1733 The Great Betting War

It was a white season.

Snow was everywhere, turning the entire forest zones within Baymard into a white Winterland.

It was a miracle!

Many tourists and first-time visitors stop dumbstruck on the streets, not feeling the snow's impact at all.

It was amazing that snow was never left to pill up on the streets

Now and then, massive sweeper vehicles would pass by, clearing the sidewalks and the roads from any build-up, especially after a storm.

Had it not been for the many Baymardian homes that had still on their roofs and surroundings, one would think it was still Fall when passing the commercial districts.

Today, the weather was quiet, no longer snowing heavily just as the weather forecast predicted.

Now it has become a habit for many to sit by their radios waiting for the weather before heading out.

Some chose to watch the forecast channel on TV, others chose to get the information from the Newspapers, while some did so from the official Baymardian weather reporting online site on their computers.

Hooray!

The storm won't be back till tomorrow evening.

(^_^)

Busy, busy, busy.

All around the Capital city, people buzzed like bees, everyone heading various ways in with their unique agendas in mind.

The City of Happiness.

That was one of the Capital City's many nicknames since many who came here found solitude and serenity the moment they stepped into the Capital City.

Who can blame them? Baymard wasn't one to shove noble hierarchy down one's throat.

It was very fair to them, peasants, and also seen as the Land of Opportunity by the masses.

Peace engulfed the land like a cloak, and now and then there was always some eye-popping news that made many fall in disbelief, wondering whether there was something his majesty Landon couldn't think of.

Right now at this very moment, many were crowded in their homes and public dinners, bars, gaming homes, and hangout spots by the TV, watching with relish for the official news to begin broadcasting a moment said to be once in a lifetime.

They had their popcorns ready, their toes curled, as talks about today's matter quickly flooded their atmosphere.

Whether it was foreigners or locals, everyone was curious to know what exactly they would be seeing today.

"Damn! I can't think of it. They say cargo transport will be made easier between UN empires, and soon, people transport will also be possible by Flight. This is really good news!"

"Yes, yes! I've always wished I could travel from here to Carona by flight. It's just that o there at this time of year, isn't it very cold for that? What's more, it should be dangerous too, no?"

"Exactly! This isn't the season for hot air balloons! So how will they do it? What new Hot air balloon model will they be unveiling that will change the Flying world for good?"

"Ahhh!~ Why am I getting nervous the more we wait? I always feel like his majesty Landon will have something up his sleeves when the time for the grand revelation comes."

"Me too! But I can't think of anything else except for a modified hot air balloon that will go up in the clouds."

"Hold on guys, why don't we place bets on what we think it will be? Hehehheheheheh~ I think it's time we play our famous Baymardian guessing game. You newcomers are in for a real treat."

"Wait! Isn't that unfair to us?"

"No way! Don't think we have the advantage because we, Baymardians, don't know how his majesty's mind works. How can anyone know the mind of a living messenger of the heavens?"

"That's right. With how kind, noble-hearted and amazing his majesty is, I wouldn't be surprised if he was a fallen ancestor/angel who came to Baymard out of pity for us all. Damn! If his majesty opened a temple for his worship I will show up day and night to throw myself deep in prayer."

"Awesome! His majesty is amazing!"

"A great man!"

"The father of the sick, weak, and poor."

"The Father of Peasants."

"The father of peace and prosperity!"

"The father of agriculture and opportunities."

"His Majesty is the greatest human in existence! Augh~ just saying his name gives me happy chills."

"Without His Majesty's intervention, where will we be today?"

…

Very quickly, the topic across Baymard shifted back and forth between today's grand show and praising Landon.

No matter how many years go by, the people still praise Landon as though Baymard's growth just started yesterday.

Many times Landon was often shocked by how these people never got tired of singing his praises.

But well, he was indeed like a celebrity, a favorite idol in their eyes.

And the more he did, the more collective awes of worship and adoration he got from them.

Unlike true celebrity Idols, he was very much involved with their lives knowing he has saved so many people it would be impossible to count.

He created medicines that in their own words, brought the dead back to life.

It was because of him that the common flu that killed and swept away the vast majority of people in uN empires, was controlled and treated as though it was just a little bump in the road.

He made childbirth 30 times easier. And made many women across these empires get their desired feeling of being mothers after many years of steadfast prayer.

The fact that women only saw their 'periods' or blood discharges once or twice a year was on its own a very jarring problem that also predicted signs of early menopause.

It was because of him that many women began seeing their priors 5 to 8 times a year.

When it first happened they were so shocked they thought something was wrong with them.

At first, they saw their periods 5 times a year, and the following year, the number of times increased, to the point where some now saw their periods 9 months a year.

The majority of those who did see their blood discharges every month of the year were those living in Baymard.

Now women could get pregnant in their 30s and even early 40s, making younger girls no longer feel the rush for early childbirth.

Initially, both women and men rushed to get pregnant early since after 20~21... most women couldn't get pregnant anymore.

It was possible but with how broken their bodies were before, it was indeed a rare feat.

By the time they turned 25-ish, menopause kicks in hard for them blocking their chances of being mothers.

Just as much as men looked forward to carrying their heirs, women also did in this era too.

Thanks to his majesty, many women found out they weren't barren, just broken down and in need of good nutrition, good body rest and medicine.

In the end, his Majesty had helped both men and women over the years, treating incurable diseases like chickenpox, ensuring they didn't die from it.

He also birthed numerous job opportunities, made Transportation easier, gave the chance for peasants to go to school without sky-high prices, and many more.

In short, everything his majesty did affect them in their real lives, and that's why they hailed him with praises now and then.

What Monarch have you seen that is as kind and considerate to his people as his majesty Landon?

They had to admit that new UN monarchs were also amazing.

Still, the Baymardians felt no one could be better than their monarch, his majesty Landon.

(^○^)

"All right everyone, time to place your bets! We have 3 main categories submitted."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! Tell us already, my booze is getting hot just from waiting."

"Alright, shut your pie holes!... Number 1, a hot air balloon with a double-balloon mechanism having a bridge connecting both hot air balloons."

"Oooow~ That sounds good. Next!"

"Number 2, a mega-sized Hot Air balloon, which is the same balloon we know, but a super large one that can take up to 300 people. After all, the news said that in the future hundreds of people can get transported at once. So we have to think big."

"I don't know who, but I'm not buying the 2nd one. It just seems a little too impractical and easy."

"Number 3! An even grander version of number 1, having 30, or 50 hot air balloons attached to each other by empty transport baskets… Ladies and gentlemen, unlike number 1, where passengers will be underneath the flaming balloons, the 3rd option allows only pilots to stay under the flaming balloons while passengers stay in the empty baskets in the middle."

"Care to explain more?"

"Well, think of number 3 as a bird, with the bird wings being the flaming hot air balloons and the bird's body being the empty transport basket."

"Not bad... I like this one very much."

"Now then, what's it gonna be? Everyone place your bets now!"

"Number 3!"

"Number 1"

"Number 2!"

"3!"

"2!"

"1!"

"2!"

"3!"