"Line up! Don't push!" Shouted a man in black uniform from Graycastle as he shuttled through the crowd. "Look at your number plate and find the corresponding checkpoint after you disembark. Don't go the wrong way!"
Manfeld, who had not recovered from the shock, was pushed onto the deck by the crowd.
He saw a panoramic view of the busy port.
It was definitely the largest port he had ever seen. The long dock stretched along the coast, and he could not see the end of it. Different from his previous impression of the damp and decaying port, the ground here was paved with a layer of white bricks, which looked neat and clean. Ships of all sizes came and went. Even the busiest port in the Kingdom of Dawn could not compare with this.
This should have been a spectacular sight, as could be seen from the exclamations of the people around him. However, for Manfeld, it was just another unimportant thing in his confused mind.
Manfeld looked back at the direction where the ships came from every three steps, hoping to see the iron bird again. It was almost an instinctive reaction, as if he was looking for evidence and comfort to prove that he was not hallucinating.
Unfortunately, when he stepped onto the pier, the unimaginable thing did not appear again.
There was a faint sense of loss in his heart.
"Please take out your number plate and enter the checkpoint according to the first three digits!" Many people on the dock shouted with strange metal pipes in their hands. The pipes seemed to have the ability to amplify sound. Their words could be heard clearly even in the noisy crowd. "After that, follow the guide's instructions and complete the immigration check. Welcome to the King's City of Graycastle. Welcome to become one of us! "
Manfeld shook his head hard, trying to get rid of the distracting thoughts in his mind and focus on what he saw.
"What a strange welcome." Manfeld could not help but think that the people here all knew that they did not voluntarily move to Graycastle, and what Graycastle had done in the Kingdom of Wolfheart was quite forceful. However, Manfeld still felt a little relieved when he heard this.
The originally towering rock wall suddenly caved in, forming a natural checkpoint. The densely packed migrants formed a long line and slowly passed through the checkpoint. There were more than 10,000 people gathered at the pier, and it was obvious that the migrants were not only from the Kingdom of Wolfheart … To be able to mobilize so many people in such a short time and project the will of the ruler to the other three kingdoms, this was probably the best portrayal of the power of Graycastle.
Suddenly, the team stopped moving. Manfeld heard a commotion behind him.
Not only the outsiders, but even the men in black who were maintaining order were surprised.
He turned around and saw a huge ship without sails slowly entering the harbor. It had a slender body, and its entire body seemed to be made of metal. There were no visible wheels on either side, and the towering and straight trunk looked incomparably mighty. Such a ship would be the center of attention no matter where it was. However, it was obvious that what truly surprised the people of Graycastle wasn't the ship itself, but its condition …
"Are these people crazy? They actually used iron to build a ship!" someone whispered. "Don't they know that iron will rust in water?"
"Maybe the king of Graycastle just wants to show off his wealth … But this iron ship is really impressive. I didn't know that such a heavy thing could float on the water before I saw a stone ship."
"What's the point of showing off for half a month? I've been to the sea many times and seen all kinds of situations. Salt water is much more corrosive than you can imagine, and ordinary paint can't protect it for long. Look, this is what happens when you act recklessly. "
Indeed, there were black and brown rust spots all over the body of the steel ship. The surface, which should have been bright and clean, was full of bumps and hollows. The damage was very striking, and it formed a sharp contrast with the white pier. The mast above the ship's head was even broken into several pieces and scattered weakly on the front deck. Coupled with the sluggish movement when it approached the shore, it looked like a sea beast in its twilight years.
However, did His Majesty Roland Wimbledon build this ship just to show off?
Seeing that the guards in black quickly opened up a path for the sailors on the ship, Manfeld vaguely felt that things were not that simple.
The commotion soon subsided, and the queue resumed its flow.
When it was his turn, the inspector simply checked his name and number and let him pass.
When there were more than 30 people, a man came forward and said, "I'm Matt, a clerk in the Administrative Office of Neverwinter. I'm in charge of your accommodation for the time being. I believe you must have a lot of questions. Don't worry, I'll explain to you in detail on the way to the residential area. Now, please drink the purifying water on the table. It can cure the demonic plague on you. If not, it's also a cup of sweet drink. "
"Do we have to follow you?" Someone questioned. "We're now members of Graycastle, so we can go wherever we want, right?"
"Only after you get your identity cards will you be considered as His Majesty's subjects." Matt shook his head. "For an ordinary person, it'll take one to two years of hard work, and during this period, you must not violate the laws of Graycastle. However, you're all special talents with special skills. As long as you pass the self-examination, you'll immediately become an official resident of the city. However, the inspector doesn't always have time, and there are many applicants, so you'll have to wait for another two or three days. "
"Self-examination? Isn't it just an identity examination? "
"You'll know after you experience it yourself." Matt smiled. "Compared with your past, the examination focuses more on your present and future. I also passed the same examination to become a clerk in the Administrative Office. Now, after drinking the water, please follow me — "
Manfeld thought to himself, "This must be the" examination that will never lie "mentioned by the coachman."
Along the way, Matt did answer many questions that the migrants were most concerned about, such as what kind of jobs they would be able to do in the future, what kind of treatment they would receive, and so on. At least according to the policy announced by the King of Graycastle, there would be no difference in treatment between the migrants and the natives after they had obtained official identities.
Matt even used himself as an example and vividly described his journey from the initial panic to the gradual adaptation, which calmed everyone down a lot.
When they entered the temporary residential area in the suburbs, a shrill laughter suddenly caught everyone's attention.
Manfeld looked in the direction of the laughter and saw a group of men dressed like refugees surrounding a woman and approaching her. Many people around them noticed this, but none of them stepped forward to stop them. Some people were still incessantly jeering, and some even revealed an eager expression.
Damn it, why do I have to encounter such things everywhere I go?
He had thought that Neverwinter would be different.
Manfeld frowned. "Did anyone inform the black-clothed guards?"
According to Matt's introduction, the black-clothed guards, who were called policemen, had replaced the original patrol team. Manfeld did not know if they were reliable, but he did not have a better idea.
However, no one did anything. "I advise you to mind your own business, young man. We'll have to stay here for a few days before we move to the inner city."
"That's right. If we're hated by these scumbags, we'll be the ones to suffer."
"You —" Manfeld wanted to say something but stopped on second thought. Finally, he looked at Matt and said, "I'll go buy some time. Call the security officer here!"
To his surprise, Matt grabbed his hand and shook his head slightly.
Manfeld's heart was filled with disappointment.
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