Section 6 Holy City

"Is that the city of Oren?" Ashrufar pointed to the tall walls that emerged in the distance.

"That's right. Chrissy replied happily. She and Kazuha sat at the back of the carriage, while Eshurufat sat in the coachman's seat. Of course, it was the nightmare horse, Captain Chrissy, who was in charge of pulling the cart.

It had been several days since they left the previous city, and they had been sleeping in the open air all the way, hurrying to get there so as not to miss the festival. Captain Chrissy received a large amount of honorarium, and immediately paid the members of the troupe the long-overdue salary, and then bought some necessary supplies for the performance, costumes, streamers, etc., as well as two cars and a horse - because they really couldn't afford to buy a second horse. She was shrewd, and Ashrufat had a mount to borrow.

The city in the distance looked less like a holy city than a fortified fortress. Although it is a city, it is built in the form of a military fortress, and it is a new type of castle style that has only been seen for nearly a hundred years, with multiple walls and a large number of arrow towers as the main features.

The Palamir River flows through the middle of Orn, naturally dividing the city into two parts. A grand bridge was erected over the river, combining the two parts into a single whole. Anyone who looks at the map will understand that the city is not only a holy city for the Church of God, but also a hub for land and water transportation, and a place of commercial prosperity. It is no wonder that the church today has such a large power that the city is so rich that it has greatly helped the church to expand.

Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, the Church designated this place as a holy city and demanded the rights to it from King Shem, who was really stupid enough to give the city to the Church. Regardless of the truth of the legend, it is an indisputable fact that the kingdom of Shem covets the city of Oren today. It is now rumored that King Shem has issued a decree declaring his sovereignty and that the nobles around Oren have sworn allegiance to him instead. This can be understood as the first step in the stone-throwing process, and although the young king died of a violent illness some time ago (the Church was vigorously promoting that the king had sinned against the Church and was punished by God), this order was not revoked.

Of course, although the situation is delicate, the likelihood of both sides resorting to force is low. Not to mention that the king of the Kingdom of Shem had just died, and he was unable to take care of it for a while, the fact that the king was currently asking the nobles to be loyal was a reasonable request. Even according to the relevant records of the church, it was only the city itself that was given to the church in those years, and it did not include the vast plains and fertile soil around the city. However, as the power of the church grew, it gradually controlled the surrounding lords, and eventually evolved into the status quo of "a state within a state".

However, in Ashrufat's view, it seems that the church has been preparing for war for a rainy day. At least the city is really easy to build and difficult to attack.

"I remember we were here last year. Kagawa's words interrupted Ashrufat's train of thought.

"You've been here?"

"It's a pity that I wasn't allowed to enter the city, and the guards actually blackmailed me!" Chrissy sighed. "We performed on the outskirts of town for a few days and there were no guests, so we had to leave. But this time it's different!" An indescribable spark suddenly burst out of the leader's eyes, "Not only can you make a name for yourself here, but you can also make a lot of money!" she snorted and looked at the city in the distance.

The information provided by the housekeeper is undoubtedly accurate. Before entering the city, Ashrufat felt the smell of the festival - the city gate had some fancy decorations that had not yet been completed.

The weather is still very hot, but it can't stop the crowds. As far as Ashruphat could see, he saw at least four gates, but there were many people entering and exiting each gate.

A tax collector with a few sweaty guards blocked the convoy and demanded the tax as a matter of course (basically the cities on the main transportation routes depend on this for their fortune), and the head of the regiment Chrissy showed the letter of introduction, but to no avail. These lower-level officials had no idea who wrote the letter of introduction, let alone to whom it was written.

"Twenty copper for a man, eighty copper for a horse, and thirty silver coins for a chariot!" the tax collector quoted the price, causing Captain Chrissy to gasp. It's okay, the tax on this car is too outrageous.

"My lord, but our car is not for trading in the city. She tried to be accommodating, but probably because the weather was too hot, the tax collector was in a bad mood at the moment.

"All people, horses and carts are at the same price, if you can't pay, get out of my way, don't get in the way!"

As a last resort, Captain Chrissy ordered her to turn around and camp in a shady grove after a short distance from the city. Once the camp was arranged, she gathered all the people in the team.

"I'm going into the city to find the deacon of the church!" she announced. "I'll be back tomorrow at the latest, so I'll have a temporary holiday for the past two days. It doesn't matter if you want to take this opportunity to go into the city, but you have to pay for the entrance fee!" Then she directly named a few people and asked them to take charge of the affairs of the camp.

That being said, there are not many people who want to enter the city. Because everyone knew that as long as Captain Chrissy found a relationship, they would undoubtedly go to the city, so why bother? Moreover, the weather is so hot, and the scorching sun is in the sky, going into the city at this time is really quite a test of physical strength and endurance.

"Xiangye, you go with me!" "Chrissy thought for a moment and brought another person with him.

"Master, now is a good time for us to leave the troupe. After Chrissy and Sakaha left, Carrie proposed.

Indeed, the agreed reward has already arrived, the place has arrived, and the order of the head of Chrissy has provided an opportunity to leave.

He left the camp and rode towards the city gates. The tax collector gave his nightmare a few more looks, but didn't ask the nasty question after collecting the money.

"Master, although we have concealed it, you better be careful, someone may see through the dark magic of the nightmare. So try not to be obtrusive. ”

Immediately after entering the city, Ashrufat began to lead his horse on foot. He knew that his nightmare horse had begun to change, that it had taken on the same characteristics as a truly "living" horse, and that it was no longer as completely mechanically obedient to him as it had been at the beginning. Even though he tried his best to help the Nightmare Pony suppress the dark magic aura, it made the Nightmare feel uncomfortable and resisted from time to time.

If a magician, or someone who has undergone such training and possesses magical extra-vision abilities (which Carrie calls "psis", anyone with sufficient training) walks behind him for some distance, they will perceive the dark magic energy in the horse. If his curiosity is piqued, he will observe that the horse is not a normal creature.

Ashrufat was wary, and on the surface he seemed to be leading his horse along, but in fact he was carefully observing the pedestrians around him.

Thankfully, this bad situation didn't happen, as it was really hot and there were very few pedestrians on the streets. The shops were all open, but the guys looked listless as well. To be honest, a city like Oren, which is located on the plains and has exceptionally high temperatures, is really not suitable for any large-scale events in this season.

Ashrufat stopped in a shady tailor's shop. While pretending to observe the various finished and semi-finished clothes in the store, he had a conversation with the female shopkeeper without a word. The shopkeeper was a woman in her fifties who was as thin as a bamboo pole. Like most women of her age, the shopkeeper was the typical kind of talker, and although she knew that the strange out-of-town customer did not have a strong desire to buy, she was glad that someone could talk to her at this time.

"Guest, are you here for that festival?" asked the shopkeeper as she sewed lace into her skirt.

"I've heard that the church has this event. Ashrufat replied. "To celebrate their excavation of a holy relic......"

"A true holy relic. The shopkeeper didn't raise her head, but her voice revealed pride. "I saw it all with my own eyes. The relict was so big that they couldn't get it in through the gates, and they had to use rivers and boats to get into the temple!

"The holy relic...... What does it look like?"

"This ...... I can't describe it for a moment, but it's a holy thing anyway. The whole thing was made of some strange metal, but there was not a single trace of rust or filth! God, it was something that mortal beings couldn't have made anyway! It was so big, but it was like it had been made in one go, without any cracks, without any nails, and in short, when you see it, you will understand that it can only be the work of God. ”

The female shopkeeper talked for a long time, but she could stop a little under her hands. It must be noted that her skillful and swift approach now caught the attention of Eshurufat, and it was clear that the shopkeeper was a master tailor. He couldn't help but think that he should buy something in order not to arouse suspicion. The problem is that this store is a women's clothing store and there is no place for men's clothing.

"This dress is beautiful, how much does it cost?" asked Ashrufat, looking at the shopkeeper.

"Ha Luha, guest, it's a pity. These are all custom-made by others. The shopkeeper proudly gestured to Eshurufat with the series of works beside her, "The priestesses have made them the female assistants of Archbishop Karl. Except for the ready-made clothes on the outside, these are all pre-booked. You see, I'm the best tailor in the city, and I'm never too busy to do it. ”

"The archbishop's assistant?" Ashrufat asked casually.

"Yes, a lot. Our Archbishop Karl is a man who has been favored by the gods, enjoying glory and wealth, surrounded by beautiful women. Hehe, some people say that those priestesses are his lovers, although they say that they are disrespectful to God, but I think they are almost the same. Although the church has never preached abstinence, this is a bit excessive. I don't know what the Archbishop of Ludao relied on to get the favor of the gods. The shopkeeper said as she kept her hands on it.

"By the way, since the relics have been sent to the ground of the Grand Temple, haven't those of us who missed them lose the opportunity to see the relics with our own eyes?"

"I'm afraid so. After all, witnessing the creation of the gods also depends on chance. However, in the square in front of the temple, there is a statue of the holy relic. It's a lot smaller than the real thing, but you can make up for it a little bit there. ”

Ashruphat left the tailor's shop and found out the location of the temple without much effort. He notices that the patrol is patrolling the streets in the heat, and to prevent accidents, he leads the Nightmare Pony down the alley.

Turn the corner and you'll be in the square...... I don't know what that relic is, but Carrie seems to be very eager to see it...... Ashruphat pondered, and suddenly he heard an unusual sound, the clanging of metal against him, and there were many of them, indicating that a whole group of people in metal armor were approaching him. A whole squad of soldiers?!

It shouldn't be recognized...... Probably not...... But the uneasiness in his heart made him reach out and grasp the hilt of the sword.

Then he saw a dark shadow lunge at him, so fast that he didn't even have time to draw his sword.