Upon hearing that it was finally the scheduled ti, Isabella's spirit imdiately lifted as she looked to the sky:
"Where is General Galliot?"
"Your Majesty, they have already arrived."
Just as the words fell.
Screech—
A blue lightning bolt shot down from the sky, as a massive Thunderbird circled around the "Steam Fortress" amidst the envoys' exclamations, a valiant black-haired female officer rode on the bird's back and saluted the Queen from afar.
Her Majesty the Queen, resuming her graceful deanor, smiled and waved in greeting.
Whoosh!
Aiven flapped his wings once and was already above the scheduled location, while Olivia tossed the miniature island "Ugor" that resembled a ball of light downward.
Just a few minutes later.
Blub... Blub...
In the gradually rippling water, a small island peak enveloped in a misty spiritual light erged from the water. Then, like a sponge absorbing water, it quickly expanded, growing higher and larger.
In the blink of an eye, it had grown into an oval-shaped small island, with a layer of spiritual light protecting the surface from being subrged in seawater, thus avoiding the tragedy of becoming a saline-alkali land before being put to use.
Then, as if unfolding from another dinsion, it steadily expanded at a proportional scale.
This gradually unfolding thod allowed the seawater to naturally recede, avoiding the terrible natural disaster akin to a tsunami that could have been caused by the massive material pressing against the seawater.
"Hahaha, it worked!"
"Phaletis is blessed by the gods!"
"Long live Her Majesty the Queen!"
On the slowly retreating "Steam Fortress," every knowledgeable Kingdom high official, aside from the stunned uninford individuals, burst into laughter.
After the shortest route between Hilus and the New Continent was blocked by Hipponeo's "Eye of the Storm."
The location where this island landed would face the necessary passageway connecting the New and Old Continents—the West Wind Warm Current, which sailors commonly refer to as the "Trident Ocean Current."
The starting point was from the "Golden Sea" in the central New Continent, traversing southwest to northeast across the entire Black Sea, reaching the Old Continent where it slightly diverged westward:
One current flows as the Canary Ocean Current to the south, brushing past the Ilya Kingdom to the Treasure Sea, another continues northward as the Yirming Current into the Northern Islands, and the smallest Tessaga Ocean Current returns to the Northern New Continent.
This is a crucial mariti route connecting the New and Old Continents and is also the return path in triangular trade, naturally only accessible to powerful large-scale fleets.
For individual ships or small-scale fleets, this place is an untouchable forbidden domain.
With the landing and rooting of "Ugor Island," Phaletis's sphere of influence has extended at least 350 kiloters towards the open sea, thoroughly occupying the Trident Ocean Current diverging region.
Whether it's for the powerful nation of Atlant in the Northern Islands or the Hilus Empire needing to turn south from here, this place is nearly an unavoidable passage for large comrcial fleets.
It's akin to artificially creating a treasure trove with endless opportunities.
Due to the locational factors, even a barren rock island here can turn a huge profit, not to ntion this is a treasure island abundant in minerals and fertile soil.
After laying down the foundation, they are confident in turning this into Tulip Alliance's, and even the entire Old Continent's, trade hub.
The future of oceanic exploration is destined to belong to Phaletis!
This is also the original intention of the high officials in choosing the island's location.
While the Legendary Battleship fell into a frenzy, Aiven and Olivia in the sky occupied the best vantage point.
Watching the large island seemingly unfold from another dinsion, Olivia hugged Aiven's neck and softly asked:
"Aiven, has the territory exchange been settled?"
"Hehehe, when I ntioned a territory exchange, Her Majesty the Queen was naturally thrilled, and all the paperwork for the rank advancent was completed imdiately.
We just need to return to the New Continent and go to the Governor's Mansion in Georgia to finalize the confirmation."
Aiven knew clearly that given the island's significance to the Kingdom, if he dared to choose it as his territory, he wouldn't know how many plots and sches he'd have to face in the future.
Thinking darkly, perhaps not all of the Kingdom's high officials lacked the intention to directly seize his ownership of the island, as promises and trust an nothing in the face of imnse interests.
His request likely allowed many, including Her Majesty, to breathe a sigh of relief.
Thus, he ultimately chose to trade land with the Kingdom.
Which allowed him to acquire a large tract of land adjacent to the northern Far Sails Territory in the New Continent—Royal Colony Georgia, rich in iron ore, coal, and white oak, situated between Far Sails Territory and Autonomous Colony of Charles Territory.
Aiven, however, didn't feel that he was slighted.
If one considers where to establish a country's foundation, ignoring all external factors, a vast, climate-pleasant continental land certainly surpasses a resource-limited island.
The foundation of Phaletis and the entire alliance lies in the Tulip Islands, where both the Royal Family and Great Nobles, as vested interests, have their ruling foundations for centuries and millennia, making it impossible to let go.
But for Aiven, he has none of those concerns.
Moreover, he understands clearly that perhaps within decades, with nurous steam-powered ships entering the seas and logistic networks gradually established.
At that point, the role of ocean currents, although important, will no longer restrict those powerful steel ships.
After explaining to the girl on his back, Aiven smiled and said:
"60,000 square kiloters of land exchanged for 100,000 square kiloters of Georgia, with an added Viscount title, speaks that we have indeed profited. Hesi, we will be neighbors in the Material World as well, are you happy?"
Olivia, of course, knew that Georgia, with not long developnt ti, was still at middle to lower levels among the six Royal Colonies in terms of developnt. Aiven chose it as his territory for a reason that went without saying.
Holding Aiven's neck tightly, the girl replied seriously as if saying "I do" in a sacred ceremony:
"Happy!"
As for the slightly lower rank compared to the territory, Aiven was not too concerned. Viscount Jero, the leader of Ilya's comrcial nobles, alongside Wright, controls the country's political affairs, don't they?
The thoughts of the high officials were crystal clear to him.
They only wanted him to gain significant economic benefits and exclude him from the Kingdom's core, more accurately from the hereditary system's Upper Council dominated by Great Nobles.
Be it traditional or court nobility, those dozen or so Kingdom bigwigs had ancestors that were at least Counts.
After nurous reshuffles and decades or centuries of interest struggles, the final interest structure was established, with no one wishing to see another tiger joining the fray.
Economic rights can be granted, but political rights cannot.
Even the Aimoer Clan as Marquis has completely exited the central power circle, let alone him, a seemingly lucky boy.
However.
Aiven ultimately retained ownership of a port city on Ugor Island.
No matter what, the current developnt level of the New Continent is still too low, making the value of this golden route exceptionally high. At that ti, uniting the forces of Galliot and the Aimoer family, they would fully qualify to partake in this feast!
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