Chapter One Hundred and Twenty-Eight

“So this is Wales?”

Although it was only the tip of the iceberg, Treshi led Miller to the most technologically advanced place within the Wales base: the Wales Laboratory.

Everyone here was a genius from another country whose talents had gone unrecognized. Their technology had reached a certain bottleneck, and they had also lacked the support of their respective nations. Thus, they had come here. In Wales, they could not only obtain preferential access to its resources, but also the most authoritative theoretical knowledge available. All they had to do was sign a treaty forbidding them from using their technology for warfare.

For many of those who came here, however, their technology had nothing to do with war in the first place. So they joined Wales and became part of it. They enjoyed a certain degree of freedom. But should they betray Wales and use their research for military purposes, they would face the wrath of an entire nation.

“This still isn’t the most impressive sight. This is merely their laboratory. Once you’ve seen Cole’s laboratory, you’ll understand what true grandeur is.”

“Isn’t it just a laboratory? How impressive could it possibly be?”

Miller was unimpressed. The laboratories at the Royal Academy of Sciences all looked more or less like this. Even the largest of them could be no more extraordinary.

“No, no, you’ve got it all wrong! Here, whoever is strongest has the right to speak. And strength is measured by our achievements. There is only one person with the greatest strength here, of course.”

“Cole, you mean?”

After hearing Treshi’s words, Miller naturally thought of that legendary figure at once. She had arrived late and had not known that Cole had come, but she had heard about him. After all, the appearance of such a great scientist here had already made the news.

“Good. Then let me take you to see him.”

Treshi turned toward another direction and continued leading Miller onward. Roger had gone elsewhere to attend to some matters and was not with them at present.

The laboratory was not far away. There was, however, a door reserved exclusively for senior personnel. Since Miller was the Crown Princess of the United Kingdom, she was naturally permitted to enter at will. The identification system scanned her once and immediately recognized her identity.

The doors opened, revealing a gigantic silver sphere before them.

“What on earth is that? It’s enormous!” Princess Miller could not help exclaiming in astonishment.

“That? It’s called J-Alloy. It possesses an extraordinarily powerful energy-storage capacity. The energy contained within this storage alloy is sufficient to supply the entire United Kingdom. And this energy was obtained through other means; it has nothing to do with the United Kingdom’s existing reserves.”

“Other means?” Miller asked, bewildered.

“That lies beyond the scope of what modern technology can explain. You needn’t know about it.”

Treshi offered no further explanation. After all, this was no longer something Miller ought to know.

“Oh? Has someone come?”

Treshi’s unannounced entrance had drawn the attention of the person inside.

“It’s me. And I’ve brought a guest.”

“A guest? I don’t remember inviting anyone.”

“She’s my guest—the Princess Miller of the United Kingdom.”

“Miller?”

At the sound of that name, Cole paused.

“That’s your sister? I never expected her to look so much like that person. No—she’s practically the same person, isn’t she? Her vital statistics are identical. Aside from you and me, there shouldn’t be anyone else in this world like that.”

Although the door stood open, Cole seemed to have already seen through everything. He made no attempt to conceal his thoughts and simply said it all aloud.

That only left Miller even more unsettled.

“Never mind. Let her come in. By blood, she can be considered my sister. I can at least grant her that much.”

Cole readily acknowledged his relationship with Treshi, tacitly confirming her claim.

Another door opened. Though the interior was concealed behind shifting light and shadow, an aura of mystery seeped through the opening and sent a shiver through Princess Miller’s heart.

Only after entering did Princess Miller understand what “the tip of the iceberg” truly meant. The laboratory was comparable in scale to the Royal Academy of Sciences of the Calais Empire itself. It was a hemispherical structure with a radius of more than fifty meters. Its exact size was impossible to estimate, but Cole stood among the countless experimental instruments within, many of which Miller could not even name.

“Ah, our guest has arrived? I’m sorry, but this is a laboratory. There isn’t much room here to entertain you.”

By then, Cole had already pulled himself away from his mountain of experiments and come before them. To be fair, the path directly opposite the laboratory entrance was quite spacious. A few stools and a table then appeared in the middle of it.

“Here, have a seat.”

The stools that had appeared from thin air left Princess Miller at a loss. Out of politeness, Treshi did not sit down either.

“Don’t worry. I know it’s hard to believe when they appear out of nowhere, but they’re perfectly real. As for how I did it... you could call it molecular reassembly technology.”

Cole’s technical jargon was incomprehensible to someone as ordinary as Miller. He had no intention of explaining further. Speaking with an intelligent person was one thing; speaking with someone who possessed specialized knowledge was another. Besides, this technology was his own achievement. How could anyone else possibly know about it?

“All right...”

Miller tentatively touched the stool. Only after confirming that it was solid did she sit down.

“Pleased to meet you, Princess Miller. I’m Cole—the scientist, Cole.”

Once Princess Miller had taken her seat, Cole removed his laboratory glasses. Without them, and sitting beside Treshi, he and Treshi truly looked identical. Even Treshi’s own brothers, Prince Kveil and Prince Charlie, did not resemble one another so perfectly.

“Hello, Cole.”

Princess Miller responded gently, her attitude noticeably different from the way she behaved around Treshi. Perhaps it was because their identities were different. Perhaps it was because Cole and Treshi interacted differently with her. Cole seemed warmer and more approachable, while Treshi appeared considerably more solemn.