Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 634 Fishing

Ash led Zaka and Upton, followed by several young sea creatures, and as they stepped onto the third floor, they saw a middle-aged man in a black gentleman's suit rise from the dining table and bow gracefully to them.

“Ah! Minister Elliott, I’m so sorry to have kept you waiting!” Ash stepped forward and hugged him familiarly, then turned around and introduced, “This is the sea creature ally from the Southern Seas that I mentioned to you… This is Mr. Elliott, the Deputy Minister of Commerce of the Kingdom, in charge of import and export trade.”

He paused, then winked at Zaka and the others, teasingly saying, "Of course, Minister Elliott is not only a trade expert, but he himself was also a renowned and leading antique connoisseur in Saint-Valen, and his family's private collection is quite substantial."

Elliott displayed the elegant demeanor of a southern nobleman, showing no disdain or fear towards the strangely-looking sea creatures. He repeatedly invited everyone to sit down, saying with a smile, "Minister Lambert, you flatter me! When the plague broke out, my whole family fled... If it weren't for His Majesty's favor, we wouldn't even have been able to save our lives. How could I have the opportunity to sit here and chat with you all about collecting and appreciating art?"

Turning to look at the group of sea creatures, I found that they were indeed as rumored, fond of gorgeous and elaborate silk clothing, and trying their best to imitate the reserved manners of human nobles in every gesture. I couldn't help but find it amusing in my heart.

"I've long heard that our sea creature allies are exceptionally talented in the arts. With Minister Lambert's introduction today, we must have a good chat, consider it a private get-together where we can speak freely, how about that?"

Ash raised his glass, gently swirled the clear liquor inside, and smiled in affirmation.

Then the waiters brought out one plate of exquisitely prepared delicacies after another, and everyone tacitly began to eat... Most of the sea tribe delegation had never set foot in the southern inland area before, and they had never heard of these diverse land foods. The novel flavors and textures left them speechless. Although they still managed to maintain their composure, the speed at which they emptied their plates could not hide their love for the food.

During the meal, Ash and Elliott, as the hosts, frequently raised their glasses to toast, and also brought up several elegant topics related to drama and painting, which immediately attracted several young sea creatures to join the discussion. This brought the two sides much closer, and everyone wore a sincere and happy smile.

Zaka suddenly felt a gentle tug on his ankle from a flexible wrist. He immediately snapped out of his daze, put down his wine glass, and coughed lightly as he said to Elliott, "Minister, I've heard that the Kingdom's Ministry of Commerce has been exporting cargo ironclad ships to the major merchant guilds in the Southern Territory. I wonder what conditions are required to obtain the right to purchase these ships?"

Elliott raised an eyebrow slightly, gave Ash a meaningful look, and pondered for a moment before saying, "Excuse my bluntness, ironclad ships cannot be purchased simply by investing money... The Southern Border Merchant Guilds you mentioned are all shareholders of Starfire United Import and Export Company, partners appointed by His Majesty."

Upon hearing this, Upton's arms slid together, and he immediately stood up, saying, "Then...then may we have the honor of becoming what you call...shareholders, and obtaining His Majesty's permission to purchase a few ironclad warships?"

"Ahem... Well, I can't say for sure. If it were just ordinary export goods, I might be able to find a way to help you. Ironclad ships are an important strategic resource for the kingdom. Without approval from all levels and finally His Majesty's approval, not even a single deck of one can be easily sold abroad."

Seeing that things had come to this point, Ash chimed in, "Zaka and Mr. Upton have had a long-standing relationship with my family. My father strongly urged them to come on this mission... Minister Elliott, could you do your best to mediate?" Zaka immediately gave a wink to the young clansman, who then took out an exquisitely crafted coral gift box from his backpack, opened it to reveal a box filled with various aquamarines, and gently pushed it in front of Elliott.

"We humbly request that you help us find a way to obtain His Majesty's approval, Minister. Please provide some information as much as possible... The Coral Sea Clan and the Abyss Sea Clan will never forget your invaluable assistance!"

Although it was clearly a trap, Elliott couldn't help but shudder when he saw the box full of gems in front of him. He quickly closed the lid and retreated. After looking around and finding that there were no other waiters in the restaurant's private room, he breathed a sigh of relief.

"Kingdom officials must never accept bribes arbitrarily. You're putting me in a very difficult position!"

After gulping down the rest of his drink, Elliott exchanged another glance with Ash and whispered, "I learned by chance in the court council... that His Majesty once sent the kingdom's navy to Coral City to help you complete the ancient ritual of the duel with the gods, is that right?"

Upton nodded repeatedly, "Indeed, His Majesty's reinforcements not only repelled the invading swarm of demonized horned sharks for us, but also ventured deep into the sacrificial seas to retrieve the Coral Stone for us. It is because of this that our two races decided to formally establish an alliance with the kingdom and begin friendly relations from now on!"

Elliott showed a knowing look, then muttered under his breath, "I've heard... that His Majesty is extremely interested in certain things deep in the sacrificial sea. I reckon they might be some rare magical materials that are unique to your race. As you know... His Majesty is a noble spellcaster by birth, and his research in the field of magic is quite accomplished."

Precious magical materials?
Zaka and Upton were both stunned, and said in unison, "The depths of the sacrificial sea are desolate, with no coral reefs growing there. Where would we find any magical materials other than divine stones?"

The two tribes' rituals of worshiping the gods have lasted for nearly a thousand years. Warriors from both tribes have risked their lives to dive into the depths of the ocean abyss, repeating the ancient tradition of retrieving the divine stone. They know the conditions at the bottom of that sea area very well, and there is no way they could have missed anything.

Ash nudged the stunned Upton and whispered, "What you consider worthless might be a different story in the eyes of human spellcasters! Anyway, the information has been given to you. Whether you can use it as leverage to negotiate with His Majesty... it's all up to you!"

Upon hearing such straightforward words, the sea creatures immediately understood and showed expressions of gratitude.

“Mr. Lambert, Mr. Elliott… thank you for your guidance! We understand!” Zaka said, his voice trembling as he tried to suppress his excitement. “Indeed, things that spellcasters deem valuable are easily overlooked in our daily lives… if we could agree with your country to jointly explore the sacrificial sea, perhaps… perhaps we could get His Majesty to agree to sell us ironclad warships!”

(End of this chapter)