Chapter 1194: 374. The vicissitudes of time_3
This festival was only recently established, with Revival City chosen as the venue.
At the same time, the Empire also decreed that, starting from this day of the festival, all industries in Revival City would be exempted from taxation for the next five years. noveldrama
If previously Revival City was merely a lost territory recovered from the hands of the Undead Cult, now it became the apple of every merchant, speculator, and gold-digger’s eye.
Moreover, the Empire announced a plan to expand Revival City, predicting that its size would triple in the next five years.
According to the Empire’s plan, five years from now, Revival City would transform into a major metropolis with over ten thousand acres of farmland, more than five hundred workshops, three train stations, and a dozen railways.
It would ultimately present itself to the Empire’s citizens as an extremely important frontier city.
...
Morster sent this letter to Noland Lee to ask if he was interested in establishing some industries within Revival City and hopping on this train to riches.
It’s worth mentioning that when this letter arrived in Noland Lee’s hands, the Empire had not yet officially announced this news to the public.
Noland Lee also benefited from Morster’s clout, as it gave him the opportunity to be one step ahead of others.
Wait a minute, let’s set aside the wealth for now.
Noland Lee pinched the letter paper, a hint of doubt flashing through his mind.
He wasn’t interested in Revival City’s five-year plan, as he had plenty of ways to make money.
There were a few things he didn’t quite understand:
Had the undead threats around Revival City been completely eradicated?
And, had the Underground River polluted by the Undead Cult been purified?
With the underground threats yet to be pulled out and the pollution still uncleared, why did the Empire decide to hold a grand festival in Revival City now?
Had they gone mad?
Noland Lee faintly sensed that something was amiss.
In the ten days he had immersed himself in the study of magic and Mechanos, something he didn’t know must have happened.
Since the “Veil of Different Worlds” left by the Assassin Angel on Morster had dissipated, Noland Lee removed the “Tracking Mark” he had placed on Morster.
From that moment on, Noland Lee had not paid any attention to the movements inside and outside Revival City.
In the back of his mind, Noland Lee had a premonition that the Empire’s sudden decision to host a significant festival in Revival City might be related to the Pollution Zone.
To this day, Noland Lee still remembered the words of the Assassin Angel:
The greatest ability of the Gatherer of the Dead is to rapidly create a wide expanse of death.
Once He resurrects, the vibrant Land of Revival will quickly turn into a land of death, with all life creatures yielding their souls to the Gatherer of the Dead.
Putting himself in the shoes of a member of the Death Steel or the Undead Cult, they would surely want the Land of Revival to be teeming with life, to maximize the capabilities of the Gatherer of the Dead.
Yet, at the very time when the Pollution Zone was about to open, the Empire planned to hold a grand festival in Revival City…
Noland Lee’s brow furrowed slightly.
He took out pen and paper and wrote a reply to Morster, subtly inquiring whether the festival was a last-minute decision by the Empire or an event long in preparation.
The response from Morster alleviated some of Noland Lee’s concerns.
The festival had been brewing for three years and was carefully prepared until now, when the Emperor and his cabinet ministers felt the conditions were ripe for implementation.
In other words, the festival was not a product of external influence but a natural consequence of the Empire’s internal evolution.
Considering the theft of the Gem Box effectively undermined the Metal Ancestor Dragon and Undead Cult and that it was nearly impossible for Death Steel and the Undead Sect to open the Pollution Zone in the near future, Noland Lee gradually let go of his worries.
However, he still didn’t intend to become complacent.
“The sooner I have a Sub-Dimensional Plane, the sooner I can have the Big Shot, the Assassin Angel, backing me up. The task of accumulating magic energy needs to be sped up, more and more, and yet faster.”
Noland Lee glanced at the sea surface, reined in his thoughts, and turned back into the house to continue his study of Wild Magic, seeking a more efficient method to convert magic energy.