I join a small group of four hunters, who are also going towards a hunter’s guild. It seems that there are multiple of them, just like there was in Roxburg.
The city is insanely busy in comparison with anything I have witnessed before. Almost like visiting New York or San Francisco, tons of people are everywhere, and I am more stalking than following, and I almost lose them a couple of time due to all the foot traffic.
The streets are also quite different. Usually there’s just a single plaza with the market and stores close by, but here, ever since I have entered the city, it has been one continuous streak of various commercial-looking buildings with storefronts. Only a few are fairly easy to recognize, as symbols of arms, clothes, shoes etc. are shown. I wonder what services are offered at the rest of them?
In addition, there is also a sidewalk. The main area of the road seems to be designated only for carts, as they are pulled through, though people often step out on it, in order to cross each other’s path.
The buildings are also quite a lot taller. Maybe up to ten floors are built in many places. I don’t know how you build like this with only stone and timber available.
As we arrive at the guild branch, they are delivering letters. Seems they kind of took two-jobs-in-one. How efficient of them.
When they are done with their business, I get my turn at the counter.
“Excuse me, I arrived here. Do you know how one meets with the hero?” I want to tell Ahorn about the bottom of the dungeon as soon as possible.
The old man behind the desk creases his eyebrows.
“No, excuse me, you want to casually meet with the hero?” I knew it, this is not going to be that simple. Like someone walked into a DMV and asked how to meet the vice-president. I would think such a person is an idiot, too.
“Ah, I know him from a little while back and I have important information for him. I want to tell it to him.”
“Ah, well, even if you speak truthfully that might be difficult. Maybe if you made a major public contribution?” He wonders.
“Can you give me an example?”
“Sure. A few weeks ago, some guy who created an orphanage, has shown result of turning useless children into a productive workforce over the last decade, and received an official congratulation from the hero in form of an official visit” He really is the vice-president.
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“Any methods that won’t take a decade to realize?”
“I mean, they always meet with the more important and wealthy people. The guild masters, the large merchant groups, the higher officials and so on. But mostly the common people he meets with are those who have made large contributions to society” This sucks. I quickly think of breaching into whatever is equivalent to the white house, but I also fear making myself public enemy number one. Before I reach a decision, my thoughts are interrupted.
“Oh, and the champions of course.”
“Champions?”
“You don’t know? In the large amphitheater, they hold competitions every few months. The winners of larger tournaments are usually symbolically hired by the leader or hero at the award ceremony!” What a nice chance, I can just waltz in there and get myself a championship, at least I should easily be able to do so, since my power is quite abnormal.
“Where is this amphitheater?”
“It was your first time in the capital, right? The four cardinal roads spread out through the city like a cross, and the amphitheater is impossible to miss from the central plaza.”
“And one can just go in and fight?”
“I don’t rightly now, I don’t work there. You better try asking somewhere over at the amphitheater itself”
“Right, thank you very much”
And so, I step out onto the same large street and follow it away from the entrance. As I get closer to the center, more and more people are using it for traffic. It is already evening and I find myself wondering what happens when it is rush hour, or if such a concept exists. People are everywhere.
As I reach the center, the road fuses with what only can be described as a large, central square. Booths as far as the eye can see are already empty or in the middle of packing up for the day. Carts being pulled in every direction in large numbers, and a few, massive buildings seem to surround it.
One of them has a large, metal fence, alongside several guards, both standing outside the gates and patrolling the perimeter. The perimeter is clearly marked and people avoid coming too close it seems. Behind the fence is what I can only describe as a massive palace. A multi-storied luxurious looking building, completely white in color, with large glass windows. It makes a horseshoe around a phenomenal park, with fountains, trees, bushes and flowers in a myriad of colors. I have never seen flowers in this world before, so I am quite surprised at their presence.
Another is clearly the temple, judging by the green stone. It seems to be only a single floor, but the ceiling is tall, and large spires adorn it, each capped with shining blue metal. Is that azurite? To use something that is usually a practical, expensive metal in such an aesthetic way seems wrong. A lot of people are moving in and out from there, I wonder if they perform some sort of service? I haven’t seen them busy outside festivals and birth ceremonies, so it should be rather a strange sight.
And finally, what I think I came for, is in yet another corner. It appears almost as a giant, solid stone circle, dozens of floors tall. It seems to be painted, depicting a giant mural of fighting, people kissing, a large monster looming over a small man and tons of other weird things, either depicting a gory scene or an emotional one.
I walk towards it.