Chapter 257

Chapter 257: The City of Clock Towers

Frost Rose, District One, formerly the Kingdom of Rourna, the City of Clock Towers, Mozwa.

Smokestacks outside the city emitted thick black smoke, rows of factories lined both sides of the river, and large ships slowly sailed through the river, leaving long trails behind them. These ships entered from the distant estuary, continuously unloading various heavy goods, some of which were black coal, others heavy metals.

These goods were transported from all over and then gathered here. They would be processed into various alchemical products and sold to different places. This included weaponry, cannons, clocks, telescopes, metal parts, among others. The enormous profits generated by these products made the alchemists of Rourna immensely wealthy.

The streets in the city were very spacious, with brass street lamps that were exquisitely crafted, though some corners were already covered with a thin layer of rust.

After the rain, there was a small amount of standing water on the road. As carriages raced past quickly, they splashed up water. Some of these carriages were pulled by horses, while others relied on machines. Perhaps they should not be called carriages; magitech vehicles would be more appropriate.

As a magitech vehicle stopped, first, a middle-aged man resembling a butler got out, then opened the door and helped a blue-dressed girl down gently.

High-heeled shoes clicked on the wet floor, making a slight splash sound. The blonde girl in a blue dress looked up at the towering building in front of her, with its tall spire reaching into the sky. There were four massive stone pillars at the entrance, and well-dressed people constantly entered and exited. Occasionally, voices of conversation could be heard inside.

“Is this the branch office of the Aroni Guild?” The girl held up her skirt and walked ahead, with several bodyguards dressed in black following behind. Looking at the exquisite patterns on their mechanical longswords, one could tell these were enchanted fine alchemical creations.

“Yes, Miss.”

The butler led the way and introduced the background of the Aroni Guild.

“The Aroni Guild mainly deals with books and papermaking, and also ventures into opera and performance industries.”

“It is said that in recent years, they have increased their book sales greatly because they trained a number of famous songstresses who perform operas and poetry,” continued the butler.

“Then their products should be quite popular among the nobles or wealthy ladies, right? Why not set the headquarters here? Mozwa’s rich people should be among the top three in Snowfall Seven Nations. Moreover, compared to the Yubelle merchants who are obsessed with profit, our nation’s alchemists and scholars are more interested in literature and drama, and they have more customers,” she added.

“As for why, it is said that most of their paper mills are located in Vergha because it is closer to the forest and raw material sources, making it more convenient. Later, when Vergha split, they were divided to the western side, and only part of their industries were transferred here.”

“New Vergha?” The blonde girl pondered, then walked into the hall, looking at the rows of windows and long queues.

“There are quite a few people. Did you make an appointment beforehand?”

“Yes, Miss, please follow me. The head of the Aroni Guild’s branch is on the third floor,” the butler led the way and had a retainer go ahead to contact the staff inside the guild.

Soon, several neatly dressed personnel came forward to greet them.

“Welcome, Miss of the Filleran family. Please follow us.” A long red carpet was laid out, and the staff stood on either side, bowing respectfully.

Watching the grand scene in the hall, some people nearby began to discuss.

“Who is that lady? To receive such a warm welcome from the Aroni Guild.”

“I don’t know, but judging by her appearance and the bodyguards, she must come from a prominent family.”

“I’ve never seen her before, but she is truly beautiful,” commented one guest.

“Well, well, just a few words, after all, you are a lover of literature, can’t you think of any other adjectives?”

“Not really, life is simpler that way. By the way, does anyone know who that lady is? I want to know her name.”

“I don’t know either.”

“I’m not sure.”

After a while, a voice came from the corner: “She is the leader of the ‘Hour of the Clock’ faction, Miss Letis of the Filleran family.”

As the voice faded, the blonde girl disappeared around the corner of the stairs.

Once the capital of Rourna, Mozwa was called the City of Clock Towers because, in the early days, clocks as precise creations were rare, manufactured by only a few alchemists. Thus, they were in high demand among the high nobility and the wealthy, commanding a high value.

Most alchemists took pride in being able to make accurate clocks, and Mozwa, being the capital, gathered many renowned alchemists from across the country. Various factions gathered here, and most of them built large clock towers on their buildings to showcase their technological excellence and serve as advertisements.

Thus, the number of clock towers in Mozwa grew, eventually earning it the name City of Clock Towers.

Over the centuries, the number of alchemists in Rourna multiplied, and while clocks became less rare, the clock towers remained. Even today, some alchemical factions retain their original names, such as the ‘Hour of the Clock,’ which started as a clock-making faction and remains one of the six strongest factions in the country. As the descendant of the leading family, Letis naturally wielded significant power.

—

Aroni Guild Branch, Third Floor.

“So Miss Letis wants to publish her own magazine?” asked a middle-aged man in a white shirt and neatly arranged vest, sitting on a sofa and carefully questioning the blonde girl opposite him.

“Yes, nowadays everyone’s tastes are too vulgar. They wear heavy makeup, layered dresses, and decorations that probably weigh several pounds, turning women into mere vases. It’s just unpleasant to look at.”

After explaining in detail, the blonde girl picked up a white porcelain teacup in front of her and took a small sip. She had long been dissatisfied with the current fashion trends. While other girls her age were still chasing after the latest fashions, she had already begun thinking about how to create new trends.

“What is your idea? Or what kind of beauty style do you wish to convey, Miss Letis?” The guild head thought carefully before asking this lady. The Aroni Guild’s main headquarters was far away in the west, and as a branch, they were relatively weak. Offending this lady might lead to trouble in the future, which was not what he wanted.

“Well…” Letis put down the teacup, her thoughts drifting to her distant friend, who almost never wore any accessories.

“Perhaps something simple and natural would be much better.”

The blonde lady seemed to have an epiphany, describing a new fashion style characterized by simplicity and freshness to the guild head. He listened attentively, trying to understand her unique ideas and taking notes.

“We have a general understanding of Miss Letis’s ideas, but we will need until next year to release the first edition.”

“No way, even if you need to find contributors, prepare, and print, it shouldn’t take that long, right?” Letis was somewhat puzzled.

“I’m very sorry, but currently, our printing lines are running at full capacity, and we simply cannot spare the time to recalibrate and print new items.”

“Are you trying to dodge me? Or treating me like a child?”

Although she had become more restrained in school, returning to her familiar territory, Letis’s ladylike temperament resurfaced. Besides, her statement wasn’t entirely unreasonable. With so many printing plants owned by Aroni, printing a few magazines would be a trivial matter.

“I apologize, but how can I explain this better? Currently, it’s a very sensitive situation. I can’t speak directly, but if you ask Lord Ye of the Filleran family, he will tell you the reason,” explained the guild head, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Letis turned slightly suspiciously towards the butler behind her, who leaned close and whispered in her ear.

“Miss, currently the Aroni Guild simply doesn’t have the capacity, because… war is about to begin.”

Far away, in the Black Rock Duchy, the Falcon Kingdom, and the Holy Land, airships flew overhead, snow-like papers fluttering down from the sky, documents bearing rose patterns announcing news to all.

Under the sky, rose-patterned banners were gradually raised and carried off into the distance.

—

Thank you, Sakura Yurisa, Shi Mie Ri Shi, Er Gouzi, and newcomer Ming Di, for your support~