Chapter 298: Nine Bays City
Chapter 298: Nine Bays City
On an early morning in late July, a small boat emerged from the mist-shrouded forest.
The swaying boat navigated downstream along the Twilight River, one of the three rivers of Nine Bays City, and finally reached the city located in the center of the Forest Courtyard world.
The boat then docked at the riverbank.
The two on board returned to land and abandoned the small boat.
The woman gave some money to the man, who then carried a brown-yellow horse, and together they headed towards Nine Bays City.
These two, of course, were Lindsey and Elaine.
Another month had passed.
Normally, Elaine's beloved horse should have been taken care of in the villages and towns along the way, either recovering or passing away.
But this time, the horse's pneumonia seemed to be related to some foreign object.
After a brief improvement, it soon relapsed, leaving even less capable physicians helpless.
So until the very end, the two were still traveling with a sick horse.
As they approached the final stretch of the journey into the city, Lindsey didn't mind carrying the horse.
On their way to the city, he joked with Elaine:
"Elaine, we've put quite some effort into this horse, haven't we?"
Elaine smiled and replied:
"Who's to say otherwise?"
Lindsey continued, asking:
"Haven't you ever thought of selling the horse along the way, just like any other cargo?"
"If we were in another world, I would have sold it long ago!" Elaine cried out, "But in a world like Forest Courtyard, buying a horse isn't a small matter. I'd definitely be at a huge loss if I disposed of it casually!"
"To sell it at a reasonable price, we'd need a big city like Nine Bays City."
Lindsey could understand Elaine's thoughts.
The environment of Forest Courtyard isn't suitable for raising horses.
And the local beasts used for cargo transportation haven't been successfully domesticated yet, so the prices of such livestock are still high.
Before long, the two arrived at the outskirts of Nine Bays City.
The nearby three rivers crisscrossed within the city, and the gate they approached was built at the exit of one of the rivers.
Although there were other residents coming and going, Elaine with a mournful face and Lindsey, dressed in a fisherman's set and carrying a horse, still drew too much attention.
The guards on the bridge spotted them from a distance.
A middle-aged guard informed his companion and hurried over:
"You two... Are you Awakened Beings?"
Ordinary people wouldn't be carrying a horse around casually.
The guard didn't dare to be negligent.
Without saying a word, Lindsey let Elaine handle the negotiation:
"I'm a Merchant, and this is my assistant."
"We came from Lookout City, and the horse fell ill on the way. So, we had to resort to this eye-catching method."
"I understand, Merchant lady." The guard nodded and proceeded with the routine entry questions, "Have you had any previous entry records in Nine Bays City?"
Elaine took out a badge engraved with a twin serpent pattern and handed it over for inspection.
At the same time, she introduced herself:
"Of course, I'm Elaine, and my name is also registered in the Merchant Guild within the city."
As the guard inspected the badge, he cautiously glanced at Lindsey, who was carrying the horse behind her:
"And this gentleman..."
Elaine suddenly asked:
"The path from Black Mountain World to the Cosmic Border is being reopened. You should have received the news, right?"
The guard nodded naturally:
"Of course, the messenger brought the news two months ago."
Elaine patted the guard's shoulder with a smile, and several copper coins slipped from her fingertips into his pocket:
"He's the Awakened Being I hired over there.
"Rest assured, this guy is just a Gamer with a bit of strength..."
The guards were already reluctant to provoke the Awakener, let alone when he had given them a tip and had a record of recognition within the city.
After such negotiations, Lindsey successfully obtained the identity to enter the city.
They then headed towards the commercial district of Nine Bays City.
The two, who had accompanied each other all the way here, finally reached the moment of parting.
This time, Lindsey didn't playfully tease Elaine; instead, he specifically brought the merchant girl's horse to the Merchant Guild before preparing to leave quietly.
Elaine chased after him, her tone anxious:
"Lindsey, are you leaving?"
Lindsey nodded:
"You have your business to attend to, and I have my own matters to handle."
"..."
"Then I wish you good luck."
Elaine's expression suddenly changed from anxious to a gentle smile.
She leaned in, hugging Lindsey like a close friend bidding farewell, and whispered softly:
"Here in Nine Bays City, I can still help you with the identity issue for entering the city."
"But for Transcendent City, you'll have to figure it out yourself."
"Be careful..."
Leaving this reminder, the merchant girl turned and walked into the Merchant Guild without looking back.
Lindsey stood at the entrance.
Soon, he heard the girl complaining about her misfortunes during the journey and haggling over the price of the horse.
"Well then, I wish you prosperous business."
Lindsey bid farewell quietly.
During this journey of over three months, although the two had their fair share of scheming and bickering, they had become genuine friends.
Otherwise, with the merchant's profit-seeking nature, Elaine wouldn't have helped him with the identity issue for free, let alone chase after him to give a reminder at their final parting.
Bidding farewell to this chance-met merchant friend, Lindsey turned and walked alone through Nine Bays City.
Compared to Lookout City, located at the edge of the world, this city featured not only the most commonly seen wooden structures but also many stone or brick buildings.
However, the most eye-catching feature was still the three rivers.
Echo Valley River, Commerce River, and Twilight River.
These three rivers originally converged in pairs within the Forest Courtyard, yet they didn't merge into a single river.
Nine Bays City was built at this location, encompassing all the river bends of the three rivers.
From any spot within the city,
Just by crossing two blocks, one could see the flowing rivers within the city.
But unlike the water city of Venice, the entire city didn't float on the water's surface; it remained a land-based city.
"But if there's a flood during the rainy season..."
"Won't the city get flooded?"
This question naturally arose in Lindsey's mind.
The Forest Courtyard's seasonal changes weren't very distinct; instead, the rainy and dry seasons intertwined, dominating the climate of this world.
After walking for a while, Lindsey stopped pondering this issue.
He realized the nature of this world:
"After all, there are Awakened Beings here, and they might have a way to deal with it."
Lindsey's thoughts gradually shifted to the true purpose of his journey.
The physician who had treated the organizer's injuries—Mr. Tang.
"So, I should probably go to the Town Hall or somewhere similar to inquire about the situation first."
"And he's not someone I know personally."
"If I want to request treatment, I'll likely need to pay a price."
(End of Chapter)
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