CHAPTER 483: CHAPTER 461: PRICES AND INDULGENCES

Stepping onto the shaky wooden bridge, the creaking and twisting sounds immediately rose up beneath my feet, with even some parts and ropes seemingly falling into the water.

Carefully taking another step, Asle, whose hair was a tangled mess like a bird’s nest, started complaining: "What kind of place have you brought me to, is this even within the Empire’s borders? I thought we were still three hundred years back."

"It’s not like we haven’t crossed worse bridges." Sharet, who was following behind with luggage, rolled his eyes.

Asle widened his sunken eyes: "I have never crossed such a lousy wooden bridge in any city, I don’t like it here."

"Come on, that only means you’ve been to too few cities." Sharet retorted irritably, "You were locked up for three days, that’s why you don’t like it here, yet you reverse cause and effect—it’s sad and laughable."

Standing in the middle of the bridge, Asle slowly turned around, frowned, and looked seriously at Sharet with a tilted face: "Did you take their 50 gold pounds? Defending them like this?"

"My friend, where else can we go besides here?" Sharet helplessly patted Asle’s shoulder, "If you can’t resist, you might as well enjoy it."

Asle stubbornly murmured, "With my skills, I can find food anywhere."

Despite saying this, Asle’s body honestly moved towards the small town.

Sharet was right, for those of the Juanist Faction, even artisans and city residents who participated in the rebellion, it was incredibly difficult to find work in cities not aligned with the same faction.

Without a guild’s recommendation letter, and with the borders sealed, even trying to find food in the lands of the Norn people was next to impossible.

Watching Asle’s nonchalant back, Sharet shook his head and quickly followed.

Yesterday evening, the Hundred Households Captain informed Sharet to go to the landing pier to pick up his friend Asle.

Boritz said Asle was to be locked up for seven days, but it ended up being only three.

After all, Boritz was just trying to show him some authority, he could punish, but it needed to be reasonable and moderate.

If Asle had indeed been detected with any disease or lice, a seven-day detention would be justified.

But he was indeed without illness and lice, three days for inspection was reasonable, any longer would be unjust.

Besides, His Reverence might inquire about the immigration issue in Rapids City; if by then there were still people locked in a small dark room, it would be hard to explain.

Before being released, the Priest at the pier management asked Asle if he had any friends to notify so they could pick him up.

The name Asle provided was Sharet Galondo.

Even though Sharet and Asle didn’t have much interaction before the war, they built up a lot of camaraderie during it by serving as militia and transporting supplies.

Sharet didn’t have many friends on Autumn Dusk Island, and Asle was one of the few people he knew.

Besides, as fellow countrymen, he certainly had to lend a hand.

The next morning, he got up early, went to the countryside to rent a small donkey from a farmer, and led it to the landing pier to fetch Asle.

After returning the donkey to the farmer, they carried their luggage themselves and walked along the riverside road.

On the wooden bridge, with every step Asle was stomping heavily, as if venting his anger at the despicable monk officials, but after two stomps, he stopped.

"What, did you stomp your foot numb?" Sharet stood beside him, looking forward along with his gaze.

Sure enough, just like himself at the beginning, seeing this orderly square and the symmetrically aligned street, Asle was stunned.

"So, so tidy." Asle said subconsciously.

Under Vite’s precise measurements, all the shops and Insula Apartments on both sides of the main streets were of uniform height, shape, and color.

Especially the two-story shops, with white stone corners at the four points, and a touch of white amidst the red brick walls, neither garish nor out of place.

At this time, any city within the Empire was always a product of free development.

Except for Huaqiu Hill New City in the Falan Kingdom, even the Changge City of Leia Kingdom was a chaotic sight.

So every new immigrant standing on this bridge at first glance would feel everything was so orderly.

"Tidy, right?" Sharet rested his elbow on his shoulder, "You’ll get used to it after seeing it enough. I heard that in the future, they’ll build new stone bridges on both sides of this old bridge, and by then you won’t see it anymore from the bridge.

There are no guilds imposing restrictions here like those for hats and gloves, you’ll like it here."

Asle stopped complaining, patting his deflated stomach: "I hope it’s as good as you say.

Let’s go, let’s find a tavern to eat something, after eating mashed potato roots for three days, my mouth is about to rot."

"What tavern." Sharet quickly grabbed Asle’s arm, "I just bought a few eggs and a third of a pound of meat from that farmer, let’s go back to Insula to make it."

Asle shook off Sharet’s hand like he didn’t recognize him: "Oh, come on, Sharet, since when did you become so stingy, it’s just one meal?"

"It’s different here than in Rapids City..."

"What’s so different, how different can it be." Asle’s stubborn streak kicked in, and he shook off his arm, charging straight for a tavern, "Anyway, I want to go to a tavern, I’ve already been in jail once, can’t I eat something good?"

"Listen to me... wait a bit."

"I’ll treat you; is that okay? Let’s go, let’s go, don’t dawdle."

Carrying heavy luggage, Sharet couldn’t possibly catch up to Asle and could only watch as he walked into the tavern.

He didn’t follow him inside but stood waiting at the door, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before Asle’s angry shouting came from inside.

"Damn your entire family’s goat, half a pound of meat for three Dinars, are you robbing us in broad daylight?"

"What’s that? Why should I leave? Then go and get the Night Watcher?"

"Try it and see... watch out or I’ll call the guys from three carriages over... mmm mmm mmm."

Before long, Asle, with two huge red palm prints on his face, was forcibly dragged out of the tavern by two sturdy Beastmen.

One of the Beastmen kicked Asle in the butt, causing him to fall forward and roll twice before stopping.

Raising his head, he was met with Sharet’s face full of helplessness, with a look that said ’I told you so’: "I told you so."

"I hate this damn place." Patting off the dust on his butt, Asle got up, full of resentment, saying, "A pound of meat for six Dinars, five sausages for half a Dinar, it’s daylight robbery."

"Living on Autumn Dusk Island is no easy feat." Sharet patted Asle’s shoulder, "You think I didn’t go through it myself?"

Thinking about this, Sharet understood why His Excellency Hilov had prepared bread, pickles, salt, and a bit of cheese linen oil for them.

He initially thought that although these Rapids City citizens were refugees, they all at least had a few dozen Dinars as survival money, so supporting themselves until finding a new job shouldn’t be an issue.

Until he first stepped into a tavern and saw the menu at that moment.

Bread and snacks were 40-50% more expensive than outside, and that was considered cheap.

Getting a hat made at the tailor’s cost over 30% more than outside, not to mention meat and fruits and vegetables.

Daze Village, located deep within the mountains and marshes, and Autumn Dusk Island, just developed, both had scarce supplies.

And the soldiers’ families were very wealthy, with money far exceeding market needs, leading to terrifyingly high prices.

"That can’t be." After hearing Sharet’s explanation, Asle scratched the dust from his hair, "I clearly saw a few worker-looking people eating there; can they afford it?"

"Those are workers from state-owned workshops, they have atonement coupons and meal vouchers; the Pope’s Palace subsidizes them, so they can afford it."

"Atonement coupons? You mean they eat for free and then use atonement coupons to offset it?"