MTL - Steel, Guns and the Industrial Party Across the World-~ prologue

The flickering candle gave off a faint light, printing a crooked shadow on the white wall. This is a room in the academic tower of the capital of the Gabela Empire. An old man with all white beard and hair is buried in a large pile of books And among the scrolls, I read page by page carefully, as if searching for some information. The bell of the big clock tower came from outside, and the simple and melodious sound echoed over the entire city, announcing the arrival of midnight, but the old man continued to bury his head in the pile of books as if he didn't hear it.

The door of the room not far away quietly opened, and a young man with a candlestick came in. He said softly, "Teacher, it's already midnight, you should really rest."

"What, is it already this time?"

Only then did the old man close the tome in his hand, took out his handkerchief and rubbed his sore eyes, "It's time for a good night's sleep, um... help me, this body is getting more and more useless."

The young man put down the candlestick and slowly helped the old man up.

"At today's imperial meeting, everyone was very curious about what you were doing these days, and even His Majesty asked me again in private."

"Haha, for you, it must be scratching your head to make up a suitable reason for me on the spot, right?"

"Uh..." The young man named Mond mumbled in embarrassment, "Is that shooting star a few days ago really worth so much attention?"

As soon as he said these words, the smile on the old man's face froze immediately, and the slight frown between his brows showed that his heart was no longer calm.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have doubted you." Seeing the old man's dignified expression, Mond showed shame on his face.

"Oh, Mond, I'm not blaming you, it's a good quality to be able to question boldly," the old man quickly comforted, "Indeed, this meteor makes me worry all the time, and I hope that I worry too much. If unfortunately, it really brings disasters as recorded in the ancient scrolls, then according to the previous descriptions, this catastrophe will far exceed our imagination, let me tell you about the previous few times. "

Then, he spread out a roll of parchment and began to slowly talk about what he had gained in the past few days...

…

In a dark alley next to the Great Bell Tower of the Imperial Capital, accompanied by the still reverberating bell, a black figure walked in silently. He was wearing a cloak, and walked slowly towards the depths of the alley with the moonlight on his back. In the shadows under the hood.

At the first corner, he stopped.

"Why are you here so late today?" A rough voice sounded, and another man in a cloak was already waiting there, his face was also hidden under the hood, and a thick beard was faintly revealed.

"It's going to be windy, make more preparations."

"What preparations have you made?"

"Rope, canvas and harpoons."

The bearded man nodded and said, "With these, you can go to sea with peace of mind. Go, we will always pray for you in the church at the port."

Then he flashed into the shadows and disappeared, and the cloaked man who came first also left after confirming that there was no abnormality around him.

…

In the bachelor's tower, the old man's narration has ended for a while, but cold sweat oozes from Mond's forehead.

After being silent for a long time, Mond finally spoke: "If this is the case, should we immediately report to His Majesty and warn the world."

"No, we don't know anything about the disaster itself. We don't know what form it will take, and when it will come. We also lack effective countermeasures. It is useless to disclose it too early. On the contrary, it will cause panic in a large area, and even give some people with ulterior motives an opportunity to take advantage of it."

"You are right, I was too reckless." The old man's disciple was a little ashamed.

The old man opened the window, and a gust of fresh air quickly poured into the room. He looked out the window at the low night, and said in a loud voice:

"It's going to be windy..."