89 Chapter 89 - Pretty Stars (1/2)

Fort Togo was finally in sight.Their caravan was ahead of schedule so they didn't have to worry about paying extra fees on their wagon rentals.”A line?Looks like they're on lockdown.I wonder what happened.”Annie was standing on the top of the wagon.Mimi's tentacles were wrapped around the bars so even if she fell she wouldn't fall off the wagon.”Gren, we've got a line up ahead!Tell the others behind you to put their weapons down!”

Gren was on the wagon behind hers.He traded places with Osmond to give Annie a break from driving.After following Annie's instructions, everybody laid their weapons down.The line was kinda long so Gren prepared to spend the night outside the walls.

”Hey, did the boss lady say what we can do with the animals we've hunted?”The person asking was Erling.He was a hunter by trade but moonlighted as a mercenary because he was desperate for money.

”No, but I'll give you permission to sell whatever you've killed.If she says anything then I'll take the blame.”Gren learned a few tricks from Erling so he'd be willing to receive a scolding for him.Not only was he able to set up interesting traps that Gren hadn't thought of but his ability to cheat in cards was impressive.If Gren didn't have the system then he wouldn't have known that he had been cheated.

The line was slowly moving along as the soldiers searched each carriage and wagon.”Where did all of these people come from?We didn't pass this many on the way.”They only passed maybe a dozen groups on the way while there were at least twenty wagons outside the gates.

”Fort Togo gets a lot of trade coming from this direction but the traders don't come back this way.”Chase was the one that answered his question.”They'll trade their fresh goods here or have them processed and then bring everything to the capital.The only traders you'll see coming back this way are those returning to Adierton.”He seemed pretty knowledgeable about the trade in this area.”The others will take goods from the capital south towards Baron Emmett's territory.The capital's goods aren't as popular in the Adier Duchy since Adierton produces mostly the same things.The only exception is magical devices but that's because of the magic academy there.That'll probably change when Duke Adier's daughter returns to Adierton.”

He had heard that the Duke had two sons and a daughter but he didn't know much about them.One of the sons was a real asshole so Gren didn't expect much from the daughter.”Is she talented at making magical devices?”

”Yeah, her talent seems to be on par with the Goddess's daughter.”Gren's eye twitched when he heard that.”Some say that the Goddess had twins and that the two were separated at birth since they're the same age.I'm not sure about that, to be honest.”

”The Goddess doesn't have a daughter.”The high priestess, Gabriella, already said that the woman in Doga was a fraud.”I have it on good authority that she gave birth to a son.”

”Oh, who told you this?”Gren was tempted to tell Chase that he was the son of the Goddess but he wanted his mother to wake up before telling anybody.

”The high priestess in Adierton.She has met him in person.”Gren decided to let her deal with any inquiries.Chase thought about it and decided not to continue the discussion.He would be heading back to Sekaton after this request but, the next time he headed to Adierton, he'd ask her about it.

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One of the soldiers from the gate approached their caravan and talked to Annie.There were plenty of people ahead of them so it was strange.After Annie showed him some papers, he saluted her.Annie then pointed towards the other vehicles in their caravan and the soldier nodded before jogging towards the gate.

With the soldier gone, Annie hopped of the wagon and walked towards Gren.”We've got permission to cut the line.Everybody get ready to go.”Perhaps she knew that Gren would ask so she added one more thing.”The soldiers had been notified that we'd be heading this way to fulfill the request.”That was good news.They'd get one night of rest and relaxation before heading out.The merchant wasn't allowed through early so he paid Annie for the request and waited to be let in.

Fort Togo was much smaller than Adierton and it lacked the infrastructure from the ruins so it was more old-fashioned.There were drainage ditches running along the roads that people dumped their waste water into.The buildings were all close together and had multiple stories to them.The base floors were made of stone with wooden huts built above them, similar to how the shanties looked in Adierton.

”Do you find it odd that people live in shacks like that?Most of the stone buildings were built long ago when we didn't have so many people.A lot of craftsmen died in the war against the demihumans and there are few who picked up the trade.”Erling must have noticed that Gren was staring at the huts.”It's not all bad news.The capital has recently created a new academy for craftsmen so these little huts will all be gone in thirty years.”

Annie directed all of the wagons to stop in front of a building with a horseshoe and carriage symbol above its doors.”I'll go tell them that their horses and wagons are here to be picked up.Make sure that they only take the wagons that have their logo on them.Afterwards, I need to check for any place that can hold us for a night before the rest of those outside the gate get in.”

Shortly after Annie entered the building, a few kids came from inside and looked at the wagons.After looking at the wagons, they checked the horses.”Can you bring the horses and wagons around to the back of the building?”The oldest of the kids, a boy that was maybe Gren's age, spoke to his group.The rest of the mercenaries grabbed their luggage and hopped off except those that knew how to drive them.