Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 515 The eve of the military parade
After a busy day at work, Harvey struggled to get up from his chair. Just as he was about to stretch and go to the restaurant for dinner, there was another knock on the office door.

"Hmm?" Harvey turned to look at his personal guard in confusion. The other party shrugged to indicate that all the appointments for today had ended. Logically, there should be no important government affairs that needed his decision.

The next moment, Ash pushed the door open with a smile on his face.

It seems I won't be forced to work overtime... Harvey breathed a sigh of relief and said to his friend in his usual sarcastic tone, "Didn't you say you were rehearsing a new play for me as a gift for the coronation ceremony?"

Ash chuckled, "Theatre actors are living people, not zombies or your alchemical creations. They also need to rest after get off work!"

"Then what do you want to see me about? Normally, I'd send a guard to invite you to dinner, but you'd always refuse, citing your busy schedule. Why did you suddenly come to my house today?"

Ash walked over quickly, leaning against the desk, and asked expectantly, "I heard you were planning to hold a military parade? And demonstrate those terrifying magical weapons in public... What's called a magic exercise?"

"It's a live-fire exercise!" Harvey rolled his eyes and said speechlessly, "It's not really a public demonstration. I only plan to have officials from Spark City and other city halls, as well as the nobles from across the country who have been invited to the coronation ceremony, come and observe. Essentially, it's just to give them a little shock."

"What I'm saying is...could we also let the people of Spark City participate and observe? Ideally, hold a weapons exhibition so they can actually touch those legendary, terrifying weapons!" Ash said with obvious pride in his idea, his face beaming. "If the public could witness such a spectacular and awe-inspiring live-fire exercise, they would surely admire you even more and be filled with confidence in the future development of Spark City. Isn't this the loyalty and sense of belonging you often talk about?"

Harvey chuckled. It was a wise choice to bring this eccentric guy to the Ministry of Culture. He seemed to be born to do propaganda work.

Tietou, the deputy captain of the imperial guards standing in the office, was somewhat dissatisfied. Although this guy was the emperor's childhood friend, his attitude on weekdays was really nonchalant and he did not show the proper respect at all.

Seeing that His Majesty didn't express dissatisfaction, but didn't nod directly, he frowned and said, "How can the public be allowed to participate in military exercises? They've never seen scenes of artillery bombardment and machine gun fire. What if they get scared? The weapons display is even more outrageous. This is the secret of the Northern Army. How can we casually display it to the public?"

Ash tutted his words and said disdainfully, "Don't treat the people like fools, especially the people of Spark City... Captain Ironhead, your respected Majesty once mentioned the funny story of the first time you used a magic weapon and nearly peed your pants!"

"Alright, alright, you can even argue with my personal guards. I'm really impressed."

Ash curled his lips and turned around, saying, "Think about it? Since the location is near the banks of the Glacier River, we can completely close off the exercise area and only allow the public to climb the city walls to watch. At the same time, we can send police to maintain order on the walls... Of course, the several-mile-long northern section of the city wall can't accommodate tens of thousands of people, so new immigrants with temporary ID cards can be excused, and it's best to screen out minors and the elderly. That way, we don't have to worry about any trouble."

Harvey nodded. It seemed that Ash hadn't just come up with this idea on a whim, but had actually considered the specific implementation process. He might even have personally visited the designated rehearsal location and the city walls...

"That sounds great, but it's not something your Ministry of Culture can handle alone. Go talk to Reiner and ask the City Hall to cooperate with you... But a weapons exhibition isn't appropriate right now. We'll discuss this later."

In fact, Harvey does not think that the weapons currently owned by the Northern Army are absolutely confidential. In essence, these weapons are mass-produced with the participation of ordinary people and the tacit cooperation of alchemy beasts. Many workers in military factories are also very clear about the specific functions and power of these weapons.

The number and types of weapons available for public display were simply too small—two heavy artillery pieces, one portable artillery piece, three different types of magic guns, a magic machine gun… and at most, a military ironclad warship and a combat airship, resulting in a military configuration that was easily visible. …

As soon as he got off the train, Barron hurriedly said goodbye to Ross, "Sorry! Mr. Ross, I have to go first. I have a dinner appointment with a friend!"

Watching the orcs quickly leave, Ross couldn't help but mutter under his breath, "Does this guy have a date too?"

He then recalled the letters that were delivered to Barron on time almost every week when he was at the Dongtuo base. He would occasionally glance at the neat and beautiful handwriting on them - they were sent by a lady who was obviously well-educated.

The customs and practices of the North are indeed free and open. It seems that as long as you get an ID card that represents local residents, no matter if you are a half-orc, a southerner, or a wastelander... you will be treated equally, and there are no restrictions on joining the army, engaging in politics, or getting married.

Ross slowly walked out of the central station while thinking. He had no residence in Spark City. When he followed Harvey from Fengyuan City to the North Territory, he was also arranged to stay in a temporary reception hotel. Later, he took the initiative to apply to participate in the East Expansion, so naturally the original accommodation was no longer reserved for him.

Of course, there was no need for him to look for a hotel next... The six-month period agreed upon with the city lord had arrived, and he had fulfilled his promise to work diligently with ordinary people, going deep into the grassroots to personally experience the meaning of creating a better life with his own hands.

Gazing at the direction of the Lord's Castle from afar, Ross sighed inwardly, "My Lord... Your Majesty, I now understand why the North is so prosperous and wealthy. Everyone has enough food and clothing, and lives with hope and a future..."

The next step is to go to the city hall and hand in and cancel the identity card specially approved by the city lord. Then he will return to his real hometown, Fengyuan City, and use everything he has learned in the north to realize his ideals and ambitions.

When passing by the town square, Ross found that the huge bulletin board was crowded with people. Even though there was a cold wind blowing today, it did not seem to affect the enthusiastic discussion atmosphere of the onlookers at all.

Curiosity drove him to move closer, and he discovered it was the same group of young students who frequently appeared here. One of them was standing on a wooden box, announcing loudly, "Our respected Lord Mayor, the future King, will hold a large-scale military parade during this year's Winter Festival. The Northern Army will conduct live-fire exercises, and the public will be allowed to observe. It's located on the north wall..."

"You only need to provide your local ID card and be sixteen years of age or older to register. Those with weak legs and feet are not recommended to join the fun. Be careful, the deafening artillery fire might scare you unconscious on the spot!"

"Then you'll be able to witness with your own eyes the legendary newest magical weapon of the Northern Army! It's capable of blasting terrifying monsters as huge as hills into smithereens! Even the Church's most elite Knights of the Judgment couldn't escape utter annihilation!"

"Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! This is the only way to appreciate the heroic fighting spirit of the Northern Army up close. They all belong to His Majesty, our very own people's army!"

Ross listened silently for a moment, and couldn't help but take out his ID card and clench it tightly - it seemed that he should find a hotel to stay for a few days first, and then go to the city hall to hand in the ID after the winter celebration.

(End of this chapter)