Chapter 455: Looking Local despite being foreign

[Wow, just...wow,] Hurricroak applauded.

[I don’t know if I should be impressed or severely disappointed right now.]

[I am not gonna lie...that was the fastest I have ever seen anyone fold in my entire existence, and I’m pretty sure I’ve been only been alive for a few months at most,] Razorstella remarked, [even our lord’s granddaddy has more spine than this, holy shit.]

[This isn’t necessarily a bad development, although...,] Nepherage trailed off, [if this is how people here react to obvious displays of power, then I fear how they’ll react when our lord is present.]

[Por que?,] Hurricroak asked.

[Our lord doesn’t exactly exert standard aether pressure, remember?]

[Oh shit, right...then how come we can?]

[I don’t know, but I’m sure the duo back home can give us an explaination later. For now let’s go and inform our lord the news.]

[Aight.]

________________________________________________

To say negotiations went smoothly when Zhen Shi got involved with the conversation would be an understatement.

In fact, no negotiations took place at all.

Instead, the following string of dialogue occured.

"Alright then, what’s the hold up and how can we-"

"Oh my gods, you’re an Aether Lord."

"Yes, now what are we going to-"

"Forgive my transgressions, Aether Lord," the harbor master said with a bow and a cupping of his hands, "You are free to dock your...steam ship at the green trout dock. We apologize for our intrusion."

"Oh...very good then."

"Ah wait, before we go, does your lordship need anything?"

"Uh...no? We’re good."

"Excellent."

The exact moment the harbor master of Pearl Scale Harbor picked up Zhen Shi’s aura, he went from domineering corrupt politician type to sycophantic corrupt politician type.

Patriarch Zhen Shi may have had experience dealing with such people before, but that didn’t mean he had to like it.

Regardless of the situation though, the Zhen Clan had finally arrived to the Roaring Tide continent proper.

To some of them, it was a return trip home after several harrowing weeks abroad full of misery and embarrassment. If things had gone differently, perhaps they would be able to look into each other’s eyes without glowing red.

"Home sweet home... y’all think we can find someone to remove these tattoos from our bodies?"

"Probably, I heard alchemists can make special slaves and creams that can do that."

"Wait, I thought we were just gonna go hit up another tattoo parlor and just have them cover up the words with something more intimidating and meaningful."

"Oh that’s actually a great idea."

"Right?"

It should be noted that the guy who suggested the tattoo parlor thing may have had some underlying agenda involving the owner of a particular parlor being his type, but that is a story for another time and another place.

Speaking of other people, on the flip side of this arrival to Roaring Tide, almost all of the members of the Zhen branch clan looked a touch more...skeptical and cautious as they stared over Pearl Scale Harbor.

The reason being?

While they might have looked like natives from the place, they were still foreign born.

This was especially the case when it came to the scions of the branch clan, all of whom were standing on the top deck in order to get a better look at this "ancestral homeland" of theirs.

"So this is the Roaring Tide continent, huh? Gotta say...looks like our little slice of town back home just a lot fucking bigger," Zhen Hai commented as he made a stretching gesture with his arms.

"True," Zhen Yue agreed, "although it is significantly cooler and more humid in the air. It feels like we’re inside one of the pool caves back home albeit, all around us."

"That should do wonders for our skin though," Zhen Guo noted.

"True."

"Xiao Liu, what are your thoughts on this homeland of ours?," Zhen Xing asked his cousin, "you don’t look impressed."

"Hmmm."

Out of all the scions present at this moment, Zhen Liu’s expression looked the most...grimaced for some reason.

His family members thought that perhaps he had some misgivings about this homeland that had attempted to kill their family more times than they could count before any of them were born, but if they could read his mind, they would have a very different understanding of what was going on his head.

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Turning back the clock just a little bit...

A little after the PS Nemona was cleared for docking, Razorstella, Hurricroak and Nepherage had returned to the room in order to deliver news of the situation to Zhen Liu, post haste.

However, instead of seeing their lord curled up in bed, they found him doing his morning stretches and getting ready to deal with the day’s upcoming events.

Understanding the situation, the three of them quickly and quietly transformed back into their "accessory" modes and latched themselves onto their lord.

"Alright, let’s go see how Roaring Tide looks...granted I can hazard a guess..."

Which now lead to this current situation of Zhen Liu accidentally joining his cousins in staring over the entirety of Pearl Scale Harbor in order to see what the big deal was.

So far...it was okay.

’Okay, looking over just the architecture and people of this small slice of the Pearl Scale Empire, I can now safely concluded that Roaring Tide is definitely the equivalent to my old world’s version of Asia. Albeit, the architecture be looking like a mashup between Chinese, Japanese and a touch of Vietnamese asthethic styles. A lot of undersea city vibes too. Then again, that could be all of the fucking humidity talking, my skin feels sticky!’

=That’s because of all of the water aether suffused in the environment here, milord. It what keeps the Roaring Tide continent at a pretty stable temperature all year round, with the drawbacks being that seasons are used to determine flood levels and the constant humidity as you have mentioned.=

<Also, that undersea vibe you mention is because of the water aether in the air facilitating the growth of waterborne lifeforms. Kinda like how sea creatures get bigger the deeper in the water you go, the dense Aquarri aether makes it easy for sea creatures up on the surface to grow big.>

’Is that why I can make out several buildings made of coral clusters and at least two giant sea shell buildings?"

<=Yup.=>

’Cool.’

[Director~! How much longer do we have to wait until we can go exploring this new place?,] Razorstella whined, [this places gives off a totally different vibe from all the places we’ve been to back home. Plus I want to practice my Tide Tongue with the locals.]

’Practice talking with them or practice trading barbs?’

[Yes.]

’Of course...’

[She ain’t wrong though maestro,] Hurricroak interjected, [we’re on a whole new continent, with a whole different set of rules and culture to it. Can’t help but get a little excited.]

[Agreed...,] Frosttusk rumbled.

[This is true,] Nepherage parroted.

[So much to learn...,] Spring Brawler said in admiration.

[The two of us would also like to explore the new continent as well, milord,] Archanidame suddenly added.

[Please open up the doorway soon!,] Lacerage agreed.

Zhen Liu couldn’t help but mentally roll his eyes at the kaijin’s excitement, due to how this place might as well be cursed given his family’s history with the place.

But...another part of him was also excited to be completely honest.

A whole another continent, a whole new empire, ruled by an actual immortal dragon?

That was arguably the most fantastical thing he’s been involved with since he got transmigrated to this place!

So while sure, Zhen Liu was incredibly cautious when it came to being here, especially since he had still yet to provide a boost to two of his uncles, the prospect of new treasures, new sights and maybe a lead into knowing more of his predecessssors of the kaijin variety, Zhen Liu couldn’t help but be a bit excited.

’I really hope this place lives up to the anticipation,’ he thought to himself...a moment before actually saying this to his cousins.

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"I’m just hoping this place lives up to all the anticipation leading up to it," Zhen Liu told his cousins.

"I mean... we’re here because of a crime of love on our grandfather’s behalf, about to go and try bury a several decades long grudge with an ancient main branch clan? Sounds like something you’d read in a copper coin novel, right?"

"Pfft!"

Several of Zhen Liu’s cousins laughed at the joke, because this entire situation was honestly something out of a book.

"Oh please, it’s a silver coin novel at least."

"Does that mean I’ll get swept up in a whirlwind romance with a dragon princess?"

"You make that joke, but the Pearl Scale Emperor does have like a hundred plus descendants."

"Oooh, you right."

"Bah! It’s too early in the morning for all this romance talk."

The Zhen Clan scions continued to maintain this jovial atmosphere all the way until they finally docked.

At which point, they were interrupted by an announcement on the ship’s PA system.

"We have arrived to Pearl Scale Harbor. Please grab your luggage and make an orderly line at the gangway. Crewmen will assist in off boarding. Thank you."

With those words said, the Zhen Clan members began to move about as they prepared to finally make landfall.

’From Stampeding Bison to Roaring Tide...wonder if we’ll stick out?’