Chapter 16: Horsemen Never Engage in Idle Talk

The first challenge they faced was figuring out under what pretext they should enter the city. Fortunately, this world didn’t require documents like passports, nor did it suppress or prohibit commercial activity. Quite the opposite actually. The elves’ avid pursuit of wealth had notably fueled the growth of trade, providing opportunities for merchants of all sizes to operate freely across the empire.

Liuli had only a marginally better understanding of this world than Wu Qingsong, offering little advantage in strategizing their next move.

After a brief consultation with Ling, Wu Qingsong chose to disguise himself as an agent affiliated with a certain trading company. Such figures were commonplace and unlikely to draw unwarranted attention. Traveling with two female attendants might look peculiar, but it wasn’t unheard of. Affluent half-elf traders were often seen accompanied by a retinue of beastkin subordinates and bodyguards. Their setup could easily be passed off as an eccentricity, rather than something conspicuously odd.

Taking the initiative, Wu Qingsong evenly distributed the money among them to minimize the risk of theft or mugging. A sensible precaution until he was better equipped to defend himself and his companions. 

However, what he hadn’t foreseen was how this decision would elicit both astonishment and joy from Ling and Liuli. Especially for Liuli, the amount of money she now carried was likely unprecedented, sparking a cycle of initial exhilaration followed by a bout of anxiety over potentially losing it. It took some reassurance from both Wu Qingsong and Ling to bring her spirits back up.

Upon nearing the city, Wu Qingsong had to grapple once again with being misidentified as a half-elf, a label that seemed destined to stick with him in this new world. Yet, this misunderstanding came with its advantages.

The guards didn’t subject him to the same scrutiny as they would others. After collecting a twenty-copper entrance fee from each member of the party, they were allowed to pass through the city gates without further questioning.

It was only at that moment that Wu Qingsong got his first real opportunity to examine a town in this fascinating, unfamiliar world.

According to Nina’s previous description, the town known as Karagados was the fourth-largest settlement in Baron Elyar’s domain. Though an essential grain-producing area due to its expansive plains, Wu Qingsong considered it little more than an oversized village. Like Rem City, its perimeter was encircled by thick log walls, punctuated at intervals by watchtowers and parapets to accommodate patrolling soldiers.

Perhaps news of Rem City’s fiery downfall had reached here, as there was a conspicuously high number of soldiers in the streets, while the civilian presence seemed somewhat sparse.

Wu Qingsong estimated the town’s total populace at no more than two thousand. With a scant number of shops and limited sights to see, they quickly located the carriage station. After parting with fifty copper coins each for the fare, they boarded a dilapidated four-wheeled carriage bound for Umber.

The carriage wasn’t crowded, likely a consequence of the exorbitant fare. Wu Qingsong was uninterested in scrutinizing his fellow travelers. He was far more captivated by the agricultural fields visible through the carriage windows.

Most of the farmlands were situated on either side of the road, occasionally interspersed with clusters of low, humble wooden huts. Diligently laboring in the fields were diminutive beastkin, unidentifiable to Wu Qingsong by race. Their attire and countenance clearly classified them among the malnourished and impoverished.

At regular intervals along their journey, they passed structures resembling wooden forts or watchtowers, each slightly taller than the surrounding buildings and guarded by a few soldiers. This lent an unsettling, war-zone-like aura to their travel.

Interestingly, during a brief rest stop at one such fort, they encountered a ragtag group of less than ten armed beastkin. Their leader seemed to be a half-elf. Although his elven traits were almost indiscernible, obscured by a rather excessive amount of hair.

“That’s likely a mercenary group,” said the coachman, casting a surprised glance at Wu Qingsong after hearing his question. “These folks are like rats, you find them everywhere. If you’re traveling by foot, it would be wise to steer clear of them.”

“Why so?” Wu Qingsong had a somewhat vague but positive impression of mercenaries, perhaps influenced by their frequent portrayal as protagonists in many Western fantasy games.

“These characters are hardly saints,” the coachman, who happened to be a horseman*, snorted contemptuously. “In the presence of the rich and powerful, they’re as loyal as dogs. But catch them out in the wilderness with a lone traveler or a vulnerable merchant convoy, and they could just as easily morph into bandits.”

“Really? Don’t they have a sense of mercenary ethics or honor?”

“Mercenary honor? What’s that?” the horseman asked with genuine bafflement. “If they had any honor, they wouldn’t be mercenaries to begin with. These are opportunistic types, expecting them to have any honor is a stretch.”

While this might not be the last of Wu Qingsong’s romanticized notions to crumble, it certainly was a disheartening revelation.

Noting the horseman’s willingness to talk, Wu Qingsong adjusted his seating position and started to probe for information about Umber.

“Where are you from, sir, that you don’t even know these basics?” the horseman questioned, his confusion only growing as Wu Qingsong’s questions inadvertently revealed his unfamiliarity with the world. Nevertheless, likely influenced by the tip Wu Qingsong had given, the horseman candidly shared what he knew.

Just as Nina had said, Umber was considered a free city. However, this freedom was conditional. The city still fell under the jurisdiction of the Nisair Duchy, only it is governed jointly by the Port Guild, the Commercial Guild, and the Craftsmen’s Guild, which have acquired the autonomous rights to this land from the hands of the Marquis of Nisair at the cost of two hundred thousand renals a year.

Additionally, the Marquis annually received a fixed quota of various goods from Umber. To assert his authority, he also had a delegation and a squad of regular troops stationed within the city.

“Anyone who has lived in Umber for more than a year and paid their taxes can proudly call themselves a free citizen, protected under the laws of the Free Port,” said the coachman.

However, Umber was far from being the largest port in the expansive Benaris Sea. With a modest population of fewer than 30,000, the city specialized in industries such as leather processing, woodworking and furniture, and mining and metallurgy. Whether it was Phoenix–the Empire’s premier free port on the other side of the sea, Benaris Port–the capital of the Benaris Principality, or even the notoriously chaotic free port of Polopolore in the east, they all dwarfed Umber in size.

“The advantage of a smaller city is that life is less competitive and easier to earn a living. Of course, fewer opportunities come with that,” the coachman shared, seemingly assuming that Wu Qingsong was a half-elf newcomer trying to find his footing. “But if you ask me, Umber has its merits. The rent and labor costs are much more affordable, and both the head tax and commercial tax are substantially lower than in other places. Starting your journey here is certainly less daunting than jumping straight into a bustling city like Phoenix.”

Wu Qingsong nodded slightly in agreement. 

He couldn’t fully accept the coachman’s words as the ultimate truth, but until he grasped the full scope of this world’s norms, living in a place with a lower cost of living seemed like a sensible decision.

“Look, we’re almost there,” the coachman suddenly announced.

In the distance, beyond stretches of wide-open farmland, a lofty wall of bluish-gray stone emerged into view. While it was still too far to discern any details, the outline of an imposing gatehouse loomed ahead, casting an ethereal aura. It felt like something straight out of a movie scene, yet it was sufficient to ignite excitement in Wu Qingsong.

This place finally gave him a sense of genuine engagement, making it feel more like the otherworldly city he had once fantasized about. His own stage.

“Let’s go!” With a gentle flick of the reins, the coachman encouraged the horses to accelerate, ambling along the gravel road toward the beckoning city.