Does the mechanical girl dream of the Messiah?

"Yes?"

“Our budget is running out.

Although robbing a fashion store could achieve the same effect if you don’t have the money to buy yourself a new dress, it’s really not necessary.”

Ophelia shrugged, looking rather helpless.

Julietina couldn't help but glance at her, and finally said: "...When are you going to change your outdated clothes?"

"this?"

Hearing this, Ophia tugged at the collar of her coat, causing the silver ornaments hanging there to jingle.

"This was the fashion of my time. It would be hurtful to say it's outdated."

“When did that become popular… Let’s not talk about that.

You are much later than expected to return. What did you do up there? It wouldn't take that long just to take a look."

The corners of her mouth slightly raised, and the gray-haired girl named Ophelia finally forced out a bitter and meaningful smile.

"——I ran into someone I know."

Chapter 12 Welcome to the City on the Hill

"...What a strange person."

While holding the three passes she had just received, Lunicia recalled the brief encounter they had just had.

There was nothing special about the girl named Ophelia, but she made Lunicia particularly concerned about her. Even just a few minutes of contact left a very deep impression on Lunicia that she could never forget.

Her eyes couldn't help but scan the travelers coming and going one by one. She had never seen such a prosperous and wealthy city. For Lunicia, this was not only an extremely novel experience in itself, but she was also subconsciously looking for other people like Ophelia who could leave a deep impression on her.

The stone bricks paved on the avenue all have a history of hundreds of years. Since the beginning of the construction of Muirand, these cold, hard, immortal dark gray things have never changed, and no one can change them. They were placed here, year after year, beggars and refugees moved over them, royal nobles and heroes walked over them, they did not treat people differently because of their different identities, everything was equal in the eyes of these stone bricks, they were wise men, and they were also the cornerstones of the scales themselves, Muirand existed because of these inconspicuous things.

The elves from the northwest are particularly eye-catching. These slender, tall, long-lived species with pointed ears are naturally known for their extraordinary looks. The city carved into the mountains may not be in line with their aesthetics. The beliefs of the Snow of Tranquility, the Morning Star of Destiny, and the Libra of Order have nothing to do with them, the followers of the goddess Hedi. However, dance and music are also arts they recognize. In addition to ornaments made of feathers, gold, and plants, daggers, and longbows, the most common thing you can see on the elves of Muland is exquisitely made musical instruments, harps, flutes, or guitars.

There is no best bard academy in the continent, but there is the largest theater in the eastern part of the continent. From wealthy nobles to adventurers and craftsmen, the people living here are passionate about music, which is also a major reason that attracts them to gather here.

When Lunicia looked over, the elves in groups of three or five also looked over at her. The leader would first look at Lunicia briefly, then nod to her out of politeness, and wait until Lunicia returned the greeting before continuing their previous topic.

This shows that they recognize the first impression brought by Lunisia and therefore give her due respect. Elves are also known for their longevity. Except for the murlocs who are said to never die of old age, they have the longest lifespan among the known humanoid races. It is for this reason that the elders often have more say in small groups of elves. The person who just greeted her was probably the oldest in that small group of elves.

——Ella seems to be a half-elf as well...I wonder how old she is now.

Looking back, Ella Heper is also a half-elf with elven blood. She inherited the elves' beauty and pointed ears. Although her lifespan is not as long as that of the elves, it is not comparable to that of humans of the same level.

Strengthening the body, mixing potions, and studying magic can all increase the lifespan of the "short-lived species". Although these methods are not as effective on the long-lived species, they are equally useful. Therefore, at the same level, the innate differences in lifespans among races still mostly exist, and the term "short-lived species" corresponding to the "long-lived species" naturally arises.

With a long and glorious civilization, a long lifespan and superior strength, both appearance and talent are extraordinary, and with that comes irrepressible pride. Whether the name "short-lived" is out of pity or contempt, it is undoubtedly a bad name from the past. As time goes by, there are voices among elves and other races that regard this name as impolite, and there are also calls for the abolition of this discriminatory rhetoric - of course, there is still an endless debate for this, and it is impossible for those older elves to change their habits all at once.

After all, in the more distant past, there were terms such as "inferior species" that were more lethal than "short-lived species".

Dragonborn are much rarer. Even in a big city like Muirand, you can only see one or two Dragonborn occasionally. They look more lonely than the people around them. With just a glance, you can't help but think that they are all people who like to be alone. Of course, whether they are born to love being alone or are forced to be alone by the cruel reality is another matter.

Modern biology also cannot figure out what these creatures called "Dragonborn" are - the same goes for dragon turtles, hydras, pseudo-dragons and the like. After all, there are no dragons in modern times. As early as the fifth calendar, dragons only existed in legends. It was naturally impossible for these species that looked like a hybrid of dragons and other creatures to be born. Even so, they still exist in this world, puzzling scholars as a huge mystery.

When a dragonborn mates with other humanoid races, no matter how many offspring are born, only one of them will inherit the characteristics of the dragonborn, such as the scales, tail, and horns on the head. Sometimes it is said that there are humanoid children who, as they grow older, will transform from their original race to dragonborn without any warning. Although the methods are different, the end point is exactly the same.

Those elements that distinguish them from mammals, including the elongated pupils, make these rare travelers look particularly majestic.

"There are no murlocs... um... I can't find any!"

She looked left and right, and looked everywhere, focusing her attention to the maximum, but even so, Lunicia still couldn't see the race called "fishmen".

Elves and dwarves are very common. The former are numerous in the northwest of the continent. One of Lunisia's deputies, the "Elven Knight" April Enzoliel, is an elf. The latter are scattered in the central part of Mu Continent and the south of the Lost World, and their numbers are even greater than those of the elves.

In fact, murlocs probably outnumber elves or dwarves, but they are rarely seen in unexpected places along the western and southern coastal areas.

The reason is that there are huge and irreconcilable contradictions between the murlocs and the various races on land. Most of them believe in the legendary dark kings. Except for those countries with loose management, if the murlocs want to go to other countries with strict attitudes towards the followers of darkness, their backgrounds must be proven to be very clean. Even so, they must be closely monitored and their safety cannot be guaranteed. Under such circumstances, it is naturally difficult to see these races that resemble bipedal fish in the interior of the continent.

Walking across the stone-paved streets, she raised her head from time to time to admire the sculptures embedded in the high walls. Although she had not yet really seen what the city looked like, Lunisia's eyes had become completely unable to move away from everything in Muirand.

If Zerhar's style is sacred and peaceful, Myurand's style is solemn and dignified. In the dark gray scenery, eye-catching and bright colors occasionally appear, which prevents people from becoming too depressed in the solemn atmosphere. That is why, even though she has not rested since climbing the towering mountains of Kanser, Lunisia does not feel tired at all. She can still be surprised and excited like the travelers around her, cheering for the scenes she has never seen before.

“I wonder what surprises there will be this year?”

"You make it sound like you were here last year. I see you haven't left the house in the past two years."

“I was here five years ago.”

"When did that happen?"

Some recall the past days and look forward to the joy that is to come.

"Muelander's atmospheric filtering barrier is really powerful. Even though I'm so close to the clouds, I don't feel any discomfort at all."

"It is Nasaran's technology after all."

"I heard that it was later improved by the wizards of Myland... When can Nolon make one? The air quality in El Eric is really not good."

"What are you thinking? Isn't it a sure thing? If you want fresh air, move to Zerhal."

Some of them looked at the long-standing magical techniques and couldn't help but feel nostalgic for their hometown.

"Today's main entrance area...there is nothing unusual."

"The guards are all working hard, so there won't be any problems in a place like this, right?"

"That's true. It's still a long time before nightfall. Where should we go next..."

"The security in Myuland has always been good. The security force has been strengthened recently. Nothing will happen."

"No matter how small the crime is... Oh, never mind. Rose, how about going to Park Street for a stroll and seeing if there's anything you want to buy?"

"Okay, okay! I haven't been there for a long time!"

Some look quite mysterious, with two girls in cloaks seemingly patrolling the area, occasionally whispering something unknown.

Although it wasn't long, Lunicia felt her mood becoming more and more anxious. She walked quickly over the bricks and stones, through the crowd rushing to the city gate, looking at people walking together, people in groups of three or five, and people with close relationships. She would think of her companions, April, Andy, Morgan, Kyle, Daniel, Jesse... Ella, and Ashlee. Those who had passed away could never be seen again, and those who had left were nowhere to be found. Only the two girls were still known to her, and she knew that they were still within her reach.

Passing through one inner door after another, and through the towering and magnificent dome gate, the view suddenly becomes clear. As long as you look far away from here, you can see layers of sea of ​​​​clouds, people and objects like sand tables, and the towns and farms under the mountain. However, at this moment, Lunicia has temporarily lost interest in them. She looked back and forth, searching, until she saw a familiar figure.

"Ella, Ash!"

While waving, she ran towards the two of them quickly. Her joyful expression attracted other people's attention from time to time, but Lunicia didn't care. She just continued running towards the two girls who heard her call.

"Ms. Luna, what's wrong?"

Ella went forward first, and after finding out that nothing had happened to Lunicia, her expression relaxed and she asked softly.

"Sorry for the long wait, but I've got the pass anyway."

She kept one for herself and handed the remaining two to Ella Hepper and Ashlee Lynn. Lunicia looked relieved to see her companions again.

"You just climbed the mountain, and now you're running so fast. You should also pay attention to rest."

"It's okay, it's okay, I'm not tired yet."

Ashlee did not join in their conversation and remained silent.

However, compared to the previous situation where she was completely focused on thinking, she could now spare a little attention and focus on the metal nameplate she took over, and examined it carefully with her golden eyes.

"Will Ella use this?"

"Well... I've used something similar before in other places... The principle is similar."

"Where's Ash?"

"..."

The latter did not answer immediately, as if he had finally withdrawn his energy from long-term thinking and then focused on the current reality.

"Is this... a small magic item? It collects the biological information of an individual, and then generates a corresponding code. This code is used to prove the identity of the user, thereby ensuring its effectiveness?"

"Huh? Ah, that should be about the same."

"That's the principle."

Lunicia only had a vague understanding of magic, but Ella, like Ashlee, was very clear about the principles and uses of this little prop.

"Anyway, let me first explain what you should be careful about when entering the city. Listen carefully."

——Miland is not like those countries that are constrained by manpower and funds. Even though it has adopted a more open travel policy, they actually have stronger control over their territory, or at least over the urban area of ​​​​Miland, than many small countries in the south. Movement in the villages and towns around Muirand is not so restricted. On the contrary, inside the urban area of ​​​​Miland, there are many things that foreign travelers need to pay attention to.

First of all, entry and exit of many places require verification through issued passes before you can pass - in today's chaotic world, there is almost no identity proof that is universally accepted by the whole world. In this case, except for those people with extraordinary births, others lack effective means to prove who they are - therefore, for a country like Muland with surplus resources, it is better to prepare an identity proof that is only used in this place as a credential for people coming and going.

With this pass, one can freely enter and exit the territory of Muland, but cannot carry it across the border. It is said that this thing will issue a warning when approaching the border and will explode directly when crossing the border, so as to ensure that no one wants to steal these passes in large quantities and resell them.

Secondly, it is legal to carry weapons in the city of Muirand, but in public, unless there are special circumstances, swords are not allowed to be unsheathed, spears are not allowed to be unwrapped, arrows are not allowed to be put on bowstrings, and crossbows and firearms are not allowed to be fired. Violators will be arrested for violating the Arms Control Act. In serious cases, they may even be deported or even killed.

"…That's about all you need to pay attention to. In short, you must bring your pass with you wherever you go, and don't pull out your weapon casually."

"If Lady Luna is in danger..."

"The public security in Myuland shouldn't be that bad... The same goes for Ashe. Don't suddenly shoot at suspicious people."

"If an individual Asheselene judges that there is no need to resort to force, she will not do so."

"Uh-huh."

Lunicia nodded in satisfaction.

It seemed that she had never considered whether she would take the lead in violating the rules - of course, that was a story for later.

Chapter 13: The Fortune Teller

"Go forward from this square and you will reach the transportation transfer station—"

Standing in the busy lobby square, Lunicia explained to Ashetherin and Ella according to the contents of the map she had memorized.

After passing through the gate of the dome and the long corridor, you will see the lobby square which has been converted into the "passenger service center". Bank offices, pass processing and collection, and duty-free souvenir shops can all be found here, but for a group of people who have already obtained passes and have some travel expenses left, it is no longer worthwhile to stay here.

"There are a lot of people here, please be careful, Lady Luna."

"Nothing will happen—"

"Luna should be careful not to accidentally pull out the sword, as that could cause some unnecessary trouble."

"I have locked the scabbard..."

Of course, Ella Hepper's worries were not completely unfounded. There were enough pedestrians in the lobby square alone. Even if the public security in Muirand could be guaranteed, they still had to remain more alert than when there were fewer people. It would never be good to regret it later.

It's still early now, and it looks like we should be able to find our destination before lunch.

The reason why Lunisia and her group came to Muirand can be traced back to the last conversation with Roy von Ivanov.

The southern ports are now at war with the murlocs, especially the port city of Puccilia, which is now almost completely destroyed due to the attacks of the murlocs and sea monsters, as well as the chaos caused by "Legacy of Natya".

There is a lack of available ports in the southeast, where there are mostly steep cliffs, and huge cross-sections left over from ancient times still hinder the locals. In addition, the ocean is now polluted and natural fisheries are almost a thing of the past. Changing the terrain and building a harbor has lost its necessity, and no one mentions it anymore.

Small ports are not uncommon, but they cannot accommodate ships large enough for long-distance voyages, and the large ports in the south are unusable. Under this premise, Roy's final solution is to go to Muirand.

Going to the east to find a port city is not only a longer journey, but also more dangerous. The eastern region is affected by the cold current more than the southern and southeastern regions. In this case, whether there are still usable ports there is still an unknown. In contrast, although the frequency of use of the airport in Muirand is not high, it still has the ability to cross the Anda-Brun Mountains. The words of the former Muirand locals are naturally convincing.

"Ms. Luna, don't you plan to stay here for a few days?"

"It's not that I don't want to..."

"Big cities have their own charms. Luna, do you prefer to be a city mouse or a country mouse?"

"what is that?"

While chatting, we crossed the lobby square and next came to the transportation transfer station with even larger flow of people.

It is said that there is actually more than one transportation transfer station called "Muelandnan". It's just that the one that Lunisia and her group are facing now is also a transportation station for most passengers. For distinguished guests with reservations, they will go to another dedicated transportation hub after a short distance teleportation and arrange their itinerary more freely.

As the flow of people increased, the noise level around also increased accordingly. Even so, the people in the group could still hear each other clearly. Some of them overwhelmed the voices of the majority of people, and even if they were a little hoarse, they were still full of energy and passion.

"Only 300 IL! I'll take you around all the scenic spots in Muirand, with explanations included!"

"The best hotel in the southwest, a 300-year-old establishment, with the lowest room rates ever! Check in with just your luggage, and we'll give you free souvenirs if you come now!"

"Mulande Theatre, second-class tickets for Schitzberg! Only 800 li! There is also a ticket for the veterans' seats, the price is negotiable!"

You can often see people swaying left and right because of these shouts. People with needs and people who are interested will rush towards the source of the sound that can attract their attention, making this area even more lively.

"what is that?"

Naturally, Lunicia was also attracted by those sounds and was unable to move for a moment.

"Ashe did not retrieve any relevant results."

"Of course the mechanical puppets that have been wandering in the wild won't know."