Chapter 514: Seaport
After nearly four months, Lian returned to Border Town and had new feelings.
The town seemed to be constantly growing, and even the endless snow hadn't stopped its expansion. This feeling was especially evident when she stood on the Chishui Bridge.
Factory buildings stood like neat blocks on the south bank of the river, while the dock area on the opposite side had more than tripled in size. At any time, many stone boats trailing black smoke could be seen going back and forth on the river, covering the once sparkling surface.
"It's much livelier here than Sleeping Island," Honey said, leaning on the bridge railing and looking down. "There are so many people, like ants."
"I think so too." Lian remembered that when the bridge was first built, she didn't understand why His Majesty had made the bridge surface so wide, feeling it was a waste of materials. Now it seemed that the decision was just right.
People shuttled back and forth across the river, and from time to time, someone would glance at them, seemingly curious about their dress and appearance.
If it were in another city, Lian would have to consider how to escape.
In addition to these changes that could be seen at a glance, there were also many improvements in life.
For example, the heating system that sounded warm and cozy, the electric lights that brought bright light at night, and the new delicacies that replaced ice cream bread... She could listen to Evelyn and Candle talk about these all day long, but none of them were the most surprising to Lian.
In fact, what she found most changed was the relationship between witches and ordinary people.
This could be seen from the tavern opened by Evelyn.
The tavern was funded by the Witch Union, with Evelyn as the shopkeeper and bartender, mixing novel and delicious wines for the guests who visited the Western Region. It was said that this was also His Majesty's idea—instead of letting the witches' salaries stay in the drawer unseen, it was better to take them out to do some business.
Lian had been invited by Wendy to have two glasses of iced apple cider there. The taste was indeed good, with a mellow fragrance that ale didn't have, mixed with a strong fruity flavor. It was served in a transparent crystal glass, presenting a clean light green color, which looked quite tempting. Moreover, the environment was not as noisy and chaotic as ordinary taverns. The guests basically sat at their tables drinking and talking, and the floor, tables, and wine utensils were cleaned spotlessly. If it weren't for the rows of wine barrels behind the bar, she wouldn't associate this place with a tavern at all.
Of course, this was also related to the high price of the drinks.
Evelyn stood in front of the bar, talking to customers like an ordinary shopkeeper. No one would reprimand or scold her because she was a witch. On the contrary, many foreign merchants came to drink out of curiosity. Lian rarely saw her smiling so happily—it was obvious that she really liked this job.
Lian remembered that before she left, most of the witches' activities were basically within the castle area. If they needed to go out, His Majesty's guards would generally accompany them for protection. Now they had gradually integrated into every part of the town.
It was truly incredible that the Western Region could undergo such a big change in just one winter.
And Wendy's night talk also gave her a deeper understanding—perhaps this was why the witches of the Union were willing to give everything for it.
Because they were not only building Neverwinter City for Roland, but also building their own home.
"Let's go," Lian nudged Honey with her mouth. "If all goes well, we can complete the改造 of the seaport today."
"Oh!"
……
When the last piece of mountain rock sank into the ground, Lian wiped the fine sweat from her forehead and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Awesome," Honey clapped her hands and said, "You actually opened up a passage through the mountain."
A row of birds squatting on the treetops above her head also chirped.
"Of course," Lian smiled proudly, "There's nothing I can't do."
Unlike the reefs surrounding Sleeping Island, the岩层 here was much deeper and harder, so it took a lot of magic to sink it. Fortunately, she didn't need
to turn the entire mountain range into flat ground. According to His Majesty's plan, she only needed to open up a passage wide enough for five or six carriages to travel side by side. With the experience of the iron bridge, she would no longer think that such a wide road was superfluous.
Since the hills were more than forty meters higher than the sea, the fastest way was only one way: to sink the ground bit by bit until it became a long, gentle slope.
In order to facilitate the passage of carriages, she also specially pressed the surface rock into a flat road surface, so that even if it rained, it would not form puddles of varying depths.
Now, standing on the top of the slope, you could see the golden sandy beach and the blue sea on the opposite side. The cool sea breeze surged up along the slope, mixed with a familiar salty smell.
"Did you bring fire?" Honey hopped to her side.
"No, what are you going to do?"
"Of course, I'm going to grill fish," she smacked her lips. "I'll be responsible for attracting the fish, how about you push them out of the water? It's okay if you don't bring fire, just dry them in the sun for two days."
The birds above their heads chirped even more happily.
Lian rolled her eyes, "I won't let this place be filled with the fishy smell of salted fish! Besides, aren't you tired of that stuff when you were on Sleeping Island?"
"Eh? I think it's pretty good," Honey tilted her head and said.
"Anyway,晒鱼 is prohibited here, and His Majesty won't like the fishy smell of salted fish either." Lian suddenly thought of Ashes, wondering if she was still troubled by various fish soups on Sleeping Island. "I heard His Majesty say that he plans to build a seaport here, so that Lady Tilly can come whenever she wants, and she doesn't have to rely on hot air balloons to fly over the mountains."
Hearing the name of Lady Tilly, Honey's attention was immediately attracted, "Then... will she come?"
The little girl's expression was easier to understand than that of an animal. Lian patted her fluffy hair, "I don't know, but His Majesty is about to go to war with the Church, she should come and help her brother."
In fact, she was also unsure, especially after knowing the details of Bloodfang and Hedy. Morgan—she used to dislike the condescending attitude of these combat witches, but now it seemed that they were also a group of pitiful people.
After removing the shell of prejudice, they were actually no different from herself. At least now, she and Iffi could occasionally say a few words, but the other combat witches on the island would definitely not be so easily persuaded by Tilly.
"Oh, that's great!"
Great? This guy doesn't know anything about war, Lian slandered in her heart. If Lady Tilly couldn't solve the trouble of Bloodfang, and the Church attacked Roland with all its strength, that would be really troublesome.
But she also hoped that Lady Tilly could come to Border Town again.
And, preferably, stay here forever.
In this way, the wish she made in winter could be realized—
"In this way, both herself and other witches can live happily in Border Town."
……