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Approaching the city, there was a long line stretching for miles to get in. Many unfamiliar faces and many unfamiliar creatures. Tall, short, fat, thin. Humanoid beasts with wings and horns and scales. All manner of features were present in this line. All were strangers that kept to themselves. Everyone was quiet.

(Marty, what is with this weird atmosphere? It’s tense like everyone is afraid to speak.)

(Well what do ay expect? We are still not inside the city where there are at least some rules. One wrong move or even one wrong word and ya could end up provoking the wrong person and get killed in an instant. As ya know, to check another person’s power is considered rude. Hidden experts are everywhere. Someone that looks like a twig could actually be a Godly being, whose temperament has little to do with patience. Pissing off the wrong one out here, it’s just not worth it.)

Kazuki and Marty stood on either side of Samuel. Behind the three were the rest of the crew and at the very back was Simmons. A slave mark was left on his forehead. He walked with a shame no man could match. Seeing his master with Kazuki and Marty, his remorse and anger were mixed. A few people in the line noticed him before they disappeared into the crowd and went ahead.

Simmons and Samuel were completely unaware of these watchful eyes but Marty and Kazuki were already following these suspicious wanderers with their senses.

(Marty.)

(I know. At least two. One has already entered the city and is heading somewhere and the other has slipped into the line and is close by.)

(Remember, we won’t attack unless they attack first. If they make a move before we enter the city, we can kill them but doing so inside the city can be problematic so hold back.)

(Hehe, your one to talk Jentson. If ya make a move, there will be nothing left.)

Kazuki didn’t respond to this and just continued forward with Samuel at his side.

Very quickly the group made it to the city without an incident. As soon as they crossed the city gates, Kazuki expected to see a glorious city in the Higher Realm. What he saw instead looked more like war-torn aftermath. The city was large but many of the buildings were left cracked and damaged. Nothing in the nearby vicinity was clean and the smell was like rotting shit.

Samuel’s brows furrowed and his nose twitched but he didn’t say anything about it showing he had expected it and was somewhat used to it. The moment they entered the city, noise sprang up in every direction as the roads were full of people going to and fro. Kazuki sensed an abundance of weak people. Most of the city was filled with slaves and these slaves ranged from the 7th stage and below. It was actually kind of shocking.

(In the Lower Realms these people would be considered deities yet here, so many are mere slaves.)

The city was dirty and smelly and everywhere you went people just seemed to ignore it, which confused Kazuki. He could blanket the entire city with pure water and clean it in a flash but no one did. To repair the buildings would take milliseconds but again no one did.

(Marty you are from the Higher Realm, why is a city that houses demigods and Gods so…so

(Shit?)

Kazuki gave a nod.

(Yes, why is this city so shity?)

(In a certain sense it is because this city is poor.)

(Poor?)

(Yes. Even though you are at the 7th stage ya can sense Divine energy right?)

Kazuki again nodded. Marty smiled.

(Just another one of your strange mysteries. Anyway, the divine energy in this place is above and beyond in quantity and quality but it is still considerably weaker than in top-tier cities. Throughout the three Higher Realms, divine energy gathers in certain places. These places are seemingly random and no one knows why some places have more and purer energy while other places have less than and that’s how that goes. The places with more energy get inhabited by stronger more powerful Gods and those places become those God’s domains. In such places, the Gods can take that divine energy and turn it into divine crystals which as ya know hold divine power. Divine crystals are the major currency in the Higher Realms.)

Kazuki was starting to understand.

(So this place produces or has less divine energy than those other places and because of that, the rulers here can only make so much divine crystal out of the energy here. I get that but what does that have to do with maintenance and all of the filth around here?)

(It’s simple, take a good look at the building over there or even sense the road you’re walking on and ya should get it.)

Kazuki saw a poorly maintained small building a few feet away and sent out his aura cautiously. He had learned his lesson from trying to inspect the wall earlier but since it was Marty who said he should do it and Arc didn’t mention any danger, Kazuki assume dit was ok and sensed the building.

The moment he sensed the building ahead, he understood right away.

(This building, it’s filled with power, divine power.)

Marty nodded.

(Yep, the buildings the walls the road, all of them hold inscriptions and power and in order to repair them, it cost divine power. All of these buildings, I suspect the ones managing are not the actual owners. The owners should be whoever runs this city.)

(So the terrible condition is because of what, taxes and fees.)

(Correct. None of these people own any of the buildings nor the land it stands upon. It all belongs to the owners of this city. In order to repair this or that, they would have to pay out of pocket to those in charge to have these things fixed, to have that cleaned, or this made to be in good condition.)

(Wow, that absolutely sucks. If they just used regular magic they could make buildings out of regular materials and fix everything without having to pay anyone anything but since they don’t own any of it and the buildings are made using divine energy, they are forced to pay. Looking at the condition of shit around here, no doubt at extortionist prices.)

(See you already understand. Those that control the city, own it all, and those that don’t are forced to pay for everything. This place where not a lot of money flows, would ya spend you’re hard-earned crystals on repairing a building. Who cares about what the building ya operate in loos like? The only thing that matters is whether or not your service is good, the product is good and the price is good.)

Kazuki was beginning to see the Higher Realm in a new light.

(Those at the top, just like any place that’s ruled with dominant power, places no care for those worse off.)

Kazuki was reminded of Earth and Gordonia and the corruption that easily comes about when people have unmatched power and control. With a shake of his head, Kazuki just kept walking with everyone. Kazuki understood this and hated it but at the same time, he understood why it was in place, and in a way, it was a necessary evil.

Continuing ahead, eventually, they reached a small building within the depths of the city. The building was a dark blue and two stories tall. A sign hung from the building which read.

[Cortail Merchant Shop]

“Lady Marty, Sir Jentson, this is my shop.”

As soon as they arrived, two people came running out in a hurry. One was a taller than average woman. She had black hair and four red eyes. Her ears were slightly pointed at the top and she had four arms as well. Next to her was a man of average build, also black hair with spots of grey and black eyes. He had a short tail and ears like that of a dog with a snout-like nose.

The pair both had slave marks on their heads and the moment they ran out, the two bowed and spoke simultaneously.

“Young Master we have been expecting you. Welcome to Gauldriss city.”

It was obvious the two had practiced this but they had a hint of nervous energy in their voices which Marty found funny and she chuckled lightly.

“Lift your heads. I have no time for bowing.”

Kazuki could tell Samuel was embarrassed by this. This was strange because he had slaves already.

(For him to be embarrassed, I wonder if it’s because he’s changed a little since we’ve met. He came off haughty before. Now it’s like he doesn’t want to keep such an image.)

Kazuki could sense the two’s power. Both were at the 4th stage and both had only good intentions towards their young master Samuel but they were also nervous. As for him and Marty, the two were even more nervous and wary of them.

(They seem to be afraid of us and don’t seem to know how to approach the subject as to why Simmons now bears a slave mark.)

The pair kept glancing at Simmons in the back but neither of them could bring themself to ask why or what happened. Kazuki didn’t care about this, rather he was interested in who they were.

(I need to make sure there are no further surprises. Let me check their souls.)

Kazuki didn’t ask nor wait for permission. His aura shot forward and immediately he took a look at their memories.