Playing cards with a cheater was a relatively new experience for Shad. After resting for a while with Miss Princess, the two left the tavern and headed for their next destination.
The Seven Broomsticks Tavern is considered to be a relatively large gathering place for ring wizards in the local area, and next Miss Princess wants to introduce Shade to several relatively small black markets for ring wizards.
Still in the bustling and chaotic dock area, after leaving the tavern, the two took off their masks and walked along the street towards the port in a normal manner. Miss Princess led the way in front, and Shade followed behind. Originally, Shade was thinking about whether to find some topics to talk about, but he didn't expect that the sorceress would take the initiative to talk to him.
Miss Princess seemed to have been to many places, and she talked to Shade about the local customs and political systems of various places in the Old World. Whether it was the unique parliamentary system of Carsenrick, the special hobbies of the Grand Duchess of the small principality in the south of Draerion, the peculiar customs of the small tribes on the eastern coast of the kingdom, or the environmental protection laws and regulations of the primeval forest in the south of the Old World, she could actually say a few words.
From the great ice caps in the north of the Old World to the primeval forests in the south, from the coldwater port on the west coast of the Great Road to the Broken Islands on the east coast of the continent, Miss Princess knows almost everything. In fact, if it weren't for her identity as a correspondence ring sorcerer, she would also like to go to the New World to see the unique natural scenery and majestic ancient ruins.
"I went to Carson Creek not long ago. Of course, it was just a short trip."
Miss Princess and Shad stood at the intersection waiting for a row of carriages to pass by. It was the local art gallery delivering goods.
As she spoke, she observed Shad's expression, but most of Shad's attention was now focused on the dock post office on the other side of the intersection.
There are more post offices in Coldwater Harbor than in Tobesk. Although the permanent population here may not be as large as that of the Pearl of the North, the number of outsiders entering and leaving the city every day is definitely unmatched. Because Miss Louisa said that she would not bring fish as a souvenir this time, Xia De was thinking about whether he should go to the post office to buy some beautiful postcards.
"How's Carsonrick?"
Shade asked casually.
“It’s great, especially the vineyards in the south. The scenery there is absolutely beautiful.”
Miss Princess said that young girls in the North these days seemed to be fond of the vineyards of the South.
She thought Xia De would continue talking about the vineyard, but unexpectedly he looked at the souvenir shop next to the post office at the pier.
Colorful masks and wooden models of ships of various styles were displayed in the window. Shad was considering whether he should buy some models to give to Miss Louisa.
"What do you think of giving these things to your friends? We finally made it to Coldwater City, and I was thinking of buying some gifts for my friends in the group."
Miss Princess looked in the direction of his finger, and the two walked together through the busy dock streets. It was Monday afternoon, but the dock was still bustling with people.
"For a female friend?"
She asked.
"Yes."
"She's definitely not going to like it."
The sorceress gave a decisive answer without even thinking about it.
"Why?"
"Because I don't like it... ... From a common sense perspective, women don't like things that are in the way and have no use when placed on the cabinet."
"So what should we send?"
Shad asks her for help.
"You want me to help you choose?"
The girl with golden hair pointed at herself, with an expression that looked like she wanted to laugh but also wanted to be angry.
"Yes... Is it a bother? Sorry, I just wanted to get your opinion."
Shad asked hesitantly, remembering that he was only paying the other party to be a tour guide and there was no reason for the other party to help him choose a gift.
Seeing what Shade said, the sorceress took a deep breath:
"You really know how to find shortcuts... Souvenir shops probably have those cheap little jewelry, like brooches made of shells, or bracelets made of beautiful pebbles. These things are small and exquisite. Although they are not valuable, they won't look out of place when placed at home. Look, the ruby earrings in the window. Although the gems are definitely fake, the mermaid-like design is very nice."
"Oh! Good idea! Wait a minute!"
As he spoke, Shade walked quickly towards the souvenir shop next to the post office. Miss Princess was left standing by the mailbox, watching Shade's back go away:
"Does he really know nothing, or is he just making fun of me?"
The sorceress muttered quietly.
After leaving the intersection, they did not enter the port area, but walked north along the street until the surrounding buildings became sparser and sparser. It took them half an hour to leave the bustling dock and climb the cliff outside the dock area. Xia De saw the small lighthouse standing on the cliff from a distance. That was their target.
There is only one winding road from the city to the lighthouse on the cliff. Although no one maintains it, the ruts on the ground barely keep the road from being swallowed by nature.
After climbing the cliff, the smell of the sea became stronger, the sound of seagulls in the sea breeze could be heard from far away, and the sound of waves crashing was refreshing. Miss Princess led the way in front, introducing the situation here to Shade as they walked. However, she probably didn't come here often, so she had to stop and go to find the most convenient way.
It was not until they got closer to the lighthouse that Shad saw the wooden boards and metal pipes piled under the old lighthouse.
"Are they doing maintenance here?"
Shade asked hesitantly.
"The lighthouses in the harbor are very important because they are repaired every summer. Not only do they guide ships on long voyages, but the 12 lighthouses outside Coldwater Port also serve to guard the coastline."
Miss Princess and Shad stopped together and looked at the old lighthouse standing on the sea cliff:
"Mr. Watson, do you know the history of Coldwater Harbor? Although this city rose to prominence due to the discovery of the New World, before that, it had always been one of the most important seaport cities on the west coast of the Great Road. The history of the establishment of Coldwater Harbor is completely untraceable, but in the early Fifth Era, a horrifying incident occurred here. After that, the Orthodox Church and the Thaumaturgy Academy built 12 lighthouses outside Coldwater Harbor as the base for large-scale ceremonies to protect the city."
“What is the purpose of the ritual?”
"I don't know. This is a secret between the church and the academy. I only read some information in the history book of the Zaras School of Spellcraft when I was writing a course paper. Of course, that was a thousand years ago. Now the so-called ceremony to protect the city has more symbolic significance than practical significance. After all, it is different from the chaotic era at the beginning of the era. The Orthodox Church can fully protect this place. So whether this large-scale ceremony relying on the twelve lighthouses can still be effective, we don't know."
The old lighthouse on the sea cliff is currently inhabited by an elderly tower keeper, Mr. Edmund, who is the person they are visiting this time. The sign of the decline of these old lighthouses is such an important ritual node that the keeper is actually a secret ring wizard.
This old man did not belong to the church, and Miss Princess did not know what organization he belonged to. Because they could not fully trust him, both of them wore masks before knocking on the door, but after knocking for a long time, no one in the lighthouse opened the door.
Just as they were about to leave, footsteps were heard coming from the direction they came from.
Turning around, I saw an old man wearing a hat and a light gray cloth jacket full of pockets, carrying a fishing rod on his back, a bucket in his left hand and a metal folding chair in his right hand, walking up from the winding path under the cliff.
That folding chair looked like it was made of pipes stacked under the lighthouse.
He looked to be about fifty years old, full of energy, ruddy complexion, and very steady steps. When he saw the masked stranger standing under the lighthouse, he asked:
"Who introduced you?"
The cold water port accent is very strong and the way it is pronounced is very different on the west coast and inland.
"I bought a magical conch from you two years ago. You asked for £300, and I gave you £310, and told you that I might come back again in a long time."
Miss Princess said.
"oh?"
Mr. Edmund nodded, as if remembering the generous lady:
"I remember this incident. You said at the time that it was my friend Lao Yue who introduced you..."
He saw the gesture made by Miss Princess, so he did not finish saying the name, but motioned for the two to wait:
"Well, I'll put the things down first and then we can talk about things. Today's harvest is really not small."
He must have gone fishing just now. When he passed by Xia De, Xia De curiously looked into the iron bucket, but there was only a fish fry in it that was not even as big as Xia De's three fingers.
"When fishing, there are always bad luck. Today's tide is strange. I bet there is something strange approaching offshore, and when I was baiting..."
Seeing that Shade had noticed, old Mr. Edmund explained with a red face. The old man did not let them enter the lighthouse, but after putting down the things in his hands, he stood on the edge of the sea cliff with the two of them, looking out to the sea while talking about things.
The water was at least 50 feet (about 15.2 meters) below the sea surface, and the rumbling sound of the tide constantly hit the rocks below the cliffs, forcing them to speak with greater force. But standing here, feeling the sea breeze and bathing in the water vapor was a very good feeling, and the scenery of the sky and the sea in the distance also made Xia De very satisfied.
The old man who lived alone here kept a dog and two cats in the lighthouse. These three animals were quite humane under the lighthouse, eating the food given by Mr. Edmund while looking at the three people watching the sea in the distance.
The dog was a common country dog used for guarding the house, and the two cats were also mixed breeds, but they were quite close to Shade just now. If they hadn't been scolded by their owner, they would have even wanted to throw themselves at Shade's feet and roll around. It seemed that Shade's closeness to cats was not only useful for cats in Tobesk, but also for cats from other places.