The capital

In the evening we finally arrive, it was a lot closer than I was thinking. Only little more than a day. If we were traveling alone, we may as well be able to cover the distance in only a day. The first thing that I took note of was the city walls, enormous structures about 20 times higher than me. They go really far in the distance, I get the feeling that they are longer than the distance we just walk, from here to the village.

We need a special identification card to enter the city. Right away one of the noble butlers come at us with a letter.

"We have few problems that need our attention right away. We will be leaving first. Here is a letter of recommendation from the count. You have to go tomorrow morning to the civil court. They will complete your ability test. After that, you are free to do whatever you want."

And just like that the butler when away, not giving us more information. If it wasn't because we gather information from the people traveling with us this would only lead to disaster. At less a disaster for us, I hear that failing to participate in the ability check can be punished with death. I really don't understand why so much hype about this test.

The prosses of getting into the city when smooth. Likely because we are too young the guards didn't try to get any money from us. But I notice that one of the people in from of us was forced to handle many silver coins to pass the gate. We only have to pay 8 silvers to enter, Odon told me that this amount was writing on the walls. I was taken aback for a second, I didn't know that he knows how to read.

We enter the city little after the sun past the highest point in the sky, so the afternoon should be just starting. The first thing we did was to ask one guard for directions. where the civil court is, where the academic is and where the suburbs is. We give one extra coin to the guard.

First, when to the suburbs to find a play to stay, We pick one that Alvar recommended. Is normally use by merchants, so the price is fair and the area is secured. Also, the position is great, less than 1 hour for the academic and 4 hours to the center of the city.

"Indeed the capital of an empire. It is bigger than the distance we just walk." Exclamation Odon. Then he explains to me. that here we have good roads, unlike the one we were using. This made movement a lot faster, from the gate to the noble district we need 6 hours. If we wanted to go to the opposite gate it would take more than 12 hours.

In the inn Odon deal with the negotiation. From what he said we are service boys of a noble that is going to the academic on the next entrance. But since hour position is low compared to butlers they didn't agree to let us stay in the same inn. And we come here to find lodging for an extended period of time.

"No wonder your owner didn't allow to let you stay in the same inn. The entrance exam for the academic was only 2 months ago, and the next one is in 10. you can consider yourself lucky that he gives you money for to stay here, and didn't just send you to a stable."

"Oh, so that's why he says to find lodging for a year and give us so much money." Answer Odon to the inn owners comment.

"ujujujuj, so how much money did he give you?" I couldn't avoid noticing a hit of greed, similar to the village chief on the inn owner.

"Not sure, I have never seen this type of coin. Here look, is it enough for a year?" Odon took 10 coins gold from the pocket.

"Well, it is 1 gold coin a month. and you want to stay for 12 months. It is not enough."

"So bad, this looks like a great place. We will go to look for a cheaper place to stay."

When Odon move his hand trying to retrieve the gold coins, the owner right away moves the coins away and say. "If you go with this much money I'm worried you will face danger, look for your own and ask him for 2 extra coins." I notice Odon putting a troubled face like saying that is not possible, I did the same as soon as I notice. To what the owner answer "Let's just forget it, I will give you a discount for staying a whole year. Just remember that is he enter to the academic and you want to stay another year you have to pay 12 coins."

"yes, yes, yes I will make sure to remember. Thanks a lot, boss." Odon is putting a face like someone that just meet his life savior.

"It's fine, don't mention it. Let my wife take you to your room. We will provide breakfast from 6 to 9. You have to come downstairs to get it. After this time we will be sending someone to clean the rooms, if you don't want to be disturbed, you have to put the sign that is inside the room, on the outside. That's all, now get moving."

I feel that his attitude should be a little better. I meant he just go a lot of money from us, but his is acting like we own him. After putting the sleeping bag on the room we when out, to look the academic from the distance. I could only see another wall and the upper part of a few buildings. Why they need so many walls? aren't we already inside the city?

On our way back we buy some cooked meat to celebrate our arrival at the capital. It tastes old, not like the fresh meat we sometimes had a home. We eat it with half of the remaining food we pick for the trip. And compare to it, the meat tastes was really good.

Taking 50 gold coins and putting it away Odon says. "This money can't be touch, not even with hour life on the line. Because it is unlikely to be able to save us. More like it will haste hour death. We just have 46 coins and a few copper coins, we will use this money to start our business."

After that, we just spend some time talking about the goblins before going to sleep. We didn't talk about the delay of 10 months on our plan to get into the academic. I also didn't mention it, I notice for Odon way of avoiding the conversation that he hadn't decided on a plan yet.