Thick steel cables suspended giant shells that gleamed with a dangerous light, sending chills down one's spine just by looking at them.
On the dock platform a little further away, narrow railway tracks are densely packed together, and small transport vehicles pulling wagons loaded with goods shuttle back and forth with a clanging sound.
Guarding this bustling area are the awe-inspiring gun emplacements on the headlands on both sides of the river.
They were not the kind of stone fortresses bearing the marks of time that Isabella was familiar with.
Instead, it was a angular monster made of dark reinforced concrete and heavy wrought iron armor plates.
The massive turret resembled the helmet of a giant god, with short, thick cannon barrels protruding from the firing ports like dark, gaping eye sockets.
Now, they coldly overlook the sea they rule.
Isabella's breathing became rapid.
She had no doubt that any ship that approached without permission would be instantly reduced to fragments by the massive armor-piercing shells capable of tearing through even the thickest armor.
Of course, with this formidable natural barrier, no ship should be able to force its way in.
"Your Majesty, what are all these?" Eddington tried to remain calm, but his face kept twitching.
He was distracted and even subconsciously asked a foolish question.
After all, this was Her Majesty the Queen's first visit to this country, so how would she know?
Isabella was completely unaware of anything; she simply looked around, utterly awestruck as she gazed at these things she had never seen before.
Large amounts of white smoke surrounded the port, making it difficult to distinguish whether it was natural fog or man-made.
The air was thick with a strong smell, a mixture of coal, engine oil, metal, and the salty odor of seawater.
Interspersed among the sounds were the continuous "clattering" of rivet guns and the whooshing of steam valves.
And the distant rumble of machinery, like the heartbeat of the earth.
All these sounds, smells, and sights combined to form a grand industrial symphony that made her eardrums buzz and her heart sink.
Lord Zhang took off his hat and smiled at Isabella:
"Your Majesty, welcome to our kingdom."
Isabella nodded blankly, so lost in thought that she forgot the proper etiquette to respond.
They waited until the ship docked and they stepped onto the pier.
Isabella gradually came to her senses and remembered the welcome she had just received.
Admittedly, it was an invitation, but it was also a boast, a deterrent, and a silent warning.
Having realized what was happening, Isabella turned to look at her compatriots who were following behind her, and saw their slightly hunched backs and frightened faces.
She finally let out a barely audible sigh.
At this moment, she realized it.
Before the majesty of this empire, built of steam, steel, and absolute power, how insignificant she and the land she represented were.
This visit was merely a pilgrimage in the shadow of steel behemoths.
but.
She had already made preparations for the pilgrimage.
After all, only a country like this can be called a true empire.
Turning her gaze away, Isabella's eyes gleamed with barely suppressed excitement and anticipation as she strode forward...
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