95 Bustling Trade Center

Dean decided he would ignore that problem in his head and just enter the city.

Zikel City was just like any city and used guards to trace the entering and exiting people or merchants in the case there may be criminals.

There was a long line and Dean could faintly hear the complaining from one of the people at the very front of the line.

"THIS IS OUTRAGEOUS! You're lying through your teeth about the price."

The guard seemed to have known that this would happened as he was extremely familiar with this and smugly smiled.

"And? What are you going to do about it?"

Dean understood that the reason the guard would like to act pompous was because he knew that the people who would use this line belong to vagrants, wanderers or travelers.

If this was compared to the line with merchants, it would be the difference between nobles and commoners with the treatment.

Most wanderers were unlikely to have any power with no backing which was why the guard wanted to make some extra money for the passing fee.

He originally thought that the guards were there to look out for any suspicious people that could cause trouble but this made Dean think that even the most vile person could get in if they paid the fee.

It was an overall corrupt decision where a person took advantage of human's greed but Dean didn't know how to comment about it.

Many people started to leave the line when they heard the outrageous claim of price that would not be affordable.

They could always come back again if they really wanted to get inside the city but they would have to rely on luck if they wanted a less corrupt guard that would charge cheaper fees.

Dean was soon able to get to the front of the line.

Seeing the smug face of a guard that acted as if he had the whole world in his hands, Dean realized that the face seemed surprisingly punchable.

"The fees 3 gold."

The price was definitely expensive for most commoners but because Dean tended to be surrounded and grew up in a school with many nobles, he wasn't fazed by the high price.

He wasn't able to make any money from the school missions but he was able to make money when he traded with the villagers.

Talking to the Old Man enabled Dean to learn many tricks to get an object for a cheaper price and sell them for a higher one as well.

If he really urgently needed money, he always had the option of selling the rare materials he still kept in his Blue Orb.

Dean used his Space Ring to search for any gold but the guard noticed the treasure dean held on him.

"Never mind, the price had just changed to 5 gold."

He was purposely changing the price as Dean was strangely calm when he asked for a high price meaning he wasn't fazed.

Along with the treasure, the guard guessed Dean should be fairly rich and took advantage of it.

Dean also knew that was a tactic in business where you would monitor the opponent's etiquette, manners and actions to guess their finance to offer a reasonable price.

But he had never guessed the guard before him would so brazenly ask for a higher price just because of his calmness.

This guard was asking for it but Dean knew it was too early to start causing trouble.

Handing the money to the guard, Dean asked for some details.

"What's your name?"

The guard was surprised by the sudden question and felt the hefty weight in his hand

"Umm, I'm Jon from the noble house of...."

He was spouting off his origins with pure arrogance that Dean couldn't help but get annoyed quickly, forcing him to just leave.

Dean was now searching for some accommodations to live in, some food to eat and then search for some information.

It was a new experience to suddenly look at the interesting architecture of this city.

The pathways were roughly large enough for two small lines of humans that could wander the outskirts while the center was large enough for two rows of carriages.

Branching out of the main pathways were smaller roads for humans to take less populated paths but they seemed frankly dangerous.

Some were dark gloomy alleys while the rest were bright open paths.

On the outskirts of the city was most likely the homes of the residents that live in this place while as one moves in closer tot he center, buildings become exponentially taller.

Most homes were built with wood while the larger buildings were safely secured with thick study bricks to ensure stability.

Wandering for a little longer, the center was filled to the brim with humans and gave a wonderful view of the local buildings.

Many stalls were built here to sell food, trash, clothes and much more.

Dean didn't understand how people who were selling old antiques were able to make a living but guessed that they must scam some unfortunate people.

Most large buildings were firms for amateur merchant companies however Dean was not able to spot the Old Man.

Other companies were hotels and some restaurants that were clearly disturbed for the more wealthy people while in another district there is a different demographic.

The largest buildings were located at the north where the Zikel Clan apparently lives.

Mansions upon mansions were there while some of the large buildings close to those mansions are apparently owned by the clan.

Dean was truly fascinated by the sheer power this clan had compared to his and how the hell his grandpa was even able to get a connection with them.

But the first thing Dean wanted to enjoy was the culture of this place.

Some shops had the guts to sell some soup and sold food that was unusually crispy.

Dean had no idea what type of magic this was but the people working at the stores always liked to say

"It's a secret."