The city of Markarth in the Frontier Territory is a city built in the mountains. It borders High Rock and Hammerfell, and has multiple roads leading directly to the other two provinces of the empire. However, Markas City itself does not produce food, but relies on the sporadic farms and trade in the frontier territory to maintain the daily consumption of supplies in the city.
So you won't see many farmers in Markas City. Most of the people in the city rely on the rich mineral resources on this land to make a living.
Among them, the Andor family controls the Sidana Mine, which is the largest silver mine in the entire Skyrim and even Tamriel. They use the rich silver mine to cooperate with Dugu City in the northeast and Dugu City in the northwest. Wayrest City, Skaven City in the southwest, and Cyrodiil in the empire all have good business relationships, and slowly and naturally they became the lords of the frontier fortress.
In Carmarthen City, the River Caims runs straight through the center of the city, providing power for the city's mining and smelting.
Since there aren't many farms in the surrounding countryside, the crops produced here can barely feed the people here. All facilities in Markas exist around the carriage caravans, and many carriage drivers and workers carrying goods can be seen here.
This abnormal ecological model has not weakened even during the war. At most, the trade routes from the empire and Dugu City in the north were blocked, but traders from Gaoyan in the west continued to cross the Rift Mountain and come to the border area to conduct trade.
The Silver Blood family is the richest family besides the Andor family. The Silver Blood family not only controls the Koskeg Mine, which is slightly smaller than the Sidana and Left Hand Mines, as well as the freight and handling work in the city, but also dominates the food trade of the entire frontier territory. Therefore, the Silver Blood family is Markarth. Another lord of the city is not an exaggeration.
There is a saying in Markas City: Silver and blood flow in this city. As for what this silver and blood refers to, even the most gossipy women and children will not tell you loudly in broad daylight.
Turka and his party entered Markas City around nine o'clock in the morning the next day.
The guard only briefly checked the contents of the carriage and then let it go. But when they saw Turka, who was obviously tall and extraordinary, they said with disgust and vigilance: Don't cause trouble, we are watching you.
At this time, Turka just smiled with an unknown meaning and lowered his eyes slightly. Even little Luogatus couldn't guess what he was thinking.
The carriage drove through the thick city gate and entered this prestigious frontier capital.
The first thing that caught Little Luogatus's eyes was a huge square. The paving stones in the square have been worn down by many generations of vehicular traffic. There were rows of carriages parked densely above, with only a few bored bodyguards watching.
There were many stables along the street, each stable wide enough for carriages to pass, and many roads were deeply rutted by carriages. There is no green space here, so children play in the streets while dodging carriages and listening to the curses of the carriage drivers.
The square is surrounded by hotels and shops, and many vendors sit behind stalls outside their shops, their signs swaying back and forth in the wind. They passed a cupmaker; a tailor was carrying bundles of fabrics out of his shop for his customers to choose from; a shoemaker was sitting at the door of his shop, tapping the heel of a boot; a knife sharpener was walking in the street. Hawking; vendors holding their trays with a handful of fruits and vegetables.
But not many pedestrians are interested in them. Stores selling food can only display some shabby items. Even the butcher's chopping board only has a few raw rabbit and pheasant meats. Beef and lamb shanks are very rare. Occasionally, venison and mammoth trunks will appear on the stalls of some more unscrupulous vendors. , three-tusked dolphin meat and other high-end goods.
"I Have a Picture Book of Ghosts and Gods"
The current situation is not yet a famine, but everyone understands what it will be like in the future if there are no changes in the weather and war. So people either look sad, as if they are staring at something invisible in the distance, something that cannot make people happy.
Since the carriage of the old farmer's family was carrying a large amount of grain, as soon as Old Dandis stopped at a stable in the square, the auditor and guards responsible for tax collection came over immediately.
"Hey, you. What did you do? Did you file the tax return?" The auditor was wearing a brown woolen vest with a white shirt underneath that was smooth and clean. There was a greedy and arrogant look on his face, "According to the city lord's law , you must pay taxes first. The tax rate is one-tenth of your goods. In addition, there are poll taxes, public security..."
Hearing that the auditor was so greedy that he wanted to swallow up the output that the old farmer and his family had worked hard for a year, little Logatus angrily jumped down from his carriage and tried to protest.
But his mother held him back. Angry flames flashed in old Tangdis's eyes, but he wisely did not conflict with the villain in front of him too much. He just said in a low voice: He has already paid the city lord's tax. This time I went to the city just to exchange food for some daily items.
"Then you also have to pay taxes." The auditor said impatiently, his eyes always staring at the whole bearskin on the carriage, his greed almost undisguised, "All grain must be traded through designated merchants. , and you did not obtain the corresponding permission."
"We won't trade with silver blood." Little Luogatus couldn't help shouting, "At least not now. Because we don't need it. And the city lord shouldn't come to rob us before we get the corresponding reward. .”
oh.
Young little Logatus, stupid little Logatus, he didn't even know what trouble he would get into by saying this. Sure enough, after hearing what he said, the expressions of the auditor and the guard changed at the same time, and the greed in their eyes was replaced by fear and sneer.
"Ha, stupid..."
"We will." Turka spoke. He took a step forward and blocked the impulsive little Logatus and the old farmer who wanted to draw his sword. His tall body even blocked a large area of sunlight, and that The double golden vertical pupils also made the auditors and guards feel a little afraid. They all took a step back, and the guard even wanted to draw his sword reflexively. But Turka just said calmly and persuasively: "Everything is in accordance with the law and will not change. Yes, that's it. So, why not leave quietly? This is good for you and us."
The auditor and the guard stared blankly at the eyes under the cloak, seemingly stunned. "Yes, everything is in accordance with the law." The auditor repeated. The tone was straightforward, without any emotion.
Little Logatus was also in a trance. He didn't even know what happened. He just felt that Turka's voice was like the Holy Spirit coming from the light world, and he subconsciously believed that this was correct and in line with his values. So the anger in his heart calmed down and he stood quietly.
Dondice Sr. and his wife didn't do too well either. This is the first time Turka has shown another of his abilities in Mundus; apparently, his voice still has magic power, perhaps it has something to do with similar abilities in this world.
Turka thought.
"So?" Turka whispered, his tone disturbingly calm. The auditors and guards were shaking on their fingers and knees. They mechanically turned around and left without looking back.
Many people saw that the greedy auditors and guards in the past had not received anything, so they left in a hurry, and they couldn't help but look at the old farmer's family with surprise.
Old Tang Dis also recovered from his surprise at this time, Shuer, what happened? He glared at his useless son, but seeing that he still looked angry, the old farmer sighed in disappointment.
"Turka, you go find a hotel. We may have to stay for many days. Maybe not. But life must go on. I will talk to the people of the Silver Blood family about this batch of food, and then we will meet you. "The old farmer decided not to think too much about Turka's ability to 'convince' the greedy auditors and guards, and the fear they showed when they left. This is the wisdom of an old man. "By the way, Silver Blood Inn is a good choice." He said. A smile appeared on Feng Shuang Pu Mian's face.
To this, Turka just nodded and said nothing.
"And you." The old farmer said to little Luogatus with a look of hatred for steel, "Go with Turka, I believe you are not stupid enough to forget where the Silver Blood Inn is!"
Little Logatus was frightened by the murderous glare from his old father, and his impulsive temper finally calmed down, "Yes, I didn't... I mean, I will do it."
Then he looked at Turka with pleading eyes. A smile flashed in Turka's eyes. He watched the old farmer hand a bag of gold coins to little Logatus, and then temporarily separated from the old farmer and his wife.
Without the heavy father's love, little Logatus seemed very happy, as if offending the city lord's guards and auditors was no big deal. He took Turka and happily wandered around the city of Markas, introducing Turka to everything about Markas. Then he discovered that he could not escape the Silver Blood Family no matter what: the square was surrounded by hotels and shops, and there were some tall red brick houses with signs, but according to the farmer's son, a large part of the industry here , all belong to the Silver Blood family.
"Shur, they are just a bunch of greedy dogs!" Little Luogatus cursed in a low voice, feeling a little discouraged.
Turka saw a lot of refugees from the frontier area. Most of them were either sitting idle on the cold ground with lifeless faces; or they were running errands and doing odd jobs for vendors and shopkeepers in the city. The children were sneaking through the crowd, and there might be a lot of thieves among them.
Of course, they would not dare to collide with the chosen one from another world. And when they occasionally encounter guards patrolling (or extorting) around the city, they all look at them with obvious distrust. The look in their eyes seemed as if they were also some of the thieves.
It feels like an active volcano before it erupts. Turk frowned secretly. From the moment he entered the city, a strange feeling enveloped his heart. His eyes couldn't help but fall on the highest rock peak in the city.
Little Logatus also noticed something was wrong with the surrounding atmosphere. He hurriedly led Turka through the crowd, seemed to have randomly chosen a hotel and walked in. The sign hanging on the hotel door swayed in the wind. , the pattern on it is a crossed pickaxe and hammer, with blood dripping down. The name of the hotel is "Silver Blood Inn".
At this time, even the farmer's son had no intention of talking anymore.
Little Logatus pushed open the heavy brass door with force, and the next moment, the sound of playing zither and harp, drunken laughter and shouting filled their hearts like the sudden sound of thunder. ear.
In the hall, a big Nord man, neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, was pouring beer from a barrel. Two men in rough work clothes were sitting at a table near the inside, staring dully at their faces. Wine glass. In the corner, a mercenary wearing leather armor and a sharp blade was drinking his ale in silence. His companion was happily bragging about his deeds to the people around him, and occasionally laughed when he mentioned the wonderful points. The bard held his recorder and pretended to be flirtatious with several ladies, regardless of the jealous flames in the eyes of more men around him. The merchants from High Rock and Hammerfell were wearing brocades made of silk and velvet. They looked at the guys around them with arrogance and contempt, thinking about how to make a lot of money here.
Roughly dressed men crowded around the tables, stumbling between the tables, shaking their wine glasses and trying to squeeze the waitresses who were dodging back and forth, trying to put on a smile on their faces.
The whole hotel was almost vibrating with the noise. The hall was filled with the sour smell of old wine and dirty bodies.
This is really a novel experience.
Turka hadn't felt like this for a long time. At this moment, he seemed to be alive again, not as a chosen person favored by the Creator God, but as a mortal.
When the group of two people walked through the door, only the innkeeper raised his head. A huge bar divides the hall into front and rear halves, each half filled with tables and a crackling fireplace set into the stone wall on the right. This fireplace occupies half of the other wall of the square hall and is as high as a man's shoulder. The flames dancing in the hearth removed all the chill from the house.
"Welcome." The hotel owner only said half of what he said, and then he saw Turka's tall body that obviously did not belong to this continent, and the rest of the words stopped on his tongue in surprise.
"Clebo." Little Luo Gatus seemed to know the owner of the hotel. He greeted the big man like an adult.
Only then did Claypool come back to his senses. He looked at the son of Savius Farm on the outskirts of the city, and looked at the amazing guest who could only be seen by raising his head. He's really tall. The innkeeper thought so.
"Little Logatus, you have also come to Markas, Shure, is the situation already so critical?"
"If possible, I don't want to enter the city at this time." Little Logatus imitated his father's tone, as if this could hide his immaturity that had not even grown a beard, and he deliberately said loudly: "But Shure, it’s already dangerous in the wild, we can only go into the city. Yes, that’s it.”
The voice of the farmer's son attracted the attention of some people around him. They looked over with disdain, and their big mouths filled with the smell of alcohol reflexively wanted to open. But when they saw Turka standing behind little Logatus, their taunting stopped again.
This silence seemed to be contagious, and the originally noisy hotel gradually became quiet.
Turka lifted his cloak in front of everyone.
