Chapter 545 Heading Towards the Tiger's Den
Chapter 545 Heading Towards the Tiger's Den
The crisis in Tangara City has been resolved. The victims, who had been forced out of society, are finally reunited with their families.
Everyone knew the news, and the whole city held a grand celebration.
Governor Giza awarded Chloe a medal, and Bishop McKinley of the Church personally held a ceremony to bless Chloe. Lieutenant Colonel Meyer's side was more direct—gold artifacts worth 50,000 fen. Although it was a token of gratitude from the Church, the local ruler, and Intis, the glittering gold that filled a small wooden box was still a delightful sight.
It is unknown how much of it was supplied by Bayron-Pass Import & Export Company.
Chloe learned that, following this incident, the well-known colonial company took over a large area of cash crop plantations, including "Left Creek Estate," which originally belonged to the Fezzaro family.
This, of course, involved bribes and favors paid to the Intis regular army. Having completely eliminated the Aurora Society's threat, this was already a clear economic benefit.
The entire Fezzaro family was wiped out—all their funds went into the national treasury, but before that, the local rulers of Tangara must have been enriched first.
However, these things were not Chloe's concern. Even if Chloe wanted to participate in such a struggle for real estate, she wouldn't be able to obtain it. The material rewards she received were already more than enough for her, even if they were just the tip of the iceberg leaking from the hands of those with vested interests.
After the half-day celebration ended, Chloe explained her intention to leave. She then took some time to meet with Master Sergeant David, who seemed somewhat bewildered by this unusual visit.
"Miss Chloe, you—"
Chloe sighed, took a platinum pocket watch with a mirror-like back from her handbag, and handed it to him:
"I still want to express my apologies to you—that day I took your mount without saying a word. I think, for a cavalryman, it's more like a comrade-in-arms. Perhaps I can only thank you with superficial material things."
This is part of the box of precious metal artifacts given to her at the banquet.
David waved his hands repeatedly:
"No, no, I have already received compensation from Lieutenant Colonel Meyer—he said it was in exchange for giving up part of the bounty."
Chloe shook her head, but still placed the pocket watch into his hand:
"What does it matter? Take it. After all, we are brothers who have gone through life and death together and suffered hardships together."
"You should be able to tell that I don't lack that."
David hesitated for a moment, then finally nodded:
"Then I'll accept Miss Chloe. If you encounter something like this again, you can tell me first, and I definitely won't refuse. The main thing is not to make me worry."
That day, unaware that Chloe had already left on the demonized horse, Sergeant David waited in place for a long time until a messenger from the city ordered that there might be a problem at Left Creek Manor and that he should continue to seal it off. Only then did he realize that perhaps the demonized horse had taken Chloe away.
Chloe looked away with a hint of guilt:
"It was definitely my fault back then."
After a few seconds of silence, Chloe grasped the reins of the newly gifted horse and stretched her neck:
"Well then, having said goodbye to Mr. Meyer and the bishop—let us part ways here as well. Goodbye, David."
Seeing the girl's pitiful and charming appearance, the sergeant's heart clenched.
"Hey, Miss Chloe, where are you going?"
Chloe gracefully mounted her horse and smiled at him:
"You know, things aren't completely resolved yet."
"Perhaps it's a flaw—I can't tolerate any imperfections."
David's eyes widened:
You mean, you want to—
"I'm going to take care of 'Mr. B' completely." Chloe said decisively, a hint of mockery in her eyes. "Intis, Rune, Fursack—those people in high positions are all a bunch of useless fools. Even now, they still can't unite, they still can't see the crux of the matter. Ha, luckily I'm alone, I don't need to consider any complicated political factors, I just need to know who my enemy is—the answer is obvious."
"Wh-what?!" David had never thought about those things before. Chloe's outburst left him stunned, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.
"Lanqiao, the place known as the 'City of Chaos'—do you know it?" Chloe tightened the reins, pointing the horse towards the city's outskirts. The horse's hooves clattered, seemingly unconcerned whether Master Chief David knew of the "City of Chaos" called "Lanqiao." "I've seen it clearly. The Aurora Society's ultimate goal is there—ha, I suspect the commanders of various countries have guessed it much the same way, but none have dared to actually get involved."
"Keep an eye on the news from Lanqiao. If there's any news worth bringing here, it's most likely about me."
As he spoke, the sound of hooves grew faster and faster. Before Sergeant David could even say goodbye to Chloe, the sturdy warhorse had already disappeared into the distance, leaving only a silhouette in the setting sun.
The reason why Lanqiao, the chaotic city, is chaotic is due to the unique geopolitical game in the Southern Continent. When every country wants to control more cities and expand its territory, then one day, there will eventually be a place that every power wants to hold in its hands, or at least not let the enemy hold it.
This is Lanqiao, the chaotic capital—the most developed city in East Bairan, yet miraculously it has not been occupied by any of the northern continent's nations.
East of East Bayron lies a large offshore island similar to Sonia, which has become a point of contention between Rune and Fusak.
Unlike Sonia, the island of Konotto is valued solely for its own sake.
Further north of Sonia Island, there is little land of value. Konoto Island, on the other hand, is located at the northernmost tip of the southern continent, in the northeastern corner. Further north lies the raging sea that separates the northern and southern continents, as well as the safe shipping lanes connecting the two continents.
The strait between it and the southern continent is directly related to the shipping routes of East Bairang—whoever controls this strait will gain absolute control over most of East Bairang.
From the beginning of colonial wars, every northern continental nation that extended its reach into eastern Byron harbored this ambition. In the first few decades of the Age of Exploration, the intensity of warfare here was no less than that on the mainland.
In the vicinity of Lanqiao, the situation was even more chaotic and rife with conflict—today's enemy could be tomorrow's ally. Intis, Rune, and...
Fursac, Fenneport, even Remenberg, Massey, Fegal, even the Spiritual Church and the Rose School—one after another, they rose and fell, but one thing remained constant:
The Nash family, rulers of Lanbridge, have always treated any army that seeks to bring their city under their control as equals, and welcome any helpers willing to defend the city.
Finally, after a long political struggle, a consensus was reached:
A "chaotic city" with complete autonomy, rare in the Southern Continent, has emerged, capable of accepting any race, any belief, and any power.
Stopped
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Chapter 546 Believers
Chapter 546 Believers
One month later, Lanqiao, Dukou District.
Chloe hid her face under her hood and veil, riding her horse nimbly through the narrow streets.
Ferry Crossing was an administrative district newly added to Lanqiao after the colonial war. It was established by devout believers in the Grim Reaper who were unwilling to be forced to convert by the colonists of the Northern Continent. They moved there after learning that Lanqiao had survived thanks to the efforts of various parties.
By then, Lanqiao's power had been reduced by more than half due to the prolonged war, and it had lost its original ruling capacity. This meant that the Nash family was unable to plan the construction of a new urban area, resulting in the ferry district being dirty, chaotic, and poor, even lacking a proper drainage system, making it a level below the slums of East Backlund.
The ground was covered in foul-smelling mud, and pedestrians would sink into it with every step. Even horses would slip and fall frequently on the surface. If Chloe hadn't been a skilled rider, she would have bumped into someone long ago.
Of course, Lanqiao also has urban areas that retain the style of the Byron Empire era, as well as newly planned wealthy districts spearheaded by several major powers. As for why Chloe chose Lanqiao as her first stop—it was by no means determined by Chloe's own aesthetic sense, but rather by the inclinations of the "Aurora Club."
Information gleaned from "the world," and experience in East Bailang, suggests that the Aurora Borealis will first appear among those furthest from the center of power, those most easily overlooked, and those suffering the most in life.
The ferry crossing area is the perfect choice.
The impoverished residents always hunched over, as if an invisible weight prevented them from raising their heads. Meanwhile, some arrogant individuals cast malicious glances at the rare young female rider—power is always weary of a vacuum; when a corner is neglected by order, something else will inevitably take its place.
For example, the gangs that dominate the local residents, such as the Aurora Club.
Ignoring the malice, Chloe turned her gaze to an intersection.
"The big one is coming! The big one is coming!"
A man in a black robe stood in the middle of the road, his expression tense and frantic. His voice, hoarse as if from prolonged shouting, trembled as he casually grabbed a passerby beside him.
"The great one is coming—sir, please have mercy and repeat after me: Praise be to you, Creator of all things; praise be to you, Lord of shadows and behind the scenes—hey, don't go, don't go—you are guilty! You are guilty! The Lord will not bear your sins—you will be cursed for your sins! Heavenly fire and earthly fire will descend upon you!"
"Hey, you—"
The deranged man felt a shadow fall over him and turned around.
It was a tall, strong horse. The petite, fair-skinned rider showed no intention of dismounting, but stood beside him and asked indifferently in a soft voice:
"Who gave you permission to say these things here?"
"Huh? You—" The man looked up suspiciously, saw her skin color which was clearly from the Northern Continent, and suddenly laughed maniacally, "Repent! The Lord will punish you for your sins. You should never have set foot on this land. This is the Lord's creation—."
"What punishment will befall me?" Chloe, unwilling to listen to his sermon any longer, interrupted him directly—she had already heard all of this at Zuoxi Manor; it was clearly a ploy to convince people of the true Creator, the rhetoric of the "Aurora Society."
There is nothing of value in these religious concepts.
But now there's something that puzzles her:
The man preaching here now does not have the face of "Mr. Yi".
But it is clear that he belongs to the Aurora Society, a group that believes in a true Creator.
"You said your master will punish me, so how exactly will he punish me?" The man in black robes was still grumbling, and Chloe repeated herself when she saw this.
"Where did you hear these things?" After a while, Chloe noticed that the preaching man still had no intention of answering, so she gradually frowned and reached into her bag.
She grasped the "Sword of Judgment"—in the past two months, she had discovered that the "Sword of Judgment" seemed to be more than just a ceremonial weapon symbolizing the royal family of Rune. Since acquiring it last year, it had remained undamaged and required no polishing; Chloe suspected it might have been infused with some extraordinary material, making it an extraordinary object.
When she wields the "Sword of Judgment," she also gains some of the abilities of the "Arbitrator" pathway—making people more inclined to obey her commands, as is the case now.
The preaching man in black robes finally broke free from his own world and looked up at the girl on horseback:
"Our Lord is the Lord—the messenger of God has descended upon this land. He has declared that this land has been tainted by sin, and if you lost sheep do not repent, ten plagues will befall you!"
"Can't you see clearly? The Lord has already sent down calamities, and countless people have died because of them—yet you still do not repent!"
Difficult! Difficult!
The divine messenger, Chloe, nodded thoughtfully.
It's probably still Mr. Yi's work, but this time it seems a little different.
You can tell from the fact that they didn't give believers cosmetic surgery as usual.
Chloe, seeing the preaching man about to succumb to his fear and fanaticism once more, interrupted him:
"Then how can we prevent the Creator from bringing disaster upon this place?"
Before the mad missionary could reply, another hoarse voice came from the other side:
"Be devout, for devotion is the greatest praise, you ignorant little girl."
An old woman, walking slowly, brought the missionary a bowl of porridge and slipped two copper coins, unfamiliar to Chloe, into his hand. She attentively cared for the mad missionary, and without looking up, said to Chloe:
"You, who have come from another continent, have committed too many sins on this land—but the Lord has only mercy in His eyes and is willing to bear all your sins. If you have faith, brothers and sisters can be reconciled and bloodshed will be avoided."
"But you have been deceived by false gods for far too long. The anger of those who have betrayed the Lord's good intentions has already descended. A few days ago, blood filled the ferry crossing, and the earth was enraged. The messenger of God said that such a disaster is only the beginning."
"Be devout, little girl, be devout—when the messenger of God walks on this land again, if six out of the people he meets are devout, he will advise our Lord to spare this land."
"You can save yourself, you can save your friends, so believe in yourselves, and say with us: Praise be to you, Creator of all things; praise be to you, Lord of the shadows and behind the scenes—"
Chloe watched silently for a while. By this time, about a dozen residents dressed in similar attire had gathered here to participate in the ritual of praying to the evil god.
She stopped asking questions, reined in her horse, turned around in the narrow alley, and slowly drove away amidst a chorus of prayers behind her.
Stopped