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The Ocerissa Kingdom ruled 1/3 of the land to the east and was one of the major powers in the continent. Its military might may altogether exceed 100 thousand with five famous divisions, leading 20 thousand soldiers each.

The capital of Ocerissa, Landow, was an enormous city with a population of 80 thousand humans, with the majority of its citizens being a soldier.

Tremendous heavily fortified stone walls encircled the entire city with tall and sturdy watchtowers constructed alongside the gates. On top of the watch towers, there was the kingdom’s flag; a magnificent Lion holds its head high, standing on top of a cliff which symbolized strong authority, determination, and fearlessness that was greatly admired by the national, flying gloriously to the tune of the wind.

There were three primary gates into Landow, heavily guard with armed sentry and thorough inspections were held routinely to prevent crime, wanted individual sneaking into Landow.

The capital was divided into four areas, the Royal district, Noble district, Commoner district, and the Market district.

In the North, there was the only academy and library solemnly for nobles and prestige individual to attend. The grandiose castle and its watch tower, the only skyscraper, where one could view the splendid city was where the King and his royal family lived, standing tall looking imposing upon entering from either side of the gates.

The castle has strong imperial guards and armed forces, devoted only to the royal family. To put it plainly, the king has held the strongest military power, and once provoked, nobody could escape the wrath of a king.

The commoners lived in the south. Houses and shop houses were incorporated as a part of the commoner’s district. The houses were mainly built of logs and lumber. The amazing thing was that despite the fact that the streets were narrow, it was spotless, well- maintained and well-paved.

Manor, mansion and shops, owned by wealthy merchants affordable only to noble were built in the east. Gates were constructed, separating the shops, granted access to the nobles or prestige merchants who lived in it.

Inns, taverns, food stores, differently distinguish stores and shops and even adventure guild were located in the market district. There were merchants selling a mixture of goods from a different part of the world and commoners were able to own their store.

With everything taken into account, Landow was the ideal city for individuals to live in. With a great caring King, treasuring its people, providing a sustainable environment for its people.

However, beyond the façade of immense walls lurked a big community of slum, hidden away from the eyes of mortal, deprived of rights as citizens of Ocerissa.

Exiled. The people living in the slum were banished, banned on entry into Landow. The living condition in the slum was horrendous. Straws were used to build the feeble houses. Streets were soiled, filthy, and feces, animal poops were everywhere producing a disgusting odor across the slum. Hygiene was awful and diseases were common.

There were laws in the slum made by an association, yet crimes were everyday life and death were high in number. If Landow was heaven, the slum beyond the walls was hell.

Close upon the slum, rows of mould covered tombstones stood erected in silence, overflowing the cemetery, giving not even an inch of freedom. Indeed, you lived in the slum and, you died in the slum, even the dead have not been blessed with mercy.

You might ask, how could they survive with such a terrible, dreadful living condition? But humans have their own ways of survival. When desperate, atrocious crimes could deem as a survival, and even kin’s were probably slaughtered for food. That’s the reality of the world.

The kingdom of Ocerissa was known for its immense discrimination, denying passages to different races aside for humans, which explained why humans overwhelmed the territories of Ocerissa.

Despite the discrimination, Landow in itself was an infamous destination among travelers and adventurers. There was trust in the merchants, giving appropriate prices towards the goods. There were guards patrolling periodically, and guard posts were meters away, thus owing to the tight securities, crimes were generally low in numbers.

The kingdom acknowledged citizens with their rights, given their rights as a native; the citizens were contending with their life, the nobles were docile, living happily and appreciative. Rebels and opposition were few in numbers.

However, to what extend the rights have? Nobody dares to question. How could they? Who dares to question the King, who blessed them with a safe living environment to live in?

Who dares antagonize the king? With strong military power and the strong backing of the Council of Sixth who was said to be the strongest of the guild, aiding the king, providing an alternative solution to a problem.

What’s more, those individuals must bear the fatal consequence and its citizens knew. Nobody desires to be outcasts, being a citizen-less in this savage world means death. Every citizen wants a place they called home.

The King does appear to be controlling the Council Of Sixth, and It was said that the Council of Sixth does all the dirty work, eliminating unnecessary threats behind the scene for the King.

Then again, The Council of Sixth was strong, and humans were known for its greed. Will the one with power, proven to be the strongest among all, be wagging their tails at the kingdom? Or will ‘they’ bite and come into power?

Who will truly in power, controlling the kingdom?

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In the south of Landow, Zeig and the caravan were done with inspection and were heading towards the Market district where the adventure guild lies. Zeig was in awed of the capital, it was way luxurious, orderly and cleaner than Crayon and he pondered why Crayon wasn’t absorbed into the Ocerissa Kingdom, instead stayed as an impoverished town.

They passed by a few narrow streets with a disgusted stare from the citizens. Was it because adventurers generally were looked down? Then Zeig realized. The people were starting at a specific individual, the only elf in the party. But the person herself seemed unaffected, so he brushed it aside.

He observed that the citizens were filled with bustling life; the simple smile and the loud laughter were everywhere like they were living a stress – free life.

They stopped in front of an impressive wooden two-storey building with a wooden sign; a sword across a shield symbol hanging outside the building.

“Well, this is where we parted. Take this, the completion slip.”

Kole handed over a plain piece of paper to Zeig and the other two parties, Twin Blade and Raven Cry before he and the mercenary, Hollow Light disappeared into the east of the city. The Twin Blade, Frost, and Bite, walked away silently upon receiving the plain slip of paper with bidding farewell.

Zeig was puzzled by the piece of paper. What does this piece of paper do? Did he miss out something? Questions assault him while he stared intensely at the plain piece of paper.

Silence filled the air as Raven Cry looked strangely at Zeig. Wolfe was the one who broke the awkward silence among them.

”Oii, Zeig, let’s get going.”

“Yeah, I am tired; let’s go already!”

“Alright, guys! Let’s take 3 days off, and enjoy ourselves in the capital!.”

“Really Oshan?!, Thalia! It’s shopping spree!”

“Y-yeah..”

“Alright, alright, let’s go already. Geez... “

Wolfe complained as he opened the double heavy door to the adventure guild.

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