Chapter 314 Shopping, Cakes, and Baths
There was a lot of fighting at the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences.
In almost an instant, the news spread throughout the entire imperial capital as if it had wings.
But soon, the sounds of gunfire died down.
The residents originally thought that those overconfident guys in Black Dragon City were suppressed by the Imperial City Guards. But after hearing that one of the walls of the academy was completely destroyed in the bombing, everyone realized that things were not that simple.
However, the reaction of the city guards was also strange. They patrolled as usual and changed shifts as usual... There was no large-scale mobilization at all, nor any signs of emergency combat readiness.
All departments in the imperial capital were peaceful, as if nothing had happened.
Except for a few high-ranking officials of the empire who knew the inside story, ordinary residents did not know that it was because of the critical moment of the transition of imperial power that the princes reached a tacit understanding and no one would provoke the people from Black Dragon City.
The atmosphere of panic had completely dissipated before it could spread across the imperial capital.
Since the high-ranking nobles did not react strongly, the ordinary residents should just do what they are supposed to do.
The imperial capital remained in good order, but after dinner, there were a few more topics for conversation and a few more legends about the "Black Dragon City"...
…
Ryan and Ymir visited Irubek's family.
The old man's family is also a famous family in Omadi, a family of doctors. Although due to the impact of the "Prince Forbes incident" that year, the family fell from the top aristocratic circle.
But doctors are a profession that relies on skills to make a living, and the top dignitaries have a rigid demand for them. If they are not enemies, no one will deliberately target this group. With superb medical skills, at least being rich is not a problem.
Irubek's family runs several large hospitals with good performance in the imperial capital, and Ryan visited the main branch of the family.
The Black Dragon City is developing at an extremely fast pace, and the medical system also needs a large number of professionals. Previously, the old man also sent a message back to the Imperial Capital to explain the current situation of the Black Dragon City to his family.
The old man's family is not at the top of the power hierarchy in Omar, and although they don't know much about the current political situation, in their opinion, no matter how the regime changes, it will have little impact on doctors and hospitals.
In fact, business will be better if there is a war.
Nowadays, Black Dragon City is almost regarded as a "flood monster" and a "remote countryside" by the people of Omar Empire. Very few people are willing to migrate from their already wealthy environment to an unknown place.
Most of the Neto family chose to stay in the imperial capital, and only the old man’s two sons were willing to leave with their families and careers.
Ryan didn't force it.
Black Dragon City still needs time to grow.
But one day, it will shock the world and let those who initially chose to "help when the time is right" know what a wise choice they made.
…
After finishing their business, Ryan and Ymir strolled leisurely on the street.
After arriving in the Omar Capital, they went to the palace to visit the old emperor first, and then encountered the previous incident of the Royal Academy of Sciences.
Now that he finally has some free time, Ryan wants to see the most prosperous city of this era and experience the local customs and culture.
It has to be said that "Usenbar" is indeed the most prosperous mechanical city he has ever seen.
Even in terms of liveliness, this place is no worse than the super metropolises on Earth in the previous life. In fact, because of the concentration of people in the mechanical city, the population density in the city is greater than any metropolis in the previous life.
The residents of the imperial capital seemed to be accustomed to seeing nobles of all sizes.
In other remote territories, a low-ranking noble like a baron or viscount would be welcomed by common people. Here, low-ranking nobles were numerous, and even a casual passerby on the roadside might have a hereditary title.
On the bustling commercial streets, you can see high-ranking noble ladies and young ladies everywhere, accompanied by large groups of guards and servants...
Even when Princess Ymir walked down the street, she didn't attract many onlookers. Although occasionally some residents recognized her and would whisper about her beauty, that was all...
With the legend like Ymir by his side, there was no need to worry about safety, and Ryan did not bring any guards with him.
The two of them strolled leisurely on the busy street like a young couple.
Shopping is naturally inseparable from small talk.
They originally chatted about the development of Black Dragon City, but both of them felt that the atmosphere was really boring.
Ryan thought about asking Ymir to take him to get familiar with the various shops in the imperial capital, such as taverns, specialty shops, geisha houses, etc.
When arriving in the imperial capital, a certain princess should always act as a good host.
He had heard that the Omar Royal Capital was at the forefront of current trends, and new and interesting things from various territories could be found here.
But when I opened my mouth, I realized that I was overthinking.
Ymir knew all the streets of the imperial capital, but she knew nothing about shops. Not to mention geisha houses and taverns, which she had never been to...
Ryan didn't react at first, and said in shock: "You... have never been to a store to buy anything?"
He had a preconceived notion that someone who had lived in the imperial capital since childhood should know the imperial capital very well.
But that is for ordinary people, not for Ymir, the Princess Omar who is pampered to the extreme.
"What's so strange about this?"
Ymir rolled her eyes at him and said calmly, "In the past, the servants would prepare everything I needed, so I didn't have to buy it myself. Besides, I'm not very interested in jewelry. The ones the court etiquette officer matched for me are enough to meet my daily needs. There's no need to waste time wandering around. There are two sword shops in East City that I'm familiar with, but maybe you don't want me to take you to that kind of place..."
“…”
Ryan's eyelids twitched when he heard this.
Sure enough, the emperor’s shoulder pole was made of gold.
He thought that since Ymir was born in the imperial capital, she should be familiar with everything in the imperial capital; but he didn't know that it was normal for her to be unfamiliar with it.
Only then did Ryan realize that there was a huge difference between the way top nobles live and ordinary people.
At this time, Ymir seemed to be somewhat interested and said, "If you are interested, I can go shopping with you. I am familiar with this place."
When she said this, a faint smile appeared on her pretty face, which had always been cold and frosty in front of outsiders, and she said something slightly sentimental: "If you hadn't said it, I wouldn't have realized that this city where I grew up suddenly feels a little strange. Why don't you take me to get familiar with it?"
Ryan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, "Okay."
…
A lord of Black Dragon City and a prime minister of Black Dragon City.
On weekdays, when they are in the territory, one of them must be practicing and the other must be working in the city hall.
It is almost impossible to see a scene like this where they are leisurely strolling down the street together .
When Ymir returned to the imperial capital, she always had the cold aura of the eldest princess. This was a state that made her feel familiar and safe.
In the past, Ryan had the impression that her face looked a bit distant, as if she didn't have any "familiar people to approach".
And now, he was used to Ymir's equally cold expression.
It's okay to joke around, and occasionally you can even bend your waist to make the atmosphere less awkward...
At first, Ymir would give him a look of discomfort, but later she was always helpless.
Because Lei's hands are becoming more and more skilled and his face is becoming thicker and thicker.
But as long as she is not seen in public, Ymir has become "used to it".
Later on, I let him go.
Probably because it was a common problem in traveling in the previous life, after visiting a place, one must bring something back.
The two of them visited various shops, and Ryan planned to buy some "local specialties".
Bring some gifts to this person, to Lady Canossa, and to that little girl Udo...
Ymir's material demands are really indifferent, or perhaps she has seen the best of the world and there is not much that catches her eye.
Ryan wanted to ask her what she liked, but she always said anything was fine.
Whenever I buy something for her, she will give me a compliment and say "thank you" politely.
It's not just being indifferent to external things.
To people who don't know her, this attitude can be considered extremely cold.
But it's just an appearance.
In fact, after spending a long time together, Ryan also discovered that Ymir actually had some "little habits" that were inconsistent with her cold personality.
For example, she likes to "sneak" desserts.
The reason why she was said to be eating secretly was because Ymir liked to eat desserts but didn't want anyone to see them.
Probably except Ryan, even her personal maids had never seen her greedy look.
After Ryan discovered this habit of hers in Black Dragon City, he would occasionally buy some desserts to visit her after his practice.
…
As it happened, after walking a few blocks, I came across a shop with a sign that said "Miss Gwyneth's Palace Dessert Shop".
Ryan looked around the shop and smiled at Ymir, "Wait for me here."
After saying this, he ran into the shop.
Seeing this, Ymir was stunned.
It didn't take long before Ryan came out with a bag of desserts.
Before anyone arrived, she smelled the familiar fragrance of pastries.
Ryan opened the package, took out a piece of pink cake, and handed it to Ymir, saying, "I heard that this 'Gwyneth's Peach Blossom Cake' is only sold in the shop of Usenbar. You can't buy it anywhere else even if you have money."
Ymir looked at the familiar pastry in front of her and asked in surprise: "How do you know I like to eat this?"
This is indeed her favorite pastry, and she has been eating it since she was a child.
Unfortunately, I have never eaten it again since leaving the imperial capital.
When I came here before, I wanted to take some away, but I got busy and forgot about it.
Unexpectedly, it was handed to me.
Of course, she didn't know that the cakes she had eaten before were bought in this shop.
Ryan smiled and said, "I asked the maids. They told me that a certain princess loved to eat this kind of cake and would eat several pieces every time. Then they also told me that the store was at '66 Green Street'..."
"Gossip."
Ymir took a deep breath, not knowing whether she was blaming the talkative maid again.
She looked at Ryan, a strange look flashed in her eyes, and after thinking for a while, she said, "You are thoughtful."
It turns out that he came to this street specifically for this pastry shop?
It’s really thoughtful.
"When Black Dragon City becomes bustling in the future, we will open a few branches. Then, you can eat cakes in Black Dragon City as well."
Ryan said his plan, smiling and motioning to his raised hand, "Try it?"
"Here?"
Ymir looked at Ryan with astonishment in her beautiful eyes, with a questioning look in her eyes.
He had already handed it to her lips, obviously not intending to let her take it with her hands.
Do I have to eat it myself on the street?
But...how can this be possible!
At this moment, Ymir was struggling internally.
The conflict in her heart made her feel as if she was facing a very difficult decision in her life.
Not to mention that the etiquette instilled in her by the court etiquette officials since childhood was that it was impolite for nobles to eat on the streets.
Right in front of me, accepting food from a man on the street, isn't that a little too... inappropriate?
This was an experience she had never had before.
An "emergency" that has never been encountered before.
This made the legendary strong man feel a little overwhelmed, and he even felt a little inexplicably panicked in his heart.
She had never been so close to a man before, and no one had ever dared to do such an inappropriate thing to her.
At the moment when Ymir was stunned, Ryan understood her look and said, "Oh, I almost forgot. It seems that your noble etiquette does not allow you to eat on the street..."
He muttered something to himself, secretly cursing himself for not thinking it through.
"etc."
But just as he was about to withdraw his hand, he noticed a hint of hesitation in Ymir's eyes, but she somehow moved her face closer.
Then she opened her red lips and quickly bit off a small corner of the cake. She looked a little flustered, and a blush flashed across her cheeks. She didn't dare to chew the cake after biting it, and swallowed it whole like a thief.
"???"
Ryan suddenly looked at the cake in his hand with a corner missing, then looked at the pretty face in front of him, blinked, his eyes full of disbelief.
It was also the first time he saw Ymir in a panic.
She always gives people the impression of being orderly, cool, calm, elegant, and calm...
Even when they first met in the Ice Ridge Wasteland, when she was in a life-threatening situation, Ryan didn't see much panic on her face.
Now... while eating a piece of cake, she actually showed such a little girl side?
Ryan thought about it, maybe the word "you nobles" just now irritated her?
But, it seems to be a good thing.
Ryan smiled and said, "Still eating?"
The strange look on Ymir's face disappeared in an instant, and she put on her cold face again, "I won't eat anymore."
"oh."
Ryan looked at the pastry in his hand that had a bite missing from it and thought it would be a pity to throw it away, but it didn't seem right to put it back in the bag.
So he just put it into his mouth, chewed it, and swallowed it.
Mm, it tastes really good.
“…”
Ymir, who was standing by, naturally noticed his action. A strange look flashed across her brows, but she didn't say anything.
She couldn't remember when it started, but this shameless guy became more and more presumptuous towards her.
It seemed that after he advanced to the third level of transcendence, his aura suddenly became very strong.
Could it be because of the "Thunder Tiger Force"?
Ymir had never experienced this and couldn't figure it out in her mind.
After leaving the pastry shop, the two walked on the street again.
Seemingly because of what happened just now, both of them remained silent.
But after a moment, Ymir suddenly said something that seemed to have no beginning or end, saying: "It seems that your understanding of the fist seems to have improved again."
"Yes, I do understand something. But I feel like I'm still a little short of it."
Ryan also spoke up, then turned his eyes and grinned.
The two of them are already quite familiar with each other, and there is a lot of tacit understanding that makes the conversation difficult to understand.
Of course he understood that although Ymir's question sounded like she was asking about his "invincible fist spirit", she was actually teasing him for being thick-skinned.
Ymir didn't get angry after hearing this and rubbed her eyebrows.
…
The two wandered around the street for a while, aimlessly.
It would take too long to tour around a megacity with a population of over 10 million.
Coincidentally, as they walked, they came to another very famous landmark street in Oma - Bath Street.
The area where the Oma Royal Capital "Usenbar" was located has rich coal resources, so the huge mechanical city has been in this area for nearly twenty years without moving.
In addition to coal mines, this place also has rich hot spring resources.
Because the mechanical city burns a lot of coal every day, the air in the city is always filled with a faint smoke. In order to facilitate the washing of the body, "public baths" are common in various territories, and this has gradually become a custom.
As the forefront of the world's fashion, Omadi has the most open "bathhouse culture". It is not boiler hot water, but real hot springs.
Ryan did not hide his purpose at all. He pointed to the largest bathhouse and said, "I want to take a bath."
Ymir glanced at him, and couldn't help but suspect that this guy had planned this in advance, and said calmly: "If you want to take a bath, there are also some in the palace."
Ryan said: "The reputation of the 'Golden City Bathhouse', which is unique in the imperial capital , has long been spread throughout the major human territories. I heard that people can enjoy the pleasure of an emperor here. It's not easy to come here, why not try it?"
Ymir looked puzzled: "Is there anything special about the emperor's enjoyment? It's just like that..."
“…”
Ryan's face twitched when he heard this.
The slogan used to promote the store was very attractive to him, but it had no appeal to Ymir, the eldest princess who grew up in the palace.
He thought it would be okay to give it a try, so he said again: "I want to give it a try."
“…”
Hearing this, Ymir frowned slightly and remained silent for a moment.
She didn't think there was anything strange about it. Taking a hot spring bath was part of a normal part of life.
Thinking of the "tails" hiding at the corner of the street and having been staring at them since just now, Ymir said with an unchanged expression: "Okay."
