"You honestly can't say there is absolutely no cultural or logical difference at all," Patchouli Knowledge chimed in, adjusting her grip on her parasol. "This entire world presents a deeply fascinating anomaly where the new and the old are aggressively mashed together; it looks a lot like a chaotic period of compressed technological explosion. In simpler terms, while frontier engineering and urban technology are constantly climbing to unbelievable heights in major hubs, the vast majority of rural regions haven't enjoyed the true benefits of this rapid advancement at all, or have enjoyed very little of it."
The gathered companions all nodded in silent agreement after hearing her concise academic analysis. Indeed, based on Flandre Scarlet's previous high-profile activities within the administrative borders of Lungmen, it was undeniably clear that the baseline level of technology in the core regions of Terra was anything but low. That sprawling, heavily armored mobile city had originally given the isolationist residents of Gensokyo quite a massive structural shock upon discovery.
The collective views of several engineering and tech-oriented individuals back home regarding these mobile cities were that they were simultaneously unscientific and completely illogical. If one considered nothing else but raw materials, the sheer volume of advanced metallurgy required to assemble just the structural foundation of a single mobile city would be astronomical. Moreover, for an entire functioning metropolis with massive skyscrapers and concrete roads to be safely built upon those mobile plates, the tensile strength and durability of those metals could only be imagined.
Adding the immense weight of the structural skyscrapers and heavy industrial machinery, the total displacement and mass of a mobile city was entirely beyond standard imagination. Such a heavy, gargantuan mountain of steel could actually move across uneven terrain at a steady clip. In the words of the resident scholars, even if they utilized optimized nuclear power, it would require several massive reactors running at peak capacity just to sustain standard momentum. The absolute key mystery was manufacturing machinery physically capable of dragging it without fracturing. Things like drive shafts, load-bearing gears, and kinetic transfer systems—anyway, the Youkai didn't fully comprehend the granular mechanics of it all, but they just collectively thought it was incredibly impressive to behold.
"Oh, I have a sudden question!" Flandre Scarlet raised her hand high into the air like an eager student.
"Oh? What exactly is your question, little Flandre?" Remilia asked with a warm, indulgent smile.
"I distinctly remember everyone telling me that the ordinary people here on Terra are desperately afraid of Vampires... but why is it that as we have walked along the crowded streets today, not a single person has looked at us with a hint of fear or panic?" Flandre asked, her brow furrowing in genuine confusion.
She had closely noticed the odd behavior on the public road just now; whether it was the ordinary manual laborers walking past them or the busy receptionist managing the inn, none of them had shown even a subtle hint of instinctual terror or superstition upon locking eyes with Remilia and herself. One must fundamentally remember that back when she was first entering the gates of Lungmen, her true ancestral identity as a vampire had caused quite a massive political stir among the high-ranking authorities.
"The explanation is simple. From the exact microsecond we officially descended near the outskirts of the town, I proactively placed a subtle Confundus Charm over you two sisters," Patchouli explained smoothly, tapping her magical grimoire. "Under the lingering influence of my illusion spell, other people will only naturally perceive your physical traits and auras as belonging to the Liberi race."
Hearing her words, Flandre tilted her head in pure shock, her mouth falling open. "Whoa! Wait a minute! When did you do that? Flandre didn't notice you casting anything at all!"
Remilia reached out and lightly tapped her younger sister's forehead with her finger. "You silly girl, your eyes were darting all over the place looking at the shops the moment our feet touched the cobblestones. How could you possibly notice Patchy covertly casting Magic on you?"
"Oh!" Flandre muttered, clutching her forehead dramatically and shrinking back down into the seat directly beside Hong Meiling.
Before long, their designated waiter returned to the VIP room, carefully serving their dinner—a standard, high-quality Western course. It consisted of perfectly seared steak, a crisp mixed salad, a rich savory vegetable soup, and a light dessert pastry to finish. Since the primary composition of the group appeared quite young to the waiter, absolutely no alcohol was brought to the table; instead, they were served large pitchers of fresh, chilled fruit juice.
But one must not underestimate the value of fresh juice in this province; in this specific seasonal transition between late spring and early summer, the market price of un-spoiled, fresh fruit juice was actually no cheaper than common alcohol. The companions chatted comfortably while enjoying the meal, finishing the various plates quite quickly.
Just as Sakuya Izayoi was preparing to reach into her apron for the leather pouch of silver coins to settle the final bill, Flandre suddenly leaned across the table and stuffed her sleek, modern bank card directly into the maid's hand.
"The security password is just six ones! Sister Beatrice explicitly told me that this specific bank card is universally accepted across all the major nations of Terra, so it should be entirely possible to swipe it right here in Victoria."
"Is this perhaps your official salary card from your time with the police, sister?" Remilia asked, tilting her head with a smirk.
Flandre nodded her head vigorously, her face swelling with an intensely proud, accomplished expression. "Yep! I have a proper, adult job with an official income, after all!"
Hearing Flandre's adorable, boastful words, the entire group inside the private room couldn't help but break into a warm round of shared laughter. A short while later, Sakuya returned from the downstairs counter. She gracefully picked up the modern bank card to hand it back to Flandre, but Flandre merely waved her hand dismissively.
"Just keep the bank card with you for the rest of the trip, Sakuya! It's way more convenient for you to hold onto it when we need to pay for things along the road."
Sakuya didn't immediately pocket the card, instead turning her eyes toward Remilia. Only after the Eldest Miss offered a subtle nod of approval did Sakuya give a slight, respectful bow back to Flandre. "Understood, Second Young Mistress. I shall manage it responsibly."
After finishing the satisfying meal, the six of them walked out of Mary's Shop and onto the street, leisurely observing the evening crowds passing by. By now, the sky had completely begun to grow dim, painted in shades of twilight violet. Aside from a few children running around the dirt paths playing games, most of the pedestrians were local adults who had just finished their dinners and were out for a relaxing evening stroll. However, rather than walking long distances, they mostly sat in twos and threes beneath the shade of the ancient trees or right by their brick doorways, chatting idly about the day's factory output.
The group observed the social interactions as they walked, and soon returned to the quiet lobby of their inn. Upon entering the upper residential corridor, Remilia stepped into the adjacent room to converse with Letty and Patchouli about the southwest route, while Flandre immediately turned on the bulky television set in her room to watch some local programs.
Thanks to the competitive nation of Kazimierz being located directly to the north of this sector, the local Victorian TV networks managed to pull in broadcast signals featuring something intensely popular and interesting—the Knight Tournaments. Flandre sat cross-legged right in the center of the double bed, watching the flashing, armored knight matches on the screen with rapt attention.
By the time Remilia finally returned to their shared room an hour later, she saw that the television set was still actively buzzing with commentary, while Flandre was already lying face-down across the blankets, fast asleep from the day's excitement. Looking at the completely sprawled-out Flandre, Remilia let out a soft sigh, carefully pulling up the covers to tuck her in before quietly lying down right beside her to sleep.
Today's sociological gains could be said to be quite abundant for the mansion. From the baseline architecture and mechanical infrastructure of this city, one could easily see that the historical name of Victoria was truly a fitting moniker for the empire. This place was indeed incredibly similar to the raw industrialization level of humanity's Victorian era. Steam valves, copper piping, and heavy machinery were almost the undisputed mainstream of the town's economy.
But one remarkably good thing the vampires noted was that the industrial capitalists here were nowhere near as dark-hearted or monstrous as the real, historical capitalists of Earth's Victorian era. One must remember that Earth's Victorian-era factory owners truly utilized the human workforce as entirely disposable, short-term consumables. For the impoverished people trapped at the bottom of that society, merely surviving safely to the age of twenty was considered a stroke of legendary luck. Many young children started high-risk, fatal jobs like stoking active coal furnaces from the fragile age of four or five until they inevitably died of lung disease or injury. During that dark era, any single physical mistake meant being instantly thrown into the gutter and replaced by the very next consumable child in line.
Whereas in this version of Victoria on Terra, the factory owners at least structurally treated ordinary, uninfected common people as actual human beings with basic labor value. Of course, Remilia notes that this systemic kindness might also simply be because Terra's designated 'expendable consumables' had shifted entirely from ordinary poor people to the marginalized Infected population. In any case, at least from what their eyes had directly witnessed and the local information they had gathered, the daily situation in this border town was relatively stable and normal.
Just as Remilia was about to close her eyes and drift off to sleep, she heard a faint, happy "hehehe" giggle coming from the pillow beside her. Turning her head, she saw a very joyful, peaceful smile plastered across Flandre's face; the girl was clearly having an incredibly sweet, fun dream. Remilia dotingly reached out, gently pinching Flandre's soft cheek one last time before turning over to sleep.
When they finally woke up, it was already the fresh morning of the following day. After Flandre hopped out of bed, she ran straight to the open wooden balcony, stretching her arms wide as she looked down at the street below.
At this early hour, the industrial town had fully awakened once again; waves of factory workers were chewing on thick pieces of rye bread held in their grimy hands as they hurried along the stone road, rushing to clock into their designated shifts before the morning whistles blew. It was the absolute first time Flandre had ever witnessed such a structured, uniform societal scene, and she looked around at the marching crowds with great, unblinking curiosity.
"How is it? Have you truly never seen a sight quite like this before?" Remilia asked softly, walking up to stand directly by Flandre's side along the iron railing.
Flandre nodded her head honestly; this grand display of thousands of common people moving in perfect synchronization for daily labor was indeed her first time seeing it, and it felt quite novel and fascinating to her mind.
"If you have officially seen enough of the morning rush, get yourself completely ready to go down and eat breakfast," Remilia said, turning back toward the door. "We have to continue our journey toward Kjerag today."
After Remilia finished speaking her piece, she stepped out of the suite first. Flandre watched the dwindling lines of workers for a few moments longer, and only reluctantly turned around to go downstairs after the crowds below had mostly passed into the factory gates.
Down in the clean dining hall, Remilia and the others were already peacefully eating their morning breakfast. The exact second Flandre sat down in her chair, Sakuya Izayoi immediately brought over a fresh, specialized portion of warm milk tea and a slice of sweet sponge cake.
After finishing the breakfast meal, the group of six headed out through the front doors of the establishment, finding a sturdy, beautifully maintained horse-drawn carriage already parked right by the curb. This was a private transport that Sakuya had proactively gone out to secure and purchase using the silver coins early in the morning. After all, for the next leg of their journey through the populated plains of Victoria, the group did not intend to continue traveling via open flight, choosing instead to blend in as traveling nobility.