A week has passed since the cavalry ambush, and life in Muxi Town has slowly returned to normal.
Unlike the people in the surrounding villages and towns who go to bed as early as 8 p.m., the residents of Muxi Town have an increasingly higher demand for nighttime entertainment. For example, taverns that used to operate until 9 p.m. are now required to extend their closing time to 11 p.m.; the vulgar skits performed in the square are now required to increase the number of performances from three to five; and small vendors from the surrounding areas who come to the town to set up stalls always have to increase the inventory in their bags by another 30%. Although these entertainment activities are still very simple and rudimentary, they have become an integral part of the daily lives of the town's residents.
In the newly planned commercial area of the town, a new bar has been built, named "Come Again Tomorrow".
No one knew who the owner of the tavern was, nor how it opened. All that was known was that the ale here was more refreshing than others, as it was undiluted, and the price was reasonable. The tables and chairs were well-maintained, the floor was always clean, and there was no strange smell in the tavern. Although gambling was not allowed in the tavern due to church taboos, small bets of a few coins were usually turned a blind eye.
Therefore, this tavern is always packed at night, with seats hard to come by. After a hard day's work, the residents would gather with a few friends, bring playing cards, grab a table, buy half a barrel of ale, order some snacks, chat, play cards, and the happy time would pass by quickly.
Tonight, the tavern is offering a new snack on the menu—fried dough twists. The chefs in the kitchen grind whole wheat flour into a batter, then shape it into round pieces and fry them. They fill them with various fillings according to the customers' preferences, such as a piece of fruit, a few small shrimps, or a piece of fish. If the customers are on a more generous budget, they don't mind coating them with honey or sprinkling them with fine salt.
Ten slices per plate, three bronze stars; additional ingredients are charged separately.
After a few regulars tried the new dish, almost everyone in the tavern fell in love with it. While praising it, people also started chatting about it.
A young man dressed in a hooded linen coat took a sip of ale, tossed aside his cards, picked up a fried dough twist, examined it closely, and said to his companion at the table, "I've eaten this before."
His tablemate glanced at him, looking at him with suspicion.
Seeing his companion's look, the young man grew anxious, swallowed the snack in his mouth, gulped down a mouthful of ale, patted his chest, and shouted, "Do you know the 'Sisters' Inn' in town? They have this snack there! It's just more refined, with nuts and candied fruit on top!"
His companion's skepticism deepened, and his tone even carried a hint of sarcasm: "Lynn, do you know how expensive it is there? Any one dish can cover a family's expenses for a week."
The young man called Lynn gave the other a disdainful look: "Just two weeks ago, the guild's vice president took me there and arranged accommodations for a distinguished guest. I was fortunate enough to have the best meal I've ever had in my life: cheese fish soup, ham stew with cabbage, and Dror assortment..."
"It doesn't sound any different."
Lynn took another sip of ale, shook his head, and said, "No, it's completely different from the dishes we usually eat. I don't know how to describe the taste, it's absolutely divine! I almost swallowed my tongue! Oh, and there are snacks like that in there."
His companion again expressed doubt: "Is it really that delicious?"
Lynn nodded emphatically.
"Hey, look over there." Another companion at the table deliberately lowered his voice to attract attention.
Lynn looked in the direction of the sound and saw six soldiers dressed in identical civilian clothes sitting at the innermost table. Their upright posture and quiet eating made them seem somewhat out of place compared to the other customers in the tavern.
Lynn turned back, leaned down slightly, and asked in a low voice, "Do you think those people are...?"
His companion placed the cards face down on the table, leaning to one side as he said, "I heard these people are soldiers of the kingdom, and they recently joined the church. Now they're the Holy Son's guards. I also heard..."
He lowered his voice even further: "These men defeated several times their number of enemy troops, acquired a large amount of spoils, and donated them to the church."
Upon hearing a word, Lynn involuntarily asked, "Enemy forces?"
"I heard it's the kingdom's army."
"The kingdom's army? Why should we fight them?"
His companion's voice was barely audible: "There's a rumor that a group of nobles in the kingdom are envious of the miracles of Muxi Town and have tried to seize its wealth several times. These soldiers, inspired by the power of the Father, have joined the church and fought against the invading nobles."
Lynn's eyes widened: "The land in Muxi Town should be the church's property, right? How dare these nobles set their sights on the church? Have they gone mad?"
His companion glanced at him and patted him on the shoulder: "You just moved here from the east, so you probably don't know some of the inside stories. The tension between the kingdom and the church has been going on for a long time. What's more, His Holiness the Holy Son took in a lot of runaway serfs from the nearby nobles, which made the relationship between Muxi Town and the kingdom's nobles even worse."
"If you ask me, let these nobles go to hell!" Another man at the table slammed his wooden wine cup down on the table, indignantly saying, "Back when I was doing some small business in Silver Ring City, these nobles were always looking for ways to increase taxes, just to squeeze every last copper coin out of our pockets!"
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