Chapter 67: Era of Steam

Chapter 67: Era of Steam

Northern Continent.

A month had passed.

Historians went on consider the harsh times that followed the war and plague to be among the darkest in history. This calamity is remembered as the second most devastation disaster in recorded history, trailing only the "Cataclysm" and preceding the "Blood Night."

As the saying goes, disaster brings with it the change. Even though the repercussions were severe, it also provided an opportunity for humanity's most prosperous era to emerge, since the fall of modern civilization.

Future historians will extol this era as the beginning of the great change. This era was given numerous names, but it was widely known and accepted by all as,

The Era of Steam.

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The light of dawn shone through the clouds, illuminating the northern continent.

A clear spectacle can be seen in the blue sky.

As the clouds parted, it revealed a slew of airships gliding through the sky.

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The airship's design was heavily steampunk, with the burning engines at the top of the passenger cabin being powered by steam, and the cabin being elegant and grand, made of gleaming and polished wood, with the front of the cabin inlaid with glass, providing passengers with an observation area.

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Aucuses was present at a restaurant table in one of those airships. There was a dozen of newspapers in front of him, each with a different headline.

The headlines read:

"The Miracle of Steam: Man Conquers the Sky."

It showed a picture of the airship being launched from the station right below, and there was a large emblem at the station's entrance.

The emblems represented by a solid triangle which were filled with symbols such as steam, gears, and levers.

It was the Sacred Emblem of the God of Steam and Machinery.

Underneath these headlines, there was news of steam engine revolutionising the stagnant industrial sector, as well as a sharp increase in the number of available jobs, which was attributed to the revolution.

On the same newspaper, there were also images and information about the various inventions introduced in the previous month.

Steam ships, steam trains, and many other inventions were among them...

Everything on the front page was about the miracles and magnificence of steam.

"Your order is here, sir." A waitress placed a silver cup in front of Aucuses. "A Fermo Coffee."

Aucuses nodded and handed the waitress a gold coin with the sun emblem as a tip. When the waitress saw the tip, she became brisk. Then, she bowed and left with a smile.

Aucuses drank the coffee from his cup while turning to look to the side. His table was located on the side of the glass windows, which replaced the walls and provided a clear view of the gliding clouds and rising sun. One could also look down to see the construction of the railway tracks and vast mountains in front of them.

He should have improved as a result of the revolution brought about by Roselle, but it is undeniable that his reckless promotion affected him for the rest of his life, given the civilization's stagnation following Roselle's fall.

However, Artisan will not face any of these issues right now.

He has begun fully implementing his ideas for the empire in preparation for his apotheosis ritual.

Why, Aucuses reasoned, would it be Steampunk? It's simple: there's no crude oil to kick-start a second industrial revolution, but this won't stop Artisan, whose innovative talent was unrivalled.

'Well, that was something I didn't expect... ' Aucuses reflected, as this realisation had only come to him, during this month.

To be honest, despite this change that may affect everything, he still can't wait to see the future with his own eyes.

His gaze was finally drawn to the tile that read, 'Man conquered the Sky.'

'Well, Leodero won't be happy if he sees that.' He thought with amusement, as he put that newspaper away and looked at another with different headlines,

"The Coronation of Alitsa Tudor and Trunsoest."

His attention was drawn to the details below the title.

"The Coronation will be broadcast live across the Empire under the divine miracle of the Eternal Blazing Sun."

Today is the Coronation Day, and he must say that the angels planned the entire event magnificently.

How magnificent? The colossal statues of the six of them were erected directly in front of the royal palace, where the coronation will take place. While, this was just only one part of the coronation.

After a brief glance, Aucuses turned the pages of the newspaper and took a sip of his coffee.

He began browsing the other news while enjoying his alone time, until someone decided to ruin it....

"Aucuses, what a surprise?"

Aucuses sighed and looked up at the man standing before him, his eyes clearly irked.

The man had black curly hair and black eyes. His forehead was rather broad in contrast to his thin face. He was wearing a black suit and a long overcoat. There was a golden pocket watch, which hung on the edge of the overcoat.

What was most noticeable about him, however, was a crystal monocle he wore over his right eye, which glistened with light.

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A/N: When I wrote the previous chapter, I didn't fully consider the change that Artisan could bring about until I read a comment.

So, yes, under the influence of Artisan, civilization will develop in a completely different way.

But, to be honest, I was still unsure whether to proceed with this change or not, because by the fifth epoch, it won't be a Victorian era like the original story. I'm not sure if you all will like it, as this is a significant change.

But, after some thought, I decided to go ahead with it; if you want to share your thoughts on this, I would welcome it.

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Finally, this is what Aucuses saw in his divination.