The year 1765, when the inscription was made, saw Delarion still engaged in a full-scale war with Carson Rick. This tower was likely an outpost for the Kingdom's army back then, but it was abandoned as the front lines advanced and new borders were established.
The traces of fire Xia De had just seen inside the tower were likely left by hunters who passed through long ago.
"This really is Middlesburg!"
This was what excited Xia De the most.
Besides Priest Augustus, Xia De's friend Captain Rades also served on Windy Path, and Miss Black, the "missing" sister of Miss White whom he was looking for, was also vacationing in Middlesburg.
"I wonder if I'll have a chance to meet anyone I know."
Instead of leaving immediately, Xia De walked around the tower again and found that this lighthouse was located near the mountainside of Sicar Mountain. Behind the tower was a cliff face that was easy to defend but difficult to attack, and standing there, looking past the lush forest trees and towering rocks, he could actually see the huge steam City stretching northwards below the mountain.
The City below the mountain was divided into small squares by streets, and under the sun, the City, built at the foot of the mountain, extended towards the distant plain. Chimneys spewed Black smoke into the sky, and one could barely make out small Black dots moving in the City by squinting.
The railway passed through the western part of the City, connecting the northern plain of the Kingdom with the entrance to the Rommel Mountains. This was the most important railway line in the southeastern region of Delarion. Through this railway, trade goods and travelers between Delarion and Carson Rick did not have to bypass the massive mountain range that stretched across the central and eastern Old Continent, nor did they have to cross the peaks. It could be said that in 1853, a time of peace, both Delarion and Carson Rick valued this City greatly.
Compared to when he first peeked at Coldwater Port's docks by surfacing from under the sea at Coldwater Port, seeing the giant City lying at the foot of the mountain from the forest now gave Xia De even more shock:
"It seems that the area of Middlesburg is no smaller than Tobesk."
Due to the distance, Xia De found it difficult to discern the buildings in the City. The only thing he could clearly see was the large church outside the City center square. He knew it was the Natural Church of the Lord of All Things, and he had inquired about the history of Middlesburg, knowing that the Natural God, the Lord of All Things, among the Five Gods, was the first to establish faith in this City.
"After I rescue the Priest, I can explore this place."
Following the directions on the old tower, Xia De trudged through the pathless forest. Moving through such a primeval forest was more difficult than he had imagined, but fortunately, he hadn't gone in the wrong direction. After about twenty minutes, he finally saw a clear path in the forest.
Although the sign on the abandoned tower in 1765 referred to this path as a "small path," it should now be the main road for entering the mountains from the City. Weeds and trees had been cleared, and the flat road should be wide enough for a carriage to pass easily.
Although there were no road signs, Xia De at least knew to follow the downward direction. During this time, he didn't encounter anyone on the road. After about twenty minutes, he saw houses and cooking smoke in the distance. After another ten minutes, he finally arrived at the foot of the mountain and entered the southeastern area of Middlesburg.
Middlesburg is built against the mountains, a City at the foot of Sicar Mountain, an important mountain in the Rommel Mountains that stretches across the central and eastern Old Continent. Initially, it was built as a castle to defend against Carson Rick's attacks. However, with the changing relations between the two countries and the border line advancing south several times, Middlesburg eventually evolved into a large City in the southeastern part of the Kingdom, becoming an important transit point for entering and exiting the two major kingdoms from the eastern Old Continent.
Unlike Tobesk and Coldwater Port, the terrain of "Mountain City" Middlesburg is generally not flat. Because it is located northwest of Sicar Mountain, the entire City is higher in the southeast direction and lower in the northwest direction, then extends towards the plain.
The foot of the mountain is not rural but directly the City outskirts built against the mountain. And because of the trade needs passing through the Sicar Mountain pass, the infrastructure maintenance of the Old Town at the foot of the mountain is quite excellent, and there are many City Hall official agencies, even the Middlesburg train station is at the foot of the mountain, showing no signs that this was the original City area of Middlesburg.
This inland City style, nestled against the mountains, is also distinctly different from coastal ports and the Kingdom's capital. Although chimneys spewing Black smoke can still be seen everywhere in the City, at least the greenery here is much better than in the two cities Xia De had stayed in.
Although the sky was still shrouded in a thin mist due to the steam industry, almost every street wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side had trees lining it.
Unfortunately, Xia De was not in the mood to experience the City scenery of the Mountain City this time; he was still worried about Priest Augustus.
Since he had never been to Middlesburg before, after taking a carriage from the suburbs into the City, Xia De first asked passersby for the location of the post office, and then bought a local tourist map at the post office.
The special border location meant that there were many Outsiders in this City. When he bought the map, the uniformed Middlesburg post office staff thought Xia De was also on vacation from the southern capital and enthusiastically introduced him to the local sights.
But it was only when Xia De began to inquire about the location of the Dawn Church in his standard Tobesk accent that the other party realized this was someone from the capital's Great City.
Although Outsiders never believed that living in the capital was more noble than living elsewhere, in reality, cities like Middlesburg and Coldwater Port were indeed considered "rural places" compared to Tobesk.
Priest Augustus had mentioned that the Old Priest and Priests summoned by the Five Gods Church would temporarily stay in the local church after arriving in Middlesburg, and then further arrangements would be made. Although they were nominally summoned for "meetings and collective study," it was clear that something was amiss.
Xia De believed that the Church had already discovered Priest Augustus's disappearance. Since even the Church couldn't save the Priest, it meant that the trouble was far beyond his imagination.
"In Coldwater Port, it was a massive tsunami that submerged the City. In Tobesk, it was a Divine Descent. I wonder what will happen in Middlesburg. It can't be worse than Tobesk, can it?"
He hurried along, flipping through the map as he moved towards the local Dawn Church, located two blocks away, while the voice in his mind quietly asked:
"There shouldn't be anything more dangerous than facing an evil god directly, right?"
Xia De continued walking while looking at the map. It was only when he reached the corner of the block, at the trade company with a metal sign buying timber, and turned into the residential street with three-story apartments, that he replied:
"Yes, I can even attend an evil god's banquet, so what am I afraid of with a Divine Descent? Therefore, whatever happened to Priest Augustus will surely be resolved smoothly. Once I rescue the Priest, I'll have him take me around this City. Didn't the Priest say he had visited Middlesburg when he was young before he left?"
Walking on the misty street, listening to people with various accents and languages pass by. Xia De looked down at the map, somewhat puzzled as to why, after the Great City Player ended, he couldn't even rest for a single night before embarking on another adventure:
"Once I rescue the Priest, I'll definitely make him treat me to a meal at the best restaurant in the City."
