Chapter 19: New Chester City
{Tuesday, 16th March, 1114}
New Chester Harbour, Santoria Kingdom.
Towering wooden cranes loomed overhead as the thick scent of wet wood, and sea salt hung in the air.
New Chester's harbour was a hive of motion.
Fishermen unloading nets, carriages waiting for passengers and cargo, and sailors shouting over one another as the ships docked in one by one. It was very lively.
Conrad gazed at the line of people that had already begun to form on the pier.
In the midst of the bustling crowds were men and women clad in matching crimson coats that reached just below the knee.
At the chest, dull bronze buttons fastened asymmetrically as the emblem of Order was carefully engraved on the right breast.
At the waist, a single ash-black sash was fully wrapped around the coat, carrying short sabres and, occasionally, scrolls of paper.
Below the waist, the buttonless section of the coat flared open, creating an intentional slit between twin folds of fabric for ease of movement.
Dark leather bracers that were sewn directly into the sleeves of their coat matched the colour of their calf-high boots.
These were the Santoria Kingdom's Arbiters.
All disembarking passengers were herded and funnelled by the Arbiters toward a narrow section where the pier met land.
There, more Arbiters could be seen carrying out a myriad of tasks.
Some sat stiffly behind wooden desks, inspecting luggages and questioning passengers, whilst some stood guard in formation, holding long halberds the same height as themselves.
"Let's get going," Conrad spoke. "I am a deacon, so we won't have to wait in line."
Mary nodded as she gently took hold of Cillian's hand.
The young boy was wide awake, his sparkling eyes chaotically darted in every direction.
"Wooden tower!" he blurted, pointing to a tall crane in the distance.
"Yes dear, that's a cargo crane." Mary smiled. "It lifts the heavy crates off the ships and onto the land."
"In the past, men would strain their backs hauling each crate by hand," Conrad added as he ruffled his son's hair. "Now, with these clever contraptions, the work is kinder to the spine."
Cillian wasn't listening, his gaze had shifted to a looming shape farther along the pier.
Staring at her son, Mary explained "That's a warship dear. You've seen a lot of them on our voyage."
"Big ship." Cillian muttered.
Despite having grown up in a port city himself, Cillian couldn't help but continue to pester his mother with questions. Everything in New Chester looked familiar – the tools, the cranes, the signal towers. But at the same time the design was slightly different.
Mary turned towards her daughter, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "You were just like your younger brother back then."
Murphy blinked. Her shoulders drew back slightly as she turned towards her mother in surprise.
"I don't remember being that annoying." Murphy chimed back.
Mary laughed. "You might have even been worse."
Murphy gave her mother an appalled look, her mouth slightly agape.
"I was not much of a scholar in my youth," Mary mused with a soft smile. "Perhaps, both of you have taken after your father."
Murphy remained silent. She was often told by her uncle that she looked like her mother, but had her father's personality.
Father…
Murphy stared at the city ahead as she held her luggage tighter.
The city of New Chester rose behind the harbour, a neat maze of red-tiled roofs and whitened stone walls glimmered faintly under the late morning sun.
Unlike many other ports and harbours, the buildings of the city laid in neat and, almost, symmetrical rows. Many boasted wide arched windows and finely carved balconies.
The broad streets were paved with pale stone that were clean and fresh.
The city had only been built in the last 10 years.
Her eyes flickered to her father's moving figure up ahead.
Conrad reached the crowd that was being loosely funnelled into a barely orderly line.
One of the Arbiters, a young man with a hawk-like nose, caught sight of him.
Before he could move in to stop the family from skipping the line, Conrad had already reached into his coat.
Drawing out a golden medallion, Conrad declared, "Conrad Decaine, a deacon of the Church of Prosperity."
The Arbiter's posture stiffened as he gazed at the golden medallion. On its surface was a thirteen-pointed star.
Acknowledging Conrad's status, the Arbiter stepped aside without a word. His jaw twitched ever so slightly as his eyes lingered on Conrad.
The family moved forward past the crowded queue, drawing many gazes.
People stopped their conversations mid-way and began muttering. Some held disapproving gazes, others stared with respect and awe.
Those who had heard Conrad's status wore a resentful expression.
The family quickly approached the inspection area, where a young female Arbiter gestured them towards a desk.
Behind the wooden table sat another Arbiter. This man was noticeably older than those surrounding him.
There was also a distinct difference in his uniform compared to the Arbiters surrounding him.
At his chest, twin black sashes crisscrossed to form an X.
Conrad stole a glance at the revolver hanging from the side of his belt as Linda thought to herself.
A captain of an Arbiter squadron. He's likely an Arcan.
"Name, tickets, identification proof." The captain spoke with a deep voice.
Conrad answered without delay.
"Conrad Decaine." Then he gestured accordingly to his family. "Mary Decaine, Murphy Decaine, and Cillian Decaine."
"Here are the tickets and proof." Conrad reached into his coat and pulled out a bundle of sheets. Five in total.
Four of them were individual identification documents for each family member, while the last sheet was the ticket.
The Arbiter captain took the documents and began to look over each one carefully. He continued his questions without looking up. "Purpose of visit, occupation."
"We are transferring to the Macroy Fleet bound for Veria port. From there, we'll take a carriage to Ganalis. I am a deacon of the Church of Prosperity. Ganalis diocese."
The Arbiter captain gave a small nod. "Do you have tickets to the Macroy Fleet?"
Conrad quickly replied as he handed over another sheet. "Here, sir."
After a few seconds of silent scrutiny, the Arbiter captain returned the documents.
"Luggages."
A pair of Arbiters nearby stepped in and began to swiftly open and inspect each of their luggages.
Only Conrad's one was spared from the strict procedure.
This was a rule enforced by the Churches of the Santoria Kingdom. Travelling deacons and priests were likely to carry Arcan materials such as rune stones on their luggages. Searching through the luggages may accidentally expose Arcan materials to the public.
There was also the case that not all Arbiters were Arcans.
Therefore, their luggage would not be physically checked. Instead, they would only be asked what was in the luggages.
To the public, only asking and not physically searching their belongings would simply be seen as respect and reverence for the higher ranking members of the Churches.
But in the Arcan world, it was a different way to inspect the luggages.
The captain Arbiter spoke to Conrad. "Luggage content."
Any question asking about the content in the luggages was a secret code between the Churches.
Upon hearing this question, Linda understood immediately. This question... All travelling deacons and priests are always sent to be inspected by specific Arbiter captains. This man is likely a Tier 6 Arcan of the Order Spectra… A Commander of Law. They have the ability to detect when someone is lying using Essence.
She responded in Conrad's voice. "Clothing and accessories. I do not intend to use any of them in New Chester."
Accessories is the code name term for 'Arcan materials'. So I have confirmed to him that I do indeed possess Arcan materials. As for the second part of my declaration… Linda tried her hardest not to smile.
The Arcan materials in Conrad's luggage are just advancement materials. I won't be using them to hunt Arcans for Essence. So I am not lying, he will detect my statement as the truth. There is no reason for him to suspect me. These procedures are so easy to bypass, just like in Slone port.
The Arbiter Captain turned towards Conrad, his fierce eyes planted on him for a few seconds.
If the travelling deacon declared that their luggages contained 'Accessories', they would be required to state whether they would be intending to use it. If they intended to use it, they would also have to declare that they will use it lawfully.
The 'commander of law' would then use their Essence to gauge if there are lies in the declaration statement.
The family patiently waited as the Arbiters finished checking their luggages.
The whole process was familiar, in fact, a similar inspection had occurred at every port they disembarked in.
Conrad's eyes drifted subtly across the inspection area as he secretly counted the numbers of Arbiters and Arbiter captains.
Though their inspection procedure seems to be very tight. Even at Slone too… Is this because of the upcoming war? Linda acting as Conrad chuckled inwardly. But it will be impossible to spot my infiltration with just this kind of simple procedure.
"You may go." The Arbiter captain finally said, his voice remained flat.
With a polite nod, Conrad gathered all the documents. "Thank you."
His family managed to walk a few steps before another Arbiter suddenly stopped them.
"Hold. I have a few questions you need to answer."
Conrad frowned as he looked at the Arbiter. The young man who stopped them had a narrow face and a small stubble at his chin.
Linda beneath the mask of Conrad felt a ripple of unease. What's this?
Has my cover been exposed?
She quickly regained her composure as she faked a smile with Conrad.
"Kind sir, I believe your captain has-"
"I know this arrogance too well," The Arbiter snapped. His eyes seemed to be glaring with spite. "If you don't follow my orders, I will be forced to detain-"
"Jamon! What are you doing?" A colleague hissed, hurrying over.
The Arbiter Jamon didn't flinch. "He and his family are suspicious, I am going to interrogate them further."
"You can't do that…" The other Arbiter lowered his voice into a whisper.
Ignoring his colleague, Jamon stubbornly questioned. "You said you worked in Ganalis. Why are you all the way in New Chester, where are you returning from? And what's your actual purpose here?"
Mary instinctively moved a little in front of her children. Murphy tightened her grip on her luggage as her mouth had subconsciously drawn into a thin line.
Cillian pressed closer to his sister, his expression was more of confusion than fear.
"Honey, I'll handle it." Conrad nodded towards his wife.
"I apologise if we have done anything to seem suspicious." Conrad turned to face Jamon, who was staring daggers at him. "We are simply returning from-"
"What's happening here?"
The Arbiter captain's low voice sharply cut in from behind.
Jamon straightened. "Captain, I wish to interrogate them further!"
"You may not." The captain said flatly.
"But-"
"You may not." The captain's voice was more cold and commanding now.
Jamon stiffened. "Yes captain…"
Conrad bowed then left with his family.
Seeing their departure, the captain turned around and walked off without saying another word.
As soon as he was out of hearing range, the colleague who had warned Jamon spoke.
"Are you trying to get in trouble with the captain?"
Jamon answered bitterly. "He gets to go through ahead of all the other waiting people just because he works for the Church of Prosperity? Those so-called Stardians should just have the same status as civilians."
Jamon snorted. "See? Even the captain didn't reprimand me harshly. Everyone thinks the same."
"I know," the other Arbiter shook his head. "But do you remember what Archbishop Collen said?"
He leaned in closer to Jamon as his voice dropped to a whisper.
"With the war coming in a few months, we should try to not provoke and mistreat the Star believers. They may side with the Wingedorians."
Jamon's face darkened. Fury flickered in his eyes.
"Hmph. That's even more reason to apprehend them!" He retorted.
…
Conrad quietly walked on the pavement alongside his family.
Behind them, the salty scent of the sea was quickly fading. Instead, the subtle aroma of coal smoke and stone welcomed them.
The crisp morning air had a sharp chill that clung to the skin.
Overhead, the sky was a blend of pale grey and light blue. The sun hid behind a veil of thin clouds, casting a dull silver light over the quiet city.
The city itself wasn't as busy as Plodor.
A carriage drove past the family, carrying a man and a woman.
Linda, under the mask of Conrad, began to gather her thoughts.
The infiltration is going well.
Unless Arcan powers are used, it is almost impossible to distinguish an Actor from the real person.
There was no way the Arbiters could have afforded to constantly use their Essence on every single passenger to detect infiltrators. They can only afford to spare a little Essence to detect any lies from travelling deacons and priests.
But that Arbiter… I really thought I was caught.
Linda had assumed that Conrad's status as a deacon would shield her from any scrutiny and, thus, be the perfect person to infiltrate in as. But the commotion earlier had proved otherwise.
She hadn't expected the contempt for the Church of Prosperity to run so deep.
But that was precisely what made Conrad the perfect mannequin for her.
She could have infiltrated as any civilian, in fact, that was the Wingedorian Empire's original plan.
It was only when Gerald knew that his old friend Conrad was visiting Plodor did the plan change to accommodate the new, unexpected but valuable, chess piece: A deacon of the Prosperity Church.
Due to their low status in the Santoria Kingdom, the Stardians were sparse and still in decline. This can be exploited.
But the most important thing was the deep rooted disdain and resentment for the Star religion in the kingdom.
Linda adjusted her stance slightly to maintain Conrad's natural walk as she let a faint smile curl behind her thoughts.
Linda will not be the one to start the war…
The war will start at the hands of the… Church of Prosperity
…
Back at the inspection area.
The Arbiter Captain had just returned to his desk from the commotion with Jamon and the Conrad family.
Turning to an Arbiter nearby, he commanded. "Take over my station. If there is a deacon or priest, ask them to wait until I return."
The Arbiter answered. "Yes captain."
The captain walked along the harbour and stopped at a wooden crane.
A nearby worker saw the Arbiter and questioned.
"Sir Arbiter, is there anything you need?"
"No, I am just watching the sea."
The worker smiled.
…
The Decaine family had checked into the Macroy fleet and then boarded a carriage to enjoy an early lunch at one of the cities' restaurants.
They were now twenty minutes away from the port.
Cillian was asleep in a wooden chair made for smaller kids.
"I am meeting up with one of my friends." Conrad wiped his mouth with a napkin. "You ladies can have a look around the city.
"We already explored most of this city on our way to Plodor." Mary complained
"It's always nice to visit some places again. We have hours to spare." Conrad replied. "Just remember to avoid the southeastern area. It's dangerous. And be back by seven thirty!"
"Will we have dinner aboard the fleet?" Mary asked.
"Yes, they provide dinner."
"Let me guess, fish and bread again?"
Conrad laughed.
Mary replied. "Missing Plodor already."
Cillian suddenly awoke, he began to complain/cry for food, Mary fed him, followed by answering a lot of his random questions.
Conrad spoke to his daughter. "Dear, do you plan to have a look around the city?"
Murphy shook her head. "I'm not sure."
Linda thought in her head. Murphy is definitely suspicious of me. It seems my act is getting worse… Anyways, that's not the main issue.
If I solely use my Essence on maintaining this act, I have at most two more days left.
I need to replenish my Essence as soon as possible.
But first… I need to go see him…
…
One hour later, South District, New Chester.
Murphy watched from a nearby fruit stall as her father stepped out from a flower shop.
Murphy was secretly following her father, keeping a reasonable distance behind him. She had donned a cap and tied her hair to make her less obvious.
Murphy trailed after her father as he wandered through the streets with a small wooden suitcase gripped firmly in his hand.
The streets were perfectly straight and wide, enough to fit a few carriages on its width. However, there were lots of sudden turns or bends, making it easy for Murphy to lose sight of her father.
Murphy's brows furrowed as she squinted. He's going towards the south of the city?
She quickened her pace.
Murphy wasn't sure what she was expecting. Her suspicions had only grown stronger since their time spent together in Slone and their arrival in New Chester.
Perhaps she would catch him slipping up and expose that the person since his birthday had not been her father. But then what would she do?
Her heart skipped as she saw him enter a narrow building.
Murphy pretended to inspect the lamp posts as she crept closer to the entrance of the store.
Then she noticed it.
The store had another entrance. Or exit. It connected to another street.
Murphy's chest tightened as she rushed into the store. Inside, the tunnel-like store was dimly lit, with only light at the two ends of the 'tunnel'. There were many stalls that sold a myriad of different things: Antiques, books, statues and jewellery.
But her father was nowhere to be seen.
She began to look around frantically, weaving through merchants and stalls.
Murphy had lost track of her Father.
She quickly spun around to check if she had missed her father, only to collide shoulder-first into someone.
"S- Sorry," Murphy stammered.
She gave an instinctive bow before looking up to see a familiar face.
Strands of long almond-brown hair swayed gently as the woman smiled. Her striking green eyes seem to sparkle with amusement. A few locks of her hair brushed over her olive-green blouse which was tucked neatly into a high-waist trouser.
She was wearing the same pair of boots that Murphy had seen her with on the merchant ship.
"Miss Engineer," Anisa maintained her smile, "We meet again."