Chapter 163: Lost Child |
The Steam Machinery Exposition was scheduled to run until the middle of the month, and the exhibits were far too vast to see in just a day or two. For the first two days, Levi had accompanied Olivia, but by the third day, the two decided to split up.
Olivia was, after all, the feudal lord of Delicat. Having spent two days enjoying herself with Levi, it was time for her to focus and return to her official duties. Left to his own devices, Levi began wandering aimlessly through the exposition to pass the time.
During the previous days, they had thoroughly explored the national pavilions. Today, Levi planned to look over the creations of independent inventors. The exposition had reserved a specific section for private inventors from various countries.
Naturally, those qualified to exhibit here were not the smooth-talking charlatans found on the streets outside, but genuine, accomplished innovators with real substance. Compared to the conventional and structured national pavilions, these private inventions were incredibly imaginative, showcasing a wild variety of ideas.
Levi even caught glimpses of concepts reminiscent of modern civilization. For instance, there was a small submersible capable of diving hundreds of meters beneath the sea, and a Voice Printer that could automatically print text from spoken words. Of course, considering it required the speaker to enunciate a single syllable every three seconds, the machine was currently little more than a novel curiosity.
Aside from these, Levi also noticed several interesting mechanical puppets. In truth, creating automata had been a universal human dream since ancient times. However, unlike modern times, where people were oversaturated with films about robot invasions and rebellions, the scientists and inventors of this era had absolutely no concept of machines turning against humanity. They designed these various automata solely to replace human labor.
Of course, the research concepts regarding automata in this era were still primitive. After a quick circuit, Levi found nothing particularly intriguing or capable of catching his interest. Most of the automata on display could only perform monotonous, repetitive movements controlled by gears and mechanical linkages, lacking any capacity for retrieval or calculation like a modern AI. Furthermore, they were clumsy and incredibly heavy.
So, in the end, they were just another passing amusement.
Yet, in certain aspects, this world had already begun to make strides. Take the graphical interface resembling Windows that he had seen earlier; the scientists back then had proudly displayed the internal components of that monitor to everyone. Levi had leaned in for a look, only to see a dense cluster of minuscule, exquisite gears, levers, pistons, and tiny cylinders. When the scientists started rambling about "increasing rotational speed to improve efficiency," "boosting numerical values through compound calculations," and "the wear rate of decimal shafts," he could not understand a single word.
Whatever. Heaven only knew what bizarre evolutionary path the science of this world was taking. To Levi, the whole setup looked no different from magic, even if the locals considered it perfectly scientific.
He sighed softly. After completing a lap around the private inventors' section, Levi was starting to feel a bit tired. Many of the gadgets here were fascinating, but none were of any practical use to him. Perhaps he should head back to the Elis pavilion to see if they had introduced any other interesting culinary machinery. After all, nothing was more important than a good meal.
Moreover, Levi was quite fond of an inflation machine invented by Elis. It used carbon dioxide to aerate water, creating bubbles and turning ordinary water into sparkling water or carbonated drinks. To think he could enjoy carbonated beverages in an era like this was truly marvelous!
At the thought, Levi felt his mouth water. It was definitely worth another trip to the Elis pavilion; perhaps they had brought out something new today. After all, a man needed simple goals in life.
Just as Levi made his decision and prepared to head over to the Elis pavilion for a feast, he witnessed an unexpected scene. A short distance away, on the side of the street, a little girl stood entirely at a loss, looking around anxiously. Yet, despite the crowds of people passing by her, not a single person spared her a glance.
How unusual. Was she a lost child?
Observing the little girl, Levi reached up to stroke his chin. She appeared to be about seven or eight years old, dressed in a luxurious silk gown, and looked as adorable as a porcelain doll. She clearly came from a wealthy family, likely brought to the exposition by her parents. It was undeniably rare, as people seldom brought such young children to an event like this.
Furthermore, there were no servants by her side. Judging by her attire, she undoubtedly belonged to the upper class. By all rights, a child of her age should be escorted by attendants. Well, since he had nothing better to do anyway, he might as well go check on her.
With that thought, Levi walked over and approached the little girl. Looking down at her, he offered a warm smile and spoke.
"Hello, young lady. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Hearing Levi's voice, the girl turned around. When her eyes fell upon him, a clear flash of surprise and brilliance appeared in her gaze. She stared blankly at Levi with her mouth slightly open, completely dumbfounded, as if she were looking at a ghost.
"Miss? Are you alright?"
Seeing no response, Levi pressed further. This time, his inquiry snapped the girl out of her daze. Her face flushed bright red as she lowered her head, stammering shyly.
"He-hello, sir..."
"Hello, young lady." Levi removed his hat and knelt down to match her eye level. "You look a bit troubled standing here. Would you mind telling me what happened?"
"I... I..."
The girl's Imperial language was not particularly fluent, but her pronunciation was quite clear. This indicated she was definitely not a native of the Empire. Given the educational standard of this era, a seven or eight-year-old girl capable of speaking a foreign language meant her parents were likely high-ranking officials or nobility from another country.
"I... cannot find... Papa and Mama..."
"Separated from your parents?"
"Yes..." The girl nodded in embarrassment. "This place... is very fun. I was looking around... and when I turned back... Papa and Mama were gone..."
How strange, Levi thought, frowning slightly at her story. "Where is the person who was supposed to look after you?"
"I, I do not know... She was right next to me before..."
Levi pondered the situation. He felt he might be stepping into a complicated matter. It was normal for adults to lose track of a child when engrossed in business discussions, but for a servant specifically tasked with watching the child to vanish suggested this might not be a simple case of getting lost. Then again, he was a detective; helping a lost child was hardly outside his purview.
"How about I take you to the reception office, young lady?" Levi decided quickly. "I am sure your parents are very worried, and they will likely head to the reception office to look for you."
More importantly, the reception office could verify the girl's identity. Once they knew who she was, finding her parents would be a simple task.
"My name is Levi, and I am a detective. What about you, lovely young lady?"
"I, my name is... Anna... I, I am... a lovely young lady."
The girl did not possess a vast vocabulary, and she clearly wanted to mimic Levi by adding a title to her name. After struggling for a moment, that was the best she could come up with.
"It is an honor to meet you, Miss Anna." Levi extended his hand toward the girl. "Then, please allow me to escort you."
"Yes..." The little girl replied in a sweet, childish voice.
She was indeed incredibly endearing, with a hint of baby fat on her cheeks, and her smile made her look just like a doll. She then placed her tiny hand into Levi's with an air of mock maturity.
Levi stood up and began guiding the girl toward the reception office.
It was already midday, and the crowds within the exposition were thinning out. Lunchtime was prime time for business discussions, particularly for the delegations attending the expo; sharing a meal with clients to negotiate a major contract was standard practice.
Levi walked at a leisurely pace with Anna, but after a short distance, he came to a sudden halt.
"Miss Anna."
"Yes? What is it?"
"Do you recognize those people ahead?"
Levi gestured with his chin toward the path in front of them. A short distance away, several men dressed in blue uniforms were marching directly toward them.
In fact, there were others approaching from behind as well. Levi did not turn around, but through his Puppet Bird, he had long since detected that they were being tailed. Not only that, Levi knew these men had only recently entered the exposition grounds, and the moment they arrived, they had come straight for his position. How interesting.
"I, I do not know..." Anna's eyes widened as she stared at the approaching men, shaking her head anxiously.
As they spoke, the group converged on Levi, blocking his path and completely surrounding him and the little girl. They bore the fierce, stern demeanor of military men. Anna watched them with deep unease, shrinking back to hide behind Levi.
"Good day, gentlemen. Is there something I can do for you?" Levi remained entirely unbothered by the figures blocking his path. Maintaining his smile, he inquired calmly.
"Hand over the girl."
The leading man glared at Levi, his expression remaining completely wooden. His Imperial tongue was stiff and heavily accented, instantly marking him as a foreigner.
"Oh? And why should I do that?" Levi naturally had no intention of complying so easily. If he simply handed her over just because he was told to, where would his dignity be? "What is your relationship with this child?"
"That is none of your business, Imperial."
The man was clearly displeased by Levi's questioning. He evidently viewed Levi as a fragile, helpless gentleman, and decided he was not worth wasting breath on. With a sharp wave of his hand, the surrounding men instantly advanced on Levi.
Then, they froze.
Because Levi had drawn his gun.
"As an Imperial, on Imperial soil, I have every right to concern myself with whatever I please." Levi gripped the Persuader tightly, locking his gaze onto the leading man. "Unless you would prefer to discuss this with me..."
A sharp gunshot rang out. Levi had not even shifted his stance.
Behind him, a man who had attempted to lunge at him while he was speaking let out an agonized scream and collapsed to the ground. In the same breath, Levi flicked his right wrist, realigning the barrel of the Persuader directly at the leader.
"Negotiations failed, then?"
The leader offered no reply. Instead, the remaining men drew their own weapons from beneath their coats.
Well, it seemed negotiations had indeed failed. Levi sighed inwardly. But it mattered little. After all, there was always more than one way to persuade someone.