Dust of History Chapter 14: Shadow

The stomachs of werewolves are not very used to vegetarian food, and it is said that there is a training ground for ferocious beasts here, so there is a shortage of meat, and there is no extra supply for humans in other places. However, the soil quality in the barbaric highlands is very strange, and food such as wheat and soybeans cannot be grown. There are no restaurants and restaurants for humans in Oufu, and almost all alien humans can only eat in hotels. Cook food for them.

And this hotel is specially prepared for alien humans in Oufu City. The boss here is a half-orc who speaks a human language fluently. Half-orcs are stronger than humans, with pig-like muzzles and two fangs protruding upwards from the mouth, making them look ferocious and a little clumsy and funny. But in fact, in terms of intelligence, they are the most prominent among all orcs, almost no different from humans.

The one-eyed dragon's body had already been sent back, and it was lying quietly in the hotel's dining room, covered by a piece of cloth by the orc boss to prevent the appetite of the guests from being affected.

No one has ever claimed the body, it was the executioner who brought him back to the hotel with two werewolves. This hotel was originally a subordinate of the city hall, and after a search, it was found that it was with them.

The other guests had already finished eating and left. Xiaoyi stayed in the room upstairs because she had no appetite after watching the hanging. The thieves were discussing with the old thief Fodoleng in the corner while eating the food on the plate. . It is a paste made from the fruits and tubers of several plants that are unique to wild highlands. It can be swallowed after just one or two mouthfuls, but if you eat too much, you will have a strong and greasy taste that will jostle in your mouth and nose. It seemed that it was still rushing straight into the head, and the rough powder was drilled and scratched in the mouth, making the throat a dull pain. Even if the orc boss occasionally showed mercy and added some offal of cattle and sheep to boil it, it could not improve the strong impact on the mouth. The thieves have been eating this for more than ten days, and many people are getting angry after eating it. This is completely different from their expectations of making a lot of money and then going to spend their days. But no matter how angry you are, you will never dare to kick tables, throw benches, beat people and grab things here. The figures of ogres and werewolves that can be seen at any time, as well as the stone monuments and gallows standing in the square over there are excellent. of tranquilizers. But the anxiety accumulated every day made many people very dissatisfied with the old thief Fodoleng who initiated this plan.

The old thief has been working hard these days to run around among the big-eared monsters and orcs, hoping to find a way to communicate with them and get the stolen goods. Now he already knows some specifics about the city, and the city's administrators seem to be human beings. This is good news, in the experience of thieves, the same kind is far easier to deal with than the orcs who don't eat oil and salt. Some people suggested secretly kidnapping the family members of these people, and some people suggested directly threatening them, but these were just nonsensical statements out of professional habits. Judging from Fodoreng's expression, it seemed that he had to make up his own mind.

Asa mingled with the thieves group without saying a word, holding the plate and eating the food in mouthfuls. Only he here can eat this kind of food with relish.

Just as the meeting was about to adjourn, the middle-aged man who brought back the corpse came down again accompanied by a werewolf, and informed them that all the people in this group would gather in the central square tomorrow afternoon, saying that they had something to announce to them.

As soon as the people left, the thieves discussed it and immediately became excited. The central square is where the one-eyed dragon was hanged just now, and the cold body is still lying beside it. Many people also feel grief and indignation for the loss of this accomplice. All the anger, resentment, resentment, and guilty conscience that had accumulated during this period of time were all aroused into hostility by this ambiguous announcement. Many people drew out their weapons and clamored to fight to the death.

"Damn it, do you want us to send it up and wait for them to hang it? You won't lose money if you kill one, but you can make money if you kill two." A robber waved a knife in his hand and shouted.

Fodolen quickly stopped everyone, but it didn't work, but added fuel to the fire. Several people are already yelling whether he conspired with these orcs to lure everyone here, like some private mines to catch big-eared monsters and use them as slaves, intending to use them as coolies or prepare to feed them there for use at any time like cattle and sheep for food.

"What do you think should be done?" Someone got up to seek Asa's opinion. After all, he is the most qualified criminal here, with the best skills, and now he is silent and calm, looking as if he is scheming and has everything under control.

Asa was still eating that kind of mushy food unmoved, and he seemed to be the most relaxed and confident. While eating, he said vaguely: "... I don't know, let's talk about it tomorrow."

"If we go there together tomorrow, we might all be hanged. They already know that we are with Cyclops, and they know that we are planning to buy those goods." The robber with the knife was the most excited. "It's better to rush out and fight now."

"The consequences of going tomorrow are at least uncertain, but the consequences of rushing out with a knife now are certain. You can do what you want, but don't say you know me after you are caught." Asa finished eating, put down his plate and went out. He was completely indifferent to such a tense situation.

In this tense atmosphere, the casual attitude and indifferent words are undoubtedly the most shocking and convincing. The thieves calmed down when they saw that someone was so calm and infected, and those who were smarter thought about it and said: "If you really want to kill or arrest us, just bring a few werewolves here. There is no prior notice." Why?" So it was better to wait. Everyone began to praise this young man for being calm and calm, and he didn't panic in the face of such a situation. He is indeed a person who has seen big scenes.

The half-orc boss heard the noise, walked in and asked, "What happened?"

"We are discussing how to bury this companion's body, because we are really sad, so everyone is a little excited." Only Fodoleng was the most responsive, with a sad tone.

The half-orc boss let out a strange nasal voice, and said gruntly: "There is a rule here, the corpse must be disposed of by the same kind, so as not to cause any racial disputes. Burial or cremation is up to you. If you find it troublesome If so, the animal training ground outside the city will buy it, and the meat is in short supply during this period, about thirty coppers."

"Oh, okay, thank you." The old thief nodded in agreement. As soon as the orc boss left, he pointed to the one-eyed dragon's body and said to the others, "Whoever sends him there will get the money for himself." But no one paid any attention to him.

Asa walked out of the hotel. He was not calm and calm about this situation, but his mind was completely filled with more personal and beautiful things, and there was no room for other thoughts to intervene.

As if I can still smell her breath, the wind blowing over my face seems to be the wonderful touch just now, and her voice is faintly visible in my ears. All his feelings were still stuck at that moment.

Since Xiaoyi joined him on the itinerary, a very subtle and strange feeling began to intensify from scratch. Before I knew it, I got used to being with her every day, and before I knew it, her voice and smile became a very natural part of my life, and I felt at ease every day when I saw and heard her.

At the moment before the meal just now, he was completely drunk in such an atmosphere. So he doesn't care about all other things, and he can't pay attention.

He has never had experience with the opposite sex. When he was in his hometown, no woman of his age had any interest in this animal-like monster who only knew how to fight all day long, exercised in the wild, never took a bath and never put on a dress. He also immersed himself in his dreams and exercises all day long, and spent his teenage years in an almost ascetic way, consuming all his energy in endless exercises and fights.

The so-called love between a man and a woman has only been heard from the mouths of bards and drunk miners in taverns. One is too noble and abstract to understand, and the other is too practical and real. people can't understand. It never even occurred to him that he would go through this. As for the current situation, he didn't know what was going on, but he was naturally immersed in such feelings.

Walking on the streets of Oufu feels like being in a forest of rock fortresses. The buildings here are probably built according to the huge size of the ogre. Only with the unadorned edges and corners of the rock itself and the height, width and thickness of the pile, it is compelling enough even if it is not magnificent. But in the eyes of Asa now, it seems that this is the most tasteful building in the world.

It is already noon, and there are orcs walking everywhere, most of them are carrying goods or pushing special construction equipment, talking to each other in their own language from time to time. From the houses next to the street, there were sounds of iron beating, wood planing and even weaving. The city invited human and dwarf craftsmen from various industries to teach the orcs various manufacturing techniques. The city is full of vitality at the time of its infancy.

Asa also felt as if he had gained a newborn vitality, even the weird-looking orcs looked so pleasing to the eye now. He has never felt such a wonderful taste, the whole world has changed because of her.

Come to a market not far from the hotel. This is a big place, mainly for foreign merchants and dwarves to trade their goods here. During the time they stayed here, they found that more and more people and dwarves from other countries came here to trade their goods. trade. It is filled with a large number of goods from all surrounding countries. This place is almost no different from the street market in human society. The sounds of hawking, bargaining, and the sound of moving goods are mixed together to form a very dynamic atmosphere. After watching for a long time, the green-skinned or fur-covered figures are no longer an eyesore, and they automatically blend into the peaceful life.

In one corner of the market, a handful of young orcs are selling some weird wild highland specialties. Asa bought some fruits unique to the wild highlands from a little ogre. This is still a juvenile ogre, but it is even bigger than Asa in terms of body. Although the lifespan of orcs is slightly shorter than that of humans, they develop very quickly like all other beasts. It only takes a few years for their bodies and minds to basically take shape.

Half a year ago, he had personally seen such a fluffy giant holding a weapon and turning his companions into piles of fuzzy flesh and blood. The sound of those bones bursting, the scene of flesh and internal organs flying all over the place often appeared in his sleep. He woke up with a start, he had thought for a while that they couldn't let them die so miserably in vain. But now he is shopping on such a palm with a very sweet mood, and there is no trace of tension, killing, hatred, etc. in his heart. Those things have long been squeezed out of the sky by the current good mood.

He took the fruit and went back to the hotel room. Xiaoyi was arranging her notes by the light on the bed by the window, which was just made up of a few wooden boards. After taking the fruit Asa gave her, her face blushed slightly and she nodded and smiled: "Thank you."

Asa found that she did not know when she liked to see her smile very much. Those hazy eyes and thin lips had a gentle smile on her round face, as if she was happy all the time. Only then did she realize that the hidden smile was her real beauty.

Especially now that her face is also flushed, she looks even more beautiful, cute and good-looking, not to let other people at least fascinate Asa. Because Asa vaguely knew that it was the look that appeared for him. He felt that he could die in this look and blush.

Xiaoyi looked at her notes while eating the fruit and said, "Hey, do you find anything strange here for a few days?"

"What's so strange?" Asa didn't feel it at all.

"Don't you think that the order here is completely inconsistent with the impression that the orcs gave in the past? You must know that in the wasteland on the west side of the empire, hundreds of humans were killed and eaten by orcs every year. But now They actually build cities like humans, learn to make things, trade with humans, and have their own laws and systems. You can also see today that the officials here are humans. Who on earth can make these wild and unrestrained beasts Why do people gather and manage so well? Why do they do this? Aren't you curious about this? Don't you want to know why?"

"Not curious." Asa was never interested in these things.

Xiaoyi made a face at him. "I knew you must be an idiot about this. Let me tell you."

"You should also know that the wild highland is located in the middle of the continent. Because the Sandefys Mountains in the north, the lizard swamp and the desert in the south are all natural barriers that are difficult to cross, the wild highland has become the surrounding area. An important commercial route between countries. In fact, after the imperial army wiped out the orc tribes here, someone proposed that a city could be built on it. If a city is built in such a location as a market, it will be beneficial to the commercial economy of the surrounding countries. It is very beneficial, and the city can definitely grow and develop through commerce. But in the end, this plan cannot be implemented. There is a lack of resources on the wild highlands, and it is too difficult to build a city out of thin air in such a place far away from any human civilization environment It’s big. More importantly, this wasteland is surrounded by several countries. No one wants others to build a city in such a place that was originally a public land. Because it can be used as a springboard for military attacks at any time. So even if the empire is The most powerful of these countries has never been able to offend the public."

"Only the orcs who are familiar with the living environment here can build a city in such a short period of time. But they have never been united, nor have any technology, so someone must lead them Yes. The merchants and craftsmen we saw in the city these days are all from several other countries around. This place has not been established for a long time. Why are there so many merchants from other countries coming here to trade? Even No matter how good the location is and how convenient the trade is, you must know that this place is full of dangerous orcs. The answer is simple, this place was originally funded and built with them. It is hard to imagine the surrounding countries that have always had conflicts They will secretly cooperate in this kind of thing, so it is more likely to be a non-governmental force, and it must be a chamber of commerce."

The Chamber of Commerce is a civil organization similar to the Adventurer's Guild. It is a group formed by merchants to earn more money for the common benefit. Because there are few things more powerful than 'money', although this association is only private, its power is not small, and it can even affect the political situation. Because of the national system, there is no such thing in the empire, and a few big families monopolize most of the commercial trade.

"My guess must be right, definitely!" Her slender willow-leaf eyebrows were squeezed in the middle, the hazy eyes below were flickering, the delicate nose was wrinkled, and her face was slightly red. It is the excited expression of the voyager who discovered the new world.

"No wonder they want to hide the construction of this city from the empire. Naturally, the orcs are not allowed to re-establish a city for the military that has wiped out the orcs for a long time. For those nobles, such a convenient transportation The big market will affect their monopolized business interests. But why can they really hide it from the empire? Although the empire has never paid much attention to the private chambers of commerce in these other countries, such a large-scale activity is reasonable No matter what you say, it will leak out. Didn’t the military send troops to reconnaissance? Could someone cover them.....”

Asa stood up straight and took a deep breath. All the fragments and questions in memory were connected together by her detailed explanation. He finally knew what was going on.

But even if you know it, it's nothing. It was just a sudden realization, and then I felt a little admiration for the Duke's methods ~IndoMTL.com~ and some indignation at being fooled, and a little bit of injustice towards the soldiers who died tragically on the hill. But he doesn't care what the Duke's intentions are and what he wants to do, as long as he knows that it has nothing to do with him.

"What's wrong with you? Are you scared by my reasoning?" Xiaoyi looked at him proudly.

"I find that you look like a person now." Asa suddenly lowered her head, carefully looking at her face and said.

Xiao Yi blushed, raised her eyebrows, opened her eyes and asked, "Who is it?"

Asa said: "It's the local official of Brakada with a head like a pumpkin called Mr. Borugan."

Xiaoyi burst into laughter, stretched out her hand to pinch Asa, and said with a half smile and half annoyance: "It's really annoying, I'm serious."

"I'm also serious, you two are really alike. You both can think clearly about things, I really admire you two." Asa said with a serious look.

"Go to hell, you look like a pumpkin." Xiaoyi reached out to hit him, but he blocked it. Clasping his palms together, his heart skipped a beat, but he thought of the Duke just now, and for some reason, he felt another shadow over his heart.