Matthew did not look back.
His footsteps remained steady, as if he had heard nothing. He simply followed the flow of people, walking deeper into the Commercial District step by step.
Aidan followed beside him, but he was clearly still a bit unsettled. The words of those mercenaries kept spinning in his mind.
After holding it in for a long time, he finally lowered his voice and asked, “Brother Matthew, is what they said... real?”
Matthew did not answer immediately. After a moment of silence, he slowly spoke. “Some of it is true, and some is false.”
Aidan was startled. “What do you mean?”
Matthew looked ahead, his voice calm. “Out of ten rumors in a tavern, about three are true, three are things heard from others, and the remaining four become more and more ridiculous as they are passed along. But one thing will not change: if many people are discussing the same thing, it means that thing definitely exists.”
Aidan nodded thoughtfully.
Matthew continued, “As for the specific truth or falsehood, no one knows right now. However...” He paused. “The Royal Capital Patrol Squad has indeed increased its night patrols. We saw that when we entered the city yesterday. This shows that some things have indeed happened in the city recently.”
Aidan recalled carefully and finally realized. Yesterday evening, after they entered the royal capital, the number of patrol knights on the streets was countless times more than in the county seat. They met a patrol squad almost every short distance. At that time, he only thought that the royal capital was indeed the royal capital. Thinking about it now, it probably wasn't just because of strict security. There was another reason.
Thinking of this, Aidan couldn't help but swallow. “Brother Matthew, then at night... we'd better not go out.”
Matthew smiled. “I didn't plan on going out anyway. When your strength is insufficient, it's best to have less curiosity.”
Aidan nodded heavily, memorizing this sentence firmly.
...
They continued forward. The crowd ahead suddenly thinned. The shops on both sides of the street also gradually changed from selling daily necessities to various Class holder supplies.
The smell in the air also changed. The hammer strikes from the blacksmith shops, the scent of herbs from the apothecary shops, the hide smell from the leather shops—various scents intertwined, letting anyone know instantly that this was a region truly belonging to Class holders.
On both sides of the road, many Class holders were picking equipment. Some were testing swords, some testing shields, and others were drawing bows directly at the entrance. An arrow hit the center of a wooden target dozens of meters away, drawing a round of applause.
Aidan's eyes lit up. “Amazing... how long does it take to practice that shot?”
An owner nearby heard him and smiled. “Young man, without a dozen years, you can't reach this level. But archery is something that relies heavily on talent. Some people can match ten years of others' work in one year, while others practice their whole lives and remain ordinary.”
Matthew couldn't help but glance at that archer. Talent. Again, talent. Ever since he got the Blood-Veined Rapier, he had become exceptionally sensitive to these two words.
The owner continued to smile. “But then again, people with real talent wouldn't stay here forever. They would have been recruited by the major knight orders, nobles, or chambers of commerce long ago. Most of those left are freelance Class holders.”
Matthew nodded and did not reply. He had already understood this yesterday. No matter which world, truly outstanding talents would never lack forces competing for them. Freelance Class holders might be free, but it also meant limited resources. Often, joining a certain force allowed faster growth.
...
Just then, at the end of the street, a rapid sound of hooves suddenly rang out.
Clack-clack-clack—
Clack-clack-clack—
The sound drew closer, and pedestrians on the street actively made way.
Soon, a cavalry squad of over ten people galloped from afar. They wore uniform dark red armor with a roaring lion carved on their chests, their capes rustling in the wind. Everyone's expression was very serious, and the longswords at their waists had no decorations, yet faintly exuded a murderous aura.
Aidan's eyes lit up. “The Fiery Lion Knight Order!”
Matthew also stopped, his gaze falling on that squad. These knights were clearly different from the ordinary patrol squad. Their movements were uniform. Even galloping at high speed on warhorses, their formation was not messy at all.
More importantly, Matthew keenly perceived that everyone in this squad had a strong aura. At the lowest, they were probably high Black Iron Rank. The middle-aged knight leading them gave him immense pressure. Although he didn't release any aura, just looking at him from afar made one feel a stability that came from long-term slaughter. This was definitely not an aura an ordinary Bronze Rank could possess. It was at least Silver Rank, or even... higher.
The cavalry squad did not stay. They quickly crossed the street and galloped toward the West District.
Only after they left did whispers gradually rise on the street. Someone whispered, “That's the third squad today.”
Another frowned. “Why is the knight order so busy lately?”
“Who knows. Anyway, just don't run around at night lately. I heard patrols have been tightened in many places.”
Matthew listened to these snippets of conversation, his expression unchanged. But in his heart, he silently connected all of this.
Theater District. Patrol Squad. Fiery Lion Knight Order. Increased night patrols. Missing people. These things seemed unrelated, but he felt they were slowly pointing to the same place.
Matthew slowly withdrew his gaze and did not think further. At least for now, these things had nothing to do with him. To be precise, before having strength, it was best to have nothing to do with them.
He knew his position well—a newly advanced Second-Grade Apprentice who had just entered the royal capital. His Spirit wasn't strong, and his spells only consisted of a single Energy Missile. If he really met those monsters the weapon shop owner mentioned last night, he might not even have time to run.
So, knowing a little and remembering a little was enough. Leave the rest to time.
...
Continuing forward, the Commercial District gradually came to an end. A more open area appeared before them.
A plaza of several hundred square meters entered their view. The ground was paved with neat grayish-white stone bricks, and tall stone pillars stood around, carved with reliefs of kingdom knights, magical beasts, and wars.
In the center of the plaza stood a tall knight statue. The knight held a sword in one hand, while the other was raised high, looking into the distance. Even though it was just a statue, one could still see that indomitable aura.
On the base of the statue, a few lines of ancient script were carved. Matthew glanced at it and recognized part of it.
【Kingdom's Shield】
【Fiery Lion】
Many people nearby would stop for a moment. Some bowed their heads, some took off their hats, and a few children chased and played around the statue.
Aidan said softly, “I heard this was a commander of the Fiery Lion Knight Order many years ago. It seems he was a hero.”
Matthew nodded and did not ask further. He didn't know much about the kingdom's history and would slowly catch up when he had time.
...
Compared to the Commercial District, there were even more Class holders here. Looking around, out of ten people, three or four carried weapons.
Some carried giant axes, some held spears, and some had two short blades hanging from their waists. Many wore various badges on their chests.
Mercenary groups, chambers of commerce, guard squads, knight academies, and even some private forces—the badges were of all kinds and dazzling.
At the edge of the plaza, a large number of mercenaries gathered. Some sat on the ground, some were organizing equipment, and some gathered to discuss missions.
Even more stood before a huge mission announcement wall. The dense crowd surrounded the wall so tightly that not even water could seep through.
Aidan stood on his tiptoes. “What is that?”
A passerby nearby smiled. “Mission announcements. Mercenaries, guilds, and chambers of commerce all post commissions there. Go there to find work and make money.”
Aidan instantly became interested. “Brother Matthew, shall we go take a look?”
Matthew nodded slightly. “Let's go take a look.”
It was just a look, anyway. There was no harm in understanding the market prices in the royal capital.
...
The closer they got to the announcement wall, the noisier it became. Various voices mixed together.
“Escorting a merchant caravan to the East Realm, two hundred gold coins.”
“Exploring ruins, three Bronze Rank Class holders needed!”
“Hunting a Rock-Armored Bear, high price for bear gall!”
“Long-term recruitment for guards!”
“Looking for a collection team for alchemical materials!”
Shouts rose one after another. Someone had just torn down a commission, and the next moment, a dozen people surrounded them. The competition was extremely fierce.
Aidan couldn't help but sigh. “There are so many missions in the royal capital.”
Matthew looked more closely, his gaze sweeping over the pieces of parchment. He soon noticed a pattern.
The minimum requirement for most missions was mid Black Iron Rank, and many explicitly required high Black Iron Rank. As for Bronze Rank commissions, they were also quite numerous.
In contrast, the small missions in the county seat like escorting caravans and clearing wild beasts were almost invisible here. The commissions here were clearly much more dangerous, but the rewards were also much higher.
...
Just then, two mercenaries nearby were chatting. One of the young men looked envious. “I heard the Iron Wolf Mercenary Group made another fortune yesterday.”
Another old mercenary nodded. “Yeah, took a noble's commission. When they came back, each split fifty gold coins.”
“Fifty?” The young man's eyes widened. “That much?”
The old mercenary grinned. “Much? They traded their lives for it. I heard three died.”
The envy on the young man's face instantly dissipated.
The old mercenary gulped down a mouthful of ale and continued, “It's easy to make money in the royal capital, but you die fast too. Don't just look at others making money; look at where they end up buried.”
The young mercenary fell silent. After a long while, he nodded gently. “True.”
...
Matthew listened to these words and silently kept them in mind.
There were many opportunities in the royal capital, but opportunities always came with risks.
Yesterday, he got lucky and obtained a Purple-quality Blood-Veined Rapier. It seemed like great luck, but if he didn't have the panel, and someone else had bought it instead, they would probably have ended up either going mad or dying.
So-called opportunities were often just an outer coat worn by danger.
At this thought, Matthew suddenly felt that he liked this city more and more.
It wasn't like the county seat, which was like a pool of still water. The royal capital was like a deep sea. Calm on the surface, but beneath the sea lay countless hidden undercurrents, treasures, and... giant beasts that could swallow people.
And he had only just walked to the seashore.
Matthew stood on the outskirts of the crowd and did not squeeze forward. A place like the mission wall would have new commissions posted every day. He could look today, and he could look tomorrow.
What truly interested him was not those missions, but these Class holders gathered in the plaza. This was a sight that could not be seen in the county seat at all.
...
Looking around, people came and went on the plaza. With a single glance, there were at least several hundred Class holders.
Some wore heavy plate armor and carried half-man-high large shields, some wore leather armor with flying daggers stuffed all over their waists, some carried longbows with arrow quivers almost full, and several wore black robes with their faces mostly covered by hoods, showing only a pair of sharp eyes.
The aura of everyone was different, but one thing was surprisingly consistent: they all carried a weather-beaten look.
It wasn't that their clothes were dirty, but a temperament that could only be cultivated by walking on the edge of life and death for a long time.
Matthew watched silently and gradually discovered something.
These Class holders were far more silent than those in the county seat. In the county seat, many mercenaries liked to boast loudly about their battle achievements, but here was different. Truly powerful people rarely spoke on their own accord.
More often, they just stood there, quietly checking their equipment, inspecting sword blades, organizing arrow bags, confirming potions, and occasionally nodding to each other. Other than that, there was very little communication.
The more it was like this, the more it gave off a sense of pressure.
...
Aidan also noticed this scene and couldn't help but whisper, “Brother Matthew, the people here seem very powerful.”
Matthew nodded gently. “It's not 'seem'. They really are. This place isn't far from all parts of the kingdom. Most Class holders who can come here have some skill.”
As he spoke, his gaze fell on a middle-aged man who was wiping his longsword.
The man wore the most ordinary gray leather armor, with no badge and no attendants, looking very unremarkable.
But Matthew noticed that from beginning to end, not a single person actively approached within three paces of him. Even when people passed by, they would deliberately detour a bit.
Not out of fear, but out of respect. This kind of respect did not appear out of thin air; it was definitely earned through strength.
Rate on N.U.
