In 1765, when the inscription was made, Delarion was still engaged in a full-scale war with Carsenrick. This tower was probably the outpost of the Kingdom Army at that time, but it was abandoned as the front line moved forward and a new border was established.
The traces of fire that Shade saw in the tower just now should have been left by hunters who passed by here a long time ago.
"This really is Fort Midhill!"
This is what makes Xia De most excited.
In addition to Father Augustus, Shad's friend Captain Rades is also serving in Windy Trail, and Miss White's "missing" sister Miss Black, whom he is looking for, is also on vacation in Midhill Castle.
“I don’t know if there’s a chance I’ll run into anyone I know.”
Instead of leaving immediately, Shade walked around the tower again and found that the lighthouse was actually near the hillside of Mount Xikar. Behind the tower was a cliff slope that was easy to defend but difficult to attack. Standing here, across the lush forest and towering rocks, you could actually see the huge steam city stretching to the north below the mountain.
The city at the foot of the mountain was divided into small squares by streets. Under the sun, the city built on the foot of the mountain stretched towards the distant plain. Chimneys spewed black fog into the sky, and one had to squint to barely see the small black dots moving in the city.
The railway passes through the west of the city, connecting the northern plains of the kingdom and the entrance to the Rommel Mountains. This is the most important railway line in the southeastern region of Delarion. Through this railway, the trade goods and travelers between Delarion and Carsenrick do not have to bypass the giant mountain range that stretches across the central and eastern parts of the Old World, nor do they have to climb over the mountain peaks. It can be said that in the peaceful years of 1853, both Delarion and Carsenrick valued this city very much.
Compared to the first time he peeked at the Lengshui Port dock from beneath the sea, Xia De was more shocked when he peeked at the giant city lying under the mountain from the forest:
"It looks like Fort Midhill is not any smaller than Tobesk."
Because of the distance, it was difficult for Shade to identify the buildings in the city. The only thing he could see clearly was the huge church outside the city center square. He knew that it was the natural church of the God of Nature and Evil. He had inquired about the history of Midhill Castle and knew that the first person to establish faith in this city was the God of Nature and the Lord of All Things among the Five Righteous Gods.
"After I rescue the priest, I can take a walk here."
Following the instructions on the old tower, Shade struggled to move forward in the forest where there was no road at all. Moving in this primitive forest was more difficult than he thought, but fortunately he did not go in the wrong direction. After about 20 minutes, he finally saw an obvious road in the forest.
Although the sign of the abandoned tower called this road a "small road" in 1765, it is actually the main road from the city into the mountains. The weeds and trees have been cleared away, and the flat road should be enough for a carriage to move forward easily.
Although there were no road signs, Shade at least knew to go in the direction of the terrain. During this period, he did not meet anyone on the road. After about 20 minutes, he saw houses and cooking smoke in the distance. After more than 10 minutes, he finally arrived at the foot of the mountain and entered the southeast area of Midhill Castle.
Midhill Castle is built on the mountain. It is a city at the foot of Mount Sikar, an important mountain in the Rommel Mountains that stretches across the central and eastern parts of the Old World. Initially, this castle was built to defend against the attacks of the Kasenrik people. However, with the changes in the relationship between the two countries and the several southward advances of the border, Midhill Castle eventually evolved into a large city in the southeast of the kingdom and became an important transit point for entering and leaving the two kingdoms from the eastern part of the Old World.
Unlike Tobisk and Coldwater Port, the terrain of the "Mountain City" Midhillburg is generally not flat. Because it is located in the northwest of Mount Sikar, the entire city is high in the southeast, low in the northwest, and then extends to the plain.
The foot of the mountain is not a rural area, but a suburb of the city built on the mountain. And because of the trade needs of the West Carr Pass, the infrastructure of the old city at the foot of the mountain is well maintained, and there are many official city hall institutions. Even the Midhill Fort Railway Station is at the foot of the mountain. It is hard to tell that this is the original urban area of Midhill Fort.
The urban style of this inland city near the mountains is also completely different from that of the coastal ports and the capital of the kingdom. Although chimneys spewing black smoke can still be seen everywhere in the city, at least the greenery here is much better than the two cities that Shade has stayed in.
Although the sky was still covered with a thin layer of mist due to the steam industry, there were trees on almost every street that was wide enough for two carriages to run side by side.
It’s a pity that Shad was not in the mood to experience the city scenery of the Mountain City this time. He was still thinking about Priest Augustus.
Because Shad had never been to Midhill Castle before, after taking a carriage from the suburbs into the city, he first asked passers-by about the location of the post office, and then bought a local tourist map at the post office.
Due to its special border location, there are many foreigners in this city. When buying a map, the uniformed staff of the Midhill Post Office thought that Shad was also on vacation from the southern capital, and enthusiastically introduced the local scenery to him.
But when Shad began to ask about the location of the Dawn Church in a standard Tobesk accent, the other party realized that he was a man from the capital city.
Although outsiders never think that living in the capital is more noble than living in other places, in fact, cities like Midhill Castle and Coldwater Port are indeed "countryside" compared to Tobesk.
Father Augustus once said that after the old priests and priests summoned by the Five Gods Church arrived at Midhill Castle, they would temporarily live in the local church before further arrangements were made. Although they were called in name only for "meetings and collective learning", it was clear that this was not right.
Shad believed that the church had discovered the disappearance of Priest Augustus. Since the church failed to save the priest, it meant that the matter was much more troublesome than he had imagined.
"What we encountered in Coldwater Harbor was a tsunami that submerged the city, and what happened in Tobesk was a divine visitation. I wonder what will happen in Midhill Castle next. It can't be worse than Tobesk, right?"
He hurriedly looked at the map while moving towards the local Dawn Church two blocks away, and the voice in his heart whispered:
There shouldn't be anything more dangerous than facing the evil god, right
Xia De looked at the map and continued walking. He waited until he reached the trading company with a metal sign on the corner of the block that bought wood, and then turned to the residential block on the other side with three-story apartments, and then he gave his answer:
"Yes, I can even attend the evil god's cocktail party, so why should I be afraid of the gods? Therefore, the problem that priest Augustus encountered can be solved smoothly. After rescuing the priest, I want him to take me around this city. Before the priest left, didn't he say that he had been to Midhill Castle when he was young?"
Walking on the misty streets, listening to people of various accents and languages passing by, Xia De looked down at the map, somewhat confused as to why, after the big city player was finished, he did not even have a night's rest, but plunged into adventure again:
"After rescuing the priest, I must ask him to treat me to a meal at the best restaurant in the city."