Chapter 97 – A Very Harmonious Town
Mind your own business?
Sol padded up, "Ada, what's going on in your town?"
"... You'll find out later." Ada didn't explain and buried her head to continue her journey.
Seeing that the other party didn't want to go into details, Saul only had to honestly follow for now.
As he got closer, he saw that there were two gates opened in one part of the town fence facing the main road.
A gate, with thick wooden stakes hooped, more than half a meter higher than the fence.
A small gate, more than two meters high and narrow.
At this time, the sky was getting duskier, the town gate was closed, and the small gate was open.
There was a cloth-armored soldier at the small entrance, holding an iron-headed wooden gun, leaning crookedly against the wall, yawning listlessly.
Saul looked around and did not see a second person dressed as a soldier.
"Ada, are there so few guards in your town? I remember the border line is right next to it, right? Is that safe?"
Ada replied with a suppressed voice, "These past few years our duchy has always been at war with the Duchy of Knares to the north. One of the town's sorcerer lords and most of the guards have been transferred over for defense."
"Huh?" Sol looked panicked, "Then who is in charge of the town's security?"
Saul's voice seemed a bit louder, causing the soldier with narrowed eyes to look up at him.
Ada hastily pulled Sol aside and smiled at the soldier.
The soldier ignored them and didn't charge Saul the entry tax he thought he would, letting them walk into the town.
After entering the town and walking for a long distance, Ada pulled Sol to a stop on a deserted street.
He frowned and looked at Saul, "There are the Sorcerer Lord's men in the town, you need to be more careful with your words in the future, don't attract their attention."
"Sorry." Sol honestly apologized, "I've suffered a lot outside and just want to find a peaceful place to settle. I'm afraid that I'll come here with great difficulty, only to realize that it can't be my home either."
Saul dropped his head, looking dejected.
Ada, who was on the opposite side of the room, saw such a Saul and was full of accusations that could not be uttered.
He wiped a handful of his sweaty short hair and said helplessly, "If there's anything, just go back and ask me. Don't talk and pry on the street."
"Okay, okay." Saul agreed in a huff.
But Saul had already decided to come out and ask around when tomorrow morning came.
After all, the gossip of the masses was a very important source of intelligence.
But in order not to influence this honest and kind Ada, he would try to find some suitable people and poke around covertly.
On the road after that, Sol behaved honestly.
Ada looked back at Saul from time to time, seeing that he obediently did not run around asking questions, his expression was satisfied.
Although it was almost dark, there were still quite a few people on the streets of the town.
The wealthy families had already started lighting their lamps, and those who were not wealthy had sped up their hands, hoping to finish all their work before dark.
Adults who had worked hard all day began to prepare for sleeping after dark.
The children were outside, trying their best to delay their return home.
Ada was silent all the way, and only nodded when greeted, unlike the one outside of town who would take it upon himself to call out to old folks he hadn't seen in years.
It wasn't until he turned into an alley that Ada's tense shoulders eased down.
The path in this alley is very rugged.
It was not comparable to the main road of the town outside, and the potholes were very difficult to navigate. I don't know if it had just rained or not, but there was a lot of water accumulated in some low places, so it was necessary to pad with stones to avoid the cloth shoes from getting wet.
Saul also followed Ada's example of stepping on stones. Only he landed a little heavy, and the stone was not flat underneath, splashing a little water, almost splashing the passersby next to him.
The passerby dodged the water and first scolded, "Be careful!" But when he saw Ada in front of Saul, he smiled.
"Yo, Ada's back?"
"Aunt Jenny." Ada flashed a goofy smile.
Aunt Jenny carried a basket in her arms and reached inside to pull out a bunch of red, sharp peppers.
"This is my freshly tanned one, take it back and eat it on a green bun." Ignoring Ada's refusal, she stuffed the peppers into the wooden basket Ada was carrying, "It's not too spicy, Penny can eat it too, she should practice her mouth too."
Aunt Jenny laughed heartily.
Ada was honest and couldn't push through, sniffing in embarrassment, she took it. Aunt Jenny, on the other hand, turned her eyes to Saul and swept them up and down with a smile on her face, "Come to visit your family, huh?"
Saul grinned and didn't answer.
Ada hurriedly took over, "It's the old folks, couldn't make it outside, came to join me."
This time Aunt Jenny's gaze became even more reckless.
"Just came to the town ah ... The young man looks quite spirited, just a little thin. Remember to work more, work will be strong."
"Alas alas." Ada responded for Saul, busy pulling Saul away.
They continued on their way, when they came face to face with a burly man with a beard carrying a skinny old man.
It was a cool early spring day, and the burly man wasn't wearing much.
His collar was open, revealing his burly pecs. A curved sword was worn on his waist, and every now and then he slapped the burly man's thighs.
"Captain Jeff!" Ada greeted him enthusiastically this time, "You've helped send the old maniac back again."
The tall man, Captain Jeff, lifted the little old man in his hand over to him.
Ada hurriedly handed over both the hoe and the wooden basket in his hand to Saul and stepped forward to receive the little old man.
"The old madman has gone to the mayor again to tell his sad past. If it wasn't for me pulling fast, he would have gotten his ass kicked today."
Captain Jeff's hand seemed to be sore as well, rubbing his wrist as he said.
As if in response, the old madman who was picked up by Ada suddenly shouted loudly.
"Goddamned savages!"
Everyone was used to lunatics coming in cold with that one.
Only Saul gave a sideways glance, but felt that the old lunatic's eyes were empty but not confused.
It didn't look like a madman, but rather like a person who had no hope of survival.
"I'll take him back then, would Captain Jeff like to come in for a drink?"
Captain Jeff waved his hand and turned away, "No, I have to get back to my patrol."
Ada watched Captain Jeff's back leave with a warm smile on her face.
At this time the old madman called out again, "You can't trade with barbarians!"
The voice was miserable.
Saul noticed that Captain Jeff, who was in the process of leaving, had a lurch in his feet, and his right hand seemed to subconsciously hold onto the scimitar at his waist.
But he didn't turn around and didn't say anything, he just kept the posture of holding the sword and left with quick steps.
Ada was so focused on shutting up the old madman in his arms that he completely failed to notice Captain Jeff's strange behavior.
"Never mind, Saul, put your stuff aside and come give us a hand."
Ada was overwhelmed by the old man's antics and had to ask the "skinny" Saul to help.
Saul threw away the wooden stick in his hand, transferred both the hoe and the wooden basket to his right hand, and with his left hand resting on the old lunatic's armpit, he gently lifted it – and set up the old lunatic, who was about to slide to the ground.
"Uh ..." Ada felt the weight pressing on his arm was much lighter, and looked at Saul unexpectedly, "You're quite strong."
Saul said unconcernedly, "I've been practicing to make a living."
"Now I really believe that you came all the way by yourself."
Together, Ada and Saul set up the old madman and turned into a small compound.
The house Ada lived in was a narrow courtyard.
This courtyard was full of houses at the front and back. A few hemp ropes were threaded through it, with underwear and outerwear, shoes and mattresses, and wild vegetable twine and all sorts of strange things hanging from them.
Through the scattered items hanging from the twine, the two men saw a man puckering his buttocks and poking his head out of the wooden window of one of the houses to look inside.
When Ada saw this, he was immediately enraged!
"Jayce! You asshole, stay away from my sister!"
Third shift!
(End of chapter)