A Host of Demons Dance Wildly

,Extraordinary Great Navigation

South Rio Grande State.

This was an administrative region at the southernmost tip of the East Coast of the Golden Palm Federation, and one of the federation's most important agricultural and pastoral regions.

Its soybean, wheat, and corn production accounted for roughly half of the Golden Palm Federation's national output; rice accounted for one-quarter, wine for three-quarters, and its cattle and sheep herds ranked among the top three states. It also supplied most of the raw wool for the entire federation's textile industry.

In recent years, its industry and commerce had flourished, led by textiles, mining, meat products, tanning, tobacco, metallurgy, machinery, and shipbuilding.

Though it was not under the direct jurisdiction of any of the six standing Assembly Members, its wealth still ranked among the best of the federation's twenty-seven states.

Inside a scenic seaside manor far from the noisy factory district.

Though it was daytime.

The study, lavishly furnished and carpeted with thick wool rugs, had its door locked and its purple velvet curtains drawn tight. Instead, an "electric lamp," still a novelty in ordinary households, had been switched on.

Only two distinguished gentlemen sat on the sofas, savoring premium cigars produced by the estate itself and exhaling clouds of smoke in blissful contentment.

Of course, fine cigars required sweet wine to accompany them.

High-quality rum brewed from sugarcane developed an alluring vanilla fragrance after aging in oak barrels, with a mellow and gentle taste.

Residents along the Golden Sea coast all enjoyed pairing it with cigars, and the custom had influenced half the New Continent.

Exhaling a puff of white smoke, the owner of the manor, the older of the two gentlemen, seemingly casually remarked:

"Assembly Member Grover, I invited you to the manor because I have good news to share. We recently discovered