All this made the old man feel helpless. He was indeed old. When he was young, he had never felt so powerless when he rode around on a horse all day. Countless long journeys, rough journeys and narrow escapes were a long time in the past for him. Years did not forgive others, and he was already an old man who was dying and could no longer withstand the bumps of the road. It was time to retire.
Along the way, the old man endured the pain of the bumpy road on his old body. Perhaps this would be his last long journey, and his last adventure. The journey to Cherlsborough was not long, but to a group of weary people, the road was too long, as if it had no end.
Although people feel this way, the road is not lengthened by feeling. As the sun gradually sets westward, the city gate of Cherlsborough finally appears in front of everyone.
Ivan had never been to Chersbourg. Chersbourg was the capital of southern Franz and one of the largest cities in the entire Kingdom of Franz. Ivan had long been curious and yearning for this capital city.
From a distance, it looks like a fortress, with two-metre-wide arrows every few steps on the towering walls. Unlike the fortress described in the book, there are no shooting holes on the outer walls of Chersborg, and the entire city wall is made of huge blue strips. To make up for the lack of defensive firepower, five huge three-story towers are built on each wall, and the towers are covered with arrow holes.
Ivan followed behind Mr. Hyde and the others and rode slowly towards the city gate. The huge city gate was more than three meters high, and the two door panels seemed to be made of iron, but in fact they were wrapped in a thick layer of iron, which was made of wood. The real defense function was the fence gate on the top of the city gate, which was completely cast with pig iron. It seemed to weigh at least two tons, so it was no wonder that such a large winch was placed on the city tower. At the gate of the city, there was a team of guards, and the iron helmets on their heads were the only defense gear that could really save their lives. The decorative effect of the thick cotton robe was far greater than the defensive effect.
Ivan was very familiar with the emblem of Thursborough embroidered on the chest of these guards, because it was also the emblem of the Medin family. One shield was painted with wolves and elk, two animals that could never get along peacefully in nature. The shield pattern was a black and blue rhombus pattern, and the cloth robes on the soldiers were also this color. Ivan felt that these soldiers wore this dress, which was a bit like a circus clown, but the clown clothes were usually white and red.
It was quite lively outside the city gate. On the road that stretched from the city gate to the edge of the forest, rows of houses were neatly built, which looked a little simple, mostly made of wood, and there were very few houses with bricks and tiles. The side of these houses facing the street was all paved, which was similar to Nangang, and the downstairs must be where warehouses or hired workers lived. However, unlike Nangang, the shops here sold daily necessities, and firewood, rice, oil, salt, pots and pans were the biggest business. Across the street, there were bursts of chickens crowing, ducks crowing, and pigs purring. People came out of the street with vegetables, melons, fruits, or chicken, ducks, and fish in their hands. It seemed that there was a vegetable market there. Perhaps because it was the afternoon, there were not many people in the market. The clerk in the store leaned against the counter and dozed off, and the shopkeeper disappeared. He probably went to the back to rest.
Ivan and his party were dressed in shabby clothes. The night's fight left everyone but Herbert covered in blood, which mixed with dust and dirt, mottled and very eye-catching. Although it was late autumn, the running all the way made Ted, Audrey, and Mr. Hyde sweaty. The three of them looked exhausted, and Ted's face turned pale. On the road just now, the wound on his thigh burst again, and the blood not only stained the breeches completely red, but even the saddle was covered with blood.
For such a group of people to enter the city, the guards should naturally be vigilant. Fortunately, although Mr. Hyde and Audrey were embarrassed, their imposing manner and demeanor let the guards know that these people were not simple. When there is no war in Chersborough, there is no need to check the city gate. But because the last heir of the lord was killed in Southport, the murderer's cruel methods caused panic among the people. In addition, almost all the nobles in the south of Franz gathered in Chersborough to participate in the memorial ceremony of the little heir. At this time, no one can afford a little accident, so the guards on guard at the city gate must check in detail for those who are suspicious. If Mr. Hyde and the others are not suspicious, then no one can have this title. However, those few guards were not stupid. The group of people in front of them consisted of old people and children. Although their bodies were covered in dust and blood, they were definitely not like desperadoes, but more like rich merchants who had been looted.
"Welcome to Thursburg, gentlemen. Can you tell me what happened along the way?" asked a slightly plump officer running from the city gate. Ivan glanced at the officer, a broad round face that was not fat, but could not find his chin, his forehead was slightly bald, and his puffy eye sacs made him look like the elderly. As an officer, he wore a one-piece breastplate and a large copper basin helmet topped with fluffy ostrich feathers.
"I'm Lord Kewiele Egret Hyde. I met a gangster on the way and we were attacked." Mr. Hyde said.
"Gangsters? Oh, you said there are gangsters? It seems that the south is indeed not peaceful. They have just killed an heir to the lord, and they have started robbing along the road again. Don't worry, I will definitely report to the military commander, and those gangsters will definitely be hanged on the gallows." The officer said with a smile on his face, "Lord, where are you going now? Do you want to go to the sheriff's office to report the case, or find a hotel to rest first?"
"I have to go to the church first. One of my loyal servants was wounded in this attack. Divine protection is what we need most now," Mr. Hyde said.
The officer knew without anyone's guidance that the injured man must be Ted, because his bloodless face and the blood trickling down the saddle were proof of it all.
"Yes, yes, I can see that your brave bodyguards need the priests' treatment and adequate rest now. However, it may be difficult for the priests in the church to find time now. You don't know that today is the last day of the wake, which is related to whether our respected lord heirs can safely ascend to heaven. Moreover, the nobles living in Pitton have just arrived, and they have arrived an hour before you, and they must be paying their respects now."
"The nobles of Pitton? There is a Baron Ronna, have they arrived too?" Mr. Hyde asked.
"Baron Ronna? Oh yes, and his beautiful daughter. They came together, with a total of more than 30 carriages, and the Baron Ronna family was the most eye-catching." The officer replied with a smile, "They went directly to the church."
"Okay, thank you. Can we go into the city now?" Mr. Hyde asked.
"Lord, please." The officer saluted respectfully.
Ivan followed behind Mr. Hyde and rode into Thursburg. Passing through the city gate, his eyes suddenly brightened. After all, Thursburg was a big city. Although it was not necessarily more prosperous than Southport, it was much more magnificent in terms of its momentum. There were countless tall buildings built around, not the usual two or three floors, but real tall buildings.
A plaza full of statues is also something rarely seen in Southport. For Southport, where every inch of land is precious, it is unimaginable that such a large piece of land will be vacated. There are many magnificent buildings made of marble in Southport, which are not found anywhere else. In Southport and Laier, the most luxurious manors are only made of brick and stone, and at most the floors are paved with marble, just like Mr. Hyde's manor. In addition to the completely different construction materials, the buildings are surrounded by exquisite carvings. Although they are not perfect works of art, the value of these sculptures may not be inferior to the building itself.
Compared to Southport and Lyle, another distinguishing feature of Thursburgh is its long history. The roads are lined with buildings from the time of Franz VII or IX. It is undeniable that the most powerful period in Franz history was the time of Franz V. At that time, Franz was almost king of the world, but the wise and mighty Fifth His Majesty did not make any cultural achievements. And Franz VI, who is famous for his decadence in the history books, was undoubtedly a genius in many other fields besides not being a good king. This genius created a climax in Franz culture for the next hundred years. During this hundred years, there have been countless talented artists, and their achievements are few that can be surpassed. The architectural art of the Francis VII period has since become extinct, and although many styles have been systematically preserved, there have never been so many magnificent buildings that are remembered forever.
Walking among these buildings of different eras and looking at the works of art created by the masters, Ivan seemed to have entered a long historical corridor, where the great achievements of various historical periods were gathered. Looking at all this, Ivan was deeply intoxicated.
Just as Ivan was fascinated by all this, their destination, the Cathedral of Cherlsborg, appeared in front of them. If there is any building in Cherlsborg that is the most magnificent, it is undoubtedly this cathedral. More than 3,000 columns carved in white marble surround the church, each with an angel carved at the bottom. The front of the church has more than 20 marble steps extending, which are no different from a square. The front of the church is a tower more than ten meters high, and the front of the tower faces one side of the square with a huge parquet glass window sill. The gate of the church is not as wide as the city gate, but it is about the same height. The sides of the gate are decorated with numerous statues, which are definitely real works of art.
The most conspicuous place of the cathedral is far from the ten-meter-high tower, but the most breathtaking thing is the magnificent dome. The huge dome shows a perfect arc, and the simple shape does not need any sculpture to decorate, and the huge dome itself is a stunning masterpiece. Ivan now knows why so many architects and artists have a soft spot for the big dome, because this ingenious design really gives people a feeling of perfection that is hard to tell.
Ivan was completely fascinated by all this, and he stood at the door of the cathedral and lingered. If it wasn't for Audrey pulling him, he might have been separated from the crowd long ago.
Entering the cathedral, everything inside feels very different from the magnificent exterior of the cathedral. The main feature of the cathedral's exterior is its grandeur and simplicity. Entering the cathedral, the first impression is that it is magnificent. The entire hall is covered with gold leaf, which has been carefully carved into beautiful patterns. Countless marble statues are used to decorate this sacred temple, and all the works placed here are fine art. Sunlight penetrates through the stained parquet glass windows, giving everything in the hall a beautiful color. A golden sunlight shone straight from the roof. This sacred and solemn scene reminded Ivan of the first time he met Teacher Lavash. Compared with the green light beam in the teacher's laboratory, this golden sunlight lacked the mysterious color, but it had a solemn atmosphere.
Just as Ivan was immersed in this sacred and magnificent scene, he suddenly heard a cry in the distance: "Oh, my dear old friends, what's wrong with you? My God."