Chapter 146 - 145: Praise of the Sea

Chapter 146: Chapter 145: Praise of the Sea

Instructor Mr. Mosen’s political bias was remarkably obvious.

Compared to his high praise for the Holy Empire, his attitude toward the House of Plantagenet was clearly pessimistic. However, this was the consensus of the majority. After all, the facts were right there.

SNAP!

Mosen snapped his fingers crisply, and the illuminated area representing the territory of the House of Plantagenet dimmed just as the previous one had.

The next moment, the area that lit up on the three-dimensional map of the Nolan Continent was actually a remote corner situated in the extreme southeast, bordering the sea.

"This is where Coastal City is located—the third-largest power on the Nolan Continent, outside of the Holy Empire and the House of Plantagenet," Mosen said.

Coastal City? He wondered how a single city could possibly be more powerful than all the other nations combined, barring the Holy Empire and the House of Plantagenet.

Gaode’s pupils shrank slightly upon hearing this. In his understanding, this was simply unimaginable. The power of a nation was like a massive machine; once it started running, any warlord or local kingpin would be flattened like a toy.

While Gaode was still processing his shock and confusion, Mosen had already begun to introduce it methodically.

"Coastal City was built by the sea, hence its name.

"It is an exceptionally prosperous commercial and magical hub. Through free trade, it has become an independent, sprawling port city.

"Within Coastal City, you will find the most vibrant commercial environment and the freest academic atmosphere in the entire Mage Plane.

"The Nolan Magic Academy, established in Coastal City, is even considered superior to the Imperial Magic Academy of the Holy Empire and the Glorious Magic Academy of the House of Plantagenet. It is widely regarded as the number one Magic Academy on the Nolan Continent.

"The reason Coastal City can be so powerful originates from their exceptionally advantageous geographical location, but it flourishes even more because of their vision and philosophy.

"This is the Noraka Strait, controlled by Coastal City."

As Mosen’s voice faded, a small expanse of sea adjacent to Coastal City was highlighted in a bright red glow on the magic-formed 3D map.

"The Noraka Strait is the most crucial maritime chokepoint in the entire Mage Plane," Mosen continued. "Situated between the Terra Continent and the Nolan Continent, it is the unavoidable sea passage and shipping hub for trade between the two. At the same time, it borders the Jade Sea, and directly across the Jade Sea lies the Central Continent.

"Trade is the lifeblood of Coastal City. Controlling the primary maritime trade routes between the Terra Continent and the Nolan Continent allows them to rake in unimaginable wealth.

"An endless stream of ships and magic-guided airships pass through Coastal City’s massive ’Sun Gate’ sea locks, bringing goods from all over the world and generating immeasurable riches for the city.

"When I was introducing the House of Plantagenet earlier, I mentioned that they possess the second-largest port on the Nolan Continent.

"Well, the largest port on the Nolan Continent belongs not to the Holy Empire, but to Coastal City.

"Ships and magic-guided airships from all corners of the globe dock at or depart from Coastal City’s Sun Never Sets Port.

"At the Sun Never Sets Port, even the night is lit up as brightly as day.

"That kind of bustling prosperity is absolutely unimaginable to anyone who hasn’t witnessed it with their own eyes."

In truth, even Mosen had never witnessed the prosperity of Coastal City with his own eyes. So his words carried an air of empty armchair theory.

"And despite possessing such immense wealth, Coastal City does not belong to any nation or faction. They are completely independent," Mosen said.

"Four major merchant families control Coastal City: the Igor Clan, the Ion Family, the Okenli Family, and the Lune Family.

"These four merchant families each master one of four core technologies: magic-guided airships, Ore Crystals, alchemy weapons, and Rune Armor. Relying on these four core technologies, they sell their products to the entire world.

"At the same time, after acquiring exorbitant wealth through Coastal City, these four families turn around and invest massive sums of money to fund various magic projects.

"This has resulted in countless workshops springing up within Coastal City.

"The unprecedentedly advanced workshops and the constant stream of new magical inventions created every single moment fully prove what abundant financial sponsorship means to a mage.

"Because of this, Coastal City has become the most technologically advanced city in terms of magical craftsmanship in the world. It is a Holy Land and a city of freedom in the hearts of countless mages.

"It is said," Mosen added in an exaggerated tone, "that the streets of Coastal City are paved with gold!"

Through Mosen’s explanation, an image akin to Shanghai formed in Gaode’s mind. Of course, by comparison, the prosperity of this Coastal City far surpassed that of Shanghai.

"COUGH, COUGH." Mosen coughed heavily, paused for a moment, and continued. "Perhaps you might wonder: why would the Holy Empire—which is constantly expanding and whose territory borders Coastal City—remain completely indifferent to such an enticing prize?

"The reason is very simple.

"They aren’t indifferent; they simply can’t touch it.

"Even an entity as powerful as the Holy Empire cannot take a bite out of a lucrative prize like Coastal City.

"In fact, the reason the Holy Empire has been able to expand its territory on the Terra Continent is inseparable from Coastal City’s prosperity.

"Coastal City’s ports and magic-guided airships make it relatively easy for their armies and military supplies to be transported to the Terra Continent. Coastal City’s alchemy weapons make it far easier for the Holy Empire to conquer new lands on the Terra Continent.

"Bolstered by money and technology, the power of the four major merchant families is incredibly deep and unfathomable. They absolutely cannot be judged by the standards of a normal merchant guild or noble family.

"Most importantly, Coastal City possesses a set of Eighth Tier Rune Armor—the only set of its kind in the entire world...

"Praise of the Sea!

"To Coastal City, this set of Eighth Tier Rune Armor is just like the Demon-Banning Stone is to the House of Plantagenet. As long as it exists, it guarantees that Coastal City will stand tall and unyielding."

Mosen let his voice trail off here, pausing for a moment as if to let the students digest and absorb the information he had just shared. Then, he continued.

The light representing Coastal City faded away, and finally, the central region of the Nolan Continent was brightly highlighted on the 3D map.

"This region is the buffer zone between the Holy Empire and the House of Plantagenet," Mosen said. "It contains over fifty percent of the Earth Veins on the Nolan Continent, vast tracts of undeveloped land, and dozens of duchies, both large and small.

"And our Sean Duchy is located exactly here."

Mosen pointed to a tiny area leaning toward the House of Plantagenet and marked it in a different color. As this geography lesson drew to a close, the Sean Duchy was finally mentioned.

Seeing the size of the Sean Duchy on the map, Gaode finally realized just how massive the entire Nolan Continent truly was. In terms of raw area, the Sean Duchy was already equivalent to nearly half of China, yet the size it displayed on the map was merely a tiny speck, like a single jigsaw puzzle piece.

"...Strictly speaking, this region is essentially a buffer zone between the Holy Empire and the House of Plantagenet, keeping the two nations separated," Mosen explained.

"Neither side is ready for an armed clash yet, so they allow this buffer zone to exist. It ensures their territories don’t border each other directly, thereby avoiding any potential escalation of friction.

"Otherwise... as long as the Holy Empire willed it, every single duchy in this heartland would either be conquered or destroyed within a year," Mosen said, speaking bluntly and without shying away from Sean’s weakness in the slightest. He even added a rather treasonous remark, "If that day truly comes, it might actually be a good thing for the people of Sean. After all, joining the Holy Empire would provide access to much greater development."

"All right, that concludes today’s lesson. Class dismissed!" Mosen waved his hand, announcing the end of the session.

The three-dimensional map model displayed on the whiteboard vanished without a trace the moment Mosen left the room.