strictlysupreme Chapter 92.1: Weisshem Marketplace
Chapter 92.1: Weisshem Marketplace
Chapter 92.1: Weisshem Marketplace
Inspector Lowell's appearance indeed closely resembled that of a young nobility. However, whether he was Charlie Rex or not wasn't important to the Radiant Sun Church's white-robed priest.
What truly mattered was that the Nightmare Butcher sat less than two meters away from him. Not only could the priest see no traces of mental collapse, but the Nightmare Butcher also appeared alert and brimming with vitality. He could probably go on a sightseeing tour of the Radiant Sun Holy Land without any problems...
Between a rock and a hard place, the priest had no choice but to lower his hand.
When he did so, things became easier for Yang Qiu. He would be able to move freely within Indahl.
The matter of wanted posters of him circulating the world was a long time ago, and if it weren't for the unshakable Radiant Sun Church pestering him like an annoying pest, Yang Qiu would actually have been able to appear openly in many places. This was one of the perks of being a high-level spellcaster—far outliving those craving bounties by several generations.
Without his identity being exposed, a high-level spellcaster like Yang Qiu could conduct his activities in human cities easily... In less than an hour, he became a guest of the city lord of Indahl, Adra III.
Even this white-robed priest, with a mental strength of more than 1,600 based on Yang Qiu's established categorization and would be seen as a Lv 6 boss by players using "Identify," had been "convinced" by Yang Qiu's charisma. Adra III, whose mental strength was not even 30 and lower than the average player, was easy to persuade.
Yang Qiu presented a transaction list affixed with the city lord's seal. He claimed that Charlie Rex, a resident of the Rhine Kingdom, couldn't tolerate the brutal actions of Baron What's-His-Name of Weisshem, which constituted a desecrating Lady Gold Coin in the territory of the Rhine Kingdom and now asked the city lord of Indahl to support Charlie Rex's territorial war against the said baron; if Lord Adra III refused, he would accompany Charlie Rex to the imperial capital to seek nobles willing to support their cause.
The domain of Weisshem was also within the jurisdiction of the Indahl territory. While Baron What's-His-Name had recently caused City Lord Adra III some embarrassment, Lord Adra III had also benefited from the business in Weisshem, both openly and in secret.
Were it someone else presenting this "evidence" and threatening him, City Lord Adra III would have had this clueless individual restrained and severely punished. He would have that person sent to labor to the death at a coal mine in the mountains and only bring him back as a corpse to process his bones into wall ornaments.
But it was a high-level spellcaster that came knocking, along with a noble bastard that had the power to take over Weisshem in just one night, and merely a change of name on paperwork to make the change of ownership official... Adra III was at a disadvantage.
Were it only the latter, Adra III could still have managed the situation—he would simply have the imposter claiming to be Charlie Rex decapitated and have the city defense force dispatched to retake Weisshem. Adra III didn't believe that this imposter, who lacked the resources of a noble family, could raise a military force comparable to what the Bartalis family had built over several generations.
However, there was the additional appearance of a high-level spellcaster that added a twist. This was simply a sucker punch to Adra III...
The biggest shortcoming of the Bartalis family was their inability to train clan spellcasters.
Logically speaking, upstart nobility with over three generations would make an effort to collect talented children and young adults for training, spending decades in the process to nurture at least a couple of spellcasters for the family clan.
Many rural nobles in remote areas nurtured foster children, similar to those from long-established, deeply rooted, and flourishing large family clans with several centuries of heritage, and could even provide support to train high-level spellcasters.
Of course, the red-light district had become Weisshem's local specialty, though Martin Street remained lively during certain times. After all, replenishment of daily necessities was needed, whether one was a town resident or from the countryside. Salt, soybean oil, and butter—these three essential items, especially—needed to be restocked weekly. Their prices were quite high, and even the townsfolk could only purchase small quantities but more frequently.
It wasn't a weekend today, so most of the people coming into town were farm folk. At around two in the afternoon, when the sun wasn't as scorching, farmers from nearby villages came to town in small groups, carrying baskets on their shoulders and back.
The prosperity of the red-light district, to some extent, also affected the lives of the neighboring villagers. On the one hand, local prices were influenced, and the money in the hands of the farm folk became increasingly insufficient. On the other hand, seasonal fruits, fresh vegetables, handwoven bamboo baskets, tools, and even wild fruits collected from the mountains, all had better sales now compared to before the emergence of the red-light district.
These farm folk, some carrying fresh vegetables or produce foraged from the mountains, traveled along the main path into town, happily discussing what to buy after selling their wares. Some brought scissors, sickles, and other tools from home, intending to have the town's craftsmen sharpen them.
Roughly a hundred meters away from the town gate, this bunch noticed quite a crowd there.
These people were either carrying their goods, wearing back baskets, or pushing wooden-wheeled hand carts—evidently, fellow farmers coming to sell their produce.
"Why are they blocking the entrance? Aren't they going in to do business?" a skinny farmer carrying a full back basket of mountain produce wondered aloud.
"Could they be collecting a toll at the town gate today?"
"Impossible. We haven't heard of a toll for coming to sell our stuff at the market all these years."
"Yeah, what will the people in town eat if they don't let us in to sell our produce?"
While confused, this bunch noticed someone struggling to make their way out of the tightly packed crowd. The person's basket was empty, and he appeared flustered and kept looking back as he pushed his way through.
Such a sight startled the bunch a hundred meters away, and they came to a standstill.
"Were his things taken without paying him?" The skinny farmer gasped.
"No, it can't be. There are so many people still gathered there. If someone takes the goods without paying, why haven't they left?" another farmer with a heavy load said nervously.
As if confirming the second farmer's speculation, the man who had emerged with an empty basket didn't immediately flee. Instead, he stopped at the edge of the crowd, turned back, and peered in...
The farmers that had just arrived exchanged puzzled looks.
Their village was neither very near nor far from town, and it took them over an hour in the scorching sun to reach Weisshem. Forgoing the day's trade and heading back home was something they were all very unwilling to do.