Whispering Verse

Beyond the Sikal Mountains, there is of course more than one mountain road from Delrayon to Kasenlik, but the Windy Trail is the smoothest road that can pass a horse-drawn carriage, and it is also the best road to travel.

Even in modern times when steam trains are connected to the Sikar Pass, this mountain road that has existed since ancient times is still the most important trade route in the nearby area.

The windy path winds around the Sikal Mountains, eventually crossing the border and leading to an exotic city on the other side of the mountains. The Red Water Camp is the largest outpost and military camp set up by the Royal Delrayon Army in the border area. On the one hand, it is responsible for defense and investigation. On the other hand, it also cooperates with checkpoints and tax officials to manage the issue of entry and exit goods.

Of course, in addition to the Red Water Camp, there are other military camps in the Sikal Mountains, but those are not known to ordinary people.

The Red Water Camp itself does not allow any unrelated personnel other than soldiers to enter, but a place is also needed to rest in the mountains and prepare goods. After all, it takes time to go down the mountain from the Red Water Camp into the city.

Therefore, the travelers spontaneously gathered into a small camp outside the military camp. The businessmen, who saw the business opportunity, used some means to get the chief of the Red Water Camp to agree to build a building, and there was also a small hotel in the travelers' camp. , warehouses and taverns.

Although the building is simple, it is better than nothing.

When Shade went up the mountain, he happened to meet the farmers of Fort Midhill who wanted to pull a donkey cart of grain to the south to sell through the windy path. So he paid two pence for a ride, sat in the back of the grain truck and chatted with the old man driving the truck while walking towards the mountains.

Xia De was very curious. Why did the man still come out to transport food when he seemed to be in his fifties? The old man smiled and told Xia De:

"The children have gone to big cities like Fort Midhill, but the land cannot be left unused. This is the land passed down from our ancestors."

Even riding a donkey cart, Shade didn't finally see the towering sentry tower of the Red Water Camp until almost one o'clock in the afternoon. . You must know that although he set off after ten o'clock, he started from the ruined tower in the mountain, not completely from the bottom of the mountain. In other words, unless riding a horse or taking a car, even if an ordinary person goes into the mountains in the morning, he will not be able to reach the Red Water Camp until almost evening.

Shade said goodbye to the talkative old man at the camp. The latter had to go to the checkpoint in front and only after paying the tax could he get the customs clearance documents. Shade waved his hand, then stood next to the road sign written in both languages ​​and looked to his right.

On the right side is a small peak, with wooden steps and corridors built on the steep side, leading to the higher military camp surrounded by rough stone fences and wooden wall fences. I don’t know if the top of the small peak was flattened by humans or it was originally flat. The Red Water Camp is located on it. With only a few arrow towers and gun muzzles, any enemy who wants to attack from here can be easily blocked.

Standing on the roadside, you can see the patrolling soldiers standing on the top of the high wooden wall, and you can also hear the faint sound of shouting slogans.

The "Traveler's Camp" written in two languages ​​on the road sign is a camp surrounding the small peak and located next to the checkpoint on the Fengqi Trail. The trees in the forest were cut down and the ground was cleared. Wooden buildings with a maximum height of no more than two stories were scattered in the camp. Simple wooden fences used to protect against wild animals crookedly circled the scope of the traveler's camp. .

Although it is in the mountains, it looks very lively here. Businessmen driving horse-drawn carriages and travelers passing through this place shuttled through the camp. People speaking different languages ​​​​gathered together to complain about the inconveniences of water. Fire and theft prevention slogans were engraved everywhere, while the soldiers on vacation were shouting loudly. Smiling and arm-in-arm walking in and out of the tavern.

There is even an innkeeper who specializes in serving travelers. He is trying to nail a wooden board with advertisements on the wooden fence outside the camp. But when Shade approached the camp, he was picked up by the collector who was close to the fence. The rude butcher drove away with a knife for chopping steaks:

"This is my territory, hang up your dirty sign somewhere else!"

The butcher, who had a strong accent, added two words that Shade didn't know how to translate into the sentence to describe the despicable behavior of the innkeeper, which made people who saw this scene laugh.

Although the campground has an entrance, no one is here to collect tolls or other fees.

Foreigners who had never seen such a scene looked around with interest after entering the camp. However, the area of ​​the Traveler Camp is only three times the size of St. Teresa Square at most, and at least a quarter of the area is a warehouse. Therefore, although it looks fresh, after a few glances, I feel that there is nothing interesting in it. .

Captain Lades After last week's incident at Fort Midhill's Mechanical Academy, Yoshad met today at the Blue Rose Tavern in Traveler's Camp. This should be a tavern with a relatively high consumption level in the camp. The reason for this judgment is not because the name is a little elegant, but because the people who come in and out of here are all travelers who look well-dressed.

Pushing open the door of the tavern, the noisy sound and the smell of alcohol mixed with fermented food hit your face.

After taking a quick look and not seeing Captain Rades, Shade guessed that the Captain probably thought he would arrive in the afternoon, so he walked to the tavern counter first and ordered a glass of cider.

Prices in the traveler's camp seem to be higher than in the city, but this is understandable. After all, no matter what is brought from the city to the mountains, there are tolls.

There were really a lot of guests in the tavern at noon. In addition to apple cider, Shade also ordered a piece of fried carrot meat as his lunch. He sat down at the table in the corner, called the waiter in the tavern, and asked for a copy of this morning's "Sikal Morning News" so that he would have something to do while eating.

A newspaper that only sells for 3p in the city actually sells for 4p in the traveler's camp. It's only a penny more, but it's expensive. Shade knew that there was probably no bargaining here, so he didn't say much, but when he counted out the change and handed the four small coins to the waiter, the door of the tavern was pushed open again.

Shade subconsciously looked in that direction, and the person who entered the door also noticed Shade's gaze and looked over at the same time.

"Um?"

It's a pity that the person who walked in was not Captain Rades, but he was also an acquaintance of Shade. His hair is extremely short, with only fluffy stubble visible, his skin is dark, and his eyes have extremely severe double eyelids. He looked to be in his thirties, with a thin build. He was wrapped in an old-fashioned brown robe that looked like people in desert areas. He held a notebook in his right hand. He had extremely short eyelashes and unusually bright black eyes.

"Mr. Sean Asmon?"

This is the "Demonologist" that Shade once met in the Pink Rose Hotel in Coldwater Port. In that not-so-serious hotel, this gentleman even lost to Shade a demon series of Rhodes cards, and... Told him a story about a man without wishes and a devil.