Abnormal crossing

Chapter 183 Shocking Change (Part 2)

As Boko III asked the question.

The musicians on site began to pluck the strings, and melodious tunes began to echo in the hall.

The silver plates reflected a soft, shimmering light as someone raised a glass to drink, the liquid swirling gently within.

Some people picked up food with their chopsticks, and occasionally the knives and forks clashed, making a crisp sound.

Everything seemed so relaxed and pleasant, almost exactly like the banquet scenes Gu Wei had seen in many movies and TV shows.

It felt as if someone would wave their hand at any moment and say, "Keep the music playing, keep dancing!"
Below the platform, Jokowian casually picked up a glass of juice, took a sip, and looked at Boko III, saying, "Thanks to Your Majesty's concern, we have had a very pleasant stay in Boska these past few days, and we haven't encountered any problems with our daily lives—after all, we've been to a poor, remote place like Molde, so we're already quite used to what we see here in Boska, how could we not adapt?"

"Governor, it's been many years since we last met, yet you remain so humble," Boko III said with a wave of his hand, like an ordinary old man, as he listened to Jokowen's reply. "The Khan is a veteran exploration team that has been venturing into the stars for many years. Compared to the vast star sea, Boska, or rather the Labyrinth, is a remote and impoverished place. I am the real country bumpkin."

Qiao Kewen also chuckled twice in agreement.

He believed what others said, but Boko III, a civilized monarch, was by no means some impoverished country bumpkin.

For example, Boko III had the opportunity, as mentioned earlier, for a novice civilization to visit cosmic wonders at least twice—among all the Persian monarchs, Boko III's thirst for knowledge was among the highest.

Although the Persian Empire was an autocratic civilization, autocracy does not always equate to ignorance.

The main problem with autocracy is that much enlightened knowledge and technology cannot be disseminated to the common people.

The Qing Dynasty in Chinese history is a very representative example.

The Qing rulers at the time were actually very clear about the world situation. They not only knew the ins and outs of the French Revolution, but also knew that the first industrial revolution had taken place in Britain.

Even according to the information left by the Frenchman Chandler before his death.

Two months before the Macartney mission arrived, Emperor Qianlong had already learned of the news that Louis XVI had been beheaded.
Therefore, the same logic applies.

Jorkovin dared not underestimate a civilized monarch like Boko III.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Jorge Covin, Boko III suddenly asked, "By the way, Your Excellency, did the fleet stop in the Veiled Zone when it returned to the Maze?"

Curtain area?
Qiao Kewen was slightly taken aback, but quickly nodded: "Yes, I stayed there for a while."

"Oh?" Boko III put down his knife and fork, looking quite interested. "Have you passed by any supply points in the Veiled Zone?"

"A supply point, huh?" Seeing Boko III put down his utensils, Jokowen was naturally too embarrassed to chew his food in front of him. He also put his utensils on his plate. "I did come across one on the way, but the things they sold were a bit expensive, so I only bought some necessities and left."

As mentioned before.

The entire Aurora Maze is divided into four areas from the inside out: the core area, the inner layer of the maze, the tombstone area, and the veil area.

The civilizations of the Maze Zone are mostly distributed in the inner layer of the Maze, beyond which lies the Tombstone Zone with its complex celestial phenomena, and beyond the Tombstone Zone is the Veil Zone.

The Veil Zone is also regarded as the gateway to the entire Maze Zone. Some civilizations near the Maze Zone will set up supply points in the Veil Zone to supply passing ships. In any case, the supply points can operate for a long time by relying on gravity conditions. Apart from the construction cost, there are almost no operating costs. Over time, they can make money.

Of course, the prices are the same as those in the scenic spots before Gu Wei's time travel.

A while ago, Milo and the others did encounter a supply point when they passed through the Veiled Zone. However, they didn't originally plan to buy anything. But Nono happened to be complaining of thirst, and Milo, being a penny-pincher, couldn't bear to part with the ship's high-purity energy, so he bought some low-grade energy from the supply point for the little guy to suck on.
Well, from this perspective, there's nothing wrong with using the term "necessities."

"The supplies at the supply points are a bit expensive," Boko III chuckled in agreement, then asked, "By the way, who's in charge of the operations points now? Is it still Fujimori, the manager of the Tallinn Grand Alliance?"

“I don’t know about that,” Qiao Kewen spread his hands apologetically. “The person who spoke to us at the supply point was a short girl. Judging from her name tag, she seemed to be an ordinary employee—what, Your Majesty, do you have a past with that Supervisor Fujimori?”

“Yes, I have met him several times,” Boko III said frankly, without trying to hide anything. “Back when I went to study outside the Labyrinth Zone, I received a lot of help from Director Fujimori. Twenty years ago, I even invited him to my wedding with Tamia.”

"Unfortunately, the Bosca civilization is still not advanced enough. Traveling to and from the Veiled Zone is very costly. In addition, the supply points are frequently moved, so it has been some time since I last met with Director Fujimori."

Gu Wei glanced quickly at Boko III from below.

When we passed the supply station, Meimei did briefly mention the supply station, or rather, the situation around the maze.

The Labyrinth Zone spans a vast area, but the number of civilizations existing in the surrounding area is not large.

the reason is simple.

First, the density of civilizations in the universe is inherently low. Without external interference, it would be considered lucky if even one second-order or higher civilization could emerge from ten billion star systems.

Secondly, there are environmental factors.

While the environment around the Aurora Maze is not as harsh as that within the Maze itself, the star sectors that border it all have their own problems—for example, the water around a whirlpool is definitely faster than the flow rate of a regular pond.

In this situation.

The civilizations adjacent to the Aurora Maze formed an organization called the Tallinn Alliance, seeking common development through mutual assistance.

The Tallinn Alliance has more than thirty members, with the minimum requirement for joining being early-stage Tier 4. The leader is a Tier 6 early-stage civilization called Herki.

Nowadays, all the supply points in the Maze Zone's veiled area are set up by the Tallinn Grand Alliance, so it's reasonable that Boko III met a supervisor while studying abroad.

In addition, considering the time frame...

That manager, Fujimori, is probably not that young now, so is Boko III really just looking for news of old friends?
Or is it simply to liven up the atmosphere of the banquet?

or.
Is there something fishy going on between him and Director Fujimori?

"."

Seeing the regretful look on Boko III's face, Jokowi couldn't quite figure out what he was thinking, so he could only politely reply, "So you're an old friend of Your Majesty's from many years ago. It's a pity I was eager to get home at the time, so I didn't stay at the supply point for too long. Otherwise, I might have been able to help Your Majesty gather some information. My apologies."

"Governor, you flatter me. How can this be blamed on you?" Boko III quickly waved his hand, looking as if to say, "I am no fool. I am not so incompetent as to falsely accuse innocent people."

Boko III paused, a hint of embarrassment on his face, and added, "But when does the Governor plan to return this time? If it's convenient, could you please ask Director Fujimori for news?" Boko III had barely finished speaking when...

Gu Wei then noticed that Jin had put down the cutlery she was holding.

Sitting in the main seat, Qiao Kewen pondered for a moment and said, "It's easy to find out about Supervisor Fujimori. Anyway, no matter how far the supply point is, it won't be too far from the warp point. In the end, it's just a matter of convenience."

"However, the return trip time is hard to say."

"Oh?"

This time, the eldest prince, Andluca, sitting fourth from the left, spoke up first: "No way, the governor hasn't even decided on his return date yet?"

“Yes,” Joe Cowen said casually to his nephew who was not related to him by blood. “I’ve been away from Molde for decades and haven’t been back many times. Many of my old friends are no longer here. I plan to go back to Molde to see them and see if there’s anything I can do to help their descendants.”

"Besides, after so many years of risking my life in the Star Sea, the pressure must be quite great. It's good to come back and rest for a while—what, Your Highness Andruca, do you want to send me away?"

Andluca's expression froze slightly, clearly not expecting Giovanni to ask such a direct question.

He quickly composed himself, about to speak in his defense, but Boko III's deep and authoritative voice rang out first:
"You've been rude, Andluca!"

His gaze swept over his eldest son like a blade, his tone carrying an undeniable rebuke: "Governor George is your elder, how dare you treat him with such disrespect? — Apologize to me now!"

Andluca immediately stood up, placed his right hand on his chest, and bowed to Giovanni in apology: "Your Excellency, I was inappropriate in my words just now, please forgive me."

After Andrúca finished his ceremony.

Gu Wei, who had been paying close attention to Jin's expression, suddenly noticed that the corners of the girl's mouth seemed to be slightly upturned, as if she had seen something very interesting.

And the other side.

Qiao Kewen waved his hand dismissively: "Your Highness is too kind. It was just a casual chat, just joking around. There's no need to be so formal."

Boko III's expression softened slightly, and he gestured for Andluca to sit down: "Governor, you don't need to pay attention to the young man's recklessness. It's good that you stay in the Maze for a while longer. You can tell these young people about the outside world so that they won't be trapped in the capital all day and become ignorant of the world."

Done.

Boko III raised another wine glass, gesturing it towards Giovanni.

Qiao Kewen returned the greeting and downed a glass of wine in one gulp.

"correct."

After placing the wine glass back on the table, Boko III seemed to remember something and turned to look in a certain direction to the lower left: "Lady Samantha, I recall you mentioned before the banquet that you wanted to speak with Governor Jokowen about something?"

Swah——

All eyes immediately turned to Samantha Ya Sek, the head of the Heraldry.

The old woman in the red robe slowly rose from her seat, bowed to Boko III, and then turned to Jokowen, saying, "Your Excellency, a few days ago, following His Majesty's instructions, the Heraldry Institute began drafting Princess Ophelia's declaration of coming of age according to procedure. The document is now complete and awaits the princess's signature."

After speaking, she glanced at Ophelia, and her aged yet powerful voice echoed in the hall: "According to custom, formal agreements among members of the royal family must be witnessed by blood relatives and senior officials. Today, all the ministers are present, and you are an elder of the princess's maternal family. Therefore, this old woman dares to suggest that Her Highness Ophelia personally sign the declaration, with everyone as witnesses. What do you think?"

Ophelia's statement?
Qiao Kewen was slightly taken aback, but quickly remembered something.

A few days earlier, when they first met Boko III, the Persian monarch did indeed mention the declaration:
Ophelia is nearing adulthood, and according to custom, she must decide whether to stay in Starsea or return to Bosca, and sign a statement to make it public.

At the time, Ophelia decided to stay in the Star Sea. Before leaving, Boko III also said that the Herald Academy would draft a statement within a few days.

And logically speaking, this occasion is actually quite appropriate:
There were trusted ministers, members of the royal family, and important figures from their maternal clans; all of these could be considered relevant personnel.

Besides, signing a document won't affect the atmosphere of the state banquet.

After all, it wasn't about signing a document to choose a son-in-law or involving inheritance rights; it was just about signing a statement that she wouldn't be coming back after graduation—a decision Ophelia made herself, without anyone forcing her.

Therefore, Jokowi simply exchanged a glance with Adele and agreed with Samantha Sek's idea: "I have no objection, Head of the Department, Samantha."

Samantha nodded to him and calmly raised her hand in a gesture.

soon.

A heraldic attendant, also dressed in a red robe, immediately stepped forward carrying a document with a gold-embossed cover.

The attendant did not deliver the document directly to Ophelia's desk, but instead came to Jokovin and respectfully handed it to him.

Qiao Kewen took the document, glanced at it, and quickly handed it back: "The wording is clear, the regulations are standardized, no problem."

Upon seeing this, the attendant bowed to Jokovin, retrieved the documents, and went to Ophelia.

Ophelia spread the document on the table, read it twice word by word, and then turned to look at her mother.

Adele smiled gently: "If there are no problems, please sign, Ophelia."

Ophelia nodded: "Yes, Mother."

She then picked up her pen and began writing on the document.

But what Ophelia didn't realize was...
As she wrote her name.

Boko III, Crown Prince Andluka, Princess Lina, and Prince Pelu
First Princess Gwynne, Second Princess Blanche, and Fourth Princess Tamia.
Samantha Sek, Head of the Heraldry; Pietro, Minister of Defense; and the newly appointed Chief Attendant, who appears to be a middle-aged woman.
Precisely.

Apart from the crew of the Pulling Pulling.

Everyone present, including the ordinary servants and guards, stared intently at Ophelia.
The name being written.

Note:
A raffle will be held in the reader group at 8 PM tonight, with three USTC thermos cups up for grabs. You can still join the group now!
(End of this chapter)