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Light and shadow were passing by, more than a month had passed in midsummer, the sun was still shining brightly, but when the various beautiful scenery on the sea could no longer arouse people's interest, the merchant ship arrived at the northernmost town of the Padrosi Empire.
The fully loaded sailboat ran at a slower speed, but by arranging the route without stopping at any port and just going all the way north, they still compressed this time within a reasonable range.
But this trade-off comes with its own price.
Fresh food is difficult to preserve, especially on the humid sea in warm summers. Except for long-term preservation types, most foods are difficult to preserve for more than a week.
For more than a month, the only fresh food that could be considered a regular source of food was seafood. But this is a commercial ship after all, not a fishing boat. The seafood is basically caught by people using fishing rods and nets when they are suspended on the sea in the evening and night. When there are no fish around, no matter how good the chef on the boat is, he really can't do much with the beans, shelf-stable bread noodles and rice.
Professional cruise ships with shorter distances or more ports on the route will periodically replenish fresh local ingredients to ensure that passengers can always eat delicious dishes during the trip. But those were used by aristocratic merchants for purely fun travel. For most people, this type of travel plan on merchant ships is the right and economical choice.
If you want to save money, then comfort and enjoyment will naturally be greatly reduced. For more than thirty days, I baked beans, cooked beans, pancakes and noodles every day, and occasionally had paella. As soon as the freshness wears off, people immediately begin to feel bored and miss the fresh vegetables available every day on land.
Of course, these meals lacking in meat are only for ordinary passengers and lower-level sailors. The senior officers of the ship will not eat so shabbily. Henry and Mira, who were the captain's distinguished guests to some extent, were also invited to enjoy bacon and wine together, but after considering various factors, they declined the invitation with the excuse of keeping a low profile.
The lackluster sea trip for more than a month went by without any surprises.
The weather was also sunny on the day we arrived in the northern town. The sunny and warm summer made people think for a moment that they had never left Parnilla.
Only when you see the obviously darker water at the port, and the buildings whose style is significantly different from that of Parnilla, do you have a real feeling of being in a foreign country.
This is a unique town.
Located in the northernmost part of the Padrosi Empire, it has two names: in Lamani, it is called Porusaro, while in Suomir, it is called South Aurora - literally, it belongs to a The southern part of the area called Aurora.
It can be seen from the name how close it is to the Kingdom of Suomir, but in terms of national boundaries, it is actually the territory of the Padrosi Empire.
The complex situation and related history can be seen not only in the name of the town, but also in the residents and buildings here.
Every shop sign in Polusaro is written in two languages. Compared with the bright and warm colors in Parnilla, the buildings are more inclined to the Suomir style with a large number of plain colors.
These taciturn people from the land of thousands of lakes and islands of snow and aurora have a unique aesthetic in building architecture.
Buildings in the Suomir style are not particularly tall and rarely decorated. They have used subtle and restrained beauty to the extreme. The hut they built does not have any gorgeous elements at first glance, but it is very attractive.
Whenever snow falls in winter, half a meter of snow accumulates on the eaves, heating smoke starts to come out of the chimney, and orange light shines through the windows, it really feels like a dream, like a dream. As beautiful as a fairy tale.
The smooth and talkative Lamanites and the silent and inflexible Suomir people are like the sunshine of Parnira and the snow of the north, like the passionate fire and the silent ice, two completely opposite peoples. , coexist in this small town.
This is where dreams and reality meet.
To the south is the political center of the Padrosi Empire, where the peak of the power of the emperor lies. What happens in the imperial capital and the decisions made can almost become a weather vane that affects the entire Rigal world. Going north is the famous Aurora Holy Land, the seat of the White Church Yetina Cathedral, and the Heinzwom Meteor Lake.
The political center of the secular world and the supreme spokesperson of God in the world. What connects these two extremely important places is the small town of Polusaro.
The owner of the merchant ship who chose this place as a port to berth obviously wanted to make money from both the dream world and the real world at the same time.
As a relay station town, there are always a lot of passers-by. Whether you want to go south or north, it is the most economical choice to take a boat here and then transfer to land or travel by small ship.
The people taking the boat this time are naturally no exception.
Different from Parnira, the port of Polusaro is an open deep-water port without much protection. The water flow here is gentle and there are no factors that can cause accidents. In addition, with many years of sailing experience, the helmsman can approach the merchant ship to the port without the need for a pilot.
For a small town port whose overall size is much smaller than that of Parnilla, such a huge merchant ship is almost the limit it can accommodate. This merchant ship obviously traveled back and forth between the two places for a long time, and it was almost a regular flight, so the port staff who had been prepared for it hurried over and were ready to receive it. The large-scale merchant ships are an important source of income for the small town, and they do not dare to neglect them at all.
Be careful when sailing for thousands of years. This Laman proverb is now used in many industries. The sage and the Luoan girl saw a scene with the same literal meaning today.
After entering the town port, it took the helmsman and the staff at the port below for more than thirty minutes to get this huge merchant ship to park in a suitable location.
They were all obviously experts in the industry. The people on the boat hardly felt any vibration at the moment when they stopped steadily. It was not until the pedals connected to the trestle were lowered and connected with the side of the ship that a "pop——" sound was heard. He was shocked and came to his senses.
"Get off the ship, get off the ship! It's a good time to get together and have a good time together. If you still want to take our ship on your return trip, remember that we will come again in three months. There are discounts for regular customers! Remember to keep it safe Your belongings, get off the ship, get off the ship!" It was still the sailor with a loud voice whose name was unknown. He waved the small flag in the opposite direction, while the travelers began to pack their luggage and prepare to disembark.
The first to go were the small businessmen who were sleeping in Datongbu and the young travelers who wanted to go out and see the world. The goods of the former were stored in the cargo hold on the sailor's floor, mostly loaded with large rucksacks supported by hardwood. The latter only has his own personal equipment.
They stepped onto the trestle on foot, and the lower-level sailors who had been prepared were also leading various livestock from below and handed them over to the waiting horse dealers or people traveling with horses.
There are not many such people, and the total number of oxen and horses is actually only about fifteen.
During the walk, fresh horse manure and cow manure fell on the deck. The young sailors responsible for cleaning looked at this scene with mops and buckets and looked a little sad.
Henry and Mira, who personally took over the little unicorn and two horses from the first mate, put all the equipment they carried on the horses. After a brief farewell, they pulled the reins and began to walk out step by step. After arriving at the town, the two dressed up as mercenaries and hung orange mercenary tags on their waists. Although they did not wear armor or swords, they still attracted a lot of attention. Attention.
However, more people's eyes were still on the little unicorn wearing a gorgeous noble horse suit. This dazzling scene coupled with the rank of the orange mercenary, many people immediately concluded that the two were escorting the foal for the nobles. As a matter of fact, I made my own conclusion in my heart and would not try to cause trouble for them.
Things like the human heart are really simple to operate if you master the correct method.
Human beings are always more likely to believe the "facts" they infer than what others say. Therefore, according to Margaret's plan, she hid in the woods and displayed it in a more luxurious and high-profile manner. Without going into details, most people "understood the facts".
There is no need to make up a perfect lie that cannot be broken. If you tell it too much, it will be easier to expose the lie. There is no mention of taciturnity, only hints are given through these details, and the rest is left to your imagination. People tend to reach obvious conclusions without saying anything, and they always believe in their own conclusions.
With such a profound grasp of human nature, Mira, as a peer, admired Margaret, but she was also a little glad that she was not born into a noble family.
Ignorance is often a blessing. If you understand human beings too well, it will be even more difficult to trust someone or get close to someone.
Margaret was so, her own teacher.
Not an exception either.
Before meeting her, she could gradually understand the reason why he traveled alone with the accumulation of knowledge in various aspects.
The Luoan girl looked at Henry in front of her. The sage, who only wore the loose shirt and light vest popular on the East Coast in midsummer, was walking in front. The sheathed Kramer was wrapped in layers of linen and carried sideways on the saddle, as was Mira's long sword. There are also folded brigand-style plate armor, as well as books, clothes, and other miscellaneous personal items.
There is not much equipment, because the cargo space of merchant ships is limited. For items that are not too high in value, such as travel supplies, the shipping cost to bring them on board is higher than buying new ones locally. Considering the difference in climate, they did not buy a whole lot at Parnilla. A big package, but travel light.
The girl noticed that as he went north, the sage became more and more taciturn.
Even by his standards, he spoke less than he should care about.
From the words spoken by others and the constant contact, Mira could more or less guess that the place Suomir was of great significance to Henry. But the relationship between the two has always been like this. There is no need to say anything. He will tell himself if he feels it is necessary.
This is not a feeling of distance due to grudges, but a relationship of unreserved trust.
"Step-" Henry naturally noticed the look in his disciple's eyes, but he didn't say anything. He just suddenly stopped in the middle of the plank road and glanced up at a painted shield on the beam.
When other pedestrians passed by, they frequently looked sideways at the little unicorn. Mira also stopped and looked up.
"In the year 1338 of the New Calendar of Laman, this trestle was built in the name of our emperor Sigsumund Voznorion Seksiyutu I for the sake of reconciliation with Suomir. May the friendship between the two countries last forever, as Black—" Mira frowned: "Did it get dug out?" she said. The royal background of horizon blue on the two-hundred-year-old wooden shield faded to sky blue, and the patterns of lily of the valley and daisies on the top also faded. It was already blurry, and the text written in the straight Raman script below turned into pure wood below the words "Friendship lasts forever".
Although it was twisted and twisted, it seemed from the traces that someone had directly scratched it off with a wooden chisel, rather than peeling it off naturally over time. It's just that such a long time has passed but it hasn't been replaced or repaired, which makes her feel a little confused.
Henry's eyes stayed on the emperor's name.
The Lamantic script, which is rarely used today, was once the standard script for royal families and nobles. All young men of the Padrosi aristocracy must learn this formal writing. Today, the elegant and beautiful Lamantic script is more popular. In the past, it was the writing used by noble women.
The formal document is just like its name, rigid and square, full of masculine courage. But compared to the beautiful words themselves, the supposedly gilded surface is dull and mottled. Apparently no one has taken care of this hanging board since someone chiseled away the words here two hundred years ago.
It has not been taken down, but it has not been restored or maintained.
The corner of the sage's eye twitched. Although his expression remained calm, he obviously noticed something through this.
"teacher?"
"Keep walking." Henry said, and then the two of them started to move again. They followed the rear of the passenger queue, and the loud sailors on the merchant ship behind them had already begun to yell at the people below to move the cargo out.
The sound of "tap, tap, tap" footsteps came from the front, and walking towards the travelers were the porters from the dock. These tall young people were all wearing Suomir's traditional costumes. When they passed by Henry and Mira, they all glanced at the sage involuntarily.
"Step-" The young people stopped.
It is extremely rare for Suomir young people to return from a foreign country, especially when they catch a glimpse of a long object wrapped in linen hanging across the war horse——
"Hey -" One of the young men, who was about 1.89 meters tall and wore a turban on his head, stepped on the pallet and walked towards the sage: "That's you."
"" Henry turned his head and stared at the other party calmly.
"The town does not support this kind of thing, so don't come and make trouble." He said this, using the language of Suomir. The pronunciation and grammar that were very different from Lamani made Mira next to him confused.
"Kalewa, don't -" Another young man among the people with an average height of no less than 188cm came over and tried to dissuade him, but the young man named Galeva pursed his lips tightly. Zuozui shook his head vigorously: "Don't dissuade me, I just want to make it clear here."
"People who abandon their hometown and go out to wander around as mercenaries and take blood-stained money are not worthy of coming back here. You didn't intend to obey the queen's order before you left with that kind of thing. Why are you all returning it recently? Do you want to ruin our lives again?”
Galeva said this, and Henry raised his eyebrows and turned around.
"Dah——" He stepped on the wooden floor. Although the young Suomir who worked as porters were all not much worse than him in stature, several of them combined were at a disadvantage in front of the sage's aura. .
"Tsk——" There is still a gap between mercenaries and workers. Although they are tall and powerful, they are never warriors. The young people who did not want to admit defeat worked hard to straighten their backs, and the sage opened his mouth. They seemed a little nervous, fearing that the leader Galeva would not be able to withstand the provocation of his temper and cause these traitors who were murderous among the local people to suddenly decide. Sacrificing swords to them.
Henry opened his mouth, and then suddenly spit out another language unfamiliar to Mira:
"What are you talking about?" he asked.
"Uh-" The young porters looked at each other.
"I'm sorry, did you admit it wrongly? I'm from Danlasso." Switching to harsh Lamani with a strong accent from the four northern islands, Henry lied with a calm face and a heartbeat.
"Ah, sorry, sorry, that should be Danlasso's battle ax, Galeva, you guy." The young man who tried to dissuade Galeva was obviously the peacemaker among these people. After Manyu said this to Henry, he then scolded his accomplice in Suomir language.
"I won't delay you, but please note that the control of weapons in this town is very strict!" The young man said this, and his smoothness and kindness were obviously more like those of Padrosi than Suomir. , which is also a common sight in such mixed towns.
"Thank you." Henry said, then turned around and walked down without looking back. Several young people from Suomir breathed a long sigh of relief, then chatted and continued walking in the direction of the merchant ship. Only the man named Galeva still looked unbelieving, staring at the sage with gritted teeth. The departing figure.
"Step--" The moment she slowly walked off the trestle and stepped onto the solid ground again, Mira cast suspicious eyes on her teacher.
"Why tell that lie?" she said in Avenella.
"It will reduce the trouble." Henry shrugged: "You can't understand it, but you can tell it by looking at it. They are quite sensitive to weapons like Kramer."
"Yes." Mira nodded. She was very good at observing faces, so even if she couldn't understand Suomir's language, she could still notice the fact that the other party stopped after seeing the big sword.
"But after listening to what Margaret was saying and other people's descriptions, I always felt that your sword, teacher, should be something like how should I describe it." She thought for a moment: "It looks like the Avenella people. A longbow, the same thing as Danrathor’s battle axe?”
"Do you want to say it is the representative weapon of the nation?"
"Yeah." She nodded.
Henry looked at the white-haired Luoan girl, was silent for a while, and then looked at the port in front of him. Busy crowds were coming and going. Tall northerners could be seen everywhere. Many of them cast their eyes on them. Taking advantage of the noble crest on the little unicorn's body to attract their attention, Heng A piece of cloth was used to cover the large sword hanging horizontally.
"Perhaps it was in the past, little girl." The sage said. It was obviously midsummer, but the tone in which he said these words made Mira feel as if autumn had arrived, and she looked at the sky as the fallen leaves fell. all--
The feeling that nothing can go back.
"Maybe it was in the past." Henry said again, and then the two of them led the horses towards the exit of the port.
