industrial lord

Chapter 656 This is a good place for art
I left gently,

as I came gently;
I waved softly,

Farewell to the clouds of the western sky.

……

Frederick sang "Farewell to Boeheim" and left with Maria.

The convoy was on the road again. A car left the convoy halfway and there was a dull feeling in the cab.

"I'm sorry," Frederick said to Maria, "I thought I could have a good time here, but I didn't expect it to become such a mess."

Maria shook her head and said, "I should be the one to apologize, because it was my willfulness that led to this."

The "Maria Project" was too shocking for the world. More and more people flocked to the city of Boheim, trying to find out why Frederick invested so many gold coins.

Frederick and Maria once went to the river for a visit, and there were enough people asking to see them to organize a football game.

As soon as the two of them returned, a group of people dug up the place where they had laid the carpet, drank tea and fished with Frederick, as if there was treasure there.

If Dafranche had not found an opportunity to quietly ask Frederick whether there were really thousands of tons of gold buried here, Frederick would not have known that the matter had been spread like this.

In order to prevent the chaos from continuing, Frederick played a trick of making a feint to the east and attacking in the west. He left the Foreign Minister in the local area to deal with the aftermath. On the surface, the large convoy left for another place, but in fact, the two of them went alone to a town called Carlsbad west of Bohemia.

Carlsbad has one great thing - hot springs.

The town is located in a valley where two rivers intersect. It is built along the river. On one side of the road is the quietly flowing river, and on the other side are colorful houses.

There are more than ten large hot springs here. The most famous one gushes out more than ten meters high. There are also countless small hot springs dug by the hotel itself.

"Put down your sword and enjoy life"

On the main road leading into the town, the huge slogan on the roadside is particularly eye-catching, but it is a bit old.

Frederick said to Maria, "There are many hot springs in this area. It is said that the hot springs in Carlsbad have healing effects and are very popular among officers of the Osmaga Empire and the Piast Kingdom. Therefore, both sides have agreed that this is a non-war zone and no use of force is allowed."

Maria said expectantly, "Then it should be very lively here!"

Frederick said, "I think so. I heard that the Grand Duke of Franconia would go there for vacation every winter with his family."

The car soon arrived in the town.

Suddenly, a large group of people came out from the roadside, holding signs with the hotel's name on them and waving at the car.

Frederick had already found out the most prestigious one, so he lowered the window and asked loudly if anyone was there.

The people who were soliciting customers suddenly became quiet and no one came out.

After a moment a young man came up and said, "Sir, there is no one from the Fountain Inn here."

Frederick showed a silver coin and said, "Lead the way."

"Thank you for your generosity, sir!" The young man took the silver coin and without waiting for Frederick to help him open the back door, he sat on the hood of the car and pointed his finger forward.

Maria was startled at first, then she started laughing.

Frederick shrugged and drove slowly forward.

The car drove for more than a kilometer and arrived at a white building at the other end of the town.

The hotel is three stories high, with a dome of about 20 meters in the center and a circle of corridors around it. There is a self-flowing water tap at regular intervals, with cups hanging next to it and chairs for resting.

The carriage parking lot was empty, with a lot of fallen leaves.

The young man who was pointing the way came over to Frederick after the car stopped and said that this was the Fountain Hotel, and then went over to inform him that there were guests.

"Something's wrong," Maria said. "This hotel looks a bit shabby." Frederick said, "The whole town is shabby. There are fewer horse-drawn carriages parked along the way than tires on our car."

"It seems that the withdrawal of troops from both countries has dealt a severe blow to the economy here."

Maria suddenly had an idea and said, "How about we stay at each house for a day or two?"

Frederick smiled and said, "No problem, we have plenty of time."

Next was the time for leisure and fun. Frederick would play with Maria in any way she wanted.

Two waitresses came to the hotel, pulling a flatbed cart. Frederick put his luggage and the suitcase containing the small radio on the cart, and walked towards the hotel hand in hand with Maria.

He was not afraid of his car being thieves. If he had the ability to crack the magic lock on it, he could get a job at the University of Weissenberg.

The hotel proprietress and all the staff were at the gate to greet the guests. Including the two people pulling the luggage behind them, there was only one aunt and four girls in total.

Frederick was a little surprised. It seemed that the hotel's business was not very good.

The proprietress was very welcoming. She took the guests to the best guest room, pointed out the location of the restaurant and hot spring bath on the way, and after arriving at the room, she took out the menu and asked the guests to order.

Before dinner, Frederick and Maria went to the fountain bath.

This bathroom is circular in shape, with a glass dome. In the middle of the circular ruler there is a fountain that sprays about ten meters high. There is a circle of pools around it for people to soak in, and the whole room is filled with steam.

"Huh!" Maria breathed a sigh of relief. "The water is a little hot, very comfortable."

Frederick said nearby: "Yes, it's really comfortable and interesting."

"It's strange. There is such a comfortable hot spring, why doesn't anyone come?"

"Although the hotel was clean, it was obviously not very popular and was very deserted."

Maria was immersed in the water, closing her eyes and saying, "What do you think about making this a sanatorium for the Ministry of Culture?"

Frederick pinched her nose and said, "Do you want to use your power for personal gain? Be careful about your budget."

Maria said seriously, "You can bring your family members."

Frederick said seriously: "It's not that the budget can't be loosened up a bit, but it doesn't seem to be enough."

As he spoke he began to become restless.

Maria pinched him and said, "Don't make trouble. I feel carsick today. If you can't help it, go find another girl."

Frederick withdrew his hand.

Maria continued, “I’m serious.”

"The Ministry of Culture plans to organize a series of awards for drama, singing, musical instruments, oil painting, etc., but the local authorities have not yet decided."

"Weisenberg is too serious and I feel a little constrained. The pace of life in other big cities is also very fast, and I can't calm down and appreciate the true meaning of art."

“This place is great. Both the scenery and the location make people relax, put aside unnecessary worries, and immerse themselves in art.”

Frederick was too utilitarian in his view of art, focusing on propaganda effects, and never considered this issue.

Now that I think about it, what Maria said makes sense. It is definitely more suitable to carry out art activities in a leisurely and relaxing place than in a place where machines are roaring.

"I agree." Frederick nodded. "The nearest railway here is more than 70 kilometers away. We can just build the railway to make up for the transportation shortcoming."

"Let's go to the theater here tomorrow and if it's suitable, you can decide on this matter when you return."

(End of this chapter)