The Tragedy of Heisha Town
Translator: Cinder Translations
...
The capital of the Gabella Empire is one of the largest cities in the central part of the continent, serving as the political, economic, and cultural center of the empire. In particular, the Scholar's Tower within the imperial capital is home to a large number of scholars, not only from the empire itself but also from foreign lands who come seeking knowledge. Among them are many young royals or noble youths from other countries, leading to a rich exchange and collision of various cultures and ideas in the imperial capital.
For such a precious gem, Gabella naturally takes every possible measure to protect it. In addition to the tall city walls, six satellite cities spread across different directions of the imperial capital serve as significant protective measures.
Although the walls of the six satellite cities are not as towering as those of the main capital, they are still quite sturdy. Originally, these satellite cities were established solely for military defense purposes, inhabited by generals, knights, and their families stationed there. However, as Gabella expanded and its territory grew larger, the borders moved further away from the imperial capital, reducing the military defense pressure faced by the capital.
As a result, the military functions of the six satellite cities gradually diminished. With the rise and prosperity of trade routes, more and more common people began to settle in the satellite cities, leading to the development of these places into genuine small towns over generations.
Among the satellite cities, four guard the land routes in and out of the imperial capital, one guards a waterway, and the last one, Heisha Town, is the closest yet smallest, located southeast of the capital. This satellite city is not situated on a major route to and from the capital due to mountain ranges blocking the way. It was originally established to guard against bandits who caused trouble in the mountains long ago. Once those bandits were eradicated, the area stabilized. The flat terrain was suitable for agriculture, and the residents made their living by growing vegetables and fruits to sell to the nobles in the capital.
Because it is off the trade routes, Heisha Town is quite obscure, and newcomers might not even know of its existence.
"Ah!" A town guard on a night patrol yawned out of boredom.
"Sigh, why can't I run into a thief or something to earn some extra cash?"
As the moon began to drift towards the western sky, he lamented that he might come away empty-handed tonight.
"Another dull evening."
It seemed to mock the guard's words when a dull thud sounded from the southwestern direction of the town, followed by a pillar of fire shooting up into the sky. The pillar burst open in mid-air, scattering into tongues of flame that sprayed outwards.
The flames eventually landed on nearby houses, igniting clusters of fire that quickly connected, and soon it appeared that the entire southwestern corner of the town was ablaze.
"Fire! Fire!"
The stunned night patrol guard quickly reacted, shouting out and grabbing the conch horn at his waist, blowing it frantically.
Heisha Town quickly erupted into chaos, with young men grabbing buckets or basins and rushing towards the southwest.
People lined up in long queues, each stretching from a well to the vicinity of the flames. Those standing by the well cranked the wheel to draw up a bucket of water and immediately poured it into a container nearby, which was then passed down the line towards the fire.
The sound of splashing water, the crackling of flames, and the desperate cries for help filled the entire southwestern corner of the town.
Survivors continued to pour out from the burning streets.
The scene was a complete mess.
The mayor of Heisha Town rode in on horseback, gasping for breath, his hair disheveled and clothes in disarray, clearly just having crawled out of bed.
Listening to the screams coming from the flames, the mayor's expression grew darker.
What on earth! How did such a large fire suddenly break out?
"Quick! Follow me to Lord Somolet's house to rescue people!"
The mayor hurriedly took off his outer coat and soaked it in a bucket of water before putting it back on, preparing to charge into the flames himself.
In the southwestern corner of the town stood a large mansion owned by the Somolet family.
The head of the family, Lord Somolet, had a great reputation in the town, always smiling and generous towards the poor, repairing roads and bridges. In the eyes of the townsfolk, he was a well-off and kind-hearted gentleman.
However, recently, the security around his residence had grown particularly tight, with anyone who approached being driven away by guards wielding gleaming swords, looking particularly intimidating.
The official explanation was that they had been robbed multiple times.
As the mayor, he knew that this gentleman had an unusual background, with close ties to the great nobles in the imperial capital. If something happened under his watch, then he himself… and even his family would certainly suffer the consequences.
A servant who followed the mayor desperately tugged at his sleeve, "My lord, please stay calm! The fire is too intense; rushing in will only lead to death."
"Don't stop me! Either come with me or get lost!"
Ignoring the warnings, the mayor pushed away his loyal servant.
"You, you, you, and you! Come with me!"
The mayor pointed at a group of people and rushed into the inferno to rescue others.
Although those he called were fearful of the flames, they did not dare offend the mayor and wet their clothes, forcing themselves into the blaze.
...
The southwestern corner of Heisha Town was almost entirely shrouded in fire and smoke, but from above, one could see a strangely untouched area at the center of the blaze.
That area was the courtyard of the Somolet family's mansion.
Now, however, the courtyard was a scene of carnage—numerous bodies lay scattered on the ground in various positions, including guards, servants, the elderly, and the young.
Bloodstains soaked the marble floor, the green grass, and the beautifully carpeted steps, blending with the nauseating stench of blood and the choking smoke wafting from the nearby fire.
Clearly, a horrific massacre had just taken place in the mansion.
In the center of the courtyard, near the fountain, a group of people with their eyes blindfolded and arms bound behind their backs knelt in a circle, awaiting their fate.
Surrounding them were a group of individuals in black robes with hoods concealing their faces, watching over them.
One of them looked up at the raging flames and angrily exclaimed, "That idiot Xien! Did he really have to create such a commotion? With a fire this large, it's not just eye-catching; how many innocent people will perish in it? Arsonist! Murderer!"
It was a woman, her voice beautiful yet filled with fury.
"Calm down, Carol. Xien must have his reasons," said a tall black-clad person next to her in a hoarse voice.
"Hmph! Carol, you didn't hold back during the fight either!"
A mocking voice came from a distance, as another figure in black appeared from the glow of the flames.
(End of the Chapter)
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