Translator: Cinder Translations
...
A horse-drawn carriage was slowly traveling along a dirt road in the countryside. From the style and decorations of the carriage, it was clear that this was a vehicle meant for hire. In the trade-rich area of Horns Bay, there were numerous transportation rental services, covering everything from freight to passenger transport.
"Guest, I must say, you're quite bold, especially since you're an outsider," the driver's voice came through the window at the front of the carriage.
Friedrich Liszt chuckled helplessly. Were all the drivers in Horns Bay this talkative? He just wanted to quietly enjoy the scenery along the way.
Out of politeness, he replied, "Why do you say that?"
"Don't you know?" The driver's voice was filled with surprise. "The situation on both sides has become increasingly tense lately."
Liszt understood that the "two sides" the driver referred to were the coastal countries led by the Horns Bay Alliance and the inland countries led by Collins.
The overt conflict revolved around whether to continue the witch-hunting campaign that had persisted for many years. However, Liszt, who had lived in Horns Bay for a long time, understood that the essence of the conflict stemmed from economic interests.
The coastal countries had long held a monopoly on maritime trade, profiting immensely each year, while the inland countries could only rely on their underdeveloped agriculture and handicrafts to earn some external profits with local specialty products like tea and silk. Even that required the coastal merchants' ships; those who controlled maritime transport often used various means to lower purchase prices, which understandably provoked the resentment of inland countries like Collins.
Compounding this issue was the fact that the Papacy had chosen to establish the residence of the Horns Bay Archbishop in the inland country of Collins. The revenue from the Horns Bay Church's industries and the tithes collected throughout the region—these constituted a significant portion of the Church's income—were all funneled into Collins. After the Horns Bay Church paid its share to the Papacy, the remaining funds were primarily spent in Collins and its surrounding inland countries. As a result, many people in the inland relied on the Church for their livelihoods, with many even directly receiving alms from it.
This biased financial policy of the Horns Bay Church cultivated a large number of devout believers in the inland, leading to a profoundly religious atmosphere, especially in Collins, where everyone from the king to the slaves were loyal followers of the Light God.
However, this also caused strong discontent among the coastal countries, which generally believed that the Horns Bay Church was engaging in wealth redistribution.
In recent years, the witch-hunting campaign had unprecedentedly disrupted normal trade activities in coastal areas, culminating in an incident where Church envoys were thrown out of a window in the capital of the Horns Bay Alliance. This was soon followed by the widespread dissemination of a new religious sect that aimed to resist the Horns Bay Church's control, further escalating the long-standing tensions between both sides.
Hearing the driver's words, Liszt retorted, "Aren't you often on this road? Aren't you worried about yourself?"
The driver turned around and grinned through the window. "We people who make a living running back and forth naturally have our own ways. Don't worry, guest. If anyone tries to stop us on the road, just leave it to me to handle it. But, heh, you'd better be alert too…"
The driver's words began to raise concerns in Liszt's mind. Although he had prepared himself for potential trouble on the road, he had a compelling reason for his journey—there was a prominent noble in Collins who had contacted Todd Shipping's office in Niceport. He wanted to export his silk and tea through the Aldorian route.
Given the recent situation, merchants from the Northwestern Bay had taken a considerable amount of business that previously belonged to Horns Bay traders. On one hand, the coastal countries sought to economically pressure the inland; on the other, the inland people were tired of enduring the cunning ways of coastal merchants.
Just as Liszt began to feel apprehensive, dust rose from the distance along the road.
A group of people quickly rushed to surround the carriage.
"Stop! Who's in there?" shouted the leader, riding a tall horse and glaring fiercely at the carriage.
Feeling very tense, Liszt recalled the driver's earlier words about letting him handle everything. The driver immediately jumped down and ran to the front of the leader's horse, where they exchanged words.
Then, the leader shook the reins and approached the carriage, speaking sternly: "Aldorians! We are the witch hunters of Collins. Get down and submit to inspection!"
Reluctantly, Liszt opened the carriage door and stood cautiously on the ground, bowing slightly toward the man.
"Sir, I am on my way to Collins to discuss business with Earl Bridges." He thought mentioning the noble's name might prompt a more polite reaction, but instead, the man muttered, "Another deceitful merchant."
Liszt fell silent, frightened.
The leader first held a stone against Liszt's body, examining him from top to bottom, front to back, while mumbling—seemingly reciting a passage from the scripture.
Nothing unusual occurred. "Alright, you're not a wizard, but…" He signaled to his followers, who brought over a box.
The leader reached in and pulled out a piece of paper with something hastily scribbled on it.
"Listen, you godless heathens. Your sins have accumulated to an unmanageable degree, and ordinary means can no longer cleanse you. However, our kind servants of God in Collins pray devoutly to the Lord of Light day and night, producing these holy charms—indulgences! As long as you offer directly to the Father, you'll receive one, and then your sins can be cleansed—only the past ones, mind you. Otherwise, heh heh, you'll just have to wait to burn forever in the flames of hell after death!"
Liszt was dumbfounded. Was this really a thing? What did "offer directly" even mean? He saw the driver nearby making a universal gesture for money. Oh, so it was about paying!
"Sir, I am also a follower of the Lord of Light," Liszt said, smiling as he took out the holy symbol he carried with him.
The leader's eyes bulged in anger, resembling an enraged bull. "Listen here, Aldorian. Do you think faith is just for show? I can see right through you; your faith is not sincere at all. Look at your eyes, filled with greed for money."
Liszt wanted to argue, but the man didn't give him a chance to speak.
"My eyes, blessed by the servants of God, will not deceive me! Those burdened with sin have no right to enter Collins!"
His followers began to stir, interspersed with many Horns Bay slang terms that Liszt couldn't understand.
Wiping the cold sweat from his forehead, Liszt noticed the driver making frantic gestures at him.
"Alright, sir, how much should I offer to the Father?" he compromised, realizing the importance of the matter.
"One silver coin!" the leader replied in a booming voice.
So expensive? It was just a piece of paper!
However, Liszt knew that this man was not one to negotiate with, so he obediently pulled out the money.
After the group received the payment, they left, grumbling.
Finally, they could resume their journey...
(End of the Chapter)
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