Extraordinary Voyage-Chapter 784 - 675: Restless Parties

Tulip Islands, Phaletis Royal Capital, Beckler.

If the inhabitants of the Old Continent were asked to choose a city that represented the greatness of human civilization, many would instinctively shout out the Hilus Royal Capital, St. Cruz, known as the World Museum.

However, no one could immediately dismiss the city beneath our feet, Beckler, which embodies the essence of the steam industry civilization of this era.

The enormous 95-meter high clock tower overlooks the entire capital; the white steam from factories in the city forms clouds; and the finely cast lamp posts lining the main streets stand like sentinels extending to the horizon...

Especially in the years past.

With the breakthrough in coke iron refining technology, the Kingdom’s steel production once again reached new heights, allowing engineers to construct a 129-meter span iron bridge over the Taim River flowing through Beckler, symbolizing the limitless creativity and pioneering spirit of the Phaletis people.

It’s also an industrial miracle that leaves the world astounded.

Although the iron bridge came at a considerable cost, the sense of national pride it evokes is unprecedented!

Especially the 350-kilometer long "Taim River," originating from the island’s eastern Cotswolds and flowing into the sea at New Inn Port, nurturing Beckler and over ten cities along its course, it holds significant importance.

However.

At this time, the interior of the sewer system feeding into the Taim River from the iron bridge’s arch was far from peaceful.

The city’s efficient drainage system has inadvertently created a sprawling, labyrinth-like underground world, dark and damp, accommodating some "filth" that shouldn’t be there.

Swish swish swish...

In the eastern region underground, a group of humanoid rats clad in burlap robes whispered amongst themselves; in the west, a pack of tar-colored spiders skittered across the walls; a band of figures with blood-red hands opened a manhole cover and entered the alley...

In the noble district’s underground, several ghouls with ashen faces serving the "Cold Monarch," and blasphemous cultists robed in greyish leather belonging to the "Fog of Order Secret Society" collided:

"Cackle, cackle, the city has been bustling lately, various shady characters have begun to stir, and numerous contingents are pouring in. We might not even need to lift a finger to plunge this city into chaos."

"War has long since begun, the True God’s powers are continuously growing, under no circumstances should the inherently opposed ’Tulip’ be given any chance to breathe.

The foolhardy ’Oathbreakers’ are to blame; their trip to the [Clock Tower] not only failed to obtain the [Libra Balance Holy Sword], but they were completely wiped out without conveying a single useful message.

Which forces us to repeatedly alter our follow-up plans, the ’Chaos Worm’ over there..."

Directly above them, the city basked in sunlight.

Clip clop clip clop...

Guard Dragon Cavalry on horseback, donned in red military uniforms with firearms over their shoulders, extraordinary knights in shimmering armor polished like mirrors, crowman team members wearing bird-beak masks and clad in black leather, spies from the Kingdom Intelligence Department...

Belonging to the Kingdom’s defense forces, they started to patrol in batches through the city’s streets and alleys. The most significant ceremony in decades was drawing near, and the city’s alert level had risen to its highest.

Expected and unexpected enemies perpetually emerged; this method of preparing was the standard protocol for civilized nations during celebrations.

Even with the True God Church’s repression, every large public event on the continent becomes a peak time for various "cult activities" to thrive. Those who oppose civilization and order are like cockroaches; defeat one wave, and another appears endlessly.

Not unlike the fallen "God of Opera," Percy; they birth from human society itself, and draw strength from harming the fabric of human civilization.

Faith is secondary, yet the negative human emotions such as anger, sadness, selfishness, timidity, despair, hatred, jealousy, inferiority, greed, etc., are their favorite.

However.

Unlike during the "Dark Millennium" before the "Renaissance Movement," when the True God hardly manifested miracles.

In the current era, the True God’s unprecedented attention to the mortal world even leads to frequent angel descents intervening in mundane affairs. With the Church suppressing, particularly within the heart of civilized capitals, there’s hardly any worry about a deranged evil god daring to descend and massacre.

Certainly, there are pros and cons.

The root of this celebration lies in the unexpected abdication of the Queen, who, in the prime of life, could have continued reigning for another century; the fundamental cause is also the Church.

"What belongs to the Divine is the Divine’s, and what belongs to the King is the King’s" the deeper definition in reality is "What belongs to the Extraordinary is the Extraordinary’s, what belongs to the mortal is the mortal’s."

After breaking through Tier 3, with proper body maintenance and no unexpected death, being a King for nearly two hundred years, what difference is there between ruling humans and gods?

This is something both the Church, after experiencing the "Dark Millennium" and the "Renaissance," and the True God behind them, are reluctant to witness. If it came to that, they might as well directly replace the Kingdom with a Church Country.

In the various continent nations, a King naturally transitioning between ages 65-70 is most common; if the time comes and they still cling to the throne, they face mandatory intervention by the Church. With the Pope decreeing on behalf of the God that the King is illegitimate, then annointing a new Monarch.

Although the current Queen Isabella is only 67 years old, three years before the ultimate age limit of 70, a series of internal and external factors led her to make this decision.

Internally.

This period, she seized the favorable opportunity provided by the Ilya Kingdom’s negative case to adopt Aiven’s suggestions, nationalizing all livelihood industries.

The series of reforms likely to severely impact entrenched group interests have all been fully achieved under her unrivaled prestige, with no faction able to resist her supreme authority.

So, internally, there were no longer any obstacles to Liwina’s ascension. She had also inherited a rich political legacy, ready to blossom and bask in glory.

Externally.

As the Hilus Empire’s religious reforms near completion, the continental tumult is about to gradually subside. In the future, the disputes of interest between the Kingdom and Hilus are bound to escalate, and the remaining three years are far from sufficient to determine a winner.

It would be better to let the successor enter the scene while the intensity of the struggle is still low, allowing the thirty-five-year-old Crown Prince Liwina, seasoned by experience, to spend the next thirty years crafting a brilliant future for the Kingdom.

...

In the garden of the Crown Prince’s Mansion, amidst the blooming flowers.

Liwina, clad in a pale yellow dress and wearing the Gem Princess Crown, appeared exceptionally radiant and charming, sitting barefoot with her snowy feet on a bench, chatting idly with Aiven, who was lounging at the other end of the bench.

Crunch.. crunch..

Aiven, as a core member of the Crown Prince Faction, had fully embraced his role as a Guardian Knight by now.

Though he was casually dressed in a white shirt, holding a royal-exclusive apple in hand, the powerful mental force field of the Great Wizard had spread over several blocks, not even the smallest underground worm could escape his perception.

In the populous royal family, under normal circumstances, he should already be charging ahead to ensure his lord’s smooth ascension.

Unfortunately, the Kingdom currently has only this one heir, and his duty now is merely to ensure Liwina’s safety.

He couldn’t help but chuckle at the memory of Jelos and Eldest Princess Stephanie shaking their heads like rattles after hearing the news. For ordinary people, the throne is an elusive dream, but for them, it’s avoided like the plague.

However, people have their own aspirations, and their choices may not be bad.

"They’re just some insignificant roles, mere small affairs. With the current defense of the Royal Capital, all we need to worry about is how Hilus will act when the time comes."

Liwina nodded gently, unfazed by Aiven’s casual demeanor:

"I am not worried about them causing trouble during the succession ceremony. I am only concerned about the inevitable fierce battle that will come. Even if everyone from the citizens to the central officials have grand ambitions to replace Hilus.

But judging solely by the navy’s development speed, in the next ten years, it should not reach the level of Hilus. The increasingly massive overseas interests may be threatened by the Hilus People for a considerable period."

Because any reliable naval force requires a corresponding maritime trade as its foundation. The navy escorts merchant ships, and the taxes paid by the merchants, in turn, are invested back into the fleet’s construction.

No one would be foolish enough to ignore the actual circumstances and desperately pour money into military expansion to claim the title of the world’s leading navy.

Yet, for Phaletis, having a stronger navy has already become a practical necessity.

First, there is the terrifying profit from monopolizing the Southern Continent’s slave trade, then the interception of the New Continent’s routes at Ugor Island, and finally, the need to counter Overlord Hilus’s maritime threat, all making the establishment of a more powerful navy imperative.

The Kingdom’s "Shipbuilding Plan" was laid out several years ago, and the Military Department estimates that they must at least reach a third of Hilus’s capabilities to avoid being left defenseless in the global scramble for overseas interests.

Currently, Hilus’s Invincible Fleet boasts over 310 main battleships of Level 3 and above, with an uncertain number of Legendary Battleships, bringing the total fleet size to over 2,200 ships.

It’s an unimaginably gigantic behemoth that fills one with despair, and no wonder Liwina feels the pressure.

In the Battle of Benin, which determined the ruler of the Southern Continent, even though dozens of battleships were lost, it was far from making a significant impact on Hilus.

Crunch!

"Your Highness, do you remember my ’Storm Horn’? Even excluding the witchcraft methods, the Far Sails Shipyard has completed research on the Iron-Ribbed Wooden Ship Technology and can start production at any time."

"The ’Iron-Ribbed Wooden Ship Technology’ perfectly resolves the strength disparity between the New Continent’s white oak and iron oak. It’s the highlight of military shipbuilding. Even if Liwina didn’t mention it, Aiven would have proposed initiating it."

The advantages of the iron rib structure are very obvious. It allows constructing longer ships while not significantly increasing the ship’s weight, better enduring cannon recoil, and accommodating more cannons.

Given the limited accuracy and power of cannons at present, more means stronger!

Furthermore, when building new ships, it can greatly reduce the drying time for the ribs. With steel box keels, standardized components, and steam-dried planks, the production cycle of a battleship can be shortened from years to months.

Be aware that crafting a new ship with strict craftsmanship requires three to six years from material selection to completion.

In Aiven’s view, industrial capability is warfare potential!

"With the current normal productivity, launching another fifteen iron-ribbed Level 4 battleships within two years is not a problem. Then..."

Then, as the Princess, resting her clean chin on her hand and listening intently, coquettishly rolled her eyes at him, naturally finishing his sentence:

"As long as the funds are in place, everything is negotiable. Right, Count Galliot?"

Aiven: ...

"Ahem, let’s talk again later. By the way, it’s almost time, and we should be moving to the Royal Palace today. Guess if anything interesting will happen on the way there?"

"Tch, boring! How about a deal, fifty percent off? Sixty percent? Don’t run away!"