Anglas, situated at the mouth of the Bisaro River, where most rivers from the Bisaro Mountains converged, served as the central hub of Bisaro. It was the core of the entire region in terms of transportation, politics, and economy.
Consequently, Anglas was the most prosperous city in Bisaro and its capital. The Garcia family, who controlled Anglas, naturally became the most powerful family in Bisaro, with its head serving as the governor.
Although Anglas was the most prosperous city in Bisaro, its total population was only 30,000, and most areas were dirty and messy, except for the noble district.
Aflra and her party entered the city through the east gate, the most prosperous part of Anglas. However, it wasn't as crowded as imagined, with only a few farmers venturing in to sell fur goods, game, and timber.
The ground was a gravel road, a significant improvement over the muddy roads of other small towns. Yet, sewage still flowed freely on both sides of the road, and even the middle of the street was often littered with various animal feces. From time to time, someone would pour a basin of water, releasing a wave of unpleasant odors that caused passersby to curse. Most pedestrians on both sides were wearing thin clothes, hugging their arms, shrinking their necks, and walking quickly.
Avril initially expressed excitement about opening the carriage window, but after a while, she leaned on the windowsill, looking out dejectedly. "What's the matter? It's still Anglas, it's just a bit bigger than the market," she remarked.
"This is the east gate, naturally, it's like this. Go further, it will be better. After all, the real lively place is in the market and the port," Jerem replied, riding up on horseback with a smile. He seemed genuinely happy to be finally close to his destination. "Miss Aflra, we will go to Aurora's house first. It's a gift from Miss Egasa to Miss Aurora, and Lord X and Miss Aurora both live there."
Aflra nodded, "Thank you."
After walking for a while, the surroundings gradually became more lively. Vendors lined both sides of the street, and at some intersections, bards could be seen singing and playing, or acrobatic troupes performing. Various stores, such as grocery stores, tailor shops, blacksmith shops, taverns, and grain shops, lined both sides, creating a bustling atmosphere.
Gradually, the carriage began to turn north and stopped abruptly at the most lively place, blocked by a towering city wall. Anglas was divided into three areas: the outermost city area for trading, the Sunshine District where local residents lived on the hillside, and the Wind Castle where the lords lived on the top of the mountain in the north. This was also the starting point of the city, the original Anglas Fort.
The Sunshine District was much better than the city area, with a smooth stone road and a complete sewer system, making it significantly cleaner than other areas. During the day, most people went to work in the city, leaving behind primarily the elderly, women, and children. The elderly population was sparse, women were busy with housework or helping nobles and rich people, and only a few younger children were left playing on the streets. However, due to the cold weather, even the children playing on the street were few, making the area particularly quiet.
Although the road surface had been smoothed a lot, the carriage still required considerable effort to ascend the slope. After walking for a while, the carriage stopped in front of a stable. The road ahead was no longer suitable for carriages, either due to the steep slope or the uneven terrain.
Aflra and others got off the carriage and walked up the stairs. After a short walk, they reached their destination. It was a small courtyard, and the butler knocked on the door, presenting the family crest. The servant looked at the family crest, then returned it and hurried back inside.
After a while, Aurora came out leading the way, exclaiming in surprise, "Sister Aflra!" and then rushed up.
A rigid middle-aged woman saw this scene and frowned: "Miss Aurora, please pay attention to your behavior."
"Oh, yes, Mrs. Anger." Aurora took a step back gloomily, tugged at her skirt, and squatted down, making a lady's curtsy to Egasa.
Aflra couldn't help but chuckle, reaching out to tug at Aurora's face.
Mrs. Anger spoke again: "This young lady, please respect Miss Aurora."
"Come on." Aflra didn't even look at the woman, picked up Aurora and walked inside, saying as she walked: "I'm not a noble."
"Dirty commoner, put down Miss Aurora." Mrs. Anger said, and was about to call the servants to separate Aflra and Aurora, but was stopped by Jerem.
Mrs. Anger said angrily: "Lord Jerem, are you going to protect that commoner?"
"Enough, Mrs. Anger, Miss Anger is not a commoner." Jerem said: "She is Lord James's distinguished guest."
Mrs. Anger and Jerem confronted each other for a while, and in the end, her status was much worse than Jerem's, so she had to say: "I will report to Miss Egasa."
Jerem said indifferently: "Do as you please."
Everyone entered the courtyard, Aflra teased Aurora, and asked Jerem behind: "Who is she?"
"She used to be a maid of Mrs. Belens, and later married the Anger butler of the Wind Castle, who is also the wet nurse of Miss Egasa."
Mrs. Belens was the biological mother of Egasa, and as her maid, her status was not low. Don't think that the maid sounded similar to maids and female slaves, but in fact, the status gap between the two sides was huge. Female slaves were slaves with no personal freedom; maids referred to the positions held by women from common families working for nobles, sometimes for money, sometimes for service.
As for maids, the first threshold was to have a certain family background, at least the father's generation must be the knight class, so the status can be imagined, even higher than some rich merchants. The gap between the three was unimaginable, and maids could even be said to be quasi-nobility. The butler was also the same, the status was the same as the maid, both were determined by the status of the owner. As the butler of the Wind Castle, the Garcia family's stronghold, he was a nobleman in name, and his status was only half a level lower than that of the nobles, on par with clerks and the like. Therefore, Mrs. Anger had such confidence.
However, Aflra didn't care, she made a sound, and then stopped paying attention to her, and asked about the situation of Aix. Knowing that Aix has become a knight apprentice, training every day like a dead dog, and now should still be in the barracks for hard training.