The northern district of Velkaris was nothing like the bustling avenues they had crossed earlier. Here, the streets were broader, the noise subdued, and every building carried an air of polish. Tall windows gleamed under the sun, trimmed with gilded edges, and ornate balconies overlooked cobblestone walkways lined with trimmed hedges. It was wealth, plain and unashamed.
Mayla slowed her steps, her brown eyes widening. "These places… they all look so expensive."
Trafalgar's gaze swept the storefronts: jewelers with glass displays, tailors with mannequins dressed in silks, even cafés where patrons sipped wine in daylight. He felt no awe—only a mild sense of scale. "They are. But don't exaggerate. This doesn't compare to Morgain Castle, or even the estate that belonged to Mordrek… now mine."
