Chapter 109, Celebration in Arnus City (Part 2)
As the Dark Elf Envoy of the Tixiu Clan continued to approach the Arnus Hills, the various sights seen along the way became more prosperous and popular. The roadside is no longer empty fields, woods and orchards, but tea shops and taverns have begun to appear. On the road, you can see merchants' heavily loaded carriages and aristocratic motorcades with various family crests and coats of arms. Surrounded by Huafu attendants riding tall horses, they rode in elegant and luxurious four-wheel carriages, carrying various scepters and flags, occupying most of the road in a grand and arrogant manner.
Of course, there were more civilians dressed in ordinary clothes, consciously walking on both sides of the road, driving chickens and ducks, leading livestock, or holding pottery urns and baskets containing various items, including Fruits, flowers, herbs, cheese, eggs, vegetables and other agricultural and sideline products; there are also handicrafts and daily industrial products from the earth. Most people were rushing to the city with their goods, and some people found a random place on the roadside and set up stalls to sell. Among them, there are not only those who directly sell goods, but also those who mend clothes, mend beards and shave hair, and even those who recycle scraps, old clothes, broken knives and axes, broken bow strings, almost everything. Collect - there is no way, this is the case in a society with underdeveloped productivity. Some people are reluctant to throw away any junk, just like the backward and poor countries on earth who import foreign garbage to make money.
Many servants and servants who have traveled long distances with their noble masters to participate in the celebration will stop here to bargain with the vendors who collect second-hand goods. When attending the celebration, for the sake of their own and their master's dignity, they naturally have to put on pre-dressed clothes. Beautiful clothes prepared. But you can get rid of the old clothes and worn-out shoes you wore along the way and exchange them for a few small coins to avoid taking up space in your luggage.
In addition, you can even occasionally see performance stalls. From a long distance away, the dark elves heard the joyful melodies played by harps and leather drums with their keen ears, and could vaguely see a few wearing veils. , a belly dancer wearing tight red leather pants, ogling the audience. There was a sea of people surrounding him, and there was an endless stream of cheers, whistles, and coin throwing, and there were also a few boos and boos.
"...Attention! Watch your luggage and wallets! Places like this are always the messiest"
Yao Hai Tixiu, the female leader of the dark elf team with the most experience in human society, quickly turned around and reminded her compatriots around her sharply. However, no matter how loud her voice was, it seemed too loud in such a noisy and chaotic place. Extremely weak and lacking enough persuasion - not long after, a few young people who had never left their hometown and had never seen the market... The young dark elf was attracted by a juggling stall. He couldn't help but follow the crowd of onlookers and approached it. He looked at a row of poles erected there. Several dwarf teenagers in colorful clothes were moving as nimble as apes. Climbing up and down the pole, he kept breathing flames from his mouth or throwing eggs in his hands, causing the dark elves below to keep cheering. It wasn't until Yao Hai Tixiu came back angrily, grabbing a sly thief and their money bags, that they realized they had been pickpocketed.
As a result, after Yao Hai Tixiu severely scolded these lack of vigilance companions, the dark elves set off on the road again.
Then they walked a long way until the sun was high in the sky. This dark elf envoy from the Tixiu clan from the Schulz Forest in the south finally saw the towering city wall of Arnus City - if it were in the endless plains On the city, the 30-meter-high city wall of Arnus City can be seen from dozens of kilometers away, not to mention that there are several skyscrapers in the city that are over 20 stories high. But among the rugged hills and steep mountains, there were too many things that could block their sight. When they saw the city wall, they were only a few kilometers away from the city.
Therefore, these dark elves and all the nearby envoys and tourists who came here for the first time all had the same expressions of amazement, looking up at the giant city walls that were as towering as mountains and as flat as mirrors, and there were buildings painted in colorful colors. , the magnificent towers and city gates, the colorful balloon banners floating in the air due to the celebrations, and the huge colorful flags hanging from the city walls, shocked them even more.
However, their journey is not over yet. After several years of construction and development, the settlement area of Arnus City has far exceeded the constraints of the city wall. There are also large bazaars, residences, shops, taverns, inns and brothels outside the wall, forming a A series of large and irregular building complexes. Just the prosperity of these fringe neighborhoods outside the wall is already better than most cities on the Falmat continent.
During the celebration period, all stores in the city were forced to offer 20% off discounts, and banners with "blood vomiting sale" and "lowest price in the city" were hung everywhere, making the business in these days extremely hot and the number of customers increasing. A sharp increase several times compared to normal times.
Carriages loaded with goods, as well as metal vehicles from other worlds that can drive on their own without the need for animals, come and go here frequently. Business travelers wearing various clothes chatter to each other, and Soldiers armed with long sticks and shields patrolled the streets. At first glance, they looked like a hodgepodge of races from all over the continent. The costumes of different ethnic groups and the languages with southern and northern accents make this place as dazzling as a boiling boiler.
For the vast majority of outsiders who come to the city for markets and shopping, this neighborhood outside the city walls of Arnus City is already the end of their journey. Here, all kinds of goods and services are sold. Anyone can sell their goods in the market, and then buy refined salt, sugar, candied fruits, pastries, cans, needlework, cloth, etc. at the lowest prices in the entire continent. Porcelain, silks, metalwork and common medicines are all top sellers from the earth. Or get drunk in a tavern, bathe in a bathhouse, or enjoy the tender service of girls of all races in a brothel.
However, if they want to go further and take a look at the scenery within the city walls, it is not that easy - even on Earth, the wealthy areas, business districts, industrial areas and slums of big cities are equally distinct. In the alien city of Arnus, the inside and outside of each city wall are completely different worlds. In the suburbs outside the outer city wall, indigenous residents can travel and live temporarily at will, and will not be charged any taxes except for the rent for setting up stalls in the market. If the indigenous residents want to pass the first city wall and enter the outer city, they must hold a pass issued by the city hall, and they must compare photos and have their fingerprints checked at the checkpoint at the city gate. If you encounter special circumstances, you will not be allowed to enter even if you have a pass.
As for the inner city area inside the second city wall, it is completely reserved for travelers. Unless the mayor issues a special permit, indigenous residents are not allowed to enter. Even the group of beast-eared girls who immigrated to Hong Kong got directly into the outer city in a tank truck without opening windows, and then were transported directly to Hong Kong like slaves - because this place is the original Mount Arnus, and The only connection point between the earth and the fantasy world is also the location of most of the key military and political agencies in Arnus City. In order to ensure a way out, we really have to be vigilant at all times, just in case.
To give a similar example, if the city of Arnus is compared to old Shanghai before the founding of the People's Republic of China. Then the messy indigenous neighborhoods outside the first city wall were the Chinese areas of old Shanghai such as Zhabei and Nanshi; the outer city area between the second city wall and the first city wall was equivalent to the concession of old Shanghai; and the third city wall was equivalent to the concession in old Shanghai. The inner city behind the second city wall is equivalent to the barracks, fort, military port, Ministry of Industry Bureau building and consulate in the concession.
Therefore, the vast majority of the indigenous people in Arnus City knew nothing about what the inner city was like, and were quite curious about it, so many absurd or interesting stories emerged from this. The conjecture often makes the travelers who accidentally learn about it often burst into laughter.
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Although ordinary traders and lackeys are basically satisfied as long as they can wander around the "castle town" outside the city wall.
However, Yao Hai Ti Xiu's team of dark elves, who are responsible for the survival of the entire clan, must find a way to enter the two city walls and meet with the highest official of the outsiders here, the man who passed away today. Only the female mayor who has her fiftieth birthday can complete her mission.
So, under the curious eyes of passers-by, Captain Yao Hai Tixiu silently led her fellow dark elves, pushing aside the shop assistants who were selling and soliciting customers, and walked straight through the bustling streets, and finally Finally arrived outside a gate in the city wall of Arnus City.
In order to prevent the indigenous residents from building their houses directly under the city wall, there is a deep moat outside the city wall, which is connected to the outside world by a stone bridge. The open space next to the bridge was paved with cement and turned into a small square. Dozens of luxurious-looking carriages were parked in the square. They were filled with nobles and celebrities from all over the country who had been invited to the banquet. Some of them were dressed more simply, just ordinary traveler clothes, and then put on a more refined coat. cloak. There are also people dressed like coquettish peacocks, with gold and silver thread tassels and colorful ornaments all over their bodies, and seven or eight colorful feathers standing on their hats. But no matter how they were dressed, they were waiting patiently here for an outsider official wearing a gray uniform and a big-brimmed hat, holding a strange machine that emitted light, to check their invitations one by one, and then Make and issue temporary passes "allowing you to enter the city" for them.
However, even after taking out the invitations and passing the inspection, the carriages and horses of these nobles were not allowed to go, and they could only enter on foot with one or two servants. There was a guy who maintained his identity and actually made trouble outside the city gate. He refused to obey such an arrangement and insisted on going in in a carriage. However, the alien officer guarding the checkpoint at the city gate had no intention of surrendering. Instead, he blew his whistle, called for a group of soldiers, and drove out the troublemaker and his entourage with sticks and whips. ...Suddenly, everyone else was shocked into silence and no longer dared to speak or move.
——Those top guests, such as the queen, king, grand duke and high priest, all came in floating battleships. The next-level earl and the president of the Great Chamber of Commerce were also picked up and dropped off by private cars in Arnus City. The nobles in the square at the city gate who came in carriages and could not even catch special cars and floating battleships were at best barons and viscounts, and they were probably country lords who were not very favored by their lord. What qualifications did they have to show off here? ?
Several other nobles tried to bribe this outsider official with gold coins, but they failed. Instead, they were scolded by the gray-clothed official.
Watching the alien clerk wearing a gray uniform and a big-brimmed hat, he took the invitation handed over by the noble in front, and then used the strange machine that emitted light in his hand to carefully scan the square inside the invitation. Pattern (barcode or QR code), and then carefully interrogated the other party several questions before waving and allowing the nobleman to walk into the city gate with two servants for the banquet. Yao Hai Ti Xiu couldn't help but sigh with anxiety. tone.
——The matter has come to this, no matter whether it can succeed or not, even if it is possible to be kicked out directly, the only way is to take the risk.
The next moment, when the little official in gray walked up to the dark elves and reached out to the leader Yao to ask for an invitation, Yao did not take out the invitation, but took out a small leather bag about the size of a human head from his arms. , and then opened and displayed it directly in front of everyone at the city gate!
So, in the next moment, everyone present was dazzled by the sparkling jewels.
"...Hiss! Who's going to pinch me? Is this... a natural diamond! It's such a big piece!"
"...How many carats does this have to be...No, I'm afraid it has to be weighed in kilograms, right?"
"...Well, if it is put up for auction, how much can this diamond be exchanged for?"
"...Who knows! This is already a national treasure. At least it should be replaced by a large manor, right?"
……
Looking at such a huge diamond, suddenly displayed in front of my eyes, shining brightly under the bright summer sunshine, blooming with some kind of indescribable grace and splendor, even the young man in gray who came to check the invitation The official couldn't help but widen his eyes and took a breath on the spot.
The alien soldiers following him, as well as the noble servants and guards waiting in the "parking lot" of the city gate to guard the carriage, immediately couldn't help but stir up a commotion. The eyes of several of the guards immediately shone with light, as if they were greedy - such a large diamond means more than just a piece of property on the Falmat continent. As long as I have this diamond and find a way to find a way, I'm afraid I can even afford the title and territory... But the problem is, look at the heavily guarded alien soldiers at the city gate checkpoint, and the equally heavily armed soldiers. The dark elf warriors were obviously not easy to mess with, so they had no choice but to angrily give up the idea of robbing or stealing this rare treasure.
At the same time, Yao Hai Tixiu didn't care about the commotion of these guys in private. He just continued to hold the diamonds and said loudly:
"...I am the messenger of the dark elves of the Tixiu clan in Schulz Forest, the daughter of Tiha, my full name is Yao Hai Tixiu! Although I did not receive the invitation, I came here to offer my clan's treasures to Dear Madam Mayor, I would like to congratulate you on my birthday and have something important to discuss! Please take the time to meet me! ”
※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※※ ※※PS: Recently, the UK opened England’s first official “drug center” to provide free drugs to citizens. Perhaps spurred by Brexit, the number of British teenagers taking drugs more than doubled in 2016 compared to the previous year, and it is no longer manageable. It's not a big deal for these people to take drugs and kill themselves. The problem is that once the addiction kicks in, they will do anything to steal, rob or kill in order to collect money to buy powder. After calculation, the shrewd British police found that it would cost each person up to 60,000 pounds per year to arrest them in prison for forced drug rehabilitation, but the state would only buy powder for them to smoke for only 15,000 pounds, because drug addicts do not have to break the law and commit crimes to collect. With drug money, you can drink until you die, and social security is expected to improve...probably!