Chapter 220 – We Infiltrated the Vader Town!
We walked through the fields that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
A sea of grass that swayed in the wind. The scattered islands that were settlements… The fact that I was reminded of Sheorl suggested that I was starting to feel homesick. I missed the winds of the sea.
However, I could not back down now.
We climbed up the hill and then a large city finally came into view.
A city with countless spires surrounded by rugged ramparts.
The girl with gray hair and beast ears, who walked in front of us…Shia, turned around and said,
“That is Langs. Where the governor of the Langs province lives.”
In other words, the government facilities are gathered here. It was no wonder that trade was thriving.
Rienna looked at the city and said,
“It is a very big city. We should be able to acquire a lot of information.”
“And it seems like out of the people entering and leaving, there are more of other races than Vader people. And so we should be fine as well.”
Fule said, and then Shia asked.
“Information about prices? Well, no one will look at you strangely just because you are humans. But…”
Shia seemed like she wanted to say something, but did not in the end.
Fule seemed to understand what she meant, and continued.
“You mean that outside of the Vader people, everyone is seen the same way.”
“It is fine. We are not the kind of people to care about that.”
Rienna and the others had visited human cities a number of times. And so they were used at being stared at with disdain.
As for me, I had been ridiculed for a long time in the royal palace. And we had not come here to play. And so for the sake of information, this was nothing.
And then Rienna said,
“Now, let us go.”
“Ah, wait…”
She turned to look back at Shia, who had called her. Shia looked quite apologetic.
Fule saw her and said,
“Is it about the toll then?”
“Uh, well…”
Apparently, you needed to pay a toll in order to enter Langs.
It was not a particularly unusual thing. I was about to say this, however, Shia had kept this from us up until now. In other words…
“So, you were thinking of having us pay for you?”
Fule said, and then Shia looked frantic.
She meant to guide us and then have us pay the toll.
But we had to repay her for guiding us. So it didn’t matter. In the first place, we had plenty of gold in the Sheorl underground…
However, Shia bowed her head deeply.
“I-I’m sorry!”
“No, no. We can easily pay that. Don’t worry.”
I answered, but she still looked apologetic.
However, Shia was clearly struggling to live. Aside from the Vader people, everyone in this area had been brought here by force.
Fule then took Shia’s hands in hers and said what I was thinking.
“Now. You want to sell the firewood, don’t you? So don’t worry about it. Let’s go!”
“But… You already helped me. And even carried my firewood… You can use this to pay the toll.”
She said as she tried to hand us a small purse that hung on her belt.
I shook my head and answered.
“In that case, Shia. Once you are finished selling the wood, will you guide us through Langs as well? We do not know what inns to stay at, or where to eat. But I assume you know the cheapest places?”
“Are you sure?”
“It would help us greatly.”
I said, and then Shia nodded in agreement.
“I understand…thank you.”
Shia bowed her head.
She was an honest one.
And like that, we headed towards Langs.
Once we were close to the gate, I saw the line of people waiting to get in. It seemed like there was an inspection.
But the line was only about a dozen people. And seemed like once the guards were paid, they let people through relatively quickly.
And so we took our position in the back of the line and waited.
Eventually, our turn came.
The Vader soldiers then checked our clothes and belongings.
“…Hmm. Human?”
So they were wary of humans… I thought, but judging by their attitude, it wasn’t that.
“From Amolis. I wonder what will happen on your way back.”
“Well, just be careful that you’re not robbed of everything you own.”
The soldiers laughed as they went through our things.
So it was dangerous here, and people from Amolis were easily targeted.
I didn’t know what their real intention was, but the inspection ended quickly. While they were a little surprised about the hell worm materials, we had no weapons on us, and so they decided that we were not a threat.
And so after handing them a few plain copper coins that Mappa had made in advance, we succeeded in entering the city.
Rienna whispered right next to me.
“Everything went well.”
“Aye…but…”
I looked down the main street.
While it was crowded and lively, many of the people wore tattered clothes and were underweight. Most of them seemed to be people from nearby farms and villages, who had come to sell things.
As for the Vader people who walked down the streets, they were wearing extravagant clothes and accessories that would have made the Sanfaris nobles turn pale.
Sheorl was also a town where many different races lived together. However, there was no great class difference like this.
“Hey! I won’t pay you if you don’t move faster!”
The sound of a cracking whip echoed in the air.
When I turned to look, I saw a man who had beast ears like Shia, and he was being whipped by a Vader person. And this was in spite of the fact that the man was carrying a log on his back that was larger than him.
It was an unbearable sight, but we could not cause a scene here. We had to gather information.
Still, my hand moved towards the man. And I used wind magic from below, so that the log would be lighter. At the same time, I cast healing magic on his body. It should make things a little easier. In fact, the man’s expression relaxed quite a lot.
Shia stared silently at the man for some time, and then turned to us.
“The plaza is up ahead. If you pay that official over there one copper, you will get the license to do business.”
And so we followed her instructions, paid the copper, and borrowed a stall in the corner of the plaza.
Once we lined up the materials from the monsters we defeated, which were mostly hell worms, preparations were finished. Shia also lined up her firewood a short distance away. Before long, customers who were not Vader people began to gather to buy the wood.
As for our stall, while they gave us curious looks, no one buys anything. We did not have any price tags, but they probably assumed it was all expensive.
And while I didn’t for the purpose of making money, it still felt a little sad.
At the same time, Fule said,
“Lord Heal. I could watch over the stall. Why don’t you and the princess go and take a look around?”
“But Fule, you will be alone…”
“I’m fine. I’ve done business in unfamiliar places plenty of times.”
“But, just in case…”
Fule laughed as if this was funny.
“Haha. Lord Heal, you worry too much. You are not my father. Besides, how are you going to investigate?”
“So-sorry.”
Indeed, I probably was worrying too much. Fule was more familiar with these kinds of places than me. And she could use powerful magic.
That being said, you never knew what could happen. And so I would try to return after a little searching.
“Fine… In that case, Rienna and I will go and take a look. I want to learn about the mithril armor, and what the Vader people are doing recently.”
“Yes! And I will keep my ears open as well. Now, go on your way with the princess.”
Fule said with a grin.
It’s not like anything would happen just because we were together…
In any case, we decided to go and gather information in Langs.
Chapter 220 – We Infiltrated the Vader Town!
We walked through the fields that stretched out as far as the eye could see.
A sea of grass that swayed in the wind. The scattered islands that were settlements… The fact that I was reminded of Sheorl suggested that I was starting to feel homesick. I missed the winds of the sea.
However, I could not back down now.
We climbed up the hill and then a large city finally came into view.
A city with countless spires surrounded by rugged ramparts.
The girl with gray hair and beast ears, who walked in front of us…Shia, turned around and said,
“That is Langs. Where the governor of the Langs province lives.”
In other words, the government facilities are gathered here. It was no wonder that trade was thriving.
Rienna looked at the city and said,
“It is a very big city. We should be able to acquire a lot of information.”
“And it seems like out of the people entering and leaving, there are more of other races than Vader people. And so we should be fine as well.”
Fule said, and then Shia asked.
“Information about prices? Well, no one will look at you strangely just because you are humans. But…”
Shia seemed like she wanted to say something, but did not in the end.
Fule seemed to understand what she meant, and continued.
“You mean that outside of the Vader people, everyone is seen the same way.”
“It is fine. We are not the kind of people to care about that.”
Rienna and the others had visited human cities a number of times. And so they were used at being stared at with disdain.
As for me, I had been ridiculed for a long time in the royal palace. And we had not come here to play. And so for the sake of information, this was nothing.
And then Rienna said,
“Now, let us go.”
“Ah, wait…”
She turned to look back at Shia, who had called her. Shia looked quite apologetic.
Fule saw her and said,
“Is it about the toll then?”
“Uh, well…”
Apparently, you needed to pay a toll in order to enter Langs.
It was not a particularly unusual thing. I was about to say this, however, Shia had kept this from us up until now. In other words…
“So, you were thinking of having us pay for you?”
Fule said, and then Shia looked frantic.
She meant to guide us and then have us pay the toll.
But we had to repay her for guiding us. So it didn’t matter. In the first place, we had plenty of gold in the Sheorl underground…
However, Shia bowed her head deeply.
“I-I’m sorry!”
“No, no. We can easily pay that. Don’t worry.”
I answered, but she still looked apologetic.
However, Shia was clearly struggling to live. Aside from the Vader people, everyone in this area had been brought here by force.
Fule then took Shia’s hands in hers and said what I was thinking.
“Now. You want to sell the firewood, don’t you? So don’t worry about it. Let’s go!”
“But… You already helped me. And even carried my firewood… You can use this to pay the toll.”
She said as she tried to hand us a small purse that hung on her belt.
I shook my head and answered.
“In that case, Shia. Once you are finished selling the wood, will you guide us through Langs as well? We do not know what inns to stay at, or where to eat. But I assume you know the cheapest places?”
“Are you sure?”
“It would help us greatly.”
I said, and then Shia nodded in agreement.
“I understand…thank you.”
Shia bowed her head.
She was an honest one.
And like that, we headed towards Langs.
Once we were close to the gate, I saw the line of people waiting to get in. It seemed like there was an inspection.
But the line was only about a dozen people. And seemed like once the guards were paid, they let people through relatively quickly.
And so we took our position in the back of the line and waited.
Eventually, our turn came.
The Vader soldiers then checked our clothes and belongings.
“…Hmm. Human?”
So they were wary of humans… I thought, but judging by their attitude, it wasn’t that.
“From Amolis. I wonder what will happen on your way back.”
“Well, just be careful that you’re not robbed of everything you own.”
The soldiers laughed as they went through our things.
So it was dangerous here, and people from Amolis were easily targeted.
I didn’t know what their real intention was, but the inspection ended quickly. While they were a little surprised about the hell worm materials, we had no weapons on us, and so they decided that we were not a threat.
And so after handing them a few plain copper coins that Mappa had made in advance, we succeeded in entering the city.
Rienna whispered right next to me.
“Everything went well.”
“Aye…but…”
I looked down the main street.
While it was crowded and lively, many of the people wore tattered clothes and were underweight. Most of them seemed to be people from nearby farms and villages, who had come to sell things.
As for the Vader people who walked down the streets, they were wearing extravagant clothes and accessories that would have made the Sanfaris nobles turn pale.
Sheorl was also a town where many different races lived together. However, there was no great class difference like this.
“Hey! I won’t pay you if you don’t move faster!”
The sound of a cracking whip echoed in the air.
When I turned to look, I saw a man who had beast ears like Shia, and he was being whipped by a Vader person. And this was in spite of the fact that the man was carrying a log on his back that was larger than him.
It was an unbearable sight, but we could not cause a scene here. We had to gather information.
Still, my hand moved towards the man. And I used wind magic from below, so that the log would be lighter. At the same time, I cast healing magic on his body. It should make things a little easier. In fact, the man’s expression relaxed quite a lot.
Shia stared silently at the man for some time, and then turned to us.
“The plaza is up ahead. If you pay that official over there one copper, you will get the license to do business.”
And so we followed her instructions, paid the copper, and borrowed a stall in the corner of the plaza.
Once we lined up the materials from the monsters we defeated, which were mostly hell worms, preparations were finished. Shia also lined up her firewood a short distance away. Before long, customers who were not Vader people began to gather to buy the wood.
As for our stall, while they gave us curious looks, no one buys anything. We did not have any price tags, but they probably assumed it was all expensive.
And while I didn’t for the purpose of making money, it still felt a little sad.
At the same time, Fule said,
“Lord Heal. I could watch over the stall. Why don’t you and the princess go and take a look around?”
“But Fule, you will be alone…”
“I’m fine. I’ve done business in unfamiliar places plenty of times.”
“But, just in case…”
Fule laughed as if this was funny.
“Haha. Lord Heal, you worry too much. You are not my father. Besides, how are you going to investigate?”
“So-sorry.”
Indeed, I probably was worrying too much. Fule was more familiar with these kinds of places than me. And she could use powerful magic.
That being said, you never knew what could happen. And so I would try to return after a little searching.
“Fine… In that case, Rienna and I will go and take a look. I want to learn about the mithril armor, and what the Vader people are doing recently.”
“Yes! And I will keep my ears open as well. Now, go on your way with the princess.”
Fule said with a grin.
It’s not like anything would happen just because we were together…
In any case, we decided to go and gather information in Langs.
