Mercenary Wars

Chapter 221 Ax City
Two days later.

Gaugano left Sentinel Town.

Shortly after leaving Sentry Rock, Darliss put on the dwarf shapeshifting mask.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, her false identity as "Gaucano's distant cousin" will be gone forever, since dwarfs and humans obviously cannot have such a relationship.

From now on, she will appear in public as a "dwarf maid".

Actually, this is quite common.

After all, the high elves, blood elves, light elves, and other elven races that humans are so fascinated by have become extinct, and the drow elves live deep underground. Dwarves are almost the most aesthetically pleasing foreign race to humans.

At least dwarf girls are still popular—they look like underage human girls.

Therefore, it is not uncommon for wealthy people to hire dwarf maids.

Accompanied by his "dwarf maid" and "guardian owl," Gaucano set off northwest, gradually approaching the city of Ax. Along the way, they passed through many towns and villages, experiencing the local customs and culture of northwestern Fararo. The scenery gradually transformed from barren sand dunes into fertile fields, with crops growing increasingly well, all indicating that they were approaching the heart of the kingdom.

Soon after, they arrived in Ax.

This city is located at the northwestern tip of the continent of Fararo. It is bordered by the sea to the west, mountains to the north, and forests and villages to the east and south. The sea breeze blows from the west, carrying the salty smell and legends from afar; the mountains to the north act as a natural barrier, protecting this great city; and the vast forests to the southeast not only provide abundant resources but also serve as a habitat for many adventurers and hunters.

As the capital of the Kingdom of Sein, the prosperity of Ax City goes without saying. The city walls are tens of meters high and are built of solid megaliths. The city gate towers are even more magnificent, engraved with the kingdom's emblem and the great achievements of past kings.

In fact, Ax was the most prosperous city in Cifararo. Its thriving commerce, flourishing culture, and powerful military earned it a renowned reputation throughout the continent. Merchants, scholars, and artists from all over the world flocked here, making the city vibrant and full of opportunities.

Even looking at the entire continent of Fararo, perhaps only the legendary imperial capital of the Eastern Continent could surpass it.

Even before arriving in Ax, Gaucano had witnessed this prosperity. The roads were becoming wider and smoother, the number of caravans was increasing dramatically, and the flow of people was surging—people of all kinds of attire were converging on the road leading to Ax.

In addition, as they got closer to Ax City, the griffins appeared more and more frequently in the sky.

When they arrived at Eastvale, a small town east of Ax, Gaugano could see griffins flying overhead almost every day.

These giant birds of prey sometimes don't fly very high.

Therefore, they often cast clear shadows on the ground, and sometimes people can even see their features: the head and wings of an eagle, the body and hind legs of a lion, enormous in size, with golden feathers shimmering in the sunlight, their majestic posture inspiring awe. Whenever they stir up a gust of wind from the sky, it elicits gasps and gazing upwards from the ground.

Wild griffins are a major problem; they are fierce, swift, and large, easily capable of snatching a sheep from a human pasture. If they are in a bad mood or haven't found a more palatable meal, they might even take a poor farmer with them.

Fortunately, the birds that fly over Eastvale every day are not wild griffins.

They belong to the Griffin Knights—the most elite force in the Kingdom of Sain. This force boasts a long history and illustrious reputation, responsible not only for protecting the royal family but also frequently undertaking long-range reconnaissance, information relay, and emergency rescue missions. In times of war, they are a strategic force for the Kingdom of Sain.

The griffins of the Griffin Knights live and train with their knights from a young age, so they not only do not plunder, but sometimes even help nearby humans fight wild beasts.

A common dream among teenagers is to own their own griffin.

Gaucano had similar thoughts.

However, being a griffon rider is clearly not something anyone can do. Besides requiring extraordinary courage and superb riding skills, it usually also demands special talent and devout faith. According to many dwarves, griffons are naturally drawn to certain races, while remaining wary or even hostile towards others.

In fact, almost only dwarves are qualified for this job. Therefore, a dwarf who can ride a griffin and has converted to Mosa is in no way inferior to a paladin.

After resting in Eastvale and gathering some information, Gaucano continued westward, finally arriving at the east gate of Ax a day later.

To be precise, it was the "Lower East Gate".

Because Ax has two eastern gates, one located in the "Upper Town" and the other in the "Lower Town".

The Upper City is located in the north and is the gathering place of the powerful and noble. Kings, griffin riders, bishops, paladins... almost all of them live in the Upper City.

The Lower City is in the south and belongs to the common people.

Of course, some people believe that Ax should be divided into three parts: the upper city, the middle city, and the lower city.

This division is not without reason, and it even seems to be increasingly becoming a consensus. Many people believe that the traditional dichotomy can no longer accurately describe the complex structure of Axelburg today.

After all, with the completion of the "Lower Town Main Street" road, Ax City now has two east-west main roads, which divide the city into three parts according to some self-evident standard, as clearly visible on the map.

In this division, Shangcheng District remains Shangcheng District, a gathering place for the powerful and wealthy.

The residents of the central district are mainly business owners and industrialists; auction houses, opera houses, fortune-telling shops, artisan academies, and major guilds are all located there. In addition, the mage district is generally considered part of the central district.

The Lower City is a "slum," with few large buildings and the smallest area, but its population is not necessarily the smallest. The landmark buildings are probably the workhouse and... the prison?
Entering through the city gate, Gaucano immediately saw the wide streets of the lower town and the conspicuous workhouse.

The design of the workhouse is somewhat similar to that of a church.

In fact, it does possess some of the functions of a church, having a place for performing sacraments.

However, its more important function was to distribute relief, mainly including food and some basic medicines, to help the poorest people solve their basic survival problems, and also to sell a sense of moral superiority to the rich who were living comfortably.

When Gaucano entered the city, the workhouse seemed to be distributing relief, and he saw some ragged poor people leaving the workhouse carrying coarse bread.

These poor people looked much like the people of Crow Street in Southsea Town. Wherever you go, poverty always has a similar appearance—tattered clothes, thin figures, and cautious and humble expressions.

Arx City and Southshore Town are worlds apart, differing by more than ten times in size. Their upper classes are also vastly different. Arx City has a 12th-level cardinal residing there, and more than one, while Southshore Town only sees occasional visits from even 8th or 9th-level purple-robed bishops.

The upper classes in the two places are vastly different, while the lower classes are almost indistinguishable.

Human society seems to have always been like this.

Gaucano's experiences in his previous life also reflected this: for any two cities or countries, the upper limits may be vastly different, but the lower limits are always quite similar.

Sitting in the hired carriage, we traveled west along the main street of the lower town, then turned north to enter "King's Road".

Kings Road is the widest road in Ax, and at first glance it even looks like a square.

The main road runs north-south, connecting the North Gate and the South Gate, and connecting the entire city.

It is called "King's Road" for a simple reason: just walk north along it and you will reach the royal palace.

Gaucano's carriage traveled north along the King's Road and eventually stopped in the "Mage Quarter".

Upon arriving in the Mage Quarter, as soon as he stepped off the carriage, Gaucano's gaze was drawn to the distant clock tower.

The clock tower was built on the River St. Bode, almost in the very center of Ax.

The entire city's operation depends on the time it provides. Whether it's merchants' transactions, artisans' work schedules, or the course arrangements of the four colleges, everything is based on the clock tower's chimes. Every hour on the hour, the resounding bells echo throughout the city, reminding people of the preciousness of time.

It is a symbol of Mosa—after all, people believe that Mosa gave time to all living beings. In the doctrines of the Church, time is one of the most sacred gifts.

It is also a symbol of magic. Mages built it using complex and profound magical knowledge, giving it unparalleled precision. It is said that its error in a year is less than one second, making it one of the most accurate timekeeping tools on the continent of Farallo.

The area southeast of the clock tower is the so-called "Mage District".

The core area of ​​the Mage Quarter is divided into two parts. To the north is the teleportation hall, which contains portals to various locations; to the south is the renowned Ax Magic Academy. Of course, Gao Jiano wasn't in a hurry to go to Ax Magic Academy. Instead, he checked into an inn first and then went out to inquire about buying a house.

As the most prosperous city in the Mosa Kingdom, he would certainly live here for a long time.

It will be at least no less than the time he has lived in Nanhai Town.

He lived in Southshore for about four years, and he must have lived in Ax for at least ten years.

Therefore, buying a house is imperative.

Home prices in Ax are very high.

The property prices in the Mage District are particularly high.

In Southsea Town, a house costs only a few dozen gold coins, and the cheapest houses are even less than ten gold coins.

But in Ax, even in the slums, a house can cost hundreds of gold coins.

Houses in the Mage district cost hundreds of gold coins or more.

The house that Gaucano bought in Southshore would cost at least five or six hundred gold coins to buy a similar one in the Mage District, and even more than a thousand gold coins for one in a better location.

Gao Jiano once considered giving up on buying a house in the Mage District.

After all, the price is so high, and he might not even be able to get into Ax Magic Academy. What if he spends a lot of money to buy a house but fails the entrance test? Wouldn't that make him look like a clown?

Until he changed his mind and realized that even if he didn't get into the Axes Magic Academy, buying a house in the mage district would be a good option.

After all, the transportation is convenient.

It's close to the city center, and the teleportation hall is nearby.

Having bought a house in the Mage District, any trip to any Mosa country will be a breeze—as long as you're willing to spend the money.

Therefore, after careful consideration, Gao Jiano decided to buy a house in the Mage district.

As for the specific location, he chose a relatively remote one, near the east city wall.

Firstly, houses in remote areas are cheaper, and secondly, he already lives near the city wall in Nanhai Town and is used to it.

With so many secrets on his mind, he doubted he could sleep soundly if he lived in a busy downtown area.

After visiting various places and comparing prices, Gao Jiano finally bought a house for 800 gold coins.

During the house-buying process, Gao Jiano also fantasized about finding a "cursed house" like he did in Southsea Town.

But he was obviously overthinking it.

In Ax – especially in the Mage Quarter, no cursed house can last more than half a day; there are plenty of people here who can dispel curses.

Therefore, these 800 gold coins are a fair price, with no hidden bargains involved.

Having bought the house, Gaucano instructed Darlis to tidy up the rooms, while he himself headed west to the "Opera Street" in the commercial district.

The entertainment industry in Ax is very developed, both formal and informal.

The quintessential example of the formal entertainment industry is the opera house "Blanc des Anglais," which is also one of Axel's most famous and busiest buildings, attracting people from far and wide to watch performances every day.

However, Gaucano's purpose in coming here was not to watch the performance.

Instead, it was to deliver a message.

Amaro's letter.

This letter was the first reason why Gaucano considered coming to Ax.

Now, several years later, he has finally arrived in Ax, and it is time to deliver this letter to its recipient.

Recipient: Hibel.

According to the address written on the envelope, Hilbert was at the Bainao Hall Opera House.

This made Gaogano a little curious.

Is Hippel perhaps an opera singer?

Of course, even if he is an actor, he probably isn't very famous, otherwise he should have already heard of him.

The Banaugs Opera House is almost separated from the Mövenpick district by only one King's Road.

Crossing the King's Road, Gaugano soon arrived at the opera house.

It wasn't a busy time, but there were still quite a few customers coming and going.

Most of the guests entering and leaving the opera house were dressed in fine clothes, while Gaucano's attire was rather shabby in comparison.

He was about to enter the Bainaohui Opera House with the envelope in his hand when he was stopped by a waiter.

"Have you bought your tickets?" the waiter asked.

His attitude wasn't very polite.

Gaucano took out the envelope in his hand: "I'm here to deliver a letter for a friend. Is Miss Sybel here?"

"Sybel?" The waiter thought for a moment. "You mean the illusionist Sybel?"

Gaucano: "If there isn't a second Hilbel, then it should be her."

The waiter took the envelope and looked at it: "Who is Amaro?"

“Uh, a friend of mine,” Gaucano could only say, “also a friend of Miss Sybel.”

Waiter: "Why didn't he have the postman deliver it himself?"

Gaucano: "Amaro is dead. This is his keepsake. He asked me to personally deliver it to Miss Sybel."

Seeing that the waiter seemed unconvinced, he quickly added, "I swear in the name of Mosa, everything I said is true."

The waiter was silent for a moment, then beckoned: "Come with me, I'll take you to see Sybel."

"Thank you," said Gaugano, and then followed him into the opera house.

(End of this chapter)