Dragonborn from Lord of the Rings

Chapter 220 Silver and Blood
The frontier city of Macarth is a city built in the mountains.It borders High Rock and Hammerfell, and has several roads leading to the other two provinces of the Empire.However, Markas City itself does not produce food, but relies on the scattered farms and trade in the frontier to maintain the consumption of daily supplies in the city.

That's why you don't see many farmers in Markarth City. Most of the people in the city rely on the rich mineral resources on this land to make a living.

Among them, because the Andor family controls the Sidana Mine—this mine is the largest silver mine in the entire Skyrim and even the continent of Tamriel. Wayrest City, Skaven City in the southwest, and Cyrodiil in the Empire all had good business contacts, and gradually, they became the lords of the Frontier Territory naturally.

In Carmarthen City, the Kems River runs straight through the center of the city, powering the city's mining and smelting.

Since there are not many farms in the surrounding countryside, the crops produced here can barely support the people here.All the facilities in Macarth exist around the carriage caravan, and many carriage drivers and workers who carry goods can be seen here.

This deformed ecological model, even in times of war, has not allowed it to weaken.Most of the business routes from the empire and the northern city of Solitude were blocked, but a steady stream of trading caravans from Gaoyan in the west continued to cross the cracked mountain and came to the frontier fortress to conduct trade.

The Silver Blood Family is the wealthiest family other than the Andor Family.The Silver Blood family not only controls the Koskeig Mine, which is slightly smaller than the Hidana and Left Hand Mine, and the freight and handling work in the city, but also monopolizes the grain trade in the entire frontier. Another lord of the city is no exaggeration.

There is a saying in the city of Macarth, which is: silver and blood flow in this city.As for what this silver and blood refer to, even the gossiping women and children will not tell you loudly in broad daylight.

Turka and his party entered Macas City at around nine o'clock the next morning.

The guards only briefly checked the contents of the carriage, and then let them go.It's just that when they saw Turka, who was obviously tall and extraordinary, they said with disgust and vigilance: Don't cause trouble, we are watching you.

At this time, Turka just showed an unknown smile, his eyelids drooped slightly, and even little Rojatus couldn't guess what he was thinking in his heart.

The carriage drove through the thick city gate and entered this prestigious frontier capital.

I saw that the first thing that caught the eyes of Little Rojatus was a huge square.The paving slabs in the square have been worn badly by the treading of many generations.Rows of carriages were densely parked above, and only a few boring bodyguards were watching.

Along the streets were stables, each wide enough for a carriage, and many of the roads were deeply rutted by carriages.There is no green space here, and children play in the streets, dodging carriages and listening to the curses of the coachman.

The square was surrounded by inns and shops, and many vendors sat behind their stalls outside the shops, their signs swaying back and forth in the wind.They passed a bowlmaker; a tailor carrying bundles of cloth from his shop for his customers to choose from; a shoemaker sat in his shop door tapping the heel of a boot; hawking; peddlers holding their trays with a handful of fruits and vegetables.

But not many pedestrians are interested in them.Stores that sell food can only display some shabby goods.Even on the butcher's chopping board, there are only a few raw rabbit meat and pheasant meat. Beef and lamb leg meat are very rare. , Three teeth dolphin meat and other high-end goods.

The present situation is not yet a famine, but everyone knows what the future will be like if there is no change in the weather and the war.So people don't look sad, but they seem to be staring at some invisible thing in the distance, something that can't make people happy.

As the old farmer's family's carriage carried a large amount of grain, as soon as old Dondis stopped at a stable in the square, auditors and guards who were responsible for collecting taxes came over immediately.

"Hey, you. What did you pull, have you filed your tax return?" The auditor was wearing a brown woolen vest, and the white jacket inside was flat and clean, with a greedy and arrogant look on his face, "According to the law of the city lord , you have to pay taxes first. And the tax rate is one-tenth of your goods, in addition, there are poll taxes, security..."

Hearing that the auditor was so greedy that he wanted to swallow the output that the old farmer's family had worked hard for a year, little Rojatus angrily jumped off his family's carriage, trying to argue with him.

But his mother held him back, old Dandis's eyes flashed with angry flames, but he was wise not to have too many conflicts with the villain in front of him, he just said in a low voice: He has already paid the city lord's tax, This time I went to the city, I just wanted to exchange food for some daily necessities.

"Then you also have to pay taxes." The auditor said impatiently, his eyes were fixed on the whole bearskin on the carriage, his greed was almost undisguised, "All grain must be traded through designated merchants , and you have not obtained the appropriate permission."

"We won't trade with Silver Blood." Little Rojatus couldn't help but shouted, "At least not now. Because we don't need it. And the city lord shouldn't come to snatch us before we get the corresponding reward. .”

Oh.

Young little Rojatus, stupid little Rojatus, he didn't even know what trouble he was getting into by saying that.Sure enough, upon hearing what he said, the expressions of the auditor and the guard changed at the same time, and the greed in their eyes was replaced by fear and a sneer.

"Ha, stupid..."

"We will." Turka said, he took a step forward, blocking the impulsive little Rojatus, and also blocked the old farmer who wanted to draw his sword. His tall body even blocked a large area of ​​sunlight, and that The double golden vertical pupils also made the auditors and guards feel a little fear.They took a step back in unison, and the guard even wanted to draw his sword reflexively.But Turka just said calmly and convincingly: "Everything is in accordance with the law and will not change. Yes, that is the case. So, why not leave quietly? This is good for you and us."

The auditor and the guard stared blankly at the pair of eyes under the cloak, seemingly dumbfounded. "Yes, everything is in accordance with the law." The auditor repeated.The tone is flat and straightforward, without a trace of emotion.

Little Rojatus was also in a trance for a while, he didn't even know what happened.He just felt that Turka's voice was like a holy spirit from the Light Realm, and he subconsciously believed that it was correct and in line with his values.So the anger in his heart subsided, and he stood quietly.

Dondis Sr. and his wife didn't fare too well either.This is the first time that Turka has shown another of his abilities in Mundus; obviously, his voice still has magic power, maybe this has something to do with the similar ability in this world.

Turka thought.

"So?" Turka whispered, his tone so calm that it was disturbing.Auditors and guards were shaking on their fingers and knees.They mechanically turned and left without looking back.

Seeing that the greedy auditors and guards hadn't received anything, many people left in a hurry and looked at the old farmer's family in surprise.

Old Dandis also recovered from his surprise at this time, Shure, what happened?He glared at his useless son, but seeing that he still looked resentful, the old farmer sighed in disappointment.

"Turka, go find an inn. We may stay for many days. Maybe not. But life goes on. I'll talk to the Silverbloods about the food, and then we'll meet you. "The old farmer decided not to think too much about Turka's ability to 'convince' the greedy auditors and guards, and the way they frightened them away.This is the wisdom of an old man. "By the way, Silver Blood Inn is a good choice." He said.A smile appeared on Fengshuang's face.

To this, Turka just nodded and said nothing.

"And you." The old farmer said to Little Rojatus with a look of hatred for iron and steel, "Go with Turka, I think you are not stupid enough to forget where the Silver Blood Inn is!"

Little Rojatus was taken aback by the murderous stare from his old father, and his impulsive temper finally calmed down, "Yes, I didn't... I mean, I will handle it well."

Then he looked at Turka with pleading eyes.A smile flashed in Turka's eyes. He watched the old farmer hand a bag of gold coins to little Rojatus, and then temporarily separated from the old farmer and his wife.

Leaving the heavy paternal love, little Rogatus looked very happy, as if offending the guards and auditors of the city lord before was not a big deal.He took Turka and wandered excitedly in Markas City, introducing everything about Markas to Turka.Then he found that, no matter what, he couldn't escape the Silver Blood family: the square was surrounded by hotels and shops, and there were some tall red brick houses with signs on them, but according to the farmer's son, a large part of the industry here , all belong to the silver-blooded family.

"Shuer, they are a bunch of greedy bared dogs!" Little Rojatus cursed in a low voice, a little discouraged.

However, Turka saw many refugees from the frontier fortress. Most of them either sat idly on the cold ground with lifeless faces;Children sneaked around in the crowd, and perhaps there were a lot of thieves among them.

Of course, none of them dared to challenge God's Choice from another world.And the guards who occasionally encountered patrolling (or extortion) in the city also stared at them with obvious distrust.It looked like they were some of the little thieves too.

It feels like an active volcano before it erupted.Turk frowned secretly.From the time he entered this city, a strange feeling enveloped his heart.His gaze fell involuntarily on the highest rock peak in the city.

Little Rojatus also noticed that the surrounding atmosphere was not right. He hurriedly led Turka through the crowd, as if he had chosen a hotel at random and walked in. The signboard hanging on the hotel door was swaying in the wind. , with crossed picks and hammers on it, dripping blood.The name of the inn is "Silver Blood Inn".

Now, even the farmer's son had no heart to speak.

Little Rogatus pushed open the heavy brass door, and the next moment, the sound of playing kites and harps, drunken laughter and shouts filled their hearts like a sudden thunderclap. ear.

In the hall, a big Nord man who was neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin, was pouring beer out of a barrel. Two men in rough work clothes sat at a table in the back, staring dully at their eyes. wine glass.In the corner, a mercenary in leather armor and a sharp knife drank his malt wine silently. His companion was happily bragging about his deeds to the people around him, occasionally laughing when he talked about the wonderful things.The bard held his clarinet, pretending to flirt with a few ladies in a high-spirited way, ignoring the jealous flames in the eyes of more men around him.Traders from High Rock and Hammerfell, dressed in brocades of silk and velvet, looked at the fellows around them with haughty and contemptuous faces, wondering how to make a fortune here.

Roughly dressed men huddled around the tables, stumbling between the tables, shaking the wine glasses in their hands, trying to pinch the waitresses who dodged back and forth, trying to put on a little smile on their faces.

Almost the whole inn was vibrating with the uproar.The hall was filled with the sour smell of old wine and filthy bodies.

This is really a novel experience.

Turka hadn't felt this way for a long time. At this moment, he seemed to be alive again, not as a chosen person who was favored by the Creator God, but as a mortal.

When a group of two walked in, only the innkeeper raised his head.A large bar divides the hall into front and rear halves, with tables in each half and a crackling fireplace in the stone wall to the right.The fireplace took up half of the other wall of the square hall and was as high as a man's shoulders.The flames dancing in the hearth took all the chill out of the room.

"Welcome." The innkeeper only spoke half of the words, and then he saw Turka's tall body that obviously did not belong to this continent, and the rest of the words stopped on his tongue in surprise.

"Kleiber." Little Rogatus seemed to know the owner of the hotel, and he greeted the big man like an adult.

Only then did Klepper come back to his senses. He looked at the son of the Savius ​​farm family on the outskirts of the city, and at the amazing guest who could only be seen when he raised his head.He is so tall.The innkeeper thought so.

"Little Rojatus, you have also come to Marcus, Shure, is the situation already so critical?"

"If I could, I wouldn't want to enter the city at this time." The little Logatus imitated his father's tone, as if this could cover up his immaturity that hadn't even grown a beard, he deliberately loudly said: "But Shure, the wild is already dangerous, we can only go into the city. Yes, that's it."

The voice of the farmer's son caught the attention of some people around him. They looked over contemptuously, and their mouths full of alcohol reflexively wanted to open.But they saw Turka standing behind the little Rojatus, so the taunt was stuck again.

The silence seemed to be contagious, and the originally noisy hotel gradually became quiet.

In the eyes of everyone, Turka lifted his cloak.

(End of this chapter)