Pillar of Yita

There are three towns by the Lake Tear of Obey where the War Lizard People reside, with Patchwa being the largest one. Although the Lizardman clan only has tribes and no kingdoms, it wouldn’t be far off to call this place the capital of the Lake Tear of Obey area.

However, the Seven Seas Traveler is anchored in the air above the lakeshore, and from afar, Patchwa only has sprawling low city walls. Inside the city, the roofs of beast hide tents dominate, surrounding a few stone buildings in the city’s center.

This place can hardly be called a city; at best, it’s merely a settlement.

Nevertheless, a few towering temples and step pyramids remind Fang Hong of the Xinsas ruins he saw in Fenris, and farther away there’s a vast rainforest, making Patchwa appear nestled amongst an emerald embrace.

Along the lakeshore is a small human settlement, mostly built on stilted wooden houses on the water, connected by piers and distributed in patches.

There are inns, bars, and prostitutes and mercenaries there; adventurers entering the rainforest live a life of indulgence here day and night. Of course, a temporary base for the Adventurers’ Guild is inevitable.

In fact, there’s also an Astrological Tower, which serves as a gathering place for Alchemists, but inside are mostly Magic Guided Conductors and Elementalists, because real Alchemists rarely visit such rustic and barren places.

Various shops selling bizarre items from the rainforest are there, like skulls from ancient ritual pits, voodoo dolls, arrow frog eyeballs, animal furs, and plant roots and stems piled in variety.

Initially, it’s intriguing, but after Tianlan, Ai Xiaoxiao, and Gita wandered around a few times, they grew tired of it because there wasn’t anything truly valuable inside.

The Lizard People also mastered the airship construction technique by the end of the last century. There are several shipyards of the Lizard People clan scattered along the lake that, despite harsh conditions, can still produce legitimate airships.

To save time, Fang Hong found some Lizard People shipworkers to help repair the Seven Seas Traveler, and agreed with them to use silver as payment. The Lizard People clan fervently worships gold and silver and other precious metals; these two things are the hardest currencies here.

But they rarely calculate the exchange rate of gold and silver outside, so in the past when silver prices were low, adventurers exchanged silver for gold, and vice versa. Over time, the Lizardmen also realized they were losing out and issued a law prohibiting outsiders from exchanging gold and silver in the Lake Tear of Obey area.

Although underground trading can’t be stopped, it still curbs the outflow of gold and silver. However, today adventurers still maintain a historical habit; when silver prices are low, they use silver instead of Lycel to trade with the Lizard People clan.

Fang Hong naturally follows the customs as well, firstly to experience the peculiar local customs, and secondly, because it was Hilveld’s suggestion.

In his spare time, Fang Hong likes to go sit at a bar by the shore.

He enjoys a fermented drink made from fruit at that place, although the Big Cat People joke that it’s something only children would drink. But since he got hopelessly drunk at the Fairy Residence, he has respectfully avoided so-called adult beverages.

Of course, that’s only one reason he comes here; more importantly, he can gather intelligence here. Not long after their arrival, people recognized them—mainly recognizing the Seven Seas Traveler and the unique image of the Big Cat People.

People call him Captain Little Ed, saying, ”Captain Little Ed, you’re here again. Want a drink? Your juice?”

Fang Hong would loudly argue, ”It’s fruit wine.”

People would burst into laughter, and the older sisters in the bar would throw him a flirty glance, making him blush to the roots of his ears.

But once Hilveld arrives, those chattering birds automatically retreat, looking at Miss Ship’s Officer with eyes full of envy, jealousy, and hatred.

Overall, these are just jokes; everyone quite respects them because, after the Lizard People sealed off this area, those who can come here are mostly Free Summoners.

To most Free Summoners, anyone who can stand up to the Descendants of Flor deserves a thumbs up, and those on the Grey List are heroes; especially today, when the North-South opposition is increasingly fierce since Mount Holy Pact.

People take the initiative to talk to them about topics outside, telling them where the ships of the Descendants of Flor have arrived today, and sharing some internal news about the Lake Tear of Obey area, local customs and so on.

Especially when people learned that Little Ed would come to purchase some strange biological specimens, their enthusiasm grew even higher. Those specimens aren’t tough magic creatures, merely animals and plants residing locally that can sell?

However, Fang Hong only uses the opportunity to investigate the ecological environment of Lake Tear of Obey, enriching the data for his thesis.

He walks down the familiar path as he enters, greets the guests in the bar, then sits at his usual spot and looks around to see who might come to sell him stuff.

The bar owner is a Lizardman, embodying the coldness common to all Cold-Blooded Breeds—which of course, except for the one they met in Orlenze—only gives him a glance and then pours him a full glass of fruit wine.

The female Magic Guided Conductor sitting next to him looks at him with interest, smiling as she asks, ”Captain Little Ed, I have something to sell to you. How about it, are you interested?”

Fang Hong dares not look at her low-cut leather armor and the snowy skin exposed above it, blushing as he responds, ”Lady Esali, please don’t joke with me.”

He knows she’s likely teasing him again, perhaps offering herself or the key to a hotel room.

”This is not a joke,” Esali says with a sly smile, ”It’s true; I have news. How about it, I’ll sell it to you for a thousand Lycel. It’s an exclusive piece of news.”

Fang Hong can’t help but be startled. Although other people in the bar often sell him news, they usually charge symbolically around a hundred Lycel. News valued at a thousand Lycel naturally piques his curiosity.

He looks at her, a bit surprised.

”How about it, interested? Come closer, I’ll whisper to you.”

Fang Hong trusts her and leans closer, only to have Esali blow playfully into his ear.

Startled, he almost jumps out of his chair, while Esali withdraws first, laughing so hard she bends over the table.

Still laughing, she wipes her tears and says, ”Alright, alright, don’t be angry, Mr. Little Ed, just joking with you. Do you know the Lizardmen are hoarding supplies?”

Fang Hong feeling somewhat at a loss, glares at her.

The Nogness situation is so tense, the Lizard People are preparing for war, whether passively or actively.

However, the outside world generally believes war won’t break out, because the kingdom is overwhelmed by the Southern Region rebellion. If Colin Ishurian doesn’t actively attack Lake Tear of Obey, the Lizardmen probably wouldn’t dare strike.

But the external perception is external; during his days at Lake Tear of Obey, Fang Hong can clearly feel the tense atmosphere here.

Esali watches his expression and smiles, speaking with some mystery, ”It’s said the Lizardmen recently acquired a batch of Primordial Crystal Stones from somewhere. I guess they might have discovered a new vein; how about it, interested?”

Fang Hong is somewhat taken aback; he’s now sensitive to Primordial Crystal Stones. Hearing those three words, he instinctively thinks of the Art of Conflict Guild affairs.

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