Something is wrong!
Chen Yu tilted his head, looking at the city before him.
While it couldn't be called grand and magnificent, it was by no means the desolate scene he had seen before.
There were guards patrolling in front of the city gate.
These were not the two drunken old men Chen Yu and Hei Dou had encountered on their last visit to Black City, but proper city soldiers wearing uniform equipment and swords at their waists.
"Is this an illusion?"
Chen Yu rubbed his eyes, looking at the scene with utter bewilderment.
Just one day apart.
Was there really such a drastic difference?
What's up with that?
Did the city upgrade and become brand new!
That shouldn't be possible, right?
"Hei Dou, do you think we still have a chance to conquer this city?" Chen Yu muttered softly, truly feeling hopeless now.
"Difficult!"
Hei Dou, perched on his shoulder, swallowed.
This city?
To conquer it, wouldn't they need tens of thousands of people?
Even if they managed to gather the villagers from the wilderness and bring in untrained militia, they would just be fodder for the enemy.
Didn't he see the magic artillery mounted on the city walls?
One shot down.
That would truly mean meeting again in the next life as brothers!
"Big Brother, I have a feeling this city isn't the one we went to before," Hei Dou whispered, his dark eyes wide, "Look at the scale of this city, it's not right either!"
"Indeed."
Chen Yu scratched his head, looking around.
It was quite different!
This city looked full of life, a stark contrast to the Black City they had visited previously.
Moreover—
Orcs could be seen coming and going both inside and outside the city.
And quite frequently at that.
"Could it be, it's really not the same city?" Chen Yu murmured, and Hei Dou also called out softly, "Let's go up and take a look, isn't there a city plaque up there?"
"Charge!"
The city walls were towering.
The spacious city gates were bustling with incoming and outgoing orcs, some wearing simple cloth clothes, and occasionally orcs dressed as mercenaries could be seen passing by.
Chen Yu, filled with suspicion, approached the city gate.
He looked up.
"Tener City-State."
Huh?
Upon seeing the characters on the city-state plaque, Chen Yu's eyes widened instinctively.
"It really isn't the same city," Hei Dou exclaimed softly, "The Black City we went to before was Vols, wasn't it? These are clearly two different cities."
"Heh, strange!"
Chen Yu couldn't help but mutter.
They had both used return scrolls, so how could they have ended up in two different city-states?
This?
Was it random?
After pondering for a while, unable to figure anything out, Chen Yu looked at this city-state again with a smile of delight on his face.
A proper city-state!
Perhaps he could buy the resources he wanted in this city-state.
He strode confidently towards the city.
"Halt!"
Before he could enter the city gate, the patrolling city guards stopped Chen Yu.
"Resident permit."
They needed a resident permit to enter.
How formal!
Chen Yu nodded slightly in his heart, a smile spreading across his face.
"I am not a resident of this city."
"Non-residents pay 15 copper coins to enter. You two... will pay 30 copper coins." The city guard with a mole on his left cheek whispered. Chen Yu glanced at Hei Dou on his shoulder, "He counts too?"
"Spiritual pet, why wouldn't he count?"
Hiss!
Such keen eyesight.
They could actually recognize Hei Dou as a spiritual pet at a glance. The people in Black City had mistaken Hei Dou for a small cat.
"Alright."
Chen Yu moved his mind and took a gold coin from his bracelet, extending it towards the city guard.
Immediately—
City Guard: (・_・)ヾ
What are you doing?
They asked for 30 copper coins, and you're giving a gold coin.
Are you deaf?
However, with Chen Yu casually producing a gold coin and carrying a spiritual pet, these city guards dared not offend him and could only patiently whisper.
"Sir, 30 copper coins."
"Yes, isn't this me giving you the money for the entry fee?" Chen Yu extended the gold coin in his hand further, "Here you go."
"Copper coins!"
The city guard repeated himself.
"I know it's copper coins, why do you keep repeating it? Isn't this me giving you money!" Chen Yu, holding the gold coin, suddenly understood. "You want us to give you copper coins, right? I don't have any. This is the smallest denomination I can produce. How about..."
Chen Yu suddenly produced another purple gold coin.
"Give you this one?"
The city guards: ...
After a while, the city guard with the mole on his face took the gold coin, his eyes fixed on Chen Yu for a long time.
"Alright, please wait a moment."
Thump, thump, thump—
One of the city guards scurried into the city. The remaining guards looked at Chen Yu with a mix of admiration, disdain, and jealousy. The most evident was the one with the mole on his face standing in front of Chen Yu.
He looked as if he was about to spit on Chen Yu.
"Uh..."
Chen Yu felt uncomfortable under their stares.
What?
Why are they staring at him like that?
He coughed lightly.
"Buddy, let me ask you something, you must have vendors in your city, right?" Chen Yu asked tentatively in a low voice.
"Huh?!"
The city guard seemed stunned.
"You don't?" Chen Yu pointed to the city behind him, "You don't have any vendors in your city-state. For such a large city, that shouldn't be the case."
Creak.
Unexpectedly, Chen Yu just wanted to ask casually, but the city guard with the mole on his face seemed a bit annoyed.
"Sir, are you insulting us?"
"Huh?"
Chen Yu was utterly confused.
What the heck!
What kind of brain does this mole-faced guy have?
Insulting.
Where in his words did he infer any intention of insult?
"Boss, got the money," Just then, the city guard who had run off came back running, carrying a bag.
The mole-faced guard took the bag and extended it towards Chen Yu.
"99 silver coins and 70 copper coins, please count."
"Hey, no need." Chen Yu casually threw the bag back into his bracelet and said with a smile, "Can I enter the city now?"
"Yes!"
"Alright, thank you for your hard work, everyone."
After a moment's pause, he took the bag out again and grabbed a handful of currency from it.
There were silver and copper coins, the exact quantity unclear.
"You guys have worked hard patrolling outside, take this for some drinks." Chen Yu stuffed the money into the mole-faced guard's hand and then waved his hand, leaving the city guards with his retreating back.
"Whoa!"
"Generous!" After Chen Yu left, the other city guards gathered around. "How much is this? Must be over 30 silver coins, truly a noble lord, so extravagant with his spending."
"Heh!"
The mole-faced one sneered dismissively.
"Why the act? Using a gold coin for entry fee, and then saying it's the smallest denomination, even bringing out a purple gold coin."
"Showing off his wealth?"
"Just because he has some money, but the way he flaunted it."
"Pfft!"
He spat on the ground forcefully. Hearing this, the other city guards grinned.
"Can't you guys have some ambition? Take it, take it, take it... this money is all for you." The mole-faced guard threw the money to the other city guards. "I don't care for the stinky money of these rich people."
"Then we won't be polite."
The city guards took the money and went to the side to divide it.
Watching their backs, the mole-faced guard still wore a look of disdain. As he retracted his gaze, he saw two copper coins on the ground, likely dropped during the exchange.
He looked around, then stepped forward and stepped on the copper coins.
He then looked up at the sky, pretending to adjust his shoe, cupped the two copper coins in his palm, rubbed them against his backside, and carefully put them in his pocket.
However, he couldn't help but mutter.
"Who cares about that stinky money, you useless guys!"
--
Author's notes:
Good afternoon, eat heartily!