Whispering Verse

"There is indeed a difference in appearance between southerners and northerners, but there shouldn't be that big of a difference between cities, right? In other words, you are the kind of detective depicted in "Hamilton Detective Stories," and you can tell based on the labels on your shoes. How wet or dry is the mud and the marks on the palms to determine a person’s origin?”

Shade joked, and the man who took the initiative to talk shook his head:

"No, no, I'm not a detective. I'm Jon Boulanger, professor of geology and folklore at the Royal School of Mines in Carsonrick, who came from Willondale. I'm leading students to conduct geological expeditions locally. As for inferences Your origin is because the people in Green Lake City don’t have your temperament.”

"I am John Watson, a writer who traveled to the Old World. What kind of temperament do I have?"

Shade raised his eyebrows and asked, while Professor Boulanger said:

"The temperament of an adventurer is an unstable temperament that pursues risks and challenges, but if you look closely, you look like a scholar. In short, there will be no people like you in a lifeless city like Green Lake. .”

"What a great inference."

Shade praised, and the other four people on the carriage were indeed not interested in the conversation between the two:

"Because of the materials I collected, I also know a lot of folklore professors, but I have never seen a professor of folklore and geology like you."

"Geology is my job, and folklore was my hobby when I was studying. I got my degree easily."

Professor Boulanger introduced, Shade once again expressed his admiration and asked curiously:

"You brought students to the local area. Is it true that gold mines were discovered here just like the Randall River Valley in Carsonlik some time ago?"

The four colleagues all looked over at once, and Professor Boulanger shook his head hurriedly:

"Of course not. How could there be gold mines everywhere? I took my students to inspect Green Lake. You must also know that there must be a period of time every year when the lake water turns green. The previous view was that this phenomenon It’s related to algae blooms caused by contaminated groundwater, but I think it might also be related to veins of rare metals existing underground.”

“Could there be a mineral vein beneath Green Lake?”

Shade took note of this, and then continued to introduce himself:

"I came to the Green Lake area to draw the material because the two cities so close to each other have completely different development conditions. One is in decline and the other is thriving. This is really an excellent subject for a novel."

"Yes, I'm also considering writing a report on the different interpretations of similar legends in these two cities. It's really interesting here."

Professor Boulanger was very talkative. He and Shade talked about the border checkpoint based on the purpose of their respective visits to the local area. From the border checkpoint, they talked about the difference between Delarian and Kasenlik, and then talked about the difference between the two languages. countries’ negotiations on the Pantanal region and expressed their respective views on the negotiations.

The carriage will not enter the city, but will drop the group at the edge of the city, where people can take a serious four-wheel taxi. When getting off the carriage, Mr. Boulanger also invited Shade to wait with him to pick up his carriage. The carriage could take Shade to the city center and the two of them could continue talking about the Pantanal region on the way.

Just now Shade talked about the environment of the Everglades, which made the professor who had never been there very interested.

"Please don't be polite to me. It's a carriage belonging to Paradise Island Pharmaceutical Company. They also funded this expedition for me and the students."

"oh?"

Shade felt a little curious. "Paradise Island Pharmaceuticals" was the property of the great witch Audrey Edwards that Miss Carina had mentioned:

“Why would pharmaceutical companies sponsor geological expeditions?”

This is not a very secret matter. Professor Boulanger doesn't mind talking to his unexpected travel companions:

"In fact, few people know that Paradise Island Pharmaceuticals was originally established in the Green Lake area. In addition to producing common drugs such as tonic water to treat malaria and earthworm oil to treat trauma, this company is also committed to researching more therapeutic effects. Drugs that are beneficial to the human body. They seem to believe that the strange water of Green Lake has the effect of extending the lives of ordinary people, so they sponsor some scholars of geology, mineralogy and environmental science all year round."

This was information that even Shade didn't know. It sounded like it was related to the Edwards family's initial research on "immortality." The witch didn't seem to give up on the Edwards family's previous research. Shade wasn't sure if the other witches knew about this, but they probably wouldn't care even if they knew. After all, it's not illegal to study "immortality", and it's also a very popular topic.

The carriage sent by Paradise Island Pharmaceutical was very ordinary, but it was much better than the one just now. On the way back to the city, Shade talked more about the Pantanal with Professor Boulanger. When the two separated, the professor even told Shade the hotel where he was staying temporarily and invited Shade to come back when he had time. Go and visit him.

“What a passionate person.”

Standing on the corner of the "Glass Avenue" in the center of Michaela Blast Furnace City, Shade looked at the departing carriage and muttered.

Looking up, you can see the bustling street scene of a big city. There are almost all the new white buildings with smoking chimneys in the background in the distance. Although limited by the productivity level of the steam age, this city cannot be compared with the hometown of the outsiders. However, except for Tobesk, this is the most developed industrial city that the outsiders have seen in the world.

Although the air polluted by heavy industry is just like the nearby Green Lake City, everything here looks so vibrant and vibrant. The sound of horse-drawn carriages rolling over the road and the sound of leather shoes and boots on the ground formed a cheerful music. The noisy background sounds of talking and hawking on the streets were also so energetic.

The burnt smell in the air represents the highly developed steam industry. The distant city bells and the whistles of steamships on the lower reaches of the Duin River make this spring afternoon scene more three-dimensional.

"Sir, can you reward me with a copper?"

While Shade was looking around, the little beggar by the wall raised his dirty brown hat to him. Shade lowered his head and looked over. The boy was wearing a baggy white shirt that he picked up from somewhere. The cuffs were tied up for warmth. His skinny look reminded Shade of the child living in a trash can that he saw in the back alley of the Green Lake Hotel that morning.

Seeing Shade looking at him with strange eyes, the boy closed his mouth in fear, but Shade still took out a 1 pfennig coin and threw it into his hat. The boy huddled in the corner immediately thanked him, and then Shade saw that he was disabled, with only his right leg missing. So he hesitated, first gave him three more coins, and then took out two white sugar cubes from his pocket and threw them into his hat.

"Thank you, sir!"

The boy quickly stuffed the sugar cube into his mouth, as if he was afraid that someone would snatch it away. Shade was about to ask him about this street, but a uniformed patrolman walked over quickly. The policeman ignored Shade, who looked like a northerner, but scolded the boy:

"Didn't I tell you that you can't beg on this road for the past month? What did it look like for the Delarian delegation to see? Get out of here!"

"Yes, sir, I understand."

The boy stood up shakily while holding on to the wall, and then hurriedly "walked" toward the alley beside him, leaning on the wooden stick standing beside him, as if he was jumping and dancing. But before being driven into the alley, he did not forget to turn around and thank Shade again.

The boy's figure disappeared into the alley. The rude patrolman nodded politely to Shade and continued patrolling along the street.

"I thought there was something different, but it turns out they are all the same."

The stranger murmured quietly, put his hands in his pockets, and looked up again at this prosperous big city in the steam age.

The "City of Glass" Michaela Blast Furnace is not a city suitable for travel and vacation like Fort Midhill and Randall Valley, but if you really come here, you must take a look at the urban wonder "Glass Blast Furnace".

This is not a blast furnace made of glass, but the city's first glass-fired blast furnace, which was converted into a scenic viewing spot after it was decommissioned. The "Glass Blast Furnace" is located in the city center, and Shade can see the 48-meter-high giant blast furnace from the corner of the street.

The glass blast furnace is cylindrical in shape as a whole, but the bottom is a prism that occupies a large area. The tall and magnificent industrial buildings and the eye-catching anti-rust red paint color give people a strong visual impact. Surrounding the blast furnace, there are densely packed scaffoldings, and walkways are set up on the scaffolding. From a distance, there is a pure glass viewing platform at the top of the blast furnace. Only in the strange steam age can we have such an original and "industrial plain" spectacle.

Although it cannot be compared with the urban landscape of the outsider's hometown, this blast furnace is enough for this era.

If you want to board the "Glass Blast Furnace", you have to buy tickets, and smart businessmen have rented a space under the blast furnace to take photos for tourists for a fee.

Although Shade was very interested in this place, he did not pay to go to the highest point to view the city scenery. He just stopped and looked at the blast furnace, which was considered a tour.

The area of ​​Michaela Blast Furnace City is about 1.5 times that of Green Lake City, and there are many places worth visiting within the city limits. Since the chance encounter with Captain Rades wasted some time, Shade quickened his pace during the afternoon tour.

Before throwing away his glass slippers and going home, he visited the Michaela Blast Furnace City Industrial Expo and saw various lifelike animals made of glass; under the guidance of the flower girl at the intersection, he found " City Glass Art Exhibition Hall", where you can see the exquisite works of art made by crazy artists using glass.

Of course, Shade did not forget to pick out a few small mirrors as souvenirs for the girls in the store facing the street. Although the manufacturing techniques of mirrors and glass are different, local mirrors are also famous.

At sunset, Shade, who had finished a brief tour in the afternoon, was also ready to go home. He was standing in front of the "Paradise Island Pharmaceuticals" factory in the City of Glass under the afterglow of the setting sun.

Because the pharmaceutical factory has higher environmental requirements, it is not located in the industrial area where the glass factory is located in the city. Instead, it is close to the Duin River, which makes it easier to draw water directly from the water source. The factory covers a large area, but tourists are not allowed to enter. There is also a four-story building with a courtyard next to the factory, which is the local office of Paradise Island Pharmaceuticals.

"I wonder if the witch named Edwards is also in the Green Lake area."

He looked at the shiny roof of the factory under the setting sun and whispered in his heart. Putting his hand on his chest and confirming that the badge showed no signs of heat, he went around to the alley between the courtyard and the factory, took out and threw away Lesia's glass slipper and went home.

Shortly after Shade disappeared, the carriage drove from the east of the street against the setting sun and went straight into the factory. The young girl with light brown shawl hair and bored golden eyes looked out of the car window:

"boring day."

She whispered softly, curling the hair beside her ear with her right index finger, thinking about the news about "Orichalcum" from her mother-in-law Natalie.