Mercenary Wars

Chapter 210 Sentinel Town

"Keep going," the caravan leader pointed north. "At our pace, we should arrive in about two and a half days!"

"Thank you," Gao Jiano said, then casually asked, "Are you also going to Sentinelstone Town?"

The caravan leader said, "No, our destination is Joy Castle further north."

“Joyburg?” Daryls hesitated, as if she wanted to say something but then stopped herself.

"Of course, some things only fetch a price in Joyburg." The caravan leader said as he continued on his way, ending with a blessing, "May the light be with you."

After the caravan had gone some distance, Daryls couldn't help but ask, "Where is Joy Castle?"

“You don’t know Joy Castle?” Gaucano blurted out, then suddenly realized, “Oh, this place didn’t exist when you were alive.”

Daryls looked on with curiosity.

Gaucano: "Joyful Castle is the ancient city of Asur, the capital of the ancient Asur Kingdom."

Darlis thought for a moment: "Isn't the Holy Land of Yemen in the ancient city of Asur?"

The term "holy land" refers to land that has been influenced by a specific "holy land magic." Yemen's holy land is land that has been influenced by Yemen's holy land magic.

The effects of Sacred Soil magic are similar to those of a faith aura. On the Sacred Soil of Yamen, Yamen followers receive a boost of power, while those who oppose Yamen are weakened. Similarly, on the Sacred Soil of Mosa, those who oppose Mosa will find it difficult to gain a foothold.

Of course, the term "holy land" is only used to describe one's own holy land. It is definitely not appropriate to use it to refer to the enemy's holy land. Instead, one should use more appropriate terms such as "blasphemous land" or "polluted land".

When the Kingdom of Asur was destroyed, its capital city, Asur, was also occupied by the Yemeni state. However, Asur was located deep within the territory of the Mosaic forces, and even though the Yemeni state successfully conquered it, it ultimately could not hold it.

So, in the end, adhering to the principle of spitting in the enemy's bowl, the Yemeni nation made a ruthless decision and simply used the Yemeni sacred soil magic to transform the entire city of Asur.

The effects of Holy Earth magic are strong, lasting, and persistent.

Therefore, for a long time, the city of Asur, which originally belonged to the Mossatians, was known as a Mossatian forbidden zone and was regarded as a great disgrace by many Mossatians.

“The Holy Land has been greatly weakened,” Gaugano said. “It’s now a prison.”

Daryls nodded in realization: "I see."

She then thought, "So those merchants are actually reselling supplies to the prison? Is that legal?"

Gaucano shook his head: "I don't know about that. But Joy Castle is different from ordinary prisons; there seem to be very few rules there."

Darlis exclaimed, "I never imagined that the Holy Land of Yemen in Asur City would have faded to this extent. Time really flies!"

“In reality, it will be a long time before the natural decay of the pollution of Yemen is overcome, but at the suggestion of Cardinal Glemen, the Church took the initiative to purify the area,” Gaugano said slowly. “According to the plan, in a few years, Joy Castle will once again become a Mosaic city, ‘once again bathed in the glory of the Lord.’”

“Purifying the sacred land, how much manpower and resources would that require!” Darlis’s eyes widened. “If it were fertile land, that would be one thing, but there’s nothing there, just sand and stones. What’s the point of purifying it?”

“Yes, I think so too. Asur is surrounded by the desert and can no longer restore its former prosperity. Purifying Yemen from its pollution is meaningless.” Gaugano nodded. “However, in the eyes of devout Mosas, it is worth any expense for the glory of the Lord and the face of the Church.”

"Roar." At this moment, Xiao Hei let out a weak growl.

Darliss immediately took out a large bag of water, cast an ice spell, and turned it into ice water.

Then she poured the bag of chilled water into Xiao Hei's bottle.

"Glug glug..." The black bear gulped down the icy water.

After drinking the ice water, Xiao Hei finally regained some of its energy. It shook off the sweat from its body and then carried the three creatures on its way.

Three days later, Gaugano finally arrived at Sentinel.

Sentinel Town is very conspicuous; from afar, you can see a towering boulder standing among sparse bushes, like a sentinel on lookout.

Beside the giant rock lies Sentinel Town, one of the few towns in the Kingdom of Asur.

In fact, in environments such as deserts and grasslands, these megaliths often serve as important landmarks, helping people determine their location. This is why several towns on the continent of Fararo are named after "Sentinel Rock."

As Gaucano approached on his bear, a town guard came over to question him.

After identifying himself and stating his purpose, Gao Jiano asked, "Old Scar must be from your town, right?"

"He is the president of the Hunter's Guild in Sentry Rock Town, and also the owner of the 'Hunter's Inn'," the guard said, pointing to the inn not far away.

Gaucano nodded and followed the direction the guard pointed to to the Hunter's Inn.

As they walked through the town's streets, the enormous black bear immediately attracted the attention of the townspeople. Adults and children alike craned their necks out, pointing and whispering about the little black bear.

The fact that a level six magical beast could cause such a stir shows that Sentrystone Town is indeed not a developed place, just as it appears.

Because of the commotion caused by Xiao Hei, as soon as Gao Jiano arrived at the Hunter's Inn, a blonde maidservant came out to greet him warmly: "Welcome, guest from afar!"

Before he could finish speaking, Little Black suddenly barked a few times: "Roar!"

The maid was startled and instinctively stepped back.

But when she looked closer, a look of disbelief gradually appeared on her face: "Little...Little Black?"

"Roar." Little Black nuzzled against the maid.

"It really is you, Little Black!" The maid's eyes lit up, and she stroked Little Black's fur. "You've grown so big!"

Gao Jiano then said, "Since you know Blackie, I believe you also know Hicks. I am his friend, and I came to Sentry Rock Town to find Old Scar."

The maid replied, "Our master has gone hunting in the desert and may not be back for a few days. If you need anything, you can tell me first. My name is Lila."

After thinking for a moment, Gao Jiano said, "I'll wait for Old Scar to come back."

"Alright." Lila smiled. "So, are you planning to check into a hotel now?"

“Of course.” Gao Jiano then pointed to the little black dog beneath him. “Can you arrange a place for it to live?”

“We don’t usually provide accommodations for large magical beasts, but since it’s Little Black, I’ll find it a comfortable place!” Lila said, while patting Little Black’s head.

Daryls then asked, "Is there anyone in town who knows anything about the 'Fourth Water Cellar'?"

The Fourth Crypt is an ancient site that is the final destination of the Sindragosa Oracle. It is located in the South Asur Desert, not far from Sentinel Rock.

Dariss will receive the Dwarf Shapeshifting Mask from the Oracle Chest if she successfully awakens one undead in the Fourth Water Cellar. She will also receive additional rewards if she awakens multiple undead.

"The fourth water cellar?" Lila was taken aback. "You guys aren't here for an archaeological excavation, are you?"

“Hmm…more or less,” Darlis said.

Lila: "Then you can go find Aidan. He's a historian and archaeologist from Axe City and has been living in town for a while now."

“He’s right there.” She pointed as she spoke.

Gaucano turned his head and saw a tall, thin man sitting alone in the inn, drinking. There were some patterned stone slabs on the table. He had a fairly refined demeanor, but his skin was dark and rough, making him look at first glance like a laborer.

After settling Xiao Hei and Xiao Gu in, Gao Jiano and Dalis went to find the archaeologist.

Dariss was primarily responsible for speaking with Aidan.

Gao Jiano barely spoke, simply eating and drinking in silence, occasionally asking a few questions, appearing completely like a complete novice.

He is indeed a layman in history and archaeology.

He's not entirely without knowledge in this area, but his knowledge is primarily derived from mysticism, which is clearly unsuitable for public discussion. Otherwise, if the other party is devout, they might immediately report him.

In contrast, Daryls is somewhat of an expert.

Thanks to her knowledgeable father, she has studied a great deal of history, except for the history of the last few decades. Moreover, as an "older generation" figure, she has unique understanding and perspectives on some historical events.

Especially when the dark days of the Datuk era are mentioned, Darliss can always tell some unknown details - such as the complete process of burning at the stake, which quickly earned Aidan's admiration.

Aidan exclaimed, "This is the first time I've heard of how different the burning at the stake was decades ago compared to today... Are you a historian too?"

“At least I wish I were a historian,” Daryls shrugged slightly. “But you know, people are somewhat prejudiced against women pursuing academic studies.”

After they got to know each other better, Daryl asked, "Aidan, what is your purpose in coming to Sentinelstone?"

Aidan slowly said, "You know, the ancient kingdom of Asur is one of the oldest kingdoms in human history. It has a long and continuous history and is an important bridge to understanding the history of pre-humans... Moreover, according to the mainstream view, the ancient kingdom of Asur was the first country to establish Mosaism as its state religion. This history is of great significance to Mosa theology."

He continued, "However, there has never been direct evidence for this claim. Perhaps because of the fall of the ancient Asur Kingdom, the evidence has been buried in the sand. I came here to find evidence."

How long have you been here?

“I’ve lived in Sentinel for about six months,” Aidan stroked his stubble. “But I’ve been in Asur for over four years. So you see, I’m practically a native Asurian now. Sigh, my skin didn’t used to look like this. Three years ago I even used a bottle of Lesser Transformation Potion specifically for this, but unfortunately, it didn’t last long before it turned into this again.”

Gaucano interjected, "I believe your efforts will not be in vain. You will definitely find the key evidence and become a renowned archaeologist across the continent."

Aidan smiled. "He could also be a theologian."

"A theologian?" Gaucano was a little surprised.

Aidan simply said, "History ultimately belongs to theology, just as everything ultimately belongs to Mosa."

Upon hearing this, Gao Jiano remained silent.

Thankfully, I didn't spout nonsense. This Aidan seems to be a devout Mosaic, a type of person who considers all knowledge as subordinate to and derived from Mosaic theology.

Daryls then asked, "Have you been to the ruins of the Fourth Cisternian?"

"Of course I've been there; it is, after all, one of the largest archaeological sites in the vicinity."

What's it like there?

“Nothing special, though it could also be because I didn’t go inside the Fourth Water Cellar ruins.” Aidan changed the subject. “Are you interested in that place?”

Darliss nodded: "Actually, I am also a water mage. I've heard that a lot of water magic knowledge was used in the construction of several large water cellars, so I've always wanted to go inside and take a look."

Aidan: "Indeed, several large water cellars have many water-based magical facilities, but unfortunately they are also the places most severely damaged by the war."

He thought for a moment, then took out a piece of paper from his storage ring: "If you want to go to the ruins of the Fourth Water Cellar, you can refer to this map."

Both Gaucano and Dariss were curious: "What is this?"

Aidan: "A copy of the design plan for the Fourth Cisterns. The site of the Fourth Cisterns is buried deep in the desert, and most of the entrances are no longer usable. Only the two entrances marked on this map are relatively easy to open. With this map, you can save a lot of time."

"Thank you so much!" Daryls' eyes lit up, and she reached out to take it.

However, Aidan suddenly took back the design drawings.

This surprised Daryls.

Then Aidan smiled and said, "I finally found this thing after a lot of trouble. Do you think I should lend it to you for free?"

Daryls's smile froze: "Then... how much money will it cost?"

“I don’t want money, but there’s one condition.” Aidan paused, then continued, “You must lend me any written artifacts you find in the fourth water cellar.”

This was not an unreasonable request, and Gao Jiano immediately agreed: "Okay."

“Then let’s make an oath,” Aidan continued, “in the name of Mosa.”

The two sides then swore an oath in the name of Mosa.

In fact, Gaucano found this kind of verbal oath somewhat ridiculous.

However, Aidan seemed to believe in this very thing and took it for granted that others would do the same. After making the vow, he handed over the design.

Afterwards, Gaucano, having eaten and drunk his fill, discussed the matter with Daris and finally decided to head to the ruins of the Fourth Water Cellar the next day.

As a former large construction site and battlefield, the Fourth Water Cellar contained countless corpses.

Over the long course of time, some corpses must have reached the critical point of awakening as spirits, and some may have even already awakened, inevitably posing some unknown dangers.

Little Black hasn't been entrusted to Old Scar yet, so it's a good opportunity to take it along.

After making up their minds and resting for a day, Gaucano and Dariss summoned two magical beasts and set off towards the ruins of the Fourth Water Cellar.

(End of this chapter)