Chapter 2 Does the apple originally symbolize destiny?
No matter how firmly Metien objected, Ringer decided to go to the city-parish committee to discuss specific matters with Mr. Ronning, who was in charge of the "Religious Ordinances". He put on the black formal suit that he would only wear when going out.
, wearing a top hat of the same color, after tidying up her appearance a little, she left the church. Before leaving, she told Metien to be careful when she was alone at home, but the girl seemed to be still angry and ignored her.
Ringer didn't care. After all, Medien was still young and always thought that everything in the world could be solved by her own efforts. This was why Mr. Yang Ke and himself protected her so well. But in a few years, she would
We should understand that the true truth in the world is not to always have hope, but to face reality.
The sky in Linville City is always gray, especially during the foggy moon. It is like an oil painting with too much ink. From the huge chimneys of factories on the outskirts of the city, hellish and miserable coal clouds are swallowed up, covering this place.
It is a city that corrodes the shadows of the buildings. The cold wind surrounding it is as low as the sobs of the dead, which fits the city's nickname of "Sad City". It has long been accustomed to crying, and lets its cries linger in the blood vessels of its citizens.
flowing inside.
Lin Ge was blown by the cold wind outside and felt a little cold on his neck. Then he realized that he had forgotten to put on his scarf. In the past, he would not have made such a stupid mistake, but today he left in a hurry. Rather than leaving home,
It's better to say he ran away. Thinking about it this way, he is actually not as calm and cold as his sister thinks.
The Holy Cross District is close to the Baicheng District, which is actually a slum area, so the composition is quite complicated and there is no order at all. Just standing at the door of the church for a while, Ringer's ears can already distinguish a lot of noisy and noisy areas.
Music: The rumble of horse-drawn carriages as they go over the potholes in the street, the panicked rumble of frightened livestock, the clatter of black crows on dead trees with fallen leaves, breweries, tanneries, laundries
, the clanking sound when pubs and other shops open or close... are extremely noisy, as if not doing so would not be enough to reflect their unique existence.
"People in our city never learn to live quietly." Ringer whispered to himself, while gently pressing the brim of his hat with his left hand, leaving No. 13 Songshi Street, preparing to go to the No. 7 public transportation station, waiting for the people who were about to stop.
Rail train.
In recent years, the Kingdom has invested heavily in public utilities. Even the bus stops built along the streets are made of wood and stone, which are quite solid. In order to prevent thieves or homeless people from using them as their dens, they even have a dedicated mounted policeman.
, patrolling back and forth between several stations, responsible for driving away suspicious targets who are not passengers.
There are two notice boards at the site. One displays the train's stopping route, which rarely changes unless there are special circumstances. The other displays temporary notices from the Municipal Transportation Bureau. Usually, either the fares increase or the roads are blocked. p>
Ringer checked the time, and there were still three minutes before the next train arrived. There were not many passengers waiting at the station. He took the time to look at the municipal bulletin board, but found that the content posted today was different.
"Dear residents of Holy Cross District, due to the needs of the seventh phase of our city's public transportation expansion plan, road improvements will be carried out on Duden Street, Xinqiao Street and Baiwu Street for three months. Residents who want to go to the Mission District
You can get off at Municipal Square Station and you can arrive there in ten minutes’ walk. We apologize for any inconvenience and trouble this may cause.”
It is signed by the Linville City Transportation Bureau and has the official seal.
Although the mission district was his destination, Linge's expression did not change much. He heard passengers beside him complaining that the seven-phase expansion project was too long. In the past two years, Linville City
The traffic situation has never been smooth enough. Now even several streets in the city center have been included in the scope of renovation. As a result, one-third of employees and workers have to spend more time commuting. Their dissatisfaction is
It's a matter of course.
And all this can be traced back to the "Ouroboros" plan jointly proposed by the sect. They hope to construct a large and complete transportation system throughout the Sigiriya continent, covering hundreds of countries, breaking the restrictions of national boundaries.
Take a train, train or subway from any station in any country and embark on a journey around the Western Continent, and you will eventually return to the starting point. This is the meaning of "Ouroboros".
When this crazy-sounding plan was first proposed, no one thought the big shots in the cabinet and parliament would let it pass. However, the controversy only lasted three months, and three months later it was included in the list of the Kingdom's Ministry of Public Affairs.
Annual planning, three months later, almost all countries in the Western Continent passed the same resolution, so it is now the seventh phase of the project. The Ouroboros is growing vigorously, and the shadow of the behemoth is already looming behind it.
This is the influence of the alliance of religious orders, which can easily change the situation of a continent and determine the fate of tens of millions of people. Medien actually imagined that her brother could fight against such an enemy. To say she was naive was already a very gentle description. When Ringer was lost in thought, he heard a low whimpering sound. Then the ground began to tremble, and the gravel on the roadside trembled slightly. A huge noise drowned out the discussion of the passengers around him. He raised his head and saw the billowing smoke.
A row of black steel beasts galloped out of the thick smoke, with a sharp roar, and gradually slowed down and stopped outside the site.
In 1767, Laman Thaler invented the steam locomotive with external suspension carriages. The religious orders jointly modified it and rebuilt the roads to suit its scale. To this day, his creation is still roaring and galloping through the streets of the city. It is a symbol of the times.
One of the signs of progress.
For Ringer, it is also the train leading to the end of destiny.
Silently, he blended in with the other passengers and walked towards the open front door of the train, just like walking towards the maw of a beast that chooses to devour people.
***
According to the announcement, Ringer paid the five pence fare and got off at the Municipal Square station. He found that the place had been occupied by the tents of the Moryas, who were the joyful singers and the ancestors of the circus.
There were a lot of weird and horrifying legends. When he saw clowns in funny costumes distributing flyers everywhere, he realized that in a few days, the Sedin Mountain Carnival would begin.
It was a festival for sailors, hawkers and traveling merchants, but the lively atmosphere shrouded everyone's head, making the municipal square bustling with people. In addition to the clowns distributing leaflets, there was also a cage containing a black bear.
Fire-breathing dancers and soothsayers' tents.
Ringer was not interested in this. He bypassed the area where the tents were stationed and planned to cross from the edge of the Municipal Square to St. Anton Street, but suddenly he stopped because there was a girl who was dressed differently than ordinary people.
Blocking his path, staring at him quietly.
She looks like a character who only appears in story books. She has stunning facial features, a pair of big golden eyes, and green hair covering her smooth neck. Her hair is elegantly and intellectually braided in the middle, with a lock of hair on each side.
She has a long braid and ties it around her forehead. She wears a silver hair ornament that resembles an ear of rice and a crown, which is full of nobility and tranquility. She holds a bent wooden staff with a bell and wears a simple but clean white skirt.
, dressed like a shepherd, without shoes, a smooth calf exposed under the skirt, and her delicate white feet stepped directly on the ground without any scars or dust, making it look like a beautiful handicraft. p>
What is particularly eye-catching is that in her other hand, she is holding a gray rope, and the other end of the rope is tied around the neck of a lamb that looks to be only three or four months old. The lamb's hair is flawless.
White, fluffy and soft like piled clouds, it is now using its hooves to dig into the cracks in the bricks and stones of the square, as if trying to dig out the grass from inside.
Ringer has never seen such a weird combination. She doesn't dress like a person of this era. If she is a member of the circus, her temperament is too unique.
However, Linge didn't care about her origins. He classified her as one of those weird Moryya people and asked politely: "Excuse me, what can I do?"
The girl spoke softly, her voice bringing some brightness to the gray sky: "You smell like apples."
Lin Ge was slightly startled, but he quickly reacted, shook his head and said: "I once heard that the Moriyas are masters of divination, and they can deduce the fate of the world from the movement of the stars. But I didn't expect that even the whereabouts of an apple would be unknown.
Understand it, is this the essence of astrology?"
"I'm not a Moryya, I'm a Silver Elf." The girl frowned slightly, and even such an action looked dignified and cute: "That's not an ordinary apple, it's the golden apple of fate."
Silver Elf? Golden Apple? Does she think she is living in a fairy tale world? Ringer has always been respectful to these stories: "This is a new show of the circus? It is indeed novel. Unfortunately, I am busy now, so I can only do it next time."
Come and participate again.”
He bowed his head slightly to apologize, and then walked past the girl. The moment he passed by, he suddenly heard her say in a calm tone: "The fate of the world has its own destiny, and the golden apple is a symbol of destiny. Eat gold by mistake.
People who belong to Apple will be involved in a destiny that does not belong to them."
Ringer's footsteps stopped subconsciously. He turned around, but he only had time to see the girl's skirt fluttering in the wind, like a white flower blooming. She didn't know when she had appeared on the other side of the municipal square.
He walked away with the crowd, his figure was blurry and untouchable, but his voice still came softly: "Sons of people who accidentally eat golden apples, if you don't want to be involved in the fate of others, during this period, it's best to
Stay at home and don’t go out randomly.”
"My name is Stcheria, the shepherd of the apple orchard, the one who observes the destiny of the world."
"When the time comes, we will meet again."
The ethereal voice was swallowed up by the noise of the crowd.
When I turned around again, I had disappeared.
Lin Ge was left stunned in place, the scene just now flashing back in his mind.
He suddenly remembered: the girl's ears were not like human pointed ears.