Jonah and Asai stood side by side at the entrance of the town, waiting for the "Midnight Star" and the mayor of Maracanda to arrive. The herdsmen stood respectfully behind them. Strangely enough, not a single woman or child in the town was there. No. The entire population is seventy-four mature men, plus an honorary mayor who is too old to know his age.
A tall column of dust rose from the Gobi Desert in the distance. The ground shook more and more loudly. Small stones began to dance. "Asai, have you seen this legendary steam puppet carriage?" Astrology The apprentice warlock couldn't help but ask in a low voice.
"No. I didn't take the main road when I came to the Southern Continent last time. Besides, this carriage is exclusively for nobles. Ordinary people have no chance to get close." The Easterner shook his head.
While he was talking, a huge black shadow poked out of the horizon. From a distance, you could see the bloated carriage spewing strong white steam from the four chimneys. It brought the sound of wind, piston movement, and friction of mechanical parts. The sound plus all kinds of messy noises. The wooden wheels covered with iron sheets rumbled across the ground...It has nothing to do with the elegant name. The "Midnight Star" looks like a rough and noisy big guy.
"Please step back a little," the honorary mayor shouted. His white beard was fluttering in the wind. "Be careful of being swept under the wheels by the strong wind brought by the 'Midnight Star'. Such accidents have happened before."
"It doesn't matter." Asai said with a smile. His white teeth flashed in the sun. "Brother Jonah, show me your badge."
"Oh." Yonai took off the astrologer's apprentice badge from his clothes and held it up. "Can they see it from so far away...and why do you call me 'brother'? I don't know how old you are, but He must be older than me."
"It's a bad habit in the East." The Oriental man spread his palms. "I'll agree to it. Brother Yona."
I don’t know what kind of observation equipment is inside the steam carriage. But it is obvious that the driver saw the dark blue badge and began to slow down obviously. The "Midnight Star" made a high-pitched whistle. The hot steam came from countless vents. The pressure valves spurted out in unison. The twenty-four wooden wheels were gradually locked by the axles. A long series of dazzling sparks erupted from the friction between the iron sheet and the ground.
Jonah worriedly watched the creaking monster getting bigger and bigger in his field of vision. "If it doesn't stop, it will run over us or even crash into the town."
"It's not like that kind of accident has never happened before." The honorary mayor said with a sad face.
Fortunately, the "Midnight Star" creaked to a stop beside the crowd. It neither ran over the feet of the astrologer's apprentice nor smashed into the small stone house in Maracanda. "Chi..." The entire carriage was A thick cloud of steam shrouded the air. Every wheel was emitting green smoke. From the bottom of his heart, Jonah felt that this guy was not a miracle of engineering. From the appearance alone, why would anyone make a carriage like this? It has an ugly cylindrical shape. It also has a bunch of messy steam equipment installed at the back. It looks like a large, poorly made wine barrel.
The honorary mayor lifted up his robe. He ran over with two short legs and knelt in front of the carriage. He mumbled a lot in the common language of the Southern Continent. Yona could guess it by looking at the expression on the Easterner's face. It was a welcome speech that I had already memorized. It contained some sour words of praise.
"Crack, bang, bang..." A door opened on the side of the steam carriage. Two support rods slowly rotated, turning the iron door panel downward. The fixed steel nails at the top of the door penetrated into the ground and turned into a springboard. A thick A short figure appeared at the cabin door. He was not in a hurry to get down. He stood on the gangplank and waved his arms with a smile.
Seventy-four herdsmen knelt down in unison and greeted the mayor in unison. "This mayor is called the son of Prince Amir Ibn Shakal of Harimaya, a wise, upright and brave king. The nephew of Emperor Isaiah Bayinke, the mayor of Malakanda, the president of the Namoza Trade Road Association and the only royal inspector of the Northwest Province, Du ibn Shakal.'" Easterners translated this big man It's a slightly too long name.
"Ah, I know Prince Amir Ibn Shakhar of Harimaya." Jonah's eyes widened in surprise. He had seen this name in the "Geographical Survey of the Southern Continent". It was in the entry "Contract" The author cited the contract signed between Prince Harimaya and the slaves as an example. Unexpectedly, the chubby mayor in front of him was the son of the prince. "The world is really small."
The big shot showed off enough. He walked down the gangplank with three staggering steps. He walked towards Jonah with a smile on his face. The mayor was about 60% of Jonah's height and 200% of his weight. He was dressed in colorful clothes. The brocade robe. The red turban is embroidered with gold threads, which symbolizes the camel eagle pattern that symbolizes the Tocharian royal family. There is a yellow beard on the red round face. It can be seen that each beard has been carefully taken care of. The beard is slightly Glowing with an unparalleled oily sheen.
The astrologer's apprentice put his badge back on his lapel and bowed his head to Du Chakar. The mayor immediately rushed over and grabbed Jonah's elbow. He spoke passionately. Jonah looked at Asay for help. The Easterner smiled and whispered: "It's all nonsense. Just nod."
Jonah nodded sharply. Mayor Du laughed happily. He held the astrologer's apprentice with his right hand. He grabbed Asai's palm with his left hand and dragged the two of them towards the largest stone house. The honorary mayor was shaking his head. Following him, he introduced the situation. Mayor Du nodded repeatedly and showed a satisfied smile.
Jonah, who rarely held hands with men, felt extremely awkward. "Uh, is this a custom in the southern continent?" He looked at Asai for help.
"Hmm. I think this big shot is gay." The Oriental replied calmly.
Jonah immediately felt that there were countless earthworms crawling around in that chubby, soft hand. He wanted to shake them off, but was afraid of causing them to rise up. So he took a seat in the room. The leftovers had been removed from the table and they were placed again. The steaming food was served. Mayor Du happily asked the two to eat more. Jonah lowered his head and said to Asai: "I think the first issue is to show that we are not gay."
An hour later, in the carriage of the "Midnight Star", the astrologer's apprentice looked at the Easterners opposite him with a sad face. Asai also looked back at him helplessly. No one could imagine that the interior of the seemingly rough and outdated steam carriage was actually There is such a luxurious interior. The space of the carriage is wider than the largest stone house in Maracanda. The feet are covered with soft white wool carpets. The walls are hung with exquisite wall lamps, tapestries, paintings and decorative weapons. Four rows of extremely comfortable The soft seats face each other far away. The large coffee table in the middle is filled with wine bottles and crystal glasses. Ice cubes are clinking in the glasses.
No one would refuse luxurious enjoyment. But the host's reception seemed a little too enthusiastic. Sitting next to Jonah and Asai were a **-year-old boy with a slender figure, delicate features, and white skin. Except for a layer of purple on his body The boy wearing nothing but gauze and underwear was twisting around them with his snake-like soft body, serving them drinks in a somewhat excessive manner.
Jonah's whole body stiffened. He tried to stay as far away as possible. "Asai..." he shouted complainingly.
The Oriental smiled bitterly and said: "I told the mayor. He didn't listen. He said that since the sage, upright, and brave King Isaibaink the Great lifted the ban on same-sex marriage, the aristocratic circle of the Golden City has It set off the trend of keeping boys in captivity. These boys have been professionally trained since childhood. They are specially used to please men. Only the most powerful nobles can afford their expensive fees... It is said that they have to take a bath with milk every night To keep the skin smooth and tender.”
When the two were having an awkward moment, the door opened. Mayor Du walked in with a smile. He sat on the soft seat and said something.
"He said that the carriage is about to leave. It will arrive at Isfarhan, the capital of the Northwestern Province early tomorrow morning. He invited us to visit his mansion. He has a large courtyard in Isfarhan. There are five sycophants worth thousands of gold." Asai sighed and translated.
Jonah shouted: "Let him get these two children away first."
The Oriental pushed the boy away and said something while making gestures. This time it worked. Mayor Du stood up suddenly. He bent down and nodded to apologize to Yona. Then he opened the door and pushed the two little boys away. go out.
"Huh..." The astrologer's apprentice relaxed and collapsed on the sofa. "What did you tell him?"
"I said that the astrologer is very loyal to his feelings." Asai winked narrowly: "He prefers older men. For example, those in their forties or fifties."
"What." Jonah jumped up and pointed at the other person with a red face, speechless.
The unreliable partner laughed loudly. "All right, brother Yona. I just told him that astrologers must abstain from sex. Otherwise, their strength will be affected."
Jonah grabbed the wine glass and took a sip. The unknown golden wine was sweet and sweet in the mouth. It was more delicious than all the alcoholic drinks he had drunk before. "I hope the astrologer and the swordsman don't blame me for not receiving the reception well." ." After Asai's translation, Mayor Du said to the two of them: "I also hope that I can entertain you two well in Isfarhan for a few days. Then I will escort you to the Golden City. Of course, stay in Baktri. I also hope that you two can live in my home. My father, Prince Harimaya, will be very happy to see you two."
"I'm just an apprentice. Does it need to be so grand?" Jonah asked strangely.
"The Southern Continent is the territory of the Steam Puppet Warlocks. Astrologers are already rare. Now the war is about to begin. The five major guilds have begun to evacuate their personnel. I estimate that there are not a few truly talented astrologers in Tocharia." The Oriental commented.
The floor shook violently. The "Midnight Star" started to move. Although there were heavy shock absorbers between the carriage floor and the wheels, the wooden wheels still transmitted the bumps. The wine in Jonah's hand spilled all over the body. Instead, it was on the coffee table. The wine bottles and glasses were all embedded in the dark grid and motionless. It was obvious that precautions had been taken.
"We still have a long way to go. We can have a good chat." The mayor smiled and raised his glass.