feiniaonovel Chapter 557 - 556: Immigrants and Deserters
Chapter 557 - 556: Immigrants and Deserters
Since the end of winter, rocky ridges Town has become more prosperous by the day.
This newly established town north of Cecil Clan was once merely a part of the fortress and plains south of the rocky ridges Fortress. The Cecil Clan had demolished the old fortress walls, leveled the ancient sentinel towers, and amidst the post-war ruins constructed a new fortress city. They built new "magic Barriers" on the outskirts of the fortress city and constructed a pier square by the "Duoergong White Water River," giving new life to this war-torn land.
Initially, the people living inside the fortress city were anxious—they were the inhabitants of the old fortress who had once served the Anzu Kingdom’s military stationed at the rocky ridges Fortress. This awkward identity kept them in constant fear of the Cecil Clan’s post-war reckoning. However, as the new fortress commander took office and the Administrative Office began operating, the Cecil Clan fulfilled one promise after another they made when taking over the fortress: no reckoning, no forced conscription, no house demolition, no land seizure. As these promises were fulfilled one by one, the order in the rocky ridges Fortress gradually stabilized, allowing the newly-built rocky ridges Town to begin its operation.
As a city originally planned to serve as a "communication window," rocky ridges Town quickly became prosperous once it began operating.
This place is the critical channel for exchanges between the Plains of the Holy Spirits and the southern borders, a necessary path for merchants conducting north-south trade. To these merchants, it seems the southern borders perpetually have an insatiable demand for minerals and magic-conducting materials. Meanwhile, people from any part of Anzu are highly welcoming of the alchemical potions and Magic Web Units from the Cecil Clan. It’s said that the Duoergong White Water River flows with Gold Coins, thus a popular new saying has emerged among merchants doing business in rocky ridges Town: as long as one circle around the town with a bag, even a donkey could earn a fortune.
Recently, the royal family has reached a new agreement with the Cecil Clan, and the nobles of St. Soniel who had been slow to react finally acknowledged the authority of the southern borders Duchy. Cecil also opened more trade orders to the Plains of the Holy Spirits, making rocky ridges Town even more bustling. New merchants are drawn here, and new goods begin to appear on those ships and carts—cheap textiles, paper, and wines from the south are now on Cecil’s goods list, their low prices leaving merchants from the Plains of the Holy Spirits dumbfounded. In short time, goods flowing from Cecil to the Plains of the Holy Spirits are no longer merely alchemical potions and magic-conducting materials, while Cecil continues to purchase the endless supply of minerals and magic-conducting materials...
The prosperity of commerce has allowed rocky ridges Town to develop rapidly, attracting more and more outsiders to settle, including not only residents from the southern borders but also individuals from the Plains of the Holy Spirits, who for various reasons left their homeland.
At the entry checkpoint of the pier square in rocky ridges Town, a group of new immigrants who had just disembarked from a ship were queued up to pass through a narrow corridor. This narrow corridor and the "queue" rule were novel concepts to those crossing the rocky ridges Fortress for the first time. They were not very accustomed to it, but the fully armed soldiers at the pier ensured they became accustomed soon enough.
A red-haired young man with his head down slowly followed the queue. He appeared very inconspicuous, and the tall, slender man in front of him clumsily completed his registration. Next, it was his turn to stand in front of the "registrar."
"Name?" The registrar asked.
The red-haired young man shrank his neck, subtly glanced around, and quietly said, "Sara, no surname, sir."
"Age? Occupation or skills?"
"Nineteen... eighteen years old, was a carpenter, sir."
The registrar lifted his eyelids, looked at the red-haired young man’s hands, and then at his posture.
The calluses on the webbing of his thumb were thick, his posture was habitually slightly leaning forward, and his feet were apart.
The registrar glanced at the young man’s attire, then at the thick leather boots on his feet.
"Where are you from?"
"Plains of the Holy Spirits... central area, a village near the White City..."
"Can you read?"
"Can’t read, sir."
"Your report certificate, go through the left passage, someone at the end will take you for immigrant settlement," the registrar took out a card, handed it to the red-haired young man, and gave the young man a deep look as he reached out to take it, "Young man, remember to abide by Cecil’s laws—in doing so, the Duchy will protect you. Also, don’t call me sir, I’m just a registrar."
"Yes... yes, sir."
The red-haired young man, a bit flustered, took the hard paper card and hurriedly headed towards the left passage, perhaps not even fully hearing the registrar’s instructions. Yet, printed on the hard paper card in his hand was a number: 3.
The registered young man didn’t know what this number meant, but the registrars working at the pier knew that the code meant: suspected escapee from Plains of the Holy Spirits, recommended for secondary examination.
The registrar lifted his head, looking at the still lengthy queue in the passage, wondering how many more escapees from Plains of the Holy Spirits might be mixed among these people.
Ever since this messy internal war reached a stalemate, such individuals have become increasingly common.
The situation on the front lines in eastern Plains of the Holy Spirits is reportedly tense. Neither the Anzu Kingdom’s army nor the Duke of the East’s forces can rapidly achieve victory. The stalemated military campaign has forced both sides to deploy more soldiers onto the battlefield, and the prolonged warfare has led to the emergence of more deserters.
For the noble lord’s forces, which lack effective management measures, with little soldier enthusiasm and loyalty, deserters have become as commonplace as rainy weather.
That young man is most likely a soldier of the Anzu Kingdom’s military, so he doesn’t dare escape to the east. He might also be a follower of a god other than the Holy Light, so he’s also not venturing north to the Plains of the Holy Spirits—these days, life for Otherworldly God believers in the north is tough—between the West and the southern borders, the southern borders with a closer distance and better immigrant policies are clearly a better choice for these deserters.
The registrar shook his head; the Cecil Clan doesn’t mind the origins of these deserters—whether they’re deserters from old-style noble lord armies or refugees who’ve lost their homes and land, for the Cecil Clan they all represent valuable labor. The registrar himself, although not a high-level official of the Administrative Office, has received training, and he knows everyone coming in from north of rocky ridges Fortress holds no particular differentiation for the Duchy: none are qualified, education is required across the board.
Similar scenes play out not just at this registration exit but across the entire dock square. At the end of the twenty-eight registration channels, each registrar holds reporting certificates to mark special immigrants—soldiers escaping from the Plains of the Holy Spirits, followers of the Otherworldly God expelled by the Holy Light church, suspected spies sent by northern aristocrats... Since stability initially took hold in the Cecil region and the Duchy received royal family endorsement, the southern borders reopened channels to absorb population, and among the expansive immigration influx, there’s a myriad of individuals.
In a sense, the Cecil Clan has risen through "refugees," to the Cecil Administrative Office, handling these immigrants essentially constitutes their basic operational task.
The red-haired youth left the registration channel cautiously holding his "reporting certificate," and walked on to meet the next "registrar sir" in this vast and unfamiliar city feeling confused and uneasy—but more than anything, curious and excited.
This is the Cecil Clan, or rather part of it.
But it’s completely different from what he imagined, and completely different from what he’s heard.
Northern aristocrats depict Cecil as a savage, barren, brutal, and chaotic place where the noble system in the southern borders has vanished, and someone climbed out of a coffin to destroy all order through barbaric warfare. They say this land has lost its hierarchy, authority doesn’t exist, lowly serfs and noble knights can walk on the same road; they claim the land has been burnt to scorched earth by the magic fire of Cecil—in the burnt land exists only a war-mongering Duchy...
But all the red-haired youth sees here are broad, clean streets, grand buildings, and upright, friendly ’sirs,’ as well as an unbelievably bustling dock square—if this is savage brutality and chaotic scorched earth as described by aristocrats, then perhaps they live in places nastier than scorched earth itself?
Surveying the square within his sight, Sara felt those aristocrats got one thing right: here, indeed everybody walks the same road.
The road is really wide; everyone can walk.
It would be great if a few of the fellow villagers who escaped together chose the same path as him... unfortunately, those who believed in the Holy Light have gone north.
The red-haired youth slowly walked forward, eyes seemingly insufficient to take in every new thing here.
There’s a surplus of new things, so much it disorients people and leaves them feeling helpless.
Orderly rows of lampposts stood beside the wide road, not with oil lamps but rather with magic crystals; a curious metal tower stood on a distant vacant land, atop this tower floated large crystals; at sight’s end some workers were constructing something, their every tool and machine sight and sound unseen...
"Sam, you wouldn’t believe what kind of place I’ve arrived at..."
The red-haired youth muttered in a low voice his hometown friend’s name, slowing further as his attention nearly entirely drawn by those magic devices with indistinct purposes—were it not for the fence blocking the passage; he would likely run up to the devices for a close look.
His sluggishness finally drew displeasure from behind, someone slapped him hard on the back: "Hey! Move it! You’re blocking the way!"
The red-haired youth quickly apologized and prepared to stride forward, but just as he was about to move, light and sound suddenly emerged from not far away, leaving him stunned in place.
At the center of the dock square, on a slightly elevated platform, a large magic device was activated, with a massive holographic image appearing above it, accompanied by a brief musical interlude—it sounded like a duet of flutes and stringed instruments.
The Cecil people in the dock appeared unusually calm, showing no surprise, only delight and anticipation as they looked at the "illusion magic" suddenly appearing in the square, yet including the red-haired youth, new immigrants were taken aback by this scene, with even a few crying out in surprise along the line—the red-haired youth nearly voiced his own, but merely opened his mouth, maintaining this slightly comical posture briefly, he saw a beautiful lady appear within the magic, and heard her voice:
"Good afternoon, friends in front of the Magic Transmission Terminal, I’m your old friend, Miss Witch...
"In today’s Witching Hour, I’m introducing you to a thrilling magic creation...
"...In ten minutes, the Duchy’s latest magic warship ’Pioneer’ is having its christening ceremony. It will be the Duchy’s new pride; the powerful Pioneer will protect every citizen as both sword and shield...
"...Minister Rebecca believes the technology of the new magic warship will significantly boost the Duchy’s shipbuilding advancements for civil use...
"Now, let’s turn to the field, where my colleagues have prepared at the shipyard..."
(June 22nd premiere of rare animation! Viewing qualification recruitment underway, specifics available on Bilibili, if you have time and are able, please lend your support=.= this is also fulfilling a wish I’ve held for years.)