The yacht stopped at the pier, and I looked at the grand site of Oksall. I have been looking at it for minutes and still staring at it in wonder.

The vale river flows through the center of the city; the city had been built around it and it is huge. Bigger than even Namdar and bright like a starry sky.

There are huge walls and even taller mage towers that seemed to be touching the skies.

One could feel the wealth and might of the city in the air itself.

It is the capital of the powerful city-state, its economic and political center. It is where the ruling council resides.

Oksall was so powerful that if it wished, it could capture the whole Renwell region rather easily.

The thing is it is not even the most powerful of merchant city-states. There are some very powerful and one so much that even the emperor had not said a single bad word about it.

It is said to be a real master of Merchant Cities of Western Zenid.

“The merchants may be detestable, but they know how to build,” said Count Darrow from behind.

Leila and I shared the look but didn’t say anything.

A minute later, the ramp was in place, and we walked out of the yacht with the lead of Count Darrow.

I could see an entourage of a hundred men and women waiting below. There are people of multiple races there, orcs, humans, and elves with a half-elf man as the lead.

I instantly recognized the green-haired half-elf and a couple of people around him. All of them are pretty important.

“Welcome to the great city of Oksall, Count Darrow Wilstein of House Ravenheart,” said the green hair half-elf who looked to be in his late thirties.

“Thank you, Deputy Governor Caryn,” the Count replied with a smile.

The half-elf is a Deputy Governor of the Oksall. There are only three of them. So, by sending him, it could be said, they are showing sufficient respect.

If Count Darrow’s brother had come, it would have the Governor welcoming him and the Prince would have warranted a ruling council member to welcome him.

They made small talk before going to the carriage. With them, only their guards with them.

We sat in different carriages, with me sitting with Robin, Baron Harrods, and my sister.

“This is one nice carriage,” said Baron Harrods, as the carriage begin to move. “It is. It feels as good as my father's favorite carriage,” she said, and I nodded, but my focus is on the city.

The port is huge and well organized. Everything seemed to be running like a well-oiled machine.

“The city is grand. No wonder Navr’s horde failed to breach it,” said Baron Harrods, looking around in wonder.

Oksall region shares a boundary with Navr. So, when Navr, sent its horde, it is Oksall responsibility to defend against them.

“The city is extremely defensive, most importantly. It had multiple S-Class powerhouses, including a Grand Mage, and a well-equipped army, along with a large mercenary force.”

“With all those things, even hordes of Navr get stopped in their tracks,” said Leila.

Navr is powerful without a doubt, but the merchant cities are not weakling. They have been fighting Navr since its inception and know how to deal with it when it releases its horde.

Though, in their battles, Navr also gets what it wants. The powerful bodies, it is for what they release their hordes.

Ten minutes later, we reached the third wall and our carriage passed through it.

Oksall is a huge city, which is separated into five walls. Each one of these walls is thicker and bigger than the city walls and offers far greater defense.

The port is on the fourth wall, and we are going to the first wall. It is a political center and the smallest of all the walls, but still bigger than our city.

Over a million people live on the first wall alone, and the whole city had a population of over twenty million. The whole Renwell Region didn’t have a population, even a quarter of that.

This population will immediately make it one of the most crowded cities in the world. If it were Earth.

Despite that, the city is not crowded. It is huge enough to accommodate the population easily.

It is past ten, but the city is still active, with people everywhere in the bright lights.

People of every race could be seen on the streets, of orcs, elves, even dwarves and half-giants. The diversity of races here is even greater than of the Owlspring.

Though, around 75% are orcs and humans in about the same numbers. Which is why eight of twelve council seats are controlled by them.

The last four were controlled by a dwarf, an elf, a half-orc, and a half-giant.

Soon, our carriage took the enchanted road, or lightway, as they call it.

There is a direct route to travel between the walls, and it is magical. I am staring at it, with my eyes wide in wonder.

We are moving fast, not only because of the great skill of our driver and this carriage but also because of enchantments cast on the road itself, which makes travel faster.

“The merchant cities are really rich to make the enchanted road. Spending such money is simply wasteful,” said Robin, and Baron Harrods nodded.

“It is not wasteful, but time-saving, which in turn saves money,” I replied.

“How can one save the money by burning it?” asked Baron Harrods.

“Efficiency Baron Harrods. The faster people reach their destination, the more trade they will do. Most important, it eased the movement, and people like it, and they will come here again, increasing the business of the city,”

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“The adage of saying ‘you need to be spent money to earn money' is very true in this case,” I said.

He seemed to understand some meaning of my words as he nodded while I turn to the road of flashing runes.

The lightway is an insanely expensive thing, with the number of carriages moved on it. It needed to be serviced regularly. Every week, the road was closed for six hours for the servicing.

A large group of enchanters serviced the runes, and it is expensive. I am sure it is in millions and that is the imperials I am talking about, not the crowns.

Soon, we reached the first wall. The political center of the whole Oksall city stage.

It is magnificent.

It had immediately attracted the eyes of everyone off of us, and why wouldn’t it? Every building here was grand and majestic and will pull our eyes toward it.

I read about it and even saw the paintings, but they didn’t do justice to what I am seeing.

Everything here was so great; they could easily match Jalrux.

“These merchants really have too much money,” said Baron Harrods and signed.

Ten minutes later, we entered the residential area, filled with huge mansions. Every one of them looked like a work of making and made in all styles of the world.

I was staring at them when our carriages suddenly stopped before turning to the mansion.

It is as big as Count Darrow’s, with an enchanted fountain that forms and a beautiful mermaid of water in the air. It looked amazing, but quite an expensive thing.

I wanted to have such a fountain in my establishment, but I can’t afford it.

The carriages stopped, and we got out; Count had already done and talked with Deputy Governor Caryn. He talked for a minute before leaving with his men.

“We will have a short meeting in half an hour,” he declared and walked inside with the human butler.

We followed inside, with the staff taking us to our suits.

While we walked inside, I looked at the mansion. It is beautiful, but I don’t think the Count would like it very much. It has a minimalistic interior, which the Count didn’t like it.

He liked his place, filled with things. Especially the art pieces, mostly paintings, and statues.

“This will be your suite, adviser,” said the blue-haired elvish woman as we entered inside, and two behind her took my bags to the bedroom and came out a minute later.

“Thank you,” I said to the three of them. Which had surprised them a little. “It is our pleasure, adviser,” said the elvish woman and left with two.

The suit is great, with cream-colored walls and yellow lights. There is a painting of orc riding a lion-like monster and it looked quite good. When I focused on it, I felt like I was watching the orc ride the lion-like monster.

I went bedroom and saw having the same design as the living.

I only looked for a few seconds before walking to the bathroom and taking a shower. I took out a new suit from the closet, wore it, and checked myself in a mirror before walking out of the room.

“Adviser, let me lead you to the office,” said Kilmer, one of the trusted guards of Count Darrow, who was waiting outside my room.

“Lead the way,” I said and walked with him, while my guards followed behind me.

I was wondering where the meeting would be held. If it had been home, then it would have been Count Darrow’s office, but it couldn’t be said, since it is the first time I have to foreign trips with Count.

He had said there will be a meeting before even stepping into the mansion.

Click!

Kilmer opened the door, and I walked into the office. Robin was already there.

“Do you know what this meeting is about?” I asked him. “Unfortunately, no. Lord Count didn’t say anything about it,” he said, shaking his head.

I sighed and took my place. Everybody should arrive soon.

I had just thought that when the door clicked open, Baron Harrods walked in, and the minute after that, my sister.

A few minutes passed and there was no sign of the Count; it took another ten minutes before the door opened again and Count walked inside with Commander Atticus and Mage at his sides.

“My Lord,” we greeted. He nodded and sat down in his seat.

“There has been a little change of plans,” he announced, and we waited.

“I am going to meet with the Oksall Council tomorrow and the afternoon meeting, that we were supposed to have Councilman Grimgore had been shifted to evening,” he informed, sounding almost giddy.

The meeting with the council hadn’t been our itinerary.

The Count had tried to arrange that. The whole council was much better than a single council member, but he had not happened.

Now, it seemed like something had changed and they were willing to meet with him.

“Will you be going alone for a council meeting, my lord?” I asked him. “Yes, but you all will join me in the meeting with councilman Grimgore,” he replied.

“Is there anything we will need to prepare?” asked Robin.

“No, not at this moment, but I will tell you, if something changes, after my meeting with the council,” he replied.

A few minutes later, I walked out of the meeting room with my sister and Baron Harrods.

“It seemed like something has changed,” she commented. I couldn’t help but nod at that. A council wouldn’t have met the Count, if it hadn’t.

“I am sensing an opportunity,” I said after a few seconds of silence. “Me too,” Leila replied, while Baron Harrods just looked at us.

Call it an intuition of a merchant, but I think, tomorrow, I am going to receive big news.

I just hope it is not big enough to be the death of me.