The Preet Kingdom is an island nation, separated from the mainland countries by a not-too-wide strait. As an island nation, the Preet Kingdom is composed of three large islands, one large and two small, and Igwinte is located on a protruding peninsula on the southwestern edge of the main island, Prit Island.
As an important city in the southwestern part of the Kingdom, thanks to the mineral resources in the mountains of the southwestern peninsula and the fishing industry on the west coast, Igwinte has achieved good development. In terms of overall development, although Igwinte is not among the top cities in the entire Kingdom, it holds a considerable position.
The sky was clear and the clouds were light, and the bright sunlight shone on the streets of Igwinte. Stone buildings eight or nine stories high were lined up on both sides of the street. The gray-white outer walls were more or less carved with decorative reliefs, and some window sills were even decorated with sculptures.
The storefronts on the ground floor of the street-facing buildings were without exception all utilized. Rows of shops stood with rows of signs, and the glass display windows were filled with a dazzling array of goods, from ladies' wide, luxurious dresses to children's exquisite toys, attracting curious glances from passing gentlemen and the eager longing of street children and beggars.
The main thoroughfares had been paved with flagstones, and although there were many damages, carriages could run without raising dust. The sidewalks were even paved with neat floor tiles, and there was a street Light every few dozen steps. Compared to Vokan, there were more chimneys spewing black smoke in the sky in the distance.
Standing on the streets of Igwinte, a silver-haired girl wearing a plain gray long dress, a checkered sleeved blouse, and black leather shoes was carrying a suitcase and observing her surroundings curiously.
"Is this... Igwinte?" Dorothy exclaimed as she surveyed the unfamiliar city before her. In Dorothy's original memory, she had longed to come to this city since she was a child. For many young people in the village, Igwinte was where dreams gathered. Whether male or female, willing or unwilling, many young people from the village came to this city to make their fortunes, and their contact with their families was often just a little money sent back each month.
No one dared to say they could make a name for themselves in this city. Most people were just gears in the city's continuous growth and operation, toiling day and night in dangerous factories. People like Grego could be said to be exceptions among exceptions.
"So... when will my cheap brother arrive?"
Muttering this, Dorothy looked around again, and this time, at the end of the sidewalk, she saw a familiar figure.
Among the crowd there, a young man with chestnut short hair, wearing a jacket shirt and black trousers, was looking around with a hint of confusion. But when he saw the direction she was in, the confusion on his face was instantly swept away, replaced by a face full of joy.
"Oh... by the Saint Child... Dorothy, you're here!"
With a hearty smile, Grego eagerly opened his arms and quickly walked towards Dorothy, his sister.
...
On the streets of Igwinte, a black carriage was moving quickly under the coachman's driving. Inside the carriage, Dorothy and Grego sat facing each other.
"Oh, you know, Dorothy, when I saw in the newspaper yesterday that a carriage was intercepted and killed by bandits on the road from Zishan to Vokan, I was so panicked. You know, based on your departure time, the possibility of you being on that road at that time was very high."
Still smiling, Grego said in a tone of relief, while Dorothy replied with a smile.
"I read that report too, it was indeed terrible. But fortunately, I was delayed for a while in Zishan to buy some clothes, so perhaps I missed those bandits because of that. It's truly a blessing from the Holy Mother..." Covering her chest, Dorothy showed a pious and relieved expression on her face.
In this world, the most popular religion is called the Shining Light Church, also known as the Shining Light Redemption Church or the Shining Light Holy Day Church. Except for some pagan countries in the east, the mainstream belief of almost all the remaining countries on the entire continent is the Shining Light Church.
The Shining Light Church believes in a deity named the Radiant Savior. In mythology, this deity expelled various demons and evil gods that plagued the human world, brought Light to a dark, purgatorial world, and brought Save the World to humanity.
And after this deity completed the mission of Save the World, he returned to his dwelling, the Holy Temple of the Sun. In order to continue protecting the common people, he also differentiated three incarnations from himself, watching over the earth from the zenith to prevent the counterattack of demons and evil gods.
Although the Radiant Savior is said to be the supreme god of the Shining Light Church, he is not the main object of belief. What the Shining Light Church mainly believes in are the three incarnations of the Radiant Savior.
The Saint Father, representing judgment and authority, symbolizing order. The Holy Mother, representing love and tolerance, symbolizing mercy. The Saint Child, representing conquest and expansion, symbolizing victory.
The image of the Saint Father is a majestic monarch, the image of the Holy Mother is a kind woman, and the image of the Saint Child is a young warrior.
Among the vast number of Shining Light Church believers, not many directly believe in the Radiant Savior; most believe in these three incarnations of him. Among them, those in power such as Royal Family officials and leaders mostly believe in the Saint Father. Soldiers, officers, mercenaries, gangsters, and various other professions that deal with force, as well as various ambitious people, adventurers, and those who aspire to make a name for themselves, are almost all believers of the Saint Child. As for the largest number of working people and vulnerable groups in society, they have all embraced the Holy Mother.
For example, the former Dorothy and Hannah Aunt in the village, they were both common people who hoped to live a stable life, so they were loyal believers of the Holy Mother. As for Grego, this ambitious young man who liked to fight since he was a child, had great aspirations, and hoped to achieve something in the big city, clearly inclined towards the Saint Child.
"Clothes? Ah, I almost didn't notice, Dorothy is dressed so beautifully. It's not like when you were in the village, always looking dusty. You bought this recently, didn't you?" Listening to Dorothy's words, Grego said after scanning Dorothy a few times with some surprise.
"Yes, I earned a little money by tutoring people in literacy and helping write letters in town. I thought since I was going to live in the city, I'd buy some clothes and dress up nicely, but I didn't expect to spend so much time and accidentally miss the carriage." Nodding, Dorothy continued, and Grego also responded.
"It's a good thing you were delayed, otherwise it would have been bad if your carriage encountered bandits. And I also happened to be on an unplanned business trip not long ago and only rushed back to Igwinte this morning. If you had come at the original time, I wouldn't have been able to pick you up."
Grego said, scratching his head, while Dorothy maintained a smile. She naturally knew why Grego had made an unplanned business trip.
"Oh, by the way, brother, what kind of good job did you find in Igwinte? You can actually afford to rent a large apartment and have me come live with you. Jack's three older brothers next door have been working in Igwinte for four years and still can't afford to bring their family over, right?"
Trying her best to make her eyes full of curiosity, Dorothy looked at Grego and asked.