"Newspapers! Newspapers! Yesterday, the Imperial First Army decisively defeated the rebels, annihilating over 10,000 enemy soldiers!"
"A beautiful day begins with black tea. Sir, would you like a cup of black tea?"
Anyone need a ride? Starting price is three ringgit.
"Sir, we have the most beautiful girls in the entire capital here~ Come and rest for a while."
"..."
As soon as Qin Ze stepped out of the passenger airship station, he was surrounded by touts, but he declined them all.
Although I'm really curious to see just how beautiful the prettiest girl is, I need to take care of business first.
The overall architectural style of the capital city is similar to that of early 20th-century England, almost identical to that of the Blue Flame Race.
The weather was different from that of the steam age; the sky was clear and blue, exceptionally clean, and breathtakingly beautiful.
The royal palace is the tallest building in the city, located in the city center, and can be seen by simply looking up.
Qin Ze did not intend to go directly to the palace, but instead wandered around the city first, making some observations along the way.
The Five Heavenly Kings did not leave; they were going to enter the palace together.
If anything unexpected happens, they can look out for each other.
Qin Ze spent half a day taking a short stroll around the city.
It truly lives up to its reputation as the capital city; it's incredibly prosperous and bustling.
Moreover, the city is not only inhabited by the Maka Race, but also by many other strangely-looking people from other ethnic groups.
What about blue skin, fish heads and human bodies, or being covered in hair...?
These were all former wanderers of the Abyss.
Having contributed their cultural heritage, they have now become members of the Maka Race.
Around noon, Qin Ze arrived at the palace gate, took out his diplomatic credentials, and the Fifth Prince's token.
"I have come to pay my respects today at the invitation of the Fifth Prince."
After inspecting Qin Ze's token, the guard respectfully said, "Please wait a moment, I will go and inform the Fifth Prince."
More than ten minutes later, the guard returned.
"His Highness the Fifth Prince is already waiting for you. Please follow me."
Qin Ze followed behind the guards through the palace gates.
Soon, magnificent buildings with carved beams and painted rafters came into view.
The royal palace was a city within a city, surrounded by a high wall.
In this way, even if the outer city is breached, the palace can still be defended thanks to its walls.
After passing through several long corridors, the guards led Qin Ze to a garden.
"His Highness the Fifth Prince is inside."
The guard bowed and slowly withdrew.
Qin Ze stepped into the garden.
A melodious violin tune filled the air.
Even Qin Ze, who has absolutely no artistic talent, couldn't help but be captivated by it, and his body involuntarily relaxed.
Qin Ze followed the music to an artificial lake.
By the lake, a young man dressed in fine clothes with red eyes raised his hand and began to paint intently on a canvas.
Not far from him, a girl dressed in a classic Lolita dress was playing the violin.
Her layered skirt swayed gently in the breeze, and her long, black hair was secured at the back of her head with delicate hairpins, revealing her swan-like elegant neck.
Slender, fair fingers danced nimbly across the strings, creating beautiful melodies.
Every note seemed to permeate the air, rippling outwards like waves on a lake.
Listening to such beautiful music, Qin Ze felt as if he were floating on clouds.
After the song ended, the girl put down her violin and strings.
She nodded slightly and placed her hands on her lower abdomen.
Thousand Faces exclaimed on the Local Area Network, "Elegance never goes out of style!"
His Dharma King, "I strongly suggest that we also assign a similar musician to our team, so that we can play background music live during the next group activity. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
The Mist Lord chuckled, "I think this girl is perfect. She's skilled in everything from playing musical instruments to singing. Why not try and trick her into going back with us?"
Brother Devour: "You're making us sound like villains who kidnap girls."
Qin Ze ignored these guys and walked straight behind the man who was painting.
On the easel was a landscape painting, depicting the artificial hills and flowing water right before their eyes.
After finishing the last stroke, the man put down his paintbrush and stood up.
When he turned around and saw Qin Ze, his eyes lit up.
"Mr. Qin, seeing is believing."
"To have achieved such mastery of Fire Movement Technique at such a young age is truly admirable."
At this moment, Qin Ze stood before the Fifth Prince as a diplomat.
Therefore, he changed his address for Qin Ze from "classmate Qin" in the letter to "Mr. Qin".
"I am Zhan Li, the fifth prince of the Maka Empire."
Qin Ze smiled upon hearing this.
Good Good Good.
Your name is also Zhan Li, right?
"Your Highness is too kind."
"You are the one who is young and promising, and exceptionally talented."
"Look at the two ducks in this painting, they look exactly like real ones."
The Fifth Prince corrected, "That's a fish."
The Dharma King laughed wildly, "This is hilarious! This is arguably the most awkward mutual flattery in history!"
Qin Ze looked at the painting again in disbelief.
Two dark, lumpy things.
You call this a fish?
That's really abstract.
"Mr. Qin, you must be tired from your journey. I have already arranged for some light refreshments to welcome you and help you wash away the dust of your travels."
"Then I shall respectfully accept your offer."
"Please."
"Please, Your Highness."
Both of them were smiling broadly, as if they had known each other for a long time.
Qin Ze and the Fifth Prince left the garden, with the girl playing the violin following closely behind.
At this moment, Qin Ze noticed that several guards had also followed them.
He had initially thought these guards were just "security guards" in the garden.
But now it seems that this is not the case.
This seemingly distant yet close relationship is less a form of protection and more a form of surveillance.
"Interesting."
This Zhan Li is clearly not simple either.
The banquets at the royal palace are several levels better than those at roadside stalls.
The taste was still indescribable, but it was still better than "gazing at the stars."
The girl stood by the window and began playing the violin again.
Listening to the melodious music, Qin Ze felt that the food in front of him tasted much better.
"I heard from the envoys stationed abroad that Mr. Qin's Fire Movement Technique are already Furnace Fire. Could you demonstrate them to me?" the Fifth Prince asked curiously.
Qin Ze nodded. "Of course."
Immediately, he opened his right hand, and a bright blue flame danced to the music.
The Fifth Prince's eyes widened in surprise. "Incredible."
"Mr. Qin must be very tired today. Why don't you rest for a day?"
"After Mr. Qin has rested well tomorrow, could you cooperate with me to conduct some research on your Fire Movement Technique?"
"As the letter stated, I greatly enjoy studying Fire Movement Technique."
Qin Ze said calmly, "No problem."
What if the other party changes their mind and refuses to pay tuition if he doesn't provide on-site instruction?
The Fifth Prince laughed and said, "Excellent! I wish I could have met Mr. Qin sooner."
Qin Ze smiled and said, "It's not too late now."
The two addressed each other respectfully as "Sir" and "Your Highness."
To the uninitiated, they would look like two old friends reunited after a long separation.
As the two were exchanging toasts, a guard at the door suddenly came in to report something.
"Your Highness, the First Prince has come to visit."
No sooner had the guard finished speaking than a man's slightly reproachful voice came from outside the door.
Fifth brother, why didn't you invite me when you invited guests?