Chapter 478: The Floating Cloud Nation
In Nide County, Clancia.
After making a detailed plan for the preliminary implementation of projects over the next five years in Clancia, Lolan Hill finally got some rest.
During this time, the mines within Nide County also began large-scale searches for underground earthworms, preparing to capture these special demonic beasts once and for all, eliminating future troubles.
Lolan Hill’s residence.
This was a courtyard located outside Iron Anvil City, nestled near the mountainside.
The wooden house was built along the slope, and with the cover of the forest, it was quite serene. Birds flew through the trees, chirping happily under the shade, occasionally perching on branches to curiously look down at the house below.
The cool breeze from the forest blew through the gaps in the window grilles, bringing the unique freshness of the woods. A silver-haired girl sat up from her bed, wearing a white nightgown. She leaned against the headboard of the bed, lightly covering her mouth as she stifled a silent yawn.
Lolan Hill looked out the window at the morning light spreading across the forest, shook her still somewhat drowsy head, leaned back against the headboard, and closed her eyes slightly to rest again.
Yesterday, she had been looking through past documents and didn’t realize how late it had gotten, so her bedtime had been pushed back.
Fortunately, she hadn’t been living in the city recently. If those fervent admirers knew that the Sage also slept in, it would have caused quite a commotion.
Although everyone knew that the Sage was also human, people often subconsciously deified those they revered excessively, believing them to be omnipotent and perfect in every way.
But in reality, anyone could have small flaws and moments of drowsiness.
It was because of this that Lolan Hill had moved from the city to this small courtyard outside. It was much quieter here. When she was tired of being the great sage, she could sometimes just be herself—a girl who liked sunbathing and taking naps.
People always need a quiet moment to relax and adjust their emotions and fatigue accumulated over time. Only then can they maintain a good state for a long time.
The teenage girl sitting at the head of the bed wove excuses for her occasional laziness, thus feeling justified to sleep a bit longer.
Unfortunately, the rabbit-eared girl did not know about the Sage’s current thoughts. She pushed open the door to the bedroom where Lolan Hill was resting and saw that the girl had already half-risen, leaning against the headboard.
Seeing the Sage’s sleepy appearance, Mira’s face showed a slight smile. Then she brought in a tray and placed it next to Lolan Hill’s bed.
“Good morning, Sage,” she said as she approached the bed, straightening the covers around the girl and using a soothing voice to wake her up.
Lolan Hill rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand, looking at the girl with rabbit ears who was shaking her ears. She said, “Good morning, Mira, ah-choo~” and covered her mouth to stifle another yawn.
“This is your breakfast for today.” Mira helped Lolan Hill sit up properly, then brought the tray closer to the girl and showed it to her.
“Do you remember the things you taught us before?”
Lolan Hill looked at the object in front of her, which was both square and rounded, and blurted out two words.
“Baozi.”
Mira shook her ears in confusion because these two words were not part of the current common language; she couldn’t understand them.
“It’s nothing. I was just remarking on its shape, which reminds me of something from my memories.”
Lolan Hill reached out and gently touched the warm little buns.
They were white, soft, and had a smooth surface. Yes, these were baozi.
“Do you want to try one, Sage?” Mira promoted the breakfast she had made that morning.
“Mm-hmm.”
Lolan Hill picked up one of the buns, brought it to her mouth, and took a bite. A warm gas spread in her mouth, followed by a faint sweetness.
Indeed, these were baozi. Even though many years had passed, she could still recall the texture and taste. Long ago, during her spare time while teaching in the forest, she had mentioned some food recipes. She never expected that these casual remarks would be meticulously recorded and successfully experimented with by this rabbit-eared girl.
After Lolan Hill’s promotion, wheat cultivation in Clancia now covered a considerable area, and most places produced it. However, most of it was made into bread.
Bread was easier to store.
If baked bread was not eaten immediately, it would become hard if left to dry slightly. Therefore, in her memory, people often joked about using the bread of a certain country as a weapon.
Steamed baozi, on the other hand, required special cooking tools.
As she ate the baozi, her drowsiness gradually faded, and Lolan Hill slowly woke up.
At this moment, Mira took back the tray and leaned forward. “I’ll go out first, Sage. Please continue to rest.”
Then she stood up, left Lolan Hill’s room, and closed the door behind her.
This rabbit had ulterior motives. Clearly, it was you who woke me up, Lolan Hill thought to herself but slowly got out of bed nonetheless.
After changing into her usual clothes, she sat back at the desk, took out a large piece of paper, and laid it on the table.
Running her fingers over the slightly yellowed and slightly textured surface, she picked up a pen and sketched a large, clear diagram.
Sails like fish fins were layered and distributed on both sides of the olive-shaped hull. Below hung what resembled a ship’s gondola, with tail wings standing upright like a fish’s tail.
The overall design was full of imaginative and medieval concepts, reminiscent of Leonardo da Vinci’s fantastic ideas. A romantic airship came to life on the paper.
Humans in the Dusk Era discovered the wonders of anti-gravity arrays. They used this as a foundation to build new nations in the sky.
Cities floated like islands in the sky, and these airships made of wood and sails, like swimming fish, traveled between the clouds, connecting various cities.
A world above the clouds, a nation that never rains, where sunny days and starry nights alternated.
In the early days of the Dusk Era, everything was imbued with a romantic sentiment. Back then, Earth felt like a new, uncharted world. People piloted primitive flying machines made of wood and sails, diving through the clouds, exploring the primeval and wild land.
Humans detached from the earth lived like birds. Their childhoods were no longer fixed landscapes and lands, but the cities among the clouds, the sky as blue as washed silk, and the vast expanse of land seen from above.
The spirit of freedom and adventure flourished in that era.
Humans born in this new era did not completely follow the old development path but drew inspiration from historical records, reimagining the shape of civilization according to their preferences and imagination.
There were no more national boundaries, or perhaps each city was its own nation. There were no distinct ethnicities, only floating cities with unique styles, drifting in the sky, pursuing their own preferences, heading towards the scorching equator, the icy poles, the eternal night latitudes, and the perpetually daylight regions.
When you move to another city, you gradually assimilate into its culture, becoming part of its unique heritage. Some cities are gentle, some steadfast, some cold, each narrating different customs and clothing cultures.
Each city is unique, some heavy in rock style, some light with greenery, some solid with steel, etc.
Without a network connecting everything, cities around the world scattered like colorful candies, each emitting its unique flavor.
(The chapter ends.)
