Chapter 73: The royal capital

Chapter 73: The royal capitalThe royal capital

( Luke’s POV )

By the time Luke logged back into the game, the merchant Caravan had almost reached the royal capital, as a glance out of his carriage allowed Luke to soak in the city’s grandiose from a distance.

The imperial capital, known as ‘Stronghaven’, served not only as the birthplace of the current Emperor but also as the pulsating heart of the Unity Empire.

The Empire that all players from Earth were spawned by default from bore the name “Unity Empire” in the local lore, because, according to legend, its founder, the First Emperor, had harbored a vision of creating a realm where beings of all sentient races could converge under a singular governance, thereby fostering an era of coexistence devoid of the horrors of war and unnecessary bloodshed.

The First Emperor had been convinced that if the empire’s subjects were all adjudicated by uniform laws, recognized as equals, and afforded identical rights, it would naturally erode any tendencies towards oppression and the ingrained sense of superiority that plagued certain races, paving the way for harmony.

As of now, the Unity Empire was home to a mosaic of cultures, with Elves, Dwarves, Beastmen, and Orcs constituting roughly 11% of its demographic fabric.

Humans formed the majority, accounting for about 88%, while a kaleidoscope of other species had made up the remaining 1%.

The leaders of the four largest non-human communities had been bestowed with the ceremonial designation of ‘King.’ Yet, these titles were largely symbolic, as these monarchs wielded no actual sovereignty.

When it came to the governance of their territories, these titular kings oversaw lands that, in scale, were akin to those governed by viscounts or counts, all the while remaining subservient to the overarching laws of the Empire and the decrees of the Emperor.

Stronghaven itself had been dubbed ‘Strong Haven’ as it was originally envisioned and erected as a bastion of last resort.

Today, it sprawled over thousands of acres as a teeming metropolis, yet at its core remained the ancient fortress, The ‘Strong Haven’.

Initially conceived as an unassailable fortress, the castle now served as the royal residence. With five generations of royals now having lived there as their primary residence.

Encircling the castle were a labyrinth of settlements, bustling markets, and serpentine narrow lanes that stretched into the horizon, narrating the city’s evolution from a mere fortress to the grand royal capital it now was, a metropolis, home to hundreds of millions of residents.

From a distance, the city looked like ‘New York’ or ‘London’ from the 20th century, however, with an otherworldly feel to it.

“Agh, I miss home-” Luke said as he admired the vast city which oddly reminded him of Washington DC and Earth.

Soon, the carriage reached the city gate and Luke parted ways with the merchant group after thanking them for the journey.

While the merchants had a union pass, allowing them to enter the city, Luke had to undergo a stringent immigration check since he was a first time entrant.

Just like the immigration lines seen on international airports, there were short queues for first time entrants to be vetted before entering the city and Luke joined one waiting patiently for his turn. Sёarch* The nôvelFire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

“Name and native town?” the immigration officer asked Luke when it was finally his turn to enter as without having much knowledge of this world, Luke simply replied “Skylion, Panjim Town” since it was his spawn town.

” Purpose of visit? And how long you plan to stay here?” The immigration officer asked as Luke shrugged his shoulders and said “Unspecified, Unknown”

The immigration officer proceeded to draw a temporary entry permit for Luke after checking his identity and his social credit.

Since Luke had gained some fame for helping the poor of Panjim Town, he was viewed in a positive light by the immigration officer and allowed to enter although he did not have proper reason to visit.

” I’ve given you a one month long entry permit, you can renew it if you wish to stay longer but it will cost you 1 silver for each additional month you plan to stay here.

Make sure to renew it before it expires, else the local patrol may fine you if they find you with an expired entry permit” The immigration officer told Luke who took the officers instructions seriously and thanked him for the permit.

For Luke, the entry into the capital was pretty hassle free, however, the same procedure was bound to be a nightmare for a few players when they would try doing the same.

The murderer’s of sector E, when they approached the immigration of any major city, were bound to have their identity confirmed and thrown into jail for committing a crime against humanity.

For many other players who had no fame or infamy, they could be rejected entry for various random reasons as although a city seemed like an easy enough place to enter, it was really not that simple.

The royal capital was the city of dreams for those who were viewed in a positive light by the empire but a nightmare for those who were cancerous to society.

The royal capital had many important buildings like the MP exchange centres, High End Spell Scroll Shops, adventurer association, Royal library, universities of various professions and many more.

However, before exploring the city, Luke was dead set on levelling up first to make up for time lost in travel.

Through his private messaging with Cervantez, the latter told him that there was a place in the royal capital called the ‘Combat Arena’ and that by paying 5 gold coins, Luke could access their iron circuit which would allow him to fight monsters between level 15-40 in a controlled environment.

According to Cervantez, this was the best and fastest way for Luke to level up with there being only one day left until the first evaluation happened.