The Martial Unity

Chapter 3400: Experiencing the Capital City

”Oh.” Rui’s eyes lit up as he took a bite of the skewered barbecued fish in his hands. ”This is great! You should try some of this, Amare.”

”Hm?” She turned around quickly as several bags in her hands and arms swayed with the motion. Bags filled with all manner of items and products that Rui had bought her in the market.

She leaned in to take a bite from his skewer as her eyes lit up. ”That’s tasty...! It has a smoky flavor but is also packed with spices that I’ve never tasted before!”

”Yeah, it’s a breed of fish specially grown and cultivated only in Kiriket Continent, while the spices are a trade secret of the elves of West Genora who export many tons of it every year around the world,” Rui remarked as he took another bite of the delicious fish. ”Apparently, the cooking method involves a special utensil that only the dwarves of the Bournvyrne Empire can forge, to maximize the smoky flavor of the fish without burning it. This single, exquisite dish can only be made if the therianthropes, elves, and dwarves cooperate with each other on a large scale.”

Those words brought about an even greater weight to the simple, but delicious dish that a simple street-side stall made. Amare leaned in to bite off another part of the fish as her expression grew delightful. ”I’m so happy that they’re willing to cooperate with each other to produce such tasty food.”

”It’s not just the dish,” Rui remarked as he gazed around at the market that they were in. ”It’s everything here. Unlike the grouped markets we saw in the port city, the market here in the Capital City Schleme contains goods and services that can only be forged if all six races cooperate with each other. There are things that only they can do, and we can maximize prosperity for everybody if everybody cooperates and works together, see?”

Amare wasn’t as interested in a lesson about the merits of globalization as she was in the food. She simply leaned over to take another bite of the fish while Rui’s gaze swept across the bustling market around them.

The noise of bickering customers and clients hung in the air, along with their hurried footsteps, in a dense, yet spacious market. The bright light of the morning Sun illuminated the entire city with a harsh warmth, while hints of the salty humidity were scarce, unlike the port city where they had temporarily taken refuge for the time being.

People of all races could be spotted among the traders and the customers, focusing only on the goods at hand, rather than the identity of those who sold them. The quality of the infrastructure was also a lot better here in the capital city than they were in the port city on the southern coasts of the Hlakaschken Trade Empire.

The greater population of natives who lived among the people meant that the races were more integrated with each other, and the number of hybrids accounted for a much larger proportion of the population than they did in the port city.

He took several moments to process the entire scene, allowing himself to truly experience it and how it made him feel rather than simply breaking it down into data for his systems of thought. If he wanted his Eye of Prophecy to grow stronger, he would need to rely on experience rather than thought.

However, bolstering his Eye of Prophecy was only one of the reasons he had come to the capital.

Rui glanced at the Sun knowingly. ”It’s about time, let’s get going now so that we get there in time.”

The two of them departed from the busy market, heading deeper into the City of Schleme, exploring the new city for themselves. The architecture of the buildings was definitely far more sophisticated than that of the port cities, with an emphasis on aesthetics rather than utility, something one wouldn’t expect from a polity centered around trade.

The former Shionel Confederation had been a cold, inorganic trade hub with almost no native culture and heritage outside of straightforward trade, having been created by merchants and traders centuries ago. The Hlakaschken Trade Empire, on the other hand, was different.

It had a clear native culture that was rich with history.

He saw architecture detailing the history of the island nation. It featured art depicting a romanticized illustration of the convergence of the six races at the very center of the world. It showcased the brief period of war between the immigrants and the eventual peace and harmony that followed. It showed how the Hlakaschken Trade Empire transformed into a trade hub during the first wave of globalization when technology grew powerful enough to finally traverse the titanic world of Gaia in shorter periods of time.

”What a beautiful country,” Amare couldn’t help but remark. ”I wouldn’t mind living here for the rest of my life as well.”

Rui smiled at her wryly. ”You say that for every place.”

”I don’t.”

”Yes, you do.”

”Not so.”

”Let’s see, you said that about the Nest of Terra,” he pointed out. ”How you would have loved to remain there for the rest of your life.”

”The Nest of Terra was an enriching experience,” she huffed. ”I didn’t say that about the Solaris Kingdom, or that disgusting Blood Cult, or the filthy Gu.”

”How would you rank the places you would most want to remain in?” Rui raised an eyebrow.

”...That’s hard. But the best place is...” she smiled at him with affection. ”By your side.”

Rui huffed, shaking his head.

”Cheesy.”

BANG!

Amare’s elbow jabbed at his ribs.

”Kidding, I feel the same way.” Rui chuckled. ”But I mean an actual place.”

”...Then it would have to be home in the Gen Temple,” she remarked as her expression grew nostalgic. ”I lived there for around a century. Not even Genora can compare to how home makes me feel.”

Rui smiled at her. ”We should visit the Gen Temple again when we’re done with our voyage through the true world.”

Her eyes lit up.

”Let’s do that.”

”...For now, though,” Rui’s expression grew more serious as he arrived at a massive convention of spectators, reporters, and other media of the press huddling at a barricade. ”We have somewhere important to be.”