Abe the Wizard

Chapter 18 Harvest City

Bennett Castle, today is the last day of the year, and tomorrow is New Year's Day.

During dinner, Sir Bennett handed a letter and a long package to Zack: "This is a New Year's gift from Abel to you. He's still treating you well. Your mother and I don't have any gifts."

Perhaps feeling a bit sour about his own words, Nala gave him a glance and said, "The child has only been gone for less than a month, and he still remembers to write to us. That's already quite rare. Do you really need a gift?"

Zack took the letter and package, and first opened the package, revealing a large sword.

"This is the Master-made Hundred Training Great Sword." Drawing the sword from its scabbard, Zack immediately recognized it. The Hundred Training Great Sword had always been in demand in the market, despite its jaw-dropping price of 1000 gold coins. Nevertheless, numerous wealthy individuals were still eager to buy it.

The large sword was the standard weapon for knights. When two knights fought, the one with the Hundred Training Great Sword could easily cut through the opponent's sword, causing the opponent to lose their weapon. The consequences of losing a weapon in combat for a knight were not hard for anyone to imagine.

Just moments after Nala had said that she didn't need a gift, Sir Bennett, seeing the Hundred Training Great Sword in Zack's hand while he himself was still using an 80-trained sword, couldn't help but exclaim, "I really do need a gift."

"Let me see." When it came to good weapons, as a knight, there was no resistance. Sir Bennett practically snatched the Hundred Training Great Sword from Zack's hand, waving it around in the dining room as he said, "Abel, this kid, just arrived at Harry Castle, and he's already giving away things from the castle. I'll write to him later and have a good talk with him."

"It's not like that." Zack, who was reading the letter, said, "Abel wrote in the letter that this is the first weapon he forged, given to me as a New Year's gift."

Sir Bennett stopped waving the sword in mid-air and stared at the letter in Zack's hand. "The letter says that this sword was forged by Abel himself?"

"Yes, father, Abel's letter makes it very clear," Zack replied confidently.

"How is that possible? Marshall studied blacksmithing for a year, and a year later, he made a dining knife that could only cut meat on the table. Abel has only been gone for a month, yet he can forge a Hundred Training Long Sword?" Sir Bennett felt that perhaps he had made a mistake in giving Abel to his friend as an adopted son. Maybe he would regret it in a few years. No, seeing the Hundred Training Great Sword, he might already be regretting it.

The New Year at Bennett Castle passed in a strange atmosphere—Zack's surprise, Sir Bennett's regret, and Nala's longing—yet Abel, who was in Harry Castle, was completely unaware of it all.

Harry Castle, Sir Marshall Knight took Abel in a carriage to Harvest City to attend the New Year's party hosted by Lord Dickens, the lord of the city. The party was to begin in the evening, but Sir Marshall set off early in the morning with Abel.

The road from Sir Marshall's castle to Harvest City was exceptionally well-maintained, with the entire road made of small, flat stones arranged in an arched shape, higher in the middle and lower on the sides. Riding in the carriage, there was only a slight sense of bumpiness, and the 100-mile journey took just over an hour.

From a distance, Harvest City looked like a crouching tiger, majestic and grand, and it was only when you got closer that you could feel its magnificence and splendor. This was the largest city in the southern part of the Kingdom of Kamei, with towering 20-meter-high city walls and dozens of cannon doors mounted on the walls, all displaying the city's strictness.

"Uncle Marshall, why is Harvest City so heavily defended?" Abel looked at the 20-meter-high city wall and the numerous defensive weapons on top, feeling somewhat puzzled.

This is the southernmost part of Holy Land, the heart of the human world, separated from the Orc Empire by a principality, and it is known as the safest principality. Why would they turn the city into a war fortress?

"Abel, every fief in our Kingdom of Kamei has at least one official knight stationed, and the current lord of Harvest City, Lord Dickens, is also a knight commander." Sir Marshall's gaze seemed a bit distant, as if recalling something, he sighed and continued, "The reasons for this are all because of the Orc Empire."

"But the Orc Empire is in the distant north, guarded by the Human Alliance's Miracle Town." Abel knew all this. It was the defense of Miracle Town in the north that allowed the human kingdom to live safely.

In this world, orcs are the most warlike race. Their frenzied reproduction as a race has led to frequent food shortages, and in order to alleviate this food crisis, orcs launch wars to seize food, which also helps reduce their population.

The closest humans to the Orc Empire became the targets of the orcs. For survival, humans gathered their strength and built a military fortress at the only passage between human society and the Orc Empire—the Budapest Mountains. This city is Miracle Town.

All humans know that as long as Miracle Town stands, there is no need to worry about orc aggression.

"In recent decades, the Orc Empire has developed some new methods of attack. They use flying beasts capable of carrying people to fly over the Budapest Mountains to wreak havoc in the human rear." Sir Marshall Knight said with a somewhat skeptical tone, "It's called destruction, but I prefer to see it as a kind of trial."

As he spoke, the carriage had reached the gate of Harvest City. A long line of people was waiting in front of the ten-meter-high city gate. Each person was being checked, charged, and then let through. The soldiers' pace was not fast, and if you joined the queue now, it might be an hour before you could enter the city.

But the carriage didn't stop. In the envious eyes of the crowd, the carriage entered the city from another side.

This was Abel's first experience of the privileges of the nobility. Before, whether at Bennett Castle or Harry Castle, he felt like a child from a wealthy family compared to the people around him.

This made Abel still somewhat uncomfortable. In his former world, if someone was queuing, and you jumped the queue, others would look at you with disdain. But here, Abel didn't even have to get out of the carriage to enter the city.

The carriage arrived at a courtyard, which was Sir Marshall Knight's temporary residence in Harvest City. As soon as he reached the courtyard gate, the steward, Robin, came out to greet them.

"Robin, Abel will be staying here for the next few days. Prepare the independent yard, and it will be Abel's from now on," Sir Marshall Knight instructed the steward as soon as he got off the carriage.

"Yes, master."

Steward Robin had long heard that Sir Marshall Knight had an adopted son, who had also become the heir to the castle. Now, upon hearing Sir Marshall Knight's instructions, it was evident how much importance the knight attached to this young master, Abel. The independent yard was the best residence apart from the master's, and with just a word from the master, it became Abel's private residence.

"Abel, are you coming with me to visit a friend, or are you going to explore Harvest City?"

Seeing Abel's somewhat hesitant expression, Sir Marshall Knight couldn't help but smile and say, "Of course, there's no need to ask. I'll arrange for Robin to accompany you on a tour of Harvest City."

Sir Marshall Knight showed great concern for his adopted son Abel, and didn't force him. Just by seeing Abel's expression, he knew Abel's choice, so the knight respected Abel's wishes.

Turning down Steward Robin's offer to accompany him, Abel rode his horse alone, looking at the shops on both sides of the street as he walked. The streets of Harvest City were very wide, probably due to the New Year, and there were many pedestrians on the street.

As he walked, he heard a commotion up ahead, a very familiar sound. Driving his horse toward the commotion, he saw Zack arguing with three young men wearing leather armor, while standing next to them was a young girl with blonde hair, seventeen or eighteen years old, lively and mischievous, with a sly look in her eyes, watching with interest as Zack argued with the three young men.

"Big brother!" Abel's voice was somewhat excited. Seeing his family here made him feel very surprised, and he jumped off his horse, leading the reins as he walked towards Zack.

"Abel!" Seeing Abel, Zack came up and gave him a tight hug.

Releasing Abel, Zack turned to introduce the three young men to Abel. "This is Martin, Joshua, and Bob."

Then he said to Abel, "And this is Emily." Emily greeted Abel with a ladylike courtesy, smiling and looking at Abel with curiosity.

Abel returned the greeting, and seeing Zack stealing glances at Emily, he chuckled to himself. His big brother was at the age of falling in love, and he already seemed to have a girl he liked. Should he write a letter to tell his mother?

Martin seemed surprised to learn that Abel was so young, and after a moment of bewilderment, he asked with a hint of uncertainty, "Are you the Abel who helped Zack forge the Hundred Training Great Sword?"

Abel smiled and nodded, "Yes."

"It's really you!" Martin immediately warmly extended a courtesy and said, "Nice to meet you! I didn't expect you to be so young."

It was clear that Martin was very talkative and easy-going, and easy to get along with. Abel had a very good impression of him.