Chapter 793: Chapter 793 - 436: Fear and Belief

Bradley stopped in front of the door, raised his hand to gently push it open, then stepped back, gesturing a brief and restrained "please".Varius walked in, the door closing behind him, cutting off the footsteps outside.The air carried the scent of ink, mixed with the aroma of freshly brewed hot coffee.There was none of the damp wood smell typical of old nobility's studies, nor any deliberately cultivated incense.This place did not resemble a space meant to flaunt one's status, but rather a workstation ready to operate at any moment.Varius instinctively took two steps forward.Three walls were completely covered by enormous parchment maps.The contour lines on the maps marked ridges and valleys layer by layer, meticulously outlining the direction of the mineral veins, and even indicating seasonal changes in water flow beside the rivers.In the corners of some areas, there were tiny annotations detailing population density, food production, and labor structure.Red lines extended from the various provinces, penetrating the maps like blood vessels.Blue lines intertwined among them, marking the water and geothermal networks.All lines ultimately converged on a single red dot - Red Tide City.Varius stood still, not moving any further.Suddenly, he experienced a vivid illusion; it felt as if he had walked not into a room but into the interior of a vast and intricate machine.It was not a solid wall but an entire expanse of glass.Through the glass, one could overlook the city below.Lights spread out during the polar night, and the streets resembled orderly neural pathways.Crowds moved, convoys traversed, patrolling knights and workers with carts navigated around each other, all functioning in a set rhythm.There was no chaos, nor was there stagnation.Varius' Adam's apple moved slightly.This was truly the center of Red Tide, the place that created the new Northern Territory and eventually conquered the entire Gray Rock Province.His shirt sleeves were casually rolled up to his forearms, revealing strong and well-defined wrists.He held a red pen, its tip steadily resting at the junction of Gray Rock Province and Red Tide Territory.He drew a new line, as if adding the final confirmed trajectory to a plan long formed.This was the third railway, an artery that would fully integrate Gray Rock into the Red Tide system.Louis did not turn around but knew someone had entered."My lord Varius."