Chapter 61:
Nautilus, Captain's Resting Quarters.
Only an extremely faint red light illuminated the luxurious room. The air purification system hummed steadily, working hard to filter out the sulfur smell brought in from outside.
Victor Pompey sat on the leather sofa, holding a glass of red wine but not drinking it.
His gaze rested on the large bed.
Daenerys Targaryen was sleeping deeply.
Perhaps from exhaustion after the curse-breaking ritual, or perhaps because she had finally shed the heavy burden she had carried for years, her sleeping face looked more peaceful than ever. Her long silver-gold hair spilled across the black silk pillow, almost glowing.
Victor set down his wine glass and walked softly to the bedside.
He reached out, hovering his hand just above Daenerys's still-flat abdomen.
Without needing to touch, thanks to the perception granted by the system, he could clearly feel a faint but resilient "spark" pulsing there.
[System Scan in Progress…]
[Target Status: Gestating (Day 1).]
[Life Signature: Extremely Strong.]
[Bloodline Synchronization Rate: 100%.]
"I still can't believe it."
The corners of Victor's mouth lifted slightly, his heart surging with emotion.
"There's a little monster in there who will one day ride a dragon into space."
At that moment, Daenerys's eyelashes fluttered. She slowly opened her violet eyes.
When she saw Victor, she paused for a second, then instinctively reached for her belly.
"Victor… it feels different."
Her voice was slightly hoarse, yet filled with joy.
"That cold feeling… it's gone. I can feel warmth. The warmth of life."
"Yes, Daenerys."
Victor sat on the edge of the bed and pulled her into his arms.
"The curse is over."
"Now, you are a hero of House Pompey — and the greatest mother in this world."
Daenerys leaned against his chest, tears sliding silently down her cheeks.
"Thank you, Victor."
"You've given me everything. Armies, victory, and even… hope."
"This is just part of the deal, remember?"
Victor grinned mischievously and tapped her nose.
"You give me children, I give you the world. Seems fair."
Daenerys laughed through her tears and lightly punched his chest.
"Then you'd better get me out of this cursed place soon. Our child doesn't want to grow up smelling like sulfur."
…
One hour later. Nautilus Command Cabin.
"Reactor output at 80%, cooling system normal."
"Ascending. Depth 600 meters."
Victor had changed back into his crisp marshal's uniform, once again the cold and composed Regent.
Maester Marwyn was hunched over the navigation table, studying the Valyrian steel chisel taken from the stone men, muttering to himself.
"Looks like the ritual was a success?"
Marwyn looked up at Victor's glowing face and gave a lewd grin.
"That lingering resentment is gone. And… you smell different."
The old man sniffed.
"A scent of sulfur and dragonfire. You look like a fire elemental lord who just crawled out of a volcano."
"Is that so?"
Victor walked to the smoking area. He picked up a cigar but didn't use a lighter.
He extended his index finger and focused his mind.
Whoosh!
A small cluster of orange-red flame appeared out of thin air at his fingertip.
No incantation. No magical fluctuation. It was as if his finger itself was a lighter.
He casually lit the cigar with the flame on his fingertip, then flicked his hand and extinguished it.
[System Passive Skill: Fire Element Immunity / Elementary Pyrokinesis.]
[Description: As the father of a true dragon offspring, you have gained the recognition of dragonfire. Ordinary flames cannot harm you in the slightest, and you can control weak flames.]
The crew members nearby stared in astonishment, thinking the Regent had learned a magic trick.
Only Maester Marwyn's pupils contracted sharply.
"Spellcasting without a staff… and elemental affinity?"
"It seems this trip to Valyria earned you far more than I imagined."
"Just a little trick."
Victor exhaled a smoke ring and sat down at his desk.
"Doctor, stop studying that chisel."
"Look at this instead."
Victor pulled out a thick stack of blueprints — the latest system reward.
[Magitech Industrial Foundation Blueprint Collection (Volume One)].
"What is this?"
Marwyn leaned over and opened the first page.
The next second, his eyes nearly bulged out of his head.
It was a complex mechanical schematic.
It looked like a massive blast furnace, but the core was labeled not with coal, but with a "Magic Crystal Array."
The title of the blueprint read:
[Valyrian Steel Mass-Production Blast Furnace].
"This… this is impossible!"
Marwyn's hands were shaking.
"The formula for Valyrian steel has been lost for centuries! Even the Valyrians themselves only forged it by hand through blood sacrifice and dragonfire! How could you possibly produce it with machines?"
"This is magitech industry, Doctor."
Victor pointed at the core parameters on the blueprint.
"The essence of Valyrian steel is injecting magic into the metal during the folding and hammering process, altering its crystal lattice structure."
"Previously they relied on dragonfire because only dragonfire could provide that 'high-magic, high-heat' environment."
"But now…"
Victor pointed downward at the humming Heart of the Titan reactor.
"We have a controllable magic power source."
"This furnace uses magic crystals to simulate the frequency of dragonfire, combined with modern hydraulic forging hammers."
"As long as we have enough iron ore and magic slag (black stone), I can mass-produce Valyrian steel like making sausages."
Marwyn felt his worldview collapsing.
Mass-producing legendary divine weapons like sausages?
This was practically blasphemy against magic!
Yet looking at the incredibly precise blueprints, he had to admit… in theory, it was possible.
"And there's this."
Victor flipped to the second page.
[Floating Stone Refining and Anti-Gravity Engine (Prototype)].
"Grind Valyria's signature 'floating stone' into powder, mix it into alloys, then excite it with specific magic frequencies…"
A fanatical light flashed in Victor's eyes.
"We can make several-thousand-ton steel warships defy gravity."
"Although we still can't build a floating city yet."
Victor closed the blueprints and looked out the window at the gradually brightening seawater — they were about to surface.
"But once we miniaturize this system…"
"We can create [Aerial Gunboats], or armor our airships with Valyrian steel plating."
"Maester Marwyn."
Victor looked at the stunned old sorcerer before him.
"After we return, I want you to lead the establishment of the 'Royal Magitech Academy'."
"I will provide the blueprints and funding. Your job is to turn these things into reality."
"Deal?"
Marwyn swallowed hard.
He looked at Victor as if staring at a madman about to set the world on fire.
But the mad spark inside him was also stirring.
To personally recreate — even surpass — the glory of Valyria?
That was ten thousand times more interesting than lighting candles in the Citadel!
"Deal!"
Marwyn slammed his fist on the table.
"But I want double the salary! And get me more of that 'happy water' (cola). We're almost out of stock on the ship."
…
Splash—!
The Nautilus broke through the sea surface.
Long-lost sunlight bathed the black hull.
Although they were still at the edge of the Smoking Sea and the air still smelled unpleasant, compared to the oppressive underground cavern, this felt like paradise.
Roar—!!!
A mighty dragon cry came from the sky.
Drogon, who had been circling overhead waiting, dove excitedly when he saw the submarine surface.
His massive wings blocked the sunlight and whipped up a fierce wind.
"Looks like he got impatient."
Victor opened the hatch and helped Daenerys up to the deck.
Drogon landed on the sea (his size was large enough to stand in shallow water). His enormous head came closer.
His golden-red vertical pupils locked onto Daenerys's belly.
He smelled it.
The scent of his own kind. The continuation of the bloodline.
"Good boy."
Daenerys reached out and stroked the dragon's scorching breath.
"You have a little brother or sister now."
Drogon let out a gentle low growl and even lightly nuzzled Victor.
His hostility toward this man had completely vanished.
Because on Victor, he also smelled the scent of "fire" — the affinity granted by Victor's newly acquired fire element immunity.
Victor reached out and patted Drogon's neck, covered in hard scales.
It felt scorching hot, but he felt no burn — only a warm comfort.
"Let's go."
Victor looked toward the northern horizon.
"Home."
"Margaery's belly is growing. Yours should start showing soon too."
"And…"
Victor narrowed his eyes, thinking of the wired telegraph network back in King's Landing.
"Now that the technology tree has been unlocked."
"It's time to start the Second Industrial Revolution."
"When we return to King's Landing, I will make the first electric light illuminate the nights of the Red Keep."
[System Notification: The Magitech Chapter has officially begun.]
[Current Quest Updated: Return to King's Landing and establish the Magitech Industrial Zone.]
[Pending Task: Handle Margaery Tyrell's "Pregnancy Emotions" (recommended: prepare gifts).]
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