Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste
Chapter 67: Fantasies and Longings

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Fantasies and Longings

For the residents of New Shaker City, they are proud.

Because this is the fastest-developing city in the world.

After all, who could have imagined that a riverbank which was just barren land decades ago, is now the most prosperous city in the New Continent?

The residents of New Shaker City have ample reasons to be proud, just like when mentioning the sun-never-sets glory of the Victor Empire, even the beggars in Langton City would proudly puff out their chests.

Though they claim New Shaker City is the most vibrant city in the Empire, deep down they are full of envy for the prosperity and luxury of the Empire’s homeland and its high society.

In many aspects, be it food, clothing, shelter, transport, or behavior, the residents of New Shaker City are imitating the homeland, especially the nobility of Langton City.

And this is what they call fashion.

When something or a trend becomes popular among the nobility of Langton City, New Shaker City would quickly imitate upon learning of its existence, spreading throughout the city and even the entire New Continent.

Even if it has already been popular for quite some time in Langton, possibly even past its trend period.

Just like now, Perfikot’s steam carriages advancing through the streets of New Shaker City, the attire of the women on the streets is mostly last year’s fashion from Langton City, and some even from the year before.

She is not surprised by this, nor does she feel New Shaker is backward, and certainly not that kind of aristocratic disdain, believing they can’t even keep up with trends thus generating a sense of superiority.

For she clearly knows, in this era where transportation is inconvenient, the process for fashion trends to cross the ocean from the Empire’s homeland to the New Continent’s colonies is inherently slow, a one to two-year lag isn’t surprising.

As for the sense of superiority brought by leading fashion trends? For Perfikot, this seems too superficial.

Or from another perspective, Perfikot in Langton can indeed lead or create trends, and still exists as someone that the entire noble society pursues.

She wouldn’t think a place is backward just because its fashion trends can’t keep up with the latest, nor would she feel superior for standing on the so-called cutting edge of trends.

But when her steam carriage passed through the streets of New Shaker City under the escort of an entire regiment of Extraordinary Knights, she felt the gazes cast from the pedestrians on the roadside, which still gave Perfikot a surreal feeling.

Although her steam carriage is indeed a novel thing even in Langton, for the well-informed people of Langton, it would at most draw their attention, not to the point of casting envious looks.

After all, there are simply too many great nobles in Langton City, too many people with power and influence.

Moreover, and most importantly, the commoners in Langton City wouldn’t gaze so fervently at a noble’s carriage.

It is somewhat indescribable, yet the mindset and thoughts between the two are indeed vastly different.

"Why are they looking at my carriage like this?" Perfikot became curious, thus asking James, who was sitting in front of her.

"Uh... probably because your carriage is too novel, and the noble emblem on the car door." James, though not wanting to belittle the people of the New Continent, still explained honestly to Perfikot: "In the New Continent, nobility is very rare, after all, nobles of the Empire have no special reason to appear in the colonies. This consequently leads the people of the New Continent to be full of..."

James hesitated with his wording, somewhat unable to find the right adjective.

Yet Perfikot understood his meaning, and with her hand supporting her cheek leaning by the window, she smiled and said: "It’s fantasy and longing, right? Because aristocratic life is so far away from them yet so high above, it makes them full of yearning for noble life, simultaneously fantasizing what aristocratic life is truly like.

In Langton, the so-called middle class is the same, only they can come into contact with real nobility, so they desperately imitate, as if this could allow them to squeeze into the noble class."

Listening to Perfikot’s comments, James’s expression became somewhat complex, but then he raised his eyebrows, a slightly bitter smile forming: "So when a novel steam carriage adorned with a noble emblem, which they had never seen before, appears, it just so happens to fulfill their fantasies of noble life."

"And an entire regiment of Extraordinary Knights on top of that, right? That’s the level of escort when the Eldest Princess travels." Perfikot looked out at the Knights of Sword and Rose advancing along with the carriage, humorously adding.

Extraordinaries are distinguished beings, although not entirely absent in the New Continent, they are exceedingly rare.

Seeing so many Extraordinaries appear at once is indeed a very stunning sight for the residents of New Shaker City.

And also gives them more materials to fantasize about aristocratic life.

Only this regiment of knights still makes some people sneer, feeling that the Empire’s homeland nobility is indeed archaic, still clinging to chivalry at such a time.

Hearing someone outside the window comment like this, both Perfikot and James only found it amusing.

"The knights of the Empire once expanded territories, defeated formidable enemies, laid the foundation for the Empire’s rule, though their combat methods are indeed outdated, it doesn’t mean they are useless." Perfikot shook her head, quietly amused.

After all, as a result of her whim, the era of knights is indeed returning.

Yet at this moment, James argued to her: "My honored lady, you misunderstood, they are just envious of your display, this is an entire regiment of knights, the funds to maintain them are enough to support an infantry battalion."

James’s words enlightened Perfikot, who then slightly self-mockingly laughed: "Then you misspoke, the cost to maintain such a regiment of knights is not an infantry battalion, but an infantry regiment, they ride special warhorses."

"Those special warhorses that can only be cultivated through alchemy?" James’s complexion changed too, then he looked out at the mounts under the knights, his eyes full of shock.

"Not the first generation, they should be the second generation crossed with ordinary purebred horses, while trying to retain the excellent qualities of special warhorses, the shoulder height is slightly shorter." Perfikot explained, but then she added: "Of course, the Imperial Guard Knights’ mounts are first-generation special warhorses, the Empire’s strongest breed that requires adjustment through alchemy from the time they are foals."