In the era preceding the Age of Discovery, the Sorensen Mountains hadn't been shrouded in miasma as it was today. During those tis, these mountains witnessed not only the passage of nurous caravans each year but also the vibrant activities of exploratory and adventuring teams from various regions. These teams brought vitality and a constant influx of business opportunities to the small town of Weisshem, situated close to the Sorensen Mountains.
However, this prosperity gradually waned with the advent of the Age of Discovery.
Two main factors contributed to this decline. Firstly, mariti transportation proved to be more cost-effective than land transportation. Apart from the caravans that needed to trade with inland countries, the majority of long-distance trade routes saw a shift toward mariti transportation, transforming traders from land-based to mariti enterprises.
Secondly, the Sorensen Mountains beca increasingly impassable. Except for a few areas where the terrain was rugged or, for other reasons, passage was still possible, most parts beca covered by thick miasma. This not only led to a reduction in the number of passing caravans but also caused a decline in the gatherings of explorers and adventurers.
About a century ago, local inns and hotel business owners, affected by the changing climate and circumstances, began fleeing to the thriving city of Indahl. Consequently, Weisshem, once a bustling comrcial town, rapidly degenerated into a quiet and obscure border town.
Relying solely on sowhat underdeveloped agriculture and sporadic handicrafts couldn't address the employnt issues of thousands of the town's households, and the outflow of labor, both youth and adults, from Weisshem beca a natural trend.
In most small towns, young girls like Caroline would find work in cities around the age of 15 or 16 with the help of their families and help supplent the family inco with their wages. By the ti they reached around 23 or 24, marriage couldn't be delayed any longer, so their families would arrange suitable marriage partners, and they would marry into another family. The few years before marriage were considered the girls' last monts of repaying the upbringing they received from their families.
Caroline was 23 this year and had been in a high-end Indahl restaurant for the past eight years. Her mother, Winnie, loved her dearly and had been seeking out a prospective partner for her daughter since last year. According to their family agreent, she was supposed to resign and return ho this winter for an arranged marriage.
Caroline harbored no discontent with regard to how her life was arranged according to others. After all, most of the small town young ladies she knew led similar lives. Were it not for the negative rumors about Weisshem the past half month causing her constant worry, Caroline wouldn't have thought about taking leave to co back and check things out—the restaurant, known for its demanding standards, would surely dock her pay for any leave taken.
The three young n that returned to town along with Caroline had similar circumstances. Most of them were introduced to apprenticeships in the city around the age of 15. And for this hocoming visit, each of them paid a price in so form or other.
Upon entering the town gate and seeing the town as calm and peaceful as when they had left last winter, the four young returnees secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Regardless of whether the territory's lord had changed, everything was fine as long as their hotown remained unchanged.
And then… they saw the undead on the streets, walking calmly amongst the townspeople.
It was evident that the townsfolk were afraid of these terrifying skeletons. When the undead approached, even the tipsy drunkards would hurriedly step aside. However, that was it.
There was no panic, no scattered fleeing. It was as if, as long as a one- or two-ter distance was maintained from these undead, the townspeople tacitly accepted the reality of being on the sa street with them.
The four young people stood dumbfounded at the intersection, watching the two undead that had initially scared them walk confidently out of the town gate.
These two undead hadn't gone far when another bunch of undead ca out from the direction of Martin Street, conversing nonchalantly with so weird "KABAKABA" noises.
All the undead had gleaming steel knives at their waists. So of them had glaring scars on their bones, while the strange scale-like armor on others showed clear signs of battle… In any case, not a single one of them could be described as kind or friendly.
However, the townspeople on the streets appeared like they didn't know they should be afraid of them. Several housewives carrying baskets of vegetables even brushed past these undead barely half a ter apart.
A dumbfounded Caroline stared with wide eyes at the inexplicable scene unfolding before her, and her mouth wouldn't close…
"I-I need to hurry ho and see my family." One of the young n broke the silence, his face now completely pale.
" too!" The other two finally snapped out of their daze and echoed.
"Wait," Caroline called out to them as they were about to disperse.
The ashen-faced lady glanced around, then pulled the three to the side of the street and said softly, "L-let's not split up for real. Everyone goes ho to have a look… and then we et back up."
Adversity is the most significant life experience that fosters growth.
Having to leave ho in their teens and face discrimination, exclusion, and bullying because they were the lowest in Indahl made these small town youths rapidly mature. Although Caroline hadn't expressed it explicitly, the three other young n understood what she ant. They nodded solemnly, making arrangents to et again at a specific ti and place.
The situation in their hotown was just too strange, and these four returnees couldn't help worrying. If the black mage backing the new lord had used so strange magic to make all the townsfolk drop their vigilance against those terrifying undead, then they should at least stay alert!
Caroline's house, like Bosha Laurie's, was located in the northern block, just two streets away from the town hall.
The houses in the northern block were mostly century-old detached houses, similar to those in Martin Street, built during the final periods of Weisshem's last prosperity. After that, buildings that collapsed or were demolished were primarily replaced with row houses. Before Weisshem turned into a red-light district, the town hadn't seen any new buildings.
Three generations lived together in the house belonging to Caroline's family. Two uncles occupied the second floor, while Caroline's family and grandfather lived on the first floor.
The eldest patriarch of the household was still alive, which exempted Caroline's uncles and father from taxes.
However, her grandfather's health had been deteriorating over the past two years. When he passed, the three sons would be recognized as independent male household heads, incurring additional taxes each year. This was also why Caroline's mother was anxious to marry her off. If they waited until her grandfather's death, the family wouldn't be able to prepare a slightly more lavish dowry for Caroline.
"Caroline?" Winnie ghan was washing vegetables by the well in the yard when she saw her daughter push open the gate and enter. She quickly wiped her hands on the apron and greeted her daughter with a mix of joy and concern, "Darling, why are you back early? Did sothing happen at work?"
"Mom." Caroline embraced her mother tightly. "I'm fine, Mom. Where's Grandpa?"
"Your grandpa is at the sanitation bureau. Are you really okay?" Winnie asked with concern.
"I'm fine, really. I just wanted to co back and see you all." Caroline led her mother into the house and did a quick scan of her ho, seeing her two younger cousins and aunt nding clothes in the hall. She waved at them with a smile and then continued looking around.
"Mom, is everyone in the family okay?"
"Everyone is doing great… Oh, did you co back because you heard about Weisshem's new lord?" Winnie suddenly had a realization.
"Yes, everyone's doing great?" Caroline repeated her question sowhat nervously. "By the way, you just ntioned Grandpa is at the sanitation bureau? What is that?"
Winnie understood her daughter and by now had a pretty good idea why Caroline had rushed back with such haste. She couldn't help but pat Caroline's hand with a smile. "Silly girl, don't pay attention to the rumors swirling outside. A new lord or not doesn't matter much to us. In earlier tis, when your grandpa was still young, the lord of this town wasn't even from the Marcus family."
Caroline's mood didn't lighten; instead, her worry intensified… Could her conjecture be correct? Had even her mother's mind been influenced by the black mage that backed the new Weisshem lord?
"Enough about this. Mom has sothing nice to show you." Winnie pulled Caroline into a room and took out so beautiful fabric hidden in the cupboard. "Take a look at this, such beautiful colors and patterns! When you get married, we'll use this to make a long skirt that covers your ankles. You'll be the most beautiful bride for sure!"
Caroline's attention was montarily captivated by the fabric. Its smooth surface, vibrant colors, and vivid patterns were unlike any she had seen before.
But Caroline couldn't bring herself to feel happy and blurted out, "Mom, is this the undead fabric that has made everyone drop their guard?"
"What undead fabric? Don't spew rubbish. This was sold to us by the new lord. It has nothing to do with those undead," Winnie exclaid.
Caroline shook her head in anguish and moaned, "I knew sothing was wrong in the town. Think about it, Mom. I've worked in Inadahl for so many years, and I've seen many ladies from the city. Even their dresses aren't as pretty as this undead fabric. How could such high-quality fabric fall so easily into our hands?"
Winnie didn't know whether to laugh or cry and imdiately placated her daughter, "Calm down first, my dear. It isn't only our family that has this sort of fabric. The townsfolk and even those farrs from neighboring villages have bought quite a bit themselves. You just didn't see the lord's n selling these fabrics. If you think it's to deceive us, then how much losses would the new lord have made?"
"If it isn't to deceive everyone, how could they sell us this sort of fabric that is only sold at high prices in Indahl's best shops?" Caroline kept shaking her head. "Trust , Mom, sothing's definitely not right."
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