Byrne was the largest city Uriel had ever seen. As the apprentice of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Tower, he has been to many places, from the Moon Capital in Veniwaise to the high-altitude Brumnot known as the Ringed City, from the Blue Forest in the dream to the border outside Bres of saint valoran. He has also visited the desert oasis of Sodria, the country of quicksand, and Moni-Antoros, the tributary country of the Silent School. Some journeys only have a brief taste, but you can also imagine the scenery of bustling areas. However, in terms of sheer size, no city can compare with Byrne City, the capital of "Starless Night". After all, she is the refuge of all the unknown people in Knox.
huge. he thought. Huge but crowded.
On the way to Grainstone Street, Uriel only climbed and jumped along the scattered rooftops and did not dare to walk on the street. The buildings here are shoulder to shoulder, as dense as a rainforest canopy. Neighbors compete for sunlight and raise their eaves to the sky.
The high altitude also allowed him to see a corner of the city, with people walking, running, and driving, communicating and friction taking place. Vendors bargained, the perpetrators looked grim, and many homeless people hid in the alleys, planning to steal and beg - all in all, it was not a unique scene. Uriel climbed to a wooden building and heard the quarrel between men and women coming from under the roof. A stall cart rolled over the stone slabs, and its hawking sound drowned out the ringing of the bells.
Although the Byrne War is coming, there are still a large number of unknown people coming to the city. Uriel saw many people with their families building bunks in the alleys. They may have belonged to a secret society in the past and were hiding in some nook and corner. As a result, the demon hunting movement became more and more intense. Hunters raided day and night and drove them out of their homes. . No matter what the future war situation may be, Bain is protected by city walls and garrisoned by lords. It is the last pure land of the unknown.
However, even though the city is crowded, the grocery store on Wenshi Street is still empty. The curtains of the shop were half-closed, and there was a scratching sound coming from inside. Uriel looked quietly with "Night's Embrace" and saw a figure in the dimness, carefully polishing a long dagger behind the counter. Beside this man, the shelves were empty, with an empty basket hanging at the bottom.
The apprentice couldn't help but frown when he smelled the sweet smell of smoke. It seems that Byrne, like the Blumnots, sells everything in the shop.
Opposite it is not an ideal hotel, and there is no crucial sign. The door of the shop was closed tightly, and there was a layer of dust on the steps, as if it had been closed for a long time. Uriel had no choice but to use "spiritual vision" to find a way in Bain.
Just a blink of an eye for a second. The apprentice returned to reality and pushed open the door of the grocery store. "Where did the bell go?" he asked.
The shopkeeper looked at him and asked, "Bell?"
"I was introduced. Seven times. Are you still doing business?"
The other party finally put down the stone, but the dagger was still in his hand. "Do it." He glanced outside the door warily, suddenly folded his hands and muttered a strange sentence silently.
After chanting for ten seconds, Uriel noticed that there was a mystery coming around him, but he refrained from making any move. Seeing that nothing unusual happened, the man seemed relieved.
He nodded to his apprentice. "follow me."
Uriel was forced to follow him into a path. Because the buildings were so close together, the path was no wider than a cracked stone gap. He worried many times that his clothes would get stuck, but luckily the worst didn't happen. The shopkeeper was familiar with the route and was only a little more flexible than him.
After exiting the path, there was a long street, and after passing the street, there was a park in the middle of the street. Uriel could hardly remember the route. He had passed countless forks and corners, and every scene he saw was very different. But at the end, the apprentice found that they had arrived at the back door of the closed hotel, which had turned into a clothing store. door.
Thoughtful design. Uriel couldn't help but be intrigued, wondering who the person could be who could send him out of Bain during the martial law period.
"Welcome." The connector in the hotel said.
This person is a mysterious race with thick hair. His face, forearms, neck and between the fingers are covered with gray hair. His nails are long and curved, and his knees are twisted backwards in a weird way. A streak of shiny gold paint skewed across his face, bisecting the bridge of his nose. In addition, the material of his clothes was swollen like grass, and it was undoubtedly stuffed with hair. He is probably some kind of half-orc, but his features are not as distinctive as the little lion Roma.
The grocery store clerk reached out to him, and the "hairy man" threw two coins. This was a currency that Uriel had never seen before, but it was much larger than Black City coins and Abbey gold coins.
After receiving their reward, they separated. The "hairy man" led him into the house and blocked the out of business sign in front of the door. I guess this kind of business is not suitable for high-profile publicity, and it has nothing to do with clothing.
"Since it was introduced by an acquaintance, we can give you a 92% discount." Mao Ren nodded at him, "Tell me, where are you going?"
"Can I choose the location?"
"Of course the ladder has a destination. Where in the world is there a ladder without a destination? It won't work."
"How much does it cost to go to Yinsman Kingdom?"
"Thirty thousand. Abbey gold coins."
This money was enough to buy the hotel and the small shop together. When I paid the bill, I thought they were shabby and old. "Are you sure you got the discount?"
"It's a small change. Nowadays, the world is in chaos. Everyone has to go into the city, and few leave the city. We won't embarrass you."
Uriel reached into his pocket and found scattered coins, with large and small denominations, but the total value did not exceed three digits.
"Mao Ren" looked at him: "It's okay to give banknotes, but it's not fifty. I'll take sixty."
Obviously, this "paper money" is similar to the coins that Mao people pay to grocery stores. It is a currency unique to Byrne and is even worth far more than Abbey gold coins. Of course Uriel couldn't take it out. "Is there a cheap place to land?"
"There is a cost for a trip. Just to see you off, you have to pay the money, otherwise it will be shared equally among the passengers traveling together. We are a serious person." The hairy man rubbed his nose, and the yellow strips twisted. “No one is leaving the city now, so there’s nothing we can do!”
"It makes sense." Uriel could only reply, "Your charging standards are interesting. By the number of times, not the number of people?"
"That's it. If you can't take it out, you can pay it when you get there."
Hearing this, Uriel's heart moved. "But no one told us how many people were traveling together this time." He pointed out, "Maybe you can count each person as a separate trip and charge them separately."
Mao Ren didn't like his questioning tone: "Our Raven Group has always been like this, who cares about your nonsense! Either pay or get out."
Raven regiment. Uriel thought to himself that these people were probably a transportation team, completely controlling both ends of the ladder, and were not afraid of passengers refusing to pay. No wonder the underground business is booming to this day. "No, you misunderstood. I just think your business seems to have a bright future."
"What do you want to do?"
"Do you need anyone?" Uriel was very good at applying for jobs.
The hairy man smiled. "Ha! It seems you have no money."
"Ok?"
"It's hard to tell. Where do you come from, kid? We are short of manpower and can't even maintain a hotel, but we don't accept mortals either. They are of little use!"
"The Mysterious One," Uriel said. "Compatriots." This sentence was a lie.
"Of course, otherwise you should be an apprentice at your age. Or are you a seven-point genius?" Mao Ren chuckled, put away the account book, and waved his hand. "Let's go, Boss Ryan is waiting for a capable person like you."
The hairy man "Hai Rui" did not lie. What awaited Uriel was the warm reception of the Ravens. The leader is named Ryan, a tall Sodrian with brown skin and sunken eyes. Of course, he should be a Bain now and no longer has to trek in the scorching desert.
The place of his birth left a mark on him, Uriel thought, but his new homeland brought him even more. Ryan wore a thick shirt and drank hot tea. When he spoke, his voice was soft and slow, and his words were as modest and decent as possible.
"Welcome." He greeted with just the right tone of enthusiasm. "Oh, we are so short of people, and the work is always busy. Brothers are working hard every day! Uriel, eh? You! They will cheer for your appearance. . Come, have a drink of water and write your name here."
"Just write it down?"
Ryan laughed, and Hairy Hairy also laughed. They seemed to be genuinely amused. "Of course not! We have work to do. Only by working can we make money, don't you think?"
"But……"
"What? Necessary question. Necessary!" Ryan waved his hand, "You must have understood something. We are very busy every day, making a lot of money, and making a lot of windfall! This is all necessary!"
Uriel had to interrupt his "necessity": "I don't know much about it. You rely on square ladders for business, don't you?"
Ryan scowled. He didn't answer the apprentice's words and turned to Hai Rui. "Is this how you introduce yourself to newcomers?" he yelled at Mao Ren, and suddenly lowered his voice, "There's really nothing I can do. Most of the flyers I asked you to print were torn up by the night watchmen, and even the people who came to apply for jobs couldn't see it. It! If this continues, the team will have no source of business. Where will I get the money to pay your salary?"
"You need permission from the night watchman to post flyers, Boss Ryan." Mao Ren pointed out.
"Don't call me boss, okay?"
"I remember, Mr. Ryan."
The Sodrian put on a helpless expression.
"Okay, okay! I can't count on you," he yelled, "We are people with status. Can you see that, Uriel?"
"I can tell." Uriel replied.
"There are layoffs in the city, but we are recruiting people to make a lot of money together." Ryan touched his chin. This action was not very decent, but the apprentice was not Hai Rui, so he would not go up to remind him at this time. "So, what experience do you have with operating ladders?"
Ride experience. "Maybe quite a few." Uriel said with a smile, "But I don't know which kind you need."
"Oh, do you mean you don't understand us?"
"That must be the case." After a long time, we finally got to the point.
"Hai Rui!" Ryan yelled, "Look at the work you did. God, what it looks like!"
"The flyers are gone, Boss Ryan."
Uriel began to feel that communicating with these two guys was a waste of time. "So, you are a team of adventurers? Are you providing jobs for Byrne?" Worrell determined that Byrne will become a battlefield. This may be the inside information of their night watch. Most of Byrne and those who want to take refuge in Byrne People don't know. "Honestly, are you really legal?"
"How can you doubt it!" The hairy man jumped up.
Ryan seemed to want to slap the table, but was startled by his companion's movements and slowly lowered his hand. "There is no doubt, little brother, we - the Raven Staff Group - are completely a legal organization." He shrugged soothingly, "But, we are not on the same side as the Night Watch. They advocate the closure of the city, then What about the compatriots who want to enter the city and the businessmen who want to leave the city? Bain should not be the one to say anything to them."
I probably know what kind of organization you are, Uriel thought. "If the Night Watch doesn't support you, who will support you?"
"We." Mao Ren corrected.
"Most people in Byrne." Ryan explained, "We have the support of the people. This matter is quite complicated, and people don't understand it! There are indeed local people who think they have heard the news, such as spies, wars, etc. There was a storm all over the city, and several suburban factories were closed down!"
"Oh. That's what happened."
"If you ask me, there is a war going on outside. When did they stop? But the war can't be fought by Bain! I said, seven pivots! It will never be possible!" Ryan saw the apprentice frown, as if this was a question to him . "Don't you understand? This is all news released by the night watchman in order to seal the city so that people can be locked up and guarded." He waved his hand like steel. "Look, if there is no access out of the city, what will happen to the factories in the suburbs? What will happen to the compatriots who are fleeing? This will cause problems, big problems."
Uriel still frowned: "Okay, so the factory owner believed the rumors and dissolved the factory?"
"It's more serious than that. Bain's communication with the outside world is strictly censored, and non-members of the association are not allowed to enter or exit without authorization." Ryan told him, "Once it is closed, it means that the roads inside and outside the city are blocked, and Bain's communication with the outside world is also blocked. Completely cut off. The unknown people who fled can no longer come in, and in the city, even if Byrne is a super big city, people cannot be self-sufficient."
The suburbs and outside roads were closed, Uriel understood. The Night Watch kept Byrne completely under control, and no information was circulated. Not even the best nightingale can do anything about it. No wonder the Holy Council of Radiance sent Mons to look for traces of Lord "Night Flame".
As for the factories, the apprentices believed that these businessmen had their own information channels, so they would know the prospects of the industry in advance, and they closed down one after another. But needless to say, the merchants lost a lot of money and were 80% dissatisfied with the Night Watchman's decision.
"So you found a way to make money." Uriel said softly, "It makes it convenient for people who want to go in and out of the city."
The tighter the Night's Watch's blockade, the more the Ravens make. With the city closed and the detection station raided, Ryan and his men were able to hide a ladder and frequently send people into the city. In a sense, they were really weird.
"How did you avoid the Night Watch?" Uriel wanted to know.
"We have our own methods." Mao Ren was quite proud, "The city guard officers are our brothers."
Ryan slapped him on the forehead, and there were a few long hairs under his fingernails. "You are the only one who talks a lot!"
"Ouch! But boss, it seems like you haven't hit me for half a month."
"I forgot." Ryan smiled, "But I have remembered it now, and I will never forget it again. Go back to your post, Hai Rui, we have nothing more to say."
Hairy Hai Rui hummed a tune and left.
All the pleasant atmosphere left here. Ryan turned his head and looked at the apprentice. There was a sense of measurement in his eyes, perhaps this would allow him to avoid a pointless fight that was bound to end badly. After figuring this out, Uriel let him look at him.
"Mr. Ryan, what work do I have to do?" the apprentice asked.
Ryan lowered his head and adjusted his collar: "I really want you to take over Hai Rui's job. Sooner or later, his big mouth will cause us trouble."
"I'm just a newcomer."
"Yes. What a pity." Ryan sighed, "You are more suitable to receive guests than Hai Rui, and you are polite and like a child from a good family. How old are you? Where do you live? No, I don't have a daughter. Marrying you, this kind of method no longer works. Many young men are so stubborn that they don’t even care about their wives, so what else can I say!"
Uriel blinked. "Well……"
"Here." Ryan handed a raven badge to the apprentice, "It's a mark. People here will recognize it. You go to Socks Corner Street, there are people there who are leaving the city."
"To Yin Shiman?"
"Go to Oglethel." Ryan told him. "Byrne does not have access to the Yinsman Kingdom, but Oglethel is also a city controlled by the association. You can go there to try your luck."
Uriel heard of the city for the first time. The Misty Star Society has more than one city? Or was that a gathering place for other secret societies? You cannot ask for exit at this time.
Ryan patted the apprentice on the shoulder and warned: "Write down the destinations of all those leaving the city, remember them carefully! When the number of people is gathered, we will arrange the time together."
His tone was not serious, as if this was just a trivial matter that even a newcomer could handle. But when Uriel arrived at the scene, he found that there were hundreds of people leaving the city waiting for the record, and they were noisy and noisy. The hall that houses these people is huge, and there is no one to maintain order.
"Can this be hidden from the night watchman?" Uriel couldn't help but groan. Perhaps the Nameless Ones and the guards of the Fulcrum of Order are not the same. After all, what they need to control are the people who can cause mysterious phenomena at any time.
More people tried to squeeze in. The apprentice had to give up his position and retreat to the innermost side of the corridor. A ladder stood in the gap, with paint buckets hanging on one level. He also carefully avoided it. Finally, no one interfered. Uriel took out a pen and paper and started recording.
Someone noticed him nearby. "What are you doing?" asked a woman wearing a lace wide-brimmed hat.
"I'm in line."
"It's really rare that Bain people still pay attention to order. Otherwise, if these idiots are crowded together, I would have thought that civilized behavior would have disappeared here."
Uriel blinked, not daring to look at her. This lady is wearing a dark blue and maroon skirt with neat pleats, just like a lady in a painting. On her chest she wears a medallion depicting a young leaf and a book. The apprentice cannot tell the style of this dress, but it is very elegant, elegant and mysterious, and very valuable. At a glance, everyone will believe that it must be decorated with a big shot of status and status. "You are exaggerating, madam."
The other party looked at him openly: "Do you recognize me?"
"No, madam, I'm not from Bain." Uriel didn't understand the situation and didn't dare to pretend to be a local. "What's your name, kind lady?"
"I am Anjou of Fifetanner."
A Faftanner, Uriel thought, but she doesn't look like a mist elf. Are there humans living in Fife Tanner? This must be the case. Merchants, slaves, foreign nobles, and even immigrants were everywhere.
The apprentice has never heard of the name Anjou. It may be that it belongs to a prominent local family, or it may have special significance in the association of the unknown.
"Mrs. Anjou from the Mildani Reading Club." But as long as he thought about it, Uriel would have the answer to all his questions. "I am Uriel, an unknown person. I am honored to meet you. Want to go outside the city, madam?"
"How do you know? My companions are all at Ogreseur," Madame Anjou admitted, "but I'm afraid not many are traveling with me."
"Supporting the front line? It's truly a heroic move."
"That's wrong, I brought them back. These ignorant silly girls will only be deceived by others." Anru sighed, "People come to worship, but they insist on going out, and they think they can do something good." Career. A family of little girls!"
Uriel stopped writing. He was surprised when he first heard about it. "All girls? That's not easy. How long have they been in Oglethel?"
Madame Anjou did not answer. "Anyway, I have to bring them back as soon as possible. How many people have you gathered, boy from the Raven Group?"
Counting me, there were about two. "That will be known after I do the statistics." Uriel always carried the token given to him by Ryan the Raven. Although it was not so conspicuous in the crowd, it was not difficult to spot it if you looked closely. "But there are too many guests..."
"Want me to help?"
"Look, madam, with one more person, my efficiency can be doubled."
"It's hard to say. However, if you are willing to open the ladder first, I can ask the book friends in the reading club to assist you." Mrs. Anjou proposed. She glanced at the apprentice's raven badge and said, "I recognize Sir Ryan, but not you. I think he deliberately gave you this job."
"It is said that the Ravens are short of manpower recently."
"Raven Staff." Madam Anjou said in a disapproving tone. Her fan covered half of her face. "This group of people does not lack soldiers, but they lack a real staff officer."
Uriel had learned a lot about the Ravens from her, so it was not difficult to understand. The Raven Staff Group is a self-organized group within the association, mainly operating in Byrne and Ogresel. It includes three established adventure teams, many wandering mercenaries and a group of Brethians. The best group of mystics in En City.
Before the resurgence of the demon hunting movement and the closure of the city, the Ravens had already controlled the smuggling business in the city. They had connections with the detection station and the night watch, and seemed to be quite powerful. Merchants and guilds know this best, so they always pay a transportation fee to borrow a ladder to avoid being searched by the night watchman. The apprentice feels that the work of the Raven Group is actually no different from that of the Adventure Group.
"Sir Ryan," Uriel read as he wrote, "is he also a noble of Fifetanner?"
"No. He is considered a Byrne nobleman, but he is more elegant than us latecomers." Mrs. Anjou commented on him, "But, as for knighthood, I think he is quite unfamiliar."
It can be seen that Sir Ryan has only recently obtained the status of a noble, and judging from the men loyal to him, Hairy Hai Rui is not a knight at all. Uriel didn't think that the mysterious status would compete with the noble status, but Ryan himself was willing to imitate the latter. "I'm just a record-keeper and don't know anything about the Ravens and the Myrdanian Order."
"Maybe one day, an errand boy can also sit in a high position." Mrs. Anjou smiled. Although this was a compliment, she was probably mocking Sir Ryan.
"The gods are fair, madam," Uriel said.
"Of course. Even if I point my finger at Ryan and call him vulgar, you will act fairly, right?"
"It's a shame that's the case, ma'am. Although I can't speak for the gods."
"Then please keep counting until early the next morning." Mrs. Anjou sighed, "It is easy to organize information and count documents, but in fact it is a tiring and hard work. You would rather go to the warehouse to move things. . Do you know how to count people over ten, boy? Did Sir Ryan teach you?"
I can take off my shoes. "In fact, my counting was not taught by Sir Ryan. You can rest assured, madam." Uriel replied.
"Those who know how to count should know how to improve efficiency. Do you know statistics? The school once published..."
Uriel handed a form into her hands before she continued chattering. There are only a few items on the table: name, date and group size. A light green, almost transparent seed is stuck to the top of the page, and two cotyledons are floating in the wind, seemingly connected to invisible branches. "What is this?" asked Madame Anjou. "Oh, the gardener's seed. I recognize it."
"Of course, you are also a gardener."
Mrs. Anjou suddenly paused. She touched the reading club badge on her chest and almost threw away the fan with her other hand. She seemed to recognize the origin of the seeds. Anru's expression changed in an instant: "My bookmark! Heather, is this my fire magic? But how..."
"This is occult science, madam." Uriel said as he opened the record book. Countless pages flew out like a flock of white birds, each one covered with seeds. He sprinkled them down the hall. "Guests who intend to take the elevator please leave in an orderly manner after filling out the form."
The crowd stretched out their arms one by one, grabbed the pieces of paper flying in the sky, and began to fill in the form. Apparently, they were also very tired of the chaos and crowds. Only Mrs. Anjou remained motionless, looking at this scene in disbelief.
Twenty minutes later, Uriel collected all the forms, and the seeds overlapped one by one, finally returning to their original tender green color. It grows rapidly and unfolds into whorls of true leaves. "The latest date to go to Oglethel is one week later, madam." Uriel informed her of the results of the statistics. "The Raven Regiment sent you to count the number of people. It is really overkill. Send your companions to Oglethel." Lesser deserves even less."
"Okay, so you discovered it a long time ago." Anjou snorted, "I'm not going. I will come back when they finish the Raven Regiment's mission in Ogresel. These uneducated little Girl! They are worse than Ryan's mercenaries. Sooner or later they will be unemployed."
"That day is still far off, ma'am."
"Who can tell?" muttered Madame Anjou. She took out the raven badge from her pocket and placed it next to the book club's tender leaf badge. "Come to work on Socks Point tomorrow, kid. You're accepted."
