"This small town called Utopia is not fundamentally different from the ones I have visited before. Whether it is folk customs, ethnicity, or architectural style, it belongs to the Loen in a standard way."
"I've heard that the Southern Continent has many unique and unusual customs, and I hope to experience them firsthand someday, of course, after peace is restored between West Balam."
"Back to Utopia, the most unique thing about it is the changeable climate, with frequent storms, so much so that most people have umbrellas and raincoats coated with the sap of the Doningsman Tree. The hotel staff told me that as long as you have a certain income and have to go out to work, you must save money to buy a raincoat, otherwise disease will take away more lives."
"There are no meteorologists here, so I have no way of knowing the reason for this changeable climate. I can only guess that it is related to its proximity to the sea and its location in the hurricane belt. Yes, there is a deep-water port a few kilometers away from Utopia, but they are understaffed and cannot operate it well, so they can only maintain a very small scale."
They didn't have a local newspaper either; after all, it was just a small city of a few thousand people. Newspaper boys mainly sold...
"The second reason I like this place is that many people in Utopia are cheerful, optimistic, and full of enthusiasm for life."
"As I write this, a band happens to be passing by outside the hotel."
"This is not a professional band, but a group of pure amateur enthusiasts. Among them are government employees, Judge, Lawyer, professional police officers, school teachers, candy factory workers, shop owners... Those who have money and time are responsible for more difficult instruments such as tuba and violin, while the middle and lower class citizens use simpler items such as harpsichord and harmonica."
On certain days off, they would Upper Street, starting from the city square, circling the city, and returning to the Saint Arianna Church near the square; they called this a 'musical procession'.
"During the parade, they not only did not exclude citizens from joining, but also encouraged them to sing or dance with the procession. From my observation, the participants were quite happy and satisfied, fully expressing their love for life, which made me feel a vibrant and energetic attitude."
"I have to admit, it's incredibly infectious. I've tried joining the parades; the music, dancing, and singing made me forget my troubles, and I only remembered the joy..."
"They are not on a procession today, but are going to church to bless a newlywed couple."
"Speaking of weddings, the thing I find most incomprehensible about Utopia is that it only has a church dedicated to the ' Evernight Goddess '. You know, in most parts of the kingdom, even in a small town, there are at least two churches, one dedicated to the ' Evernight Goddess ' and the other to the ' Lord of Storms '."
"Before today, I could never have imagined that an ordinary town in the kingdom would worship only one god."
"However, this doesn't bother me too much. Before I turned eighteen, due to my family's influence, I could only believe in the ' Lord of Storms,' but after graduating from grammar school, I truly understood that the goddess is the most benevolent and merciful one."
"Back to the wedding itself, I attended a wedding a couple of days ago and discovered that Utopia has some unique customs in this regard."
"What I admire most is that when the pastor announces the marriage, the bride and groom bow to each other. There is no question of who is higher or lower; they simply express their heartfelt gratitude for spending their lives together."
"Perhaps this is one manifestation of gender equality in the doctrines of goddesses..."
"In addition, there will be some special games during the post-wedding celebration, such as having the bride and groom tell their love story."
"It might be quite embarrassing for them, but quite funny for the guests. Yes, I think so too, but I certainly wouldn't add something like that to my own wedding."
"At that wedding, I heard the best love story I've ever heard in my life. If I have the chance, and if readers of this column like it, I'll consider retelling it. Of course, I'll change the names and some details so as not to bother the couple..."
"The most important reason I love Utopia is that the food is delicious, the limited number of restaurants are all of a very high standard, and the best one is undoubtedly the restaurant attached to the ' Iris ' hotel where I stayed."
"Whether it's the most basic pan-fried steak, fried pork chop, charcoal-grilled meat, pan-fried fish and meat, or more complex or challenging dishes like lamb stew with peas, cream soup, buttered mashed potatoes, and roasted potato skins, everything is absolutely at the level of a city chef. In addition, the chefs here are quite adept at creating unique dishes and foods, such as sweet and sour meat chunks and grilled fish that has been repeatedly coated with various seasonings..."
"Even when it seems there's no room for variation in staple foods, the chefs in Utopia haven't given up. I ate all sorts of toast in this city: taro, mashed potatoes, butter, whipped cream, stuffed with fruit... If you wanted, you wouldn't eat the same variety twice in a week."
"And of all the food here, the desserts are the most praiseworthy:"
Cream pudding, fruit pudding, Black Forest cake, carrot cake, milk cake, muffins, egg tarts...
"As I write this, I feel hungry again. This is why I've been here for a week and don't want to leave. My biggest worry right now isn't my wallet, but my weight. I'm both glad the hotel doesn't have a scale and annoyed that they don't."
" Utopia's red wines are also quite excellent, the only problem is that they all lack the aging process, and it seems that the estates around this town don't yet have this awareness."
"Here, I'd like to highly recommend a beverage, Utopia Sparkling Iced Tea. It's very special, offering a more wonderful experience beyond just sweetness and bubbles..."
"Every evening, I go for a walk in the town square, which is also the favorite leisure spot for the citizens of Utopia. They have an extraordinary fondness for those white pigeons."
"I met a painter in the city square. His name was Anderson. He was handsome and had superb painting skills, but unfortunately, he was mute..."
"I also met another Author named Alersu, a rather strange name. He said he was writing a novel and asked me to critique the beginning."
I won't comment on his novel; I just find it odd that several familiar names appear at the beginning of the novel.
"This includes Anderson, Wendy, and, well, the owner of my favorite bakery..."
"When I raised this question, Alersu told me very seriously that it is perfectly reasonable for a Author to use people he knows as references when he can't think of a character's name."
I completely agree.
"Due to space limitations, this concludes our sharing session. Love, Charlotte."
Monica put down her pen and carefully read the manuscript twice, correcting the Error in words and grammar.
She was a Author, not very famous, who could only make a living by writing third-rate romance novels. After she converted to the " Evernight Goddess," her father almost cut off all contact with her.
But ever since Miss Fors Wall started her travel column and it became quite popular after the war, Monica also began writing travelogues for some Backlund newspapers. This perfectly suited her interests, and those interests gave her articles a unique vitality, helping her become a well-known travel writer.
Charlotte was her pen name.
Once the handwriting was completely dry, Monica made a copy, put it in an envelope, and affixed a stamp.
After confirming the address was correct, the woman with wavy black hair, reminiscent of Desi Bay, picked up her handbag, left the hotel, and headed to the Utopia Post Office.
The post office was next to the telegraph office, and Monica always felt it was a waste whenever she passed by the latter.
In her view, there was very little need to send telegrams in Utopia, and setting up a dedicated telegraph office was too extravagant.
After sending the letter, Monica glanced at the sky and strolled toward the city square.
When she arrived at the entrance of the Saint Arianna Church, she encountered Byers.
This is a police officer who once questioned Monica at the " Iris " hotel about witness issues in the Trissy murder case.
Unfortunately, Monica did not know the man named Wendel.
After nodding and exchanging greetings, Monica entered the church, found a seat, and quietly listened to the sermon given by the pastor named Townsend.
This was the most clergy-like pastor she had met after converting to the " Evernight Goddess." He had half-gray hair, spoke slowly, had a peaceful demeanor, and a deep voice that always calmed people down without them even realizing it.
Monica then closed her eyes and listened attentively to the sermon.
In East Chester County, within a forest belonging to the Hall Family.
Alfred, Hibbert, and Audrey, each leading their own foxhounds and accompanied by varying numbers of servants, circled the edge of the forest, chasing their prey.
This was the first time the three siblings had gone hunting together since they came of age.
In front of their sister, Alfred and Hibbert seemed to be having a lot of fun, at least on the surface.
For Alfred, the biggest problem was how to control himself and not show any signs of being too different from others; otherwise, if a " Punisher Knight " participated in the hunt, others would have no chance at all.
He knew his sister was Beyonder, but he also knew that Sequence 7 from the " Spectator " pathway wouldn't have any real combat ability.
During the chase, they burst out of the forest and saw a wheat field.
"Where is this?" Audrey, dressed in hunting attire, asked casually.
This was her first time hunting in this forest, and she had no idea where the surrounding areas led.
Hibbert was also unfamiliar with the subject, and turned to his attendant, saying:
"Ask someone."
While waiting, the three siblings laughed and discussed their haul, while the golden retriever Susie glanced at the foxhounds that wanted to approach her and made them keep their distance.
After a while, Hibbert's attendant returned and reported:
"My lord, there's a village nearby called Hedrak..."
Hedrak... that village with Dragon worship? I came here from another direction? Audrey paused, taken aback.
P. S.: Only three days left, please vote with monthly tickets!