Here, the Lord said this is a good thing

9 month 30 day.

As a border city bordering the Federation in the westernmost part of the empire, Ishtar’s city status is very embarrassing.

Although this city does not have to bear the chaos in the northwest, most of the "business opportunities" as a border city have been taken away by the cities in the south.

If it weren't for the fact that there were some mines belonging to the empire around, the city's decline would have been almost doomed. Relying on the resources and jobs provided by these mines, Ishtar could barely maintain its apparent prosperity.

However, the mining of mineral veins has polluted the land near Ishtar, making it impossible for the city to develop agriculture at all, and vegetables and food can only be purchased from other cities.

Most of the local factories are smelters or ore rough processing plants that rely heavily on nearby minerals.

Once the minerals are mined, the advantage of these factories being far away from the origin of raw materials will suddenly become the disadvantage of being far away from the origin of raw materials.

The locations of the factories in Northenton are closer to other mines in the empire than those in Ishtar. It is impossible for profit-seeking businessmen to be willing to pay more freight to send raw materials to Ishtal even though they are nearby. Xiutar will process it here.

Perhaps Ishtar did not have to consider this issue a hundred years ago, but no matter how rich the mineral veins were, they would one day be hollowed out. Ishtar's future still became very gloomy today, a hundred years later.

The local lord, Earl Kenan, also knew that this would not work, so in the past few years, he had been studying and thinking about how to "transform" Ishtar so that it could regain its vitality after the mineral veins were exhausted.

Earl Kennan has made a lot of efforts to this end.

It's a pity, maybe because of bad luck, or maybe the residents of Ishtar have been accustomed to this kind of life for hundreds of years.

The various "transformation projects" promoted by Earl Kennan either ended in vain, or the losses were too much for him to bear, so he had to take the initiative to terminate them.

But there is good news recently. The Federation has gone crazy and contacted Earl Kennan, saying that they want to hold a "technology exhibition" here in Ishtar!

Moreover, one of the key items to be displayed in this "technology exhibition" is the latest steam engine from the Federation.

Just based on this name, this "technology exhibition" attracted even the great Her Royal Highness Catherine.

At this time, Earl Kennan was guarding the Ishtar train station with a group of ceremonial bands, just to welcome Catherine's arrival.

Wearing a suit and leather shoes, Earl Kennan looked a bit bloated, more like a mine owner than a nobleman. This was because he deliberately did not wear any "aristocratic clothes" because he heard that Her Highness Catherine did not like this outfit.

Based on his memory of the only time he met Her Highness Ekaterina in his more than forty years, he also believed that Her Highness Ekaterina was a Williamite who did not like red tape.

Although Ekaterina was only eleven years old at the time...

"grown ups."

A gentle young man suddenly ran in from outside the station, approached Earl Kennan and saluted him.

"Oh, Carlos, you're back, are everything set up?"

Carlos is Count Kennan's son-in-law and his most trusted "one of his own".

"Everything has been arranged. The roads leading from the station to the guild hall have been swept clean. I guarantee that His Highness will not see a speck of dust!"

This is the job assigned to Carlos by his father-in-law. Isildar's mining industry is developed, and the accumulation of dust in the city has long earned the city the reputation of "Grey City".

That is to say, Ekaterina is coming, otherwise it will be difficult for this city to be as clean as it is today, which is praised by residents.

"Woo!"

With the sound of the whistle, the steam train scheduled to bring Ekaterina arrived at the station.

Earl Kennan's expression immediately became serious. He subconsciously wanted Carlos to step back, but before he could say anything, he remembered Carlos' shrewdness and ability, so he finally let Carlos stand by his side.

I will meet Her Highness Ekaterina later. If there is a chance, I will introduce Carlos to Her Highness.

The steam train entered the station slowly and steadily, and at Earl Kennan's signal, the band also began to play welcoming music.

This steam train was indeed a special train carrying Ekaterina. There were no ordinary passengers on the train, but after the train's carriages were opened, only a few men wearing the uniforms of researchers from the Imperial Scientific Research Institute walked out of the train. down.

"Are you Lord Kennan?"

The leading researcher led the others to Count Kennan with an expressionless face, and asked Count Kennan questions that he knew they knew.

"Yes...uh...where is your highness?"

Earl Kennan curiously looked over the shoulders of His Highness's men and looked towards the train, but the carriage door had been closed, indicating that these were the only people there.

"The director has arrived, and she should be negotiating with those scientists from the federation now."

"What!!!???"

……

There was no need for these researchers to lie to Count Kennan. At this time, Catherine was sitting in a luxurious and bright living room.

This is the hotel where Earl Kennan hosted the federal scientists, and the building next door is the main venue of the exhibition.

Many devices known as the "latest federal scientific research results" have been transported into the venue and arranged. The exhibition will open in two hours.

But before that, Wilson, as the leader of the federal side of this "exhibition", must first pass the level of Ekaterina.

This man, who looked unkempt, was wearing a somewhat inappropriate formal suit, and looked extremely downcast, was sitting in front of Yekaterina.

He is a newly promoted "first-class scientist" from the Federal Bureau of Science and Technology. To be able to obtain this level of honor at his age shows that he is indeed one of the best "geniuses" in the entire continent.

But a "genius scientist" does not necessarily have genius-level diplomatic skills, especially when facing Ekaterina, who is more than a step ahead of him in terms of status and level as a scientific researcher.

At this time, Wilson was lowering his head and looking at his toes that were pressed together, counting the cold sweat dripping from his forehead, and mentally judging when he would pass out from dehydration and gain relief. Apart from that, there was nothing he could do.

After all, he was woken up by his fellow travelers just a few minutes ago, saying that Ekaterina had arrived.

He originally thought that Ekaterina was an old woman with thick glasses and wrinkles due to age, perhaps even uglier and meaner than his Aunt Melison.

Unexpectedly, Ekaterina herself would be so gorgeous, beautiful, and stunning, a peerless beauty that even Wilson's poor vocabulary could not describe.

What's worse is that Wilson just looked at each other and Ekaterina didn't even say hello. Wilson was almost overwhelmed by Ekaterina's extremely arrogant temperament.

Under Yekaterina's gaze, he couldn't concentrate at all and couldn't even maintain normal language functions!

The same was probably true for the other scientists sitting next to Wilson. Ekaterina was not targeting Wilson, nor was she targeting them.

Her aura that is so arrogant that people cannot communicate with her is natural and undifferentiated. Even the innocent hotel waiters can only stay away and dare not get close to her.

Before the founding celebration day, even Ekaterina didn't know that she had awakened the dragon's bloodline. Even if she knew now, she would not control the "dragon power" from her bloodline. Of course, even if she could I don't even bother to control it.

Anyway, people who can't stand it are not worthy of communicating with her. People who can't stand it...

"Clap."

A cup of black tea was placed in front of Yekaterina by Ye He. He neither looked at Yekaterina nor said anything to her. He just picked up his own cup and took a sip. He turned around and wandered around the living room, enjoying the oil paintings on the wall.

His attitude towards Yekaterina was extremely relaxed. It seemed that when he went to find a cup of black tea, for the sake of Yekaterina being his employer, he also brought a cup to Yekaterina. Black tea, that's all.

People who can stand her "dragon power", such as Ye He, will not care about Yekaterina's "dragon power" and can get along with her naturally without the need for Yekaterina to deliberately restrain herself.

The federal scientists, who were about to be overwhelmed by Yekaterina's "Dragon Power", needed some "accidents" to distract them.

Ye He's actions happened to be their life-saving straw. Many people, including Wilson, secretly looked at Ye He from the corner of their eyes, curious about the relationship between this handsome oriental man and Yekaterina.

Some federal people who also followed the team to Isildar could only stand in the corner of the living room and were not qualified to face Ekaterina directly. Therefore, the influence of "Dragon Power" on them was reduced, and their expressions were much normal. .

But their eyes would involuntarily wander back and forth between Yekaterina and Ye He, and the despair in their eyes was almost real.

Why did Ye He come with Yekaterina? !

This small group of people obviously came from a non-scientist organization, perhaps from the public eye, perhaps from gangs, or perhaps from some other force.

But they have a unified goal, which is to be optimistic about Wilson and other scientists, and use their names to delay Ekaterina in Isildar.

They knew something about Ekaterina, and they had also made some plans and arrangements, and deployed many small means to achieve their delaying purpose.

But Ye He also came, and they suddenly became panicked.

At the very least, Yekaterina would care about the empire's face and "treat" people like them who came with "goodwill", but Ye He couldn't say that at all!

Don't talk about them. According to the investigation, it is "normal" for Ye He not to give Ekaterina face. They can't predict what this famous [Father of Destruction] will do. They can only leave. Take it one step at a time.

Of course, they are not stupid. The best result is that they adjust the original plan and drag Ye He and Yekaterina together in Isildar, achieving the final effect of getting twice the result with half the effort.

But will Yekaterina and Yehe give them this opportunity?

……Won't!

Even though Ye He was still staying in this living room, looking like he was admiring the oil paintings to cultivate his sentiments, in fact, from the moment Yekaterina took him directly from the train to the door of the hotel, Ye He had been Caesar has been asked to go to the venue next door.

On the train from Saidaweil to Isildar, Yehe had already negotiated the price with Ekaterina.

What he revealed to Yekaterina was that he had a way to obtain the blueprints of the technological creations brought by the Federation. Yekaterina "purchased" them from him for one hundred thousand gold pounds each. The price of the blueprints of the new steam engine. Double.

As early as when Caterina contacted Ye He and told him about the "exhibition", Ye He had thought that he could use nanorobots like Caesar to detect those creations, and then draw drawings and sell them to Katherina for money. This is the goal of Ye He coming here.

When the federal scientists were restrained by Yekaterina, and the fellow spies were restrained by Ye He himself, they did not know that the scientific creations they brought over were being quickly stolen by Ye He, and they had the ability to "delay" time. It is depreciating rapidly.

"Snapped!"

Outside the living room, a carriage rushed over with almost unrestrained momentum and almost hit the door of the hotel. Earl Kennan jumped out of the carriage and quickly rushed into the hotel living room. .

The situation in the living room was already very clear, and there was no need for anyone to introduce anything to Earl Kennan. He locked eyes on Yekaterina's figure in a hurry, came to Yekaterina's side, knelt down on one knee and saluted:

"Your Highness!"

Ekaterina moved her eyes slightly and glanced at the "good-for-nothing Earl" who was afraid of being scared away by her "business opportunities". She was so frightened that she swallowed a lot of praises that came to Count Kennan's throat. go back.

She looked away, and Wilson and others sitting opposite her finally breathed a sigh of relief.

It’s so scary. Why do scientists like them suffer such oppression?

The fellow travelers in the corner of the living room also breathed a sigh of relief after Earl Kennan arrived, and one or two people secretly cast their eyes towards the door. With all the eyes on them, they were sent by the top management of the organization to "lay out" long in advance. Carlos looked at each other.

Carlos, who came with Count Kennan, did not step into the living room. He stood at the door and used the cover of the door panel to peek at the breathtakingly beautiful Ekaterina, and then looked at these colleagues. After a moment, he blinked.

He was about to use some secret gestures to tell these colleagues that everything was still under plan, but he suddenly noticed that these colleagues' faces turned pale, and their eyes were full of some kind of warning.

"Hello?"

A voice sounded next to Carlos. When he turned around, Ye He was looking at him with a smile.

(End of this chapter)