Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 633 Aesthetic Differences
"Landing area cleared, cleared for landing! Repeat! Cleared for landing!"

The airship, topped with a huge airbag, circled rapidly in the sky for a few minutes before slowly landing on the open take-off and landing field, guided by flags waved by ground staff.

The cabin door swung open, and seven or eight elegantly dressed but strangely-looking guests stumbled out, immediately attracting the attention of the surrounding crowd. A chorus of surprised gasps and whispers rippled through the gathered crowd.

"Good heavens, who...who are they? High Elves from the East?"

"No way... I've seen those elven exchange students in the capital, and they don't look like this..."

"Look! Some of these guys have... octopus-like tentacles growing from their lower bodies! It's terrifying!"

"Silence! Didn't you see they're traveling on an official airship? They must be visiting allies from another race. Don't be so rude!"

"Ah! It's Minister Ash from the Ministry of Culture. He's here to receive these strange...guests."

Ash, with his blond hair meticulously styled and impeccably pressed dark blue official uniform, strode forward with a smile on his face. “Mr. Zaka, Mr. Upton, on behalf of His Majesty the Emperor and the United Kingdom, I welcome the two diplomatic missions of the Sea Clan to Starfire City.”

As a descendant of the Lambert family, Ash had visited the Coral City many times with his father Arturo. He was considered a familiar face with both the Coral Sea Clan and the Abyss Sea Clan.

The sea creatures breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that he was the one who received them... Most of them were setting foot on land for the first time. They had traveled thousands of miles to reach the depths of the continent and had just experienced a once-in-a-lifetime high-altitude flight. Their hearts were almost jumping out of their throats, their steps were unsteady, and their legs were weak. They barely managed to hold back from vomiting in front of the onlookers.

Zaka and Upton exchanged a glance, their tense expressions relaxing. "Mr. Lambert, it's been a long time... We are truly honored to have been invited to the North by Chief Arturo..."

Ash quickly waved his hand, interrupting their long-winded pleasantries, "No need to be so polite! Come with me into the city first. Everyone has had a long and tiring journey, so let's at least go to an inn to rest first, and we can talk about the rest later."

Several open-top alchemy wheeled vehicles rumbled over and stopped next to the take-off and landing area.

The sea creatures were somewhat confused, but they still tried their best to maintain their composure and not appear ignorant of the world... They climbed into the vehicle sent by Ash using both hands and feet, and sat motionless in the seat.

Who knew that the vehicle had barely started moving...

"Ugh! Ugh..." Several of their Abyss Sea Clan companions could no longer hold back and dry-heaved in pain. Their tentacles thrashed about uncontrollably, startling the driver, who was sweating profusely. He slammed the accelerator to the floor without looking at the road, eager to complete the transport mission immediately.

Upton turned to Ash with an embarrassed expression and apologized, “Mr. Lambert, I’m so sorry… We just experienced an airship journey that we’ve never seen before, and now we’re riding in this strange alchemical carriage.”

Zaka leaned close to Ash's ear and whispered, "In our reply to Chief Arturo, we mentioned asking him to mediate between us and His Majesty the Emperor to purchase ironclad ships and magical weapons. I wonder..." Ash's eyes darted around, and he immediately remembered the task Harvey had given him. He said mysteriously, "This kind of big deal is not something a lowly department official like me can find out the details of. Since you were allowed to enter the country, it at least shows that His Majesty is not opposed to contact with the sea creatures... And the Abyss Sea Chart's help with the military's plans, I think there's definitely something going on!"

Zaka and Upton were overjoyed upon hearing this and asked repeatedly, "When can we have an audience with His Majesty the Emperor? We brought plenty of treasures from the Coral Sea... Whether it's crystallized coral or aquamarine diamonds, His Majesty will not be disappointed!"

"There's no need to rush. His Majesty is too busy with state affairs to meet with diplomatic missions at any time. You need to be patient and stay in the capital for a while, interact with various government departments, and establish good relationships with them to ensure that this deal goes smoothly."

The sea creatures have always been well aware of the power struggles and intrigues among human nobles, and they also know that His Majesty the Emperor is not someone they can easily meet. They immediately roused themselves and patted their chests to assure him: "We are prepared for a protracted war in the Northern Territory. It doesn't matter how long we stay, as long as we can get His Majesty the Emperor to give his consent. We don't care if the price of the ironclad ships doubles!"

The fish has taken the bait!

Ash was delighted. Sitting in the wheeled carriage speeding along the flat road, he pointed to the city scenery along the way and changed the subject: "Is this your first time in Starfire City? What are your impressions of the Northern Capital of the United Kingdom?"

With a weight lifted from their hearts, Zaka and Upton looked around and commented objectively, "Since we landed in Pharos, the land of a thousand sails, we have never seen such a magnificent city along the way, not to mention those towering towers that reach into the clouds... It is no exaggeration to call it a miracle."

Ash beamed at the sincere compliment, feeling a sense of pride and self-satisfaction. He chuckled and said, "How does it compare to Coral Holy City?"

The two mission leaders were immediately stunned in embarrassment. Before they could find the right words, the young sea creature sitting in the back seat couldn't help but speak up.

"Although Coral Holy City cannot compare with Starfire City in terms of scale, in terms of architectural craftsmanship and the beauty of decoration, no royal capital of any country in the Southern Continent can surpass it."

"Indeed, you seem to have an unusual pursuit of uniformity in architectural forms. Even the roads must be built in neat rows, and there are rows of gray houses along the way that are almost all cut from the same mold, with no aesthetic appeal whatsoever."

"It's not that buildings are tall enough or cities are big enough... that makes something beautiful."

Seeing Ash's face about to fall, Zaka and Upton quickly turned their heads and stopped the arrogant words of their juniors with their eyes, apologizing, "These young people are just rude because they haven't seen the world of the Southern Kingdoms... Mr. Lambert, please don't mind."

Ash straightened his collar and chuckled, "It's alright. This has always been a difference in aesthetics between our two races. Since you'll all be staying in the capital for quite some time, I can accompany you to visit many of the completed buildings, as well as the Kingdom Theater, which I oversee. A new play will be performed in a few days..."

"This is a good opportunity for you all to go and observe, and give us some constructive feedback."

(End of this chapter)