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***
Finally, we were almost to my destination. The lake city looked pretty good from afar: situated on a huge ledge in the middle of the lake, it was the highest point in the neighbourhood. It was still too far away from me to describe it concretely. I could see the stone bridge leading to it.
Still, it was the first time I'd ever seen such a thing, and it was... breathtaking, wasn't it? I've rarely seen architecture like this in my past world. And here it is, a real fortress in the centre of a lake, just like a fantasy world with magic. The question that comes to mind is, how did they build it in the first place? Maybe there used to be an island there, or maybe it was built by ancient magicians? Or maybe it stood here before? These and many other questions popped up in my head as I slowly walked towards the city, admiring the beauty around me.
And the closer I got, the more I saw: people moving about, shouts, voices, and boats loaded with goods floating by. Near the archway, or perhaps gateway, not far away I saw a small pier for boats carrying people, and above the entrance to the city, hammered into the stone, hung a huge coat of arms with a strange design, like the old scales of antiquity with curlicues. Oh yes, that's right, I remembered - is this the city of justice? Or the god of justice? Fuck knows, I don't even know the exact name of the city, only that it's home to the novices of the Church of Order with one busty milf at the head of the whole... cult? Well, and that there's a fucking powerful artefact hidden here that I'd like to privatise for my own use! Naturally, I plan to use it for good purposes only, no other way!
But I'm not sure they'll let me have it for nothing. To begin with, there's some sort of cunning demon plan involved (well, goblins can't make this stuff up)... I guess. I don't know, I don't have the exact information, but let's assume I have the strength to venture out and grab a valuable artefact! But first, my first goal is to get my stuff back... ahem, to check on the companions I'm responsible for!
Hopefully I won't be met by any distraught females. And I hope I don't have to deal with any problems they might have gotten into. Still, I'm not the dude in the book who has to get involved in other people's problems, you know, I just want a quiet life. Yes, yes, yes, yes, ordinary life, but that doesn't change the fact that I want to live comfortably, enjoying all sorts of comforts and not denying myself anything, and to do that... paradoxically enough, I need to get a reputation, get mountains of gold, and get a bigger harem so that I don't have to work too hard myself.
It's a bit of a strange goal, isn't it? I think so, too, but it's the only one I've got for now. Unless... Hm-hm, yeah, that would be good too. For that, I predict I wouldn't even have to work hard, just use the fruits of canon, fit in with the gobsa group, and then it's just a matter of sawing off other people's property, but in such a way that everyone is at a happy minimum and doesn't look at me with malicious intent. I would have done it from the start, but alas, my possessions...my girls need me! I know that, I don't want them to endanger themselves, and they can!
I still feel sick to my stomach at some of the thoughts of what could have been done to them if they were enslaved! (I'm not sure about that.) It's the destruction of other people's property and the revenge of all the guilty and innocent! And no one knows if the city will be intact after all this.
Well, it's not a good time to be guessing and getting worked up. Speaking of which, there were guards at the gate to the city! It... it was kind of cool, not like the last town. You could tell where it was a backwater and where it was a city, or just an economically important place with many strategic functions.
- What are you here for? - The guard asked me idly. This man looked quite familiar... not in the sense that I knew him, but as if I experienced another deja vu... Exactly, a typical guard of some RPG game. A common Vatican soldier with stubble and a tired look: on his head he wears a boat helmet without a visor, a spear in his hand, a sword scabbard on his hip, and from his uniform he wears a leather cape with a high collar and a sign that he is a law enforcement officer. No armour, but instead a tan leather mesh uniform. I don't know the exact name, but it's the word that keeps coming to mind. It's like a brigantine, only it's not really a brigantine.
Oh, well, I don't care what it is.
After showing him my guild affiliation and stating the usual reason for any traveller or adventurer, I paid a couple of coppers and passed through customs, entering the bustling and populated city, feeling the usual sense of calm and excitement again. And what was remarkable was that here I felt the connection with my escaped companions much stronger, and knew roughly where they were. It was a pity I couldn't contact them because of the distance, but it was better than nothing.
Well, the city inside looked like an ordinary city: stone-paved roads, tall houses of different colours, people of different races going about their business. Moderately bustling, moderately quiet. There were numerous stalls by the roadside, and it seemed that everywhere you looked you could see a peddler. Among the notable - architectural moments, such as numerous bridges on a higher level, and one more level, somewhere in the centre of the city, and even a whole temple rose. All in all, a decent city: no shit to be seen, the smell is more or less pleasant - the smell of spices is very clear, I would even settle here, somewhere in a sparsely populated area, if it were not for business and worries.
I can't help but say that the sight of a clean city didn't break the patterns of the Middle Ages, and the healthy and seemingly clean-looking inhabitants... were even more proof of that. No one was throwing waste out the window, though I can't help but deny that everywhere else is so rainbow-coloured and pleasant. Questioning the guards verified my thoughts, but not that it hit my perception hard. There were slums in the city, but they were slowly but surely reconstructed for the needs of the city, and according to the same guard, the inhabitants would soon repopulate those places. In general, everything is beautiful in words, but to believe it or not everyone chooses for himself. Maybe they just wanted to cheat me to buy a vacant house, or maybe something else, everything can be.
I learnt all the interesting districts of the city from the same guard, for a coin, to the envy of his colleagues. Not that I now had an exact idea of the area, but the same guild of adventurers, markets, baths - like hot springs, libraries, and so on and so forth, having asked the exact way from the same inhabitants, now I could find without much trouble. Even the ill-fated brothel! There were several of them here, by the way.
I asked about the Temple, too, and the local beliefs, as well as the name of the town. I learnt nothing new from what I assumed: here is the main temple of the supreme god, the city belongs to the church, and it is located at the intersection of all the nearest rivers. The city had a fancy name, 'Temple Light'. Of interest is the history of the city, and the size of the city, which was twice the size of the border city (Gob's City). The top local religion here was the former heroine, with a few priests who apparently had a lower position and other stuff, but that's something I've already assumed myself and don't know for sure.
- Well, that's about it, and now I must go on duty, goodbye, adventurer! - With a wave of his hand, my informant departed with a lazy gait to guard order and law.
'I wonder how much experience I'd get as a guardian? Too bad I won't find out anytime soon,' I glanced at my sister as he walked away. All this time, although it was not obvious from her, she was looking at the world around her like an inquisitive child, keeping close to me, taking my hand. The usual inhabitants didn't notice it and ignored us - we didn't take off our helmet unless necessary - but her emotions spoke to me....
Arine was very curious, and had a strange sense of anticipation...
'Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm,' it was a bit surprising, but I had things waiting for me.
- Let's go, I'll buy you some... sweet ice on a stick later, I think you'll like it. - I pulled my sister after me, feeling some place as she smiled happily and then squeezed my hand tighter.
We make a very odd couple when you look at it that way, but I don't care what anyone else thinks.
Only one thing was clouding my journey. Vivi and Aquina were clearly in a dysfunctional neighbourhood in this city, which made for some unpleasant thoughts....