BXBX NOVEL Chapter 67 - Burfuna City
"What\'s the fare?" Re\'Kha inquired before taking a seat.
"Only 1 RuQi, ma\'am." The cycle rickshaw driver began pedalling the moment Re\'Kha gave a nod of approval. He proceeded through the wide path, occupying the middle of the road since it was almost empty now.
The cycle rickshaw sported a wide body frame, its rear end shaped into an egg that had been cut into half. It created a dome in the centre in which two people could sit comfortably. The rear end of the dome was open, allowing the air to pass through and not make it difficult for the driver to pedal.
The cycle rickshaws plying over the road were of all types, with some of them made into carriages to house four people within. Such carriages were driven by two drivers that acted as a team. Depending on the amount one spent, the type of carriage they could hire also varied.
The one Re\'Kha chose was the most common of them all, also costing the least. For the time she spent hiding in this city, Re\'Kha didn\'t possess any source of income. Even though she currently carried a fortune with her, she didn\'t wish to splurge them on something unnecessary.
After all, if she had money, she wanted to spend them on stuff that would benefit her equally. Simply spending for luxury on a rickshaw ride that spanned a short duration was a wastage of money and something she avoided.
The rain started to thin as Re\'Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, gazing at the various carriages and the people travelling within. Some were couples travelling to a restaurant to have a pleasant meal; there was a group of friends snickering as they joked about simple matters, looking like they were heading to an establishment meant for fun.
There were also lone passengers like her travelling to various destinations. As the city was massive, cycle rickshaws were the prime means of transport, so there were stands for them in all parts of the city.
The roads were also wide to allow large traffic flow. The road she was travelling on was one of the main roads in the city, so it was the widest. It was wide enough to allow twenty cycle rickshaws—like the one she travelled in—to move side by side without any hindrance.
Depending on their purpose and importance, the width of the road decreased in the city. While observing the city, Re\'Kha turned to look at the driver, a lean man in his fifties judging by his stature and voice, "How\'s the condition of the inn?"
"It\'s where the travellers frequent to every day. It\'s one of the cheapest inns in this area. The rooms are poorly maintained due to the traffic of people who use their services, but there are fewer customers in this season, so it should be fairly well maintained." The moment he started to speak, the driver spoke nonstop. "Do you want me to drive towards a better inn? Do you have any preferences, ma\'am?"
"Hmm," Re\'Kha frowned, "It shouldn\'t be too large of an establishment and the rooms should be wide with a bit of luxury. Attached bathrooms, room delivery of food, a balcony to get a good view of the street, and should be located within walkable distance to the market."
The driver thought, stopping the cycle rickshaw as he got down and inquired with a fellow driver before returning, slightly drenched, "Ma\'am, there is one just like you want. It is located a bit far away and would cost you 3 RuQi. Is that fine with you, ma\'am?"
"That\'s fine," Re\'Kha nodded, watching the driver heave a sigh of relief and start pedalling once again. The roof covering the driver was different from the one covering Re\'Kha. The one on the rear was dome-shaped and was wide, allowing the person to relax even during a time of rain without a single drop falling on them.
As for the roof on the front, it wasn\'t like that. It was just a sheet that stretched more towards the back, its focus to prevent the rain from splashing onto the passengers in the chance they moved against the wind.
In such cases, the driver was mostly drenched. But that was their job, and if they focused on covering their side more, then it would hinder their driving. So, they had no choice in the matter.
Among their group, the status of the driver was based on his carriage. A better carriage attracted better customers and earned them more money for similar distances. Moreover, the people who hired such luxury carriages were those with a lot of money and status, so they always preferred to move slow.
Therefore, the drivers driving such carriages were less affected by the rains. Even they weren\'t fully prevented from getting drenched though, in cases of winds. After all, most of the luxury was only meant for the passengers, and not the drivers.
The road was fully paved by rock; it was as if they had sculpted the road on a large piece of rock and placed it there, for each block was large and was tightly packed to ensure smooth, undisturbed travel.
There were a lot of horses in the city, but to prevent them from dirtying the roads, the horses were only used to travel beyond the city. After all, horses couldn\'t be controlled beyond a certain point, and if they dirtied the roads, it would cause the noblemen moving past to frown and complain, which would directly impact the reputation of the city lord.
Hence, the only transport within the city was the cycle rickshaw. After taking a break at regular intervals, Re\'Kha activated her Wind Qi perception, gazing around at the buildings that were structured similarly to her city, Burkurel City.
Development wise, both the cities were similar. But in terms of population, Burfuna city sported slightly greater population. Other than that, they didn\'t possess many differences. After all, there only existed three cities in their state: Burkurel City, Burfuna City, and Burmat City.