"This is the Pratus," Lucillus says. "While Amorium is the green heart of our country, the Pratus is our little green oasis inside Amorium—something we call a ‘park.’ Humans probably don’t know those yet. I know you have big gardens, but parks are truly an Elven wonder.”

I stare at Lucillus in incredulity at this absurd notion that Elves actually invented parks. He probably misunderstands it for astonishment and simply goes on.

“We tamed the trees and re-arranged their composition to fit our needs. As a result, the Pratus’s greenery extends for a mile in length and a bit less than that in width. [Gardeners] grow rare trees in it, but everything is freely accessible to everyone. And all the markets take place around it daily. See those stalls? That's why the main road leads here. This is where you come to buy groceries and supplies. Of course, you can still find specialized stores around the city, but the most famous ones try to get a stall or a shop around the Pratus."

"Man," I look at the bustling market, with people haggling for prices over simple vegetables or artifacts. There are armor displays, wands, and even a bunch of glowing potions.

Magic trades hands in this place as easily as popcorn gets dished out at a cinema. But what’s truly wondrous is the double set of statues around the little river that circles the Pratus.

“Wow, those statues are beautiful...” I mutter. It’s none of the modernist poop with see nowadays. It’s more in the style of baroque and neoclassical sculptures, as if Bernini and Canova themselves had come here to Amorium and gifted them what looks like several hundred statues.

"Hey, boys," I say to the [Guards], feeling a bit guilty for my previous hostility, "this looks genuinely amazing. Thanks for the tour, really. I'll treat you to lunch if I get a job."

While Antoninus nods with a clear interest in the food, Lucillus scowls. "The Watch is close to the Pratus, Human. We have to pass by here. But since you like it this much, we'll take a walk through the Pratus itself."

As we get near the market, both Lucillus and Antoninus stand straighter, and their eyes go back and forth among the crowd. With this place being so crowded, there must be quite the thievery going around.

"Human—hum, Joey," Antoninus suddenly asks as people part in front of us after seeing the two armored men, "what's your class? You are not a [Mage]. But are you a [Baker]?"

"[Baker]? Nah, man. I'm a baker without the square brackets."

“A baker with a spellbook?” Lucillus stares hard at me. So hard that I start to think he wants to bare my soul naked or something. Or maybe he plays for the other team. Well, not your lucky day, Lucillus; I play for the skirt-chasing team. Unless… I try picturing Lucillus with a skirt, but I only get rewarded with shivers.

"So, Human, are you an Adventurer of some kind? With a [Warrior] class?" Lucillus doesn't relent.

“A what?” I have no idea what an adventurer is.

“An adventurer. Taking missions, teams, dungeon-diving, saving people, and so on.”

"Nope. Also, what is a class?"

As soon as I ask the question, both stop dead in their tracks and look at me weirdly.

"You don't have any classes?"

"No classes, my friend."

“No classes?” Lucillus narrows his eyes.

“No classes,” I smile with joy.

“You have no classes,” Lucillus reiterates to make sure.

“No classes at all!” the smile doesn’t leave my face for a second.

“He says he has no classes,” chimes in Antoninus, the illiterate brute.

“No classes at all!” I repeat again in our little theatrics.

They both sigh and shrug.

We resume walking toward the Pratus as the two comment on this apparent oddity.

"If you are in a weird cult, you will need to reveal that during the interview," Lucillus warns me.

Shoot. Do they think I'm some kind of a nut because they live in a world with 'classes,' whatever they are, and I don't have one? Yeah, that sounds about right. It's probably like running around half-naked in Times Square. Fewer people than you might think actually care, but they do treat you like a massive weirdo once you approach them.

In this case, I am the half-naked weirdo, and the guards are those trying to escape my company as quickly as possible.

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"Cult?" I ask.

“Yeah, one of those people that don’t believe in classes and stuff like that.”

Here we go. I’m already ‘one of those people that do something-something.’

Let me tell you, that’s the worst kind of person you can ever be to someone. Once you are ‘one of those people,’ society will relegate you to its darkest corners, with the rest of the misfits, degenerates, and New Jersey's general populace.

"I'm not in any cults; I can tell you that much," I smile. "I lived in a... particular situation, let's say. Just recently got around the whole class thing. I'll pick one up soon. [Baker], I suppose."

"So, not a [Mage]?" Lucillus points at my spellbook for the umpteenth time.

"Nah. I'd rather keep away from adventuring, magic, and all that stuff, really. I guess I'll just settle down, find a nice Elven girlfriend, and that's about it."

They both look at me when I mention the 'Elven girlfriend' part. I suppose they don't perceive interspecies relationships that positively. Well, I wouldn't want to be their sisters, then. Pals, Joey Luciani is in town. Hide your female relatives of age—if they are hot, obviously.

Anyway, we walk through the market that surrounds the Pratus on all sides and find ourselves in front of a small bridge. There's a small body of water flowing placidly around the park.

To be fair, I find this even more interesting than Central Park. This is like the Middle Ages— how is it not impressive that they have built and manned such a beautiful place, huh?

As we enter, I see something a bit... weird?

"Are all those people homeless?"

There's a bunch of people bundled together in a sort of campsite, burning wood to heat a few pots, and generally lying around the place, begging for money. They are mainly wearing rags... looking really disheveled.

"The homeless and vagrants are allowed to stay in the Pratus. It's the will and law of old--Prince Vespaniasus pleaded the case, and it has been illegal to chase off homeless people and vagrants for four hundred years now. If they assault other people, they will be trialed as anyone else would. Otherwise, Elven law is very lenient with them."

"Is Human law that bad for the homeless?" Antoninus frowned.

"Countries that still support slavery use them as indentured workers and, at worst, [Slaves]."

"Well, you guys did your job very well then," I say as my heart clenches at the sight of all these people without a house.

"There are even more outside the walls," Lucillus sighs. "Many are war veterans who couldn't find a job once back from service. While the Watch and the military don’t often see eye to eye, what happens to most of them at the end of the service is a shame. Pensions are only awarded when an active war is going on. Even though we lose people to minor conflicts and battles, they don't get any more money once they are out. And those who got crippled are even worse-off."

It seems to me that Lucillus is extremely critical of how whoever runs this country treats their veterans. And looking at the malnourished people that most of those walking around the Pratus avoid as if they had leprosy, I understand why.

As we pass them, I see an extremely tall homeless person sitting on the edge of the gravel roads that go through the park, with a simple wooden box to beg for money. Even though this particular person is homeless, he has long, white hair. It is matted by dirt, but something about how he sits and the sharp cheekbones right above the long beard make him stand out.

As we pass by him, I stop for a second, too curious for my own sake.

"Hello, there," I say, ignoring the sighs from the two [Guards].

"Good morning, Human," the old man replies in a deep voice.

"May I know your name?" I ask with a smile on my face.

Then, I hear a deep growl from the side, and I turn to see one of the biggest mothertrucking wolves I have ever seen in my entire life.

"JESUS," I jump back.

"Grigio, don't scare the Human," I shiver, while the humongous canine walks to the old man’s side and earns a few pats. The wolf then looks at me and gives me a hyena’s laughter.

"Yo, how is that thing not on a leash?" I say, incredulous. I'm tall, but that thing must reach almost above my waist. It's bigger than the biggest dog you can picture.

"Grigio is a kind animal," the old man says while stroking his beard. "He wouldn't hurt a leaf."

A leaf? That thing could probably wrestle a hundred pitbulls at once. Forget the leaf; it could probably go through a kindergarten in less than thirty seconds.

"By the way, Human, my given name has long been left behind. But you can call me Stan," he has a softness in his eyes when he looks at me that I haven't really found in any other Elf so far.

"I'm Joey, Stan," I extend a hand to him but immediately retract it when the huge wolf moves to sniff it. "Yo, bad dog. I need this hand."

"Joey," he smiles, "never heard that name."

"Yeah... listen, I'll come back later. Need to take care of a few things before. But... yeah. Nothing, hum," I am at a loss for words, "it's a pleasure, Stan."

"Likewise," the man smiles at me as I turn and follow Lucillus and Antoninus into the Watch building.

"What was that?" Lucillus asks.

"Heh, talking to homeless people is good. So many act like homeless people don't exist that having a few words with them can make their day a bit less miserable. I wanted to discuss a few things, but I realize I should take care of myself first. I need a job if I don't want to sleep on the streets too."

...

"Are you a good baker?" Antoninus asks as we are about to exit Pratus's park.

"Yeah. I like to think so. The best in my town, at least."

"Mh, well, Lucillus, why don't you bring him to Clodia, for real? He seems alright. And that's the building," Antoninus points at a building as we cross the bridge to re-enter the market from the opposite side we came from.

It's a big building, two stories, painted mostly pink. But, now that I notice, everything is made of different types of marble and granite in this specific district. And when I say marble, I mean super pretty marble. There are many colored ones, and a few of them look painted over. It’s all very colorful for a supposedly medieval city.

"That looks pretty," I say as we pass in front of the place Antoninus pointed at. "Is that a bakery? With no tables outside?"

"Clodia's Happy Bakery does batch stuff and custom orders. No dining. You might want to check the Three Roses for that," Antoninus points to a bakery not far from this one with a bunch of sculpted roses in front of it, and bustling with activity.

"Huh," I look at the two and shrug. "Whatever is fine. Lucillus, would you introduce me to... was this Clodia related to you?"

"My cousin," Lucillus says while elbowing Antoninus, "and she hates men, Human. Trust me, you don't want to work for her."

"I mean, any work is good work. I'm used to hard people. Wait, though. What do you mean she doesn't like men? As in Human men or men of any species."

"The second," Lucillus sighs.