### Chapter 83: An Unpleasant Dinner
The robe was slightly textured, tailored perfectly to fit the body, with minimal metal accessories that were not cumbersome, exuding a simple style reminiscent of modern times.
The attire of these mages from Rourna differed greatly from that of Vergha. It was hard to imagine they lived in the same era. From the West Wind to Vergha, traditional medieval clothing was still preferred, with nobles favoring silk, gauze, lace, and other fabrics. In contrast, the hems of the mages’ robes from Rourna were often bordered with gold or silver edges, rather than light and airy materials, giving off a sense of substance and practicality.
The leader of their delegation was an older man who was tall and thin. His hair was completely white, yet he still exuded vigor, with eyes full of vitality.
“Master Bolland, welcome you and all members of your delegation. I am Lacy, the current president of the Callites Guild.”
Lolan Hill led several executives of the guild to greet them at headquarters. The delegation from Rourna consisted of 14 people, while the remaining nearly hundred were apprentices.
Naturally, the apprentices were directly arranged for accommodation, and those attending the dinner were the core few. Apart from Master Bolland, the other mages included middle-aged and young men. One particularly striking figure was a female alchemist around 25-26 years old.
She had long black hair reaching her waist, adorned with a golden hairband. On one side of the hairband was a blooming white flower, with pure white petals embedded with blue crystal. Additionally, she wore a bracelet made of a metal-framed crystal ring, where blue particles constantly emitted light, swirling within.
Though other mages also had various alchemical accessories such as flying alchemical hummingbirds and pocket watches engraved with star maps, none were as eye-catching and beautiful as her. Her golden-edged white robe perfectly outlined her voluptuous figure, with a slit at the front revealing a short skirt and plump thighs.
The rectangular dining table was set with all kinds of delicacies. The main courses included local red-claw crabs, grilled cod, cheese cakes, and roasted meat. Fruits available were oranges, figs, mangoes, and more from Vergha.
Apples, with other desserts like puddings. Under the flickering candlelight, they looked dazzling, and the dining hall was filled with a warm tone, making people feel less constrained.
Seeing this sumptuous dinner, Mage Bolland nodded slightly in satisfaction, then sat down.
First, both sides introduced themselves briefly, then gradually began to talk about Angus, the previous head of the Carithes family, and some of his deeds.
Although Lolan Hill had recently developed the商会 quite well, she was still relatively new in the eyes of these mages who had traveled far. To them, she was just a lucky ornament, fortunate enough to have such a powerful father as Angus.
Angus’s rapid rise over the past decade was well-known between the two countries, but no one knew who his daughter was. The mages prided themselves on their extensive knowledge and wisdom, and they looked down on this group of merchants from the neighboring country, looking down on them due to their supposed superiority in technology, intellect, and morals. If not for Lolan Hill’s exceptional beauty and extraordinary status, they wouldn’t even bother maintaining basic respect.
Even though most merchants were indeed contemptible, this subtle sense of superiority made Lolan Hill feel somewhat uncomfortable, especially when they talked among themselves, sometimes intentionally throwing in technical jargon as if she understood nothing.
It was fine to show off their knowledge, but sometimes they would deliberately draw her attention, as if they thought they were so outstanding that they could easily win over this merchant’s young lady.
Gradually, Lolan Hill spoke less and less, only maintaining a polite level of conversation.
“Miss Lacy, do you know? I also knew your father. A few years ago, he came to Rourna to explore the possibility of cooperation on ironclad warships, but unfortunately, there were still bans in Rourna at that time, preventing the unrestricted spread of certain technologies, so it didn’t work out. Now the situation has changed, and such cooperation is no longer banned, but alas, the old friend is gone, which is truly regrettable.”
Mage Bolland expressed his regret superficially and mentioned some recent cooperative projects, but his demeanor suggested that they should be grateful for this opportunity. His attitude was as if he was bestowing favors upon them, as if without Rourna’s technology, Vergha would be nothing.
Well, this time, Lolan Hill didn’t even want to smile; she simply gave a simple “mm-hmm” and remained silent.
Bowing her head to eat, she let the few business association officials nearby take charge, and the mages were not surprised. She was just a young lady who was nothing but a decorative figure; it was natural for her to be somewhat reserved and shy. The young female mage, however, looked at Lolan Hill with considerable interest but said nothing.
The superficially harmonious dinner came to an end. Lolan Hill had no interest in organizing any entertainment activities for this group of people, so she arranged for the carriage to send them back to their accommodation as per the protocol.
After dinner, Lolan Hill walked around the small courtyard several times before venting her frustration. She felt that this cooperation might fall through because she did not like these people.
So what if they had steel airships? There was nothing particularly remarkable about it. The Mercury Dynasty already had them. If they could recreate the magic warships from the Oz Country era, wouldn’t those aerial carriers outclass the current clumsy airships? Besides, airships were slow and large, making them easy targets; there was nothing to boast about.
The young girl sitting at the desk began to think about how to develop without collaborating with Rourna. She was not someone who would willingly suffer. Any cooperation, including marriage, should be based on mutual respect and assistance between equals. Cooperation where one side acts as a “lapdog” cannot last long, as it will eventually lead to a breakdown in attitude.
Sitting at the desk, she used the information within the system to research the early development and design plans of airplanes. Additionally, she studied the designs of early sail battleships and the revolutionary dreadnought ship concepts and blueprints that brought about change.
Relying on others ultimately proved unreliable; what mattered was having what you possessed yourself.
With such thoughts, she continuously analyzed, sketched, and pondered integrating the excellent design concepts from her past life into this world. It was late when she finally fell asleep.
—
The next day, both parties formally convened in the议事大厅 (meeting hall) for discussions. This time, many shipyard craftsmen, managers, and designers from the Callites商会 (Callites Chamber of Commerce) also participated.
In the bright morning light, under the large mural of the Nightshade flower, both sides sat distinctly apart, with only the round table in the middle where the core members of both sides sat together.
The negotiation meeting for the collaborative production project of steel naval warships for the Imperial Army against the Cangcui Empire officially began.
—
(End of Chapter)
