Last Gun Alchemist

”So, People of Britannia!”

The male host of the Jaden Sunshine Broadcasting Group called out with an energetic voice that carried across the entire event hall.

The crowd had already been waiting for the main reveal, and the atmosphere inside the hall had become filled with quiet excitement. Noble families sat in their reserved sections, Non-Nobles with enough status to attend the event filled several other areas, while countless guests kept their eyes fixed on the stage.

Even the photographers were already prepared.

Their cameras were aimed toward the center of the stage, waiting for the moment the mysterious Vehicle would finally be shown.

The host smiled toward the cameras.

”Before the big reveal, I would like to introduce the young inventor who made this new release possible, as well as the team leader of the members who created the mysterious Vehicle that Silver Wheels has been preparing for everyone!”

He slowly bent forward, spreading his hands slightly toward the front.

His voice lowered for a moment, deliberately making his introduction sound as if something important was about to appear.

Then he straightened his back.

”...On the stage!”

The host suddenly raised his voice.

”Sir Louis Evergrey, the Young Lord of the Count House Evergrey, and Master-Craftsman Trevor Watson!”

The orchestra immediately began playing.

The sound of the instruments spread throughout the hall, the music carrying the kind of grand tone that was expected for the entrance of two craftsmen responsible for a major Vehicle release.

Small clouds of smoke appeared around the stage.

Then fireworks burst behind them.

”WOOOOOOO!”

The crowd erupted.

Applause and cheers filled the entire hall at the same time, with people raising their hands and calling out toward the stage.

Cameras began flashing one after another.

Louis Evergrey walked onto the stage with a calm smile.

He wore a luxurious grey and black suit, with a matching grey hat sitting neatly on his head. A silver pocket watch rested inside the chest pocket of his blazer, its chain barely visible against the fabric.

A few strands of his grey hair had fallen from beneath his hat and rested near the side of his face.

Louis calmly raised one hand and moved the strands away before adjusting his hat.

The photographers immediately reacted.

Flash after flash illuminated his face as he turned slightly toward the cameras, maintaining the gentlemanly smile expected from the Young Lord of the Evergrey family.

The attention wasn’t only directed toward him.

Trevor Watson, Silver Wheels’ best craftsman and one of the heads of the company’s departments, also received a large amount of attention.

He walked onto the stage beside Louis.

Trevor wore a luxurious silver colored suit that suited his appearance, and despite being a man already in his late forties, his appearance remained impressive enough that he could easily be mistaken for a young noble in his late twenties if someone didn’t know his actual age.

The two men stood beside each other.

They waved toward the crowd with smiles on their faces.

Behind them, the sound of gears turning suddenly echoed through the stage.

Several people in the crowd immediately looked toward the source of the noise.

The stage floor behind Louis and Trevor began moving.

Metal shifted beneath the surface.

The floor slowly opened, revealing the hidden space underneath.

Louis and Trevor stepped toward opposite sides of the stage, giving the photographers and guests a clear view of what was happening behind them.

The sound of the machinery continued.

Then something began rising from the opened floor.

The mysterious Vehicle slowly emerged.

It was completely covered by a large silver blanket bearing the crest of the Silver Wheels company.

The shape beneath the blanket was already enough to make the crowd curious.

People leaned forward in their seats.

Some whispered among themselves.

Others simply stared.

Nobody could see the Vehicle itself yet.

The blanket remained firmly over it.

Once the Vehicle had completely risen onto the stage, the machinery stopped.

The cheering and applause slowly died down.

The entire hall became much quieter.

Louis stepped toward the center of the stage.

”Hello to all my Britannians.”

His voice was calmer now that the main introduction had ended.

”It’s a pleasure to have you all here with me again.”

He gave the crowd a proper gentleman’s smile before gesturing toward Trevor.

”This is my third time standing on this big stage, showing the whole Kingdom my work.”

He raised one hand toward the crowd.

The cameras continued capturing his every movement.

Among the audience were young girls who had not yet reached the age to begin life at the academies. They had attended the event with their noble and Non-Noble parents, and several of them immediately blushed while looking at Louis.

His appearance, manner of speaking, and position as the Young Lord of a Count House made him exactly the type of person they would naturally become excited about.

The reaction wasn’t limited to the young girls inside the event hall.

Several teenage girls watching the live broadcast from different academies across Britannia also couldn’t help but blush when Louis appeared on their screens.

Even some older single women reacted similarly.

Trevor smiled proudly as he looked at Louis.

”You have really grown, Louis.”

He raised the microphone in his hand closer to his mouth so that his voice could reach everyone in the hall.

Louis turned toward him.

”Thank you, sir.”

He replied respectfully.

Louis then gave Trevor a small bow, his own microphone held close to his mouth.

After straightening his posture, he turned back toward the crowd.

”Now...”

His voice became slightly more serious.

”Before we finally make the big reveal, I first have to thank all the people who helped me throughout this journey of this creation.”

Louis turned away from the crowd.

He faced the members of the team standing behind the stage.

Then he bowed toward them.

”My fellow team members of Silver Five.”

He raised his head.

”My family members.”

Louis pointed toward the upper floor of the event hall.

The cameras immediately followed the direction of his hand.

The Evergrey family members were seated there.

The Count himself was present with his two wives, making the family’s presence at the showcase even more noticeable.

The camera stayed on them for several seconds, allowing everyone watching the broadcast to see the members of the Evergrey family who had come to support Louis.

Louis then turned his attention toward another section.

”The Jaden Sunshine Group, of course.”

He bowed toward the executive members of the Jaden Sunshine Group, who were seated close to the Evergrey family.

The camera shifted toward them as well.

Then Louis paused.

His expression became a little more relaxed.

”And I don’t want to forget...”

He looked directly toward the main camera.

”The creator of the Phantom Rolls himself...”

He smiled.

”The rising underclassman of mine...”

His eyes remained focused on the camera.

”Ezra Ashenlocke.”

The moment Louis said Ezra’s name, applause immediately rose throughout the hall.

The reaction was loud enough to fill the entire venue.

The cameras focused on the audience as many people applauded, while others began whispering about the young Ashenlocke who had already become closely connected to the development of Britannia’s Vehicle industry.

***

Back at the Mix Arena in the Craft & Research Seekers Club House, Ezra quietly watched Louis through the holographic screen.

There was no visible reaction on his face when he heard his own name being mentioned.

He simply continued looking at the broadcast.

On the other side...

The reaction around him, however, was completely different.

Students from his year and the upper years immediately turned toward Ezra.

Some looked at him with curiosity.

Others exchanged whispers.

A few began talking again about how Ezra’s invention of the Phantom Rolls had opened the door for new ideas in Britannia’s Vehicle industry.

His name had already been connected to the Phantom Rolls.

Now Louis Evergrey had personally mentioned him during the biggest release event Silver Wheels had held.

And now...

A brand-new Vehicle was about to make its appearance.

The students became even more focused on the holographic screen.

***

”Now, without any further words...”

Louis stretched his free hand toward the direction of the mysterious Vehicle.

Trevor stood a short distance away with both hands behind his back, wearing a simple smile.

Two beautiful, slim women walked onto the stage.

They were dressed in silver, tight, short, sleeveless gowns, with matching long silver gloves covering their arms.

The two women smiled brightly toward the cameras and photographers as they approached the covered vehicle.

They moved to opposite sides of the Vehicle.

Then they placed their hands against the silver blanket.

The crowd became silent again.

Louis lifted his microphone.

”I present to you all the mysterious Vehicle which has caused the whole Britannia to wonder deeply about what it is...”

His voice became louder.

He allowed the anticipation to build for only a moment before giving the name.

”The Fordliner!”

The moment the name left his mouth, the two women pulled the silver blanket away.

The blanket slid from the vehicle.

The cameras immediately began flashing much faster than before.

The recording crew zoomed in on the newly revealed Vehicle, capturing its exterior from different angles.

The Fordliner stood beneath the stage lights.

Its silver-colored exterior reflected the bright lights around the hall, making the Vehicle almost seem to shine from every direction.

At first glance, its structure carried a faint resemblance to a normal military steam carriage.

But it had been refined far beyond the usual design.

The shape was cleaner.

The body had been given a smoother structure, clearly using the idea Ezra had introduced with the Phantom Rolls.

The vehicle didn’t need excessive decorations to give it a noble or royal feeling.

Its shape itself was enough to create that impression.

However, the Fordliner was not simply a copy of the Phantom Rolls.

There were clear differences.

The exterior structure of the Fordliner had several extended parts.

The wheel sections, for example, protruded outward more because of the larger size of the wheels.

The steam-engine exterior also had a visible design instead of being completely hidden beneath a smooth outer structure like Ezra’s Phantom Rolls.

It gave the vehicle a more mechanical appearance.

The interior was also different.

The Fordliner had been designed with its own layout rather than simply following the Phantom Rolls’ interior.

Yet despite those differences, it still carried a level of luxury that immediately caught the attention of the crowd.

People began whispering.

Some pointed toward the wheels.

Others discussed the exterior structure.

A few simply stared at the vehicle without saying anything.

The Fordliner had finally been revealed.

And judging from the reaction inside the hall, Silver Wheels had succeeded in making sure that everyone in Britannia would be talking about it.