I, the prince in distress, send money

Chapter 414 Harvest Festival

The cold metallic touch disappeared from the hard bed beneath him, replaced by a slight dizziness and a feeling of weightlessness. Hu Tutu suddenly opened his eyes, and what greeted him was not the familiar game login screen, but a huge space filled with metallic texture and a deep hum.

"Holy crap, this respawn point is way too hardcore!"

He found himself lying in a life support capsule that resembled a metal coffin, the lid of which was slowly sliding open.

The pungent smell of engine oil, the damp steam from the leaking steam pipes, and a certain ozone-like electrical odor mixed together, assaulting his nostrils.

The surrounding area is an incredibly rugged steel structure, with exposed, massive gears turning slowly, and thick steam pipes coiled overhead, emitting a regular "whoosh" sound.

The walls were inlaid with crystals that shimmered with various colors and intricate brass dashboards. The lighting was dim, with only the cold metallic reflections and the faint glow of the dashboards providing illumination.

He jumped down, steadied himself, and curiously looked inside the sanctuary known as the "resurrection point."

The space was much larger than he had imagined, more like an underground steel palace.

Besides the life support capsule he emerged from, there were dozens of identical metal coffins neatly arranged next to him. Most of the capsules had their lids closed, and the indicator lights were flashing a dim standby light. Only a few, like his, were open and empty.

The humming sound that filled the air seemed to originate from deeper underground, like the heartbeat of some giant engine.

Several NPCs, dressed in oil-stained work clothes and with expressionless faces, were busy at the control panel, not even glancing at him, the newcomer.

"Is this the Mechanicus Sanctuary mentioned in the guide?"
It felt like stepping into a steampunk version of a boiler room…

Hu muttered in his hometown dialect as he hurriedly climbed out of the life support capsule.

He only had a rough, patched set of linen clothes and a pair of straw sandals that rubbed against his feet, all given to him by the system; he was incredibly shabby.

He groped his way to the exit, a heavy brass door engraved with gear reliefs. He pushed the hinges hard, and the door opened slowly with a heavy groan.

Within the hardcore gaming community, this Rise of Empires game is gaining some popularity due to its various war and farming videos, as well as the high degree of freedom it offers, allowing players to serve as high-ranking officials in the game kingdom and formulate national policies. It's starting to gain traction and is beginning to break into the mainstream.

Hu Tutu became interested in the game after watching one of the videos about farming and becoming an official, and went to reserve a spot for the game's open beta.

It wasn't until today that Hu received the text message confirming his reservation. Without a second thought, he logged into the game and created his own newbie character.

After entering the game, Hu did not rush to leave, but instead wandered around the sanctuary of the Cult of the Machine God.

Before obtaining a spot in the game's public beta, he watched many videos and game guides, so he knew what the Mechanicus was all about and was very interested in its only church.

However, after wandering around the church for a while, Hututu found that the mechanical sanctuary on the ground didn't have much to offer.

The interior of the Sanctuary landmark was not large and was quite simple. Apart from some small shrines with gleaming, intricately designed gear sets, bearings, or miniature steam core models, there was nothing of interest to him.

The sanctuary clearly intended to be decorated in a Gothic style, but whether due to lack of funds or laziness, its interior walls and stone pillars have a lot of blank space or are covered by canvas.

At the same time, the place was very deserted. He wandered around for about ten minutes and didn't see a single person panting.

So, after wandering around for a while, Hu lost interest and followed the signs to walk out.

But the moment I reached the exit and pushed open the door...

boom……

The sights and sounds outside the door overwhelmed him instantly, like a tsunami.

The coldness, silence, and smell of engine oil that had filled the sanctuary were completely replaced by a torrent of heat, noise, and vibrant life.

As far as Hu could see, the streets outside the sanctuary were teeming with people: citizens dressed in festive attire, farmers carrying farm tools with the joy of a bountiful harvest on their faces, and workers in brand-new overalls.

He walked out of the sanctuary in a daze and came to the street, where he saw colorful flags and golden wheat wreaths symbolizing a bountiful harvest hanging on both sides of the street.

Huge red flags with gold double-headed eagles fluttered on every lamppost and high building, while brightly dressed parade participants gathered in the distance, their floats piled high with pumpkins, corn, and exaggerated models of wheat ears.

Hu Tutu noticed that in the corners of some old stone buildings, there were remnants of what appeared to be some kind of vine or wheat pattern that had been painted over or roughly removed, which were out of place with the surrounding new, industrial-style celebratory decorations.

However, Hu Tutu didn't think much of it because he didn't know much about games.

He walked along the crowd for a while, and then his ears started to hurt because cheers, whistles, laughter, vendors' calls, children's excited screams, couples' whispers... countless sounds converged into a continuous, exhilarating, booming background noise.

As he walked, he unknowingly arrived at a huge square. In the center of the square, a military band was playing a majestic and stirring march. In the distance, street performers were playing cheerful bagpipes and beating hand drums. A bard was plucking the lute and singing songs praising the harvest and the new king. All kinds of melodies were mixed together, but strangely they formed a vibrant festive rhythm.

"Free honey bread, a gift from the King!"

"Hot pumpkin pies, fresh out of the oven..."

"Roasted corn and roasted potatoes smell so good..."

The cries of vendors selling various foods rose and fell, making Hu Tutu's stomach rumble. He subconsciously followed the cries and soon his arms were piled high with food.

He held all sorts of food in his arms, including still-warm toast, freshly baked sesame pies, and charred roasted corn, and ate them all at once, with one hand on each side. There was simply not enough food for him.

"It's so delicious..."

Hu exclaimed in admiration as he squatted on the steps of a house by the street, legs spread apart, eating heartily like a migrant worker.

The game's sensory experience is incredibly realistic; the texture and taste of the food are absolutely lifelike.

After eating, he felt a little thirsty, so he continued walking.

Hu Tutu was almost swept forward by the crowd, her shoulders and arms constantly bumping into other people, her linen clothes rubbing against her skin, making her a little itchy.

Beneath his feet lay the hard, wet stone path. The steam and heat emanating from the crowd made him, dressed in only a thin linen garment, feel strangely stuffy.

"Oh my god... this is going to be so lively..."

Hu Tutu was completely bewildered, like a country bumpkin who had just arrived in the city. His eyes couldn't take it all in, and he clumsily dodged the crowd, nearly bumping into a farmer pushing a cart piled high with golden pumpkins. "Hey, young man, watch your step!"

The farmer grinned, revealing a toothless smile, his face radiating pure joy, clearly unconcerned about almost being hit.

Happy Harvest Festival! May the King bless you!

After saying that, he casually handed Hu Tutu a fist-sized apple that still smelled of dirt.

"Ah? Thank... thank you!"

Hu Tutu hurriedly caught the apple, somewhat flattered. He watched as the farmers pushed their bountiful harvest into the jubilant crowd, then looked at the bright red apple in his hand, and then up at the roaring, steam-powered float resembling a mobile temple, and the towering palace spire in the distance, adorned with a huge double-headed eagle banner…

An indescribable excitement and immense curiosity instantly filled his chest.

This is not just a holiday; he felt as if he were standing in the heart of a vast, vibrant world, full of steampunk magic and a sense of iron-blooded order!
The novice adventure, dressed in linen clothes, seems about to officially begin amidst the deafening harvest songs and the roar of steam!

Hu Tutu stood there holding the apple that still smelled of fresh earth, feeling a little full, but her spirits were unusually high.

He drifted aimlessly with the crowd, surrounded by deafening noise, his nose tingling from the aroma of various foods and the heat of the crowd.

The huge square we just saw seemed to be just one part of the celebration; the crowd was being drawn by an invisible force toward the wider main road.

"The King is coming! The King is coming!"

"It is His Majesty the King and His Majesty the Queen!"

"Quick... grab a good spot!"

The shouts around them suddenly rose, carrying an almost fanatical excitement.

The previously loose crowd instantly became like a compressed sponge, with everyone standing on tiptoe, craning their necks, and desperately pushing forward.

Hu Tutu felt like she had been thrown into a blender, being pushed forward against her will. Her linen clothes were stretched taut, and she almost dropped the apple in her hand.

"Holy crap... Don't push, don't push... You're stepping on my foot!"

He couldn't help but shout in his hometown dialect, but his voice was instantly drowned out by the even louder noise.

Hu tried to stand firm, imitating others by standing on tiptoe.

The wide stone-paved road ahead, wide enough for a horse-drawn carriage to pass through, had been completely cleared. Two rows of Bagnian soldiers, dressed in dark green, crisp dress uniforms, wearing gleaming steel helmets, and carrying bayonets on their shoulders, stood like steel fences, using their bodies and cold bayonets to firmly block the surging crowd on both sides of the road.

The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds before being broken by a heavy, rhythmic roar that came from afar.

Boom!Boom!Boom!
That wasn't the sound of drums; it was more like the echo of a giant beast's footsteps on a stone slab.

Hu Tutu felt the ground beneath her feet tremble slightly. Then, a dazzling golden light slowly emerged from the end of the street.

The first thing that catches the eye is four magnificent, snow-white horses without a single stray hair.

They were clad in heavy, ornate horse armor inlaid with intricate gold patterns and shimmering crystals, and their heads were adorned with masks featuring sharp metal horns, revealing only their nostrils that spewed scorching white smoke and their eyes that burned like flames.

The riders, also dressed in crimson tuxedos with gold trim and top hats, stood tall and straight, precisely controlling the horses' gait.

Behind the horses was a "float" that Hu Tutu had never imagined was so huge it was breathtaking!
It can hardly be called a car; it's more like a miniature, mobile palace.

The base is made of heavy armor plates with a cold metallic sheen, and the edges are gilded railings.

The main frame of the vehicle is made of a rare, dark wood that shimmers with a star-like glow, inlaid with countless gems, crystals, and gold and silver reliefs depicting double-headed eagles, gears, ears of wheat, and intricate vine patterns.

The roof of the carriage was not enclosed, but rather supported by four giant pillars entwined with gold leaves and jeweled flowers, forming a canopy. Heavy, deep red velvet curtains embroidered with gold thread hung from the edges of the canopy.

Beneath the canopy of this mobile palace stood two figures side by side.

The man on the left is none other than Chris Lin, the King of Bagnia whom Hu Tutu has seen in countless videos and propaganda posters, who is to be crowned today.

He was not wearing a heavy royal robe, but a perfectly tailored dark blue military uniform, adorned with gold sashes and medals. His posture was as upright as a javelin, with one hand casually resting on the hilt of the magnificent sword at his waist.

The woman standing beside him, holding his arm, wore an ivory-white floor-length gown. The hem of the gown was embroidered with countless tiny stars and some kind of elegant vine pattern in exquisite silver thread, which shimmered like moonlight in the sunlight.

Her long, golden hair, like the purest sunlight, was woven into an extremely intricate and elegant updo, adorned with tiny, sparkling diamond hair accessories.

Her face was as exquisite as the most perfect porcelain, her skin was so white it was almost transparent, and beneath her long eyelashes were a pair of rare eyes, like violet gemstones.

"Long live the King! Long live the Queen!"

"Your Majesty Chris!!!"

"Long live Bagnia!!!"

The deafening cheers reached their peak at this moment, crashing against Hu Tutu's eardrums like a real tsunami.

Countless hats, flowers, and even small pieces of colorful cloth were thrown into the air, and the soldiers on both sides of the formation gave the two men a rifle salute in unison, their movements as synchronized as machines.

Hu was completely stunned. His mouth was open involuntarily. He didn't even notice when the apple in his hand fell to the ground and rolled to the side of the road. His mind was blank, with only the extreme impact of the visual experience remaining.

The moving golden palace, the handsome king, the queen who was so beautiful she seemed unreal, the earth-shaking cheers, the cold bayonets that maintained order... all of these intertwined to form an extremely complex and breathtaking scene.

It is filled with the beauty of power, wealth, holiness, and order.

This was completely different from the feeling he had just experienced while munching on roasted corn and watching street performers on the steps.

The float slowly drove past Hu, leaving behind the lingering faint scent of incense, the mixture of engine oil vapor and the sweat of the crowd, and the aftershocks of the deafening cheers.

(End of this chapter)