Small Town News
Chapter 1224 Small Town Observations
In the area once ruled by the Balam Empire, in the country that believed in the god of death, taking short trips in "coffins" was a popular trend. This was true even in the colonial era, when the state of Matani, where the port of Paros was located, was occupied by Intis and forcibly converted to the "Eternal Sun."
These believers of the god of death believe that coffins can bring peace and tranquility, and can bring the favor of the god of death. Therefore, they lie in coffins when traveling or even at home, and have several people carry the coffins or have them pulled by horses, using them as carriages.
Half of the rooms in the Aurela Hotel, the largest hotel in the port where Angel stayed, had large coffins instead of ordinary beds. This was not to cater to the habits of the local indigenous people, but to give a sense of freshness to tourists from Intis or other countries who came from the northern continent. It was a special experience.
Although she rejected this "coffin room" when choosing a room, she still couldn't resist her curiosity on the way from Paros Port to Tizamo. She rented a horse-drawn coffin carriage and spent two hours on the bumpy ride to the small town on the edge of the primitive jungle.
The experience itself was actually quite good. The inside of the coffin was covered with thick cloth and there was a neck pillow. It should be cleaned frequently so there was no odor. And once the lid was closed, the sunlight, heat and noisy noise outside would go away from me, leaving only deep darkness and silence, as if gradually approaching death, or being taken to the cemetery by a carriage... Angel evaluated her second "coffin experience" in her heart.
As for the first time, she was rescued unconscious by Ms. Arianna before being placed in a coffin and buried in the Raphael Cemetery in Tingen City, so it was not a complete experience.
I heard that Klein actually crawled out of the coffin and dug a hole to get out of the tomb. I wonder what that feels like... No wonder he said during the attack by the Apostle of Desire that he didn't want to be cremated even if he died... She muttered as she crawled out of the coffin, communicated with the driver in the local Dutan language, and walked towards the main street entrance of Tizamo Town under the other party's guidance.
The reason she quickly learned this local language of West Balam was not because she was studious or had a talent for languages, but because she used a language proficiency spell she got from the "Pale Queen" Shia Eggers.
This kind of meticulous "care" always made Angel feel that everything was arranged. She almost suffered from Adamophobia, fearing that when she pushed open the coffin lid and jumped up, she would find the priest with blond hair and a golden beard squatting beside the coffin, looking at her with a smile on his face.
Phew, at least the goddess is also paying attention to this matter... No, She was also one of the gods who stood beside me when I traveled through time and was resurrected. Could this be arranged by them together?... Thinking of this, Angel hesitated for a moment in front of the main road of Tizamo Town, where people were coming and going, before walking in.
The town does not cover a large area. After a long period of renovation and expansion, it has two main streets running vertically and horizontally, as well as various alleys that are interconnected like capillaries. The permanent population is only about two thousand, most of whom are locals. The only outsiders are the owners of nearby plantations and slaves, who have been banned in the northern continent but are still semi-openly used in the southern continent.
Of course, even these slaves were from the South Continent, but some were transported here from East Balam, and some came from the Star Plateau. They grew various spices and jungle fruits in the plantations near the town, cut down trees to make coffins that were in great demand locally, and also worked part-time as jungle hunters.
Standing on the street, Angel looked up and saw that most of the people he saw were from the southern continent, with darker skin, flat noses, thick lips, and slightly curly black hair. Their clothes were mainly coarse linen. A few people had obvious northern features, some wearing formal suits and shiny leather shoes surrounded by servants, and some laughing and playing in groups, carrying hunting rifles and harvested prey.
This place is very close to the primeval forest. It is the last stop for the Northern Continent tourists who come to Paros Port for the thrilling jungle hunt... Those who are dressed formally are probably the rich people from the nearby plantations... It is indeed as Xia said, both the local natives and the people from the Northern Continent seem very peaceful. At least there are no colonists insulting or beating slaves or natives in the streets... Angel's eyes stayed on a middle-aged gentleman with two male servants and a bodyguard. The latter felt her gaze and looked back at him, and nodded slightly as a greeting.
In order to investigate deeper into the town, Angel once again used the "hypocrisy" ring to change his appearance, restrained his charm, and turned himself into "Eileen Watson". Although his proud figure and fair and delicate skin were still retained, even so, the gentleman's first reaction to seeing a stranger should not be to nod and say hello, but confusion or vigilance.
Even this emotion was sucked away by the abnormal power of the "Dream Festival"? Angel thought about it and waited for the gentleman to leave before continuing along the street to the interior of the town.
The buildings here are full of West Balam characteristics. They are supported by wooden sticks and stones, with the first floor hollowed out. The roof is made of stacked tiles and extends obliquely beyond the main body of the building.
This is an architectural style that was gradually formed in response to the local humid and rainy weather. It not only prevents the lower floors from being flooded, but also prevents most insects that prefer a humid environment.
But among these not-so-low stacked buildings, Angel still noticed a large building with a completely different style. It was the "Eternal Sun" Church with a golden dome and a golden main body, reflecting the orange-red sunset light.
They still love to use gold as decoration... If nothing unexpected happens, the entire dome is decorated with gold foil... Angel sighed, suspecting that Intis prioritized occupying West Balam instead of the more abundant East Balam because of the gold mines there.
Of course, finding a safe waterway and opening the colonial era might also be partly due to Emperor Roselle's personal preference.
After hesitating for a moment, Angel decided to visit the only church in the town first, and then look for the guide of the "Spiritual Cult" lurking in the town.
…
As soon as Angel stepped through the church door and entered the prayer hall with arches and domes, he was dazzled by all the golden colors.
The semicircular dome was inlaid with gold foil, the large murals were dyed with gold powder, and the statues with gold as the main body were illuminated by the sunlight that somehow changed from orange to golden through the glass on both sides, like pieces of refined gold ore.
This strange sunlight, with its scorching temperature, makes the entire prayer hall seem to be bathed in the midday sun.
Was it some kind of pre-arranged ritual, or was it the extraordinary power of the clergy? Angel guessed, his eyes passing over the golden decorations and falling on an old priest in his fifties standing beside the altar.
What surprised her was that the priest who presided over the mass and sermon in "Saint Sean Church" was a local man with dark brown skin and sparse hair.
That's right. The Intis people have colonized this place for hundreds of years. The expansion direction of the Steam Church is mainly the Kingdom of Loen. The Eternal Blazing Sun has become the mainstream belief of Intis' overseas colonies... This is also related to their relatively radical forced conversion of the locals. It seems that this priest is one of those who are devout in faith...
While Angel was complaining in his heart, he used the vision in the mirror to observe the church inside and out, even the gold foil on the arch, and did not find any abnormal problems that were different from other churches.
It was getting close to evening, and there were not many believers praying here. Angel, a stranger from the Northern Continent, quickly attracted the attention of the priest. The priest came over holding the golden holy book, smiled and asked in Intis with a flat tongue accent:
"Sister, is this your first time in Tizamo?"
If nothing unexpected happens, this should be the last time... Angel added in his mind, nodded, and answered in Intis:
"I just came from Paros Port. I didn't expect to feel the sun's radiance here. Of course, it's a bit hot for me."
She implicitly stated that she was not a follower of the Eternal Sun, not his "sister", but just a tourist who came to visit.
Of course, because the major orthodox churches do not have an absolute advantage, in order to have the opportunity to attract believers, all churches will not refuse people of other faiths to enter. As long as they do not commit blasphemous acts or promote pagan ideas, they will not be "asked" to leave.
After chatting with the local priest who was overly enthusiastic due to Angel's identity as a Northern Continental native, and taking the opportunity to confirm that the other party was not even a Beyonder and knew nothing about the "Dream Festival", Angel left the church shrouded in sunlight and came to the largest and best hotel in the area in the light of dusk. He booked a suite, called room service, ordered many special dishes, and started his first dinner in this small town.
This "Brieu Hotel" is built specifically for hunting and sightseeing tourists in Tizamo. Although it is supported by stone pillars and has a hollowed-out first floor, which is quite typical of the local area, the superstructure is very Intis style. The arched windows, carved curtains and beige decoration tones made Angel almost think he was in Trier again.
Unfortunately, the hotel also incorporates West Balam's characteristics in the food it provides. In addition to the roast beef sprinkled with spices and with a rich and complex flavor, juice made from the locally grown caffeine-rich berry "Gwadar", there is also roasted snake meat, roasted spiders, and roasted blood-sucking worms sourced from the original jungle.
This kind of "dark cuisine" made Angel feel disgusted but she couldn't help but try it. After enjoying part of it with a frown and feeling that her humanity had grown greatly, she sent the rest of the insect cuisine into the mirror world so that the person in the mirror who had been staying in the "City of Disaster" could also have a taste, lest she forget the colorful outside world in her loneliness.
This is on the must-eat list for tourists in West Balam, let me give you a good taste... She muttered, waving her hands continuously, sweeping away all the dark dishes, and finally added a glass of Guadal juice to prevent the person in the mirror from crawling out of the mirror and strangling her neck.
After eating and drinking, Angel dived into the mirror world and observed the small town in the night from another angle. He also did not find anything unusual, even the nearby plantation.
If there was anything unusual, it would have been discovered by the "Spiritual Cult" long ago. It seems that the only way out is to enter a dream...
It was almost midnight when Angel returned to the hotel. She put on the secret holy light, lay down on the bed, and quickly fell into a deep sleep through meditation.
After lying there with an empty mind for a few minutes, the holy light on Angel's wrist gradually gave off a cold touch, and her spirituality also gave her a faint reminder, asking her to open her eyes and slowly get up from the bed.
Compared to before she fell asleep, the furnishings of the surrounding suite bedroom had not changed at all, but the crimson moonlight outside the window was blocked by the clouds and became dim. The growling of wild beasts and the faint buzzing of mosquitoes in the distant primeval forest also completely stopped, and the entire hotel fell into complete silence.
Angel, who has extensive experience in dreaming, can be sure that he has entered a dream