Chapter Sixteen: Unsung Changes
This time, quite a lot was brought back.
However, the gold and silver treasures discovered in the underground ruins were the least eye-catching, and Gloria had no interest even in counting them. After disassembling and transporting the Elemental Furnace, Gloria and the Fallen Witch had already directed all their energy toward researching the Elemental Furnace. According to their reasoning, if the Elemental Furnace could provide enough energy to sustain a city, then it should certainly be capable of supporting the energy supply for a Floating Tower.
Perhaps the Floating City was still a distant dream, but the Floating Tower seemed to be just within reach.
The two Northern Witches, caught in a fervor of research, were truly formidable, to the point that even Soren was impatiently driven out by them. In terms of alchemy skills, Soren had too many foundational skills to work on, and lingering around was basically unhelpful. So, taking the opportunity while he still had a bit of free time, he decided to resolve something he had long wanted to do.
…………
Modo City.
In the light of dawn, people gradually woke up and began to work; the sounds of street vendors could be heard, and the distant Blacksmith Shop was already ringing with clinking sounds. The streets of Modo City had already formed a unique rhythm, with people leading their lives, working from dawn to dusk. However, today, the sides of the streets in Modo City seemed a bit different, as quite a few people were unable to resist gathering around, peering in with curious expressions on their faces.
Witches.
And not just any witches, but beautiful Witch Lords.
There were naturally more than just a few wizards in Modo City, but only three were worthy of being named: the mistress of Modo City, Lady Gloria; the mysterious masked witch, the Fallen Witch; and the bizarre Plant Wizard, Lord Saruman.
Apart from these three witches, Modo City also had some lower-tier spellcasters.
First were Saruman’s apprentice group. After receiving Soren’s support, the number of his apprentices had been increasing, now totaling over thirty. Although these apprentices were low-tier wizards, they could take over Saruman’s work of refining fertilizers, greatly saving him time to focus on plant research.
Then there was Gloria’s witch group, recruited from the Northern Witch Council.
These witches were more powerful, most being mid-tier spellcasters. Due to limited resources within the Witch Council, they could not receive more assistance from within the council, so they chose to ally themselves with Gloria’s faction.
Let’s not forget one thing.
Gloria was not only the mistress of Modo City but also an important member of the Witch Council.
The Northern Witch Council had its own factions, and Gloria was a representative of one of the factions. After aligning with her, these witches naturally received financial and material support from Modo City, with some even relocating to assist Gloria. They maintained the operation of golem puppets and coordinated the Modo Harbor lighthouse and other matters.
The final group of wizards came from Soren’s church.
The Half-Elf Church also had its own wizard group, but their numbers were very few, and their strengths were mostly mid to low-tier, totaling about ten people, which was less than one-fifth the number of priests. Many of them were wizards who doubled as priests.
As for the Fallen Witch.
Hehe.
She truly had no talent in this area, being a typical case of high intelligence but low emotional intelligence; some of her methods were just illusions created by her relatively high IQ.
She had always been a solitary figure, with no wizards to assist her.
…………
One witch in the crowd was busily directing others. She paid no attention to the curious gazes of those around her. After directing her subordinates to erect a pillar, she reached out to check it and then personally mounted a beautiful crystal lamp onto it, infusing a bit of magic to test if the internal rune pathways were functioning correctly.
“This is a Magic Lamp!?”
Naturally, there were some knowledgeable adventurers nearby. After watching for a while, one said, “Is the City Hall planning to install Magic Lamps in Modo City?”
This was a relatively primitive but also exceptionally developed era.
Magic Lamps were not particularly rare, but few places could afford them. Most were found in the homes of high-ranking nobles and spellcasters, while ordinary civilians could scarcely afford candles. The only place Soren had seen that could afford extensive use of Magic Lamps was the Royal Palace of Arendelle, where the Ice Witches had transformed the palace into unparalleled opulence. Compared to this kingdom that had been operational for over a thousand years, some places in Modo City were indeed very shabby.
The witch did not answer his question.
To be honest, the Northern Witches had a somewhat proud nature; men who did not match their strength and status often found them arrogant, but this was simply their way of dealing with the world.
From the central square all the way to the city gates.
The distance was approximately 1500 meters, with a lamp installed every 15 meters along one side of the road, and the installation was handled by Gloria’s witch group. They worked diligently for an entire day to complete it. On the other side of the central square was another team of spellcasters, facing a more difficult task: they needed to install a massive crystal lighting apparatus in the central square.
At some point,
four large diamond-shaped pale purple crystals appeared at the four sides of the central square, surrounded by iron frames erected by the spellcasters. At intervals of twenty meters, there were lamp poles larger than those beside the road, with the core large crystal lamp positioned near the central square’s fountain, casting light directly onto Modo City’s most magnificent building, the Grand Temple.
A group of witches worked for a long time before finishing.
The third group also returned in the evening; they had already upgraded the lighthouse at Modo Harbor.
As night fell,
many curious people gathered around. Modo City had not yet implemented curfews during this time; compared to the chaotic Modo Harbor, the city itself was very stable, completely under Soren’s control.
“Let’s get started.”
Soren glanced at the lights in the central square and nodded slightly, saying, “Connect the magic energy conduit.”
Beside him was a young witch with a new face, her expression slightly excited. Upon hearing this, she replied, “Yes, Your Grace.”
Gloria’s witch group was still expanding.
Rather than cultivating a new batch of witches, digging a little into the Northern Witch Council’s resources was more efficient. Moreover, now that Gloria had advanced to the Legendary Domain, she was also qualified to gather a group of followers and act as a mentor for younger witches. Therefore, she audaciously recruited a number of younger witches without fear of objection from others in the Witch Council.
“Wow!”
As the magic energy transmission was established, even from a distance, the cheers from the central square could be heard.
One by one, lamps lit up like stars in the tranquil night sky, stretching from the City Hall all the way to the central square, and then from the central square to the city gates. Soren spent three days completing the installation of a total of 762 Magic Lamps, with the largest ones in the central square being made of crystal, while most others were restored from underground ruins. The entire lighting system’s layout was drawn by Gloria when she found some spare time; her words were to not bother her, especially with such trivial matters.
When she said this, Gloria’s expression carried a hint of disdain. Perhaps in her view, Soren’s interest in designing street lamps was a sign of not being serious. The issue of street lighting was not particularly difficult; basically any wizard organization could handle it. The real challenge lay in the subsequent energy supply. Without energy supply, Magic Lamps could only be made from some extremely expensive and rare materials to ensure they could last long without needing to be recharged.
Gloria’s expression at that moment upset Soren so much that he stripped her bare and gave her a good thrashing, after which she naturally behaved herself.
The efficiency of their research increased significantly.
…………
People curiously gathered near the square.
The priest in charge within the temple observed the atmosphere as people spontaneously assembled to view the lamps, sensing the lively atmosphere could be utilized. So he arranged for people to summon believers to take advantage of this opportunity to hold a large prayer ceremony.
“I didn’t expect I would actually miss street lights…”
Soren stood under the night sky, overlooking the entirety of Modo City. To be honest, in this barren era where even lighting was non-existent, there were times when he felt somewhat unaccustomed.
Everything done today was merely something he had long wanted to accomplish.
Looking at the city below lit up, he truly felt that Modo City was already different; it would become a place that surpasses any city of this era.
The lighting system was just one part of Modo City’s future plans.
Although people initially felt very curious, that curiosity quickly waned.
The street lights would turn on around 6 PM and stay illuminated until around 8 PM. During this time, the citizens of Modo City would gather at the central square, while many believers in front of the church’s temple would also engage in evening prayers. Children would play beside the fountain, curious to want to touch the largest central crystal lamp, but they were quickly stopped by their parents. Although there was no explicit ban on touching the crystal lamp in Modo City, people were still afraid that they might accidentally damage something that looked so precious.
This was a rarity in Modo City, and it might even become its emblem.
People who had begun to form a sense of identification and belonging to this city started to protect the interests of this city in their own ways.
Everything returned to calm.
Modo City recently began planting trees and flowers; the somewhat reserved open spaces in the city finally came in handy. Although the City Hall didn’t know why His Grace Soren suddenly became interested in greening the area, they still strictly executed the orders.
A few days later, a row of street lights was also installed at Modo City’s harbor.
Now, the patrolling guards no longer had to hold torches and lanterns at night. Perhaps due to the presence of lighting at night, the taverns stayed busier longer.
In this way, people quickly accepted street lights and became accustomed to them.
…………
(To be continued ~^~)
