Chapter 2: New Century (Epilogue)
Chapter 593: A Group of Country Bumpkins
Although he couldn’t figure it out, Pet gradually understood that what was placed on the city wall was not only magic cannons but also a pile of money.
A luxurious city, with a pile of money on its walls. How prosperous is it inside?
The orcs couldn’t imagine it, but they were deeply shocked.
The traveling merchant clearly read the emotions he expected from the faces of these strong men, which made him feel even more comfortable.
It was his turn, so he showed his identification and swaggered into the city.
Tonight, he was going to the Succubus Tavern to find Xiao Hua. Then he would brag to Xiao Hua about what happened today, and perhaps Xiao Hua would drink with him for a while longer.
“Who are you people, where are you from, do you have identification?”
Two Great Knights looked sternly at the more than two hundred bald, burly men.
These burly men looked fierce, as if they wanted to write “I am a bad guy” on their faces. The knights couldn’t help but be vigilant, and one of them had already placed his hand on his sword hilt.
Pet
Pet observed the Great Knight’s actions and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
This mission was really not easy. Didn’t that Mage Layton say that they could travel freely in the human empire once they took human form?
As a result, all they encountered along the way were endless checks and suspicions.
Fortunately, when they were in Black River City before, with the help of Mo Yu and Bu Ren Shi Ren, they had obtained formal mercenary group identities. Otherwise, they would have had a lot of trouble getting into the city.
Pet timidly took out the emblem of the Savage Beast Mercenary Group. The back of this emblem was his bronze portrait.
It was carved by a professional engraver from the Adventurer’s Guild and colored with paint, looking no different from his human appearance, except that he was smiling like an idiot.
The two Great Knights carefully examined the mercenary group emblem, flipped it over to compare it with Pet’s face multiple times, and then scanned the emblem with a cylindrical tool. Their expressions finally eased.
One of the Great Knights returned the emblem to Pet and said businesslike,
“Welcome to Most City. Since this is your first time here, an envoy will give you a sheepskin scroll upon entry, which contains information about the rules and a travel guide for Most City. We hope you have a pleasant stay in this city.”
With that, the two Great Knights cleared the way, and Pet led a group of cowering orcs inside.
Inside the city gate, the atmosphere was imposing. The light seemed to be filtered, becoming dim and gentle.
The ground was covered with a red plush carpet, and giant oil paintings hung on the walls on both sides.
It was a handsome man with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a shining silver armor, looking into the distance with heroic magnificence.
Pet guiltily withdrew his gaze and looked elsewhere.
According to the portrait given to him by the priest, this man was their target upon arriving in Winter City – King Xi Wei of Winter, the Golden Lion.
In addition, there were several oil paintings of demi-elves in maid outfits on the walls. Some were sitting by the window, looking out, while others were standing in a blooming garden, smiling charmingly. Each one was breathtakingly beautiful. Even though the orcs couldn’t appreciate this kind of beauty, they all felt comfortable, which was the instinctive reaction of living beings seeing beautiful things.
Further inside were two slightly smaller oil paintings.
One was a red-haired, dark-skinned Orc with a horse-like face, wearing a mage robe. The other was elegantly sitting on a leather sofa, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses, his gray eyes beneath the lenses flashing with the light of wisdom.
Information was written under the oil paintings in Common, Elvish, and even Goblin languages.
Pet knew Goblin, and he guessed that Most City did this to attract more Goblin merchants.
How cunning!
Although Goblins were shrewd, they did have many good things, and orcs also liked Goblin goods very much.
Unfortunately, Goblins were very afraid of orcs. Without a lot of courage, they would not dare to travel into the orc tribal areas to do business. These cowards only dared to conduct simple transactions on the peripheries.
The dark-skinned young human was the Vice City Lord of Most City, named Gou Fugui.
The other one wearing glasses was the City Lord of Most City, the Scheming Frog.
Passing through the gate, the bustling scene assaulted their senses.
On both sides of the road were crowded buildings and shops, each with its own unique signboard, displaying the goods sold inside in three languages.
The roadside was filled with goods: luxurious fabrics, steaming baked buns, perfectly fired pottery, tinware, as well as farm tools, leather products, including wooden toys for children and jewelry loved by girls, and everything else imaginable.
Many of these items required advance reservations in the Orc Royal Court to apply for a small amount of daily necessities the following month, but now they were casually displayed on the street for sale. The stark contrast between the two made Pet and the orcs feel uncomfortable.
At the end of the road stood a magnificent church. In front of the church was a statue of a knight in Dragon Crystal Armor, holding a sharp sword raised to the sky. Facing the twilight light, it seemed to be guiding the glow from heaven, divine and majestic.
Music and laughter occasionally drifted from the street, and people were laughing and shouting.
A juggler, with a bowl for money in his mouth, juggled fireballs and weaved through the crowd.
A beautiful girl leaned on the railing of the second-floor balcony, resting her chin on one hand, squinting her eyes as she listened to the bard singing below. Her golden hair cascaded down like a waterfall in the orange sunlight.
As a gray horse slowly pulled a flatboat through the waterway along the edge of the market, the aroma of grilled fish and the scent of wine brewed in oak barrels blended with the fresh air…
Most City Entrance
Most City Church
Most City Street
The orcs were shocked by the noisy scene around them, only snapping back to reality when they heard human voices urging them on from behind.
“What are you people blocking the city gate for? Are you coming in or not?!”
“Sorry, sorry…” Pet didn’t know why, but he suddenly became very polite and quickly led the orcs to the side, clearing the way for the humans behind them.
“Tch, a bunch of country bumpkins…”
The man glanced disdainfully at the orcs and turned to leave, followed by a delicately stepping, charming maid.
Pet lost his temper and even felt his face burning.
The other orcs felt the same. They lowered their heads in shame. When they saw their worn-out shoes with exposed toes, they felt a sense of shame and embarrassment for the first time.
But they didn’t have much money to buy new shoes.
When they left Black River City, Bu Ren Shi Ren and Mo Yu gave each of them 5 copper coins for travel expenses, and smilingly called it their “generous sponsorship.”
“Boss, look at this quickly!”
Suddenly, an orc pointed at a bulletin board by the city gate and shouted excitedly.
It was a poster of a beautiful minotaur girl in a princess dress, standing in a dim forest.
Her expression was one of panic, like a lost fawn, making people want to protect her.
(Translator’s Note: The reviewer clarified that the chest armor of the minotaur is considered chest, not actual breasts, and she is wearing it.)
Pet’s eyes widened. His warlike heart, which had no yearning for love, trembled uncontrollably.
He had once sworn to drench the battlefield with his blood, but now he wanted to throw his oath into the latrine and mix it with the maggots!
His gaze focused on a line of text on the poster:
[The Grey Bull Head and the Pumpkin Carriage and the Crystal Shoe]
[A fantasy story, a tragic love. Why did the Grey Bull Head girl attend the midnight banquet? Where did the mysterious pumpkin carriage come from? What magic do the beautiful crystal shoes possess? November 29th, Most Grand Theater awaits you. We’ll see you there – Mo Ni Du Zi Theater Troupe.]
Below were a few actor portraits pasted on.
The most eye-catching was a minotaur in a black formal suit.
Below the portrait were the actor’s information, still with familiar Goblin language.
Pet squinted his eyes and read word by word.
His tone gradually rose, and his eyes widened:
“Carl Bloodhoof, playing… playing the Grey Bull Head girl!?”
