Chapter 1374 - Genuinely for Sightseeing (1/2)
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Earth’s otherworldlings were scheduled to stay in Holletta for three days. It was a tight schedule, and Hao Ren could not arrange the itinerary at his whim because there was a deadline on which the “border crossers” could not cross. This deadline was determined by the capacity of the Wall of Reality. Within this limited span of time, Hao Ren had to get everyone to visit several “key destinations”, including Holletta, Tannagost, and Io while the drone cluster collected data. Behind the “free-and-easy” tour package was a well-designed, massive operation. And to pull it off, Hao Ren left no stone unturned.
The cooperation of the Royal Family of Holletta was a pleasant surprise. Hao Ren did not expect King Mhoren to give this matter such priority. But as soon as Earth’s otherworldlings arrived, the Royal Family extended their generous hospitality to the otherworldlings, providing tour guides, and even opening some galleries as well as museums for the foreign compatriots. These were not things that could be easily arranged.
When Ophra talked about them, she had a proud expression on her face. “The king is known to be stingy, but he is very generous this time. He has organized a team of the best scholars to analyze and rehearse the whole process. He will materialize it using the best that the kingdom has. We have temporarily opened and built six galleries as well as four museums. To ensure that there is a comprehensive list of things to showcase, many of the museum and gallery collections have been borrowed from nobility. There is a set of planetarium instruments inherited from the Ancient Magic Empire Planetarium, and it is the most valuable item in the Royal Treasury. We have mobilized the nobility of the Royal City. A dozen noble families will open their family estates or villas to receive the guests. We have also recruited a large number of craftsmen and scholars, who possess the skills and knowledge known to be lost in the modern era. With the exception of this ancient kingdom, you will not find them anywhere else.”
“Your concern on this matter is beyond my expectation,” Hao Ren said frankly while looking up at the mage’s zone in the distance. With the guidance of two royal mages, a small group of delegates from the Athens’ sanctuary was visiting and observing the working of the mage tower. They marveled at the incredible magic installation. “Can you tell me why?” Hao Ren asked Ophra.
“First of all, we must consider your attitude.” Ophra looked at Hao Ren. “You have a great influence on this world. Even the king could not ignore this fact. But what is more important is the dignity of the kingdom. You may say it is just a matter of face, but the kingdom has a practical consideration.”
Ophra paused, and the corner of her mouth tilted slightly. “Holleta is not the only kingdom on this planet. It is the most powerful kingdom, but there is still an empire that could match us in the north of the mainland. So Holleta must find ways to maintain its advantage and status and to do this, it requires some long-term investment. The people you bring here today seemed to be a good investment.”
Hao Ren thought for a moment and shook his head slightly. “Fortunately, I’m not into politics.”
The female marshal was a busy person; she left after a while. Hao Ren began to mooch around.
The 100-strong tour group had been separated into different smaller groups according to races and assigned to different tour routes. It was a large tour group, but for a city, it was just a drop in the ocean. The different smaller groups went into different parts of the royal city, but Hao Ren roughly knew where they went. If he looked purposefully, he could still bump into the Earth’s otherworldlings on the streets sometimes.
Most of the Earth’s otherworldlings were busily seeing this world and comparing everything here with those on Earth. Some were learning the knowledge from their Holletta’s compatriots to complement what they lacked in cultural heritage. Some were looking for books and magic objects, which were common as dirt on the streets and alleys but valuable for the Earth’s otherworldlings.
The siren queen Katreina and her besties especially agreed with this.
The sirens were a bunch of eye-catching creatures. They might have tucked their sea-snake tail away, but their jibber-jabber and selfie-mania did not help. Katreina was exploring the entire commercial district with a selfie stick in hand, capturing the mugshot of many clueless royal guards and patrol knights, who would set to be recorded in history. The siren queen’s maidservants were struggling to carry all the queen’s shopping bags. Earlier, Hao Ren had given every otherworldlings some ‘pocket money’ specifically for the tour in Holletta. They exchanged the money for magic books, drug formulae, history books, and alchemy materials. But the sirens turned it into shiny beads, metal bracelets, embroidered bags and a variety of strangely dark dishes (scientific name: local delicacies). But why these elemental creatures with almost no sense of taste were so keen on eating was beyond anyone’s guess. The water element in their body would break down the snacks into individual elements, but the sirens still enjoyed eating street food.
Siren was a race that liked to travel.
It was almost midnight, and the otherworldlings finally went back to their respective ‘hostels’ accompanied by the tour guides. Just like Ophra said, the nobility had responded to the call and opened up more than ten manors and villas to receive these visitors, who had special significance to the kingdom. The otherworldlings were assigned to each place according to their races or forces they represented. Such an arrangement could prevent fighting among the opposing forces.
Becky was also one of the “progressive nobility” who responded to the call directly. Her suburban estate was large and so the number of guests assigned. All demon hunters and the sirens were to stay in her manor.