Castle of Black Iron

In Kalur, the city of machines, the first snow arrived several days later than in previous years. Nevertheless, after snowing for two days, the whole city was covered with a ten centimetre thick layer of snow.

The snow even impeded the normal operations of the railway leading to Kalur. Many factories in Kalur were also influenced as they failed to deliver their goods or receive their raw materials. Therefore, a great number of people started to clean snow in the streets and railway lines.

Only the large-scale airship center was uninfluenced as it was an airborne hub across Kalur. Even though it had heavily snowed at night, the ground crew still cleared the airship center with snow cleaners once every few hours. Therefore, while the roads and railway lines were severely impeded in winter, the airship center in Kalur became especially busy.

On December 25th, a medium-sized airship landed on runway number B06 in Kalur airship center. This airship was available for both passengers and freight, so it wasn’t very comfortable. Goods were in the lower cabin while many common travellers were crowded in the upper cabin.

Noble travellers would always choose to ride dedicated passenger airships between Carol Federation and Kalur City, on which they could enjoy a high degree of comfort and the quality service of stewardesses. Those who took such airships could always engage in lots of love affairs. Therefore, few rich people would prefer to travel by an airship which was both available to passengers and freight. Instead, they all chose this professional passenger airship.

Most of the taxi drivers outside the airship center had sharp eyes. After seeing which airship had landed on runway B06, the taxi drivers just ignored the passengers. In their previous experiences, most of those who took the airship for both passengers and freight were as mean as Grandet [1]. These kinds of people would simply ignore the taxis, the starting rate of which was two silver coins. Even if one or two of them wanted to take a taxi, they would bargain sharply with the drivers for a few copper coins. This always made drivers doubt whether they had a decent job. Otherwise, how could they bargain with others for half an hour over a few copper coins?

In the indifferent eyes of a bunch of taxi drivers, Zhang Tie finally walked out of the hatch door of the cabin where he had been crowded in with so many people on chairs for the last few days.

Zhang Tie had already gone back to his original appearance at this moment.

After leaving Eschyle City, Zhang Tie stayed on an uninhabited island in the Ewentra Archipelago for a few days. During this period, he had digested nine huge wolf seven-strength fruits in Castle of Black Iron, he lit 21 surging points and officially became a LV 8 fighter. After that, he came to the continent. After seriously making a plan while on his travels, he hunted a kingsnake in an underground space of a small country called Bastille for two days. After gathering the soul fire of the LV 8 kingsnake, Zhang Tie finally completed his advancement.

After leaving Bastille, Zhang Tie moved westward and had arrived at Carol Federation a couple of days ago. After that, he came to Kalur City on the earliest airship.

Zhang Tie was wearing a set of common cotton linen clothes, which had wrinkled after sitting on the seats for a few days. Underneath that his upper garment was a shirt. He was lifting a common canvas backpack. This set of clothes didn’t look so shabby previously. However, since it was winter and he didn’t wear an overcoat or fur coat, he looked shabby.

After taking in a deep breath of chilly air, Zhang Tie revealed a smile. After that, he walked towards those taxis.

Amazingly, although he waved towards those taxis, he found he was ignored. After glancing at the passengers beside him who were surrounded by so many taxi drivers, Zhang Tie then glanced over his own clothes and the pair of slightly worn leather shoes. After that, he rubbed his nose, forcing a bitter smile and walked in front of the nearest taxi.

"Pah...Pah..." Zhang Tie slightly tapped on the glass of the mini bus. The driver, who was staying in the warm car, rolled down the window reluctantly and looked at Zhang Tie with a pair of unwilling eyes.

"The starting price is three silver coins!" The driver asked for one more silver coin from Zhang Tie in order to scare him away as soon as possible.

"No problem!" Zhang Tie smiled, "I will go to Blapei, is that okay?"

The driver became a bit hesitant. Meanwhile, his unwilling look disappeared. He replied with a slightly better attitude, "Blapei is over 100 kilometers away from here. It will take us more than 3 hours from here to Blapei. Additionally, I cannot get a guest on my way back from there. Therefore, the fee is very expensive. It will cost you at least...15 silver coins. No bargaining!"

"Fine, let’s go!" saying this, Zhang Tie pulled open the rear door and threw himself in the back seat.

The driver turned around and watched Zhang Tie, "Erm...you need to pay me first!"

Zhang Tie then fumbled in his pocket for a short while before taking out a gold coin. He then flicked the gold coin to the driver. Catching it right away, the driver found it was the locomotive gold coin issued by Andaman Alliance. At the sight of this gold coin, the driver instantly became relaxed as he started the car.

Watching the strange city outside the window, Zhang Tie sighed inside slightly as he didn’t know whether this city could be preserved in the coming holy war. Because he knew no one in this city, he headed directly for Blapei, from where he planned to set out for Blackhot City by train.

"Have you been here before? Andaman Alliance’s gold coin is rarely seen here..." the driver started the conversation.

"I lived in Blackhot city before!"

"Alas, Blackhot City is a LV 4 city under the affiliation of Brunswick Province, Norman Empire. Our Andaman Alliance has been cancelled. All the cities have been separated except for Kalur!" The driver sighed with a nostalgic tone. After discovering that Zhang Tie was a resident within the Andaman Alliance, the driver’s voice had become tenderer.

"We have to show our appreciation for that powerful alchemist of the Iron Gate Clan. The other cities are not that lucky!"

"Yup!"

"How’s Kalur now?"

"It’s more boisterous than before. A great number of orders from Sun Dynasty and Norman Empire satisfy those mill owners so much!"

Through the talk with the taxi driver, Zhang Tie learned of many things that had happened in Kalur over the past year. Brilliance Feathers and Iron Horn Corps had retreated from the surroundings of Kalur city at the beginning of this year. Therefore, the tense situation facing this region had been eliminated. However, skirmishes still always happened on the borders between two armies. But this was all gossip in Kalur, which had not been confirmed through any official channel.

Norman Empire already revoked their division and establishment that had been in Kalur theater. However, a part of Iron Horn Army Corps was still stationed there.

After hearing that this region was still in the control of Iron Horn Corps, Zhang Tie let out a deep sigh inside. He knew that what he would do in Blackhot City was a bit against the laws of the Norman Empire. If this region was under the control of other forces, it would be difficult for him to move so many people away. But if it was still in the control of Iron Horn Corps, many things would be easily solved.

As they chatted, the taxi left the territory of Kalur City after a short while. Seeing that so many sentry posts on the road in the front and so many vehicles leaving Kalur City were queuing up in front of the sentry posts, the driver slowed down the vehicle and joined the queue after a truck.

"After passing that sentry post, we will enter the territory of Norman Empire. The sentry post will not check goods entering Norman Empire too strictly. However, they do check people entering it very seriously. You cannot enter Norman Empire without a legal identification certificate admitted by Norman Empire. Norman Empire doesn’t admit people with the identification certificates of some countries and regions. If you’re not allowed to enter, I will just take four of your fifteen silver coins. Additionally, I will send you back to Kalur City," the driver reminded Zhang Tie kindly.

Zhang Tie smiled, "My ID card should work!"

Two soldiers in dark red millitary uniforms of the Norman Empire climbed into the carriage of the truck and glanced inside quickly before jumping off. After that, they raised the road bar to let the truck go. Then a soldier standing in front of the sentry post made a hand gesture towards the taxi. Seeing the hand gesture, the taxi driver hurriedly drove his car forward meticulously.

At the same time, two tough men with long swords walked over. Before the soldiers had even knocked at the window, the taxi driver had hurriedly handed over his certificate. After checking his certificate, the soldier gave it back to the driver. Meanwhile, he asked the driver to open the trunk.

"Please show me your identification certificate," said another soldier icily as he stood outside the door of Zhang Tie’s car and slightly lowered his head to look at Zhang Tie with solemn eyes. Single male youths, like Zhang Tie, were the key targets of this sentry post.

Zhang Tie passed his ID card to the soldier. After glimpsing Zhang Tie’s identification certificate from the rear view mirror, the taxi driver quivered all over for a second.

In the middle of the dark green booklet was a shiny, delicate, yet ferocious looking silver-plated dragon relief, below which were a pair of crossed long swords and tree-leaf like grains. Given this identification certificate, this passenger must be a military officer of the Norman Empire...