Chapter Thirteen
As the night passed, the city finally returned to some serenity.
It's probably because I was feeling really unwell after staying up all night and needed some time to replenish my energy.
Now is clearly a good time; the sun has just risen, and it would be a good choice to rest for a while in the light.
Especially now that it's so early, and it's still morning, choosing this time to rest is naturally a good idea. Although it's only a few hours, it's the only opportunity I can have to catch my breath and avoid being exhausted.
Yak yawned, leaning against the carriage.
He kept watch last night and hadn't slept since returning from Chrison. Now he's so exhausted he's practically contemplating suicide. The discomfort is just too unbearable.
It tried to close its eyes for a moment, but was already woken up.
Since the carriage has started moving, getting a good night's sleep in a moving carriage is a challenge in itself.
In addition, the carriage is now in an extremely bustling place. In such a sparsely populated area, perhaps only here can one see such a noisy scene.
Simply put, it's a group of guys who used to have the same profession as Ark, now gathered near the plaza to sell things from their cars. They have everything, a real hodgepodge. They come from all sorts of places.
It was also looking for the carriage that Nidra had brought, so that if it could find it, Lady could go back with it.
However, after searching for a while, it had to give up. It remembered that Nidra rarely sent merchants out; even if they did, they were just guys passing through who picked up some alchemical equipment and wanted to sell it. It probably wouldn't go back.
Those guys didn't seem willing to let others understand them, Ark thought about the city he knew. Nidra was almost always closed off; it was difficult for outsiders to get in, and difficult for those inside to get out.
However, it was to be expected that they would not find it, Yak thought.
Denos glanced at the dozing Ark and said helplessly, "Why don't you take a nap first, and I'll help you get ready for a while?"
As Denos spoke, he was lowering one side of the carriage. The carriage was designed to be disassembled and replaced. For example, this wall could be replaced, partly for easier maintenance and partly for selling goods.
Yak shook his head: "Forget it, it's obviously not appropriate for me to sleep here after you put this thing down."
It got up from the carriage, preparing to take some hay to feed the horse. This horse had been with Yak for a year, making it one of the longest-serving horses among those he owned.
Incidentally, it put on a mask.
This is a smiling mask, depicting a person smiling happily. Although the expression beneath the mask is stiff, as if someone has been dead for a long time, the mask inexplicably evokes a sense of warmth. This is because the smile seems alive, not inanimate.
Even with its little facial expressions, people wouldn't like its expressionless face. Therefore, Ark wears this mask when selling things, which makes people feel more comfortable.
The snow outside hasn't stopped yet; it started last night and continues until now. Heavy snow is pouring down. And the wind is so cold it seems to freeze your very soul.
However, there are still a few decent animal hides in the carriage.
There are also some animals kept for food in the safe zone. Although it is not clear how they are kept, Yak managed to get several sheepskins.
A warm sheepskin can bring a small sense of happiness in the cold. Although it may be small, feeling safe in this kind of weather is a very happy thing in itself.
There was already snow outside. After quickly tidying himself up, Denos put on a sheepskin and sat down next to Ark. Next to Ark was a cage, inside which was Krisen hiding.
Lady is currently holed up in the coffin and doesn't want to come out. The small resting area at the back is not open because it's drafty, so a stove has been installed there.
In addition, the coffin was already lined with some very warm things, so there really is nothing more comfortable than curling up inside in the cold.
Lady didn't sleep well last night either, so she's taking this opportunity to rest.
Yak looked at the things hanging in his carriage and the many cages placed beside it. They contained all sorts of things.
Actually, these weren't very profitable businesses. The real money-making business was the initial salt trade. Now that the salt has been sold, it should have left long ago.
But Yak enjoys socializing, even with the simplest form of bargaining.
Their current inventory is actually quite plentiful.
Moreover, there is food. As one of the few merchants with food reserves, this kind of thing usually sells very well.
Ark closed his eyes slightly; they didn't need to hawk their wares. Everything they sold was displayed on the notice board above the entrance and on the shelves. Anyone interested would ask. After all, there were only a few merchant families, and Ark didn't recognize the others around; they were probably just long-distance runners.
After a while, it slowly opened its eyes and looked at the person standing in front of it.
Denos went off to do something, it left while I was sleeping. Now I'm left with just myself and the cage next to me.
Looking at the person in front of him, Ark said in as friendly a voice as possible, "Your Excellency, what brings you here?"
These words were extremely flattering, even though the voice carried a threatening undertone.
This is Carl; I saw him just yesterday. He's the one who cleansed Lady of the corruption, if it hadn't been willing to help. That beautiful girl might have died yesterday.
“You didn’t choose a good spot. It took me a while to spot you.” Carl frowned as he looked around. “You should have chosen a more visible location instead of here. This doesn’t look like a good place to do business.”
"Good wine needs no bush," Yak replied casually. "But even in a place like this, you, as a priest, still came, didn't you?"
He knew for certain that this wasn't a suitable place. Because these days, not many people actually came here to stroll around; instead, they wandered around the shops next door.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be so idle as to fall asleep.
Falling asleep would be a real problem, especially for a businessman, who would starve sooner or later if he didn't have any customers.
But Ark wasn't in a hurry, because he knew he couldn't go there.
He saw the same bandits who had robbed Lady and her friends on the road; those guys were probably there now trying to sell her arm.
If I go there now, they might discover Lady is still resting. Besides, I'm not sure if they're residents. If they are, even if they are bad people, I have no right to act here. I'd have to go through another process, reporting it to the church and leaving it to the knights here to handle.
This is standard procedure, and although it may seem ruthless, following it will keep most people safe. That's enough.
As for why the priest was here, Ark hadn't considered it. He didn't know why this guy was looking for him now, especially since he hadn't sensed any malice from him. If he didn't seem to have any ill intentions, it meant he wasn't here to cause trouble; otherwise, he wouldn't know what other reason this guy had for seeking him out.
Unless he's there to buy something, he should be choosing a human caravan, not coming here to look around.
"Never mind, what you do there is none of my business." The priest shook his head, indicating that the topic could end there. Then, after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "Do you have any candy here?"
Ark paused for a moment, then realized that the priest had indeed come to buy something.
Currently, sugarcane and sugar beets are only grown in very few places in cities; most of the crops grown now are high-yield varieties. Therefore, these delicious foods are rarely cultivated in many places.
However, there were still some. When Yak passed through that city, he specifically bought a lot of candy. It was an expensive item, even in his own city. So he didn't intend to sell it; he only bought some because someone else liked it, and he also enjoyed it himself.
"Yes, there is." Ark thought for a moment. Indeed, there was a considerable amount of sugar stored in the cabinet above, which he mostly used for his own consumption. There wasn't much left.
I wonder why this priest came to buy candy. Does this guy even like candy? It sounds so childish.
Yak hesitated for a moment, then got up and took out a jar from the location he remembered.
This jar was specially sealed and placed separately, containing dry ingredients to prevent it from becoming sticky due to moisture.
“I can give you some if you want.” Acton paused and said, “I don’t intend to sell this.”
“I will pay.” The priest pulled a handful of gold and silver coins from his pocket. “How much do you need?”
Priests really do have high salaries.
Ark stared blankly at the handful of money. He had risked his life running around to various cities to earn this money, and this guy probably just got it by reading scriptures all day. He was really envious. But speaking of which, this was a lot of money. Maybe he should go to that city and buy some more sugar?
After struggling with his thoughts for a while, Yak shook his head.
"You can take it." Yak didn't intend to accept it. He shook his hand to refuse, then took out a small bag from inside and tossed it over.
Inside are some very common candies, though "common" doesn't just mean they're found here.
Carl looked at the candy in his hand; the amount he had casually tossed over was quite substantial, a full bag.
“In that case, I’ll owe you a favor, and this is even harder to repay.” He handed over a gold coin: “This should be enough.”
“You should save the money to buy some toys for your kids.” Yak flicked it back at him: “You didn’t charge me last time you helped me, did you?”
“But I am a priest, and you are a merchant. We are different.”
“At least in this matter, it’s the same. I don’t want to owe you a favor.” Yak shrugged. “You can leave now. Your presence here is making it difficult for me to sell things.”
"How do you know I have a child?" Suddenly, Karl's voice slowly turned cold.
Ark realized that the space around them was enclosed, and their conversation had changed after he said that.
"No, no, no, don't misunderstand. It's just because you have the scent of a child." Ark quickly stood up and said慌张地, "Um, is there something wrong with what I said?"
Ark deeply regretted speaking without thinking, but it was too late now, as the priest's expression slowly filled with hostility.
This was the first time he had felt such pure hostility from this guy; he almost thought he was about to smash his head open with the scripture in his hand.
Fortunately, he didn't say anything more, just waved his hand and turned to leave.
He took something out of his pocket and threw it over, but this time Yak didn't throw it back.
It was a hastily written label, with a simple signature and some random scribbling on it.
“Thank you very much,” Yak said softly to him after he had gone far enough.
Even though it was so far away, Yak knew he could hear him.
"Wow, that scared me to death. Why is there a priest here?" Denos finally came out at this moment; he had deliberately hidden to the side.
The priestess holds a very high position in this world, and this person shouldn't be here right now. She should be in another city, where she can have some status and position.
Ark didn't tell Denos anything about the priest either. The priest was a bit too young; Denos thought he should be an old man.
That's how it should be; becoming a priest signifies gaining the trust of the gods. Such a person should be an elderly one; young people should not easily believe them.
“I don’t know.” Acte paused for a moment. “Give this to Lady; it’s safe now.”
After saying that, he sat down on the side and smiled helplessly.
Denos looked at the piece of paper in his hand: "That's quite a sum."
“That’s a big deal,” Yak said. “I wasn’t planning on him giving us this.”
This is a guarantee, a guarantee for Lady, who is still resting in her coffin. This ensures her safety; it's essentially a simple certificate of safety. It's issued by a priest to prove her safety. As for its validity? That depends on the status of the person who issues it.
However, so far, no one should think that a priest's promise is worthless.
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