Lincheng 17 (3)

The old woman continued telling Mi about the girls' school, chuckling as she said, "The technical department is full of bookworms, dealing with wood and stone all day long. Wherever a house needs to be built in Lincheng, the technical department is responsible for determining the depth of the foundation and the layout of the drainage pipes. The teachers in the technical department are also in charge of the entire city's security. From farm tools in the fields to weapons in the soldiers' hands, everything is under the technical department's responsibility."

The tech department is full of talent; Mi thinks it's full of tech geniuses, while these bookworms are engineering gurus. Mi suddenly remembered Qiu's wrist, which had been hidden by her sleeve. Qiu hadn't come out unprepared, had she?

"The finance ministers deal with numbers all day long; they handle all the accounts in Lincheng," the old woman said with a smile. "All 17 finance ministers in Lincheng are graduates of girls' schools; even the city lord can't out-calculate with them."

Mi then learned that all commercial dealings between Lincheng 17 and Weicheng 17 to the west and Maicheng 17 to the east were settled through the City Lord's Mansion, with Weicheng 17's expenses funded by Taiyang City. Lincheng appeared to produce a lot and have many business dealings, but in reality, it didn't receive much money, as Taiyang City consistently delayed its funding payments year after year. This was also why Lincheng kept sending caravans to Maicheng. The people from Lincheng went to Taiyang City with only one purpose: to collect debts. Therefore, Lincheng's business wouldn't extend to Xingcheng, where the relationship with Taiyang City was closer, and they knew Lincheng had extra income, making it even more difficult for funding to come through.

The Star Department is the most mysterious of all, somewhat like the Imperial Astronomical Bureau of ancient China. They study celestial phenomena and weather. Mi has seen countless night skies in the Misty Forest, Redstone Town, and the Wasteland. Here, the stars are densely packed, unlike on Blue Star where there's a Milky Way or clusters of galaxies. The stars here are constantly moving, and Mi has no idea what they're studying. The star map is a top secret throughout the Flower Kingdom; no one is allowed to circulate or discuss it.

"That's a secret from the stars," the old woman said mysteriously. "Everyone corresponds to a star in the sky, and everyone's fate is written in the stars."

"Ah, then what about the newborn babies and the aging population?" This was the first time Mi had heard this theory.

"Stars are born every day, and stars disappear every day, just like people on Earth," the old woman said slowly as she sat back in her recliner.

The girls' school's canteen not only researches different food seasonings and pairings but also seeks out new ingredients. With the best relationship with the agricultural school, it's the most watched branch in the entire city. Every time the canteen introduces a new ingredient or dish, it becomes a city-wide sensation, and the girls' school gets to enjoy it for free for a year. During this year, the new dishes spread throughout the city through the girls' school's teachers and students, and then independent merchants compete for exclusive sales rights. The canteen is the girls' school's most profitable department.

Isn't the Technology Department the most profitable? Technology is the real productive force, right? Mi doesn't quite understand what the Technology Department is researching. Currently, Weicheng and Lincheng are still in a relatively primitive stage. Besides manpower, the main power source is horses, which are used to pull carts. But this girls' school is practically a mini-government, integrating legislation, scientific research, people's livelihood, and commerce. Even without the city lord's mansion, the girls' school principal can ensure the normal operation of Lincheng.

Mi looked at the large black characters at the school gate: "How long has Lincheng Girls' School been open?"

"Well, let me calculate," the old woman said, fiddling with her fingers for a while. "The girls' school existed as early as the day Lincheng No. 17 was founded, almost two hundred years ago. King Derek laid the foundation stone for the girls' school when he was still a prince. Our Lincheng No. 17 Girls' School is as old as the King's Academy in Sun City, and its reputation is even greater than that of the Royal Girls' Academy in Sun City. It is one of the oldest schools in the Flower Kingdom."

"Does the girls' school only admit female students from Lincheng in 17 years?" With such an ancient school and such a great reputation, Mi couldn't help but be curious about its student body.

“Yes, but many city lords also send people here for further studies. Since the girls’ school only accepts female students for exchange, there aren’t many international students. Although there aren’t many international students, each one is very famous. Our Lin City Girls’ School has produced more than ten female city lords, including those from Wei City, Lin City, and Mai City.” The old woman leaned forward and lowered her voice, saying, “Queen Angelis of Taiyang City studied at our girls’ school more than twenty years ago.”

This place was practically a gathering place for female politicians. Mi looked up again; the sound of reading inside the courtyard had stopped, and through the iron gate, she could see girls in blue school uniforms coming and going. Mi said goodbye to the old woman in front of the girls' school gate and followed the old woman's directions to find her accommodation.

* * *

In a side room of the main building of the city lord's mansion, the robust city lord Zara and Qiu sat together. There was also a woman who looked to be about the same age as Qiu and wore glasses. The three of them sat around a table with a pot of tea and a plate of pastries that the old lady from the girls' school had served them earlier.

"Is it her?" City Lord Zara stared at Qiu.

“It should be right,” Qiu put down her teacup. “Before we left, Lord Arlo, the 17th lord of the city, put on a show for her, pretending that the Shari people had come to visit.”

"Why make such a commotion?" City Lord Zara put down his teacup and looked at Qiu with a puzzled expression.

"It's quite a coincidence. She probably sneaked into the city's defenses at night and ran into some kind of mechanism," Qiu laughed. "It was the array observation and detection device sent by the Star Department."

"How could she have run into her?" City Lord Zara frowned. "You saw it?"

"No, but I personally verified it. The little fish did fall down, only one. You know, the array detector has been there for several years and has never made a mistake."

“Lord Allo of the 17th Acropolis is shrewd,” Lord Zara pondered. “Have they contacted the 18th Acropolis?”

"Probably not. Acropolis 18 has already been breached, and a new city lord hasn't been appointed yet." Qiu narrowed his eyes. "Arlo rose through the ranks based on military merit; he has no affection for the Acropolis. This time, he'd rather send fifty men to Acropolis 18."

"What do we do now?"

“We can’t get around Sidney, the 18th city lord of Lincheng. Sidney has always supported Roger. Unless you plan to let Roger take over,” Qiu leaned back in his chair, “it’s impossible to get Sidney’s support.”

The woman with glasses glanced at Qiu, then at the city lord, and quietly took a step back. City Lord Zara rolled her eyes at her: "Why are you hiding?"

"I have no intention of interfering in the matter of the city lord's successor." The woman with glasses raised her hands. "Whoever you say you will be the one, City Lord. I have no objection."

"Do you think I don't know that you two have been in cahoots all along?" City Lord Zara sighed. "This matter needs to be resolved as soon as possible; I can't hold on for more than a few days."

"Zara, how are you feeling now?" Qiu gritted her teeth, a fierce look flashing across her face: "Mi might be a long-lived species."

“No,” the woman with glasses denied her. “The Star Department observed the meteor last year. The meteor was heading towards Sun City, but its tail swept past the 17th Citadel. Why do you think the city lord would send you to the 17th Citadel at such a critical moment?”

"A shooting star?" Qiu stood up. "When was the last time a shooting star appeared?"

“Since the founding of the Flower Kingdom, only three meteors have appeared. The first was when outsiders arrived, the second before Derek I ascended the throne, and the third was last summer,” said the woman with glasses. “Not long after this meteor appeared, the Queen’s Crown appeared in the sky above Sun City. Even if she is truly a long-lived species, Qiu, she is the Queen’s Guide. We must not only not harm her, but also protect her.”

"How's the rice doing along the way?" City Lord Zara and the woman with glasses looked at Qiu expectantly.

"She has a bit of a scholarly air about her. To be honest, if I hadn't been sure I'd never seen her before, I would have suspected she was a female college student from the Ministry of Justice doing an internship." Qiu recalled what she had seen of Mi these past few days: "She has her own principles, adheres to some trivial rules, cherishes food, and eats every bite of food very slowly."

“Cherishing food is an adventurer’s habit,” Lord Zara interrupted her. “How did you figure out the others? She seemed very shy today. If she hadn’t come back with you, I wouldn’t have believed she came from the border.”

“You know I specifically brought those guys—Will and the others—just to use her to deal with them.” Qiu shrugged. “They were brought back exactly as they were. It’s really frustrating.”

"If you don't change your temperament, it will be difficult for you to manage Lincheng," the woman with glasses said, pouring her a cup of tea.

“I don’t want to be the city lord, you know that,” Qiu stared at the bespectacled woman. “If you weren’t unwilling to step into the limelight, why would I bother getting involved in this mess? What’s wrong with continuing my caravan business?”

“Qiu—” City Lord Zara stopped her, “If you don’t want to, no one is forcing you. You can’t put pressure on Yana like this.”

"Lord, I'm alright." The woman with glasses stopped the lord, then smiled at Qiu, reassuring Qiu who was rolling her eyes.

"I shouldn't concern myself with your affairs." The city lord leaned back in his chair. At that moment, a soldier came in and whispered something in the city lord's ear before leaving. The city lord stood up and followed him out, saying, "I have other matters to attend to. You... sigh." City Lord Zara pointed at Qiu, shook his head, sighed, and walked out.

The woman with glasses saw the city lord walk out and finish his tea, then said, "Let's go too. You should go pick up Mi as soon as possible; we need her help."

“I understand,” Qiu said dejectedly, “Actually, I—”

“I know you well enough,” the woman with glasses laughed. “The city lord’s health won’t last much longer. You should avoid provoking her and do things that will put her mind at ease.”

"Damn it!" Qiu slammed his fist on the table. "Why hasn't Taiyang City sent the medicine yet?"

* * *

On her way to the hotel, Mi ran into Qiu, who was directing the loading of goods. Mi walked over curiously and asked, "Why are you leaving again so soon after you just got back?"

Qiu turned around and saw Mi, calling out, "Have you stamped it?" Seeing Mi shake her head, Qiu turned and pulled over a plump female shopkeeper, tossing her the ledger in her hand and saying, "Keep an eye on it, I have something to take care of." Then she pulled Mi and said, "Let's go, I'll take you this time."

"No rush, I'm just taking a stroll around the city," Mi said, feeling embarrassed to interrupt Qiu's work.

"Let's go, I'll take you to get the border stamp first, so I don't forget again when I get busy." Qiu stood in front waiting for Mi.

Qiu led Mi to the city lord's mansion. The place responsible for stamping documents in Lincheng was on the second floor of the main building. A woman wearing glasses was looking for something on a shelf by the wall, while a young woman greeted Qiu and Mi. The young woman looked to be around twenty years old, wearing a uniform-style gray long skirt, her hair tied up, and she looked very capable. She held up Mi's pass and asked, "To get a border stamp?" Qiu nodded, and Mi saw that it bore the stamp of Lincheng 17 Zara. The woman with glasses took Mi's pass, looked at it, and said, "Alright, I'll watch over this. You can go ahead with your work." The young woman gracefully turned and left.

“Hello, my name is Yana,” the woman with glasses said, extending her hand.

Mi quickly reached out and grasped Yana's outstretched hands. Yana's hands were warm and dry. "Hello Yana, my name is Mi, you can just call me Mi." Qiu pulled over two chairs and pressed Mi down to sit. Mi looked at Qiu and then at Yana, who was holding the pass, and decided to remain silent.

“This pass you have was issued by Redstone Town. Redstone Town is quite special. With a pass like this, you’ll receive a lot of help along the way, and the Adventurers’ Guild will try its best to keep you here,” Yana said, looking at Mi. “This will cause you a lot of trouble.” Mi looked at Yana quietly, waiting for her to continue.

"Qiu, bring some tea," Yana said, dismissing Qiu without saying anything more about the pass. "Miss Mi, I think you know nothing about the Flower Kingdom. We have the most and oldest books in the entire Flower Kingdom. Would you like to take a look?"

Mi hadn't expected Yana to point out her problem so quickly, which was quite tempting. After a moment's thought, Mi asked, "What do you need me to do?"