Chapter 273: Chapter 246 – A Bridge between Two Halves of a City

"The Grand Arch of Zwostadt is perhaps one of the greatest triumphs of ancient architecture. The archway had been built before Paradise even came to be, with minimal help from mages, just a lot of ingenuity and some really good mortar recipe at play.

 

It had stood the test of time, somewhat weathered perhaps, but as strong as it ever was, likely even stronger, as rumor has it that the mortar they used becomes stronger and sturdier with constant exposure to the seawater and sea breeze.

 

I first saw it when I was much, much younger, when I first came to Alcidea. It was already a sight to behold even then, much less now." - Aideen deVreys, the Silver Maiden, circa 662 FP.

Another few days of leisurely travel after the incident, and the River Princess arrived at the vicinity of Zwostadt. The city was immediately visible from afar, courtesy to the massive stone archway that spanned the width of the river, tall enough that even the largest river ships could pass underneath its arc.

 

All along the shores of the river's mouth, docks and ports were built, though those on the inland side were mostly loading docks, for transferring goods and passengers, rather than for ships to stay for prolonged periods. The docks for that purpose were the ones out at sea.

 

The River Princess dropped anchor at one of the loading docks closer to the river's mouth in the evening, at a more opulent part of the city. There the ship offloaded its passengers and cargo, mostly loads of spices from Alfheim, which would be resold for export by sea by the local merchants.

 

Cal and her party also got off there, giving their thanks to the captain and the boat's crew as they went down the walkways. From the dock it was just a short walk into the more affluent regions of Zwostadt proper, and the group took their time as they looked at the sights.

 

The most prominent feature of the city was naturally the archway itself. Built of mortar and stone, the massive manmade structure spanned across the river's width. It served as a bridge between the two halves of the city, but notably, some buildings were also built along the sides of the arc.

 

Most of the buildings were taverns and inns, brothels and pubs, eateries and souvenir shops. All places that were on the more expensive end of the scale and targeting visitors to the city. It was admittedly a clever move, to set up shop on the most prominent feature of the city itself.

 

The city's guilds were also built along the sides of the arch, and they occupied the center section of the structure. Most prominent were the merchant's and sailor's guilds. Not unexpected given that Zwostadt was a coastal trade city. The adventurer's and hunter's guilds also had noticeable presences, fitting given the relatively high activity of wild animals and monsters in the region.

 

Other than the establishments, many street vendors also hawked their wares all along the middle of the road, indirectly splitting the archway into two lanes, each large enough for even large carriages to pass through unhindered even with foot traffic to the sides.

 

As usual, Cal and her group frequented many of those stalls as they happily sampled the local delicacies. As befit a coastal town, seafood was fresh and plentiful there, and formed the basis of the local diet.

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Gigantic oysters the size of a man's palm were freshly shucked, and either enjoyed raw with a drizzle of lemon juice or roasted in their shells with cheese and breadcrumbs for a hot, chewy treat.

 

Mussels were cooked with plenty of butter and garlic, then served in small buckets with a liberal dousing of the sauce poured on them, as well as a sprinkling of small bits of crunchy, dried, roasted seaweed.

 

Fish, both big and small, were cooked in various ways. One method in particular that intriqued Cal however, was how the fish was steamed whole in a tightly enclosed pot for a good while, then it was wrapped with a thick layer of thread-like dough and deep fried.

 

She bought one out of curiosity. The fish was conveniently mounted on a wooden skewer, and it looked as if it was wrapped in a cocoon of crispy fried threads. The smell was savory, with a strong aroma of spices, so Cal took a bite as she walked.

 

The outer coating just crunched under her bite, as it gave way to the tender, spice-infused flesh of the fish underneath. The flavor was quite strong, with the crisp, crunchy outer layer balancing the fish's extremely soft texture.

 

And soft it was. The way the fish had been cooked had even softened it bones that Cal ate them without even realizing it. At most, the bones added a bit more resistance to the soft fish along with a burst of flavor. It was an unusual experience to say the least, but a pleasant one.

 

So of course, when the group saw a vendor who appeared to be selling some local alcohol as well as what looked like the deep-fried spines of small fish with bits of meat attached, they gave it a try as well.

 

With a pleasant crunch, the fried bits of bone fell apart much like a cracker. It had been fried until it was so crisp it could be easily eaten, and the savory, fishy flavor it offered proved to be an excellent match with the local rice wine, weaker than the sort Cal was used to in the Empire, with a more fruity taste.

 

By the time the group reached the inn where they planned to stay, their bellies were quite full from snacking on all sorts of delicacies along the way. They walked into the inn - a rather high class one - and quickly booked half a dozen rooms for the party, all facing the sea.

 

The group then separated and went into their respective rooms. There they refreshed themselves - each of the rooms had a private bath - before they went to sleep on the soft, downy mattress.

 

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