BXBX NOVEL Chapter 349 348: Arriving At Nevrokopi
Resuming my journey once again, I put my head down as my feet pounded against the stone road, the new day just as beautifully clear as yesterday.
With the wind blowing into my face and the scents of the crisp cool air wafting through my nostrils, I lost myself to my deliberations once more, debating the pros and cons of different \'builds\' as I traversed the road throughout Nevrokopi State.
Tonight I would be reaching the last part of the stretch for Nevrokopi State, finding myself somewhere around 20 miles south of the city the State was named after; Nevrokopi.
It was apparently a large mining city that spanned a few miles in all directions around a mine slash danger zone named after the person who \'conquered\' it; Nev Rokopi.
...
Actually, I have no idea why it was named that way, but it was a true statement that it was built around a danger zone simply called \'The Mine\', and if I had to take an extremely educated guess there was an abundance of minerals inside~!
Smart aren\'t I~?
Giggling to myself at first, I eventually sighed as no one was around to listen to my stupid joke...
[I\'m here, and yes it was rather childish.]
Smiling, I nodded as I mentally thanked the system, but I returned to contemplating my plans a moment later.
Tonight I would stop a bit south of the capital, and tomorrow I would enter and look around for anything I might need.
Maybe even take a trip into \'The Mine\' if it was possible, so that I could satiate my other lust for a few days...
Either way, by two mornings from now I would be traveling into the frosted forest, where I would need to traverse an unblemished natural landscape...
Couldn\'t wait for that...
Totally nothing that would go wrong inside the forest covered in frost, right?
Definitely not...
No reason for such a giant swathe of land to be unclaimed by mortal races and instead remain as a completely natural area...
Sure there were tribes inside the forest, but I\'d imagine them to be more like the Arese, who lived with the land as best they could.
Which is why I wanted to get anything I could potentially need before I delved into the forest, and that was where Nevrokopi came into play.
Such a city must have many ways to make money, and many things I could use that money for.
Maybe I could find some ways to make Shop Points and get myself some materials?
Either way, I needed to reach Nevrokopi first, and that wasn\'t a problem; I just needed time to get there.
Time that would either fly by or drag by, but I would eventually get there.
With that in mind, and the system asking [Hey, want to hear a story? There are a few I can tell to pass the time?], I continued to run north.
Listening to the system tell me all about this girl who was raised by some of the most powerful people to exist, only to inherit none of their powers, I found that time did indeed go by quicker when I spoke to the voice inside my head.
Albeit a voice telling a rather dark, depressing story, but something to distract me nonetheless as I ran and ran, until I eventually reached the mountains below Nevrokopi, which was built in the side of another mountain.
Much like the Capital of the Empire.
Stopping for the night, I found a secluded place and settled down, looking over the various pathways that snaked and forked inside these mountains.
While I had been searching for a spot, I found a few small rabbits that hadn\'t heard or smelt me, providing me with a warm, juicy meal as I made myself a stew.
Maybe I should buy some basic seasonings when I get to the city...
After a rather nice, warm meal, I made my ice cube and fell asleep inside it, enjoying the cool air around me as I swaddled myself in the fur cloak.
The next morning, I ate the remnants of the stew before resuming my journey, keeping myself at a \'slower\' pace as I utilized no speed magics to hasten my journey.
The paths leading towards the city were winding and coated in snow, but with a simple spell on the soles of my shoes I never slipped on the frosted stone roads.
When I reached the city of Nevrokopi, there was another long line waiting to enter, though it was mainly merchants and their convoys trying to enter.
If I recall correctly, they were likely traveling from the three cities around Nevrokopi, which all used roads that led directly to the capital, so I had no chance of meeting them on the road.
Pulling up the hood of my cloak, I stepped into line and began to wait with the rest of the people, and I frowned as I smelt the unwashed bodies of the various warriors around me.
Men and women all clustered around wagons, conversing quietly amongst themselves for the most part, but some were... rowdy.
I watched as a man approached a woman and flirted with her, only to get pissed as he was ignored.
Raising his hand, he went to slap the woman only to have another woman come over and slam her fist into his stomach before kicking him away, wrapping her arm around the first woman protectively.
Another group uncorked small flasks and began to pass them around, drinking and singing together in a rather happy group.
Sighing, I stood quietly in the line as I awaited inspection, only to sigh again as I felt someone approaching me from behind.
Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a tall, gangly woman with pale skin and striking azure eyes smiling at me, her thin lips pulled over pearly teeth.
"Ohya~! I had a feeling you were a dazzling lady~! Want some company, my Lady~?"
Her voice was sweet in a fake way, and I sighed once more as she leaned down slightly to get a better look at me.
"Not particularly, no. I\'m fine on my own, thank you."
Rearing back slightly, she narrowed her eyes at me before asking "Are you sure? Nevrokopi can be a rather... dangerous place for beautiful women."
Meeting her gaze, I remained silent, simply staring her down.
"Hey! The woman said she\'s fine! Stop buggin\' her!"
Hearing the voice of a man approach, I held back - you guessed it - another sigh as he glared at the woman.
Clicking her tongue, she turned and walked away, raising my suspicions instantly.
When has anyone actually backed down that quickly?
Smiling warmly at me, the man extended his hand and said "Names Luka! Sorry about her; some people here don\'t respond well to rejections..."
Seeing a slight glint in his eye, I remained quiet as I looked down towards his outstretched hand, before murmuring "So if I say no here, you\'ll leave?"
He flinched at that, and I could see confusion in his eyes as his hand remained in the air, empty.
Tilting my head, I asked "Question. Was your ploy to have one of you \'intimidate\' me before the other swooped in to \'save\' me to and invoke some kind of good will towards you? Or are you really just that \'kind hearted\' to offer help to someone you don\'t know?"
Out of the corner of my eye I saw the woman still lurking at the edge of the line, her eyes narrowed as she watched our interaction.
Flinching again the man grit his teeth and lowered his hand, his eyes flashing with annoyance as he tried to lie to me.
"No, of course not! What, a man can\'t help someone now a days? Would you prefer if I left you alone to deal with her then? What if she followed you and tried to take advantage of you?!"
Hearing his \'caring\' spiel about wanting to protect me, I scoffed as I glared at him, waving him away.
"Don\'t bother. What\'s it matter to you? I can care for myself fine enough."
Sneering at me, he turned and left with a snort, muttering "Fine then stupid bitch..." as he walked away.
Raising a brow, I turned back towards the line and remained quiet, my ears perked as I listened for anything around me as we waited.
Some of the warriors and merchants murmured about me, casting glances as they wondered who I was and what I was capable of, while some were more... unsavory.
However, I had grown used to unsavory, so I continued to ignore everyone as we made our way towards the gate.
Remaining unbothered throughout the wait after that odd encounter was a blessing, and I eventually made my way forwards for inspection.
Armored guards yawned lazily as they stood in front of the open gates, and they briefly glanced at me before saying "Open your bags and prepare for inspection. Additionally, please prepare your entry fee of 1 Silver."
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Just one chap today
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