The Royal Court

After leaving the "Golden Goblin" tavern, Ye Wei'an found a carriage shop and hailed a luxury carriage.

The carriage was made of fine walnut wood, with exquisitely carved windproof lamps hanging at the four corners. The two horses pulling the carriage had glossy coats without a single blemish.

The carriage wound its way through the streets and alleys, soon leaving the lower town and entering the promenade.

The walking trail is a road in the heart of Susar that separates the upper and lower zones.

The road was very wide, wide enough for six carriages to travel side by side. The street was spotless, and on both sides stood stone pillars carved with vine patterns, with clusters of white magical flames shining from the top of the pillars.

In Ye Wei'an's memory, these stone pillars were like streetlights in his previous life.

As dusk falls, the flames atop the stone pillars gradually intensify, illuminating the entire walkway as if it were daytime.

This is the "eternal lamp" unique to Susar, and also a symbol of the kingdom's rich heritage.

In Faerûn, magical items are never cheap.

This lavish application of magic to public facilities is a testament to the kingdom's wealth and extravagance.

"Look over there, is that the royal palace?" Lina leaned against the window and let out a soft exclamation.

Following her gaze, at the highest point of the upper city, a massive castle complex overlooked all living beings; this was the Cormier Palace.

The palace is nestled within a dense, forest-like royal garden, where countless spires pierce the sky, and ornate balconies and elevated walkways peek through the towering flagpoles. Layers of pennants flutter in the night breeze, like a vibrant tapestry of colors.

As the carriage drew closer to the palace, the density of the Purple Dragon Guards patrolling the path noticeably increased.

They were clad in bright armor, wearing shimmering purple dragon robes, and carrying long halberds, scrutinizing everyone who tried to approach the upper city.

Lina noticed that the poor people or small vendors who were dressed in rags and exuded an air of poverty would be stopped or even driven away by the guards without any mercy if they got too close.

However, the carriage carrying Ye Wei'an did not even slow down.

As the carriage approached the outpost, the guards only caught a glimpse of the exquisitely patterned carriage and the ornate bridles on the horses pulling it. Without a word, they removed the barricades blocking their way and gave a perfectly synchronized military salute, without even bothering to inquire further.

"They... just let us go like that?" Lina looked at the scene, a complicated look flashing in her eyes.

Eileen was used to this. "In Susar, your clothes and carriage are the best pass. Even if you're a beggar from the slums, as long as you ride in a luxury carriage, those Purple Dragon Guards will think you have noble blood flowing through your veins."

The carriage passed through the end of the promenade and officially entered the Upper Town.

The air here no longer smells of fish from the docks or the fumes of cooking oil from the city; instead, it is filled with the faint scent of cedar and the fragrance of precious flowers and herbs.

Soon, the carriage stopped in front of a magnificent building at the foot of the Royal Palace Mountain.

This is the Royal Court.

Unlike the asymmetrical and overly ornate decorative styles of the lower town, this building retains the purest "Azurian" classical style—

Its lines are rigorous and perfectly symmetrical, with huge granite columns arranged in neat rows. The size of each column far exceeds the actual needs of the structure, making it appear heavy and stable, demonstrating the immovability of the law and the ancient majesty of the monarchy.

This place is not only Cormier's highest court, but also the core of Cormier's bureaucratic system.

All noble status records and territorial changes must be processed here.

Ye Wei'an's noble status confirmation and "pioneer order" application both need to be done here.

Ye Wei'an stepped down from the carriage and, accompanied by Elaine and Lina, entered the main gate of the courthouse.

Pushing open the heavy bronze door, the interior is luxurious in a subtle way, yet it exudes a sense of oppression.

The floor was paved with polished black and white stone tiles, gleaming like a mirror and reflecting the giant crystal chandelier hanging from the dome. The vaulted ceiling, several tens of feet high, was painted with the glorious achievements of Cormier's past rulers. On both sides of the hall stood statues of past chief judges and war mages, their stone eyes scrutinizing everyone who entered.

Ye Wei'an could smell a unique aroma in the air, a mixture of aged parchment, high-grade ink, and sandalwood.

He navigated the corridor with practiced ease and arrived at the administrative hall responsible for "border affairs and territorial development".

Although the application requirements for Cormier's Pioneer program are extremely simple, the application window here remains eerily quiet.

The person in charge here—an elderly clerk with gray hair and a monocle—was listlessly flipping through files.

"Apply for a development order?" The old clerk looked up and sized up the distinguished young man through his glasses.

Because the western and northern wildernesses had long been difficult to develop, with countless adventurers and impoverished nobles perishing there, the royal family lowered the threshold for issuing development orders.

"Identity, proof of financial resources, or a guarantee from a nobleman of earl or higher," the old clerk said businesslike, his quill already dipped in ink. "If you meet two of these requirements, you can get the documents right now. But before that, I must remind you, sir, every year people take a pioneering order from me, but in all my years of service, I've only heard of two who actually come back alive to apply for recognition of their title."

He spoke at length about wanting that wasteland to be officially recognized as "territory," and to receive a title and a seat in the noble council, but the conditions were very high.

That would require the lord to establish towns in the wasteland, secure trade routes, and begin paying tithes.

Ye Wei'an gestured for Ai Lian to hand over several well-sealed official documents.

"I am Yevian Xiaxing, the illegitimate son of the late Lord Harandil Xiaxing of Firefall Territory. This document is jointly signed by Lord Harandil and Earl Varfred, the Guardian of the East."

Upon hearing the name Earl Wafred, the official's languid expression vanished instantly.

He sat up straight, reached out and took the document, carefully checking the family code and magical mark on it.

Although the person in front of me is just a baron's illegitimate son, he has the signature of the eldest son of the Amareske family, so I should still pay a little attention to him.

"The documents are perfectly legal, sir." The official adjusted his monocle. "With the joint recommendation of these two nobles, your eligibility can be approved now."

He skillfully unfurled a huge parchment map, marking the entire territory of Cormier.

This map was drawn with the help of the Battle Mage Corps. It not only shows the terrain and resources, but also marks the danger level of each area.

"According to the current legislation, the areas where the Expedition Order is in effect are mainly concentrated in three places: the Rocky Lands, the Goblin Wasteland, and the Thun Plains."

As he spoke, he pointed to an area in the upper left corner of the map with a quill pen.

"The Rocky Lands. The northern part is desolate and barren, where nothing grows except rocks, but rich coal and iron mines lie beneath the surface. The southern part is riddled with dangerous tar pits, wild magic zones, and dead magic zones, a harsh and extremely unstable environment, yet it yields some unique magical materials. Most importantly, it is located at the southern end of the 'Road of Wealth' that spans the Enoch Desert, a crucial node on the vital trade route connecting North and South Faerûn. As long as this place can be defended, wealth will flow in like the waters of Dragon Lake."

Then, he moved the tip of his pen to the upper right.

"Goblin Wasteland. This place lives up to its name, a wasteland covered with cliffs, swamps, and thorny bushes. It is home to goblins, orcs, gnolls, and all sorts of hybrid humanoid monsters. While they are a huge nuisance, if you can establish order, those monsters are not only a threat but also the cheapest and best miners in this land—after all, the iron ore reserves here are astonishing."

The official looked up, his gaze lingering for a moment on Ye Wei'an's unusually youthful face, before adding out of professional habit, "While the produce from these two locations is enticing, the environments are extremely harsh. Sir, quite a few pioneering teams perish here every year."