The Royal Capital, Susar

After about half a month of sailing and one change of ship, Ye Weian finally reached his destination.

Heading west along the expansive waters of Longhu Lake, as the earthy fragrance in the air is replaced by the salty and majestic lake breeze, the crown of the kingdom—Susar—finally comes into view at the horizon.

The first thing that catches the eye is that magnificent city wall.

The 25-meter-high gray stone wall gleamed with a cold luster under the morning sun. Every so often, an arrow tower stood, and the purple dragon flags on the wall blotted out the sky, fluttering in the wind.

For the inhabitants who were used to the stone walls of Firefall Fortress that were only five or six meters high, Susar was practically a land of giants.

As the fleet sailed into the inner harbor, more details came into view.

"Is that... a forest made of piled-up stones?" a soldier exclaimed.

To withstand the fierce storms sweeping in from Longhu and to prevent fires, all the houses in the city are built with heavy granite or marble. The rows of pointed-roof houses are arranged compactly and orderly, and the deep blue tiles reflect the sunlight in a pattern like fish scales.

What shocked them most was the height of those houses. Even the most ordinary civilian dwellings were mostly three or four stories high, and some even had bright glass inlaid in the window frames. In Firefall Territory, only local wealthy families and lords could afford such things.

"Look over there! Isn't that a windmill?"

"No, that's a drainage tower!"

"And what is that?"

"I guess it's... the clock tower?"

For these soldiers and civilians from the border countryside, every detail of Susar was unfamiliar and interesting.

Soon, the fleet approached the dock area.

At the dock, dozens of sophisticated hoisting machines are humming rhythmically as they unload crates of spices, silks, and minerals from all over the world.

On deck, the soldiers and civilians, whose furthest reach in their lives had ever been was Firefall Town, exclaimed in astonishment. They gazed greedily at the splendor before them, even forgetting the work at hand.

Even the usually composed Morey couldn't care less about his image at this moment, marveling at the city before him. After a long while, he turned to Ye Weian and asked:

"My lord... is this really a city that humans could build? I have a feeling that even the most magnificent hall in our Firefall Fortress could only be used as a warehouse here."

Compared to his subordinates, Ye Wei'an was much calmer.

His predecessor spent four years in Susar, where he saw even more bustling cityscapes.

In his eyes, the 25-meter-high city wall was indeed magnificent, but that was all; it was far from enough to make him lose his composure.

"Susar is indeed as prosperous as I imagined, Morey." Yevian leaned on the railing, letting the steam from the bow of the ship hit his face. "It's the heart of Cormier's best—the most hereditary nobles, the wealthiest multinational merchants, the most elite standing army, and of course, the deadliest political intrigue. The wine here is certainly sweeter than in Firefall Fortress, and the women are more... seductive. By all accounts, Susar is far more interesting than that remote Firefall Territory."

At this point, he changed the subject.

"But this place is also a huge money pit. Prices here are outrageously high. A single dish on a Susar commoner's table might cost as much as a family of three in Firefall Territory for several days. More importantly, our pride and joy in our military strength is nothing compared to the Purple Dragon Legion; the wealth we've earned from those few smuggling dens is nothing here either."

These words were like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing everyone's excitement.

Morey looked grim, and Volodya and Kane subconsciously tugged at their somewhat dusty armor.

Faced with this behemoth, their original pride as a "victorious army" was replaced by an indescribable sense of unease, making them feel like poor country bumpkins who had come to the city.

There's no need to feel ashamed.

Ye Wei'an sensed the subtle change in the atmosphere, so he patted the knights on the shoulders and said, "The current prosperity of Susar is the result of thousands of years of plunder and accumulation. As long as we gain a firm foothold in our expansion territory and establish our own order, you can stand tall even when you stand in front of Susar's palace."

This encouragement lifted everyone's spirits.

Yes, they didn't come here to beg; they came with wealth and military power to recruit soldiers and horses.

The fleet continued onward, passing several heavily guarded deep-water docks.

One berth was particularly eye-catching, where dozens of huge warships with extremely deep drafts and rams were neatly moored, their massive sails adorned with ferocious and majestic blue dragon patterns.

That is Cormier's pride—the home port of the Blue Dragon Legion (naval forces).

The commercial port is further ahead.

After bypassing the military restricted area, the cacophony of vendors' cries and the heavy sounds of cranes at work finally came into view.

Guided by the flag signals of the lead ship, Ye Weian's fleet slowly approached a spacious civilian berth.

After the fleet came to a stop, Ye Weian did not allow everyone to disembark at once.

In the chaotic port of Susar, a large number of armed soldiers landing together would only attract unnecessary attention from the Blue Dragon Legion.

He issued an order that most of the people and auxiliary soldiers should remain on the ship and wait for orders, and strictly forbade them from disembarking without permission.

As for the soldiers eager to see the world, Yevian arranged for Morey and Kane to take turns leading the teams, allowing only a small squad of soldiers to go ashore for rest in each batch.

Ye Wei'an was very magnanimous towards these men who had been holding back all the way – anyone who wanted to experience the capital's charm could sign up with their superior, but they had to strictly abide by military discipline and were absolutely not allowed to cause any trouble.

This is not Firefall Territory after all; Susar's Purple Dragon soldiers will not tolerate local nobles.

A moment later, Ye Wei'an stepped out of the cabin. He had changed out of his usual robes and into a well-tailored Susar-style noble robe with dark gold trim on the cuffs. Elaine and Lina, also dressed in gorgeous maid outfits, stood by his side, one on each side.

In addition, the scout leader Clebb and the knight Volodya were also present.

Volodya brought two bodyguards to assist him, while Kleb arranged for several scouts to dress in plain clothes and provide covert protection. The entire team was neither too conspicuous nor too ostentatious, thus highlighting his noble status.

As soon as they stepped onto the gangplank, a port tax officer wearing a purple dragon cloak led two guards up to them, his eyes constantly glancing into the hatches of the cargo ships with their deep drafts.

"My lord, according to the rules of Susar, any goods that come ashore must be opened for inspection and a transaction tax must be paid." The tax collector gave a forced smile and gestured with his palm facing upwards.

Ye Wei'an didn't even look at him directly, but simply straightened his cuffs: "I'm just stopping temporarily for supplies and to take care of some official business at the Royal Court. The cargo won't be unloaded; you just need to collect the berthing fees."

After saying that, he waved his hand.

Clayb understood perfectly, and a heavy bag of gold coins landed precisely in the tax collector's hands.

Upon feeling the heavy weight, the other person's face instantly broke into a wide smile, and they bowed to make way, never mentioning the inspection again.

After passing through the bustling dock area, the group entered a spacious and vibrant square.

The architectural style here dazzled Lina, a girl who had lived in the countryside for a long time.

Susar's architecture pursues a vibrant sense of asymmetry, with colorful reliefs inlaid on the walls and heavy wooden beams carved with griffins, dragons, or the emblems of the Temple of Ciónlia, appearing both magnificent and chaotic.

The streets are lined with small shops with colorful signs, offering everything from southern spices to northern furs. The air is filled with the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread and the scent of expensive perfumes.

"Lina, look at that clothing store! Their velvet gloves are said to be the lightest in all of Cormier. I begged my master for ages before he finally took me there!"

"That family's candied fruit is the most authentic in all of Susar. My master loved their pickled plums when he was studying!"

"And there's that alley over there, there's a shop that sells moonstone jewelry, I used to stare at it for ages every time I passed by..."

Eileen, like a fawn released into the forest, excitedly grabbed Lina's hand and launched into a long, enthusiastic description of the shops along the way. Pointing to a clothing store with a silk sign in the distance, her eyes gleamed, "And there too! Master once ordered a cloak there. The tailor there was incredibly skilled, but the price was too high. Master only bought that one and never bought anything else..."