Falsifying history is good business

Chapter 108 Chapter The Golden Pagoda City under Martial Law

Less than a week later, Dandelion was already thankful for his sudden decision.

The annihilation of the pursuit team led by Viscount Aiden did make the journey much smoother in a short period of time, especially since the poet no longer needed to show up in public to perform, and the attention he received decreased dramatically.

But a week later, when the group entered the heart of the Kingdom of Ebin, the inspections and military alerts they encountered along the way began to increase gradually; and the further south they went, the more serious the situation became.

Judging from the time, the emperor had probably received the news of Viscount Aiden's disappearance. At the same time, a new investigation order was issued and passed down to the local levels step by step.

To the emperor, the slanderous poem foreshadowed a conspiracy, and the fact that it could wipe out the pursuit team he had sent out meant that the conspirators had powerful strength; the emperor could not afford to take the situation lightly.

However, after losing three outstanding sorcerers in succession and even the intelligence chief never returning, the emperor could not find a better way to accurately locate the target. He could only resort to a large-scale search by casting a wide net; inevitably, his efficiency was much lower.

Faced with increasingly strict inspections, as well as an increasing number of local sheriffs, patrol cavalry, and even regular army reconnaissance units on the road, Lin You increasingly used the "Illusion Spell" and "Confusion Spell"; even so, there were several times when he had to clash with the search personnel.

And there is still a long way to go; from Ebing to the south, one must pass through the province of Aetolia before entering the core territory of the empire, which is also the origin of the empire's name - the province of Nilfgaard.

By the way, although Ebin said it was a kingdom, it had actually become a vassal of Nilfgaard more than 20 years ago. Local administrative and security officials naturally did not dare to disobey the emperor's will.

In addition, Princess Ciri's grandfather Rognar was a high-ranking noble from the Kingdom of Ebin; he was the first husband of Queen Calanthe of Cintra and the biological father of Princess Pavetta, and he served as the King of Cintra before his death. In other words, he is also the father-in-law of the current Emperor of the Nilfgaard Empire.

Back to the topic, the journey across Ebing and Aetolia took about another fifteen days; during these fifteen days, Dandelion became more and more silent, but Lin You and O'Dimm, who had originally been quiet, gradually opened up, making the journey less boring.

The two talked about a wide range of topics, including the demons constantly asking about the news of the big world, especially the cooperative and competitive relationship between the gods; occasionally they would talk about the difference between people in the 20th century and people in the 13th century. Lin You was picky and only talked about what he could say.

On the other hand, Lin You was more interested in the worlds that demons had traveled to before, and he was actually trying to get information about the worlds that now intersect with the demon hunter world. O'Dimm's answer was vague, and he never revealed the location of the space-time rift between the worlds.

All we can say is that both sides have their own ulterior motives and no one intends to tell the truth.

In the end, Dandelion was intrigued by these topics from different worlds and took the initiative to participate, no longer looking depressed.

Perhaps given the poet's personality, he would not be depressed for too long.

Finally, after some real and fake chatting, they arrived at the banks of the Alba River.

This is the core territory of the Nilfgaard Empire. In the words of people in other provinces and vassal states of the empire, "Only those born in the City of the Golden Tower and the area near the Alba River are 'real' Nilfgaardians."

The Golden Tower City is located at the mouth of the Alba River. The city spans both banks and is the largest in the Demon Hunter world. From afar, the city shines brightly in the sunlight.

"Many people think that is the golden light, but it is actually the reflection of the sun on the yellow roofs. That is why the city of golden towers got its name." Dandelion showed off his knowledge in Milva's ear. "I guess those roofs are made of ceramic tiles, and the yellow reflective surface is just the ceramic glaze on the surface. Of course, it could also be porcelain tiles, but porcelain tiles are more expensive. Only emperors or nobles can afford them. Even if they are available, there are not many of them."

"Oh, you are quite knowledgeable! That is indeed terracotta tiles. Ceramic tiles are only used in noble places like the palace and the Senate." A businessman on the roadside heard the poet's words, "But he doesn't look like a city person. He sounds like a country guy from Toussaint or Anglin in the north. Is this your first time in the capital?"

Dandelion looked at Lin You and O'Dimm, and seeing that the two leaders were indifferent, he answered carefully: "You guessed it right, I came from Toussaint; my companions and I saw the Golden Tower City for the first time, it is so magnificent."

"That's not the case. This is the heart of the empire." The merchant said with the pride of an "old bannerman" living in the imperial city. "You have walked a long way. It must be hard, right? But it is worth it to be able to come to the City of Golden Tower. If you can gain a foothold in the city, your life will be worth it; but you need real skills to do that."

"Of course, I thought so too. However, is it like this every day in the City of Golden Tower? Do we have to spend so much time queuing for inspection to enter the city?" Dandelion pointed to the endless queue on the road.

The merchant was very mysterious, as if he was about to reveal some important secrets: "No! These orders were issued recently. I heard that a group of rebels who opposed His Majesty the Emperor caused some trouble in the city a few days ago. That's why the mayor issued a martial law order. Not only did the city defense troops set up checkpoints, but it was said that His Majesty the Emperor also ordered the military to dispatch the 'Alba Division' to the city defense."

Dandelion's face suddenly turned a little unnatural; if the citizen who spread the gossip didn't know, how could the poet not know? Aren't they the "traitors" who were strictly guarded and investigated under the martial law?
Milva's psychological quality was obviously much better than that of the bard. She immediately interrupted to divert the merchant's attention: "Can we enter the city? When we set out from Toussaint, I didn't hear that we would be checked before entering the city."

"If you are residents of the Golden Tower City, it will naturally not be difficult; but as outsiders...what are you going to do in the city?" The merchant looked up and down at the man and woman in front of him, with a bit more doubt in his eyes; it seemed that the sense of responsibility of the subjects of the empire was quietly awakening.

"We came to the City of Golden Tower at the invitation of a lord to discuss cooperation. My family is one of the largest vineyard farmers in Toussaint." Lin You finally spoke up; only he, the leader, could handle such a matter of fabricating identities.

"So you grow grapes." The merchant curled his lips slightly. "But then again, some of Toussaint's wines are really good."

"If you like, I'll send a few bottles to your house later; but we have to wait until we enter the city. My family has a business in the city and we store wine." Lin You relied on his novel-writing skills back then, and he could speak nonsense without hesitation, and his words were very well-organized.

When the merchant heard there was a gift, his expression suddenly improved: "Just explain it to the officer at the checkpoint. If that doesn't work, we can ask the merchant to come out to pick you up."

"That's bad. They don't know I've arrived today. I have to find someone to deliver a message to them. I'm afraid I can't count on those soldiers for help...Sir, could you please deliver a message for me?" Lin You looked anxious.

"Oh, our city is not as leisurely as the countryside! The city is so big, it takes half a day to walk from east to west..."

"I won't let you waste your time. Please excuse me. I have some valuables here that I would like you to take to the clerk in the business to prove our identity, right?"

"Ah, that's fine. We in the capital are actually the most helpful..."

As expected, in less than half a minute, only Lin You came back from a remote place with a businessman's ID.

　Third update
　　
　
(End of this chapter)