A brave man may not live, but he cannot die

Chapter 9: Ashwell City

Three days later, early in the morning.

"I am ready to welcome the light~ Now I sleep until I wake up naturally~ The spring breeze brings fragrance and I smell the new buds~"

"I only enjoy the faint morning light~ Now I activate the Spring Breeze Elf~~"

Quinn sang as he walked along the national highway.

He seems to be in a good mood.

As we approached the city, more and more people were on the road. There was an endless plain beside the road, with windmills and villages dotted among the green fields. Occasionally, the oars of an airship could be seen in the sky.

"Quinn, what language are you speaking?"

Xia Daier followed behind him and asked curiously.

The girl was wearing a plain white cloth dress, which she bought from a farmer she passed by with the coins she picked up. Her original silk dress was soaked by the heavy rain. At this moment, she looked like a country girl who had just finished farm work. Her long pink hair was tied into a neat ponytail and draped over her shoulders, and she attracted a lot of attention along the way.

“My hometown.”

Quinn, who was also wearing cloth, replied casually, "This is the dialect of the countryside in the Western Continent. It's normal that you haven't heard it before."

"What's the meaning of these pretty good lyrics?"

"Uh," Quinn replied seriously, "It's basically a praise of spring and brothers."

By chatting with Xia Dai'er, Quinn learned a lot of information about this world.

Many places in Taimulan are surprisingly similar to the Earth. For example, they also use the "year" to record time, and the year is also divided into four seasons, each season has three months, a month has four weeks, and a week has seven days.

Logically, the division of seasons is related to astronomy. Quinn guessed that this might be a parallel world to the Earth, but this is not the case.

The supercontinent of Taymuran was a giant ring, not a sphere.

The four continents in the east, south, west and north are surrounded by the ocean. The sun never sets, but circles around the continents from east to west, and seven circles make up a week.

Human civilization in the current era has developed for more than 20 years. Quinn is in the most socially developed southern continent. The living standards in the rural areas he passed through in the past three days are no less than those in th century Europe.

There were also airships flying in the sky that amazed him. From time to time, he could see a huge ship suspended by a powered balloon crossing the clouds, but the power used was not the steam engine that Quinn had imagined, but an energy called "arcane".

According to Xia Dai'er, although airship technology had matured as early as fifty or sixty years ago, it was only put into large-scale civilian use in the past twenty years.

Under normal circumstances, airships would not be seen so frequently, but Eswell is the central airport of the southern continent, carrying trade with the whole world, so there are so many airships.

Quinn doesn't delve into every common sense question, as that would make him appear too suspicious, but instead digs out information bit by bit during casual conversation.

Before crossing over, Quinn had a part-time job as a pianist in a nightclub. He had been doing this job since his student days. Extracting information from conversations without leaving any trace is an essential skill for those working in social circles.

At this point, his conversation no longer revealed that he was a newly arrived time traveler. His conspicuous black hair had been shaved clean off on the grounds that it was "too dirty after being caught in the rain," leaving it a dull buzz cut.

"It's right in front. We can get into the city before noon."

Katrin led the way, sword in hand.

One of her hands was bandaged. After three days, the bleeding had stopped, and dark scabs could be seen through the gaps in the bandages. Despite the bandages, she hadn't received any medical treatment during the entire journey. As if fearing something, she never revealed her Branson family identity, even when passing through villages or caravans, instead taking smaller routes.

This person's physical fitness is simply like a monster. If her entire arm was burned on Earth, she might have to be admitted to the ICU. But except for the first two days when she was unconscious due to high fever, she has shown signs of recovery now. Although her hand still cannot move, the fever has subsided, and the speed of the three people's movement has also increased. It is completely unreasonable.

Quinn had memorized the map long ago, so even though he went around in circles, the direction was still correct, so he didn't bother asking any more questions.

In order to avoid trouble, Quinn did not try to get close to Catherine, and when Xia Daier talked about family topics, she would always avoid the subject without leaving a trace, and was completely uninterested in the background and experiences of the two.

This made Catherine let down her guard a lot. Along the way, she occasionally tried to test Quinn's background. Quinn just found a rural place in the western continent and fooled her with a tongue-twisting place name. It can be said that she got nothing.

Compared to the Southern Continent, which had developed peacefully for over a thousand years, the Western Continent was plagued by constant wars. In Eswell alone, there were many refugees from the Western Continent, so Catherine couldn't tell for a moment whether he was talking nonsense or telling the truth.

The terrain gradually rises.

The three of them crossed the fields, and a circular mountain like a natural moat appeared at the end of their sight.

At an altitude of nearly a thousand meters, surrounded by clouds and mist, airships of various shapes shuttle back and forth like schools of fish. The city is built around the mountains, and the compact houses appear like terraced fields under the clouds. Illuminated by the sun, it looks like a colorful magical oil painting.

".This is Aishiweier?"

Taking a deep breath, even Quinn, who lives in modern civilization, was shocked by the prosperity and grandeur of this city.

“There were no mountains here originally.”

Xia Dai'er softly explained her hometown to him, "Thousands of years ago, the world's first arcane school was established in the Northern Continent to train mages. With the power provided by this school, the power of the Philippine Empire began to expand, eventually triggering the First World War. After that generation of brave men mediated the war, in order to balance the power of the nations, they moved the arcane school and this mountain to the Southern Continent, making this unowned land their home."

Quinn's eyes flickered slightly, the brave warrior of that generation.
"Moved here along with the mountain?"

Xia Daier nodded.

"That hero is also the founder of the Arcane School, the only arcanist among all the heroes in history. It is said that he has reached the realm of 'magic'. The Emperor dared not disobey him. With a simple snap of his fingers, the hero moved the entire school and the mountain together, across the world!"

"So awesome?"

Quinn was amazed and became curious about the arcane.

Mage, arcane, magic.
Magic, magic, make me two centimeters taller. Uh, I'm talking about height.

"After generations of research, the school eventually led the Arcane Industrial Revolution, leading to the rapid prosperity of Ashwell over the past hundred years."

Catherine looked back at the two people in front and behind with some concern.

Xia Dai'er followed Quinn like a little follower, skipping and jumping, completely without the airs of a lady. She had never seen the young lady so cheerful, but as a subordinate, she didn't dare to speak up.

Xia Dai'er was completely unaware of it, but Catherine could see that the two of them had completely different mindsets when they were chatting.

After chatting for three days, Xia Dai'er became more and more excited, and even forgot the fear she had just felt after escaping from the goblin's nest. Although this man was not very knowledgeable, he always had a listening attitude, and his flattering words were not offensive. It was easy to win his favor, and the topic was not boring at all.

Only by being familiar with all offenses can one avoid being offended at all. This is a social skill.

If there was any conspiracy, Xia Dai'er, a sixteen-year-old girl, would be unable to defend herself at all.

But he seemed to have no intentions. He never dominated the conversation nor did he pry into anything. He was frighteningly knowledgeable in everything from astronomy and geography to postpartum care for sows.
As they got closer to Eswell, Catherine could finally put her mind at ease after being anxious for the past few days.

As long as we enter the city, no matter whether Quinn has any plans or how mysterious his background is, we can investigate it clearly.

In addition to Eswell, the arcane also developed along with the parliamentary families that have been entrenched in this city for hundreds of years.

"We've reached the highest city in the world! Ashwell!"

Quinn let out a meaningless cheer.

Xia Dai'er also pumped her fists and celebrated with a "Wow!" Katrin's face was filled with rage. Besides his mysterious origins and unknown fighting abilities, this guy's conversation was also sometimes bizarre, often spouting abstract words that were difficult to understand. Now the young lady was being led astray by him.

The foot of the mountain was in front of the three of them.

From a geographical point of view, Aiswell is located in the central plains in the heart of the southern continent. This crater is the only high point on the plains. From the top of the mountain, you can overlook the three countries surrounding the central plains.

Aishiwell does not belong to any kingdom and is the only independently operated city-state in the southern continent and even in the world.

The unique political conditions make Eswell the best safe haven for people from all over the world. Just by arriving at the foot of the mountain, you can see humans of all skin colors and accents preparing to enter the city, and there are even many orcs with animal features.

Quinn thought to himself that in Eswell, where there were so many good and bad people, no one would pay special attention to him because of his appearance.

Xia Dai'er had once casually asked him if he was a noble from the East Country. When Quinn asked her why she thought so, he learned it was his appearance that was to blame. His black hair and dark eyes were too eye-catching, so he shaved his head, fearing that his presence as a spy within the Demon King would be noticed.

As we got closer, the appearance of the city gradually became clearer.

Ashwell is like a combination of an old European industrial city and a mountain town.

As he got closer, he realized that the mountainside wasn't shrouded in fog, but thick white smoke emanating from chimneys and pipes. Factories with interconnected pipes were everywhere, and even before entering the city, he could hear the whirring noise of spinning blades. Quinn was reminded of the foggy London he'd read about in a textbook. It was an old 19th-century photograph, where a thin mist cast a mysterious shadow over the classic city and its gray, cold industrial atmosphere.

Between the factories, brown-black apartment buildings were built against the hillside, one after another. The circular mountain was not steep. As you went up, the city wall separated the upper city from the lower city. Looking up at the top of the mountain, you could see a vast, more livable, prosperous, and European-style neighborhood. There were layers of European-style houses, cable cars running up and down, and the brick-paved main road was bustling with people: travelers, workers, mechanics, vendors carrying bags taller than people, carriages and chocobos.
It is prosperous beyond imagination.

This is the other world I long for.

Quinn sighed.

"How's it going? First time in Ashwell, right?" Xia Dai'er put her hands on her hips proudly. "A book once said, 'This city has two factors that instantly captivate travelers: superhuman architecture and a frenetic rhythm, geometry and anguish.'"

"Which book says that?"

Quinn secretly noted that the first step to getting rid of illiteracy is to memorize famous quotes.

"The Brave Man's Travels in the Termuran Continent."

Quinn's mouth twitched. Written by a fellow villager?

Could it be that the sentence in the groove was copied from the earth?

"Excellent." Quinn praised, and then casually asked, "Is this travelogue sold in the city?"

Xia Dai'er's eyes lit up, "You want to read the hero's book?"

"I'm very interested in the brave's travel notes, no, all the books he has written." He admitted it frankly.

"Then you've asked the right person!" Xia Dai'er snorted twice. "If you want to buy it, the bookstore in the city should have it, but it's definitely not complete~"

Katrin interrupted at the right time: "The young lady is a loyal fan of heroes. Even when she was sixteen, she still wanted her wife to read her stories about heroes before she would go to bed."

"Catlin!!" Xia Daier interrupted her angrily, "How can this be possible?"

The voice sounded lacking in confidence.

"Anyway, if you want to see it, I can lend it to you."

"really?"

Quinn was a little surprised. He had found something. He didn't expect that his fellow villager had left some books behind. In any case, these books would definitely be helpful to him.

Maybe it could even help him understand how to use the system.

"But there's a prerequisite." Xia Dai'er changed the subject, "I don't lend books to anyone, unless you can come work at my house."

"——Miss!"

Katrin frowned and couldn't help but remind her, "Didn't we discuss this issue on the way home? Let's talk about it after we get home."

"What's the big deal? He saved us, he's so skilled, and he's also very upright." Xia Dai'er glanced at Quinn expectantly. "Father will definitely agree, and brother won't object either."

"Oh, no need for that. We agreed to just travel together, so we're even now." Quinn smiled carefreely.

Catlin looked at Quinn with complicated eyes.

Working for the Branson family is equivalent to settling down in the upper class of Ashworth, something many people desire but cannot get. Is he really that innocent?
Quinn also didn't want to let go of the relationship of gratitude that was exchanged for his name.

But he knew very well that haste makes waste. He was suspicious to begin with, and if he was too hasty, it would only make the other family wary.

He knew how to interact with important people. He couldn't show any ulterior motives; he just wanted to make friends. As long as he stayed in Ashwell, he would eventually be useful. He just had to take his time.

Seeing that Quinn didn't want to pay attention to her, Xia Daier pouted.

If you don’t want to come, forget it. I won’t let you come even if you beg me.

The entrance to the city was particularly crowded today, and curses could be heard from the waiting queue from time to time.

There are two roads going up the mountain. When I got closer, I found that there were layers of security checks on the road that was more than ten meters long. Sheriffs in dark blue uniforms were checking passers-by one by one.

Katrin took Quinn straight past the line without even bothering to queue.

Xia Dai'er also looked as if it was a matter of course.

"Are you trying to cut in line?" Quinn asked doubtfully.

Young Pioneers have never done such uncivilized things.

"Those in line are all Westville residents. We live in Eastville." Xia Daier pointed to the wealthy neighborhood at the top of the mountain, whose style was clearly out of place with the mountainside. "Just take the cable car up. No need to queue."

Quinn was shocked. That's okay.

Damn capitalism, take a critical look at it.

Katrin stepped forward and introduced herself to the sheriff.

Xia Dai'er was waiting idly on the side. As usual, within half a minute, the sheriff's leader would appear happily, put on a smiling face and personally send the eldest daughter of the Branson family onto the cable car.

However, three minutes passed and Catherine was still stuck there, negotiating something, her expression gradually becoming angry.

Just when the two of them wanted to step forward and ask what was going on.

Four priests in white robes surrounded them, and the leader took out a piece of paper covered with red seals.

"According to the search warrant issued by the Holy See of Light to the Aiswell City Council, the three of you are suspected of participating in demonic rituals. Please cooperate with the investigation."

(End of this chapter)