Love and passion, cutting up the wasteland

Scone Town, South Gate.

Banu, the city gate guard, silently inspected the flow of people and identified suspicious faces among them.

The scorching sun made his armor scalding hot, and there was a layer of leather lining underneath to prevent him from being burned, but it also made it even hotter.

Sweat oozed from Banu's face at a speed visible to the naked eye.

But this Shaq still stood upright, not daring to be lazy at all.

Just when the city lord decided to rectify the rules and regulations, he couldn't get into trouble.

——The robbery of the armor dealer ended up being nothing.

The robbers disappeared into the town of Scone like a drop of water falling into the desert.

There were too many guards and officers involved, and even the city lord was furious and couldn't punish them all.

In the end, except for those who had seriously neglected their duties and were deprived of their status as soldiers, the other officers were reinstated and resumed the operation of the town.

——It’s not that these Shaqs had their horns cut off, they just lost the freedom to wield swords that a soldier should have, and they were no longer qualified to hold any military positions.

Banu didn't want to end up in the same situation.

Although these people still have a chance to become warriors again, every remaining path is not easy.

Or, rejoin the army, start as a logistics leader, and look forward to gaining military glory on the battlefield... But now is not like before, Shaq soldiers died in a hurry, and new recruits can quickly replace them.

There is no big battle to fight now, and if you enter the barracks again, you may really have to work in logistics for the rest of your life. This is no different from being a servant in the Shaq Army.

Or, just go to Thunder Arena. This was originally set up by a certain great lord to solve the problem of how to select warriors in peacetime. It is said that there was an investment from the nobles of the United City behind it, and the arena was located on a large wasteland outside Scone City.

In the arena, the players on both sides said it was a competition, but in fact they were fighting in a gladiatorial battle, with no regard for life or death, just like a battlefield.

If you survive and win a certain number of games in a row, you will be eligible to receive the status of a warrior.

This is also in line with the consistent style of the Shaq clan.

However, qualifying spots are limited, and too many Shaq civilians are counting on being able to stand out in the arena. In addition, in line with the new policy, contestants are not restricted to any race. Even the new influx of flat skins and bug people have to join in the fun, and the competition is quite fierce.

Winning the first prize in a competition is no less than killing a high-level paladin-level commander on the battlefield in the past.

Banu was not born in the arena, and there was no truce when he became a warrior.

Seniority is still useful.

At least he can now guard the city gate safely instead of fighting in the arena with those newcomers who want to get ahead and go crazy.

Banu is very self-aware and knows that he is just in time for a good time. If he were asked to go back and start the competition from scratch, his face would probably be swollen.

After a long period of peace, this Shaq gradually began to like such lazy days.

The south gate of Sikun Town is not like the north gate, which is harassed by various bandits from time to time. It can be said that I have skipped the stage of struggle and directly lived a life of retirement.

Banu had nothing left to ask for.

A little more sun is nothing in comparison.

According to the new flat-skin doctors, spending more time in the sun will make your bone plates thicker and your horns more upturned... maybe you can attract a thick and attractive girl.

Just as Banu was thinking about it, a voice interrupted him.

"Sir, this is our number plate."

They were a few human refugees from the city.

Banu inspected it carefully and questioned him again.

I learned that they were people fleeing famine from the borderlands. Because I heard about the New Deal, I came to Scone Town to receive the land. Now I am leaving the city and preparing to settle on the designated land.

"That's really not easy." Banu couldn't help but sigh.

According to these refugees, they survived by eating animal carcasses along the way.

"If it hadn't been for good luck and we found a dead beak that wasn't rotten, we might have starved to death long ago." A refugee girl said with lingering fears.

"It would be even more terrifying if the beaked beast was alive." Someone added.

As for other twists and turns along the way, there is no need for the refugees to mention these Shaqs.

Banu nodded and observed the refugees.

Although they were sallow and thin, their expressions were full of joy and hope.

Even across races, this emotion can be conveyed.

Their future is getting better.

The future of Shaq Kingdom is also looking up.

Banu still supports the New Deal.

"You are amazing people for being able to persist for so long... I hope you can start a new life soon." The number plate was red and the information was correct, so the guard naturally let him go.

After just sending away the refugees, he finally couldn't bear it anymore.

Banu turned to his side and asked:

"Here, you have been looking here for a long time...what do you want to do?"

"I'm leaving the city."

The white-haired young man said in a surprised tone: "Sir, haven't you checked my number plate?"

"Leave the city..." Banu gritted his teeth, "But you have always been standing by the city gate."

What's even more outrageous is.

Because of his duties, he had to stand under the scorching sun. He was so hot that he was sweating profusely, and his armor seemed to have gained a few pounds.

Instead, the human stood in the cool shadows, holding a glass of water wine with dried mint leaves in his hand.

He just tasted it while looking at the people passing by - including the Shaq guards.

"Why can't we just leave the city outside the city gate? It's so dangerous outside, but it's fine for me to stay here."

The young man seemed to be stating something that was natural.

The goggles covered his eyes, and there was no expression on his face.

Banu had nothing to say.

He could understand the refugees who were running for their own lives, but he couldn't understand the weirdo in front of him at all.

…

Lu Meng had a feeling that he was teasing the royal guards outside Buckingham Palace.

This was indeed the first time he had ventured outside the city since settling in Scone.

Two weeks have passed, the state of martial law has ended, and the town of Scone no longer strictly controls the population entering and exiting.

Lu Meng took this opportunity to go to the south gate to see who generally came to Scone Town from the Shaq hinterland.

It can also be regarded as an on-the-spot investigation to understand the local customs.

Famine-escaping people, nomadic tribes, hive caravans... Lu Meng even discovered some slave traders disguised as traders in the southern United City.

In a sense, they are indeed merchants, but the goods are living slaves.

Unlike the Holy Empire and the United Cities, the Kingdom of Shark has no explicit slavery and no need to purchase slaves.

Obviously, these slave traders are not here to dump, but to purchase.

Some people at the bottom who were bankrupt and in debt were willing to sell themselves into slavery.

But it is not ruled out that slave traders will use some more direct methods.

Lu Meng was not prepared to report it to the Shaq guards. Firstly, he would easily become the target of public criticism. Secondly, there was no apparent conflict between the slave traders and the Shaq Kingdom.

Although Scone Town will maintain basic law and order, it does not treat the people at the bottom as human beings. This is the same everywhere.

Just think of liquidating non-performing assets.

"While absorbing refugees, we are allowing population loss... The New Deal has a long way to go."

He couldn't control these things. He knew who was coming into the city and it was enough to be careful about himself.

Feeling that the patience of Shaq's guard was about to reach its limit, Lu Meng drank the wine in his glass in one gulp before he stormed off, and returned to the queue entering the city.

Snapped!

There was a crisp sound.

Lu Meng took out his number plate as if nothing had happened.

But with his peripheral vision, he saw a red and swollen hand retracting from his waist.

Good guy.

It was stolen from me.