Above the mage

Chapter 316 The White Tower of the Sea Abyss

After four hours, the airship that departed from Holder Town finally arrived at the Plantagenet Dynasty, County Barrow, Dorne.

The Plantagenet Dynasty used prefectures as the basic local administrative division, like a finely woven net, neatly dividing this vast land into eighteen prefectures.

The county where Dorne is located is called County Barrow.

At the same time, Dorne is also the county seat of Barrow County, and is the political, economic and even cultural center of Barrow County.

If Holder's Town had already given Gordes a sense of the Plantagenet dynasty's power and wealth, then Dorne City completely refreshed Gordes's understanding of this world.

After arriving in this world, and before reaching the Plantagenet dynasty, God's footsteps only lingered in the Duchy of Sien and the North.

Needless to say, the North is a harsh environment where people live in tribes and lead a primitive life akin to eating raw meat and drinking blood.

As for the Principality of Sien, apart from the airships and certain special buildings resembling mage towers, its urban landscape, cultural level, and other aspects gave him a feeling that was extremely similar to medieval Europe.

However, the city of Dorne before them, though located on the same continent as the Duchy of Sien, presented a landscape that seemed to have traversed a vast chasm of time, as if they were from the same era.

This is a city near the sea, and its size is at least ten times that of Saint-Sien.

It is said that the population living in this city and its surrounding area has exceeded ten million.

In addition, Dorne boasts the largest port in Barrowshire, and even within the entire Sword Coast, Dorne Port ranks among the top five in terms of cargo throughput.

Before this, Gaode's impression of Dorne was limited to these rough numbers and text descriptions, like looking at flowers through a fog, always lacking a sense of reality.

Only now, as he looked out through the airship's porthole, did everything become vivid and concrete.

Above the sky, all sorts of airships came and went like a swarm of locusts crossing a river. There were small but incredibly fast private airships that sped along, leaving a distinct contrail in the air, and there were also large and sturdy cargo airships that flew at a steady speed.

His airship, "Holder 87," was mixed in among them, as inconspicuous as a small fish.

Looking out over the distant port, with the help of Mandela's magic eye's far-sightedness, Gao De could clearly see the densely packed, deep-drafted ships, all laden with cargo or passengers, forming a spectacular sight.

Amidst Gao De's exclamations, the Holder 87 landed steadily at the airship base.

"Dear passengers, the airship has landed at the Dorne Airship Base. Thank you for choosing this airship. Please take all your belongings with you. We wish you a wonderful time in Dorne."

A gentle and pleasant female voice came from the airship's amplification array at just the right moment.

Gao De snapped out of his daze, grabbed his simple luggage, and followed the bustling crowd toward the cabin door.

The moment I stepped out of the airship, a unique aura wafted over me.

The air was slightly damp, with wisps of moisture like an invisible veil gently brushing against my face, carrying a faint salty taste.

This is the unique flavor of a coastal city.

So many people travel to and from Dorne by airship every day that when God left the airship base along the wide passage, he didn't attract anyone's attention.

At the entrance of the airship base, there were many carriages parked, some of which were ornately decorated private carriages used to pick people up.

Other carriages were simple and unadorned, with scratches and dents on their bodies. The drivers stood beside them, shouting at the top of their lungs to the passengers filing out of the airship base: "Want a shared ride to Dorn Harbor? We'll leave once we have five people!"

"Hey little sister, where are you going? Need a ride? We're going downtown, just two more people needed!"

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In addition, there were also some young teenagers weaving through the crowd, constantly trying to attract customers.

"Need a guide? I'm a native of Dorne, I know this area very well."

"Need accommodation? My family's hotel rooms are clean and bright, reasonably priced, located nearby, and include free breakfast!"

The sounds rose and fell, creating a lively atmosphere.

Gao De looked at the young guide in front of him, who seemed to be around the same age as him, and asked, "How much does it cost?"

When you arrive in an unfamiliar place, without the internet to plan your trip in advance and use navigation like in my previous life, hiring a local guide is essential.

In this regard, Gaode is never stingy.

"Three silver dragons! I only need three silver dragons a day to hire you!" the boy shouted.

"Let's go then," Gao De glanced at the sky. They had left Holder Town at noon, taken a four-hour airship ride, and it was already evening. "Tonight, take me to a hotel and restaurant first, then give me a general overview of Dorne City. Tomorrow, you can be my guide for the whole day. 5 silver dragons, okay?"

"It's done!" The boy exclaimed with delight.

It must be acknowledged that any outstanding ruler in any world or era possesses wisdom and foresight that are difficult for ordinary people to attain.

When people in later generations look back hundreds or even thousands of years, they always feel that those rulers or great men were just so-so. But in reality, it's just an illusion created by standing at the peak of your era and looking down.

If you come down from the mountain of that era and stand in his place, you will find that the person you thought was just so-so is actually so high that you can't even see him.

As an ancient city, Dorne's beautiful environment and increasingly well-developed urban zoning plan prove this point.

On the recommendation of the young guide, Gaode boarded a horse-drawn carriage to the city center.

The old but still relatively clean carriage exudes a faint scent of wood, and the wheels bounce and roll rhythmically on the stone road.

The cityscape along the way unfolds like a slowly unfurling scroll, with many row houses standing along the streets, their brown walls covered with vines and purple plum blossoms.

The windows are inlaid with stained glass, which reflects colorful light in the afterglow of the setting sun.

The towering clock tower occasionally emits melodious chimes.

Tonight, Gaode didn't plan too much for himself. He just wanted to have a simple dinner, find a place to stay, and get a rough idea of ​​the local situation.

"Close to the city center, around 5 silver dragons per night, and a better environment," Gaode Maps stated its requirements.

The young guide was also very efficient, leading Gao De directly to a hotel called "Okwell".

This is a striking red brick building with a simple and elegant overall design, without excessive or redundant decorations.

The building's regular rectangular shape, paired with a flat roof, and several rows of symmetrically distributed windows that resemble the eyes of the building, with rustic wooden window frames painted in dark brown lacquer, create a striking visual effect.

A standard room costs 4 silver dragons per night, which is a bit pricey, but the room is clean and tidy, the bed is soft, the white sheets are starched stiff, the wooden tables and chairs are polished to a shine, and there is a heater thoughtfully placed in the corner for use on cold nights.

After checking into the room and quickly putting down their belongings, the young guide led Gaode to a small restaurant that was said to be very popular with the locals.

The restaurant's interior space is not large, with a few wooden tables casually placed.

Gao De randomly found an empty table and sat down. Based on the recommendation of the young guide, he ordered a specialty dish from Dorne City—oysters.

Actually, this is a type of seafood similar to oysters, and it is extremely similar in both appearance and taste.

There are many ways to eat it, from eating it raw to grilling it.

This small restaurant serves it raw.

Fresh oysters, just pulled from the sea, are pried open, placed on a plate, and served with a few lemon slices.

Simply squeeze lemon juice onto the oyster meat, and the fine juice will instantly seep into the plump meat, not only removing any fishy smell, but also subtly enhancing the oyster's sweetness with its sourness. One bite, and you'll experience a smooth and tender texture.

Gao De was not very accepting of this way of eating. In the country where he lived in his previous life, the diet was mainly based on cooked food.

However, with the thought of "since I'm already here," he still gave it a small try—he did indeed taste the original flavor of the oysters, but he really couldn't stand the raw and fishy smell.

Finally, he ordered another oyster stew.

"Is that the White Tower of the Sea Sentinels?" God asked, glancing out the window at the white tower that stood in the center of Dorne while eating his stew.

"Yes." The young guide nodded, then, as if noticing something, asked, "Are you also here for this quarter's selection of Sea Sentinels?"

This wasn't exactly a secret; after all, there were always many mages like him who came all the way from Dorne during the selection process, so God simply nodded casually.

"Then I wish you success!" The director was quick-witted and immediately said some nice things, his face full of a sincere smile.

"How many mages successfully passed the Sea Sentinel selection and joined the Sea Sentinels this year?" Gao De asked curiously.

"I heard they only recruited three or four people this year," the young guide shook his head, then added, "But it's been about the same number every year. The requirements for becoming a Sea Sentinel are quite high!"

"The application fee alone costs 5 gold coins per person. So many people apply, but only a few are accepted. They can make a lot of money just from the application fees!" He couldn't help but sigh again.

Ordinary people are often more sensitive to matters of money when it comes to daily life.

"Is the assessment really that difficult?" Gao De asked again.

With so many people participating in the selection of Sea Sentinels every year, it's impossible to keep quiet about it. Therefore, Gaode believes that many people should know the specific assessment content for Sea Sentinels.

"It's nothing more than those three things: mage level, spell mastery, and water skills. However, it's said that if someone has special skills, they can be specially recruited into the Sea Sentinels, provided that the first three things meet the basic requirements."

"Swimming? Special skills?" Gao De raised an eyebrow slightly, somewhat surprised.

"The main duty of the sea sentinels is to patrol the sea and even the waters to ensure that there are no ley line creatures causing trouble within their jurisdiction. Their main combat environment is water, so they must be able to swim. This is a basic requirement."

"And it has to be that they are naturally good at water, not through magic," the young guide said, looking at Gao De in surprise. "You didn't even know that?"

"I only just found out that I'm from another country. I officially became a citizen of the Golden Flower Dynasty just a few days ago," Gao De said with a smile.

A flawless version after careful inspection!

However, this didn't have a significant impact on him.

He wasn't exactly a natural swimmer, but with the help of [Adaptive], his physical body was already considered exceptionally gifted. His oxygen uptake and cold resistance in the water were unmatched by anyone else.

This is called: insufficient skill, but overwhelming numerical superiority.

"Then you might suffer a loss," the young guide said, unaware of this.

In his understanding, apart from the Holy Empire and their Plantagenet Dynasty, which have a vast coastline, the rest of the Nolan continent is basically a landlocked country.

In this situation, it's actually quite unlikely that one could become a master swimmer.

"As for special skills, although the main duty of the Sea Sentinels is to patrol the sea, they also need talents in various fields outside of combat. So if you have expertise in potion-making, alchemy, or other fields, you will have the opportunity to join the Sea Sentinels with these abilities," the young guide added.

The selection of sea sentinels is held four times a year, and after so many years, much of the information is already common knowledge.

"I see." Gao De nodded thoughtfully, but other thoughts were already forming in his mind.

If you can't pass the regular assessment, you can try the "special recruitment" route.

I just don't know if the Tier 1 Rune Constructor has reached the special skill standard of the Sea Sentinel.

After dinner, Gaode had no further plans and let the young guide go home first.

Frosty Gold, 5th, the second day after God arrived in Dorne.

After enjoying the free breakfast at the hotel restaurant, he left the hotel to head to the Sea Sentinel Headquarters, the same white tower he had seen during his meal the day before, to register.

The young guide was already waiting for him at the hotel entrance at the time agreed upon yesterday, very eagerly.

—I have to be proactive, because Gaode pays me every day I work, and he hasn't received today's 3 silver dragon coins yet!

Led by the guide, Gaode Maps navigated through several streets and finally arrived at the city center.

The tallest buildings in Dorne are mostly concentrated here.

However, even among these towering buildings, the Sea Abyss White Tower, belonging to the Sea Sentinels, stands out the most.

The tower is entirely white, constructed from a type of coral stone that emits a faint glow, reflecting a sacred radiance under the sunlight.

Although it is called a white pagoda, it is actually a complex of buildings built around the white pagoda and surrounded by a wall.

The main gate is located in the very center of the wall, with three gates and a width of about a hundred paces.

Above the widest gate in the middle, the four characters "Haiyuan White Pagoda" are written in ancient script.

Next to the side door on the right, there is a sign.

The sign reads, "Applicants should proceed from here."

At that moment, a few young men and women were gradually entering through the side door.

Most of them had a mix of nervousness, apprehension, and excitement in their eyes, clearly indicating that they were mages who had come to register for the selection of sea sentinels.

Before arriving in Dorne, Gao De had already confirmed that every quarter, the Sea Sentinels would conduct a large-scale selection at the end of the quarter to recruit qualified mages into the Sea Sentinels.

It's the Frosty Gold Month now, which is the last month of the third quarter of this year, so he doesn't need to worry about missing his trip or waiting.

The registration period lasts for a full two weeks, from the beginning of the Frosty Gold Month to the middle of the month, which is plenty of time.

"Please go in first, I'll wait for you outside." The young guide looked at the gate of the White Pagoda of the Abyss with reverence, and then said cautiously.

Gao De nodded slightly, then stepped straight toward the side door.

After passing through the gate, the first thing that comes into view is an extremely spacious square.

By this time, the square had already gathered a large number of people, creating a lively atmosphere.

Beside the side door, there was a row of tables that had been temporarily set up, with some staff members sitting behind them. When Gao De came in, they greeted him and said, "Those who are here to participate in the selection should line up here to pay the fee and register."

The queue wasn't very long; I waited in Gaode Maps for a short while before getting through.

The staff member behind the table pushed a piece of parchment towards us and handed us a quill pen dipped in ink: "Fill out some information first."

Upon closer inspection, Gaode Maps found that it was simply a collection of basic identity information, including name, age, background, and mage level.

He finished filling it out quickly.

After he filled in the information, the other party checked his identity information again.

As a naturalized citizen, the things that need to be checked are the identity jade pendant and the naturalization certificate.

Once all this is done, a registration fee of 5 gold coin must be paid, which is equivalent to a month and a half's salary for many ordinary people.

After paying the fee and receiving his number, Gaode joined the waiting crowd in the square.

The application fee is 5 gold coin. Each person can only participate in the selection once a year, and the age limit is under 30.

Despite these many restrictions, the number of people in the square continued to increase, making it increasingly crowded.

However, Gaode Maps can understand this situation.

The history of the Plantagenet dynasty can be traced back to ancient times.

A long history, on the one hand, represents the terrifying foundation of a dynasty, and on the other hand, it also leads to the solidification of social classes.

Within the dynasty, there was a clear hierarchy, with the nobles who also possessed a lineage of at least a thousand years firmly holding the most precious resources of the Golden Bird Flower and controlling the most important positions.

In this situation, ordinary people have very few avenues for advancement.

Whether within the dynasty or across the entire plane, the path of the mage is the most effective way for those at the bottom to achieve upward mobility.

As the premier mage faction in Dorne and even Byrre County, the Sea Sentinels are one of the few factions open to ordinary civilians with clearly defined promotion paths. It's safe to say that countless wild mages are eager to join them.

That's why the quarterly selection of sea sentinels is always such a lively and exciting event.

However, the recruitment threshold for the Sea Sentinels is too high. Each time, only a handful of mages can successfully join the Sea Sentinels, and it is not uncommon for none of them to be selected.

(End of this chapter)