Extreme Cold Era: Shelter Don't Keep Waste-Chapter 893 - 122: The Cost of Progress

In the room, Perfikot sat at the desk, holding a report that had just been delivered.

It was a report sent from the Floating City about the progress of the third module's construction, detailing the progress at every stage and the resource consumption.

Perfikot's gaze swiftly skimmed over the paper, her brow slightly furrowed but then slowly relaxed.

Ever since she had levied large amounts of minerals and resources from Marsel, the construction progress of the Floating City had notably sped up.

The report mentioned that projects previously stalled due to a lack of resources had been restarted, even ahead of schedule.

The abundant mineral resources allowed the industrial machines on the Floating City to operate at full capacity.

And it was because of this that Perfikot had the leisure to import a batch of ingredients to the hotel and then ordered the chef, who was reportedly quite famous in Marsel before the Seventeen-Day War, to cook authentic French cuisine for her.

This chef was indeed skilled, and the dishes prepared for her previously were very much to her liking.

Every dish was exquisite and delicious, leaving a deep impression on her.

This led her to entertain the idea of bringing the chef up to the Floating City to become her private chef.

After all, even Victorians had to admit that the French indeed have "a slight edge" in the culinary field.

Their dishes not only pay attention to ingredient pairing but also focus on cooking techniques and control of the heat; every bite reflects the chef's careful effort.

Perfikot put down the report, leaned back against the chair, and let out a long breath.

Although the construction progress of the Floating City module was built upon the exploitation of Marsel and even all of France, Perfikot could not show them mercy now.

She was well aware that nowadays Marsel was filled with voices of dissatisfaction and resistance.

After all, before she arrived, the place had already been plundered and exploited to the limit by the Victorians.

For them to rebel now was hardly surprising.

Yet having already waged war against the gods, she could not show any mercy to the French.

If necessary, she would even exploit the Victorians as well; for her, the outcome of this war was far more important than any individual's fate.

In fact, new modules of Floating Cities are currently being built both in the Northern Territory and the Empire's mainland, respectively hosted by Sanderion and her disciple.

These Floating City modules won't come to join Perfikot but will remain locally as fortifications to resist possible attacks by the gods.

Despite the gods' focus always being on Perfikot, and several attacks having also revolved around her, it doesn't mean they won't conduct sneak attacks on the Northern Territory and the Empire's mainland.

After all, the population on the Floating City is not large, and though Perfikot considers herself very crucial, if she dies, humanity would not completely lose its ability to resist.

As long as the population and industrial strength of the Northern Territory remain, hope persists.

However, if the industry and population of the Northern Territory and Empire's mainland were destroyed, then even possessing the Floating City, the hope of striking back would grow very slim.

Despite the initial purpose of designing the Floating City was precisely to still maintain humanity's capacity to resist when all becomes irrevocable.

Thus, although her exploitation of Marsel caused the people here considerable anguish, although she knew her actions were intensifying the flames of resistance, she had no choice.

The cruelty of war made her look farther ahead and concentrate all resources on the construction of the Floating City.

She could only hope that when the Floating City is finally completed, when humanity can stand firm under the threat of the gods, these sacrifices and pains would be exchanged for a more enduring future.

As for those voices of dissatisfaction and resistance, she could only choose to ignore them temporarily.

After all, in this war concerning humanity's survival, mercy might be a luxury that she, long since, cannot afford.

As Perfikot sighed, the hotel staff elegantly brought today's lunch into the room.

"Regent, today's lunch is ready for you." A hotel attendant entered the room pushing the dining trolley, respectfully standing before Perfikot and introducing today's dishes: "The appetizer is classic French onion soup, with a base of slowly simmered beef broth perfectly blended with caramelized onions, topped with slices of baguette toasted to golden brown and melted Gruyere cheese, richly aromatic and full-flavored."

While introducing, he gently placed the soup bowl before Perfikot, then continued: "The main course is pan-seared chicken breast with mushroom sauce, the chicken breast's outer layer seared to a golden, crispy texture, inside succulent and juicy, paired with a rich sauce of fresh mushrooms, white wine, and light cream, with distinct flavor layers."

The side dish is garlic butter roasted potatoes, small potatoes soaked in garlic butter, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with a fragrant aroma."

The attendant skillfully placed the main and side dishes on the dining table, then took out a bottle of wine from the cart, slightly tilting the bottle to showcase the label, and continued: "Today's paired wine is Porto vintage, noted for its rich taste, abundant fruit aroma, and the scent of oak barrels, complementing the mushroom sauce and chicken's deliciousness, please enjoy." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

Although traditionally French cuisine is served one dish at a time, the attendant was well aware of Perfikot's preferences and placed all dishes neatly at once for her to freely choose from. He bowed slightly, softly saying: "Please enjoy your meal, if you need anything, please don't hesitate to instruct."

Perfikot nodded slightly, glancing over the dishes on the table, although her mood remained heavy, the aroma of the food seemed to lighten her furrowed brow somewhat.

After all, at any time, good food could always soothe one's soul.

Perfikot sat at the dining table, and after the attendant had laid the napkin for her, she picked up the wine glass.

She sipped it gently, opening up her palate, then started to eat.

The taste of the onion soup was very enticing; in this cold weather, a sip of hot soup could instantly warm one's stomach.

Perfikot scooped up a spoonful of hot soup with her spoon, delivered it to her mouth, the rich beef broth flavor bursting from her mouth, prompting Perfikot to praise: "Today's soup is exceptionally delicious!"

The attendant gracefully responded: "Thank you for your praise, the chef will certainly be very happy."

Perfikot paid it no heed, just nodded slightly, knowing that for her, even a single compliment could significantly affect many lives.

Perhaps she was really hungry, as Perfikot ate quickly.

However, just after she had eaten the main dish and intended to try the side dish, she suddenly felt a discomfort in her stomach.