Since this trip is going quietly, naturally no one will welcome it.
Therefore, Otto did not plan to go straight to the castle from the beginning. No words could compare with what he saw with his own eyes. He planned to spend a day or two to observe the prince's territory, and then find out about the local mice. information.
Walking out of the cabin, he was startled by the sight in front of him as soon as he stepped on the trestle.
This is... the kind of wharf a frontier land can have
I saw a pier area built of reddish-brown bricks and stones within a range of hundreds of steps along the river bank, and there was a trestle bridge every other distance. Otto counted them roughly, twenty-six in all—they were neatly arranged like tentacles extending from the shore, some covered with snow, and some with tawny planks exposed, indicating that even In Demon Moon, the town's pier is still being looked after.
On the other hand, the canal pier in the Royal Capital of Graycastle, both in terms of length and number of trestle bridges, is less than half of that here!
But what surprised him even more were the ships docked at the dock.
A never-before-seen grey wide-body boat lined up not far ahead. There were seven or eight of them, and the waterline was so shallow that neither sail nor mast could be seen, and the hull was not so large that it could be moved by an oarsman. The most unique feature of these odd boats is that they have a huge wooden wheel on each side and a thick iron tube sticking out from the center, which is different from any river sailing boat.
Otto watched from the sidelines for a long time, until the coolness came from overhead, and he didn't understand how these weird "ships" could move.
Patting off the snow on his head, he put away his doubts and decided to follow the crew into the town first.
The "Shunfeng" from the Royal Capital obviously won't be transporting only one person. Otto saw the crew unload bags of goods off the sailboat and pile them on the side of the dock. Several guards in black uniforms recorded something with pen and paper, and from time to time picked out two bags to check, as if they were inspecting the goods.
"Who are they? The mercenaries invited by the buyer?" Otto walked over to the captain.
"Ha, mercenary?" The latter grinned, "These people are patrol members of Border Town."
He couldn't help but be taken aback, Patrol? Isn't that the same as running into a gang of robbers? When he left the inner city of the capital for the first time, he was extorted by the patrol team for two silver wolves, and the situation was similar everywhere—they were equivalent to the opposite of underground rats, but they were almost the same as rats. The difference was that , they charge more and often do nothing with their money. However, Otto was surprised that the captain smoked his pipe leisurely, and did not mean to stop them from checking, nor did he take out a few silver wolves to let them leave quickly.
"I thought the same as you when I first came here," the captain seemed to see his thoughts, "The patrols here are different, as long as they follow their rules, they don't need to pay any fees before entering the market. "
Patrol's... rules? Otto frowned. Even the robbers are reasonable in this place, and they also know how to record with pen and paper. Although it is probably just some crooked symbols, it is enough to make people feel incredible.
"What are they recording?" he asked.
"The type and quantity of the goods...especially the wheat," the captain said. "After it is delivered to the market, it must be checked to prevent you from selling the grain to others - here, the food can only be sold by the lord. Of course, my goods There is no wheat in it, so the inspection will be quicker."
After all the cloth bags were loaded into the wagon, the group left the dock and headed for the market along the wide street. Otto suddenly found that his eyes were not enough.
Is this really the most remote territory in the Kingdom of Greycastle
Looking at the flat hard pavement underfoot, the neat and beautiful houses on the street, and the people who come and go, it is not much worse than the dawn city of Glorious City.
As a nobleman, it is not that he has not seen magnificent and magnificent buildings. Whether it is the Dawning Spire or the Yingri Auditorium, these two- or three-story buildings cannot be compared.
However, there is only one Dawning Minaret, and below it, there are still dilapidated houses, and muddy trails and sewage can be seen everywhere.
But here, he couldn't find a slightly outdated house, as if these residences all popped up at the same time.
"You look surprised," the captain laughed, "don't worry, every newcomer will have this look on your face. I have to say, Border Town is a magical place. You can see the third floor over there. The building? It wasn't there when I came last time."
"I heard... this used to be a stronghold built for mining."
"That's what I heard too, but who knows the truth," he picked his nose. "You know, some rumors spread a lot, and they will always be unrecognizable. Maybe there is a lot of gold hidden in the North Slope mine. , His Majesty the King sent his son here... After all, it is his own."
"Wait, what is that?!" As he passed through a flat square, Otto suddenly saw two huge colored balls floating side by side in mid-air, with a pair of banners hanging below, and the banners were also marked with striking words. On the one hand, welcome to Border Town, on the other hand, you can get citizen benefits by joining now.
"Are you asking about the top or the bottom?" Captain Nunuzui said, "I don't know how they got the flying ball. As for the bottom... You can go to the east of the square to find out the situation, there are often Posting the lord's notice, this banner is to attract travelers, merchants and refugees from all over the world."
"They even want refugees?" Otto asked in surprise. "What about citizen welfare?"
"You can apply for jobs here, you can get subsidized food for the first two months, and you can also get a shelter from the wind and rain. Sounds very good, right?" The captain explained in disapproval, "It's not that easy to approve, my Several crew members have tried, and none of them have passed - the lord requires no dissent, no church, and no criminal experience. And stealing is also a crime, oh my god, which sailor hasn't stolen? Also in my opinion Although it looks prosperous, it actually has many shortcomings.”
"for example?"
"There are too few places to have fun. There are no casinos, no brothels, and there is not even a warbler on the street," he spat. "Have you lived in such a place for a long time, you have to suffocate yourself?"
The market is just north of the square. When the captain and his party went to deliver the goods, Otto decided to stroll here alone. Listening to the other party's introduction, you can see a lot of rare goods in the convenience market here and the boutique market on the other side, and the fact is the same, from eggs to dried fish, commoners to farm implements, a dazzling array of goods are lined up. Standing in a row, as long as you stay in front of the booth for a small meeting, someone will come up to the camp to talk. Regardless of the outcome of the meeting with the fourth prince, he was already firmly attracted to the town.
Just then, there was a commotion in the crowd.
He turned his head and saw two women walking towards him.
One person wears a long black ponytail and also wears a black robe. His facial features are beautiful, but his cold expression makes it difficult to approach. The other person is completely different. Her expression is soft, and every move shows elegance and calmness, which makes people think of the warm spring breeze. The swaying bright blonde hair is like the light of the morning sun.
When he saw the blond woman, Otto felt his blood boil violently.
His hands trembled slightly, and he rubbed his eyes repeatedly, making sure that he was not mistaken—
"Andrea Quinn!" Unable to hold back his excitement, he couldn't help shouting out loud.