After days of walking, passing through suspicious street taxes, purpose-less bridges full of 'mandatory' donations, and endless trickery, I finally arrived at the gates of the Imperial Capital of Astralis.
I stood in front of the grand, majestic gates, with an architectural design that highlighted its luxury. It was such a contrast to the life in Matei, a place filled with deceit and manipulation.
Truly, I felt as though I had stepped into a different world—something more organized, more advanced, but for some reason, my heart was still racing wildly.
"Welcome to the Imperial Capital of Astralis," a voice from beside me said.
I turned and saw a guard standing tall, wearing light armor with the imperial emblem shining.
The guard seemed like an ordinary person—not a legendary hero or a high-ranking official with golden embellishments, just an average soldier.
But his smile was genuine enough to ease some of my anxiety.
"Could you show your ID or license?" the guard asked, his tone firm but not intimidating.
I took out my license, as an Adventure Knight.
I handed it over with a slight confusion in my heart.
The guard took my license and examined it carefully.
"Adventure Knight, huh?" he asked, almost seeking further confirmation.
I nodded, a little more confident since it seemed I was getting attention in this more respectable place. "Yes, that's right."
"One moment," the guard said, as he unfurled a neatly folded piece of paper in his hands.
He started writing something with a feather pen that seemed more luxurious than all my writing tools combined.
I could only wait, my heart pounding, as if every passing second carried significant consequences.
Then, the guard looked at me, his gaze sharp, assessing everything about me.
Without a word, he continued, "You are granted permission to stay for a full year in the capital."
I was taken aback. "One year? What does this mean?"
"Yep," he nodded. "Legitimate Adventure Knights are given different stay rights in each kingdom. Some kingdoms only allow adventurers to stay for a week, others a month. But in the Astralis Empire, we offer a full year stay for registered adventurers. It's our policy here."
"So… one year?" I asked, making sure I hadn't misheard.
The guard nodded seriously. "Correct. One year is enough for an Adventure Knight to experience life in our capital. After that, you can either extend your stay or return to your homeland. But make sure you follow the rules, miss. Here, life in the capital isn't just about adventure—there are many things to face, and we don't tolerate chaos."
I took a deep breath.
As though no matter how tough the challenges I faced before, this was a whole new test.
The Astralis Capital seemed to hide many things beneath its surface.
"Welcome to the Imperial Capital of Astralis,"the guard continued with a smile, signaling me to move forward. "Please be wise and follow the rules while you're here."
He patted my shoulder gently, signaling me to move ahead.
Without further words, I continued my journey through the capital gates.
Every corner of this city looked orderly and well-managed. Tall, majestic buildings greeted me with the morning sunlight, wide streets filled with merchants appeared more organized than anything I'd seen before, and the bustling sounds of the market were far more harmonious than the chaos back in Matei.
But despite all this luxury, I couldn't shake the fear in my chest.
The Imperial Capital of Astralis may seem orderly, but there was something off, like there was something hidden behind this beautiful curtain.
A world that was neat, yet full of strict rules—and I had to be careful, or I would lose my footing here too.
"The capital, huh?" I muttered to myself, trying to calm my restless heart.
I had just left a world of deception and forced labor, and now I was about to face a much bigger world with all its possibilities and challenges.
But one thing was clear: here, in the capital, I couldn't let myself fall into the same traps again.
I had to find my purpose here—whatever that may be.