The next day, the inn was already bustling with activity before the sun had even risen. The staff and mercenaries of the caravan ate their breakfast under the night sky and left the Horn Territory under the first rays of the morning sun.
Just as Walter had said, they arrived at Antalya City right after lunch the next day.
Just like Fegesack, Antalya City was also located in an area where rivers converged. However, the difference was that Antalya's rivers converged in an area of about twenty kilometers. Within these twenty kilometers, there were a total of five rivers that converged into the main channel of the Antalya River.
The main channel of the Antalya River was the upstream Fegesack River.
Antalya City was located five kilometers downstream from the converging point of the third tributary.
At this location, there were two hills towering on both sides of the river, like two guards sandwiching the Antalya River in the middle.
The two districts of Antalya City were located on these two hills.
The hill to the north of the river bank was slightly taller and smaller, while the hill to the south was slightly lower and larger. The two hills were about three to four kilometers apart. The Antalya River passed through between these two hills, continuously converging into other rivers along the way. The river here was already over a hundred meters wide and could accommodate dozens of tons of cargo ships.
There was a pier on each side of the river bank between the two hills. There were no bridges between the two districts, so the only way to and fro was through these two piers.
The peak of the northern mountain was a majestic castle, while the peak of the southern mountain was a tall tower that seemed to reach into the clouds.
Their caravan had already left the forest fifteen kilometers away from Antalya City. On both sides of the road were endless farmlands. In the middle of the farmlands, there were castles of various sizes scattered like stars.
Dave told Feng Chou that the Counts Of Antalya had built dams in the upper reaches of the five tributaries upstream and downstream of Antalya City, raising the water level and establishing an irrigation system. These five rivers had irrigated millions of mu of fertile farmland for the Counts Of Antalya.
In the vicinity of Antalya City, there were more than thirty castles belonging to the Counts.
Antalya City only had a population of thirty thousand, but there were still fifty to sixty thousand people spread out in these thirty castles. In addition to the land and population in the newly developed territories, the Counts Of Antalya controlled almost a hundred thousand people.
The castle at the peak of the northern district was naturally the main castle of the Counts Of Antalya.
It could no longer be considered a castle, but a huge castle system. From afar, the defensive towers and gothic spires stood in great numbers, like a castle from a manga.
The tower in the southern district was the center of the Antalya Mage Academy, while the academy was the center of the southern district.
Legend had it that the first Counts Of Antalya was a powerful and wealthy mage. He led a large number of acolytes and followers to the barren plains of Antalya. With today's Antalya City as the center, he opened up a large territory and built today's Antalya Castle and Mage Tower. With the Mage Tower as the center, he built today's Antalya Mage Academy.
The road from Fergesack to Antalya City was located on the northern bank of the Antalya River. Dave's caravan naturally entered the northern district.
After entering the city, Feng Chou discovered that the mountains here had been transformed into terraced fields. From the city gate to the highest castle, there were a total of thirteen levels. The width of each level was about a hundred meters, and the height difference was about twenty meters. Each level was a circular block.
At the city gate, there was a sloping road that led straight to the top of the mountain.
The slope of the road wasn't small. It wasn't a problem for light carriages, but it was more difficult and dangerous for the caravan's heavy carriages.
The heavy carriages would normally follow the circular streets to the higher levels.
After Dave's caravan turned into a side street, they walked for a few dozen meters before a sloping path that led to the next level appeared in front of them. This path was much smoother than the one leading to the top of the mountain.
After ascending the first level, the caravan continued for a few hundred meters before encountering a second sloping path that led to the next level.
When the caravan entered the third level, they didn't continue going up. They circled around the third level and arrived in front of a large courtyard. This was one of the warehouses of the El Chamber of Commerce.
At the entrance of the warehouse, everyone went their separate ways. Dave had to hand over the goods to the warehouse manager. Walter found two carriages to send the injured to the temple area for further treatment. Simon also found a carriage to take Feng Chou to the headquarters of the El Chamber of Commerce.
Before parting ways, Walter told Feng Chou that the group of gnolls they killed might be the targets of a mission from the Mercenary Union. If there really was such a mission, then they could directly receive the mission reward.
He told Feng Chou that if that was really the case, then he would also have a share of the mission reward. He hoped that Feng Chou could leave his contact details.
Feng Chou thought for a moment and said, "If everything goes well, then I'll be going to the mage school in the southern part of the city in a few days. Maybe you can find me there. If you can't find me …"
"Then give my share to Simon."
After both parties left, Feng Chou and Simon took a passenger carriage and went all the way up to the twelfth level of the city, which was the level below the castle.
There was a drop of about fifty meters between the castle and the second level below. A path circled around the foundation of the castle before reaching the castle gate from the second level. If someone attacked the castle, this path, which was nearly a thousand meters long, would be a path of death.
On the second level of the castle, there were two temples. They were the temple of the God of Nobles and Knights and the temple of the Goddess of Agriculture.
Other than the two temples, this level was filled with luxurious villas.
Simon told him that the nobles and merchants of Antalya County were proud to have a villa here. It was a symbol of status.
The carriage finally stopped at the entrance of a villa behind the castle. Simon left Feng Chou in the guard room at the entrance and was led in by a servant.
In fact, with Simon's status, he wouldn't have been able to enter this villa.
When Simon was in Forgesack, he had already reported his discovery in the underground city to the head of the local Chamber of Commerce. He also claimed that he had discovered an incredible secret and needed to meet the head of the Chamber of Commerce in person.
Because of this, he was given the opportunity to enter the villa.
About an hour later, Simon walked out of the villa. A servant came with him and asked Feng Chou to follow him in.
Simon gave him a look that said everything was going well and left in the carriage he came in.