The Green Empire has just entered June, and the ant tide on the Bailin plane has not dispersed yet, but there is no trace of the ghost-striped red ants near Duodan Town.
Andrew, Samira, Gulitem and others have led the cavalry regiment to the mountains west of Nantu Town to clear out the ant colonies there.
Today is Suldak's first day at the town hall.
Selena went to the free market in the town very early. Recently, there are always some outsiders appearing in the free market. They are not familiar with the rules of Dodan Town and always have some disputes with the local vendors. Selena needs
Only by appearing in person can these turmoils be quelled.
By the time Surdak got up, the sun was already shining through the gaps in the curtains.
Signa was the only one left at home sitting at the dining table, with a glass of milk and a plate of cookies in front of her. She was curled up on a chair in the dining room, holding a magic book in her hand and reading it with gusto.
The magic notebook on the dining table is open, and Ms. Celia Cooper's upper body appears in the page, explaining a few sentences from time to time.
Signa wears a Lolita-style princess dress, with long hair shawl, trimmed very delicately and neatly.
Suldak walked over, poured a glass of water from the water bottle, picked up two slices of white bread from the basket, hurriedly spread butter on it, took the time to stuff it into his mouth, and asked Xigna vaguely:
"I see that you are very interested in these magic books recently. Is there any progress?"
Signa raised her head, her dark eyes fell on Suldak's face, and said to him very proudly: "I am learning ancient Elvish language with Teacher Cooper. If you want to learn magic, you must be proficient in this language."
,Besides...look."
With that said, Signa stretched out a finger in front of Suldak. Under Signa's brief chant, a little light blue light appeared on her fingertips.
Although Surdak only controls the Land of Holy Light, at his level, he can also feel other magical elements around him.
There is a little bit of weak water element on Xigna's fingertips, which she gathered using a spell.
Before awakening the magic pool, Xigna cannot store magic power, and the spell can only resonate with the magic elements around her.
It was for this reason that this faint light blue light appeared on her fingertips, and then quickly went out.
"Can you feel it?"
Although Surdak has never met a magic apprentice, he knows that this is how many magic apprentices perceive the magic elements at the beginning.
If Signa hadn't disliked Lance and his friends, he would have wanted Signa to learn magic with Lance.
"Well, I have Teacher Cooper to teach me, so what's so difficult about it..."
Xigna rolled her innocent eyes and said in a matter-of-fact tone.
"..."
Suldak was choked and paused for a moment.
He picked up the water glass and took a sip before saying: "If you can awaken the magic pool, then you will be a magician noble in the future. I asked Lance that there is also a magic awakening ceremony in Wilkes City, probably in August.
It will be held in the middle of August, and we will prepare to go to Wilkes in early August. It is estimated that by that time, the beast tide here will have ended."
Xigna put the thick magic book on her knees and said to Suldak:
"Okay, although I think it doesn't matter whether I participate in this awakening ceremony or not, I still listen to you."
Maybe...this is the pain of growing up.
In fact, Surdak still misses the way Signa was when she was a child. At that time, Signa could only squat by the fireplace, looking longingly at the chestnut rice porridge in the iron pot.
At that time, she was not like she is now, every word she said was like a knife.
He pinched the corners of his eyes and was a little angry at Xigna's attitude. He tried to make his voice deeper and his expression more serious, and asked Xigna: "It doesn't matter...how can it be that it doesn't matter? Don't you want to be
A magician?"
Signa spread her hands and said indifferently: "Actually, I think it would be good for me to study these magics at home with Celia."
"Look at Selena, she hasn't awakened the magic pool, but can't she still cast those magics? Those magics... I will also do it in the future."
Obviously she may not understand the essential difference between the ability to cast magic given by the 'Goddess' Advent' and her own spellcasting.
But Surdak couldn't refute it, because Selena who accepted the 'descendance of the goddess' was indeed very powerful.
Suldak said to Xigna: "...Actually, I think if Selena had the conditions to awaken the magic pool, her current achievements might be higher."
"Maybe you are right." Signa lowered her head and flipped through the magic book in her hand absentmindedly.
Surdak put the empty water cup back on the tea tray.
Seeing Suldak getting up to leave, Signa immediately asked, "Are you coming back for lunch?"
Suldak said: "No, if there is not much going on at the town hall, I will go to the military camp."
Xigna then said: "Then I will go too..."
In fact, almost all the guards at the military camp know Signa. She can come and go freely in the military camp, just like at home.
The soldiers also knew that she was Selena's daughter and she was also favored by Surdak.
…
Surdak hung his sword on his waist on the wooden stand at the door of the room.
Walking out of the small building where Selina lived, she walked directly to the town hall in the center of the town without riding a horse.
The main street of Dodan Town is busy with traffic. The main street near the square in front is being widened and needs to be re-paved with granite slabs. Moreover, the town has recently issued a new decree that no stalls are allowed in front of any buildings facing the street.
, in order to alleviate severe traffic jams.
Because he was going to the town hall, Surdak did not wear full armor, but only wore a set of tight-fitting salamander leather armor that showed off his figure.
He is tall and tall, with a blood-red crescent sword hanging on his waist. The fine linen and blood wrapped around the sword hilt merge together, as if a layer of pulp has been formed on the hilt. The shield and the Holy Light Torch are all put into a magic waist bag.
, looks very light.
While walking, Surdak was still slowly touching the throat bone on his neck, thinking about the rune language, but unfortunately there was still no progress for half a month.
Pedestrians coming and going are all residents of the town. When you usually see him, most of him is wearing full armor, riding a strong Gubo war horse, with a steel helmet on his head, and occasionally his face is covered with
Mask.
Therefore, few people know him.
Surdak blended in with the crowd, like a mercenary or adventurer coming from Wilkes City.
Some people even took the initiative to strike up a conversation and asked him if he had a regular adventure group or mercenary group. If not, you might as well join their team, which would provide good treatment and a beautiful swordsman.
Some four-wheeled trucks filled with goods were blocked on the long street, and a magic caravan was lying across the street. It was probably going to turn around, but unfortunately it was blocked tightly by trucks in front and back. Three carriage drivers stood on the roof of the car.
They were yelling at each other with riding whips in their hands.
There were two nobles sitting in the magic caravan.
A group of adventure group members were standing on the street looking idle, looking around curiously.
The vendor carrying vegetables parked his cart aside, wiping the sweat from his face, and waited for the crowd to pass by.
Some Aboriginal people carrying bags saw the heavy congestion here, so they carried their linen bags into the alley next to the main street.
On the noisy street, curses in imperial language could be heard from time to time.
The crowd of onlookers seemed to hope that the three coachmen could act like knights or nobles, taking off their white gloves if they disagreed, and throwing them at each other's feet for a duel!
What's the point of scolding like this?
However, the three parties behaved quite restrained and only cursed and did not take action.
When the town's sheriff arrived belatedly, he shyly drank the truck away, allowing the magic caravan to successfully turn around. He saw the people inside the magic caravan dressed in gorgeous clothes, and standing outside the car saluting repeatedly.
The traffic here has slowly recovered.
Surdak stood on the street, and the scenery in front of him seemed to touch the dim memory fragments in the deepest part of his heart.
…
Duodan Town has become increasingly lively in recent days.
Three hotels and a tavern were opened in succession near the main street.
When Suldak passes by here at night, he can always see a row of beautiful and slender wine girls standing at the door of the tavern. Of course, it is so early, those ale girls may still be lying in the arms of some generous drinker.
Only at dusk, they would dress themselves up and stand at the door of the pub in beautiful dresses, inviting passing guests to come in and have a drink.
As the ant tide in Duodan Town has been controlled by the garrison, mercenary groups and adventure groups can hunt red ants in the hills and mountains. Therefore, some business opportunities have emerged, and many outsiders have poured into Duodan Town.
When Suldak walked to the town hall, he saw a long queue in the yard of the town hall, apparently going to the town hall to pay taxes.
Hathaway established a tax system. Merchants need to pay taxes when conducting large transactions. If they are only traded and digested in a small town, there is no need to pay taxes, but as long as the goods are taken away from Dodan Town,
You need to pay taxes.
Otherwise, the guards at the south exit of the town will not let you pass.
Of course, tax evasion has become commonplace recently. The system adopted in Duodan Town is... once caught, the punishment will be painful.
It was just after breakfast time. The businessmen probably wanted to leave Duodan Town as soon as possible, so they went directly to the town hall to file their taxes.
Surdak did not see the Tax Officer Batra, only two young tax officers were maintaining order outside.
The magic caravan that made a temporary U-turn in the downtown area was parked next to the flower pond in the town hall yard. The coachman sat back on a chair and put his felt flip-brim hat on his face to catch up on his sleep.
Two horses were secretly nibbling on the flowers and plants in the flower pond.
Suldak walked to the gate of the town hall and looked left and right, but no one happened to recognize him.
The young female receptionist in the hall was not at her position, and she didn't know where she had gone at this time. There was only a long queue at the door, and the end of the queue had already reached the courtyard of the town hall.
Suldak stepped in, turned around and looked around in the hall for a while, and then walked directly to the stairs.
The merchants in the queue didn't know Surdak either. Seeing that he was suspected of jumping in line, someone immediately pointed at Suldak and asked:
"We are all lining up here, please go to the back and line up..."
The businessmen on the side immediately echoed: "That's right, if everyone jumps in line like this, wouldn't it be completely disorderly?"
Suldak waved his hand and said casually: "Oh, I'm not here to pay taxes. I'm going upstairs."
He didn't care about the offense caused by these businessmen.
He stepped up to the second floor, planning to go to Mrs. Luna's office first to communicate with Mrs. Luna.
Mrs. Luna still needs to be responsible for the daily management of the town. As the mayor, he just tries to keep the development trajectory of Dodan Town in line with the pace of opening up the Invercargill Forest.
As soon as she walked into Mrs. Luna's office, she heard a quarrel coming from inside.
"Aunt...why don't you say anything! When Mayor Marco was still here, he didn't say that everyone had to pay taxes before they could leave Dodan Town with their goods."
A young man's voice said sharply.
"You were still the secretary of Mayor Marco at that time. I came here to make leather sounds and never paid taxes...Now that you have become the acting mayor and the top administrator of Dodan Town, why are you still collecting taxes?
Your nephew’s taxes?”
"Batra, what's going on?"
Mrs. Luna's questioning voice came from the room...
The young man's voice became even sharper, almost roaring: "Batra, it doesn't matter if you don't know who I am, can I leave now? By the way, you also need to give me a customs clearance ticket. Without the ticket, I can't leave at all."
Duodan Town..."
"Of course, you can do it at any time, but I'm afraid you won't be able to leave Dodan Town with those goods." The voice of Tax Officer Batra came from the room, neither humble nor overbearing: "Although your aunt, Mrs. Luna, is the acting mayor,
But she has nothing to do with me. Miss Hathaway is now responsible for the taxation of Dodan Town, and the tax on this part of the transaction cannot be less than a copper penny."
"Why, my aunt is the acting mayor of Duodan Town. Doesn't her words count?" the young man shouted in a sharp voice.