20 Arrival at Windberg

It has been about a week since I left the castle. My delay isn't because of my horses, no, it is because I wanted to savor the journey. Both Spirit and Specter are incredibly fast, with massive amounts of stamina, basically the perfect horses, but I've been holding them back so I could see the sights. Sure, most of what I saw was just grasslands and a few forested mountains, but it was fun to see all the different kinds of wildlife as well. I even made two new friends: a fox kit and a a wolf pup. The parents had been killed by some Poachers, and they were about to capture the two infants, so I stepped in and saved them.

The duo are named Ruun and Cana. Ruun is the fox and Cana is the wolf. Since they are babies, I'll be keeping them mostly within my soul, bringing them out only to train. I asked the [Archive] what breeds they are and I got an answer. Ruun is a Herald Fox, an invasive species from a country to the east. Apparently the herald name comes from that culture's belief of foxes being messengers from the Gods. Cana is a Saber Wolf, named after its saber-like canines, though she doesn't have any teeth yet. Ruun is snow white, with a single dot of red fur on her forehead, and Cana is a burnished gold with black sock markings.

So far I've seen a few scattered villages, with large crop fields. Strangely, the wheat here isn't that iconic gold, rather it's more of a silver. There are a couple other kinds of plants too, like large black potatoes, blood red carrots and some lustrous golden corn. It was like a scene of pure food fantasy, but the occupants of these shanty villages seemed like they weren't growing these crops willingly. The faces I saw were ones of frustration and agony. That's when it clicked, these Humans and Beastfolk weren't free, they were slaves. The few Beastfolk that were there had even been mutilated, their ears mangled and tails removed.

The slavery system in this world is one that tries to do good with the unjust label. There are two kinds of slaves: True Slaves and Serfs. A Serf is a person who voluntarily indentures themselves as a way to repay debts, they are allowed to own homes and live a relatively normal life. After they have served out their time, they are typically released from servitude, though some may choose to continue their work. Slaves, on the other hand, are either criminals, prisoners of war, or, unfortunately, people who were in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Those who end up as slaves are forever unable to regain their freedom. Unable to own property or earn money in any capacity, they are purely used for hard labor. Slaves are allowed only the bare minimum, a shack and daily rations. Death tends to come much sooner than normal, as the physical stress weakens their vitality. Typically, slaves don't last much more than ten years if serving under a tyrannical owner. Commands are enforced by use of either Cursed or Enchanted collars or cuffs. Disobedience is rewarded with agonizing pain attacking their entire body.

There is one exception to the True Slave, that is both active and former nobles. Those who hold or held titles are exempt from becoming slaves, only serfs. It is the main example of preferential treatment that most civilians protest. Nobles have another advantage as well, they can only become serfs to those with higher ranks. From what I've learned while reading in the library back at home, there are eight total titles: The lowest rank Knight, Baronet, Baron, Viscount, Earl, Marquess, Duke, and finally the highest rank Archduke. A Knight can be given the title by any noble higher than a Baron. A Baronet may be granted nobility by either Dukes or Archdukes. All other titles are reserved for the King's decision.

An Archduke is near equal in status to a Prince, and because of that, only the most trusted Duke is allowed to ascend to the position. In order to prove themselves, Dukes will undergo a trial or test, to see if they are truly worthy of the power. If they fail, they are stripped of their rank, and must climb the ladder once more. So far, the Archduke's slot remains empty as no current noble is willing to risk their title for it.

I may try interfering with that affair, I'll try and find a trustworthy noble to help advance to that rank. It should keep me occupied for a while, so I have some time to think up a way to free Dad. I'm just worried that power may get to my ally's head and he/she will start making poor decisions. Hopefully I won't have to deal with them and my worries never come to pass. It is wishful thinking to hope that someone won't get corrupted by power or money, but I'm going to try and prevent it. But all that is for the future, for now I just have to worry about my Adventurer's Exam.

I think I'm getting closer to the city, maybe a few hundred more miles. I should arrive in a couple hours, I might want to get more presentable before then. It has been about two days since I last washed myself and my civilian clothes have been damaged after I did some extra hunting. Let's see if I can't find a river or small lake to wash off in.

*A Hour Later*

I found one, a small lake. It's time for a bath, but first I need to check for other people. Hmm, I don't can't seem to find anybody within the range of my Aura Vision, guess it's safe to start. I'll keep my magic on just in case, I don't want to get caught up in anything. Let's just get this done quickly before somebody stumbles in here. I store all my clothes in Alliaster, and dive into the water.

It's cold, but it doesn't affect me much due to my Dragon traits. I know I have some soap somewhere, I just need to find it and start thoroughly scrubbing myself. I don't want any strange smell clinging to me when I enter Windberg.

*20 Minutes Later*

Alright, let's get back onto the road, I've delayed long enough. The city of Windberg should just an hour away. I'll let Specter finish out our journey, Spirit needs a break anyway. She has been trotting non-stop for a week after all. As soon as I summon Specter, I get tackled by her. Seems she was jealous of all the time that Spirit was out, even though she gets more time outside than her. Stroking her mane, she slowly calms down and steps back.

I retrieve her saddle from storage and put it on her back. Once finished attaching it, I climb onto Specter. And now we can leave.

*2.5 Hours later*

There it is, Windberg. It truly is a marvelous city, the smell of the sea in every breeze. I can see how active the market is from here, with hundreds of fish being sold every minute. The bazaar is home to a myriad of different species of seafood. Crabs, lobster, flatfish, bass, marlin, even sharks are for sale. A literal smorgasbord. I feel like even if I spent a hundred years here, I would have only scratched the surface of what the ocean has to offer.

There is a wooden wall surrounding the outskirts, the gate in the middle being a checkpoint. The guards are lightly armored, wearing only basic chain-mail cuirass and simple steel helms. Some wield spears while others have swords. Posted on the wall are a few archers, armed with longbows. From what I can tell, these guards are just for show, their weapons are absolute trash. The spear shafts are cracked and splintering, while the swords are rusty and chipped. The bows are an exception, they have been properly maintained. Unfortunately, longbows have long been surpassed by more modern counterparts like crossbows and composite bows.

This defense may stand up to a roaming band of wolves, but not any large monsters. Luckily for Windberg, monsters don't come here, and there aren't many predatory animals in the surrounding forests. Most of whatever defense budget this city has is spent on naval combat. There are quite a few dangerous sea creatures that like the taste of land dwellers. To name a few: Sea Serpents, Draconic Turtles, and Great-Horn Sharks. Of course, those three examples are some of the largest creatures in the sea, dwarfing Blue Whales.

Walking over to the guards, I hear one of them jolt up and smack his partner. The other guard looks at me, examining closely in an attempt to see what got his friend rattled. His eyes stop when they reach my head, where my horns start sweeping back. His eyes widen in surprise, and his mouth gapes when he also notices my pointed ears. I guess a combination of Elf and Dragon must be completely unheard of in the Human settlements, not many Dragons are willing to have relations with the mortal Races.

After a bit of silence, I clear my throat and say,

"*Ahem* I'd like to enter town if that's alright? I'm not here to cause trouble, just to take the Exam for Adventurers. If you'd like I'd even be willing to have my weapons checked."

The first guard snaps out of his daze and answers back

"There's not much reason to search you, if you wanted you could just kill us and stroll on through."

"I'm not that sort of person, I don't kill without reason. I'm kind of offended you think that low of me, sir." I intentionally add a hint of anger to my voice.

"My apologies, Mister Dragon, it's just that we don't get many Dragon visitors. So, most of what I know of them comes from fairy tales. Please, continue on to the city. And, Welcome to Windberg!" The guards voice raises an octave in embarrassment. He quickly motions at the gate, and bows while welcoming me.

I have finally arrived. Now I just need to find an inn and book a room.