Chapter 192
Chapter 192
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 192
Chapter Title: Adoptive Bond 1
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After leaving Bell Hoda and traveling for half a day, the city of Burtuma began to come into view in the distance.
Azadin marveled at the metropolis packed with buildings gleaming gold.
"Wow... Is that Burtuma? Even if they've got tons of gold, did they really paint the buildings with it?"
"Ah, that's gamboge lacquer."
Jiswa answered Azadin's question.
"Gamboge lacquer?"
"Yes. It's a paint made from special tree resin. Cheaper than gold leaf, but still incredibly expensive material."
"Impressive. From afar, it looks just like real gold. Is it sturdy? Doesn't it peel off in heavy rain and storms?"
"I hear it's quite durable. But it doesn't hold up perfectly. It needs maintenance from time to time."
"I see. Amazing. How much does it cost? If it's cheaper than gold leaf, I'd like to paint my place with it someday. Though right now I'm just a wandering soul without a house or temple."
"Hahaha. It's way too expensive for a private residence. They say a single keg of gamboge lacquer costs three times its weight in silver coins. And that's the lowest grade."
"Three times the weight in silver? And they paint that on buildings? Is that even possible?"
Azadin was startled by Jiswa's words. There were far more than one or two buildings with that golden exterior. If they were all coated in gamboge lacquer at the price Jiswa mentioned, wasn't there something wrong with that price? Could they really slather it so freely on building exteriors?
As Azadin wondered, Jiswa replied.
"It's usually used on dishes, artwork, furniture—not something ordinary people paint on buildings. Only Burtuma can afford that luxury. After all, it's the capital of the Golden Kingdom, Burtuma."
"But isn't the capital of Burtuma... Burtuma?"
"Non-Burtumans have a hard time grasping the pronunciation difference."
"Painting on lacquer that costs three times silver... Incredible. But I don't see any Naga armies yet. Haven't they started the war?"
Azadin admired the city as he scanned it.
Burtuma's city center had developed around a massive crossroads, wide enough for six wagons to pass side by side without issue. One side even featured a drainage channel.
Just seeing the pristine cobblestones laid across this enormously wide road—including the drainage channel—gave a sense of the city's wealth and prosperity.
"My goodness. Living this well is incredible. But this isn't the time for sightseeing. Alright, let's go."
Azadin's group headed toward Burtuma's gates.
*********
At Burtuma's gates, soldiers were irritably monitoring passersby.
"Nagas could disguise themselves as humans to slip in, so cooperate with the inspections!"
"Damn it! We've got too much cargo to let in right now—what nonsense is this?"
"The Nagas attacked our ships, so we have to bring goods overland— you doing this?"
"Merchants don't need checking! Inspect the travelers instead!"
Merchants forced to haul goods overland due to the Naga ship attacks grew furious at the long clearance delays.
But the officer conducting the inspections was strict.
"They could sneak in mixed with merchant groups! We're using valuable blood mages here, so bear with it!"
Surprisingly, they were pricking the fingers of entrants with needles. Blood mages in green turbans were performing tedious checks to determine if they were human, Naga, or other races.
"Ugh... This is a problem."
Azadin's group included Shati and Scott, disguised as humans. With such thorough inspections, their true identities were bound to be exposed.
"What idiots. Nagas must have already infiltrated Burtuma in droves."
Shati sneered at the soldiers now scrambling with checks.
Of course, it was better late than never, but blocking Nagas—who could freely navigate waterways with their superb swimming skills—on land routes wouldn't mean much. It'd be far better to rush supplies into the city....
That showed just how feared the Nagas disguised as humans were.
"By the way, Shati. I've got a question."
"What?"
"Are Nagas good swimmers?"
"Yeah. Freshwater serpent Nagas have gills that let them breathe in rivers, and sea serpent Nagas have gills for the ocean."
"Don't regular freshwater or sea serpents have gills?"
"Not full gills. They have breathable membranes near their ears that open and close. When they touch water, it helps with breathing, letting them hold their breath longer underwater. But freshwater serpent Nagas are vulnerable in seawater, and sea serpent ones in freshwater, so they just keep them closed on land."
"I see. What about land tribe Nagas?"
"Land tribe lacks those membranes. Their bodies are heavier, so they aren't great swimmers. But they've got superior strength."
"Hmm. So they can enter the city anytime through drainage and sewer channels."
"More importantly, how are we handling the blood magic checks up ahead?"
"No choice. Jiswa and I will go in separately to meet the Azure Turban Lord. Scott and Shati, wait here?"
"Got it, boss. Can I eat those snacks Landa Vanema gave us?"
"We'll use Landa's snacks and liquor as negotiation gifts later. Have regular meals for now."
Azadin said that and headed to the inspection post with Jiswa. He approached the blood mage troubled by the massive backlog of people waiting.
"W-What do you want?"
"This is Azure Turban Daoist Jiswa. Seems like urgent news, so we'd like to meet the Lord...."
"Ah, Daoist? But the inspections are backed up huge. Plus, not all the officers here are our brothers, so we can't just let you through. Unless you give us something...."
"Money work?"
"Money's fine, but it'd take a fortune to bribe with that. The guard captain loves booze, though. Booze might get you through cheaper."
"Is that so? I've got just the thing."
Azadin pulled a bottle of liquor received from Landa out of his luggage and handed it over.
"Whoa! This... Yes, this should do it."
Just then, the officer overseeing the post approached.
"Hey, what's this? Cutting in line?"
"Ah, this gentleman's an Azure Turban Daoist. Says it's urgent—can he get inspected first?"
"No way. You think he's the only one?"
"Here, a gift for the guard captain...."
"Hmm. Huh?"
The officer's eyes wavered at the sight of the liquor bottle.
"Whoa. That's Bell Hoda's Kashasha! Such a rare find! Well, Azure Turban means solid status. Fine, let 'em in."
The officer took the bottle and let Azadin and Jiswa pass without even the blood check.
'Damn. Should've brought Scott and Shati if I'd known they wouldn't check.'
Azadin hadn't expected no inspection at all and panicked, but asking now if the others could pass too would surely ruin things, so he held back.
*********
Burtuma's streets were in chaos amid full-scale defense preparations.
Laborers were mobilized, elephants hauling timber as they piled sandbags and wooden barricades near waterways to block Nagas from climbing up. But with so many channels, blocking them all wasn't easy.
"Oh, elephants...."
Azadin got excited seeing real elephants working, just like in books.
"Hahaha. Impressed, Daoist?"
"First time in Burtuma lands. Koral Sahar was already so different from my homeland's flora, but this is astounding."
But the workers with the elephants didn't look pleased.
Burtuma got heavy rains in the wet season, so cities built drainage channels and even raised houses on stilts—the ground level serving as markets in dry times, cleared when rains came.
Bound so closely to rivers, seas, and the wet season's downpours, Burtuma was an ideal spot for Naga invasions.
To aid defenses, Burtuma was evacuating (dispersal operations) residents from flood-prone lowlands and areas hard to barricade due to water inflow.
The problem: those lowlands were home to Burtuma's poorest, most powerless folk.
The destitute couldn't endure losing their homes. It took money to live elsewhere, and with no cash or support, the unavoidable defense-ordered evacuation felt heartless.
Worse, soldiers' attitudes stank. They mocked and berated the lowland underclass.
"Hey! You telling us to leave? That's too much! We've lived here our whole lives!"
"Shut it! If you've lived here forever, your life's worthless anyway—even if you die today!"
"We're doing this to protect the city! Interfering with us? You're a Naga in human guise!"
Soldiers threatened resisters with spears and swords, forcibly evicting them and dismantling furniture and homes for timber.
In full wartime sieges, deaths left empty houses aplenty and survival trumped property, so no one cared about broken furnishings.
But early war, mid-fortification now—smashing personal property drew widespread resentment. Still, no one dared defy Burtuma soldiers backed by elephants.
"Hmm. Mood's sour. Soldiers look tense—situation must be bad. Where's the Azure Turban Lord, Jiswa?"
"Yes. The Azure Turban Order is this way."
Jiswa cheerfully guided Azadin despite the chaos.
*********
The Azure Turban Order had gained many followers in Burtuma by treating malaria and fevers. The King's Church deemed them heretical and tried punishing them, but the populace rebelled fiercely.
Join the Azure Turban Order for free treatment, versus the King's Church demanding huge donations.
No need to ask which side the people favored.
Thus, current King Manja-Zadek regulated against the King's Church punishing the Azure Turban Order without permission. The Church threatened excommunication, but with Koral Sahar fallen to the Herald Clan, their authority had plummeted.
"Anyway, Burtuma's endemic diseases weaken outsiders. The King's Church lacks pull to dethrone the Burtuma king. Shame they can't aid against Nagas, but good for the Azure Turban Order."
"So, the Azure Turban Order got official recognition from the Burtuma king?"
"Yes. Even got a building donated. That's the Lord's Pavilion where the Azure Turban Lord resides."
Jiswa proudly introduced the Lord's Pavilion to Azadin.