??Chapter 318: Volu 5: Lord’s Path Chapter 7: Gutenberg
Chapter 318: Volu 5: Lord’s Path Chapter 7: Gutenberg
“Gutenberg is known as the Garden City, and it truly lives up to its reputation. Although Mycenae is the capital of a kingdom, compared to Gutenberg, it seems no more than a rural market. However, for such a grand and beautiful city, with its buildings so rich and colorful, I wonder how much it must have cost the treasury. It seems that the Galle Region’s reputation as the wealthiest area in the Kingdom of Nicosia is indeed well-earned,” even the usually stern and traditional Reese couldn’t help but sigh deeply after experiencing this prosperous land where every inch of ground is worth its weight in gold.
“Haha, Mr. Reese, the prosperity of Gutenberg didn’t happen overnight. Its rise wasn’t solely due to its special location and fertile land. The flourishing of comrce and agriculture were just icing on the cake. Its initial rise was because of the movable printing factory founded by Duke Zellin’s great-grandfather, Duke Gutenberg. At that ti, movable type printing was not as popular as it is now, but Duke Gutenberg, with his keen insight, grasped this opportunity, invested a huge sum of money in the printing factory, and spared no effort in promoting this new thing within his territory. Since printing elsewhere on the continent mostly used engraving, which was ti-consuming and costly, the spread of movable type printing imdiately sparked a printing revolution across the whole continent. Parchnt and engraved printing beca relics of the past, and today’s wide circulation of books on the continent is thanks to Duke Gutenberg,” Kor said with a touch of emotion. “Duke Gutenberg’s keen instincts turned this then-obscure town into the printing center of the kingdom and the whole continent. A steady stream of books and illustrations were exported from here. Although this period did not last very long, it was enough to lay a solid foundation for today’s city of Gutenberg.”
“One man can prosper a state, one thing can prosper a state. It seems that a correct decision by soone in power can lead a place onto the path of prosperity,” Reese was also captivated by the rise of Gutenberg and spoke thoughtfully.
“Isn’t that the truth? But those in power also bear greater risk. A single misstep in decision-making can just as easily plunge the interest group they represent into trouble,” Kor hinted, prompting a mont of realization between the two.
Although they had already witnessed the wealth of Gutenberg, when Kor and his group punctually arrived at Duke Zellin’s villa on the south side of the city, everyone was still shocked by the splendor of the villa.
This was an asymtrical garden villa. The main entrance didn’t lead to the main building but rather to a large and quiet courtyard. Along the right side of the court was a long row of low stables, capable of accommodating dozens of steeds. Further down along the edge was a spacious lawn, intended as backup space for the master’s large banquets and receptions, in case the number of guests and their carriages and horses beca too overwhelming. Beside the horse farm to the right, there was a row of simple but impeccably clean resting rooms for the coachn of visiting guests.
Passing through the wide passage and separated by a tall wall with openings, one would officially enter the main complex of the villa. A corridor, dozens of ters long and ten ters wide, led directly to the circular pool in front of the main building. The magic crystal lamp reflected the pool in all its colorful glory, with the sound of gentle cascades and the play of light and shadow. In the center of the pool stood a group of statues, prominently featuring the gold Statue of the god Apollo holding aloft a seven-string harp, exuding a lavish and unrestrained deanor. With well-defined and symtrical muscles, every line appeared lifelike under the magic lamp’s illumination. Several nude nymphs followed behind him, so calling out in surprise, others looking on with trepidation or admiration, all incredibly lifelike and natural.
This exquisite group of statues stood proudly in front of the main building, which itself was of a dignified and refined character. Anyone passing by these masterpieces for the first ti would be utterly srized and filled with longing for the villa it adorned.
Upon entering the grand hall decorated with large carved glass doors, one is dazzled, as at least several representatives from the rchants of the ine and Susoer City-States gasped. Such a large panel of carved relief glass couldn’t even be thought of without the expense of three thousand gold shields, and just the decorations in this hall used twelve panes. The cost alone could support a hundred ordinary households for a year. The gracefully behaved and handso doorn were clearly well-trained over many years, their every move conforming to the basic etiquette of nobles. This made the refugee representatives following Kor feel awkward and worried about committing a breach of etiquette.
Passing through the grand hall, one arrives at a spacious main hall with twelve thick marble columns, each two people could barely wrap their arms around, arranged in an arc, supporting the entire building’s do. Dozens of crystal chandeliers hung from the eight-ter-high interior, with bright candles magnified by the crystal to illuminate the entire hall, a faint fragrance wafting about, which Kor seed to recognize. It ca from the burning of the candles, made with wicks rolled from the roots of a plant from the sea, although the plant was common, it grew in the territory of the Shark people. Like other extraordinary human races, the Shark people detested the intrusion of other races into their territory. Any intruders would be t with fierce group attacks until their ships were destroyed and people killed. Thus, such candles were rare, and none but the wealthiest families dared even consider them, Duke Zellin and Duke Philip being among the exceptions.
The arrival of Kor and his group didn’t attract much attention from the Galle nobles already gathered in various groups throughout the hall. In their eyes, such irrelevant matters were rely a way for the Duke to enhance his prestige and demonstrate his virtue, an invitation for the local nobility to gather, much like an ordinary banquet.
From the mont they entered the door, Kor and his group could feel the cold stares and disdain of the various nobles, with insults like “country bumpkin,” “rube,” and “fleeing pauper” intermittently coming from the surrounding noble circles. The refugee representatives following behind Kor were even more timid as they navigated through the grand hall crowded with nobles, trying to find their place. It was at this mont they truly understood how difficult and arduous it was for outsiders like them to live in an environnt such as the Galle Region. The nobles, proud and extrely exclusionary, might still maintain their noble deanor and rationality, but what about those ignorant and bullying farrs and citizens? With what attitude would they face these invaders who, in their eyes, had snatched their jobs and land?
“Lord, why do these people look at us with nothing but indifference and disdain, if not hostility? It seems we haven’t offended them, especially since we were invited as guests by Duke Zellin. Wasn’t this banquet supposedly held to welco us as we passed through his territory?” A sowhat puzzled lbourne, who had barely set foot into the lower ranks of nobility, glanced around at those mocking and sneering gazes, then quietly approached Kor, who remained calm, and whispered behind him.
“Lord lbourne, are you not placing our position a bit too high?” Kor replied, his expression unchanging, coldly surveying the opulently dressed nobles around him, “This is just another ordinary noble banquet at Duke Zellin’s estate; saying it’s for us is just a courteous fib, nothing more. Could it be you actually believe we warrant a banquet in our honor hosted by Duke Zellin himself? As for our identities, I’m afraid these nobles have long been aware you and I are nothing but rootless refugees and commoners — and your noble title was probably bought with a hefty price, wasn’t it? The kingdom has fallen, and our destination is so remote land; I’m rely a lowly baron. Look at the old n here. Apart from a few young ones, I fear all possess ranks higher than viscounty. Why would they consider people like you and ?”
This sort of situation was all too familiar to Cyprus Kor, who had seen how high-ranking nobles scorned the lower echelons, city nobles looked down on country nobles, and the capital’s nobles ignored those from the provinces. Arrogance, pride, selfishness, indifference, and impulsiveness—these traits were characteristic of nobles. Of course, that was under normal circumstances. Even the forr Kor had been sowhat infected by this attitude, but years of exile had also made him deeply understand the life of an outright pariah. The haughty and arrogant temperant he once bore had been significantly tempered, which was one of the main reasons why these representatives felt so comfortable and favorable toward the lord who seed so approachable.
Although Kor purposely lowered his voice, the few representatives behind him heard every clear word. Seeing the contemptuous gazes around them, the representatives couldn’t help but feel both angry and internally shaken.
“One who despises himself will be despised by others; if you don’t even respect yourself, how can you expect others to respect you?” With a sidelong glance that startled the representatives from ine and Susoer, they both felt a chill in their hearts. Could it be that the secret negotiations with Duke Zellin were known to the others?!
“There’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Duke Zellin isn’t stupid; it’s likely that only when so people truly fall into a trap they cannot escape will they be crying without tears,” Kor’s light remark finally pierced through the thin veil of pretense.
Startled and horrified, the three representatives from ine and Susoer looked at each other with palpable anxiety and fear. Turning to the expressionless faces of the two Myron representatives, ine City-State’s Hozel realized the situation and, no longer caring about the Galle nobles who occasionally glanced over, approached Kor with a pale face and unease, “Lord, there are so things I want to explain…”
“Alright, whatever it is, we can talk about it after we return. This is still Duke Zellin’s estate, and I think we’d better calmly wait until the banquet concludes before discussing it,” Kor said indifferently, waving his hand.
Hozel, stymied by Kor’s words, turned green with embarrassnt and exchanged worried and uncertain glances with the other two equally enlightened representatives. Not daring to speak further, they could only hang their heads in dejection, silently wondering how to explain everything to the lord after the banquet concluded. With the doors to Galle now closed and having offended the future lord of their new ho, they didn’t know how they would survive in the Caucasus, especially when they carried the responsibility for many others on their shoulders.
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