"You asked for too much!" The customer was dissatisfied, "The goods given are not worth the money."
The boss denied: "My price is very fair, there will be no cheaper place in Knox."
"All Knox?"
"If you really want to save money, you might as well buy carcasses. That's the price for live chickens."
"I bought eggs!"
"It's a live chicken that hasn't hatched. It's alive after all. You still don't admit it?"
The apprentice watched as both parties parted unhappy. At this time, a motorcade happened to pass by, forcing a way out, and he hurried through the market. Their argument was necessary for the deal, but it meant nothing to Uriel. When the last alchemy carriage broke away from the crowd, its wheels roared and hit the shallow pit, splashing mud and water.
Pedestrians hurriedly ran away. There was a woman in a gauze skirt sitting on the steps, her feet spread widely apart. Seeing him coming, she raised her head and took a look, and couldn't help but spit out a number: "Fifty."
"Abi gold coin?"
"No. Black City Coin. I'm not a princess."
"I'm not a customer either."
"I think so. But it's not expensive to try. Do you like virgins? They are available here too."
Of course Uriel didn't agree. If it were Ronald Zachary of the Lions, he might be persuaded. This Lord Kongjing seems to be quite interested in human beings. The woman stood up and walked into the house, stretching her head to look at him. "Are you a missionary?"
What a familiar title. For a moment, he thought he was really back in Mortus. "Absolutely." Uriel didn't dress up as an adventurer. Before leaving, he wore Croita's apprentice uniform, which was somewhat similar to a priest's robe. Maybe it's not a coincidence. During the Ancestors period, Croita originally belonged to the Tritheist Religion of the Aurenia Empire, and astrologers had always protected the tradition very well.
"Gods bless you." The woman left.
The apprentice moved on. He walked along the tracks and tiny alleys, surveying the landscape of this ancient town. Nightingales do this in order to gather information about unfamiliar environments in order to move and escape; bards do this in order to inspire and compose poems; refugees, tramps, and beggars also do this when they need to avoid thieves and swarms. Bandits band together to avoid being driven away. Uriel has met different people in many places, but now he only comes to look for traces of the past.
The Black City is different from the emissary's dream. Thousands of years have made it newer, bigger, and more charming. In short, it no longer retains the reserve of the small border town back then. If the rumors are true, this place is one of the most chaotic gathering places of mysterious creatures in Knox. Its status is comparable to the armpits of humans and the chin of wild dogs. It is always accumulating the residues metabolized from the mysterious realm.
When Uriel passed through the city gate, no one cared about his passport. All that remains of the moat is a small ditch, which has now been filled with loose soil. The chains of the suspension bridge are broken and rusty, the iron spikes are messy, and they are useless. Only one door stood faithfully in front of the path, and its bearings screamed at the slightest touch.
The environment in the city is also very ordinary. The streets are dilapidated and the buildings are crowded, like the fibers in bamboo. The few unique buildings, undoubtedly religious sites and residences of nobles, are isolated by high walls and fences. The only scenery is the billowing smoke. Every time a part of it melts in the dry and cold air, another part keeps pouring out of the window. Even the signboards and flags were difficult to distinguish in the thick fog. People were going about their own business, carrying the burnt smell of fire. But we all know that this is not a mysterious breath.
In the black city, the only things that can show a mysterious atmosphere are means of transportation.
Alchemical creations are a local specialty.
But in fact, this does not mean that there are a large number of alchemists among the locals. Chaos is the real answer. Whenever the Oath Keepers sell their excellent products to the outside world, there are often dozens of times as many defective products waiting to be dealt with in the warehouse. If nothing else, one-third of it will flow through the black city, be acquired by the local black market, change hands, pay taxes, and then be sold everywhere. Merchants like to stay here because the local lords desire wealth more than security, and Alliance caravans like it here because the market always welcomes them. The most important thing is that there are no rules and regulations that deduct the profits of both parties. This is all due to the "free transaction rules" advocated by Black City.
The Earl of Black City, Cagat Talannitas, is the lord of the Compass Highlands and a border lord of the Burles Empire. This man has inherited the family business for nearly forty years. Starting from his father’s grandfather’s grandfather, the Talannitas family has been Ruled over the Compass Heights, there can be no doubt that they were the ones who gave the code. The current Earl Cagat has taken over the legacy of his father's generation. The "Law of Free Trade" is the basis for his popularity in the Black City, which guarantees the absolute rights and interests of merchants, guilds and banks. After all, the Earl himself is the most influential guild shareholder in Black City and can buy defective products from the Oath Keepers Alliance at low prices.
...Therefore, don’t be surprised when you see a coachman driving a spaceship from the Floating Cloud City. Even the local fuel seems very cheap in line with the market conditions. Outsiders need to pay attention to passing carriages when going out. They may be faster than rail buses. In addition, it is not surprising that monsters are tamed. Adventurers bring wild prey to the trading platform to sell them. They believe that people prefer living creatures to cold machines. However, when such buyers want to maintain their car, the process of replacing parts may not be so wonderful.
But there is no need to pay attention to the process, what is important is the price. Changing a leg for a monster is as fast as changing a wheel. In the Black City, nothing is a problem, everything has a price.
"Chaos will be chaos." The pie seller told Uriel, "Our Earl does not live here anyway. In fact, this city has been captured by the enemy hundreds of times, and no one is willing to live here permanently. Big shots like it Everything is sold in the bazaar, but they only live in safe places.”
"What about the others?"
"Others? Who do you mean?"
"You. And your family... traveling together."
"Of course in the city. Although there are robbers and thieves inside and outside the city, there are wolves in the wild." It makes sense. Their kind are no more dangerous than wolves, are they? "What's more, outside the city is the plantation of a noble lord, and no one can come in or out at will."
"Plantation?" Uriel vaguely guessed something.
"Oh, we have some good tobacco here. The best in Knox, I kid you not. Even if everything else we sell is fake, Black City tobacco is the real deal. Want a piece of pie?"
Indeed. Uriel remembered. The Black City has a reputation for chaos and shoddy goods, but Count Cagath is not a joke because people apparently need his city. Mortus originally relied on its city walls to defend itself against foreign enemies, but now the locals no longer need them. There are probably many more robbers in the city than serious businessmen... and the reason why the Earl of Black City allowed it to develop on its own is undoubtedly the tobacco industry. Contacting Mortus in the Ancestors Period, this indeed has historical origins.
"Thank you, but no. You have too many features here. Is there a place to store history?"
"You mean, attractions?"
"good."
"I will tell you that the pies near the scenic spot are more expensive than what I sell." He pointed to the apprentice in a direction, "There is a witch's residence outside the city, and she knows many things in the past. But by the time you get there, it will be almost noon It's over." Having said that, Uriel had no choice but to take care of the other party's business. The boss was very happy and put the money in his pocket and hid it. "Don't go to the plantation! Cagat hates missionaries." He also added a warning.
"Hate the preacher? Have we offended him?"
"That's not true. It's just that a missionary from Lucia came to the city last time and claimed that our Lord Count needs to quit smoking." The pie owner laughed, "I think after Lord Count quits smoking, he will ask us to quit drinking. Plus abstinence. How cruel! Now the prostitutes and wine merchants can’t survive. But Lucia doesn’t care, does she?”
"Preachers don't care about alcohol or tobacco." Don't even mention visiting brothels. In fact, not even Gaia cares. The apprentice is familiar with the system of the clergy.
"Anyway, I don't have money for entertainment. Who cares? These are all rumors spread by street prostitutes! They are afraid of losing their jobs. Otherwise, when the time comes, most of the customers will still go to the brothel, but they will not pay." The boss said more. He was so happy that Uriel had to run away amid his obscene laughter.
The identity of the witch is not difficult to guess. Uriel identified her as Magdalena, the prophet of the Holy Council of Light and the recipient of the White Prophecy. In this case, it seems unnecessary to find her residence.
But the apprentice still plans to go and have a look. Maybe there are other clues in her home. While in Zangwill, the priests provided Magdalena's notes.
The witch lives in a wooden house outside the city. It is surrounded by hedges and shabby stone walls, and has a dry pond. It's hard to deny the historical atmosphere of this place, but this atmosphere is more reflected in the desolation and tranquility. There were no people or birds around. There was only an old man who was blind in one eye sitting in front of the gate, holding a helmet and boiling eggs. When the apprentice came closer, he ignored him.
"Excuse me, where is this place?" Uriel had no choice but to ask.
The old man raised his head and glanced. "Who are you?"
missionary. He almost blurted out. "Just an adventurer passing by."
"You want to go in?"
"Not necessarily. If it doesn't look so shabby, maybe I'd consider making do with it for just one night. The hotel charges a lot."
"Of course, there are so many adventurers in the Black City, and the boss has to pick the rich ones to receive them." The old man sneered, "Poor people can only sleep on the street." The eggs were rolling in the hot water. "I'm afraid your expectations have been disappointed. Look, it doesn't even have a complete roof. It's no more comfortable than tree branches and the stone roads of the Black City. This place has a history of at least four to five hundred years - a history where no one has lived."
"No one?" The door was locked, but the keyhole was sealed with rust. Apparently no one had entered or exited for many years. Even the old man didn't live here...but Uriel thought he might know some of the stories. "who are you?"
"Me? The gatekeeper. The Earl personally ordered me to stay in this damn place to prevent all the stone bricks inside from being stolen! He had arranged a whole team of guards, ten of them! They are all under my control."
Now you are the only one left. "Protect the stone bricks?"
"Who knew? It's said to be the former residence of a cardinal. That's pretty much it."
Maybe there is some truth to the legend, Uriel thought, looking at the ruins of bricks and tiles. He had been here before, in the dream pieced together by "Confessions". At that time, this place was not so decadent, but full of vitality. The poet Stix made this place a stronghold and hid the Scroll of Oath stolen from Alanvor. It was also here that the Silver Song Knight captured the water fairy Gopher and listened to her tell the story of the poet and Princess Helen. I didn't expect it to be such a coincidence.
The shadow crosses the fence and the apprentice follows him through the barrier. He wanders the ruins, trying to find a relic of Magdalena... or a trace of the past. There should be wells in the yard and a water network interconnected underground. Unfortunately, he found nothing but a pond. Uriel had no choice but to go back to the door, suspecting that he still missed something.
But he should be more suspicious of who he was talking to. When he returned to the door, there was a group of cavalry waiting outside. Each of them holds a spear and wears armor. They almost look like they are growing out of the ground! The cavalry dismounted one after another and guarded a tall knight with a black bear embroidered on his chest in the center. The man was not wearing a helmet, was unarmed, and had a thin sword at his waist. He didn't dismount, so the old gatekeeper could only mutter beside his boots and keep pointing.
"Who are you?" the apprentice and the tall knight said at the same time.
He saw the latter raise his eyebrows. "Interesting. You thief is very courageous." Without waiting for him to defend, the Black Bear Knight casually pushed aside the spear and left the guard behind. "I am Lord Baraboo Talanitus, the lord of Compass Highlands and the brother of Earl Cagat of Black City. Southerners, tell me your name!"
"I'm not a thief."
"You don't know how to call this...?"
"No." It's strange, who would think so? "My name is Uriel. I come from the Mysterious Fulcrum. I am not a thief. There is a misunderstanding here." He saw the old man guarding the gate quietly retreating, and he immediately understood where the misunderstanding came from. "Did you see me go in?"
Black Bear Knight Barabu turned his head, and the cavalrymen followed suit. The gatekeeper's hand shook. "He went in! I saw it with my own eyes," he shouted. "My lord, I saw him climb over the railing and that's why I informed you."
Although it was true that he entered the cabin, the Scroll of Oath determined that he was lying. The old man was probably exaggerating when conveying the message, and Uriel thought to himself that there was no way he could have seen me go in. After all, the apprentice used his shadow to get through the obstacle without touching the railing at all.
It's a waste of time to dwell on it. "That's enough. I didn't want to steal anything, I came here to find someone." The other party was unarmed, so Uriel didn't draw his sword. "I'm sorry for making your trip in vain."
"It's impossible to tell. If this old bastard lies, you may not tell the truth. And at least he knows how to call me "sir", but you don't know the etiquette."
"I don't have to be treated as a thief by you."
"If you are really a Mysterious Fulcrum person, I will apologize to you, otherwise your defense has yet to be verified. Who are you looking for?"
"The person who knows the history of Black City best is also the owner here."
"Who is it? Say the name."
"Who knows best. The owner here is not at home, so I have to find someone else."
Barabu, the black bear knight, was very surprised: "So, you are looking for the history of the Black City?"
"Yes." Uriel took off the silver ring and handed it to the nearest soldier. "If you have a suitable candidate, please let me know, ser."
Barabu touched the pattern on the ring, looking a little hesitant. "Why don't you come directly to the detection station in Black City? Mysterious creatures need to be reported to the astrologer."
"Originally I didn't intend to trouble you."
"Trouble? This is a necessary procedure! Why don't you go to the detection station? We have already made arrangements."
Because the ladder took me outside the city. What's more, what's the arrangement? "I forgot."
"Originally, no one cared about you, but it started at noon today. Either you arrived early, and you missed the record."
"Wait, in advance?" Could it be that I still have an appointment? Uriel can guarantee that even Joey doesn’t know that his destination is the Black City. what happened? Are there any astrologers keeping an eye on my whereabouts? "You knew I was coming?"
"How new. If you don't know, then I'm afraid you can only be a thief." The knight announced, "Come with us, boy! Now we have to go to the detection station. Please confess. You'd better explain. The origin of this thing." He tapped his ring. "When the time comes, we promise to return the lost property and will never be greedy."
"Lost item?" The apprentice was really surprised. He began to realize that the other party did not recognize the silver ring at all.
The Black City is located in the Compass Heights, north of the Eastman border and is the territory of the Bures. Brestatik is a vassal state of the Holy Council of Radiance, not a subject of the tower astrologers. Barab Talanitus was older than the apprentice, but not more than forty years old. As a mortal, it was understandable that he did not recognize the silver ring... What surprised Uriel was another thing.
"How is it possible?" he blurted out, "The guards in the Black City actually started to maintain law and order? Don't you all rely on businessmen to maintain order here?"
"What do you mean!"
"Literally." This kind of thing is really bloody. "If you don't recognize it, give me the ring back."
"No. This thing shouldn't appear in the hands of a missionary. I'm afraid your hands and feet are not clean. Tell me, which lady did you steal it from?"
Now am I a missionary again? Uriel almost rolled his eyes. "I bet no lady from a good family would be happy to come to the Black City. But you have other guests, people from the Mysterious Fulcrum?"
"I won't tell you. Even if you tell the truth." The Black Bear Knight waved his hand, "Let's go quickly and let's talk at the detection station."
If it were Joey, he would probably go up and kill someone. Uriel thought as he walked into the team. The soldier turned his weapon around to prevent him from hurting anyone or escaping. But in the final analysis, these things do not pose a threat to apprentices. The Black Bear Knight held his head high and looked businesslike. They all played by the rules, even the gatekeeper. There is no need to trouble them.
They entered the city. When they arrived at the detection station, a group of people were crowded in front of the door, all of them civilians in the black city. They stood on tiptoes, eyes wide open, and whispered to each other. A buzz enveloped the building as they discussed elves, candles, fruit and carriages. The Black Bear Knight had to send his own guards to clear the way, and finally got through the door.
The convoy stopped in the yard of the detection station, occupying a large open space. Uriel saw two flags standing among them. The colorful stripes are smooth and bright, and the gold star on a white background is surrounded by thorns. They symbolize the Oath Keepers Alliance and the Radiant Council respectively. A mysterious fulcrum indeed.
Just then, Barab stabbed him in the shoulder with his whip. Don’t say you don’t even recognize this! The apprentice turned his head in confusion.
"You're doing well, eh?"
Uriel was speechless.
"If the stolen goods are not valuable, I will consider giving him a lighter sentence."
"You think too little, ser."
Baraboo frowned, trying to understand the meaning. "No matter what, you have to register first and then be inspected. Listen, it's not a good idea to cause trouble here. We have big shots from the mysterious fulcrum to entertain, and these kind of people are not easy to deal with! Don't say I didn't warn you."
It’s not easy. It turns out that you still have a mysterious fulcrum of understanding. "Why do people from the Oath Keepers Alliance come to Black City? Selling things?"
"Absolutely." Black Bear Knight frowned even more tightly. "Why are you asking? Besides, who am I to answer you?"
"It will do you good to ask more questions, ser. At least they can tell you where my ring came from!"
