The belated spring revived after the cold wave. It only lasted less than a month and became hotter and hotter. By the time people came to their senses, summer had quietly arrived.
Except for the sick, starved and frozen parts of the seagull chicks born during the cold wave, those that survived were able to fly alone after a few months. They are accompanied by their parents, hovering in the sky, waiting for human fishing boats to pull up the trawl nets.
Due to various reasons, the number of seagulls is much smaller than last year, but judging from this vibrant appearance, it is only a matter of time before the population recovers.
The same is true for rats, cockroaches and flies, which have been decimated by disasters. These specialized animals, which rely heavily on the development and growth of human civilization, experienced a sharp decline in numbers when human society experienced turmoil and disasters. After they prospered again, they became noisy again, making the work and life of the residents miserable.
They follow us like the drawbacks of prosperity, seeking to survive in the gaps between people.
Just like the slave problem that still exists in this city.
Unlike a certain king on the other side of the Inland Sea who only governed a small kingdom, in the huge and complicated Padrosi Empire, many things could not be done just by thinking about it.
Without the problems of slaves and oppression, there would not have been these angry and retaliatory attacks by the Southerners - anyone can come to such a conclusion, but it is another matter to change all this.
Avenella was able to promulgate a proclamation to emancipate slaves and abolish slavery when Edward I, who was still a prince, was full of enthusiasm and generosity, because this country was only a small country with a small total population.
The area is not large, and the business is not very developed. Basically, it is self-sufficient. Farmland is scattered, and most farmers work together as a family. Only a few large landowners need slaves to help with farming. The starting point of wanting to become a country that can stand on an equal footing with big countries, coupled with the fact that its fundamental interests are not affected, has allowed this young and small country to transform quickly.
But Padrosi is different.
Like the Southern City-State Alliance, the descendants of the ancient Laman Empire have inherited the fine traditions of their ancestors and have very efficient means in terms of applying engineering technology and using human resources.
Straightforward words.
The radiant prosperity of Padrosi and the Southland was built on the bones of slaves.
These two countries and regions that the Lamanites were proud of relied entirely on the backbone of slaves to support their present and future.
If the slaves are removed, who will do the work of cleaning the sewers? Without the slaves, who would do the work of rowing oars for battleships and merchant ships?
Employ those citizens? ——They are pampered and will only raise their salary because they find it so bad that they can’t eat and drink enough? So how do aristocratic businessmen accumulate wealth?
How can Parnira, which has lost the circulation of wealth, still become the most prosperous commercial port on the east coast?
It's the city's foundation, and it's a perfect symbol of how humans accumulate wealth by exploiting their own kind.
Changing it is not as easy as the middle-aged men on the first floor of the hotel boast about talking about current affairs over strong drinks.
To transform the city and even the entire Padrosi from the foundation up, what needs to be done will be as difficult as digging a tunnel through the solid mountains of Palohya.
Difficult, but not hopeless.
Although it's not right now, something is buried.
The little aristocratic lady was writing furiously in front of the window. After receiving excellent training, the cursive Lamani calligraphy she wrote was beautiful and neat. The sun shines in through the windows. There are only a few people walking on the street outside the four-story mansion, and the market in the distance is far less busy than before.
'The traces of the battle can still be seen everywhere. Although it has returned to normal on the surface, some alleys that are closed to traffic and the debris on the sea that has not been fished out and floated for several months and is covered with moss are still telling people. The shocking fact.
After the news spread that Parnilla had returned to the control of the Empire, gradually, the citizens who had fled to the nearby countryside and forests returned to the city.
The scuttled merchant ships were broken down underwater by divers carrying saws, and then fished out by fishing boats. The wood that could be recovered was recovered as much as possible, and the rest was carried farther out to sea and abandoned.
After the sunken ships blocking the port were removed, merchant ships and fishing boats were finally able to go out to sea, and everything gradually began to return to normal..." "Dong dong dong——" Margaret stopped holding her hands. She used a quill pen, and the ink left a small square dot on the delicate paper. She frowned, and then put the pen into the ink bottle.
"Who?" "It's me, miss." The replying voice was obviously that of the butler Ferruccio: "The things you ordered are ready, do you want me to send them over, or do you--" "I'll go there myself." She said this and then stood up.
"Step--" The small round leather shoes made a dull sound when they stepped on the thick wooden floor. The sun shone on her body. Margaret, who had a ponytail, was wearing a simple summer skirt. It seemed a bit unseemly by aristocratic standards, but she was no longer the same person she was last year.
Over the past few months, while her height has increased, her face has also gradually begun to become more pointed. Although her height is still not comparable to her friends, today's aristocratic lady no longer looks like a little girl like she used to. The style is so ignorant that people begin to want to use the word "slim" to describe it.
"Click -" She opened the door and glanced at Ferruccio, who made a simple courtesy and then handed over a wooden box covered with velvet.
"Just give me two, no, three." Margaret said: "The rest is for you two." Ferruccio glanced at her, and then asked: "Don't bring Fei Libo?"
"Isn't he practicing swordsmanship every day recently, and there is no need to go to see them." Margaret said nonchalantly, while Ferruccio shook his head: "He is really a guy who has no self-consciousness about protecting himself. , still too young, too young.”
"Let him go, I will be troubled if the guard's skills are not good." She said, then tied something to her chest, and walked down the stairs with a smile that she couldn't help but smile. , and then walked towards the carriage that had been prepared at the door.
"Let's go." Margaret said after waving her hand to reject the maid's assistance and quickly climbing onto the carriage alone and closing the door.
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"Really can't it be cheaper?" The hot noon sun made the masonry floor begin to heat up. The lightly dressed Luoan girl ignored the pungent smell in the surrounding environment and faced the middle-aged businessman with a sweaty face in front of her. He spoke.
"Hey, this travel lady -" the businessman said in Lamani with a southern accent and an exaggerated tone: "As you can see, these horses here are all fine Abu Sera horses. You know , is the endless southern prairie. This is the horse that is most suitable for such a midsummer season. Horses that can withstand such weather are not common. Even those noble gentlemen often come to visit our house. "
He said this, pretending that his own horses were in short supply. Mira didn't say anything, just turned her head and glanced at the stable - there were more than 20 horses in this stable with only one stable boy, who was younger than her. The strong smell of horse manure in the air and the listless appearance of many horses all indicate the fact that they are under-staffed and not taking enough care of them. The top of the wooden water tank has already developed a light color that has been dried due to lack of water. , the young stable boy struggled to carry the barrel back and forth between the stable and the well one kilometer away. The heat and fatigue made his hair stick to his forehead and his face was red.
The Luoan girl rolled her eyes in her heart. If the horse was really a precious horse, how could they neglect such care?
"Ah, but you also noticed -" The cunning businessman obviously noticed Mira's observation, and he cleverly put it all back together: "Because of the abominable southern countries before - of course you don't want to I made a mistake, distinguished traveler lady. Although the accent sounds similar, I am from the Southern City-State Alliance. Please do not compare me with those uncivilized monkeys. In short, it is because of the war that we don’t seem to be the same now. Very business-"
"That's why." He rubbed his hands and said, "I can give you, lovely traveler, a suitable price now."
"Look, 120 gold coins. How about the spotted horse over there, third from the left?" He said this, and Mira followed the pointer and looked over - the listless spotted horse looked very decadent. , and there are some circular bite marks on the body, which is obviously bullied by other horses.
"Ah, it looks a little tired during the journey, but as long as it needs careful care, it will-" "It's not as simple as being tired, right-" "Pop-" Mira turned her head.
Margaret, who was still out of place in the environment even in simple clothes, stood there, and many people around her turned their heads to look this way. The driver of the noble lady's family looked at her with a pale face as she walked into the stable that was filled with the smell of horse manure, while Mira tilted her head: "Why are you here?"
"Hehe, that's done -" Margaret chuckled. Only at this moment did she look like the innocent little girl she was a few months ago - the noble lady continued: "But by the way Why did you come here when you came back? Aren't you supposed to get the customized equipment? Sir asked you to buy horses alone?"
"Yes." Mira nodded. She wanted to peek at what Margaret was hiding behind her, but the noble lady began to sway from side to side following the movements of the Luoan girl.
"Okay, okay - I'll show it to you later. Really, if it weren't for my sharp eyes and your eye-catching hair color when I passed by - so you can just ask me directly about this kind of thing, I will let that I arranged the best horse for you." Margaret said this, but Mira just shook her head: "The teacher said... No, I think so too, it is better to support yourself."
"Yes, yes, you are the sole mercenary lady." Margaret came over, and in an instant, she quickly tied a shiny thing on the chest of Mira's linen shirt.
"This is it?" The Luoan girl lowered her head.
"I can't help you with anything else, but I can at least help you negotiate the price. Never show mercy when facing a black-hearted businessman. This is the motto of my family - at least from this moment on -" Margaret did not Instead of answering the question, she turned around. Mira rolled her eyes when she heard her words: "You made it up now." But the noble lady stared straight at it, speechless from the beginning. The middle-aged businessman who kept wiping his sweat.
"I said, uncle -" "Yes!"
"I want to bargain." "Okay!"
"..." After a while, the two newly purchased horses were entrusted to the coachman of Margaret's family to choose matching saddles. The two girls walked side by side towards the other side and approached the East City Gate. Continue walking in the direction.
The sound of "ding-ding-ding-ding" came from the front, which was obviously the location of the blacksmith shop.
The shops that were originally closer to the aristocratic residential area were destroyed during the war and have not yet been rebuilt. Therefore, the shop function is now taken over by the workshop. Customers need to go directly to the blacksmith workshop, which is full of charcoal fires and dirty dust. , get your own customized items.
Obviously, most nobles would not be so condescending, so most of the people who came were servants, but dogs were noble because they were servants of a certain family. They were often arrogant, standing there in fine clothes and looking at them with their nostrils. Mercenaries who also come to buy weapons and armor.
"Sir." When Margaret came over, Henry just walked out of the blacksmith shop. He was holding two large linen packages in one hand, and a linen package in the other hand. Long strip.
Mira also came over. She nodded towards Henry to express that she had bought the horse, and then lowered her head and continued to stare at the sparkling thing Margaret tied on her chest.
"Here." The noble lady stretched out her hand: "Although as the leader, I want to tie it myself, but I am not tall enough." She shook her head, while Henry shrugged and squatted down.
"Hey." Margaret smiled, and then tied it on the sage's chest with her own hands.
"This is the little explorer's badge, which has been registered with the guild." She said. This palm-sized badge is obviously the work of top craftsmen, and the light texture combined with the fact that it shows a blue color different from steel under the sun The gray hue proves that it is made from the rare and precious mithril.
The brooch has a red background and is engraved with a lifelike unicorn bust. The palm-sized brooch has an astonishing degree of detail in both the muscle lines and even the horse's mane.
"Well, it looks great." Margaret proudly flashed her own brooch of the same style, and then said: "I just used red as the background color, although in theory the mercenary group's badge must be the same as the level. . Now you are only on the orange card, but it is only a matter of time before the red card comes."
"The unit price of this is equivalent to ten sets of full-body plate armor!" Margaret said, while the sage and Mira looked at each other, shrugged, and then chuckled.
"..." After obtaining new equipment, the three of them walked slowly towards the port. Stopping near a teahouse by the sea, Margaret ran to get a drink. While Mira was unpacking the linen packaging to check the new equipment, she was listening to the mingling of sounds from the pilot, fishermen and seagulls in the distance. She was watching people getting off the sailboat, her face full of surprise and concern for the city. The newcomers looked left and right with unconcealed curiosity.
Recalling that she had this expression even though she didn't realize it when she arrived here, she suddenly put on a faint smile.
"You did a good job." Margaret, who came back from asking for drinks, said with one hand on her chin: "Even a layman can see it."
She said and Mira nodded in agreement.
The newly ordered equipment was made by dwarves. Perhaps because he wanted to prove that not all dwarves supported the previous attack on Parnilla, the dwarf master craftsman who had settled in the local area for many years opened up the special armor that was originally qualified. Make. Not only is the armor made using superior secret craftsmanship incredibly strong, it should have been hard to find with a lot of money.
The price is high, but it is genuine.
Under the sun, dark blue velvet fabric is mixed with wool fabric as the surface. The rivets in groups of three are densely packed but neat and beautiful. The straps used for fixation are dyed light blue, and the same colors complement each other. The buckle part is made of brass and is carved to a certain extent.
This is a Brigandian-style armor. Although the name is different, it is basically what the West Coast people call plate armor.
This type of plate armor uses a large number of overlapping small armor pieces, and even the opening on the chest has overlapping armor pieces. The workmanship is far more exquisite than the same style on the West Coast. Small pieces of armor are easier and more convenient to handle, but the defense is still slightly weaker than the overall breastplate. As for why Henry and Mira chose to wear this kind of plate armor, the reason is that they are mercenaries, not mercenaries. knight.
Plate armor with a fabric-covered surface is less likely to be affected by the weather and cause problems such as rust than breastplates. It is obviously a more suitable choice for mercenaries who do not have attendants to help with everything. Coupled with the characteristics of being relatively lighter, foldable and easy to carry, and considering the price factor, it is obviously a very reasonable choice.
The girl from Luoan couldn't put it down as soon as she opened the linen package. However, she still didn't want to try it on without putting on the armor, so she looked at it for a few times before wrapping it up again.
In addition to the two pieces of brigand-type plate mail, the Sage's other long swath was a leather half-sheath, the kind he carried with Kramer, which was new, although the greatsword itself was almost It is miraculously indestructible, but the half-sheath sling used for mounting is indeed tattered after so many years of use.
The exquisite armors, clothing and accessories match the two people's names who were promoted after the mercenary guild returned to the city. Due to the perfect or even overfulfilled completion of Margaret's hanging board task, and many other things that happened during it, they were upgraded from the blue card to the orange card at an extremely fast speed and became elite-level servants. soldiers.
The task rewards provided by the noble lady herself, plus the supply allowance that the guild would receive after reaching this level, the two of them ordered these things after selling the books that Mira had read, and they still still have them. Leftover.
However, considering that the Luoan girl will need more books for her further studies, money can be said to come and go quickly, which also leads to the previous horse purchase.
Margaret was naturally willing to support them in various aspects. Even when the horses they had picked up before were returned, Minna said they could keep them for use, but in the end, they still hoped to be able to support themselves.
No matter how good the relationship is, blind dependence is never the right approach.
The linen parcels were put away again, and while they were waiting for the busy store owner to bring the drinks, the three of them were at a loss for words for a moment.
"Brother Constantine... was recalled to the imperial capital. Someone sued him, saying that the disaster caused by the witch was the result of his poor control." Margaret whispered: "He Went with the army."
"...Are you guys going to leave tomorrow?" The noble lady lay on the table and mumbled in an uneducated manner.
"Yeah." Henry nodded, but Mira walked over to the store to get a drink if she was too slow.
"Sister Mingna is also busy, and has many, many things to deal with. Then the friend you mentioned, the friend from the prairie people, I asked about it, and it seems that not long after arriving in Parnilla last year, she headed towards the imperial capital. The direction has gone."
"If we go north, we might meet you on the way, ah, thank you." Margaret took the drink handed over by Mira, took a sip and frowned: "It's tasteless."
"After all, we are doing business, so we won't give you too much sugar." The Luoan girl rolled her eyes at her.
"Can we see you again in the future?" Margaret murmured softly: "Such an illusion of peace will collapse soon."
"Now, too, the public's hostility towards the southern countries is getting more and more serious. Many young people from the south who want to come here to find jobs are having a worse life."
"Obviously they were not the ones who attacked, but they were from the same area as the attackers. Judging from the results, those of them who wanted to resist the inequality here actually caused more serious discrimination and inequality."
"But this point." Mira continued her words: "It also looks the same to those attackers, right?"
"We are all working so hard to resist the empire, why are you people willing to be the empire's lackeys - such an idea." The Luoan girl said, and Margaret nodded.
"Can we see each other again," the noble lady muttered, opening her eyes and looking at Henry.
"Yes." The sage took a sip of spruce tea and said calmly.
"That's good." The noble lady smiled like a flower after getting the answer she wanted.
