction. Once again, he apologized and lowered his head even lower. Even without looking at him, he could feel the burning gazes from all directions. He knew that at that moment, his dignity had been lost.

Ignoring Casey, Daniel walked straight to Watson. “Watson, Master Antonio and I are old friends. If you don’t mind, you can call me uncle! Even though Casey is a reckless child, he is not a bad person. I know what he has done to you. I will punish him severely later. Don’t take it to heart. As for that ship that you have built, it is yours.”

Daniel had a warm smile on his face, which made people feel as if they were bathed in the spring breeze. “There is a famous proverb in the water city—crafts have no value in themselves. Only knowledge of crafting has value. The gold-tier magical ship had been damaged and turned into scrap metal. Now that you have repaired it, I will not take it back, and I will also have to thank you properly.”

“You are too polite, Master Daniel.”

Watson’s eyes flashed. He did not call him uncle. Although Daniel was very polite to him, just like a neighbor, he did not let his guard down at all. His two lifetimes of experience told him that the kinder a person was on the surface, the darker their heart.

“I’m not complimenting you; I’m just stating a fact!

“As expected, the people that Master Antonio values are not ordinary people. He had not taken in a disciple for many years. Previously, countless princes and ministers in the kingdom had wanted Master Antonio to teach their children, but he had rejected them all. From that point, it can be seen that you are more talented than any of the young nobles in the capital, especially my children. They can’t compare to you at all.”

Realizing that his words did not appease Watson, Daniel nodded discreetly. At the same time, he looked angrily at Casey, who was kneeling in the distance. He could not help but feel a trace of anger rise in his heart. He looked at Watson. He was only 12 or 13 years old, but he was already a powerful mage. He could even modify a ship. Casey, who was much older than him, only knew how to flirt with women. He did not do his job as a father properly.

2

Comparing people was an infuriating task.

“Watson, you’ve repaired our family’s gold-tier magical ship. That ship is yours. Other than that, I will give you a sum of money as a reward. You can tell me how much you want! In return, I hope that you can help me with a small favor. Later, can you teach me how to build that ship?”

Daniel rubbed his hands together and revealed his true intention. All the noblemen there could understand the power of the boat that Watson had built. As the head of the Ptolemy family, how could he not understand that? He understood it better than anyone else in the room.

In fact, the Ptolemy family had been innovating on magical ships for many years. Equipping the magic ship with wings and giving it the ability to fly was their main research achievement. It was just that he did not expect that the ship could fly into the sky and dive into the water.

After he saw Watson’s ship, he felt that he had opened the door to a new world. Just as he said—the knowledge of creating works of art is greater than the art itself. If he could mass-produce such a ship, in the future, the Ptolemy family would have an underwater fleet that would be invincible.

“So, Master Daniel, you want the blueprints for the submarine? Since you are so sincere, then I shall be generous. I can teach you how to make that ship, but I want 50 percent of the Ptolemy family’s profit in the submarine industry.”

“Watson, you’re really asking for a lot. It takes a lot of manpower, resources, and time to build a ship. You didn’t do anything but come up with an idea, and you want 50% of our family’s money?”

Casey, who was kneeling in the distance, could not help but raise his head when he heard Watson’s words.

“Shut up!”

Daniel turned his head and scolded Casey, who was about to say something. He turned his head and extended his hand to Watson in a friendly manner.

“So that brand-new ship is called a submarine. It’s similar to a hot-air boat that can fly into the sky. That is not a bad name! Alright, I can promise you that. I will give you 50 percent of the profit and an unlimited opportunity for you to stay for the floating city’s trial. Just now, Master Antonio told me that he wants you to complete the trial on behalf of the sea god. The trial mentioned by Master Antonio is only for one day. Now, I’ve decided to extend that time. As long as you’re willing, it won’t be a problem even if the trial lasts for ten days to half a month.”

At first, Daniel was hesitant to let Watson replace the trident in the trial, but when he saw the ship that Watson had created, he did not hesitate. Even if Watson had some problems during the trial, he would still make a profit as long as he got the blueprints for the submarine.. That new ship had such an immeasurable value.