Before arriving at Green Town, Hitzfeld saw a sea of red trees through the car window.
It was indeed a breathtaking sight... She couldn't look far away because of her viewing angle. It was as if she had suddenly burst into this magnificent scenery like a painting, which immediately woke her up from the world in the book. She leaned her shoulders against the glass and took in everything with her one eye wide open.
Red, orange, yellow, brown.
The mottled sea of trees, the sky is faintly visible in the dense forest. The fallen leaves on the ground have accumulated a thick layer in late autumn. I am afraid that there is no other place in Sara that can interpret autumn in such a bright way.
Before arriving in the town, Hitzfeld was already convinced by the reputation of "Fairy Tale Town".
No wonder so many rich people like to come here for vacation.
It’s really great…the forest alone is a sight to behold.
"Those are red maples and red apricots. Both trees grow best here." A voice came from the side.
Hitzfeld turned around and saw Tang Meng, who was standing in the aisle. Although he was talking to her, his eyes were fixed on the scenery outside the window.
"When you get off the bus, you will smell a faint stench at first, which is the smell of rotting leaves. But if you listen carefully, you will find a faint lingering fragrance, which is red apricot fruit - after staying for a long time, you will even fall in love with this smell."
"I have heard that rotten red apricots are a very high-grade material for making perfume." Hitzfeld said, "It seems that I can see it for myself this time."
"You have rich experience." Tang Meng glanced at her with a look of surprise, and that look almost made Hitzfeld think that he would ask her why she chose this profession.
But he was not the kind of person that Jerry was. He said nothing, glanced at Ethan who was reading the newspaper, Darrent who was sleeping soundly against the car window, and Jerry who was lying on the table with sleepy eyes, and then he just left.
"Old Tang...Did Old Tang come just now?"
The train pulled into the station, and the whistle woke Jerry up. She quickly sat up and rubbed her eyes, and was relieved to see that there was no familiar figure around.
"That's great. Every time I do something, I get scolded by Old Tang... I can finally come here and have fun freely!"
"Aren't you worried about Mr. Copperfield, Jerry?" Hitzfeld asked her.
"Uh..." Jie Li paused, "Of course I am worried... but after all, I didn't take a good look at this place a few times before, and Old Tang is too annoying... You can see how unbearable he is..."
"I don't think it's unbearable." Hitzfeld said meaningfully, and then asked her: "So you are fired now?"
She had learned from Tang Meng that Jie Li was supposed to take the previous train back to the opposite terminal, but in order to prevent them from discovering what she was going to do, she secretly slipped away on a boat.
"No." Jie Li shook her head. "Old Tang concealed the news of my leaving... They were lucky that they didn't encounter the company's attendance check, so I haven't lost my job yet."
"Then you should really thank him." Even Ethan spoke up now, "Mr. Lux is really a nice person."
Jie Li lowered her head and muttered something, but no one could hear it clearly. Even if she heard it clearly, she would probably be the only one who knew what it meant.
After waking up Darent and picking up their own suitcases, the four of them got off the train at the platform.
This place is not like the city stations, with waiting rooms and ticket gates in front - here there is only a lonely platform.
As soon as Hitzfeld got off the car, she smelled the stench that Old Tang had mentioned. She closed her eyes and smelled it carefully, and felt that it was indeed not a complete stench. The stench part was very, very light, and at the end of every smell there would be a sweet, spicy, and pungent smell coming back.
This aftertaste can refresh the mind, and breathing this special air makes her feel refreshed.
It seems that the progress of incense making can be advanced further.
She looked out at the nearby red maple forest, and her mood brightened along with the red and yellow blocks.
Instead of following Ethan and the others outside, she walked quickly to the end of the platform - just walked in the direction the front of the train was heading, and saw a long section of track at the edge.
"It's still one kilometer ahead." A familiar voice came from the side. "This railway line was not built after Sarah took over Green Town... It was built by the real ruler of this town, 'Glarant'. That family has been in charge of and controlling the development of the town for generations. Legend has it that they existed before Sarah founded the country."
Turning around, Hitzfeld saw Donmon Lux dressed in black.
"The train will stop at the terminal for three days to rest." Tang Meng winked at her, "And I think - you really need a reliable guide."
"I'm honored." Hitzfeld's mouth curled up.
"So this railway was built by the 'Glarant Family'? The railway line we came from was just an extension of this track built by Sarah?"
"That's basically it." Tang Meng nodded and pointed his finger towards the woods ahead.
"There," he said, "where the track disappears... If you go one kilometer in this direction, you can see a collapsed basin. The track is broken there, and it's too expensive to repair the terrain and cut through the mountains, so that's why Green Town is the end point."
"Hmm." Hitzfeld pursed his lips, "Can I get some more information about the 'Glarant Family'?"
"Of course, this is no secret in the local area. We can talk about it as we go."
Green Town was not in the direction that Old Tang pointed at first. They got off the platform and walked southwest, taking a shortcut through a carved forest path. Finally, a quarter of an hour later, they saw a patch of red tiles under the hill.
“Oh, this is great!”
Darent's eyes widened in surprise.
All the buildings that come into view are of the same style, with white walls and red tiles. They are eye-catching and yet blend into the mountains and forests to a certain extent.
Especially the misty water fog vaguely surrounding the town, all of which make it an integral part of the scenery, embellishing the autumn together with the mountains and waters.
"That is the territory of Granat, Green Town." Tang Meng said.
"According to Green Town's local legend, the history of Glalant is over three hundred years old, which is older than Sarah."
"Even though Sarah has taken over this place, they have not appointed a new ruler for the town in order to respect the local customs and culture. Granant is still the eternal ruler of Green Town."
"This is the first time I've heard of this." Ethan frowned. "It's amazing... The royal family actually allows this kind of lord to continue to exist."
Yes, lord.
The existence of the Gralant family is exactly the same as that of the lords of the old times.
"Mr. Lux." He looked at Tang Meng, "Excuse me... In the history you know, has Sarah never tried to truly control Green Town?"
"Of course there are." Tang Meng smiled. "If I were the king, I would definitely not like the existence of a family like the Gralant family... They have tried many times, such as building churches and monasteries in the town, and opening police stations, post offices, and hospitals, trying to bring in the management systems of other towns."
"But it's no use." He shook his head slightly.
"The residents of Green Town only recognize the rule of Gralant. They say they are happy to accept Sarah as another ruler in a broad sense - they never care about this - but the person who truly leads the town to survive must be Gralant."
"Bar-Glarant?" Darent interrupted. "I saw in the information that this is the name of the current mayor."
"Yes, that is his name."
"Didn't they try some tough measures?" Darent raised his eyebrows.
The others looked at him in surprise as he raised his hand and wiped his neck.
"Oh!" Ethan cried.
"That's really not the case!"
"It's true." Tang Meng couldn't help but grin, laughing happily, "Because the population of Gralant is really too small...By the generation of Bal, he is the only one left. A lord whose bloodline is about to be cut off will not be taken seriously at all."
"Besides, the atmosphere in Green Town is not conducive to war." He looked at the town below again.
"A remote place hidden in the mountains of the inland... There are only two lines of transportation, and the people are simple and honest and don't care about worldly affairs..."
"You really don't take it to heart."
Chapter 13 Lakeside
"Because the presence of the Granate family is very, very low... Normally, you can hardly see them. For most outsiders, they only regard this family as a symbol and believe that the Noan family and the Gran family are actually the ones who govern the town."
"But in fact, both families belong to Gralant. Their ancestors swore an oath to protect the bloodline of Gralant for generations. They are the sword and shield of the town. In the rare disasters that occur, they can always stand up and protect and save the entire town."
Tang Meng was indeed a qualified guide. He had a deep understanding of the local history, customs, and social customs of Green Town, which was probably the same as that of people who had lived here since childhood.
Listening to his long speech, Hitzfeld quietly pulled Darent aside.
"What?" Darent was enjoying the story, and his expression was quite impatient.
"Do you know Asfen?"
"I know... the big shot who governs the eighth floor. Why are you asking this?"
"Why are you asking this? He is protecting me now! But I didn't see him along the way!"
After hearing what she said, Darent and Ethan also reacted - indeed, it seemed that they didn't see the mysterious guy following them along the way.
He could disguise himself, but there were only a few passengers on the train, so it would be difficult for him to hide. Moreover, there were only a few people walking in the forest at this moment, and except for the five of them, the others were obviously pure humans. How could there be any trace of that guy?
"He wouldn't lose us, would he?" Hitzfeld muttered.
He said he would be a good bodyguard, but I didn’t expect him to be so unreliable... It’s only been a few days?
"You don't understand." Darent shook his finger. "High-level agents often carry out their missions in the most simple way. Maybe he had expected us to come and drove to the town in advance."
"But Mapus," Ethan reminded him, "the only bus that can reach this town by land is the one we just took."
"..." Darent opened his mouth and closed it again, opened his mouth and closed it again, and finally glared at him fiercely: "Maybe he is lying on the roof of the car?"
"Haha!" Hitzfeld laughed out loud, "Then he is really very capable... I hope that's true."
When she regained her attention, she heard Tang Meng scolding Jie Li again.
"You can't easily trust someone you've only known for less than three hours, even if he's good-looking and rich, you have to be sufficiently wary of him."
"I am alert..."
"I can't tell. You have no idea how you look at him. You've never looked at me that way, not even once."
Beautiful scenery, interesting people.
Hitzfeld was in an increasingly cheerful mood. If she wasn't in front of so many people, she would even want to try to let go and take a few turns in the woods.
It was only now that she realized how much pressure she had accumulated recently.
I really didn't make a mistake in taking this case.
Even if there is no gain in the end, returning the reward to Jie Li can be considered a worthwhile trip.
Keep going.
At the entrance to the town, among the woods on the left, they saw a pile of scattered stone tablets.
"What is that?" Ethan was wary of such unknown things.
"I don't know." Tang Meng was unable to give them an answer this time. "They have been lying here since I first came to this town. They are probably tombstones handed down from ancient times, with some carvings and so on... They don't make any sense."
"This is the first time I see it too..." With her eyes wide open, Jelly ran among the monuments like a little girl who had never seen the world, touching here and looking there, as if she had discovered a treasure.
Hitzfeld followed behind. She roughly counted the stone tablets and found that there were more than twenty of them in total. They were all lime-gray with a pinkish-white hue. Some parts of the surface were rough and some were smooth, probably due to years of wind and sun.
The size is not small, slightly larger than ordinary tombstones. Most of the tombstones are half or one-third buried under the soil, and the surface is covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves. The carvings and words on them have long been blurred and unrecognizable. Only the stone tablet in the center can be vaguely distinguished, and it seems that a woman is carved on its top.
"Has anyone dug the soil here?" Ethan asked Tang Meng.
"Yes, and more than once." Tang Meng raised his eyebrows, "I know what you are thinking... What tombs, treasures, etc., I clearly tell you that there is none - there is nothing but dirt under here, not even a coffin for the body can be found."
"There is no grave?" Darent didn't understand. "Then why put them here? It must have taken a lot of effort to transport these things here?"
"Either they are just memorials... or their tombs were dug up at an earlier time... but that's not what we should be concerned about."
"We have to hurry up." At this point, Tang Meng raised his voice a little, "There are only a few hotels available for accommodation in this town. If you don't want to share a room with others or spend more money to find a place to stay, you'd better speed up."
There was really nothing to see in these stone tablets. No one paid any special attention to them except Hitzfeld who scraped some powder with a knife and took it away in a bag.
The team continued to walk down the slope, and in less than two or three minutes, they officially entered the town.
Led by Tang Meng, the group bypassed those landlords who recommended themselves, turned from the main road of the town into a small road, and finally found a gloomy tavern at the entrance of the alley after wandering around until Jie Li felt dizzy.
Tonks Lake.
This is the name of the pub.
There was no signboard. The letters were just scribbled in white paint on a dirty, blackened wooden board. The whole sign was casually leaning against the wall.
If it weren't for the fact that several other groups of travelers had also found this place, and if it weren't for the noisy arguments that could be heard from the dark concierge from time to time, Hitzfeld would have suspected that he was colluding with the locals and deliberately leading them to this shady shop.
"You wait here." Tang Meng instructed them, and reminded Jie Li not to run around, and squeezed in alone.
Hitzfeld curled his lips.
She remembered that Jerry had boasted to her that she had been to Green Town many times and had long lost interest in the scenery there.
"You're lucky." After a while, Tang Meng came out, relaxed his brows and breathed a sigh of relief, "There are two rooms by the window. I'll book them for you - you really want two rooms, right?"
"Right!" Ethan took charge of the matter without hesitation and asked, "A room by the window...is there anything special about it?"
"This wasn't a hotel." Tang Meng smiled. "This row of houses is next to the lake, and you can see the water when you open the window... The owner bought two surrounding buildings and renovated them. You won't find a better view than this place even if you search the whole town."
"I never knew there was such a place..."
Jerry's face turned pale.
Others thought she was regretting missing out on such a good thing, but she continued to mutter, "No. 14 Red Maple Street...will it be as well hidden as this place?"
"Don't even think about it!" Tang Meng interrupted her fiercely, "You can't find this place even if you turn the town upside down!"
