Chapter 8: Maiden Under The Moon
The iron bell hanging on the horse carriage swayed, accompanied by a crisp sound, as the merchant caravan slowly advanced along the road on the mountain slope.
“That should be Jiaoshi City, right?”
Xilutiya looked out the window at the city built against the mountain, just like its name, the stone bricks above bore many scorch marks, as if it had experienced a great fire.
“That’s right, we’ll arrive at Jiaoshi City soon.” Merchant Fanderxi rode his horse past the horse carriage Xilutiya was in.
“After arriving at Jiaoshi City, we’ll rest for a longer time, replenish goods, and sell the acquired items to the merchant guild in the city.”
“Doesn’t Mister Fanderxi sell them to the citizens in the city himself?” Xilutiya was somewhat surprised.
“This is different from the situation in the village.” He shook his head.
“The marketplace fees in the city aren’t cheap, and secondly, handling so many goods would take a very long time, which isn’t cost-effective at all.”
“Finally, the merchant guild in the city is powerful; a wandering merchant like me can’t compete with them. To avoid conflict, selling the goods directly to them is the best choice.”
“I see.”
As the group talked, the merchant caravan gradually reached the main gate, undergoing inspection by the guards.
The process didn’t take much time; these guards simply recorded the number of vehicles and the general goods, and soon let them pass. As for the horse carriage Xilutiya was in, they didn’t even look at it.
“Go.” Shaking the reins, the coachman urged the packhorse forward.
Entering the stone slab roads in the city, the horse carriage became steady, and Xilutiya also observed the scenery along the streets through the gap in the window.
The city was quite lively, with many villagers and peddlers from the surroundings walking along the streets, selling daily necessities and some local food.
At this time, Xilutiya also noticed a few special people; they wore short capes, shouldered weapons including double-bladed axes, broadswords, spears, and some carried bow and arrow on their backs. Compared to ordinary passersby, they were clearly more confident and flamboyant, and they spent generously when buying things.
“Those are adventurers.” Talil saw the people Xilutiya was looking at and spoke up to explain.
“Grandfather was an adventurer before; they take tasks posted by the local guild and complete them to receive rewards.”
“How strong are these people?” Xilutiya blinked her eyes slightly; her Discernment Eyes told her that although these people hadn’t reached first order nature yet, their strength was much greater than ordinary guards, and one person’s breathing technique had even reached the second stage.
“Adventurers’ strengths vary widely; the more capable ones are first order, and stronger ones are rare.” Talil answered.
“But my grandfather was a second order adventurer before, very strong.” No wonder that old man had such a big temper, and even Frien didn’t dare to contradict him.
To have second order strength in his youth made him a rare powerful figure in this region, and it made sense that he was on good terms with the previous generation Baron Holin.
Arriving at a large inn in the city, after Fanderxi communicated with the boss for a while, the horse carriage drove into the backyard to park, and at this time Talil and Xilutiya also got off the carriage.
The stable was mixed with the smell of damp hay, animal feces, and livestock body odor, but fortunately it was open-air, so the smell wasn’t too heavy. After getting off the carriage, Xilutiya slightly covered her face with her sleeve, then her eyes under the hood curiously looked around.
Just after leaving the backyard and entering the inn’s front hall, a member of the merchant caravan came over.
“Miss Tiya, Lord Fanderxi invites you to join him for dinner.”
“Where is it?” From the other’s tone, it seemed they weren’t dining at the inn.
“At Glia Restaurant in the city; I’ll escort you there.” The other bowed and made a gesture.
Afterward, Xilutiya and Talil followed him along the street, and about two minutes later, they arrived at a street-side restaurant.
Here, arched windows were decorated with colored glass, and the main door was made of glass and curtains, looking exceptionally elegant.
Pushing open the door to enter, several maids guarding the door side stepped forward to guide, leading Xilutiya to the elegant seats on the second floor, where curtains separated several window-side dining tables, creating a quiet environment, while Talil stayed on the first floor with the merchant caravan youth to dine.
Entering one of the compartments, Fanderxi was already seated by then; he had taken off his felt hat and placed it aside, his gray bear-like body leaning back on the chair, showing a rare sense of relaxation.
“Miss Tiya has arrived.” He half-stood to greet, then sat back down.
After these days of interaction, he and Xilutiya had become somewhat familiar, no longer as cautious and flattering as at the beginning.
“Sit down; the food here is very delicious, sure not to disappoint you.” He guaranteed.
“Then I’ll look forward to it.” Xilutiya smiled, slightly lowering her head in thanks.
Seeing the silver-haired maiden opposite smile, Fanderxi was stunned for a few seconds, then shook his head again.
“Miss Tiya’s beauty is truly hard to resist.” He sighed.
Actually, he was no longer sure if she was really a noble, but this temperament and appearance probably surpassed even some great noble heirs, which was why he was willing to invest friendship in this maiden.
“Thank you for your compliment.” Regarding praises of her appearance, Xilutiya had heard them countless times these days; even with mental preparation, she still felt slightly shy each time.
Speaking of which, being good-looking was indeed a fortunate thing, but it occasionally brought some trouble; she was already considering whether to wear a veil when going out in the future.
The two casually chatted about their experiences these days; Fanderxi said he would stay in the city for a while and knew Xilutiya had just arrived in Jiaoshi City, surely needing help in many places.
“What are Miss Tiya’s plans for the future?”
“Me? Probably first find a place to live in the city, then prepare to find a job, then study some knowledge, and plan future matters afterward.” Who could say for sure about the future?
Hearing this, Fanderxi didn’t immediately suggest anything but stroked his big beard and thought for a moment.
“I’m a merchant with no power in the city, but I can arrange a place for Miss Tiya to live; it’s a place I used in the past, but I rarely stay in Jiaoshi City on weekdays, so it’s been vacant.”
“This is truly troubling you; I’ll remember this favor.” Even knowing the other was investing out of profit considerations, Xilutiya still felt a surge of gratitude; otherwise, with her current situation, settling down in the city alone would be very difficult.
“Hahaha, these are small matters.” Seeing Xilutiya express herself this way, he felt much relieved, at least seeing some hope of return on his investment.
If Xilutiya had an indifferent attitude with some arrogance and pickiness, he probably wouldn’t dare invest too much help, to avoid losses.
Shortly after, the restaurant’s waiter brought the prepared dinner and placed it on the dining table, opening the cover, a wave of aromatic hot steam overflowed.
In the silver platter was a roasted large goose, its skin golden and crispy, surrounded below by matching red berries and roasted celery.
“Mister, should we cut it open now?” The waiter bowed and asked.
“Let’s admire it a bit longer; every time I feel the food made by Chef Martin is like art.” He praised the restaurant’s head chef.
The waiter understood the meaning and carefully rotated the platter, trying to let the two appreciate the golden-roasted large goose from various angles.
Even for Xilutiya who possessed memories from her previous life, this was a rare feast; curiosity shone in her eyes, and information about this dish surfaced in her mind.
【Roast White Goose】（Quality: Excellent）: After removing the innards, fill the goose belly with bread, orange segments, and spices, then coat the goose skin with butter and bake, finally sprinkle with pepper and a little sauce; excellent flavor and texture.
After appreciating, the waiter took out a carving knife to cut open the goose belly, took out the bread inside and portioned it, paired with small pieces of goose meat, then placed them on the two people’s platters.
“Please enjoy.” After handling the roast goose, this waiter respectfully departed.
Xilutiya used a fork to take a small piece from her platter and put it in her mouth; the heat mixed with the sweet aroma of butter, and upon biting, first came the taste of pepper and meat, followed by the softness of breadcrumbs, blending together as the juices spread in her mouth, activating her taste buds.
Phew…
After eating this piece, she exhaled in small breaths to cool her scalding tongue.
Seeing the maiden’s cute appearance, Fanderxi had to shift his gaze again, or he felt he would melt in that strange charm emanating from her.
Even the kingdom’s princess wouldn’t be cuter or more enchanting than this, he thought; if this maiden entered the noble upper echelons, she would attract countless young talents to vie for her. If he were ten years younger, he might join the pursuit, even if the hope was slim, but now… his early ambitions had long dissipated.
……
While enjoying the delicacies, Fanderxi brought up Xilutiya’s age.
“About 15-16 years old.”
She inferred her age based on Talil’s; Talil was just over 16 now, and their height difference wasn’t large.
“16 years old.” Fanderxi slightly examined Xilutiya’s appearance; her facial contours were slightly soft, not fully matured, indeed looking about right.
“At 16, it won’t be easy for Miss Tiya to find a job.” He pondered.
“There will always be a way.” In her previous life, Xilutiya had already left university and worked for several years, so she wasn’t too worried about this.
Worst case, live simply, save expenses; in this world with extraordinary power, more importantly how to improve strength.
“Does Mister Fanderxi know anywhere to learn knowledge about extraordinary nature advancement?”
“I happen to know some, or rather, anyone with some ambition would inquire; hehehe.” He smiled, raising his wine glass and gently shaking it.
“For ordinary commoners, the most common path is joining the army or a noble’s guard; they teach ‘Candle Keep’ nature-related knowledge, various combat techniques, etc. If you’re extremely talented and reach second order before forty, even from humble origins, you’ll gain much respect.”
“But for the true upper class, I mean this country’s rulers and top figures, reaching third order is the real beginning.”
“Third order ‘Candle Keep’ nature, you qualify to pledge loyalty to a monarch or great noble, become a knight under them, and gain your own fiefdom—at worst a village, good performance could get a town.”
“The king’s subordinates often have a knight order of powerful armed forces, each a third order or above knight; singly they can slaughter villages and destroy towns, subjugate powerful beasts in the mountain forest, and are stars and mighty powers on the battlefield.”
“Each knight paired with 3-4 second order ‘Candle Keep’ knight attendants forms a steel legion of thousands, sweeping the entire battlefield, breaking any defensive line, invincible.”
“The Regas Kingdom we are in now, its founding monarch was hailed as the ‘Knight King’; hundreds of years ago, he led the Fir Knights in twenty-seven consecutive battles, the ice-cracked swallow-tailed flag fluttering, thousands of spears like thunder spears tearing through cold fog, crushing countless enemies and local tribal forces, finally establishing the capital at White Cliff City, carving out his own nation amid these mountains.”
“But these are all things from long ago; now Regas Kingdom’s strength is far inferior to the past, downgraded from kingdom to duchy.” He shook his head slightly.
“Besides this most common path, next is joining various guilds and organizations; smaller ones like ‘Delicacy Guild’, ‘Gardener Guild’, ‘Stone Mason Guild’, etc., they have knowledge and secret arts for related classes 1-2 order; larger guilds like ‘Apothecary Guild’, ‘Forging Guild’, ‘Thieves Guild’, etc., have knowledge and secret arts for related classes 1-3 order.”
“Only these? I heard Talil mention the ‘Candle Fort School’.” Xilutiya was puzzled.
“Oh, right, yes; her sister Winnie studied under Scholar Heide.” Fanderxi twirled his mustache and answered.
“The ‘Candle Fort School’ is different from the other guilds and organizations I mentioned; they are a powerful organization beyond the state, even many kingdoms rely on them to solve problems.”
“I don’t know much about the ‘Candle Fort School’; after all, I’m just a small merchant. The only thing I know is that many noble staff and advisors in Regas Duchy come from that school; scholars certified with the Candle Fort badge are highly respected in this land, even nobles treat them politely.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
Their meal gradually came to an end.
After enjoying the rare delicacies, Xilutiya and Fanderxi went downstairs, then together with waiting Talil and the merchant caravan youth, boarded the waiting horse carriage back to the inn.
That night passed peacefully.
The next day, Fanderxi had people clean the long-vacant house thoroughly and furnish a new bed, handing it over to Xilutiya to live in.
After getting the key, Xilutiya and Talil wandered around the house inside and out for a good while, looking around.
“This is East City District; though not as affluent and luxurious as West City District, it’s still a very good location.” Talil introduced to Xilutiya.
“North City District is where Viscount Xue Feng’s Castle is; ordinary people can’t enter there. West City District houses rich people and a few nobles; East City District is generally free commoners and some professionals; South City District is also called Lower City, where many poor people live.”
This house wasn’t large; the first floor was for normal living, with five rooms including a living room, a kitchen, a washroom, and two bedrooms; upstairs was an attic for storing miscellaneous items, not much space.
Behind the house was a small courtyard five meters wide, planted with some flowers and grass, though most were now withered, with quite a few weeds.
Indeed not large, but Xilutiya was very satisfied; much better than the place she rented while working in a big city before.
The next day, people Fanderxi found helped clean the entire house, after which Xilutiya settled in; Talil would temporarily stay here too for now, the two keeping each other company.
At night, after washing up, the two sat in the small courtyard behind the house in their pajamas; the evening cool breeze blew, dispersing the lingering water vapor on their bodies, bringing a comfortable feeling.
Xilutiya leaned on the tall wooden chair, her snowy nightgown revealing ankles that gently swayed; she tilted her head back to gaze at the night sky, rarely seeing the moon today.
The grayish-white moon faintly had dark marks and patterns, like flaws in jade, but these flaws made the moon seem more real and clear, no longer illusory.
Bathed in moonlight, the maiden felt a faint lightness, as if after fully relaxing, she could float lightly up to the moon.
Unfortunately, opening her eyes revealed it was just an illusion.
“Tiya, just now it seemed like a layer of faint veil draped over you, the color just like moonlight.” Talil’s eyes showed curiosity at this moment.
“No, maybe it was my illusion; I can’t see it now.”
“Mm.” Xilutiya shifted her gaze back to the ground, looking at Talil beside her.
Probably she really had a strange affinity with the moon.
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