Arthur stepped into the workshop, the scent of metal and oil thick in the air. His gaze swept over the workers busy at their stations before settling on Ben. "How is the progress of the linotype machine coming along?"

Arthur made it a habit to visit the workshop daily to check on the progress, and today was no different. However, he never lingered too long. he knew that no matter how friendly he was, the presence of a king always put pressure on his subjects. He could see it in the way they moved—tense, hyper-aware of his gaze. If he stayed too long, they would start rushing their work, making mistakes. So instead, he limited his visits to twice a day, just enough to oversee progress and answer any questions they had.

Ben put down the tool in his hand and walked over and answered. "We've finished crafting all the necessary parts, including casting and forging. But the assembly itself is still in the early stages. Right now, we've only put together about 10% of the machine."

Arthur nodded, absorbing the information.

That’s fast. They’ve already finished production and have started assembling?

Magic really is useful. If this were done purely by hand, it would take at least two months just to get to this point. They don’t even realize how lucky they are.

His gaze flickered to the half-assembled machine resting on the workbench.

Then again, maybe they’re unlucky, too.

This world relies too much on magic. That dependence has held back true innovation. Without magic, they’d have been forced to develop mechanical solutions centuries ago.

Arthur exhaled, shifting his thoughts back to the present. "Good work. Keep going at your current pace, but don’t rush. Precision is more important than speed."

Ben nodded. "Understood, Your Majesty."

Arthur glanced around one last time before turning toward the exit. "I’ll be in my chambers if you need me. If anything urgent comes up, have a valet inform me."

"Understood," Ben and the rest of the workers responded in unison.

Arthur left the workshop, his thoughts still churning.

With the linotype machine progressing faster than I expected, it wouldn’t be long before the first test run. Maybe in the next couple of weeks, I could—

Before he could finish his thought, a palace staff member approached with a hurried bow. "Your Majesty, Alice and Aaron will be arriving in approximately thirty minutes. They've just passed through Central Square."

Arthur’s mind raced as he heard those words.

So, they’re finally here. Should I go meet them? No, the past Arthur never had that kind of relationship with them. It would be way out of character.

Besides, I’m the king now. Regardless of their personal feelings, they still have to follow royal authority. Still ignoring them entirely would be foolish. Even if the past Arthur resented them, I don’t hold the same fear or resentment.

More importantly, they’re both known as geniuses. Maintaining a good relationship with at least one of them would be beneficial to me.

Arthur refocused and said, "Good. See to it that they are properly settled after their journey. Once they’ve had time to rest, summon them to the great hall. Tell them I wish to have a discussion with them."

The man bowed respectfully. "Understood, Your Majesty. I will inform them."

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With that, he turned and left.

Arthur continued walking toward his chambers, his steps measured but his thoughts in turmoil. Upon arrival, he turned to both his valet and his guard, Ken. "Inform me when they arrive, and again when they’ve reached the great hall."

Both men nodded.

Arthur stepped inside, shutting the door behind him before letting out a slow exhale. He crossed the room and collapsed onto the soft bed, staring at the ceiling.

From the fragmented memories of the past Arthur, I already knew that Alice would be the harder one to connect with. She only respected those with talent in magic. If I want to build a relationship, I should start with Aaron. He’s more reasonable. If I can win him over, it might make dealing with Alice easier.

Arthur’s fingers drummed against his chest.

If I can get both of them on my side, it’ll be a huge advantage. They’re already powerful, and they’re only going to get stronger.

…

Inside the carriage, Aaron turned to Alice and asked, "What do you think about the rumors that Arthur has turned over a new leaf? That he's actually trying to improve the kingdom?"

Alice scoffed. "Haven't I already answered that question three or four months ago when those ridiculous rumors first started?"

Aaron pressed on. "Come on, that was a while ago. Since then, he’s even changed the tax system. And strangely enough, the nobles haven’t rebelled and remain slient. You know as well as I do that the new system is blatantly unfair to the rich."

He leaned back against the cushioned seat, eyes narrowing. "Not only that, I’ve heard that even the two dukes have implemented the same tax system in their own territories. That’s not just unusual—it’s alarming. And to make things even more suspicious, my informant, the one assigned to keep an eye on Arthur, was jailed along with a bunch of other corrupt officials about three months ago. Since then, I’ve only been able to gather what’s been made public."

The reason the nobles hadn’t spoken out against Arthur’s reforms was simple: during the royal banquet, they had been forced to sign a magic contract ensuring that all discussions and events of the gathering remained confidential. Meanwhile, spies and informants planted within the palace had been systematically rooted out or eliminated during what Arthur had called Project Stabilization.

Alice’s gaze sharpened as she turned to Aaron. "I know. All my informants were captured or killed, too. But let me tell you something, Aaron—people don’t change. That bastard didn’t just wake up one day and decide to be competent. Someone is manipulating him or is using him as a puppet to control the kingdom."

She crossed her arms, lips pressed into a thin line. "The real question is whether that person is good or evil. So far, all Arthur has done is push reforms that benefit the commoners while restricting the nobility’s power. That’s not the Arthur I knew. And I don’t like what the current Arthur is doing. He is messing with the social structure. Nobility is the backbone of this kingdom’s military. The nobles are the ones who fight and help in wars, the ones who bring stability. If their influence continues to wane, what happens when we need them?"

Her fingers tapped rhythmically against the wood of the carriage as she mulled over the most perplexing piece of the puzzle. "But what confuses me the most," she muttered, "is why the higher nobles haven’t rebelled. This tax system doesn’t benefit them in any way. If anything, it strips them of their wealth and power. So why are they just letting it happen? Is that imposter behind this too? And if so, just how powerful must he be to silence the nobles without a single leak of information?"

Aaron frowned. "I don’t think there’s anyone powerful enough to control Arthur with magic. Even if some powerful dark mage were manipulating him from the shadows, there’s no way they could make high-ranking nobles—marquises, dukes—just go along with it. They have too much influence, too much power to simply disobey if they don’t want to. And besides, when Arthur announced the new tax system, he claimed to have collaborated with the local church to help spread knowledge about the new tax system to those who struggle to understand or those who couldn't read. If he really were being controlled, the priests and priestesses who wield light magic would’ve sensed it. There’s no way to conceal dark magic from them, not at that scale."

Alice gave a slight nod. "That’s true. No matter how powerful this supposed mastermind is, it’s impossible to stay completely hidden and directly command Arthur like a puppet. Still, it doesn’t change the fact that something’s off. Either Arthur himself has become dangerously competent, or someone is backing him with a plan we don’t understand."

Her gaze darkened as she continued, "No matter what, we need to figure out his true intentions—and if necessary, intervene before things spiral too far."

Aaron exhaled, crossing his arms. "Or maybe… maybe Arthur really has changed and is genuinely trying to improve Keldoria."

Alice let out a sharp laugh. "Don’t be so naive. Tell me one good thing that talentless, incompetent bastard did when we were growing up with him."

Aaron opened his mouth, hesitated, then looked away. "Well… umm… I can’t really think of anything."

"Exactly," Alice scoffed.

Silence fell between them as the carriage rolled forward, the sound of hooves against cobblestone filling the space between their unspoken doubts. Then, with a creak and a heavy thud, the main entrance doors to the palace swung open. They had arrived.