Witch Troupe and the Undead

It was no different from any feudal dynasty Roach knew. Even though he could hear the clarion call of the times from trains, tracks, magical machinery, and steam engines, there was a gap of about 150 years between the invention of the first steam engine and the actual fall of the crown. The empire had only spent less than a third of that time.

Moreover, without a complete extinction of a large number of nobles and the utter destruction of the cohesion of the common people and their habitual loyalty to the royal family, it would take much longer and more events for the crown to fall before the emperor and the feudal aristocratic system gradually withdrew from the historical stage.

Even after World War I and World War II, this system and situation did not completely disappear. In the current situation in Europe and America, there is actually no difference from the aristocratic lord system. It is just covered by a layer of democracy. It is like in the United States, chicken and eggs are controlled by the Tyson family. These families are like the lords of the past, occupying various regions and industries. In essence, there is no difference.

"It's nothing..." Roach could tell from Rhine's expression that he knew nothing about it, and could only sigh. The train roared across the wooden bridge, and the girl gathering wild vegetables looked up and pointed in the direction of the train, tugging at her companion with one hand. Her freckled face was full of joy, which made Roach's expression slightly better. After all, in this era and in this season, being able to laugh was a testament to the prosperity of the region.

The colorful woodland flashed past the window, and the harvested wheat fields revealed stubble of wheat stalks. The harvesters had obviously not cut all the barley straw, leaving about 5 to 10 centimeters of it close to the ground.

The harvested wheat straw was bundled into triangular cone-shaped stacks and piled in the fields. It was impossible to return the wheat straw to the fields; its uses were to start fires, repair houses, make beds, and burn it into ashes to fertilize the fields.

Further afield, herds of large, long-haired dairy cows are driven across shallow streams by herders. Before winter, they need to be let out to graze on sugary berries and bushes, and supplement their diet with crushed nuts and even eggs to maintain their milk production.

These long-haired cows were not the black and white cows Roach was familiar with, but a type of cow that looked somewhat like a yak, with long hair that even reached near its hooves. This cow's hair was very warm and needed to be shaved in the summer to prevent the cows from overheating. Therefore, cow hair textiles were as common in the Empire as wool textiles were in Roach's memory, but the texture was noticeably coarser and stiffer. Due to their wear resistance and ease of cleaning, they were mostly seen on the clothes of the lower-class laborers.

The so-called ranch town refers to "Fangqiu Town," a town on the edge of low hills planted with lavender, rosemary, and other flowers and grasses. It was a bustling trading town where trains would get on and off passengers and take longer breaks for maintenance.

"So, does that mean we don't actually have to spend the night in the car?" Alessina stretched, her whole body making a cracking sound as her bones and fascia stretched, which made Roach turn his head to look at her.

"Yes, there are many hotels in the area, but to avoid missing your train, it's best to choose a hotel that's close to the station."

Most of the houses in Fangqiu Town are one or two stories high, with roofs covered with dark blue tiles, whitewashed walls, and black-painted doors and windows. The windowsills are often decorated with potted plants of chamomile or lavender, giving it a distinctly European feel.

Although the road was much cleaner than Roach had imagined, the road, paved with large pebbles and mortar, was full of potholes and repair marks, but at least there was no obvious human or animal excrement. However, the air was still filled with the peculiar stench of livestock.

The hotel Rhine chose was a two-story inn with an orange wooden sign hanging at the entrance, more like a guesthouse. The entire inn had only four rooms, which gave Roach the feeling of an inn from a Japanese fantasy novel.

"The Golden Orange Inn is much safer than the others." This is because it is an intelligence station of the Imperial Military Intelligence Bureau. Rhine brought Roach and the others to the capital for the purpose of removing the curse on the emperor. Therefore, they could not stay in other inns at will. Not to mention the news being leaked, the safety issue alone was enough to make him go bald.

After a night and half a day on the train, even with cushioned seats, Roach felt aches and pains in his back. Only he and the little witch experienced this, which only confirmed Rhine's belief that Roach and Princess Livia must have been born into privilege. Otherwise, this level of travel hardship would be nothing to the locals.

The humans in this world are much stronger than those on Earth. Not to mention, even nobles are mostly stronger than ordinary people due to their bloodline or simply because they practice martial arts, some even reaching the level of "Superhuman Physique I". For them, taking a train for more than ten hours is nothing unusual. They can endure the physical fatigue, but the mental boredom is another matter.

Roach and Livia had little appetite and just wanted to go back to their rooms to rest, while the rest of the people were starving, as the dinner provided by the Golden Orange Inn was not very good.

It was just an ordinary vegetable stew, served with toasted bread slices that were baked until crispy on both sides, and a glass of light beer. Even a warrior like Alessina only asked for half a sausage slice to supplement his necessary meat needs.

Meanwhile, on another hill outside the town, several men dressed in black, wearing cloaks and thick scarves around their faces, rode horses up the hill and gazed in the direction of the town.

"Go..." The man in black on the right lifted a corner of his cloak, tossed his arm upwards, and a metal coin transformed into a black raven that flew into the distance. His eyes also turned into a pure black, just like the magical raven, with no whites visible.

The raven flew over the wilderness, circling above the town for a long time before turning into a tuft of black feathers and disappearing.

"Hmm?" "Sylvie?" "Could it be my imagination?" The thief knight flipped the Shadow Raven coin between his fingers, sensing the scent of a fellow practitioner, no, a fellow disciple.

"Miss, we need to be more vigilant. This place probably isn't very safe."

"Why? Didn't you say we could rest in Fangqiu Town?" Natalia asked, looking puzzled.

"Well, but things might change now. I have a bad feeling." For a thief, if you think a certain feeling is just your imagination, you should be on high alert. Sylvie is no exception. Trusting his intuition, rather than logic, is the only thing that has kept him from being caught and having his hands chopped off by the town guards all these years.

Of course, now that he's a proper knight, he doesn't have to worry about any guards cutting off his hands. On the contrary, he's cut off the hands of many of his fellow knights. There's no way around it; even if he had the nerve to do something like having his ancestor thief robbed, no one else would dare to say anything. So, for him now, it's called: "Fellow knights are enemies (physical)."

[PS] Imperial political jokes:

Tax Law

While two cleaners were cleaning the Imperial Diet's meeting hall overnight, they discussed the tax bill that had just been passed.

"Do you know why this tax bill was passed so quickly?"

"Because the newly appointed Minister of Finance was a gladiator in the past?"

"Because this time, the accountants modified the abacus into a meteor hammer."

"Math Problems" (This one was written by AI, and it feels pretty authentic)

As the washerwoman pounded the nobleman's robes, she hummed a tune: "Gold and silver threads wrap up a stupid pig, parliamentary votes are no match for dice rolls! Yesterday the master said 'the people are suffering, taxes must be cut,' then turned around and bought his mistress new pearls—oh dear Empress, quickly use your meat grinder dice to do a math problem!"

Minority

Inside the tavern, a drunkard loudly proclaimed: "To our Queen! The 'minority' and 'corpse faction' in the council have finally achieved perfect unity!"

A Royal Guard knight who was passing by burst through the door and grabbed the drunkard: "You will be the one to speak on behalf of the minority during next week's parliamentary decision!"

Chopping wood, feeding horses, no world travel: an AI-generated joke about imperial politics (pretty impressive).

[Street Nursery Rhymes] (It is recommended to print them in the style of folk songs)

"The council ministers are arguing wildly / The Empress smiles as she plucks a rose / The iron cage creaks and spins three times / Proposals are swallowed with clenched teeth / You say the empire is doomed? / Blood will stain the crown!"

[Daily Riddle]

Q: Why is the clockmaker at the Great Rock Palace always changing the clock tower's spring?

A: To ensure that the pendulum accurately shatters the politicians' grand speeches when the weekly showdown arrives. (Illustration suggestion: Speech manuscripts broken in two falling from the clock tower)

[Social Salon Guide]

"If you are invited to a parliamentary work observation meeting, remember to bring three items: a salt-smelling bottle (to prevent fainting from blood), a gold-embossed invitation (to prove that the member you are betting on is more respectable), and a Bible of Light (after all, civilized people should use scripture to purify violence)." — Bethwater District Etiquette School Announcement

[Selected Reader Letters]

"Dear Editor: Yesterday I witnessed an astonishing invention at the Smithfield Meat Market—a gentleman combined a dueling video recorder with a sausage stuffer, claiming he wanted to 'stuff political nonsense into sheep casings, since both are suitable for frying.' Does this symbolize our democratic progress? Your respectful reader, J. Hawkins" (Editor's note: Her Majesty, such slanderous devices have been acquired and improved by the Royal Society.)

[New Scientific Knowledge]

A recent study by the Royal Society has shown that the blood sprayed inside the octagon has an excellent effect on the maintenance of oak flooring. A spokesperson for the Palace of the Rock praised it, saying, "This proves that violence is indeed the lubricant of national progress, just as the Magna Carta states—blood and ink are of the same origin."

[Weather and Health]

The capital will remain gloomy tomorrow, and citizens are advised to wear the same dove-gray goggles as those used by arena spectators. The Medical Association reminds everyone that prolonged viewing of violent scenes may cause blurred vision, but rest assured, this is perfectly suited to the clarity of parliamentary speeches.

Chapter 192 Shadow Raven

Black ravens circled in the twilight sky. The train parked in Fangqiu Town was still cleaning the furnace and magic crystal fragments. The stoker and helpers had to be very careful to separate the magic crystal fragments from the burnt powder.

The former can be thrown into the "slag bin" and used as a medium to quickly ignite the magic core when the train is overloaded.

The only purpose of the latter was to put it in a metal bucket, throw it on the platform, and wait for the shirtless workers to carry it to the landfill outside the town for disposal.

Although theoretically the ashes from the consumption of magic crystals and alchemical materials do not contain magic or similar dangerous radiation, everyone knows that this is based on the premise that the magic core is in normal working condition, maintenance consumables and costs are strictly in accordance with safety standards, and the broken magic crystals used meet the specifications of "standard power crystals and energy storage alchemical materials" set by the Alchemy Society.

Therefore, no one wants to see "sniffing rats" or "unpredictable slimes" attracted by residual magical radiation in the town. Even nobles don't want something to reach out from the sewer and touch their buttocks while they are sitting on the toilet.

So their solution was to put them into a flimsy tin bucket, have the unluckiest and poorest porter take it to the landfill outside town, dig up the ground, dump the ashes in, and then bury it. The rest of the work was left to the earth goddess, Sentia—if the goddess wouldn't descend and smash the head of the nobleman who made this decision.

Since, to this day, the nobles of the empire and surrounding countries have not been subjected to the same "two-sided encirclement" by the Earth Goddess as the Kingdom of the Valley, which crushed them into paper-thin shapes, it means that this level of trouble is not enough to anger the goddess.

Picking out magic crystal residue from the ashes is a job that requires a lot of eyesight and patience. Of course, it also requires a high level of physical fitness from the person doing the job. A significant number of apprentices don't live to become assistant furnace operators.

But they always manage to find new apprentices.

The reason is very simple: due to the high risk and technical nature of train stokers, they need to master certain knowledge of alchemy, potion-making, and occultism. Although most of this knowledge is not taught in schools, it means that they are still considered "intellectuals." Based on the principle that "knowledge is money," this knowledge and skills are reflected in their salaries.

A stoker's assistant could earn 16 large silver coins or 24 royal silver coins per month. A loaf of white bread made from 1.5 pounds of refined wheat flour cost only 1 silver coin, and a pound of cured meat was also worth 1 silver coin. In other words, a stoker's assistant's monthly salary was enough to eat a "luxury meal" of white bread and cured meat for 12 days.

However, they rarely ate like that. Their daily meals consisted of black bread (mixed with sawdust) costing eight copper coins a loaf and low-quality cured meat costing 18 copper coins a pound. Even so, it was much better than a bowl of thin, watery porridge that cost three copper coins a serving or a gruel made from gray flour (with chalk and wood ash) costing five copper coins a pound.

"Huff...huff..." Livia curled up in bed, her light golden hair sticking to her cheeks with sweat, as if she was being tormented by some kind of nightmare. After a while, as the sky began to darken, she opened her eyes, her emerald eyes looking somewhat dazed.

In her dream just now, she felt a kind of threat and warning. The walls, buildings, roads, and even the dust were whispering about the impending danger. However, because these messages were too chaotic and mixed, she didn't quite understand what they were trying to express.

"Caw~ caw~" A jet-black crow flapped its wings and landed on the roof of a church dedicated to the Holy Lord of Light on the outskirts of the town. The bell tower, covered with blue-green stone tiles, was usually a favorite territory for pigeons, but at this moment it was forcibly intruded by a huge jet-black crow, which drew the pigeons' dissatisfied and angry cooing.

The crows watched the train parked less than 40 yards from the church. The ebony-colored first-class carriages, covered with sturdy metal armor, had distinctive and easily recognizable gold patterns, like blooming petals.

The second-class carriages, which came a little later, were ordinary metal carriages, painted in the same ebony color and also covered with armor, but they were simpler, without gilded badges or exquisite reliefs. As for the most numerous third-class carriages, they were just wooden boxes with iron frames.

The crow's gaze slowly swept from the front of the cart to the back in a way that was unusual for it, finally settling on the livestock wagon at the rear, where a bright red ribbon was tied to the railing.

"Caw!" A crow took flight, drawing a low curse from the bell ringer below who was preparing to ring the evening prayer bell. The old man paid no attention to the black bird flying overhead, focusing only on grabbing the hemp rope soaked in sweat and salt and pulling hard on the hammer, making the bell ring out a long, resonant sound.

The believers began their routine prayers, while the non-believers covered their ears or avoided the area where the believers were. Evening prayers were not performed daily, but every six evenings.

Legend has it that at this time, the Holy Lord of Light removed his penultimate face and revealed his final face, representing peace and rest.

"Rusty Nail, what have your crows found?" A hoarse voice echoed in the alley. A hand emerged from under a black cloak, struck a match against the rough wall, lit it, and then lit the cheap tobacco inside the pipe.

The young man, known as "Rusty Nail," caught a falling black crow with his outstretched hand, revealing a raven-shaped tattoo on the inside of his arm. The mark of cinders and black teeth was "marked" on the crow.

"The boss and his men arrived outside the city during the day. When should we make our move?"

"Rusty Nail" asked eagerly.

"No rush, our target hasn't even boarded the vehicle yet. What's the point of taking action now other than robbing some of the valuables on board?"

"Why should we target this train? What makes it different from the previous trains?"

"Rusty Nail" asked, puzzled, "Hey, Scarface, what exactly are you and the boss doing?"

"This is none of your business. You just need to keep an eye on your psychic crows. We need you as our eyes and ears. Just like your name suggests, you have to be as inconspicuous as a rusty nail, but firmly nailed there."

Scarface blew a puff of smoke into his companion's face. "Alright, have your crow deliver the message to the boss. They're probably getting impatient."

Outside Fangqiu Town.

A dozen or so horses hid behind a sheltered mound, the trees providing them with excellent cover. A group of people dressed like ordinary travelers squatted around a clearing in the woods, with a poorly heated campfire in the center, emitting rhythmic crackling sounds from the dry wood.

"Plop~" A black crow landed on a branch. A man wearing a tricorn hat and a black waterproof cloak caught a falling black feather. "Looks like this is the right train. So, it seems that Cinder and Black Tooth made a mistake."

"Shouldn't we rescue them?"

"Save them?" The man shrugged. "I would save them if they were still alive, but I'm afraid they'd be turned into scum in the boiler by now."

The man used a double entendre. In the eyes of the Empire, no, rather, in all the "respectable people," they could all be called "scum." It wouldn't be accurate to say they were utterly wicked or extremely evil, but if we were to say they were capable of any evil or that no evil is too small to be avoided, then they were quite qualified—referring to the profession of villain and scum.

The term "scum" is the same as the "scum" left behind after the people in the boiler have burned out. It refers to dregs, waste, and garbage. Of course, furnace ash is also a word.

“But we seem to have discovered something before…” We discovered a mark left by a member of the Shadow Raven Thieves. After the thieves disbanded, this mark was rarely seen again.

"Do I need to remind you again? The employer paid for it!" Even before the disbandment and reorganization, the Shadow Raven Thieves were known for doing what they were paid for. Of course, it was also because of this principle that they were forced to disband, since there are some things that they can't do even if they are paid.

"I don't care who or what's in that carriage, the important thing is that this train absolutely cannot reach the capital," the man reiterated. "I imagine you don't want to be targeted by the Seghwal family, do you?"

The Seghwal family, the former lords of the Valley Autonomous Territory, were here before the establishment of the Empire. They occupied the area of ​​the River Valley Province in the eastern part of the Southern Plains Province, and once called themselves the Valley Kingdom, proclaiming themselves kings. Their capital was "Stag Helmet City," built on the hillside of the valley.

Of course, during the war of imperial unification, they were severely beaten by Archduke Frost, who forcibly ceded one of their two counties, and they were ultimately forced to submit to Stoke I, who had not yet become emperor, in exchange for safety.

Today, the Frost family has long since declined, retaining only the title of "Grand Duke" without any real power. The territory they control has shrunk from the entire province of Southern Plains to just over half of County Catherfield.

The Seghwal family wasn't much better off, but they were indeed plotting to reclaim Rye Valley County. However, for the emperor, how could he possibly spit out something he had already swallowed? Besides, the Seghwal family of today was not what it used to be.

However, regardless of the circumstances, a significant portion of the gangs, thieves, and mercenaries operating in the Black Rye Valley are controlled by the Seghwal family. Being targeted by them would be far more troublesome than being targeted by the Grand Duke.

At the very least, the Grand Duchy of Frost is keeping a low profile these days; otherwise, they wouldn't have formed a marriage alliance with a minor earl family in Rubyshire. You should know that within the aristocratic class, this is a standard case of marrying down.

However, similarly, within the rules of the aristocracy, your status is related to your actual power or the political, economic, and military resources you control. A grand duke who only has a crown on his head is of no use except to be ridiculed.

In a sense, the Frost family can only be called "earls with the title of Grand Duke" at present, and may even be weaker than those earls who truly control both military and political affairs on the border, because they have almost lost all military power - because the Southern Province is too close to the capital.

With two knightly orders belonging to the royal family protecting them, they are exceptionally safe, but this also means that they do not need to, and cannot, possess their own large-scale military force. This is why, as the in-law who intends to participate in the development of the Black Lake frontier, Earl Warren could only contribute a small number of people.

"No, but I'd rather not get caught up in some terrible incident because of these nobles' hot-headedness, I mean something like a major event such as a war between nobles."

The Shadow Raven Thieves can usually stay out of ordinary conspiracies, thefts, and assassinations, since their reputation for simply doing things for money is well-established. However, if they get involved in situations like coups or wars, the probability of them being silenced afterwards is quite high.

"Alright, shut up. I'll repeat myself: we've already taken the money, and it's too late to back out now. Not only will the Frost family want our lives, but Seghwal will also want our lives, and even our competitors who are jealous of our business will want our lives. I'd rather go to the gallows of nobles than fall into their hands!"

They were all people who did this kind of desperate business. The torture they would suffer if they fell into the hands of the enemy was far beyond imagination. On the contrary, being arrested by the authorities and hanged could even be considered a blessing.

"what time is it now?"

“It’s almost midnight. If we’re not planning to make a move tonight, we need to rest for a while, otherwise we might not be able to concentrate tomorrow.”

"Let Rusty Nail keep an eye on the train. Tomorrow, proceed according to our plan. Do you remember what the plan is?"

"A peddler disguised as a trader approached and threw smoke bombs and tear gas wrapped in rolled-up newspapers into the car."

"anything else?"

"Uh, seize control of the locomotive, start the train and leave the station to avoid being blocked by the town guards." After all, that steel locomotive is enough to smash through most roadblocks, let alone the "flesh and blood roadblocks" formed by the town guards.

"Then search the carriages one by one until you find the target."

“The other side must have guards, and they must be very strong.” “That’s why I had you prepare Plan B.” The leader said irritably, “Plan B is that if we fail, then the leaky valve and the trigger will be used. You two will install magic crystal detonators to temporarily disable the operation of the locomotive’s magic core and block the train in front of the bridge. Once the train crosses the bridge, we’re all finished.”

Crossing the bridge leads to "Silver Maple County," renowned for its woodlands, hills, and vineyards. Numerous vineyards produce high-quality red wines, lavender grows in the clearings of the woods, and various perfume workshops are present. But these are secondary; the most crucial factor is the presence of numerous knightly estates here.

Those perfume workshops and wineries also store expensive wines, perfumes and large amounts of cash. They usually hire strong guards. In a sense, it is the second safest place in the entire empire after the noble district around the palace. On average, a bandit can run into a knight who is out hunting or patrolling the territory and his four or five armed attendants within three miles.

These knights were also quite willing to display traditional chivalrous virtues to bandits, such as the bravery of outnumbering the weak, the mercy of inflicting cruel torture, the justice of being fully armed, and the righteousness of double-crossing the bandits.

Moreover, since perfume workshops and wineries are quite profitable, these knights do not need to rely on the economy of manor agriculture to make a living like traditional knights. Therefore, their daily lives consist of wandering around, pursuing the romance and adventure in poetry and literature. If you don't mind that they are vulnerable on the battlefield, in terms of equipment and chivalry alone, they are more like knights than knights from any other place.