The Free Trade City of Aquarius, In the Streets of Aquarius
1st Year of God, Wednesday, 4th Week, 2nd Month Of Noah.
The Free Trade city of Aquarius has been widely seen by most as the crown jewel of the surrounding kingdoms. A vibrant hub where merchants and people from different regions and races gather. The city was a place with great cultural diversity, where it was commonplace to see residents indulging in cuisine and fashion from every corner of the continent.
It had everything: multiple bustling industries, a huge social and party life and simply the greatest place to live... if, of course, you looked away from the near weekly bullshit brought on by some of its more eccentric residents.
Anyways, that was all good, life as short as it is was amazing there. A person could smile with glee looking over the towering famous towers of the city's largest Merchants in various parts of the city, standing tall and proud, especially when overlooking the bustling nightlife that never seemed to sleep.
Decades ago when a large Sea Monster tide and multiple Orc Pirate raids happened, almost half the economy went to metaphorical hell.
Many businesses and enterprises suffered and as a consequence the average joe and Jane fell into financial insecurity. One of these businesses/enterprises has suffered greatly and the heads of it have finally made the adult decision to begin business stuff, which starts today in a tall building overlooking one of the main streets of the city.
Walking through the busy streets in the evening as the lights in lamp posts and buildings that shine the streets of the city, giving it a majestic atmosphere, a group of seven men made their way through hundreds of civilians in the crowded streets, weaving among the throngs of market-goers.
Having secured the help of Polities' friend, they had sailed to Aquarius aboard one of his merchant ships. Though the journey had taken several hours, they arrived sooner than expected.
Repaying Arther wasn't difficult as they handed him a large sack of monster cores from the countless Sea Monsters that the Austronesian Liberation Navy had constantly killed in their waters.
Once they stepped onto the streets of Aquarius, Riley and the others were captivated by the city's splendor.
The city was truly more beautiful with high-rise buildings, far more impressive than the primitive structures of Hollowfall. It could almost rival their modern cities, though it lacked the same technological sophistication.
The group of Special Operatives spotted several enormous towers in the distance, their colossal heights seeming to touch the sky. Even from miles away, the grandeur of these structures was unmistakable.
"Do you like what you see?" Polites asked with a smile.
"I like it. It's beautiful, I'll say," Price replied.
"Indeed. So, where are we headed?" Woods inquired.
"To the residence, it's just up ahead," Polities responded.
As they conversed, Riley gazed around like a wide-eyed tourist, marveling at the towering buildings with designs he'd never seen on Earth. The others, however, were less impressed, having witnessed even more magnificent sights in cities like the capital city of the Democratic State of Xinhua such as Beijing, or another of its major cities like Hong Kong, or in the richest country in the Middle East like Dubai. Despite this, they acknowledged that Aquarius held its own unique charm.
As they moved deeper into the city, the group passed by hundreds of bakeries, pubs, and entertainment venues offering a vast array of culinary delights. For those seeking more than just food, there were parks, dance halls, and numerous other recreational spots.
"Not bad," Tavish commented.
Watching the throngs of people bustling between shops, Tavish felt his heart race at the sight of the extensive number of goods glittering under the streetlights. Each item seemed more tempting than the last.
As they continued walking through the streets, the group stumbled upon the city's plaza, and they couldn't deny it, it was fucking lovely to see.
The cobblestone streets were alive with activity as a stream of Carriages carrying a large piece of luggage rolled past, bustling street stalls offered a myriad of goods, blacksmiths hammered away with vigor, and beautiful women attracted customers to their shops.
"...Not gonna lie, this place is something to behold," Mason remarked as his eyes widened with admiration.
Belinski nodded in agreement. "Yeah, it kind of reminds me of my old home decades ago."
Just then, a beautiful figure caught Belinski's eye. A beautiful girl of another race, with porcelain-white skin and a bob of golden hair, moved gracefully through the crowd.
Her lower body, however, was that of a horse.
She was a tall and beautiful centaur.
"This is truly another world," he mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else.
After spending a few moments marveling at their surroundings like country bumpkins, the group decided it was time to find their lodging.
"Hey, guys, check this out!" Woods called out excitedly as he went through each stall one by one.
"Woods, remember, we're not here to shop. We're just passing through to find a place to stay," Price reminded him with a mix of boredom and mild exasperation in his tone as he glanced around the bustling streets.
Arriving at one stall, Woods paused, captivated by a slim necklace adorned with a purple stone. The rest of the group joined him, peering at the necklace before turning to the stall's board to read the information displayed.
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Name : Necklace of Tranquility
Grade: Grade 9
Description: Allows wearers to have better sleep.
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'This could indeed be useful for an overworked salaryman,' Riley thought to himself.
"Hello, how may I help you?" Woods asked, catching the attention of the stall owner, a man with long black hair that hid his eyes.
"How much is this?" Woods inquired, pointing at the necklace.
The stall owner paused for a moment before replying, "That necklace? 12 gold."
"..."
Woods exchanged a glance with the group and tilted his head slightly. Understanding his silent message, they all moved on to the next stall.
As they walked away, the stall owner called after them, "Um, hey, you want to buy this, right?"
"That's obviously a scam!" Woods shouted back, insulting the man.
"12 gold coins, my ass," Belinski muttered under his breath.
"Talk about daylight robbery," Tavish added. "Even if the effect is kinda good, there's no way in hell that a fuckin' Level 1 artifact is worth that much!"
Polites couldn't help but chuckle sheepishly at their outburst. 'They don't realize that even cheaper magic artifacts go for at least 10 gold coins.'
Trying to put the unpleasant encounter behind them, the group continued toward their destination.
As they walked, Riley's attention was caught by a few intriguing items displayed at nearby stalls. His curiosity piqued, he narrowed his eyes to get a closer look and read the descriptions.
One item that stood out was a slim straight blade, adorned with intricate black patterns etched deeply into the steel. Although he couldn't gauge its sharpness just by looking, Riley guessed it was crafted from high-quality steel, exuding an aura of incredible sharpness, as if it could slice through anything.
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Name: Silver Edge
Grade: Grade 7
Description: An extremely sharp sword that can easily cut through metal.
Cost: 59 Gold
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"Such a fine sword," Riley muttered, "Expensive but still good. But nah, I'm more of a gun person.'
At the next stall, he noticed a variety of rings, bags, and pouches on display. Though it appeared to be a simple shop, something about it made him feel there is more to it, so he decided to read one of the informational boards.
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Name: Storage Bracelet
Class: Grade 8
Description: A common Item that stores items inside of a pocket dimension. Being a low-level Item, the inside ranges over 1 cubic meter.
Cost: 20 Gold Coin
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'Dear god! Spatial technology? These items seem more advanced than anything we have. The old nerds in the Science Department would envy whoever made these.'
While the items were impressive, Riley and his team already had their own dimensional storage, thanks to Polites, who possessed a skill that allowed him to store items in a small pocket dimension.
'Items messing up the laws of space and time… I wonder if there have been any catastrophic incidents because of it. But the real question is, how the fuck did they manage to make it?'
Finally, Riley and the team decided to ignore the markets and the intriguing items around them, focusing instead on finding an inn or a rented home.
When they arrived at their destination, they were greeted by a bustling, overcrowded building. Hawkers were selling their wares, and people were shouting all around. The group pushed forward, and after asking for directions, they were pointed toward a line.
Eventually, a clerk-like woman attended to them.
"Good morning, we're looking for a place to stay," Riley said.
The woman nodded. She observed the group carefully and saw that their clothes and outfits seemed very strange. Quickly, she judged them to be some commoners, and another feeling is... other words, people with money.
"Of course, what kind of place do you need?" She asked eucharistically.
Riley considered her question. His first idea was to find a simple inn, but after a moment's reflection, he decided to ask for something better. They needed a place with at least seven rooms, a bath, a kitchen, and a courtyard for other purposes.
The clerk's eyes lit up at his request. Only expensive properties had large courtyards, and expensive meant a higher commission for her. Perhaps she misjudged them after all.
"I understand. Let me check our archives to see if we have something that meets your needs," she said, rummaging through a large stack of papers before finally pulling out two options.
"These are the only places in the city that match your requirements. What do you think?"
Without much deliberation, the group chose one of the options, planning to stay for just a month.
But when the clerk heard they were only interested in renting for a month, her expression dimmed.
"One month?" she repeated.
Riley nodded. "Yes, we won't be staying in the city for long."
The clerk shook her head apologetically. "I'm sorry, young man, but our policy requires a minimum rental period of two months."
Riley furrowed his brows as he glanced at the price and fell silent.
It was very expensive.
Although money wasn't an issue, they had secured a substantial amount from the Black Griffon's nest and their own resources from Austronesia, the cost was still significant. Riley sighed, ready to concede and pay for two months, when Polities stepped forward.
He whispered something to the clerk while discreetly showing her a small card.
The moment she saw the card, the clerk's demeanor shifted. Her expression became nervous, and she quickly nodded.
"My apologies, sirs. I believe I have the perfect place for you, and the owner has agreed to rent it for just one month."