Chapter 458: The Metropolis

At this moment, the innkeeper had already finished sizing up Saul and Agu. He pushed aside the boy who was about to reply and stepped forward to Saul’s side.

He leaned slightly, speaking respectfully, “Yes, sir. Ever since Caugust City issued its third recruitment order three years ago, even the last few remaining folks in this town moved over there. Now, only orphans, the elderly, and the sick are left living here. If it weren’t for this inn that I still need to run, I wouldn’t have stayed either.”

“Urbanization, huh?” Saul hadn’t expected Caugust City to have developed to such a degree. But could the basic productivity of this era keep up with that?

“If everyone moves to Caugust City, what happens to the farming? Surely they’re not relying entirely on trade?”

His question caught the innkeeper off guard.

So Saul rephrased it.

“Who’s farming the land, then?”

“Oh, the farming is all done by serfs and… and…” The innkeeper seemed to understand Saul’s question this time, but forgot the word halfway through his answer.

“And magic tools, sir!” The boy, who seemed rather sharp, quickly followed the innkeeper’s example in addressing Saul.

He could tell Saul wasn’t a local, so he helpfully explained, “Magic tools are devices made by Bayton Academy related to magic. Ordinary people can use them too, and they’re really amazing! Farming now only takes a quarter of the time it used to!”

Bayton Academy actually made a batch of magic tools usable by ordinary people?

Must be some kind of simplified magic implements.

But then—how did they solve the issue of ordinary people suffering corruption from using such tools?

Anywhere with magic and mental force could potentially produce corruption.

If it were a wizard, even a Second Rank apprentice would have some means to deal with that.

But if ordinary folks caused corruption using magical tools, how would they deal with it?

They likely didn’t even have the means to protect themselves.

Saul had originally wanted to ask what those magic tools looked like, but after thinking it over, he decided against it. Even if they’d seen them, they wouldn’t understand the core principles—better to see it for himself.

Across from him, the boy continued talking like a wind-up toy that had just been released, still enthusiastically explaining, “The ones used for farming outside the city are just the simplest tools. The real powerful ones are in the large factories inside Caugust City. They say even regular people can use magic tools to make even more advanced tools! If I didn’t have to take care of my grandfather, I’d have gone into the city with Brother Ruf to work!”

The boy clearly had more to say, but the innkeeper tugged at his sleeve.

Saul glanced at the innkeeper. He had a hunch—when the man heard the boy mention those city factories, his expression wasn’t nearly as eager as the child’s.

There was even a faint hint of fear.

Saul asked a few more questions after that. The boy eagerly answered all of them, saying he got everything from a book. If Saul wanted a full understanding of Caugust City, he highly recommended reading it—said it was all laid out very clearly.

When Saul asked for the book’s title, it turned out to be the very novel the boy and the innkeeper had been reading earlier.

Even the name sounded unreliable.

At that moment, the innkeeper returned to the bar, pulled out a brand-new copy of the same book, and offered it to Saul.

“Please take it, sir. No charge. These books are freely distributed by the city, and they told us to give them to any traveling guests.”

What he didn’t mention was that, until just now, he’d always been charging travelers for those books.

Saul accepted it without hesitation and stopped asking questions. He turned and followed the boy to the courtyard next door to check in.

The innkeeper even came by to deliver some food—very enthusiastic.

When they left, Saul overheard the boy still muttering about wanting to work in the factory.

The innkeeper seemed reluctant to lose his last helper, and claimed that those factory magic tools had eaten people before.

The boy just shrugged it off and said that was because workers hadn’t operated them properly or followed regulations.

Hearing this, Saul weighed the book in his hand and decided to read it before entering the city.

The next morning, Saul and the others left the inn and continued toward Caugust City.

Last night, Saul had read his first extracurricular book in the three years since he’d arrived in this world. He skipped over the obviously self-indulgent and fantastical parts, focusing on the daily life details described in the city.

But even those “details” deserved quotation marks.

The book told of a farmer named Little John and the many dangers and even eerie incidents he encountered after entering the city. Yet in the end, all those events turned out to be due to human greed or carelessness at work.

Wizards were also mentioned in the book, but only briefly—clearly the author didn’t dare write about them in depth.

In the book, wizards were always portrayed as mysterious, powerful, and wise. Every time they developed a new magic tool, it brought great improvements to ordinary people’s lives.

Even with Marsh driving the carriage, they still spent most of the day on the road. By the time the wagon arrived at the foot of Caugust City, the sun was already slanting west again.

A massive city bathed in orange-red sunlight unfolded before Saul’s eyes.

The rows upon rows of tall buildings almost made Saul feel like he’d returned to his old world.

Caugust City was built against a mountain, with the southwest sides facing the sea. To the north stood a gently sloping low hill, and only the east side was flat enough for vehicles to pass through.

Outside the city was a wall—not particularly high—with soldiers stationed along it. Every few meters along the wall stood a giant crossbow, and every hundred meters there was a square-shaped opening.

That same book about Little John entering the city had mentioned these. According to it, those square holes housed magic crystal cannons—explosive devices that ordinary people could operate.

The city wall on the eastern side had three entry gates, each with a long line of people queued up.

But as Saul’s carriage approached, two mounted soldiers immediately galloped over.

One of them held a compass in hand. After confirming it twice, he dismounted and approached Saul respectfully.

“Honorable Wizard, you do not need to queue to enter the city. Please follow us through this way.”

Saul opened the carriage door and glanced at the compass in the soldier’s hand, finding it quite interesting.

His carriage bore no markings of wizard status on the outside, yet the soldier—clearly a regular person—had been able to identify him from afar as a wizard.

Obviously, it was the compass at work.

Back in the Wizard Tower, magical tools were mostly used for combat or research. Rarely did one see such public utility applications.

Under the guidance of the two riders, the group was led to a fourth entrance.

The city gate here, along with the surrounding wall, was painted with hidden formation patterns.

As soon as they entered the formation’s radiation range, the noisy surroundings suddenly quieted significantly.

The two knights deliberately stopped outside the formation, gave a salute, and then rode off.

At that moment, another person came forward. He wore a formal uniform in blue and white—a minimalist design, stylish yet unrestrictive for movement.

The cuffs, collar, and hem were all adorned with two fine silver threads.

“Good afternoon, sir,” the man spoke from outside the carriage. “Welcome to Caugust City. I am Dumar, a Second Rank apprentice from Bayton Academy. May I ask if you’re willing to proceed with identity registration?”

Agu stepped out of the carriage, not letting the other party see the interior.

“What happens if we agree, and what if we don’t?”

Dumar’s smile remained unchanged as he pulled out two metal cards from the pocket on his chest.

One was red, the other blue.

“We naturally respect your preference. In Caugust, many places—whether for entry or purchasing—require a pass. So, we’ve prepared two kinds of passes for you. The blue one registers basic information and allows us to offer better services. The red one is an anonymous pass. Most services are still available with it, but for any core business, you may be asked to present proper credentials. Of course, your basic daily needs will absolutely not be affected.”

Dumar politely held out both passes toward Agu.

Letting him choose.

(End of Chapter)

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