After hours of flying, we found a dirt road that looked like something out of a fairy tale. Two perfectly maintained lanes with gutters on both sides. We continued along it until I was hit by a severe bout of dizziness. With my mana gone, I no longer had the strength to fly. Neo, as always, saved me from falling. And although I still had a lot of energy to continue on the road, fatigue won.

The next morning, around noon, the landscape was even more impressive. Behind a hill, a river wound its way near the city. The river separated the city from one side by a labyrinth of two- or three-story houses with thatched roofs, surrounded by plots of unparalleled golden crops.

On the other side of the river, an imposing wall awaited a chaotic city. In the center of the city, a snow-white temple dominated the landscape, emanating immense power, like a beacon in the darkness.

The chaotic city had a strange harmony, four main avenues branching out into streets full of life, five or six-story buildings.

The northern end was highlighted by green gardens that invited one to enter two enormous buildings, two palaces with a grandeur worthy of the European nobility of the modern age.

The gates in the wall were a spectacle in themselves, mesmerized by the crowds moving in and out, looking for things to do. We walked for hours before reaching the village. (We didn’t want to be seen flying.)

The aroma of roasting meat and the smell of freshly baked bread filled the air. The sound of hundreds of conversations among the locals filled me with a strange sense of longing. Neo and I had been alone for the last six years. Seeing and hearing this characteristic city noise caused us to feel a little paralyzed and shed a few tears.

—A merchant— First time at Anita’s, huh? You’re not the first to be left open-mouthed— he said with a smile as he arranged his merchandise in the caravan.

■— An amazing place, that’s for sure. —

●— Both structurally and economically, it is very good. —

—The merchant— My name is Theodore— Extended his left hand.

■— My name is Hunt, and excuse my ignorance. Would you like me to shake your hand? You’re a kind of “say hi from here?“—

—Teodoro— Nice to meet you, Hunt. I’m surprised you don’t know, but here we greet with the left hand. We should align our fingers one in front of the other and then close them in a spiral until forming a single fist with both hands, as if we were braiding our fingers.—

●— Nice to meet you, I’m Neo—

—Teodoro— Are you coming to trade or just passing through?—

■— A little bit of everything. But before that… how does entry work? Any special, I see there ara guards, is there a toll or requirementes?

—Teodoro— Yes, of course. Entry depends on who you are and what you bring with you.—

As Teodoro explained to us:

The rules for entering the city:

-- Villagers with citizen registration → Free admission.

-- Registered travelers → 1 silver coin per person (1 week of free admission).

-- Official registration of foreigners → 1 gold coin per group (Max 10 people).

-- Merchants with merchandise → 5 copper coins per merchandise cart.

-- Guards check the merchants’ merchandise before letting them through

■— I understand... So, in order for us to get in smoothly, we need some local money. Are you interested in a small business? —

—Teodoro— It depends on what kind of business we are talking about.—

I took out a small 100g gold ingot and rolled it between my fingers with a carefree smile.

■— I have this gold ingot. But it’s no use to me in this form, so I was thinking of a fair exchange.—

—Teodoro— That’s worth a lot more than what you need to enter the city.—

■— Of course, but we can’t go around paying with lumps of gold. Tell me, how much could you offer me in coins?—

—Teodoro— Being fair, for their weight and purity, I could give you 7 gold coins or if you want we can exchange some gold coins for silver ones—

According to Theodore:

-o Iron Bars 1

-o 1 round iron coin = 10 iron bars

-o 1 Round Copper Coin = 10 Round Iron Coins

-o 1 Silver round coin = 10 Copper round coins, 100 Iron round coins

-o 1 Gold Round Coin = 10 Silver Round Coins, 1,000 Iron Round Coins

-o 1 Platinum Square Coin = 10 Gold Round Coins, 10,000 Iron Round Coins

-o Marathi Coins (if there is much information about their value)

■— We know we can’t pay with ingots. Seven gold coins will suffice, but could you exchange 2 gold coins for 20 silver coins, and 1 gold coin for 100 copper coins?—

—Teodoro— Good, good, I like your style. Here you go. If you need to make more trades, ask for a merchant named Orlan in the commercial district.—

●— We’ll keep that in mind. —

We said goodbye to Theodore and headed to the city gate

■●— Good morning. —

—Guard —Why are you entering the city? — The Guard said in a cutting tone.

■— Commerce, Sir. — I said while showing my best smile.

—Guard —All right. Show your ID.—

●— Heeee... We don’t have any. — Neo said, crossing his arms before speaking.

—Guard — Then, you must pay a gold coin to register.—

■— #Good thing we exchanged the ingot...#— I sent a message to Neo.

●— #Even if it’s a little expensive, right? #— We texted while Neo paid.

●— Excuse me, sir, but how exactly does it work? Does it have some kind of magic seal? —Neo said, looking at a plate with curiosity

—Guard— It’s a link system (it probably used some kind of magic-based communication system). All the plaques are connected to the city’s main records. Every time you pass through one of those registration points, your information is automatically updated,—the guard said proudly.

■— And what kind of information is stored? What are the recording points? —

— Guard— As you can see here. Name, age, marital status, residence, and profession.—

●— #Did they just put us under 24/7 surveillance? # —

■— #Welcome to bureaucracy with magic. # —

■— Debts? I don’t like that at all.—

●— It’s a pretty intrusive system… If someone doesn’t pay for something, it’s directly reflected in their record. As if it were flagged.—

—Guard— Here, the guilds also have the right to track those records and take action.— He said with a shrug.

—Guard— Here are your badges. From now on, every time you enter or leave the city, you will be automatically logged.

■●— Thank you very much, I have a nice day. —We said before leaving.

==+-+-+-+==

—Another Guard—Those two are very nice, aren’t they?—

—Guard—Yes, they have said good morning and goodbye.—

—Another Guard— It doesn’t usually happen.—

—Another Guard— It doesn’t usually happen.—

—Guard— I hope those two don’t get into too much trouble, they didn’t seem like bad people.—

—Another Guard— Namely… Reason for entering the city?

==+-+-+-+==

●— Well, we’re in the city now. Now what? —

■— Food. —

●— Do you only think about food? —

■— Neo, we’ve been eating dried meat and stored fish for years. I need something that doesn’t taste like cardboard. —

●— Okay, I understand. But first, let’s go to the temple. —

■— Since when have you been interested in religion? —

●— Since a god reincarnated me and keeps sending me passive-aggressive emails. —

■— You’re right... It’s better to go ask him in person before he gives us another divine slap. —

●— Exactly. Besides, that temple surely has interesting information about the magic of this world.—

■— If you promise me we’ll get something to eat later, I’ll follow you. —

●— Deal. —

■— Good. Now tell me, how do we get in without looking like two hicks who’ve been in the woods for six years?—

●— We stood up straight, said little, and nodded with wise faces. —

■— Basically, we act as if we were NPCs. —

●— Exactly. —

■— Great. Let’s go before I change my mind.—

…

The temple rose before us as an imposing white marble structure, its tall pillars reflecting the sunlight, giving it a heavenly air. Despite the building’s grandeur, the main entrance was wide open, allowing free passage for the faithful and the curious.

Neo and I, with our habit of remaining impeccably polite, walked with our backs straight.

Inside, the scent of incense wafted through the air, and the stained-glass windows cast a soft, colorful light that illuminated the mosaics. In the background, several statues lined up in a semicircle around an altar, each representing a different figure. A man wearing a long robe and gold embroidery approached us with a calm expression.

We politely apologized for our ignorance of the city’s religion and asked him to whom the temple was dedicated. The priest looked at us with a mixture of surprise and curiosity before answering:

—The religious— This temple is dedicated to the Seven Envoys of Tolmas, those who guide humanity on their respective paths.—

He pointed out the statues to us and explained the names and domains of each one:

Zoric – The Trade Envoy.

Vasli – The messenger of the artisans.

Dragan – The Envoy of Wisdom.

Micodan – The messenger of health.

Ralzeth – The Envoy of Power.

Cezar – The Envoy of Skill.

Iliathis – The messenger of magic.

Tolmas was recognized as the god, but seemed to have a secondary role in the faith, while these seven envoys were the basis of the faith.