Under the dark night sky, somewhere in the noisy city-state, a bright firework shot straight into the sky, accompanied by people's shouts and cheers, and finally bloomed in the cold night. // Fastest update //.
The November night is so cold, but it cannot stop the enthusiasm of people in the darkness. The poor people gather together to pray to the gods in the dark. The older people accompany their wives or husbands
Beside them, they talk to each other about the hardships and gains of the year. The children run wildly along the open streets. At this time, there will always be no knights riding tall horses. The streets in the city are lively and crowded.
But at least it’s safe. Pickpockets and pickpockets are also facing the best time of the year. The difference between them is that one has his hands very busy, while the other is using his hands that can’t be closed.
Legs bring good fortune.
Young people date by the river, in the woods, or in abandoned mines. The throbbing of hormones is often accompanied by uncontrollable youthful passion. The blazing flames are as turbulent and brilliant as meteors streaking across the night sky. Sweet vows.
Catalyzing all of this, in this era where reality is as cruel as hell, allowing a little fantasy is the last comfort for people to survive. Even if the fantasy is just a dream afterward, they are willing to immerse themselves in this moment.
Because this moment is one of the rare moments when the hard-working civilians can feel the so-called "happiness".
So the middle-aged people hugged each other and cried, the young people were addicted to their first love, and the children danced excitedly for a trivial toy. And the old people - there are no old people in this era, and most civilians have already passed away before they grow old.
Death. For the civilians oppressed by dragons, growing old is actually a very luxurious thing.
This is the Tuesday of the first week of November, the Harvest Festival celebrated by everyone. Although the Harvest Festival was only celebrated by humans at the beginning, due to the traditional customs and the amazing appeal of this festival, the dragon people finally had to accept it.
This festival. Although there are still some people among the top officials of the Ruha Empire who are quite critical of this festival that originated from the Ember people. However, this kind of opposition started when the old emperor first personally experienced a harvest festival being held somewhere.
After the grand occasion, he disappeared without a trace.
Without a doubt, this is the most exciting day of the year, for every city.
Big Pudding City is no exception.
As one of the few large cities in the south, Big Pudding City is the territory of the dragon noble Earl Lyle. Different from the stubborn northern nobles, Earl Lyle is not a militant, but an out-and-out business genius.
He did not isolate himself from ordinary people with tall and cold city walls and loyal soldiers like other northern nobles. On the contrary, from the day he inherited the title of earl, he devoted himself to building around the castle passed down by his ancestors.
A city that is hard to find anywhere else in the world.
A true commercial city.
Year after year, houses began to be built on the edge of Lyle Castle, which originally stood alone on the Meson Plain. Under the vigorous promotion of Count Lyle, wandering people came from all directions to build this castle.
This city dedicated everything. Thirty years later, the city has been completely formed. Count Lyle's castle is deeply surrounded in the interior of the city, and the area of the outer commercial district is almost ten times the size of the castle. Lyle
The earl was so satisfied with this that he named the city Great Pudding City - meaning that even the most ordinary pudding can be found in a variety of types and flavors in the city.
Big Pudding City is one of the few dragon cities on the mainland that does not impose a curfew, and this is even less true during the Harvest Festival. People can freely roam the streets cheering - as long as they do not make any
Something illegal, otherwise the Earl would not show mercy to the three times more patrols sent during Thanksgiving Week. In the Big Pudding City, law means the code written by the Earl himself that is often held by the Earl's clerk.
, as long as you do not violate the content of this code, you can do anything in this city, even if you are a slave of unknown origin.
But all of this is limited to civilian areas. In aristocratic areas, entering without a certain identity will only lead to death.
At night, the Manor No. 7 in New Ashahua Street was brightly lit, and dozens of luxury carriages lined up quietly and orderly at the entrance of the manor. The carriage drivers respectfully sent the owner into the manor accompanied by the waiter, and then returned to their respective carriages.
Sitting there, they chatted with each other and the affairs of their respective masters.
Each carriage represents a name that has sufficient weight in Big Pudding City, because the owner of the manor is named Adolf Lyle, and he is the lord of this place.
"This is the ninth consecutive year. Since the Earl tried to hold a harvest festival dance nine years ago, it has been out of control." A strong coachman said with emotion: "Nine years ago, my master
When he took me to drive the carriage, I was still half a boy, and in the blink of an eye, the old man passed away four years ago."
The coachman next to him added: "Isn't that right? It seems that the earl likes this dance. So do other adults. It is said that many young gentlemen and ladies are even more keen on it. It is convenient for them to meet new people at the dance."
My friend, it is very difficult for upper-class people like them to find a wife or husband that they want. I think the Lord Count holds the Harvest Festival Dance for the purpose of letting them get to know each other."
"Speaking of making new friends, a remarkable person came to the manor this year." The strong coachman suddenly showed a look of yearning: "Have you heard about it?"
"You mean that young lady?" Someone said, "I heard that the young lady arrived in the Big Pudding City two weeks ago and has been living in the Earl's castle. She will definitely come to participate in this event today.
From the ball. I heard that the earl intends to propose to that young lady..."
"Hey, don't say this nonsense." The strong coachman said unhappily: "The age of the earl is too far different from that of the young lady."
"Age is not a problem. The Earl is a true dragon, and he can live for at least a hundred and fifty years. Lord Lyle is in his prime, and the lady is of noble birth, and it is said that her beauty is first-rate.
, the two of them must be a perfect match..."
When this issue was discussed, several coachmen seemed to suddenly become interested. They gathered together and began to talk about the "lady of noble birth." At this moment, in a corner where the coachmen could not see,
A short figure hurriedly walked towards the entrance of the manor.
The figure walked too fast, as if something was urgent, but there was no doubt that he was stopped by the guards at the entrance of the manor.
The guards at the gate of Earl Lyle's manor were tightly guarded, and no idlers could sneak in. One of the men, who looked like a captain, looked at the visitor up and down, and said in a deep voice: "Miss, please inform me.
family and your invitation."
"I, I am Ricky Marty, my father is Mond Marty, this is my invitation. Sorry, I seem to be late. My father's carriage broke down halfway, so I can only jog all the way.
Come here." The girl with her head lowered said somewhat cautiously.
"It turns out she is the daughter of Knight Marty." The captain looked slightly relaxed. He took the girl's invitation and read it casually before returning it to her. The girl was not tall and she was wearing a slightly rustic white floral pleated dress.
She was wearing a long skirt, and she looked as shy as if she was going to burrow into the ground. One look at her revealed that her family background was very ordinary.
"I'm afraid this outdated long dress is also a dress that Knight Marty's family worked so hard to come up with, right? The poor old knight, in order to help the count expel the bandits, accidentally became disabled and could not mount a horse to fight in his life. Although he was beaten by the count,
He was given the title of knight, but I heard that life is still very difficult. It is probably not easy to get this invitation this time. It seems that he wants to find a good home for his daughter at the ball." The captain suddenly felt sympathy in his heart.
The tone of the girl in front of her became much gentler: "After entering the door, go to the right, the dance party is over there. If you don't understand anything, you can ask the waiter. Remember to be polite, you can't afford to offend me.
Big shot."
The girl nodded sincerely and kept saying thank you. The soft-spoken demeanor and the accidental reveal of a corner of her face stopped the veteran's thoughts, and he suddenly felt an itch in his heart.
"Huh? What's going on? She's just a half-grown girl." The guard captain shook his head strangely. It wasn't until the girl walked far away that the strange feeling disappeared. But at this time,
He suddenly remembered something——
"If I'm not mistaken, the girl from Marty's family seems to be wearing a pair of glass slippers, right? It's strange, the old knight's family is not rich."
…
In the bright hall, melodious dance music can be heard endlessly. The musicians hired by the count at a high price are naturally not ordinary people. The beautiful songs come one after another, making it difficult for the nobles who love dancing and socializing to stop dancing.
In the corridor on the second floor, two girls leaned on the railing and looked at the people dancing in the ballroom. One of the girls had a thin veil covering her face.
"It's another boring night. A group of vulgar women and a group of vulgar men are flirting with each other and trying to satisfy their cravings in the name of a dance. It's really boring to the extreme." Another girl thumped the wooden railing.
, complained.
"I think it's quite interesting. You see, every girl in the hall wants to find a suitable husband, and those boys are not necessarily heartbroken." The veiled girl smiled softly: "
I didn’t see any vulgar women or vulgar men, I only saw a cynical woman named Zina.”
Zina patted the railing dissatisfied: "Miss Jane Lancelot, do you also want to go down and find a suitable husband?"
Jane smiled softly: "I'm veiled, so they may not like me."
"Your Highness, you are humbled. Even if you are covered with a veil, you are not comparable to those vulgar girls in the hall." A respectful voice came from behind them. The two girls turned around and saw that this was a tall and handsome man.
youth.
"My father is alone in the study now. He wants to talk to you about tonight's exhibition, mainly about the treasure you lent - the Crown of the Deep."
Jane nodded: "Okay, I'll go there right away."
The young man smiled slightly: "Well done, Your Highness, I won't accompany you there."
After saying that, his eyes politely bypassed Jane and fell on Zina.
Zina frowned slightly. She was very uncomfortable with this kind of fiery gaze from a man. She instinctively put her hands on her waist, but found that her touch was empty - after all, this was the Earl's territory, and no one at the ball could
No one is allowed to carry weapons, and Xina is no exception.
The young man didn't seem to notice Zina's movements at all, but smiled even more enthusiastically: "Miss Zina, I wonder if I am lucky enough to ask you to dance?"
Zina replied stiffly: "I can't dance."
The young man continued the invitation without any embarrassment: "Even if you don't know how to dance, it would be good to go for a walk."
Zina snorted, her hand grabbing the railing suddenly exerted force, her right foot touched the ground, and she jumped directly over the railing on the second floor and into the hall!
The people who were dancing suddenly became confused. Zina quickly landed on the ground safely and glanced at the second floor provocatively.
The young man showed an increasingly morbid and fanatical expression: "What an arrogant girl, you are so infatuated..."
Zina ignored the young man. She was bored and could only wander around to see if she could find a girl she liked and cheat her.
At this moment, a short figure suddenly broke into her field of vision. (To be continued.
