Chapter 834 834 Showing Off
Reiko gestured for Arthur and Wolfe to join her at the podium, where the two agreements were laid out and ready for signatures.
The news cameras had gathered at what they thought would be the best angles, the Family Leaders and their assistants had taken seats in the amphitheatre bleachers, and the news crews were going wild about the imminent signing.
Reiko cleared her throat, and her secretary took to the podium to address the crowd.
"Attention everyone. Please remain silent for the duration of the announcement. In just a moment, we will be joined by the Coven Leader, may she live well, as well as the representatives from Gormana and Forest Grove for a formal signing of trade agreements." The young witch announced.
There was a round of applause as the Secretary left, and Reiko took to the stage, flanked by Wolfe and Arthur. It was an odd sight, with the large Demon and Wolfe in his formal Patriarch's robes on either side of Reiko in her Coven Leader's uniform.
The fancy beads, crystal orbs and feathers draped over the dark green robes made her look more like a tribal primitive than a wealthy industrialist, as Arthur did. But somehow, the look went well with the simple and flowing lines of the traditional Magi robes.
"Thank you all for the warm welcome. It is an honour to announce that Morgana Fortress City has finalized a deal with Forest Grove and the nation of Gormana to embrace international trade, and the modern magical civilization that is sweeping through the continent.
Soon, we will have a secure highway system connecting all the way from the Fortress City to Forest Grove and as far east as the Grand Dutchies border.
We have already begun the rollout of a new currency, which will be embraced and usable not only here, but in Sylvan Coven and Forest Grove as well, and we will be building an airport, to easily move goods and passengers around the continent."
Reiko paused for dramatic effect to let the implications of that sink in.
For centuries, they had been mostly isolated, but now, people were going to be able to fly to other countries in a matter of hours. They could visit distant relatives, see new places, or even try their luck at an entirely new business venture.
"The terms of the treaty will be available for public viewing within the next seven days, once the records are verified and the final details of the treaty have been upheld, but today, we have brought you all here to witness the passage of this historic agreement."
Without any more hesitation, she put her signature on both documents, pausing with her pen next to the signature for a half minute at each, while the reporters snapped photos for posterity and the evening news blurbs.
Then Arthur and Wolfe both stepped up to sign at the same time, posing for the cameras, before Wolfe stepped back to let Arthur make his speech.
"This is a monumental occasion for Gormana. As many of you may not yet know, the eastern nations have been desperately low on natural resources for a number of years.
But in the last few months, small trade deals with villages in Morgana Territory have begun to supply us with seed oils and bulk food, relieving some of the stress on our people. This new agreement with Morgana Coven's Fortress City is the next logical step, and will allow us to trade freely with the south, both for the things we need, and for the technology that we have in abundance.
Our factories have been working hard for the last few months to adapt to the new conditions, and we are pleased to announce that we have developed a whole new line of home electronics, from televisions to cell phones that have overcome the issue of magical interference, and will work properly in a heavily magical city.
It has been an unfortunate situation for many of our neighbours, that as the mana level increased, their technology became unreliable, but with these new developments, that problem has been averted."
That speech caught the attention of everyone in town. Though they didn't do wireless transmissions for the news, as the city had been wired for cable, the picture quality had been dropping as the mana level increased.
If they had to replace all their cell phones and televisions in the next year, it would be an annoying financial burden, but at least they would have options available, and they wouldn't lose the level of comfort that they were used to.
For many people, going without their Magical Girl shows and afternoon soap operas was unthinkable.
Arthur stepped back and Wolfe took the podium, with a nod to the Fae Advisor and a flow of magic to get her renovation process started.
That action caused some confusion as to what he was up to, but the crowd dutifully remained silent as he began his speech.
"Welcome, everyone. It is good to be back in my home town. While I helped found Forest Grove just under a year ago, I spent most of my life here in Morgana Fortress. The majority of my Family is here, as well as my childhood friends and former coworkers.
So it is with unique pleasure that I am signing this deal today to improve the lives of everyone in the city.
I know many of you are wondering about the mana that I am transferring to Coven Leader Reiko's Fae Advisor. Part of this agreement is an agreement to renovate the city from the ground up. Every part of the city will be refreshed and updated under her guidance, from the power grid to the basic infrastructure and even the homes on the lower levels.
The shanty towns will be surveyed and consideration taken to get everyone into proper housing. Places that they own and can pass down to their children with pride. Now, I don't want to spoil the surprises, so I won't go too much into the details of it, but I can guarantee that you will start seeing the effects very soon."
The Fae smiled, and activated the false sky illusion on this floor, giving the impression of a mostly clear sky above them, mimicking the actual conditions outside the Fortress.
The cameras panned up, taking in the view, and she moved on to the streets, though the roads on this floor were already in incredible condition, the Fae had an objection to asphalt, and thought that it was better to eliminate it altogether.
Here, she didn't go for cobblestones, but for exposed aggregate concrete, which would be loud under the car tires, but much more pleasing to look at. Not that the vehicles on this floor travelled at high speeds to begin with, but the sudden change certainly took the courier drivers who were on the road at that moment by surprise.
This was the best opportunity to redo all the roads, as there was almost nobody on them who might be inconvenienced by the change, and the courier drivers who were in motion quickly stopped to watch the upgrades taking place all through the Fortress as the Fae poured mana into the spells.
"Thank you for your time, I will let the Coven Council take over the microphone." Wolfe announced when the cameras finally came back down to look at him instead of the illusionary sky.
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