Chapter 253: Chapter 240: Sights and Shock at Grent Manor

In any case, whether Jon was truly of royal blood from the Apollonia Duchy or not, it simply wasn’t right to leave guests waiting at the gate. Besides, with envoys from two princesses watching the drama unfold, any further bombshells would ensure his reputation spread throughout the entire upper echelon of the Harvia Empire.

So, after changing his clothes, he instructed Rosalind to open the main gate and welcome the guests inside.

The three groups crowded at the gate were finally able to enter what was once Grent Manor—now the Giant God Workshop—a place shrouded in mystery to the outside world.

For them, this was undoubtedly a novel experience.

The Grent family, the former owners of Grent Manor, had tried many methods to generate income and save their family from financial crisis. This was how facilities like the Forging Workshop came to be built within the manor—something that was actually considered "rather unbecoming" in aristocratic circles.

Perhaps it was due to this concern that the production facilities were modest in scale. The entire manor was, after all, still more of a residence than a production site, lacking none of the usual features like gardens, fountains, and courtyards.

However, things had changed since Jon took over.

He couldn’t care less about what was respectable or not; satisfying production needs was his top priority.

The front garden still existed, but its area had been reduced by more than half, leaving only a main path leading to the primary residence. The rest of the space had been converted into warehouses for storing Mechanical Bodies and raw materials.

The Forging Workshop and Alchemy Workshop in the rear courtyard were expanded and connected to the side wing, which was originally servants’ quarters but now housed apprentices.

All these architectural modifications were overseen by the Old Dwarf. He managed to avoid destroying the manor’s original style while adding a sense of efficiency that was both substantial and practical.

But aside from the well-organized layout that was so different from a typical nobleman’s manor, what astonished the guests most were the ubiquitous Mechanical Bodies—

The patrol guards were Mechanical Bodies, the warehouse sentries were Mechanical Bodies, the material handlers were Mechanical Bodies, and even the sweeping and cleaning were done by Mechanical Bodies!

Even in the Mage Towers built by those high-and-mighty Mages, one would probably not find such a high concentration of Mechanical Bodies!

And if a layman would only see it as a spectacle, to an expert, everything they saw here was nothing short of "insane"!

Take Wood, for example.

He racked his brain but couldn’t fathom how this manor could afford to use Mechanical Bodies on such a "luxurious" and massive scale.

You have to understand, even the most advanced Mechanical Bodies of today consumed a vast amount of Magic Power each time they were activated. They wouldn’t be put into a working state unless absolutely necessary, at most maintaining a standby alert mode.

But what did he see here?

This manor was actually using Mechanical Bodies to sweep the floors!? Was Magic Power free!?

And where were their Magic Furnaces? How could their bodies be compressed to half the height of a person!?

How in the world was this possible!?

If Knight Commander Stier hadn’t been holding him back tightly the entire way, he would have been dying to dismantle one on the spot to see its internal structure.

Soon, under Rosalind’s guidance, the group arrived at the reception hall in the side of the main residence and met the master of the estate.

He wore a white silk shirt and fitted brown breeches suitable for movement. Though he merely stood with his back to them, his hands clasped behind him, the crowd felt as if they were seeing an unshakeable mountain range!

This made the few Professionals in the group turn solemn.

Before arriving, they had heard rumors of Jon’s strength, knowing that he had contributed significantly in the fight against the enemies in Birch Town and was no ordinary person.

But now that they had met him in person, they knew they had still underestimated him!

The man standing here was no mere rising star with potential, but a truly powerful expert who already possessed sufficient Power!

Having already sensed their arrival, Jon did not keep them waiting long.

He slowly turned, his ice-blue eyes, which carried an intangible pressure, calmly sweeping over everyone in the hall.

"You have all come from afar. Welcome. I am Jon, the master of this place."

"The Workshop is newly established, and our preparations are not yet complete. Please forgive me if our hospitality is lacking."

The leaders of the three groups, who had been swept by his gaze, bowed or saluted almost simultaneously.

The Third Princess’s Knight Commander, Stier, was the first to speak, his tone apologetic.

"Mr. Jon, you are too kind! We are the ones who have been rude by arriving so rashly without sending word. How could we dare expect such hospitality? It is we who should be asking for your forgiveness."

The Seventh Princess’s lady-in-waiting also curtsied.

"We came only to express our goodwill, yet we have disturbed Mr. Jon’s peace. We are truly sorry."

The female Knight from Apollonia placed a hand on her chest and performed a simple yet firm Knight’s salute.

"We came on royal command and, in our haste, failed to observe the proper courtesies. We ask for your understanding, Mr. Jon."

Her words were equally sincere, but as she spoke, her eyes were fixed on Jon’s face, filled with a trace of excitement and disbelief.

A faint, detached smile appeared on Jon’s face. He seemed to pay no mind to their reactions, simply gesturing with his hand.

"It’s no matter. Please, be seated."

With that simple exchange, the roles of host and guest were clearly established.

Everyone took their seats as instructed, and attendants immediately and silently served hot drinks.

However, just as this newfound atmosphere for conversation was beginning to settle, a figure shot up from the Third Princess’s envoy—it was none other than Wood, the old man with the white hair and beard, wearing engineering goggles.

His wrinkled face was flushed with excitement, his sharp eyes locked intently on Jon.

"Mr. Jon, please forgive my impertinence! But I have a question that must be answered before we proceed!"

"These Mechanical Bodies in your manor! They! They are..."

The old man was so agitated he became somewhat incoherent, his hands gesturing wildly in the air as if searching for a word with enough weight. Finally, he practically roared.

"—They are history in the making! They completely subvert the entire cognitive framework of modern Engineering!"

"Their Magic Furnace structure, their energy efficiency, their motor coordination... It’s all unprecedented!"

His eyes were filled with fanaticism and pleading, like a believer in search of truth who had just witnessed a divine miracle.

"May I ask, which Master’s hands created these world-shaking masterpieces? No matter what, you must introduce me to them!"

The entire reception hall fell silent in an instant.

A flash of helplessness crossed Knight Commander Stier’s face, but he was powerless to stop the technology-obsessed old scholar.

The other two groups of envoys also focused their gazes on Jon, awaiting his answer.

After seeing the sights within the manor, they were equally curious about the answer to this question.

Faced with Wood’s frantic questioning, Jon simply remained composed, picked up the bone china cup beside him, and unhurriedly took a sip of the warm beverage, not answering immediately.

This calm and collected demeanor made him seem all the more unfathomable.

Just as the old scholar was about to lose his composure and leap from his chair, Rosalind, who was standing by Jon’s side, took a half-step forward. In her unique voice—impassive yet clear and pleasant—she calmly revealed the answer.

"Master Wood, there is no need for an introduction to anyone else."

Her gaze swept over the astonished crowd before returning to Jon, filled with a matter-of-fact reverence.

"My master is the lord of the Giant God Workshop. It is only natural that all creations within the Workshop come from his hands."

"All the Mechanical Bodies you have seen in the manor were personally designed and their construction supervised by my master."

As her voice fell, time seemed to freeze for a moment.

An irrepressible, collective gasp suddenly echoed through the hall!

The excitement on Master Wood’s face instantly turned to utter astonishment and disbelief. His mouth hung slightly agape, and the engineering goggles on the bridge of his nose nearly slid off.

Knight Commander Stier’s pupils contracted as he whipped his head toward Jon.

The carefully maintained, proper expressions on the faces of the Seventh Princess’s lady-in-waiting and the female Knight from Apollonia were instantly replaced by sheer shock, their eyes shining with incredulity.

’He personally designed them and supervised their construction?’

’This young, powerful, black-haired man before them, with a disposition as steady as a mountain, was certainly outstanding.’

’But no matter how they tried, they couldn’t possibly connect him with the title of "Master of Engineering."’

’Everyone knew that Engineering was a discipline that required a great deal of accumulated experience, didn’t they?’

’It was normal for someone like Wood, who had devoted his entire life to Engineering, to only begin to grasp the fundamentals in his middle age and achieve true mastery in his later years!’

’And this Mr. Jon, no matter how you looked at him, couldn’t be older than thirty!’

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