The governor of the city, Pauly, had made good use of its proximity to the capital and had led the way in improving the quality of life by engaging in trade. Flarka and the soldiers had set up a crowded welcoming committee at the city's borders and were ready and waiting at the gates to greet their king.

Two wooden legs were moving back and forth in the midst of the crowd. Magicians were performing various tricks, while clowns entertained the crowd with their funny movements. Bards were singing songs praising the king. In a theater set up at the back, a great victory against the Northern warriors was being portrayed as a play. The crowd had filled the area to the brim, leaving no empty spaces, and they had started pushing each other. Pauly, along with his soldiers, was waiting in an area inaccessible to the crowd, inside the gate. As soon as he saw the king's banner, he ordered his soldiers to clear the way. The soldiers were roughly pushing the crowd aside to make way. The dissatisfied crowd, unwilling to comply, resisted by throwing all the fruits and vegetables they had at hand, trying to defend their positions. Suddenly, the market square turned into a battlefield. Fortunately, the situation was brought under control shortly before the king's arrival.

Governor Pauly took a breath of relief and turned towards the outside when he saw the group had arrived in the city. As usual, Kierra was the first to enter the city. The governor's face fell when he eagerly looked up, hoping to catch a glimpse of his king, but instead, he saw Kierra scanning his surroundings with a stern gaze from atop his horse. Pauly tried to lift his head and look back to see the king, but Marek and Rhadam obstructed his view. Flarka, along with his sister Flavia, took advantage of the space reserved by the three commanders and entered the city, causing a thunderous applause to erupt. It seemed as if the people of the city were competing with each other to show even more love for their king.

The remaining soldiers formed a circle around their king. Rhadam gave strict orders to ensure they remained vigilant at all times. Amidst all the noise and chaos, the governor approached the king as much as the soldiers allowed. He wanted to get closer, but Kierra, clearly indicating where he should stop with his horse, made it clear. With a smile concealing his dissatisfaction at the treatment he received, the governor bowed in front of Flarka and began to speak.

Meanwhile, as Flarka looked around, he noticed a soldier near the city walls accepting a bribe from someone. Upon closer observation of the surrounding crowd, he painfully realized the state the city had reached. Some of the soldiers had abandoned their posts and were drinking in entertainment venues. It seemed they were unaware of Flarka's arrival. He witnessed a helpless man kneeling at the feet of a single merchant. After forcefully pushing the man to the ground, the merchant was immediately approached by a group of soldiers who swiftly removed him from the scene. The merchant, acting as if nothing had happened, resumed his place behind his stall. The people, seemingly accustomed to such incidents, continued walking without any reaction. Flarka realized in that moment how corrupt the city had become. It was the merchants who were in control of the city, while the soldiers who were supposed to protect it had turned into guards for the merchants. The most dangerous part, however, was the number of archers on the city walls. After Flarka's arrival in the city, their presence had increased, with their faces turned towards the inner parts of the city. He hadn't heard a word of what the governor was saying. Pauly was still speaking.

As Flarka passed through the crowded square, he memorized the center of the city. He noticed the scattered vegetables and greens on the ground but said nothing. Much had changed since his last visit. The city had adorned itself with decoration and extravagance, and entertainment venues had sprung up like never before. In the middle of the city square stood a grand statue of the governor. The expressionless faces of the merchants at their stalls watched Flarka and his group. This contrasted with the people who had gathered at the entrance gate. In a brief moment, Flarka made eye contact with a little child who was secretly observing them from one of the back stalls. The child panicked and quickly ran off, disappearing from sight. Just as he turned to Flavia with a puzzled expression, he noticed her attentively watching another spot. When he followed her gaze, he saw a juggler who was putting a sword into his mouth, and right next to him, another juggler was swallowing fire and then spewing it back out.
Right next to them, a child had taken off his hat and was extending it towards the crowd. However, Flarka noticed that he was watching them without drawing attention. When Flarka made eye contact with Kierra, he felt relieved to see that he had also noticed the same things. Suddenly, Kierra turned his head towards the direction of the walls, and Flarka followed his gaze. He saw a group of people moving in a dark area near the stairs of the walls. Kierra instinctively reached for his sword, causing the entire group to do the same simultaneously. Pauly seemed oblivious to all of this. Without any imminent threat, they entered the castle under the escort of the governor.

The interior of the castle was filled with decoration and grandeur. Diamond-encrusted statues, expensive paintings in the corridors, a decorative fountain at the entrance... Pauly had spared no expense to impress Flarka. As the group silently progressed through the castle, Pauly enthusiastically described all the preparations and expenses made to please Flarka, leaving no detail untouched. Flarka, on the other hand, continued his silent walk without even the slightest change in his expression.

With great patience and composure, Flarka listened to every word of Pauly's speech without showing any reaction. When he reached the room assigned to him, he entered without saying a word. As the commanders tried to enter the room, Pauly stopped them.

Pauly seemed like he was about to say something, but at that moment, he made eye contact with Rhadam. He continued to move forward, leaning towards Flarka. Rhadam left his soldiers outside to position them along the hallway, while the rest of the group entered the room designated for the king. Kierra started to complain angrily:

When Kierra turned towards him in sudden anger, Flavia intervened. During this argument, Flarka was busy looking out of the room's window. The castle's grounds were situated on a hilly terrain, and the floor they were on was the highest level of the castle. Therefore, they could see almost the entire city.

Noticing Flarka's unresponsive posture, Flavia approached him with hesitant steps and started looking outside as well. They quietly examined the city together for a while. The city was a trading city surrounded by thick walls. Watchmen were stationed at regular intervals along the walls, and soldiers patrolled regularly. The market area was well-organized, and random stalls were successfully prevented. Even street performers only showcased their acts in designated areas. Even the houses were not allowed to be haphazardly scattered but were carefully planned into neighborhoods and streets. Thanks to all these efforts, the city had expanded in an organized manner despite its large population, presenting a neat and orderly appearance.
During the day, the market area became quite crowded. It seemed as if the entire city had left their fields empty and gone out to wander around the market.

The soldiers couldn't patrol the inner parts of the city due to the crowd in the market area. Therefore, security stations were set up in certain points of the city. After watching the city together for a while, Flavia began to speak.

"Do you remember the last time we came here? You hadn't even ascended to the throne yet. Our only concern was hiding from Keraika, who was searching for us in the market. That poor man received a scolding from our father because of us."

"Playing hide and seek in a city like this... We were truly oblivious children," he said, laughing. Flavia also started laughing. After laughing for a while, the two siblings, Flarka continued speaking:

They continued looking out of the window for a while. Then, Rhadam and Marek, accompanied by the city guards, went outside to patrol the city center.

The city square was quite crowded, and it was like the capital of tourism and entertainment. You could find decorative items and materials from all four continents here. At the same time, traditional items and dishes from the Lacra kingdom could also be found. Performers from distant cities of the country gathered here, adding a colorful sight to the streets. Moreover, the surroundings were filled with children. In the city's market, next to a blacksmith's shop, you could see a painter's stand. The market, formed in a circular shape, allowed people to walk from one end to the other, exploring all the stalls.

As Rhadam went to control the lower levels of the city, Marek went to the upper areas. Rhadam continued to oversee the soldiers for a while and then they started making their way back to the castle. On their way back, he noticed the products on the stalls and the street performances catching his attention. Unintentionally, he got distracted and started spending more time at each stall. He found himself watching the street performances until they ended, engaging in conversations with merchants who invited him, and tasting the food and drinks they offered. The soldiers behind him silently and passively accompanied him along the way.

While walking, he noticed an elderly beggar. This beggar had written a sign on a thick cardboard and placed a bowl in front of him before falling asleep. Rhadam first noticed the abundance of beggars in the city, seeing it as evidence of the increasing gambling activities in the city. After walking a few more streets, he encountered another beggar with similar signs in front of him. He suddenly realized that the writings on both beggars' signs had the same handwriting. At that moment, he saw movement in the shadows of the buildings next to him. When he turned his head towards the inner parts of the market, he locked eyes with someone disguised as a merchant.

Rhadam fully grasped the situation he was in and for the first time, he saw the real danger lurking in the city. Trying not to show anything, he continued his normal walk. When he glanced back at the soldiers, he saw that they were following him with the same seriousness.

After a half-hour walk, he arrived at the castle. After sending the soldiers to their positions, he went to the room where Flarka was. Marek was standing guard at the entrance. He approached him heavily and they began to talk.

"This city is completely corrupt. Every street reeks of bribery and gambling. Every corridor of this castle smells of corruption." Rhadam continued speaking when he didn't receive a response.

"How long did you say it took to get to the castle?" Marek began speaking without turning around, "Don't worry, my friend, I've explored the city enough."

After observing his comrade for a while, Rhadam entered the room. In the room, Flarka and Flavia were sitting opposite each other, engaged in conversation. Kierra, on the other hand, was busy cleaning his sword. After greeting Flarka, Rhadam walked towards Kierra. Kierra had kept his eyes fixed on him since he appeared at the door.

"We have been watched since the moment we entered the city, and it's not just that," Kierra lifted his head from his sword and started looking at Rhadam intently. Flarka was also intrigued by everything that was being said. He straightened up and began watching the city from the window again. The city appeared different to his eyes after learning all this.

"This city could be a wealthy one, but there are more beggars on the streets here than in the capital, and all their signs are written in the same handwriting. Every beggar, every merchant, every tradesman in this city is controlled by a single hand. They have all been turned into spies."