The Vastness of Magical Destiny
Chapter 317: Volume 5 Lord’s Path - 6 Broken Dreams_2

Chapter 317: Volume 5 Lord’s Path Chapter 6 Broken Dreams_2

The representatives, extremely annoyed, had already understood that the situation was irretrievable when facing the protest march outside the Archduke’s Mansion by the local merchants and farmers. The richness and fertility of the Galle Region, along with the hustle and bustle of Gutenberg, had captivated them, but they dared not stay under such circumstances. Living in a society hostile to them, their own lives and the safety of their family’s assets could be threatened at any moment. This situation wasn’t much better than the risks of remaining in their own country. They could only depart sorrowfully, hoping to relocate here through other means in the future.

Komer could understand the resentment felt by the three representatives. Anyone would wish for themselves and their families to live in a better environment, especially when one has to suddenly fall from a relatively good situation into a desolate and notorious territory; accepting such a contrast was even harder.

Watching the three delegates leave sullenly, Komer withdrew his gaze and hummed softly, "Gentlemen, and Fran, Gutenberg is indeed a great metropolis that stands alongside Cyprus City as the third-largest city in the Kingdom of Nicosia. Since we have time today, why don’t we take a stroll? We can also admire the beautiful scenery of Gutenberg. The printing industry here is highly developed, leading the kingdom, and the exquisiteness of printed books and pictures is renowned across the Whole Continent. If interested, you can all take a look."

Lafayette was also a refugee representative from the Myron Duchy; however, his status was slightly different from Reese’s. He was a small landowner from outside the capital Mycenae, a commoner without any noble lineage – to be precise, a small landowner who was relatively wealthy and had employed several dozen farmers to help, evolving towards a landlord. Having lost his land, he had become destitute. Fortunately, he had always been known for his generosity in the region and treated his employed farmers very kindly, which earned him respect locally. This also led him to become the representative of tens of thousands of small landowners and impoverished tenant farmers from the rural areas of the Myron Duchy.

In fact, Duke Zellin’s clandestine contacts with the refugee representatives were learned through Lafayette. However, the person sent to make contact was very tight-lipped and did not reveal too much information, leaving Lafayette clueless as to why the influential Duke Zellin would take an interest in someone as insignificant as himself. Owing to Fran’s influence, Lafayette had always had a favorable impression of Komer, the new Lord. Naturally, Komer’s promise to give priority to the Myron Duchy refugees when considering the vast unclaimed wastelands within his territory was the main reason Lafayette unhesitatingly relayed the information to Komer. As for Reese, perhaps the other side realized that he had a close relationship with Komer and was renowned for his integrity, so they evidently abandoned their efforts with him.

When Lafayette vaguely learned the intentions of the visitors, the worldly-wise man quickly grasped their motives. However, at that point, Komer had already learned the true facts from Palermo, but Lafayette’s information nonetheless confirmed this, satisfying Komer and making him more confident about the situation while also being very pleased with Lafayette’s performance.

Lafayette refused the tempting offer for a simple reason; he was a staunch landowner at heart, unlike the representatives from Meine and Susoer, who either possessed substantial assets and business experience, or had a skill that could earn them a living by setting up workshops in the city. Without land, he would be reduced to a beggar, and fertile lands like those on the Galle Plain were certainly out of his reach. Even if the other party swore oaths and made promises, Lafayette did not believe them. In contrast, the promise of the land in the Caucasus Wasteland that Komer made, though inferior, was tangible. Owning a large tract of land had always been Lafayette’s dream, in Myron and just as much in the Caucasus.

The streets of Gutenberg were tidy and spacious. The giant stone slabs that paved the streets remained clean and slick even on rainy days. Intersections were tightly packed with gravel for smooth transitions, and important street junctions even had copper and glass street lights. Thick candles, encased in slightly hazy glass, would still bring light to the streets on stormy nights. Although this crude glass, made from coarse quartz sand, didn’t look very impressive, it was enough to indicate Gutenberg’s wealth and prosperity. Glass, a luxury item, was not something ordinary households could afford. Even typical merchants only had a few glass panes in their living rooms, while other rooms made do with wooden window boards.

The multitude of shops and workshops that lined both sides of the streets left the few people strolling along utterly astounded. From large specialty stores selling food, fabrics, salt, candles, and more, to small store-front, workshop-rear shops, the ceaseless traffic of horse-drawn carriages, ox carts, and rickshaws bustled with customers and goods. These businesses were mostly concentrated in the northern part of the city, closest to the canal docks. A highway that cut straight through the city divided this district into east and west. After more than two hours, they had only just managed to get a rough look at the eastern district, which specialized in artworks, gold and silver ornaments, book paintings, jewelry, handicrafts, silk, and luxury goods brought in from afar. The western district, home to workshops and wholesale marketplaces for large-scale items, was unfortunately left unvisited due to time constraints. Even so, what they had seen was enough to make everyone envious to the point of dry mouths and parched tongues.

The southern part of the city was clearly a residential area for upper-middle-class city dwellers, especially the neighborhoods around the Lord’s Mansion. House connected to house, villa after villa, they stood in close succession. Tall trees served as barriers between properties, while low-growing evergreen shrubs acted as fences. Here and there, secluded paths wound their way between the houses, veiled by climbing vines, and even in the late autumn season, such an arrangement still conveyed a sense of verdant vitality. Adjacent to the residential quarter was an intricate array of various religious buildings—from the grand cathedrals of the Church of Light to temples dedicated to other natural deities—each striking in beauty and unique in style, dazzling to any onlooker.

Squares of various sizes, gardens, fountains, and statues interspersed among the neighborhoods ingeniously demarcated each district. Most noteworthy was the fountain sculpture near the Archduke’s Mansion, which was clearly controlled by magic equipment. The fountain’s waters danced joyfully, leaping high at times and at others cascading down, with the resulting mist showering glittering water drops upon the luminous marble statue of the love goddess Aphrodite. The magic crystal lamps hidden in the rocks behind were so well concealed that they escaped notice without close inspection. The entire fountain pool shimmered in the light, mist swirling in layers, duckweeds drifting, creating an ethereal charm that was the hallmark of work from a few great masters on the Continent, unparalleled by any ordinary individual.

Sitting in the carriage and meandering through, savoring all these sights, Komer and the others were thoroughly enchanted by the captivating beauty of Gutenberg. Particularly, the city’s internally logical and ingeniously plotted layout was truly mesmerizing. No wonder the Galleians always viewed outsiders as country bumpkins and disdained even visitors from Jazair, the Royal City. This was one of the main reasons why Galleians had earned a reputation for being cold and arrogant.