Chương 32: Chapter 32 : District four

"Good morning Elias Ashdown" Queen Seraphina replied, her eyes remained fixed on her plate of peas and potatoes.

"How was your night? Hope you didn't have any trouble finding sleep?" Elias asked, as he served himself a plate of potatoes, bread and meat.

"It was okay," she answered sharply, "Why not find another seat, there are plenty of empty chairs at the table" She added, sternly

Elias took a bite of the finely dresssed meat, "I've always wondered how these would taste, it is severely under seasoned but it's still edible, but I'd take KFC over it anyday." He said, wiping his mouth as he ignored Queen's Seraphina's remark

"I'm talking to you!" She blurted out

Elias wiped his mouth, and looked the queen in her eye, "Calm down, I'll eat you next" he said, a smirk on his face

"How dare you?!" She exclaimed

"Quiet" Elias commanded, as he placed his hand on her thighs, and the queen instantly froze up, "Seeing as I am not in chains, I'm guessing you didn't tell your husband about last night, or maybe you did and he's fine with it, seeing as he's a cuck" he continued, squeezing her thighs tighter as he spoke

"Ahn..mhn…Don't…say that. Stop at once…" She said between heavy breaths, her face taking on a bright shade of red as her frank composure began to melt

Elias took his and higher and cupped her bosom firmly, "He did say you should keep me company, maybe he wanted me to take you. In fact, maybe he is watching right now"

Seraphina's breath grew heavier and her moans grew louder, she looked around trying to check if the King was actually watching.

"St..op, not here. Someone might see"

"Ohh, 'not here', so we can do it somewhere else?" Elias asked with a grin

"That's not what I meant"

"That's exactly what you meant" Elias said, as she brought her face within an inch of his, "While I would love to take you here, I have important things to do"

He let go of her, took a piece of bread and began walking toward the dining hall's door,

The queen's face whitened with shock "W..What?! Where are you going?" She asked

"None of your business, but if you wish to complete what we started here, come to my chambers tonight" He said, waving and not bothering to turn back

"You can't just leave after that…" Seraphina muttered to herself, her face still as red as a tomato.

**********

Once again, Elias found himself outside the castle on the streets of Eldoria,

"I need to get some decent wear for the fight. It's going to be my first impression on the public, I already look like a boy, I can't dress like one too.

But first, I need to find a merchant building. I got one gold crown from Godfrey and Eleanor. Normally that's the singular free gold crown given to players at the beginning of Arcane Days. I can't go around spending a crown, it'll attract too much attention" Elias said to himself before heading to the most trusted merchant building he had knowledge of

The Heartland, called Eldoria by almost everyone is divided into five districts, each one controlled by a family head.

District one, is the district where the King's Castle and the royal academy are located. It is the place where the nobles, lords and all the people of high status reside. This is the domain of the Sullivan House, Lord Thane's house.

District two, is the part of the Heartland where resources are brought in and managed, goods are crafted and made here. Hunters, artisans and crafters dwell here the most, it is the industrial part of the kingdom. It is closer to the forest for hunters to have easy access. This is the domain of the Sylvian House, Lady Selene's domain.

While district three Lord Varric's domain popularly known as the stormwatch is the section that holds the military, it focuses on training elite soldiers to protect Eldoria from external threats, it's also where the blacksmiths are located.

The last but not the least, the fourth district, Lady Isolde's domain, is the backbone of the economy. Trades, fishing, agriculture, currency and the general sustenance of the kingdom's economy is up to the House Ravencrest and that was Elias' first destination.

And while the fifth district was not overseen by a family head, it is the culmination and the result of the works of the four districts. A little bit of the four districts can be found in the fifth district, it is the residential area for the common folk and the middle class.

Finally Elias arrived at the most famous merchant building in Eldoria; The Golden Bazaar. On his way in, Elias could not help but notice a strange re occurence.

One in every five person was wearing an identical collar, at first he thought it was a fashion trend but then he noticed that everyone with a collar was incredibly docile and accompanied by another person.

As he observed more closely, he realized that the collar-wearers rarely spoke or made eye contact. Their movements were slow and deliberate, as if they were in a trance.

The people without collars, on the other hand, appeared attentive and alert, constantly watching over the collar-wearers.He couldn't shake the feeling that something was off.

The collars were all identical, made of a smooth, metallic material that glinted in the sunlight. They fit snugly around the neck, with no visible seams or clasps.

The design was simple, almost utilitarian, with no embellishments or decorations.The more he watched, the more uneasy he became. It was clear that the collars were not just a fashion statement. They seemed to have a deeper purpose, one that he couldn't quite grasp…at least not yet.

His mind wandered to one possible reason, but he quickly waved off such dark thoughts, he would give them the benefit of the doubt and hope the Heartland didn't have an abyss for a darkside.

The Golden Bazaar was an impressive three-story structure made from sturdy stone and fine timber. The building's facade was adorned with vibrant, hand-painted murals depicting scenes of trade, featuring farmers, traders, and sailors in harmonious exchange.

Large, arched windows on each floor allow natural light to flood the interior, showcasing the goods within. The entrance boasted a grand double door made of polished mahogany, embellished with a carving of Eldoria's symbols of trade and wealth; a golden stag.