At the end of the road, the terrain suddenly opens up.
A wide, slightly muddy river flows into a sparkling blue inland sea here.
A city nestled between mountains and water, much larger than Osborne Town, appeared before them like a giant beast crawling on the coastline.
Anchor Bay City.
The towering gray-white stone walls with obvious coastal defense functions meander along the coastline.
Ships of all sizes fill the huge natural harbor like a busy colony of ants.
Masts stand in rows and sails are fluttering.
The air was filled with a complex smell that was so strong that it could not be dissolved.
The salty sea breeze, the rotting fish and shrimp, the smell of tung oil from the dock wood, the dust from the piles of cargo, and the faint sound of the rough calls of the dock workers and the clamor of the vendors' hawking.
A huge wooden dock extends into the sea, with people crowding on it and crane arms slowly turning, lifting boxes of cargo from the ship to the shore, and then transporting the cargo on the shore into the ship's cabin.
In the area near the dock, low and dense warehouses and sheds are lined up one after another.
Inside the city, you can see more regular streets and buildings spreading upward along the mountain.
A rough, busy vitality full of worldly desires and the breath of the ocean hits you in the face, forming a strong contrast with the dead sweetness of Maple Leaf Town and the desolation of the church.
Mark took a deep breath of the air mixed with the smell of fish and freedom, and the boredom in his chest seemed to be diluted a little.
"Anchor Bay City... finally here."
"There can't be so many troubles in a big city like this!"
The hustle and bustle of Anchor Bay City was like real waves, crashing onto the newly arrived Mark team.
The strong salty smell in the air, the fresh fishy smell, the tung oil smell of the dock wood, and the mixed scent of sweat and cargo constitute a rough and vibrant pulse of life.
This formed a strong contrast with the dead sweetness of Maple Leaf Town and the desolate church, and also lifted the spirits of Mark and Monica who had just recovered from the mental trauma.
"Wow! That smell! It's really strong! Mark, smell it! The aroma of this wine is much more authentic than the one in the Grizzly Tavern!"
Enzo took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming as he scanned the busy docks and the mountainside town. "This is where the living are! Much better than that spooky Maple Leaf Town! This junky Graystone Caravan is shaking me so hard I'm almost breaking! Quick, find a place where I can take a bath and drink two glasses of real dwarven ale!"
Mark looked up and saw masts and sails standing in rows in the huge natural harbor.
The sounds of unloading, the hawking of vendors, and the chirping of seabirds interweave into a boiling melody.
The streets in the city built on the mountain are narrow and steep, and most of the houses are solid stone and wood structures with mixed styles.
There are small spires of the Church of Holy Light, as well as simple shrines dedicated to the god of the sea or the god of storms embedded in the street corners. You can even see some murals depicting the goddess of harvest or strange marine creatures.
As Mark once knew, Anchor Bay was a major trading town with people of different faiths.
"First, find a place to stay."
Mark's voice was filled with fatigue after a long journey, but his eyes were involuntarily drawn to the area in the distance where there was a lot of noise and a stronger smell of fish.
The seafood market in Anchor Bay City.
They chose a mid-range hotel near the dock area called the Surge Inn.
The hotel is not luxurious, but it is clean. You can see the busy scene of the harbor by opening the wooden window.
Just as I had settled Xiao Mu in the slightly cramped but fairly tidy room, there was a gentle knock on the door.
The person who opened the door was a young male waiter with freckles on his face and a timid look in his eyes.
He didn't say much, but quickly stuffed a rough envelope with no signature and hastily sealed with cheap wax into Mark's hand.
He whispered, "Someone told me to hand it over to the adult with the special badge," and then he slinked away like a frightened rabbit.
Mark held the envelope in his hand, looking down at the badge of the Apprentice Inquisitor of the Thirteenth Holy Knights on his chest, which still shone with a cold light in the dim corridor.
Didn't Ruby say that the Thirteenth Holy Knights had never issued a trainee inquisitor badge before?
Why is it that once I leave Osborne Town, I seem to know everyone?
"We've been targeted already? That's pretty efficient." He muttered, tearing open the seal.
The letter paper was also rough, and the handwriting was crooked. It was obvious that the writer had a low level of education and limited cognition:
"Sir, help! Please intervene! The knights of the Holy Light Guard of Anchor Bay are colluding with the foreign merchants of the 'Sea Tide Chamber of Commerce' to smuggle and sell the Church's special magical materials! And other valuables! They are in the 'Blue Shell' warehouse west of the dock! They use the Church's ships to transport the contraband, withhold our wages, and even assault us! Please intervene! - A dockworker who dares not leave his name."
Mark quickly scanned it, curled the corners of his mouth, and crumpled the letter into a ball.
Smuggling special supplies? Withholding wages? These local church grievances... he had nothing to do with them.
Moreover, Mark didn't believe that as a worker working for the Holy Light Church, there would be anyone stupid enough to think that finding a few lone "imperial envoys" could help them solve the problem.
If they are really that naive and stupid.
That would just teach them a lesson.
But in reality, Mark was too lazy to laugh at the person who wrote the letter.
Not only was he able to find their whereabouts and send a letter as soon as they entered the city, but he also described in detail what the Anchor Bay City Holy Light Guard had done.
If you are so capable, why don't you become a detective instead of being a dock worker?!
The intention to use Mark as a gun is too obvious!
The shadow of Maple Leaf Town had not yet completely dissipated, and with his mind filled with new knowledge about cooking, Mark was in no mood to stir up another hornet's nest.
"Tsk, what a bother." He casually threw the ball of paper on the small table in the corner of the room, as if it were a hot rag.
"What is it?" Anna's voice came from the side. She had just helped Monica make the bed.
"Nothing, just a 'report'." Mark waved his hand, his tone filled with obvious impatience, "accusing the local Holy Light Guard of smuggling. I'm too lazy to care, and I can't do anything about it."
Anna's emerald eyes swept across the paper ball on the table. She said nothing, but pursed her lips slightly.
She also smuggled into the human kingdom from the border of the Elf Forest, and had seen no less chaos in various places than Mark.
She used to feel pity for the oppressed people at the bottom of society, but after her identity information was sold to a slave trader, Anna no longer showed even a trace of compassion.
Even if she cared about whether a slime had a comfortable day, she was unwilling to care whether a slave could go a day without being whipped.
Meaningless concern will only lead to resentment.
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