The preparations for creating a marionette town were rather boring and complicated. At the very least, that was what Klein believed.
In the huge ancient palace, Klein sat on the high-back chair belonging to The Fool. He held a fountain pen and wrote the name, age, and fate of every marionette on ordinary paper. At the same time, he let Worms of Spirit bore out of his body and reformed into avatars beside him.
Some of these Klein sat on the ground, while others occupied the twenty-one seats other than The Fool. Some conjured a bed and lay down on it …
Then, they took out different books from the junk pile and started to read them seriously.
The books included but were not limited to:
"How to Brew Wine"
"Train Dispatching"
"Complete Guide to Making Desserts"
"Self-Cultivation of Clergy"
"Gas Wall Lamps, Gas Meters, and All Kinds of Household Machinery Repair Manual"
"Desi Delicacies"
"Port Management Practices"
"Basics of Law"
"Ladies' Aesthetics" magazine …
These were the professional knowledge that different marionettes needed to grasp. Only by doing so could they play their roles well, allowing them to be realistic in every aspect. Even if they had a deep conversation and interaction with outsiders, they wouldn't expose any problems.
If it was just to memorize this knowledge, it wouldn't be difficult for Klein, but he had to truly grasp it and be able to apply it. Furthermore, he couldn't confuse his roles. He couldn't let a burly and well-paid switcher blurt out the moisturizing effects of certain skincare products or the flaws of certain silk fabrics.
If such a situation were to happen in novels, plays, or operas, it might create a strange attraction, but in reality, it would clearly be distorted, making it unfavorable for the advancement of the ritual.
In order to avoid such problems, Klein could only put in more effort in the early stages. He wanted to make every character in the marionette town real, well-rounded, and appropriate.
Fortunately, there weren't many people in a town who needed to grasp the corresponding professional knowledge. Most of the residents were semi-illiterate, or even truly illiterate. They relied on their experience to live, leading a muddle-headed life. For these characters, the content that Klein needed to learn was relatively less. He was just like the workers who went to the assembly line without any training.
After an unknown period of time, Klein put down his fountain pen, rubbed his temples, and heaved a long sigh of relief.
He had finally compiled the information on nearly five thousand residents of the marionette town, and the corresponding knowledge was nearly complete.
"It's like I'm directing a huge movie. Furthermore, I'm the scriptwriter, the lighting designer, the makeup artist, and all the actors … If this ceremony continues, I'll really be on the verge of losing control. If I'm not careful, I'll have a split personality and fall into the abyss of madness … Thankfully, I have a competent psychiatrist …
Yes, I have to pay attention to a problem in the marionette town's operations. Although I'm a polite and cultured gentleman, most of the residents in a town are of the lowest rung. Be it their words or actions, they tend to be vulgar … I can't hold back when acting, or I won't be able to break through the psychological barrier … As Klein sighed silently, he made the avatars around him disintegrate into Worms of Spirit, allowing them to burrow back into his body.
Of course, this wasn't all. There was still "Klein" who maintained his previous state, preparing to take his turn at Sefirah Castle.
In the next second, Klein's body returned to reality. He took out Creeping Hunger from the Historical Void and put it on.
Then, he "Teleported" to an island in the Berserk Sea, but it clearly deviated from the safe sea route.
This was the "stage" he had previously chosen.
This place was isolated by storms all year round. There were no traces of human activity, only a large forest and animals that relied on the forest.
Klein looked around and chose an open spot. He pressed his right hand to his left chest and prayed piously.
"I hope that there's a city suitable for five thousand people here."
Just as he said that, Klein raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, the open area became extremely flat. The surrounding forest also "receded" a lot, providing a large number of trees, rocks, and soil.
Almost at the same time, buildings rose from the ground. They were a mixture of stone and wood, and the tallest one didn't exceed four stories. The style was similar to the Desi Bay in the Rouen Kingdom.
In the blink of an eye, residential houses, a library, a police station, a telegraph office, a municipal council, a small hospital, a candy factory, a water plant, a gas company, a steam train station, parallel railroad tracks, and plantations outside the city took shape. The streets were also paved with cement or stone bricks.
Finally, beside the square in the middle of the town, a steepled cathedral emerged from the ground and stood proudly.
This was a cathedral that belonged to the Evernight Goddess because it had to match the setting of the city.
"I hope that this island has a deep-water harbor." Klein didn't stop as he made his second wish.
Pa!
He snapped his fingers again and fulfilled his wish.
Approximately three kilometers away from this town, a small-scale port was rapidly taking shape. There were two docks, five warehouses, a port hotel, a simple and crude restaurant, a police station, a bar, a lighthouse, and a marine barracks stationed at the port …
"I hope that the harbor and the town have convenient transportation." Klein made his third wish.
He then raised his right hand and snapped his fingers.
A cement road and a freight railroad instantly appeared between the town and the harbor.
According to Klein's plan, the harbor was prepared for visitors from the sea, while the town was mainly used to deal with outsiders from the Northern and Southern Continents.
After admiring the empty city, Klein pressed down on his top hat and directly "Teleported" to the side of the municipal square. He then walked into the cathedral he had named Saint Arianna.
The cathedral's door was open, and it was dark inside.
After an unknown period of time, three figures appeared at the door. They were a gentleman in his thirties wearing a formal suit and a bow tie, a woman with ordinary looks and a gentle expression, and a child dressed like an adult.
The woman took a few steps with some difficulty and stretched her neck. Then, she smiled and reached out her hands to hold the arm of the gentleman beside her.
The gentleman had a faint smile as he allowed the woman to lean against him while he reached out his right hand to hold the boy's hand.
The boy skipped as he walked, appearing very lively.
Their movements were a little jerky at first, but they became smoother as they walked. They passed through the square in silence.
After they left, more and more people walked out of Saint Arianna Cathedral. There were policemen, repairmen, gas company employees, restaurant chefs, gray-haired elders, and farmers in simple clothes …
In the next hour, there was a constant stream of people coming out of the Evernight cathedral. They either turned into different streets, headed for different places, entered different houses, or stayed in the square to enjoy the pigeon-free scenery.
During this process, the number of people coming out completely exceeded the cathedral's capacity, but there seemed to be people inside. It was as though it was connected to another city.
After nearly fifteen minutes, the entrance of Saint Arianna Cathedral finally returned to silence. However, there were rats, cockroaches, moths, ants, flies, mosquitoes, and other hidden spots.
Finally, a stained glass window at the top of the cathedral opened. White pigeons flew out and landed in the middle of the square.
The people who stayed there completely came to life. Some teased the pigeons, some searched for hawkers, some played the seven-string zither, and some chatted with friends with smiles on their faces.
A man wearing a top hat and trench coat, holding a cane and a revolver, left the municipal square and came to the other side of the town. He stopped in front of a wooden sign.
He then took out a tool and wrote the name of the town on the wooden sign:
"Yanan."
After some thought, the man erased "Yanan" and wrote a new name:
"Utopia."
...
Baekeland, Earl Of Hall's luxurious villa.
"Alfreid has already boarded a liner back to the Northern Continent?" Audrey didn't hide her pleasant surprise.
It was already September 1352.
In the past half a year, Audrey didn't spend too much effort to get her father to give up on the idea of returning to East Chester County for the first half of the year. This was because Baekeland and Constant were in urgent need of reconstruction. The kingdom's politics also needed a new balance. Earl Of Hall had too many things to deal with, so he wasn't in the mood to take a vacation.
Therefore, when Earl Of Hall was in a dilemma, she just needed to take the initiative to mention that she was willing to stay in Baekeland and return to East Chester County in the second half of the year. Audrey would be able to make things develop as she had expected, and she would be praised.
And the Psychological Alchemy didn't rush her. From then on, the Psychological Alchemy council had held a total of three meetings, mainly to exchange their research results and all kinds of information in the area under their jurisdiction. Ma 'am Greed had only asked about the clues regarding the mind dragon twice.
Frankly speaking, if Mr. Fool hadn't warned Audrey to pay attention to the raging rabbit and the easily forgotten president, she definitely would've found the council meeting interesting. Mr. Rabbit was very insightful, but now, she was as vigilant as ever.
"Yes, the liner has already left the harbor." Earl Of Hall smiled and nodded. "Once Alfreid arrives in Baekeland and completes the necessary socializing, we'll return to East Chester County to hunt foxes."
Autumn was the best season for fox hunting.
Audrey acknowledged and said, "Mhm.
"Alright."
...
As a major general of the army, Alfreid didn't follow the navy's fleet to Desi Bay. Instead, he brought his adjutant and squire to board a steam-powered liner that headed for Pritz Harbor.
After sailing for nearly two days, they encountered a storm in the Berserk Sea.
Amidst the violent shaking of the ship, the sailors on the observation deck saw a bit of light through binoculars.
It came from a lighthouse.
PS1: Yesterday, I wrote down the three plans in detail because I personally felt that the third plan was the most interesting, but with Little Ke's personality, it's impossible for him to do it. Therefore, I could only regretfully give up on it. Therefore, I specially wrote it out for all of you to see. There's also this method that's the most mysterious.
PS2: Seeking monthly recommendation votes on Monday ~
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