Chapter 352: The Northern Border of the Empire
Luo Yan stayed in Quartz City, the capital of commerce and craftsmanship in the Kingdom of Rhodes, for three days. After appreciating how the piano that was popular in the empire was made by a pair of rough but steady hands, he set off again and continued his journey north.
The carriage headed north, leaving behind the clanging sounds of craftsmen and the hustle and bustle of merchants, and entered the hereditary territory of the Blackwood family, the Duke of the North.
The landscape here is completely different. The layout of the villages and towns is as rigorous as a military camp, the roads between the fields are as straight as if cut by a knife, and even the farmers working in the wind and snow keep their backs straight.
The air is filled with the scent of discipline and steel, which is in stark contrast to the glitz of the Holy City and the craftsmanship of the Quartz City.
Looking at the passes along the mountains, Taf couldn't help but exclaimed as she stuck her little head out of the carriage window.
"Incredible, I seem to have been here before."
Luo Yan flipped through the "Travels in the Kingdom of Lod" in his hand and took the time to reply.
"How long ago?"
"Probably a thousand years, I can't remember clearly, it was all from my last life." Tafu muttered as her neck shivered in the cold wind, then buried her head back into the warm and soft blanket.
A thousand years.
That's long enough.
According to the records of "Travels in the Kingdom of Rhodes", this duchy located in the north is an important military town of the Kingdom of Rhodes. It was built five hundred years ago and named after the Blackwood family.
In addition to the fortresses and castles that can be seen everywhere, what stands before them at this moment is a city called "Dragon View City", which is said to have a close relationship with the dragon.
However, rather than saying that this is a city, it would be more accurate to say that it is a "giant fortress" that blends in with the mountains.
The walls of the entire city were built directly on the rock walls of the mountain, and many buildings and passages were carved out of the mountain. It is rumored that its foundation was built directly on ancient dwarf ruins.
The buildings here are low and solid, with sloping roofs to withstand winter blizzards and possible attacks at any time. The city is filled with the smell of smoke and leather from blacksmith shops all year round, and the air is freezing cold.
A giant wall called the Indomitable Wall is a hundred meters high and spans the entire canyon. It is covered with crossbows and catapults. The wall is engraved with the names of successive defenders and the years of resisting invasions. Every brick and tile is engraved with a rich historical heritage.
You can't feel this solemnity in the holy city.
"…If Brass Pass falls, this will be the empire's second line of defense, and it should last longer than Brass Pass."
Luo Yan silently commented in his heart, then turned the page of the book in his hand, his thoughts following the rolling wheels through the flying snow.
Before entering Longshi City, Luo Yan was wondering whether Tafu's breath would attract her kind, but unfortunately, they didn't even hear a dragon roar during the three days they stayed here. However, there were a few wolf howls coming from the distant mountains.
It seems that the Dragon Tooth Mountains are still too small to accommodate a real dragon.
During his stay in Longshi City, Luo Yan had nothing to do, so he registered as an adventurer in the local Adventurer's Guild under the name Colin. He even took Sarah and Taf to take on a few missions and "disturb" the nearby maze.
It's a pity that the local demon king is not good at running the maze, even worse than the Dragun family in Thunder County. The maze is full of low-level monsters like slimes and skeletons.
…
The local lord probably left the maze untouched for the sake of sustainable magic crystal income, as well as the consumption and taxes contributed by adventurers.
Luo Yan could roughly feel that the demon general here was probably at the same level as Sarah, and his strength was in the middle of the silver level.
As for the Demon King, he is probably only at the gold level, no higher.
Without going deep into the deepest part of the maze, Luo Yan just lightly bombarded the fish pond on the surface, shocking a group of adventurers who were at most bronze level, and frightened his "colleagues" who were hiding underground and Tafu who was making a fuss, and then left in a leisurely manner.
The rewards from the adventurer's mission were better than nothing, but what surprised Luo Yan was that he had not fought monsters for such a long time, but he unexpectedly leveled up after just a few moves during the journey.
【
ID: Luo Yan
Race: Human
Soul level: Diamond (level cap LV130)
Level: LV.92 (+1)
Constitution: 91 (+2)
Strength: 36 Agility: 44 Intelligence: 289 (+10)
Spirit: 235 (+3)
】
Although the improvement in supernatural power seems insignificant compared to the improvement in the power of faith, it is still a pleasant surprise for Luo Yan that is better than nothing.
By the way, what made Luo Yan happy was that his cat was also upgraded, and it was 6 levels higher than when it was in the Jana Continent.
This speed of progress can be said to be quite rapid.
【
ID: Sarah
Race: Demon
Soul level: Gold (level cap LV90)
Level: LV.57 (+6)
Constitution: 40 (+1)
Strength: 67 (+8)
Agility: 100 (+15)
Intelligence: 17 Spirit: 18
…
Passing through the strictly disciplined territory of the Duke of the North, the carriage headed eastward and soon arrived at the pass on the southern foot of the Dragon Tooth Mountains.
Ahead is a knight fiefdom called Eagle Rock, ruled by Sir Kyle Richter, whose ancestors have been loyal to the royal family of Rhodes for generations.
Although the Rhodes royal family probably does not remember that they have such a loyal vassal, this is a very famous place for ordinary people in the continent of Os.
There is no other reason.
This is because this is an important hub leading to the Kingdom of Rhodes and the Kingdom of Learning, and becoming a magician is the ultimate dream of countless ordinary people who think they are gifted.
Just like the young men in the Holy City all dream of joining the Royal Knights.
Although becoming a magician is much more difficult than becoming a knight or adventurer, the status and treatment of a magician are incomparable to the latter two.
And according to rumors, Xuebang has been trying to explore the boundaries of the soul and trying to obtain energy from outside the domain in the virtual world.
Some magicians even transcended the shackles of their own souls and broke through bottlenecks that were impossible to break through! A higher soul level not only means a broader sky in this life, but also means a higher starting point in the next life when entering reincarnation.
The latter, in particular, has a fatal attraction for young people born in civilian families.
Since every year a large number of young men who are suspected to be awakened go to the northern wilderness to try their luck, providing food and lodging services for travelers going to the academy for "interviews" has naturally become an important source of income for Eagle Rock Territory.
Although the local lords, like other feudal lords in the Kingdom of Rhodes, extremely hated the magicians who stole young and middle-aged labor from their territories, at least on the surface they still acquiesced to the migrating people passing through their territories.
After entering Yingyan Territory, the road mixed with snow and water became increasingly muddy, and the number of pedestrians increased.
They were in groups of three or five, dressed differently, but all had the same expression on their faces - a mixture of longing for the future and fatigue from the journey.
These people are all "pilgrims" heading to Xuebang.
Luo Yan did not disturb anyone's thoughts, but his carriage itself was a silent "disturbance".
The car body made of precious wood is extremely rare in the North.
And no matter the smooth driving posture or the two shiny horses pulling the carriage, they all demonstrate the owner's extraordinary financial strength.
In this mixed group of walkers and tired riders, it was like a white swan that had strayed into a flock of ducks.
Soon, trouble came knocking on the door.
Two young people, a man and a woman, riding two slightly tired pack horses, deliberately caught up from the back of the team and drove side by side with Luo Yan's carriage.
The men were handsome and the women were beautiful. The clothes they wore looked luxurious in the past, but the edges showed signs of wear and tear. It was obvious that this long journey had cost them a lot of money.
But there is no doubt that they are definitely not from the Holy City, otherwise they would definitely not fail to recognize what the Purple Moon Badge means.
"Good day, dear sir."
The handsome young man had a warm and businesslike smile on his face. He said loudly to the direction of the carriage, "I am Julian, and this is my sister Liana. We are from the Holy City and are also students going to the Academy. In this bitter and cold northern border, it is really refreshing to meet a fellow traveler with such elegant taste like you!"
As he spoke, he glanced intentionally or unintentionally at the corner of the carriage that had no family crest but was carved with intricate purple moon patterns.
Although I don't recognize that symbol, the families that can use purple as their family emblem must have been wealthy long ago.
Before Luo Yan could respond, his sister Liana beside him let out a soft sigh at the right moment.
She placed a red, frozen hand gracefully on her chest and frowned sympathetically: "Oh, Julian, the wind is so cold. I wish there was a place where we could hide from the biting cold for a while."
Her gaze was like a feather, lightly scratching the window curtain.
This double act had obviously been rehearsed many times.
Their goal is clear: to use their outstanding looks and knowledge from the metropolis to win the favor of this wealthy "student" so as to get a free ride and perhaps even gain a new backer.
In the continent of Os, for the nobles outside the Holy City, the title of "Holy City" always makes them look up to it.
This trick has always worked for them!
Julian immediately responded, "Yes, sir. My sister is weak and can't stand the cold. I wonder if we can borrow your carriage for a while? Even if it's just to the next town... We will be very grateful!"
He waited for a long time.
However, the carriage remained silent, as if their performance was wasted in the air.
Just when Julian's smile was about to freeze, Sarah, who had been driving in silence, slowly turned her head and looked at them.
Those were a pair of vertical pupils that were colder than the wind, as if they had stopped the snowflakes flying all over the sky in an instant.
The noise around seemed to have disappeared. The sound of the wind, the sound of horse hooves, the sound of people talking... everything fell silent, leaving only the cold and solemn atmosphere.
The air became thick and heavy, making it almost impossible for Julian to breathe. All the words he had prepared were stuck in his throat, and his mind went blank.
Liana beside him was even more terrified. It was a fear that came from biological instinct, as if an invisible poisonous snake had strangled her throat and she couldn't even scream.
After only looking at each other for two seconds, Sarah withdrew her gaze and looked forward again, as if nothing had happened.
"Uh... let's... let's not bother anymore!"
Julian was so frightened that he stammered out a few words, then he grabbed his sister's reins in a panic, urged the tired horses, and fled in a miserable manner from the carriage that brought them endless fear.
Watching the two clowns disappear in the snow, Sarah looked back worriedly, reached out to open the door curtain, and whispered.
"Am I doing the right thing... Your Highness?"
The bone-deep coldness seemed to have never appeared in her eyes. She carefully observed Luo Yan's expression, just like observing her master's big orange dog.
Although she felt the Demon King's impatience, it was her own decision to drive the two away.
"It's not important, just a small matter." Luo Yan replied slowly and just turned a page of the book on his knees.
It would be fine if they really needed help, as he was a very easy-going person. However, those two were obviously just there to eat and drink for free, and he didn't want to be the victim.
Taffy turned over and continued to doze off, completely unaware of what was happening outside.
Sarah breathed a sigh of relief, regained her spirits, and scanned the surroundings with a sharp gaze. Not only those people with ulterior motives, but even those who were just watching the fun and had no intention of approaching to chat were frightened and quickened their pace to hide away.
That night, at the "Adventurer's House" inn on the roadside, a group of people parked their carriage in the backyard and stayed in the inn to avoid the wind and snow.
Luo Yan sat at the bar, tasting the bitter local beer while listening to the students around him talking.
The person who poured him the drink was a bearded, experienced bartender. A shallow scar on his face reminded him of his old friend in Thunder City.
"It's exam season again." The bartender wiped the glass and said to Luo Yan as if talking to himself, "Sir, you are also going to Xuebang, right? Judging from your demeanor, I believe someone recommended you here."
Some nobles would also go to the academy to learn magic, and these people not only brought letters of recommendation, but also often did not start as apprentices, and even needed apprentices to serve them.
Therefore, for those who aspire to enter the academy, gaining the friendship of the nobles is also a way to pass the interview - although the selection of apprentices in the academy is strict, it is not as strict as ordinary people imagine.
It is like the law of the holy city. When it is time to show leniency, it will of course turn a blind eye.
Luo Yan smiled and said nothing.
The bartender was used to it. He had poured drinks for countless guests like Luo Yan, who were obviously from noble families, and also for countless poor boys with dreams.
He lowered his voice and pointed with his chin to the other end of the hall, where a girl was sitting alone in a corner with empty eyes.
"Have you seen her? Her name is Amy. She comes here every day, hoping to find an adventurer willing to give her a ride to Dragon's Eye to pick up her brother."
"What happened to his brother?" Luo Yan asked casually.
"A genius, but also a fool." The bartender sighed, with a trace of pity in his eyes. "His brother is called Cartwright, the son of a stonemason. It is said that he has an unparalleled talent for runes. Last year, he actually passed the preliminary examination of the academy, and everyone thought that his family was going to be successful."
The bartender paused and lowered his voice, "But his family was too poor, and he didn't make enough money on the road to pay the high tuition at the Mage Tower, so no tutor was willing to accept him. The silly boy was unwilling to give up, so he worked as a handyman at the foot of the Mage Tower for a whole year, hoping to impress a mage with his own efforts. Later, a young imperial noble saw his talent and said he was willing to sponsor him on the condition that he help complete a research project on ancient runes."
"Cartlael gave all his research results to that Imperial guy. What happened? That guy took his results, got promoted in the Mage Tower, and then threw him away like a used rag. Cartlael was so angry that he wanted to argue, but his legs were broken by the golem guarding the Mage Tower."
The bartender wiped the glass and placed it heavily on the bar. "It is said that he is now in a town in the northern wasteland that belongs to the Mage Tower. He has given up on himself and his life or death is unknown. His sister Amy is here every day, hoping that someone can take her to see her brother...who was destroyed by his dream."
There was a hint of instigation in his eyes, as if he hoped that this distinguished gentleman could help the girl with empty eyes.
But Luo Yan knew very well that if he couldn't help in this matter, and took the person over, he would end up hurting her instead.
In the vast northern wilderness, searching for an ordinary person whose life or death is uncertain is tantamount to suicide.
At least she can still find a job here. One day her brother will wake up, stop giving up on himself, and realize that there are more important things in life besides studies. Who knows, he might meet her on his way home.
If her story is true.
After the bartender left, Taffy, huddled under her cloak, muttered something under her breath.
“This is too much.”
Luo Yan took a sip of beer and said casually.
"Is your Saint Armor Dragon Empire any good?"
Taffy's face froze, and her nostrils flared slightly.
"I, my ideas are good, who, who knows them..."
"Is it more correctly executed?"
“You bastard!!!”
Looking at the grinning Tafu, Luo Yan smiled faintly, left a silver coin on the table, and asked the bartender to order a dinner from the girl's hometown for the girl he had never met, regardless of whether she had eaten it or not.
That was enough teasing for today. He didn't want this kid to get so angry that he would foam at the mouth and turn into a puff...
…
Due to many unplanned interruptions along the way, the second half of this journey north was much slower than before.
Luo Yan didn't think there was anything wrong with it. He wasn't in a hurry anyway.
Whether it is the layout of the Empire, Hell, or the Janna Continent, it all takes time to ferment, and this period of sedimentation time is just right for him to use to observe the customs and habits of various regions in the Os Continent and read the books collected along the way.
By the way, in the past half month, he has finished reading "Travels in the Kingdom of Lod", and is now reading the history of the school, the origin of the thirteen wizard towers, and the magicians who currently rule there.
Out of curiosity about the "Demon King Academy" of the Empire, he planned not to take out the recommendation letter written for him by Count Hilfen, but to participate in the so-called magic apprentice examination as an ordinary person to see what position the top students of the Demon King Academy could get here.
However, perhaps because he was too high-profile when he was in Longshi City before, the news of Prince Colin's arrival in the northern border of the kingdom spread quickly.
This news soon reached the ears of Sir Kyle Richter, the lord of Eagle Rock Territory.
Ever since the news came from the Holy City that Prince Colin was heading north, this lord, who was extremely obsessed with the empire's elegant culture, fell into an almost fanatical expectation.
That was His Highness Colin! Although he didn't know who His Highness Colin was, nor did he know the history of the Colin family, this did not prevent him from respecting every distinguished guest from the Holy City.
He dreamed that someone would bring the stories here to the Holy City and make the surname Richter a legend in the Holy City.
In the castle, Sir Richter was pacing back and forth anxiously.
Suddenly, he stopped in front of a statue of Saint Six hanging on the wall, and prayed devoutly by making the sign of the cross on his chest.
"Saint Sith! Thank you for sending your envoy to this bitter cold land! I will definitely entertain him well and will never let down the mission you have entrusted to the Richter family!"
He had people clean the castle early on, polish the piano that no one could play, and even spent a lot of money to order several barrels of priceless wine from the Hilfen family winery from a businessman.
However, it is obvious that not everyone values tradition as much as he does. For example, his wife has often criticized his vanity.
"Mission? Master Kyle, you've already spent half of this year's tax revenue on those expensive wines and ceremonies!"
A slightly sarcastic female voice came from the fireplace, with a hint of undisguised sarcasm in the voice.
"Don't be naive. Even if His Highness Colin admires your bravery, the Senate of the Empire will not exchange your territory for the rich south."
"Shut up! What do you know!" Sir Richter turned around and scolded like a cat whose tail was stepped on, "Women's opinion! This is a top priority matter concerning the honor of the family! What does it have to do with the territory?"
Doesn't it matter?
Honor belongs to the empire, to the kings, to the great nobles; only gold and land belong to them.
The lady glared at him without showing any weakness, but after all, the master was the head of the family, so she finally sulked and kept silent.
Sir Richter's chest heaved violently like a frog caught on its belly, making his horizontally developed body look even more ridiculous.
Although the Rhodes people tried their best to deny it, they might indeed have a little bit of dwarven blood in them, as can be seen from their obsession with greatswords and passion for forging.
Influenced by the dwarf blood, both men and women are generally under 170cm tall.
The men here have broad frames and solid muscles, which are not obvious if they don't practice martial arts, but once they practice martial arts, they will evolve in the direction of "water buckets". As for the women here, although there are many water buckets, they are influenced by the imperial culture after all, and the upper class generally wears corsets, which makes them look petite but broad-minded.
At this time, a servant came running in from the door, shouting excitedly.
"Master! Master! The sentries at the border just sent a message that they saw the purple moon emblem! The prince's carriage has entered the country! He is coming!"
Sir Kyle's anger instantly vanished, replaced by great ecstasy. He waved his hand violently and shouted, "Quick! Everyone, follow me out to greet them!"
After saying this, he immediately led a group of servants and ran out in a hurry without even having time to put on thicker robes.
The biting cold wind blew up the snowflakes and mercilessly lashed the hills outside Eagle Rock Castle.
Sir Kyle, wearing a gorgeous suit custom-made in the Holy City that was tight around his bucket-like body, stood at the front of the team with his head held high.
Although his nose was red from the cold, he still stubbornly straightened his chest like a city wall, and stood firm in the cold wind with a row of shivering servants.
Time passed by little by little, and the snow on the ground spread from the ankles to the calves.
However, the expected magnificent carriage carrying the distinguished prince never appeared, not even a shadow of him.
The expectation on Sir Kyle's face was gradually replaced by impatience and disappointment. The servants behind him exchanged painful glances, but did not dare to make a sound.
Finally, as the sun began to set and the sky grew darker, the distinguished knight could no longer maintain his ridiculous dignity.
Waiting any longer is no joke. Even if he is a supernatural being, his servants are just a group of ordinary people.
He stamped his numb feet heavily and announced loudly to the empty snow and the servants behind him awkwardly.
"It's all this damn snow! That's right... It must be because of the heavy snow and wind that froze His Highness Colin's horse and delayed him on the road! Let's... go back first!"
After saying that, he turned around angrily, bringing his frustration and irritation, which had nowhere to vent, back to the warm main hall of the castle.
He had just sat down by the fireplace and had not had time to take a sip of hot soup when a servant ran in in a panic.
"Master! Master!"
Kyle was startled and stood up.
"His Highness Colin is here?!"
His clothes were still on, and he was ready to go at any time! However, the servant was panting, but he could only utter one sentence.
"It's not Colin... Your Highness, it's Pompeii Village! Your village! The undead have attacked there and kidnapped several children!"
Sir Kyle was already angry because he didn't get to meet the big shot, and when he heard such a small matter, he was immediately furious. He slammed the table, waved his hand impatiently and shouted: "Don't bother me with such things! Let them find adventurers themselves! If they can't even keep an eye on the undead, what are those guys in the guild for!"
If it was the horse he raised on the farm that was lost, he would probably be excited, but when he heard that it was just a few farmers' children, his face immediately fell.
The servant stammered a response and left with a bitter face, not knowing how to face the miller who was crying outside the audience hall.
At this moment, the respected Lord Kyle was making the sign of the cross on his chest and praying devoutly for His Highness Colin.
"Saint Sith, please don't let the respected prince get cold in the snow. I will send someone to find him as soon as the snow outside is a little lighter!"
(End of this chapter)
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