Arcane Journey

Chapter 305 The floating ship of the magic kingdom
The crisp and rhythmic horse bell sounded.

Just at the crossroads at the end of the forest, 10 wooden poles were nailed to the ground, each with a flat wheel on top, and the rims and axles were all tied up.

The wheels were still crowded with crows and ravens, constantly pecking and tearing at something.

Due to the height of the pole and the crowded flock, onlookers could only guess what the ill-identified wreckage was.

It's a corpse, it can't be anything else, Karina, the priest of the Church of the Mother Earth, thought to herself.

She raised her gloved hands and pulled off the hood of her thick traveling cloak. Her black and shiny hair, like her horse, was scattered on her shoulders. Against the backdrop of her dark green riding uniform, she looked very special. striking.

A breeze blew through, and Karena turned her head, wrinkling her nose in disgust.

The wind was blowing from the direction of the pole, bringing with it the stench of rotting corpses that filled the intersection.

"It's a wonderful scenery." The female priest on the horse leaned out slightly, spat on the ground, looked to the other side, and said with a smile: "However, their appetites are quite good."

As far as she could see, there was an area where Jinshu Village in Mokou Town distributed free wheat porridge to refugees.

It was a temporary camp with high tents and fences.

Through the firelight, one could see many figures busy. From time to time, someone moved the steaming wooden barrels to the long table by the fence, and then the guards in charge distributed them to individuals.

Obviously, these foods are all freshly cooked.

Although the porridge is not thick, and no vegetable leaves are added, but just the overflowing aroma, most people can't stop swallowing their throats, and the saliva can't stop flowing up.

Ragged, thin-skinned refugees lined up in a long line in an orderly manner, receiving their food one by one.

Under the guidance of the guards, all the people here receive the wooden bowls one by one, eat the porridge, go to the other end to drink the porridge, and put the bowl away.

It is hard to believe that this well-ordered order was actually created by ordinary civilians.

But in Karina's view, the reason why the refugees here are so honest is that the stench blowing in the wind is definitely attributable.

In fact, among these refugees, apart from the fleeing civilians from Sambia, there were also many southern nobles and businessmen who were exiled here for serious crimes but not fatal, as well as a large number of rebel soldiers captured.

Of course, there are also pirates and soldiers from the Vihon Sea and the Dragon Coast.

During the recovery war against the rebel army, the fleets of the Dragon Coast and the Vihon Sea were almost wiped out by a meteorite falling from the sky.

And Karina's elder brother, the supreme commander of the purple dragon knights, Oglass, not only personally led the blue dragon fleet, captured all the surviving enemy troops in Longhu, but also arrived at many towns along the coast of the dragon coast And villages, took away a large number of people.

Afterwards, she found out that the dumbfounding idea of ​​going to the Dragon Coast to snatch civilians was actually from Brian.

The purpose of doing this is to provide them with free food every day in addition to housing them, which is a waste of resources.

Although the practice of this mage lord is beyond the comprehension of most people, since Mokou Town was reincorporated into the territory of the Kingdom of Cormyr, Karina chose to leave the temple in Morningstar Town without hesitation, so as to stand on her own, she gradually understood , Bryan's every move always contains more profound meaning.

This is the fact.

"Why did you ask the lord to distribute food to you? It's a good question!" A short, fat man with a red face stood on a temporary podium made of wooden barrels, dancing and said:
"This is the kindness bestowed on you by the Lord. Whether you were slaves, exiled merchant nobles, captured and surrendered soldiers, bandits and pirates, these are not important anymore. Now you have a new identity: They all belong to labor reformers. My lord hopes that you can go through this kind of transformation so that you can be human again!"

"But you said before that the free food will only be distributed for three days, so what will you do after that?" A young man with hair as disheveled as a chicken coop asked.

Karina knew this hapless young man.

His father was the earl of the city of Suzar who had a fiefdom and real power. His family was very wealthy, and his favorite thing to do was to wander the streets of the city with a birdcage.

It's a pity that his father and his elder brother were staunch supporters of Prince Serant, and they were forced to confess by tiefling magicians from the soul spar of the deep hell.

In the end, both of them were hanged on the execution ground in Suzar City. As for the noble young master who knew nothing about the rebels, he was tricked here by his old father inexplicably.

In the aristocratic group in Susar, sons have always cheated their fathers, but this young master who had no worries about food and clothing was cheated by his father.

Hearing the noble young master's inquiry, the people who were cooking were immediately attracted to the attention, the sound gradually subsided, and most people raised their heads and ears, waiting for the other party's answer.

"It's very simple! You can support yourself!" The fat man on the barrel said with a smile:
"You... support yourself?" The noble young master was stunned for a moment, "But I can do nothing but walk the birds and play with the dogs, oh, my God, don't tell me, let me farm the land by myself, when I came, didn't I say Good food and shelter, don’t you need to be a slave?”

"Don't worry, let me tell you slowly!" The fat man waved his hand and said:
"The territory of Mokou Town is very large. For a period of time in the future, a large number of workers will be needed to reclaim land and build roads and bridges. This is how you support yourself! Lord Lord is kind enough to let you rest here for three days. Put into the work assigned to you. So, work, only labor can create wealth, only labor can change destiny! As long as you complete the work assigned to you on time, not only will you be provided with food and housing, but you will also get Stable salary, the money can not only support yourself, but also support your family! At the same time, the lord promised that anyone who has a formal job and performs well for three months will be accepted as a citizen of the territory ! And own your own land and house!"

Fatty's words stirred up waves in the crowd, and there was even a middle-aged man with a slightly ruddy complexion—as can be seen from the brand mark on his neck, he was a slave from the Dragon Coast.

He said excitedly, "As long as there is food and shelter here, I am willing to make me a slave! To be able to get paid and free is simply too good."

"Yes, I know what you are all thinking." The fat man standing on the barrel said loudly:

"There are many slaves among you, or civilians who have been oppressed by the nobles of the Dragon Coast, but it doesn't matter. You have to believe in the lord. Through labor, you will be reborn. This kind of rebirth will save you from being frightened and freezing. If you are hungry, you will not be whipped on your body at any time, or even hanged on the gallows. Now, here, you can rely on your own hands in exchange for legitimate rewards, whether it is food, clothing... or even a piece of clothing. Shelter from the elements! You can get them all!"

"Is it... as long as you are willing to work, right?" The noble young master who was tricked here by his rebel father and brother asked in a low voice.

"That's right." The red-faced fat man showed an amiable smile.

"As long as you are willing to work, you will understand that all your efforts will be rewarded. It is like seeds planted in the soil and bearing great fruits. The fruits of your labor will never be taken by others. Harvest with a sickle. Of course, if you choose to lie down, even the gods in the sky will not be able to save you."

Within the territory of Mokou Town, there are many such camps, such speakers, such refugees, and the future and hope given to them.

"It seems that the busy time will be endless." Karina put on the hood again, and continued to walk along the path paved with gravel, going deep.

As the priest of the Mother of the Earth and the Patriarch of the Temple of Mokou Town, the main duty of their clergy is to help the townspeople of Mokou Town and teach them how to replant, compost and irrigate the land to fertilize the land. Land is passed down from generation to generation, not just depleted of its yield through grazing and digging.

Of course, there is also the most important work of preventing plant diseases, burning diseased plants and the carcasses of diseased livestock to prevent the spread of diseases.

Nowadays, with the growth of towns and populations, more and more land has been reclaimed, and the clergy of the Mother Earth Church have naturally become busy.

After all, the cold winter is coming soon, and they must guide these peasants, most of whom are freed from slavery, how to manage their land well and get a bumper harvest next year.

Especially after the rebellion war of Prince Celant ended, and the Queen Regent issued a policy of exempting taxes and distributing the land confiscated by the rebel nobles in the south to the common people, Karina could clearly feel that the priesthood in the entire Kingdom of Cormyr The busy boom of the staff.

Just yesterday, she saw with her own eyes in Morningstar Town that priests from many temples came to support their work, including the Golden Fields in Waterdeep City, the Harvest Mansion in Amn, and the Golden Wheat Sheaf Monastery in Misty Valley.

After all, in this policy, the Queen Regent has personally promised to support the Church of the Mother Earth and add more temples within the territory of the kingdom.

Of course, the price the church paid was to provide the kingdom with a large amount of food at the cheapest price.

However, the territory of Mokou Town, which she is in charge of, seems to be under the extra care of the Mother Earth. The number of clergymen received is twice as much as that of other regions, and even a large amount of food is provided for free.

Although a series of disasters in the Kingdom of Cormyr brought countless pains and devastation, it was precisely because of these disasters that the forest kingdom ushered in vitality.

A disaster is like a farmer burning the remaining crops on the reaped farmland. The ashes from the stalks in the flames will nourish the land.

And the people of the Kingdom of Cormyr have 'burned' all the memories they didn't want to continue to carry, and let the burning flames nourish their souls and welcome a new future.

Just like the weather today, the sun is shining and the weather is pleasant.

Karina is riding leisurely on the country road in Mokou Town.

She rode past the last fence and came to the undulating green fields blown by the breeze. On this path full of winter wheat and lettuce, the cultivated land stretched in all directions as far as the eye could see.

A laden wagon from the opposite direction passed her, and an unyoked ox was looking down sadly at the mud and dung.

Although Karina's horse was very slow, the houses in Jinshu Village, which already had the size of a small town, gradually disappeared from sight.

Soon, she crossed a flat country road planted with crops and came to a forested hill.

She let the breeze full of winter chill blow over her slightly pale cheeks, overlooking the beautiful scenery of the village and town below the hillside.

Feeling the tranquility and tranquility here, Karina almost forgot her real purpose of coming here.

In the temple area of ​​Mokou Town, Brian helped her establish a monastery for the Mother Earth.

This was the promise he made to himself when she decided to go all out to help Mokou Town.

Now, she thinks it's time for him to fulfill the second promise he made to herself, which is to help her build a second temple of the Mother Earth Goddess in the wilderness of Mokou Town.

Brian once told her that the monastery in the town, in addition to enshrining the Mother Earth, can be used as a temple mainly to teach horticulture, herbalism, plant classification, disease treatment, and farming skills.

And these priests or civilians who have returned from the monastery can go to the temple built in the wilderness for on-site training.

After all, in the Church of the Mother Earth, the era of druids has passed.

While druids still have value in the wilderness, what the rising nations need is a faith that is controlled, organized, and professionalized by a more reasonable and rational clergy.

The method that Brian taught her allowed the church to continuously train a large number of clergymen in the town, and then distribute them to the wilderness to serve the teachings of the Mother Earth.

Therefore, the purpose of her inspection of the territory today is to find a suitable location to build a temple in the wilderness.

The reason why Brian agreed to her request so readily and helped her build the temple was all due to Karina helping him and persuading her prime minister father, Fafaril, to compromise with the royal family's reforms.

As a priest, although she has never received any oracles and prophecies from the Mother Earth, she can clearly foresee that when the Queen Regent of Cormyr, like an ignorant girl who has been dazzled by love, will treat Bu When Ryan's words are followed, it means: times are about to change.

Anyone who can't keep up with the trend of the times will be completely eliminated in the end, just like the waves who died on the beach.

Thinking of this, Karina couldn't help sighing a little melancholy.

She began to feel a little grateful for the choice she had made without hesitation.

Once, her prime minister father forced her to marry Prince Sairant.

What the hell is Prince Celant?

Naturally, she firmly disagreed, so in order to avoid this wedding banquet, she decisively dedicated all her beliefs and future to the Mother Earth, thus avoiding this forced marriage.

It's a pity that there is another incident, but it makes her regret every time she thinks about it.

She didn't bother to think about it anymore, she came back to her senses, and began to seriously think about where she was, and built the second temple of the Mother Earth Goddess.

In order to find a suitable location, she successively went to five villages and towns within the range of Mokou Town, and finally regarded Jinshu Village, which has the most arable land area, as her goal.

But the specific location made her a little worried. In theory, it was naturally necessary to find a place with flat terrain and fertile soil to establish a monastery with experimental and research properties.

After all, this is a temple, representing the Goddess of the Earth, Chauntia, and her goal is to make the temple surpass the largest and oldest known Golden Fields, Harvest Mansion, and Golden Wheat Sheaf Monastery in the future.

However, she instinctively believed that land that was difficult to cultivate or had complex terrain should be selected. In this way, it could be slowly managed and gradually improved into land suitable for farming or gardening techniques.

The cool breeze blew in front of her, Karina lifted the hood of her cloak, shook her head, and let her waterfall-like shawl-length hair flutter in the breeze and bright sunshine.

Just when the female priest was distressed and didn't know how to make a choice, a vague figure appeared in her vision at some point.

This figure was on the rocky mountain in the distance opposite him, bent over as if planting something.

What a joke, there are all stones, so what plants can be grown?

Karina's expression changed, and she was curious, and asked her to drive the horse over.

This is an elderly woman with a dark complexion, a strong and stocky figure, and gray hair.

The territory of Mokou Town used to be a rocky wasteland. Since the City of Shadows came to the main material world and forcibly melted to the high glacier, the climate here has gradually evolved into a warm and humid place with plenty of rain.

The evolution of nearly a century has made this territory mainly dominated by forests and shrubs, but this does not mean that the traces of the past will be wiped out.

This is the case with the hill where Karina is standing at the moment. In the large area of ​​exposed rock, it is almost difficult to see the grass growing from the cracks in the rock.

"Old lady, what are you planting here?" She got off her horse and asked politely.

The old woman was wearing plain clothes, squatting on the dry rocky ground, scraping the dust on the rocky surface with trembling hands, and sprinkled it on the ground, as if she was burying something.

"I'm planting a small grass." The old woman replied earnestly, her voice seemed to contain a kind of vicissitudes of wisdom produced by life experience, she gently buried an unknown seed gently, with gentle and gentle An old voice sighed faintly:
"Growing as a secluded grass, when it is luxuriant and shakes green, even a small grass can grow into a piece of green, the seeds break through the soil, the chicks are born from their shells, and the spring silkworms turn into cocoons and become butterflies. Success is always in the ups and downs. on the way. This seed may be what it is called: hope and the future.”

After the old woman said these words, she disappeared out of thin air, as if she had never appeared at all.

Only the buried seeds seemed to tell the priestess the traces she had left behind.

Little by little divine brilliance emerged.

The priest of the Mother Earth stared wide-eyed in surprise, seeing the buried seeds break through the ground to germinate, grow, bloom, and bear seeds at lightning speed...

Then it drifted in all directions with the wind until the entire rocky wasteland, at a speed visible to the naked eye, dyed this eye-catching rocky wasteland into a vast and boundless green grassland.

"Moo!..."

With the fragrance of green grass permeating the air, a long and distant call came.

A group of bison appeared from the forest in the distance, and came to the stone mountain in droves, bowing their heads to enjoy the green tender grass.

At this moment, Karina, who was holding the rein, was messed up in the wind. She stared blankly at the miracle in front of her, feeling mixed emotions in her heart.

She naturally understood what this meant.

As a priest of the Mother Earth in the Kingdom of Cormyr, who was not even as famous as his appearance and background, he actually received guidance from the Mother God at this moment.

The strong wind blew past, causing waves on the green grass, and the bison, who was gnawing on the green and tender grass, raised its head and looked at the blue sky.

Facing the bright sunshine, the female priest saw four floating boats tens of meters long, suspended in the air, full of magical sails, bulging under the blowing of the wind, and slowly moving towards Mokou Town .

"It's Harua's skyship?" Karina raised her head, flicked her hair that was blown by the breeze, and recognized the origin of the floating boat.

According to the information obtained from Moon Elf Mage Ru Yin, she immediately realized that the entire Mokou Town was about to welcome a group of large numbers of spell casters to join.

This is the fact.

When the four airships from Harua appeared over the territory of Mokou Town, the residents of the entire town all looked up at the scene in front of them.

Although the territory of Mokou Town is adjacent to the Ennook Desert where the ancient Netheril Empire once lived, they can often hear legends about the floating city, and even knowledgeable adventurers have witnessed it being salvaged. The floating city of Sacross that came up and the ghost city of Sultanza docked in the Sea of ​​Shadows.

However, most people were still shocked when they saw four airships blocking the sun appearing in the sky above Mokou Town and landing towards the territory at a slow speed.

As the southernmost magical kingdom of Halrua on the mainland, most people still have the impression of them as a mysterious kingdom established by a group of conservative and xenophobic spellcasters.

There are even rumors that in their territory, even the wild fruits on the trees are full of strong magical atmosphere.

However, since the end of the 'Arcanian Catastrophe', this group of Halrua people who made the world think that they had perished in the magical plague of the disaster, returned to their territory by driving the floating ship.

They began to become less xenophobic and conservative, and even took the initiative to establish diplomacy and trade with other neighboring countries.

Their floating merchant ships gradually appeared in front of the world with the passage of time.

However, for the world, the traces of airships are limited to coastal areas such as the Great Rift Valley of the Southern Kings, Char, Dambras, and Chult Jungle.

A kingdom like Cormyr located in the middle of the continent naturally couldn't see the traces of the airship.

At this moment, it actually appeared in their line of sight, making them all run towards the place where the airship landed with disbelief, wanting to take a peek.

In just a moment, in the orderly Mokou Town, you can see that the crowds of people on the various streets are running in the same direction.

This trend made a group of uninformed people hiding in the room or in the tavern curiously walk out of the house, and followed the crowd with a mentality of joining in the fun.

When most people saw a wide and flat square on the left side of the arena, surrounded by simple magic protection fences, they realized that the lord had built this place from beginning to end two months ago. It has never played any role, and the square that strictly prohibits idlers from approaching is actually used to dock floating ships.

The four airships retracted their magic sails and landed on the platform at a slow speed. After careful observation, it can be found that each platform uses magic circuits and crystal nodes to engrave obscure magic circles, just in line with the airships. The landing bracket fit perfectly.

Groups of people mainly dressed in scholar's clothing and mage's robes, including old people, children, women, etc. They were carrying big bags and holding thick books and scrolls in their arms, and dropped them from the floating boat On the hanging ladder, file down.

It doesn't look like a war tour at all, it's more like a family and a family, and the whole people move here.

In just a moment, a mage group of nearly a thousand people gathered in the square, appearing in the sight of the onlookers.

"There are so many mages!" A knowledgeable adventurer couldn't help exclaiming, looking at the number of stars marked on the emblems on the chests of some leading mages:

"My God, there are at least a dozen fourth-tier spellcasters, and nearly a hundred third-tier spellcasters. The leader is actually an elder of the Supreme Council of Haruah, and his strength is probably at least medium legendary. "

"What are they doing?" Another adventurer asked, "Is this planning to attack Mokou Town?"

Soon, this group of spellcasters from Harua used their actions to give a shocking answer to the crowd.

They all saw that the Lord Protector of Cormyr, the mage lord who was rarely able to meet in Mokou Town, was finally willing to step out of his tower.

Accompanied by the noble and beautiful duchess of Araby City, he led the interior officer Ogrul, the acting lord Balleris, the army commander Salo and other core personnel to welcome the arrival of the mage group.

Immediately afterwards, a scene happened that made the eyes of these melon-eating people almost pop out.

They saw that in the mage group, a middle-aged mage leader who was guessed by other knowledgeable adventurers to be at least in the legendary field, led a dozen apprentices, and walked slowly to the lord of Mokou Town.

Then, the legendary spellcaster and the apprentices behind him all imitated the etiquette of the battle mages in the Kingdom of Cormyr, touching their chest with one hand, facing their lord solemnly, and bowed deeply.

At this moment, the melon-eating people in the entire Mokou Town were blown away!
In this kingdom of Cormyr flying the flag of the purple dragon, no one knows what this etiquette, which is similar to that of a battle mage, represents.

This is an oath of allegiance, bowing your head!
A member of the Supreme Council of Elders from Haruah, an elder whose strength was at least in the middle legendary realm, even brought his own group of mages to offer allegiance to the Lord Protector of Cormyr.

What exactly does this mean?
All of a sudden, various versions of rumors were like a flock of pigeons locked in a cage. The moment the cage door was opened, white pigeons and fluttering feathers filled the sky.

As the mage lord of Mokou Town led the group of mages from Harua and disappeared from the sight of the crowd, the excitement of the crowd had no intention of stopping at all. Instead, it became more and more intense as the news spread.

Through the dissemination of news, most people learned that their lords are mages from the Kingdom of Harua, so it is easy for mages in the Magic Kingdom to be loyal to their lords.

Some thoughtful people claimed: This scene looks very familiar, even fresh in memory.

When their lord occupied Mokou Town for the first time, in order to resist the counterattack of Ghost City, a group of purple dragon knights and battle mages from Araby City swore allegiance to their lord.

What is the result?
A person with rather wretched eyes immediately said with a smile, what else could be done, this time of allegiance, the Duchess of Arabe City directly made herself pay for it.

Since the end of the Dragon Madness Rebellion, this female lord has been living in the Mage Tower in Mokou Town, assisting their lords, managing territorial affairs and resisting foreign enemies, as if: I am the mistress, you must obey my orders attitude.

(Remarks: Since the female lord of Araby City has been stationed in the mage tower, various taverns in Mokou Town have begun to spread various rumors that people talk about, claiming that their mage lord must have passed all kinds of strange and weird methods. Spells such as Partial Enlargement, Partial Constriction, Tentacle Assimilation, Ice Fire Grease, etc., conquered the Duchess.)
After hearing this rumor, discussing the painting style of the Harua Mage Group suddenly became the favorite topic of discussion and favorite among the people who eat melons.

For example, some people who came to Mokou Town from Susar Imperial City immediately agreed.

Because someone witnessed with their own eyes that when the orc war was ended and the banquet was held, the queen regent of Cormyr threw herself into his arms excitedly after seeing their lord lord.

Afterwards, the two were seen sneaking out together, taking walks in parks, groves, warehouses and many other places.

It must be the personal charm of their lord, who conquered the Iron Regent, and was finally canonized as the Lord Protector of Cormyr, who has the right to mobilize any army in the kingdom.

Let me ask, would these things have happened if their lord hadn't conquered the Queen Regent through fancy spells and personal charm?
Although there was a sudden change in the style of discussing the Harua mage group, there was still a group of sensible people who speculated from the mage group that appeared that their lords probably planned to use the power of this group of mages to set up an alliance in Mokou. A floating city was successfully raised in the town.

At this point, everyone agrees with this statement, indicating that with the current strength of their Lord Lord, it is very likely that they have become great arcanists comparable to the ancient Netheril Empire.

Grand Arcanist plus Floating Void City, are you familiar with it?This should be in the period of Netheril, isn't it all standard equipment?
Otherwise, why would this group of mages from Harua bow down to him.

Because their lord wants to control the floating city and lead the Halrua Kingdom, a group of remnants of the Netheril Empire, to reconquer the Ennook Desert and recast the glory of the Arcane Empire!
No matter how many versions of the rumors from the outside world have been changed, some interested people have realized that the arrival of the Harua mage group has made the power of Mokou Town even stronger!

Can anyone ignore the power of one spellcaster, ten if any?hundreds?What about thousands?
Not to mention that the one who came here was one of the twelve elders of the Supreme Council of Harua, who had his own territory, wizard tower, floating ship, and a large number of mage groups.

This made a few people realize that the Kingdom of Cormyr might really have to reshuffle the cards, and some even speculated that the Lord Protector of Cormyr was planning to solve the huge imminent threat of the City of Shadows once and for all.

…………

(End of this chapter)