There is of course more than one mountain road that crosses Mount Sikar and enters Carsonrick from Draerion, but the Windy Trail is the most accessible road that can be passed by a carriage and is also the easiest road to travel.
Even now that steam trains are available at the Sikar Pass, this mountain road, which has existed since ancient times, is still the most important trade route in the surrounding area.
The Wind Rising Trail winds around the Xikar Mountains, and eventually crosses the border and leads to a foreign city on the other side of the mountains. The Red Water Camp is the largest outpost and military camp set up by the Royal Army of Draerion in the border area. On the one hand, it is responsible for defense and reconnaissance, and on the other hand, it cooperates with the outposts and tax officials to manage the entry and exit of goods.
Of course, there are other military camps besides the Red Water Camp in Xikar Mountain, but ordinary people are not aware of them.
The Hongshui Camp itself does not allow any unrelated personnel other than soldiers to enter, but a place is also needed to rest in the mountains and prepare goods. After all, it takes time to go down the mountain from the Hongshui Camp and enter the city.
Therefore, the travelers spontaneously gathered outside the military camp to form a small camp. As businessmen saw the business opportunity, they used some unknown means to get the commander of the Red Water Camp to agree to build buildings, and small hotels, warehouses and taverns were built in the travelers' camp.
Although the building is simple, it is better than nothing.
When Shad was going up the mountain, he happened to meet a farmer from Midhill Castle who wanted to take a donkey cart of grain to the south to sell through the Windy Trail. So he spent two pennies to take a ride, sat behind the grain cart and chatted with the old man driving the cart while walking into the mountain.
Xia De was very curious. The man looked to be in his fifties, so why was he still transporting food? The old man smiled and told Xia De:
"The children have all gone to big cities like Fort Midhill, but the land cannot be left uncultivated. This is land passed down from our ancestors."
Even though he was riding a donkey cart, Xia De didn't see the towering watchtower of Hongshui Camp until almost one in the afternoon. You have to know that although he started at more than ten o'clock, he started from the abandoned tower in the mountain, not from the bottom of the mountain. In other words, unless riding a horse or taking a car, an ordinary person would not be able to reach Hongshui Camp until almost dusk even if he entered the mountain in the morning.
Xia De said goodbye to the talkative old man at the camp. The latter had to go to the checkpoint ahead and pay taxes before he could get the customs clearance documents. Xia De waved his hand, then stood beside the road sign written in both languages and looked to his right.
On the right was a small peak, with wooden steps and corridors built on the steep slope, leading to a higher military camp surrounded by rough stone fences and wooden wall fences. The top of the small peak was not known to be flattened by humans or was originally flat, and the Red Water Camp was located on it. Only a few arrow towers and gun muzzles were needed to easily block any enemy who wanted to attack from here.
Standing on the side of the road, you can see patrolling soldiers standing on top of the high wooden wall, and you can also hear the faint sound of shouting.
The "Traveler's Camp" written in two languages on the road sign refers to the camp located next to the checkpoint on the Windy Trail, which surrounds the small peak. The trees in the forest have been cut down and leveled. Wooden buildings of no more than two stories high are scattered in the camp, and simple wooden fences used to protect against wild animals are crookedly encircling the scope of the traveler's camp.
Although it is in the mountains, it looks very lively here. Merchants driving carriages and travelers passing through the camp shuttled back and forth. People speaking different languages gathered together to complain about the inconvenience of water use. Slogans on fire prevention and theft prevention were engraved everywhere, and soldiers on leave walked in and out of the tavern with their arms around each other, laughing.
There was even an innkeeper who specialized in serving travelers, and was trying to nail a wooden board with an advertisement on it on the wooden fence outside the camp. But when Shade approached the camp, he was chased away by a rude butcher who was collecting mountain produce near the fence, holding a knife for chopping steaks:
"This is my territory, go hang your filthy sign somewhere else!"
The butcher with a heavy accent added two words that Shade didn't know how to translate to describe the innkeeper's despicable behavior, which made the people who saw this scene laugh.
Although there is an entrance to the campsite, no one stops us to collect tolls or other fees.
Foreigners who had never seen such a scene looked around with great interest after entering the camp. However, the area of the traveler's camp was at most three times the size of Saint Teresa's Square, and at least a quarter of the area was warehouses. Therefore, although it looked fresh, after taking a few glances, they felt that there was actually nothing interesting here.
Captain Rades met with Yoshad at the Blue Rose Tavern in the Traveler Camp today after the incident at the Mechanic Academy in Fort Midhill last week. This should be a tavern with a relatively high consumption level in the camp. The reason for this judgment is not because the name is slightly elegant, but because the travelers who come in and out of here are all dressed decently.
When you push open the door of the pub, you are greeted by noisy sounds and the smell of alcohol mixed with fermented food.
After taking a quick look and not seeing any sign of Captain Rades, Shad guessed that the captain probably thought he would not arrive until the afternoon, so he walked to the tavern counter and ordered a glass of cider.
The prices in the traveler's camp seem to be higher than in the city, but this is understandable. After all, no matter what you bring from the city to the mountains, you will have to pay for it.
There were quite a few customers in the pub at noon. In addition to cider, Shade also ordered a plate of fried carrots and meat for his lunch. He sat down at the table in the corner and asked the waiter for a copy of the "Sikar Morning Post" so that he would have something to do while eating.
The newspaper, which only costs 3p in the city, costs 4p in the traveler's camp. Although it is only one penny more, it is still more expensive. Shade knew that bargaining is not allowed here, so he did not say much. However, when he counted out the change and handed the four small coins to the waiter, the door of the tavern was pushed open again.
Xia De subconsciously looked in that direction, and the person who entered the room also noticed Xia De's gaze and looked over at the same time.
"Um?"
It was a pity that the person who came in was not Captain Rades, but he was also an acquaintance of Shade. His hair was very short, and only the hairy stubble could be seen. His skin was dark, and his eyes were very double-lidded. He looked to be in his thirties, thin, and wrapped in an old-fashioned brown robe that people in desert areas often wear. He held a notebook in his right hand, his eyelashes were very short, and his black eyes were unusually bright.
"Mr. Sean Asmon?"
This was the "demon scholar" whom Shad had met in the Pink Rose Inn in Coldwater Harbor. This gentleman even lost a Rhodes card from the demon series to Shad in that not-so-decent inn, and told him a story about a man without wishes and a demon.