Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic-Chapter 584 - Midshire Fort City

Chapter 584: Chapter 584 Midshire Fort City

The dated 1765, Draleon was still engaged in full-scale warfare with Carsonrick. This tower likely served as a front-line outpost for the Kingdom Army back then, but it was abandoned as the front lines pushed forward and new borderlines were established.

The signs of ignition Shard had seen inside the tower were probably left by hunters who had passed by long ago.

“This really is Midshire Fort!”

This was what excited Shard the most.

Besides Priest Augustus, Shard’s friend, Captain Lades, was also serving at Rising Wind Trail, and Miss Black, the “missing” sister of Miss White, was vacationing in Midshire Fort City.

“I wonder if I will have the chance to encounter any acquaintances.”

Instead of leaving immediately, Shard walked around the tower once more and discovered that this lighthouse was located near the waist of Sicarl Mountain. Behind the tower was a cliff slope that was easy to defend but difficult to attack, and from this location, looking past the dense forest and towering rocks, one could see a huge steam city stretching northward at the foot of the mountain.

The city at the base of the mountain was divided into small squares by streets, and under the sun, the city built against the foot of the mountain extended toward the distant plains. Chimneys spewed black smoke into the sky, and one could barely make out small black dots moving around in the city, squinting.

The railway crossed from the western part of the city, connecting the northern plains of the kingdom and the entrance to the Rommel Mountains. This was the most important railway line in the southeastern region of Draleon, allowing for the trade of goods and travelers between Draleon and Carsonrick without having to circumvent the giant mountain range that spanned the middle-east of the Old Continent, nor having to scale the peaks. It could be said that in the peaceful year of 1853, both Draleon and Carsonrick highly valued this city.

Compared to the first glimpse of Coldwater Port Dock emerging from under the sea at Coldwater Port, the current glimpse of the giant city lying at the foot of the mountain from within the forest gave Shard an even greater shock:

“It looks like Midshire Fort is no smaller than Tobesk.”

Because of the distance, Shard had difficulty recognizing the buildings in the city. The only thing he could clearly see was the huge church outside the central square of the city. He knew that it was the Nature Chapel of “God of Nature and Malice,” and he had researched the history of Midshire Fort City, knowing that the first faith established in this city was that of the “Lord of All Things,” one of the True Gods.

“After rescuing the Priest, I can take a tour around here.”

According to the directions at the old tower, Shard struggled to move through the forest that had no clear paths. Navigating through such primal forest was more difficult than he had thought, but fortunately, he was going in the right direction. Around twenty minutes later, he finally saw a clear path in the forest.

Although the sign at the ruined tower had referred to this path as a “small path” in 1765, in reality, it should now be the main road from the city into the mountain. Weeds and trees were cleared, and the flat road should be easy enough for a carriage to travel on.

Although there were no road signs, Shard knew at least to follow the direction going downhill. During this time, he did not encounter anyone on the road, and after about twenty more minutes, he saw houses and smoke in the distance. Ten more minutes later, he finally arrived at the foot of the mountain, entering the southeastern area of Midshire Fort City.

Midshire Fort was built against a mountain, situated at the foot of Sicarl Mountain, an important mountain range in the Rommel Mountains of the middle-east Old Continent. Initially, it was established as a castle to defend against attacks from the Carsonrickians. However, with changing relations between the two countries and several southward shifts of the border, Midshire Fort eventually evolved into a major city in the southeastern Kingdom, becoming an important transit hub for entry and exit between the two major kingdoms from the eastern part of the Old Continent.

Unlike Tobesk and Coldwater Port, the “Mountain City” of Midshire Fort City was generally not flat because it was located northwest of Sicarl Mountain. Therefore, the entire city was elevated in the southeast and descended toward the northwest, subsequently extending towards the plains.

At the foot of the mountain was not a village but a city suburb built along the mountain. Moreover, due to the trade through the Sicarl Mountain pass, the old district at the mountain’s base maintained outstanding infrastructure, housing numerous City Hall government agencies— even the Midshire Fort Train Station was located at the mountain’s base, making it hard to tell this was the original district of Midshire Fort.

The city style of this inland city near the mountains was also starkly different from the Coastal Harbor and the Royal Capital; although chimneys spewing black smoke could still be seen everywhere, at least the greenery here was much better than in the two cities Shard had stayed in before.

Although the sky was still veiled with a thin fog due to the steam industry, nearly every street wide enough for two carriages to pass side by side had rows of trees.

Unfortunately, Shard was not in the mood to experience the urban scenery of the Mountain City this time, as he was still worried about Priest Augustus.

Having never been to Midshire Fort before, after Shard took a carriage into the city from the suburbs, he first asked the passersby for the location of the post office and then purchased a local tourist map there.

The city’s unique border location led to a high presence of foreigners, and when purchasing the map, the uniformed employee of the Midshire Fort Post Office even thought that Shard was on vacation from the southern capital, eagerly introducing him to the local scenery.

But when Shard began to ask about the location of Dawn Chapel using a standard Tobesk accent, the other party realized that he was from the big city in the capital.

Outlanders never consider residing in the Royal Capital as more prestigious than other places, but cities like Midshire Fort and Coldwater Port are indeed “countryside places” compared to Tobesk.

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Priest Augustus had once mentioned that the old clerics and priests gathered by the Church of the Five Gods would temporarily reside in the local churches upon arriving in Midshire Fort, followed by further arrangements. Although they were nominally convened to “hold meetings and collective learning,” it was apparent that something was amiss.

Shard believed that the church had already discovered the disappearance of Priest Augustus, and since the church had not been able to save him, this indicated that the trouble was far beyond his expectations.

“In Coldwater Port, there was the great tsunami that submerged the city; in Tobesk, it was Godfall; I wonder what will happen in Midshire Fort. It can’t possibly be worse than Tobesk, can it?”

He hurried along, flipping through the map while moving towards the local Dawn Chapel two blocks away, a quiet voice in his mind questioning:

[Surely, there can’t be anything more dangerous than facing the Evil God directly, right?]

Shard continued walking while looking at the map, and only when he turned at a street corner where a trade company that bought timber hung a metal sign, towards another side where a three-story apartment building stood, did he answer:

“Yes, I can even attend the Evil God’s banquet, so what do I have to fear from a Godfall? Therefore, the situation Priest Augustus is in must be resolvable smoothly. Once the priest is rescued, I plan to have him take me around this city. Didn’t he mention he had visited Midshire Fort in his youth before leaving?”

Walking on the mist-shrouded streets, listening to people of various accents and languages walking by, Shard looked down at the map, somewhat puzzled as to why, after the Big City Player concluded, he couldn’t even rest for a night before diving back into another adventure:

“Once the priest is rescued, I definitely have to have him treat me to a meal at the best restaurant in town.”