Ice and Snow #5

As they came to a halt, the people ahead turned to look back towards the new arrivals with gazes full of curiosity.

Further towards the front there was a burly and tall man who was confronting the guards that blocked the way. "What do you mean? Why should I pay for entry when I will only be staying for a short time. This is ridiculous! You people from the capital are all thieves!"

The guards frowned and one placed their hand on the sword on their waist. "This is not any place that anyone can just enter. If you wish to enter then pay the entry fee but if you do not wish to then get lost. You are wasting everyones time and causing the line to grow."

The burly man snorted and threw the guard a glare before walking away. "I heard that this place was the best place to gain opportunities and for anyone to turn their life around but it seems that those rumours were just a way to lure people in."

The burly man had been lead to the capital by the rumours that it was a vibrant place full of many opportunities and resources compared to most other places.

He had been a warrior of his tribe and went on a journey to the capital in the hopes of finding himself a better way to live his life.

People in his situation would either be turned away at the gate or find it difficult to adjust to the capital but those lucky enough would be able to find work somewhere.

If they had enough talents then there were always ways they could earn a place to work for one of the major families of the capital.

The main problem was that the taxes for living in the city and the entry fees were something ordinary people could not easily afford.

Even if they could pay the entry fee, if they did not find a way to support themselves quickly they would only help in adding to the numbers of the homeless and starving people out on the streets that froze to death every year.

In most places where there was a capital city there were many opportunities but the competition within would be very fierce and the prices for living would be much higher so it was easier for most people to live in another smaller city or town where they could live a more carefree life.

Even if they did find work within a capital they would find it difficult to establish a comfortable and stable place for themselves and would find themselves making many enemies or would become a pawn for those in power so they would be caught up in all kinds of struggles that would happen within the city between the various influences.

Ki watched as the man walked away with an angry expression on his face and then thought to herself. 'It does not matter much about the environment and culture, there will always be similar things happening no matter where we are.'

She had witnessed similar scenes too many times on her journeys in her previous life and there were even times where she was stopped at the gates by the guards and treated unfairly due to her appearance.

Ki did not mind the checkpoints and the guards guarding them so long as they were professional about their job but humans were always acting out of others predictions.

Some people could be filled with curiosity, some with kindness, some with malice while others were filled with other things like jealousy or lust.

A bandaged person who often wore masks and cloaks would draw attention to herself and even the most diligent of guards would ask her to remove her disguise and to identify herself.

If she was lucky enough to find a bribable guard then she could pay to skip those things but there would always be someone to was forceful or insisted that she reveal herself.

If the guards were bad enough then they showed her appearance off to those around her and caused her a large amount of emotional trauma from the looks she received along with the words spoken by those that witnessed her appearance.

One of the reasons why she was so familiar with the various routes and off roads around the central lands and could easily navigate around them was because she did not enter any cities or pass through any checkpoints unless it was absolutely necessary so she never had to experience similar things again.

Being treated like a monster or freak was a normal occurrence for her in her previous life until she had risen to power but that did not stop others from whispering behind her back.

The queue was shortening after the burly man had left and Ki's group was closer to the front.

Another carriage was in front which had opened up after there was another argument that broke out.

"Sir, show your families emblem then you do not need to pay."

"Damn! You are causing my young master to be delayed! He did not bring it! Look at the carriage! Do you honestly think anyone can have a carriage made from those kinds of materials?"

"The carriage behind is more luxurious and I have seen my share of people entering the city… it does not matter if your young master really is a famous person or a noble. Rules are rules. Pay the fee or present the emblem."

The guard was very strict in his duties even at the risk of offending someone which was a good thing as he was impartial in his duties and did not look the other way but it could earn him some enemies due to his flexibility.

The carriage door opened and a young man in his late teens stepped down who was dressed in thick clothing made from wolf hides. "What is the problem here?"

His aide ran over and complained. "Young master, I have explained who you are but they keep insisting we pay the entry fee since we do not have the families emblem with us."

The young master frowned. "So troublesome, I forgot it as we were leaving but we have never had this problem before in the past. What is the problem exactly?"

The aide sighed. "Young master, this guard is too stubborn. Should we teach him a lesson?"

The young master looked around and frowned. "No. Pay him and stop wasting time. There are too many people around and this will reach father's ears if we cause problems at the gate. Remember his face and name for me."

The aide bowed happily as he watched his young master enter the carriage again.

He then ran back towards the gate and passed over the coins to pay for the fee but as they were gained entry, he walked by the guard and said in a smug tone. "You are done for. Ha."

He was imagining the strict and inflexible guard's face crumble to despair as their life was turned upside down by the power of their young master.

He had wished to see it much sooner but was disappointed that the young master could not lash out in a public place.

Not every noble was fully aware of their surroundings and their image so they acted out and brought shame to their families but the young master was among those which were very conscious of the crowd and how his actions would damage his reputation.

It was not worth causing a fuss over a small amount of coins which the family saw as nothing.

If he did cause problems over it then everyone would say he was petty, unruly and cheap.

Even though it was his own fault, he and his aide would still hold a grudge against the guard for carrying out his duty properly.

The guard was left behind as a cold gaze watched him as the carriage passed by which caused the guard to become a little paler.

Another guard went to his side and patted his shoulder roughly. "Sigh.. you should really learn to look the other way at times like this. You are only making enemies by doing this."

The guard shook his head. "Security needs to be maintained and the fees need to be collected otherwise we will be the ones to be punished for failing in our duties."

They were just carrying out their duties as part of their job but whether they chose to carry out their duties as they should or looked the other way at times, there was always a risk of something coming back to cause them problems.

If they failed to collect the fees and they did not match up with the amount of people entering then they would be blamed for stealing some of the fees themselves and neglecting their duties.

The collection of fees was mainly to help fund the activities of the capital from the royals and nobles so they would be the first to complain if there was anything missing and there would be people fired or punished if there was any problems.

The fees and taxes would be put towards the maintenance and security of the capital along with funding the activities of the nobles.

If someone did not have an emblem with them then it was their own fault for not bringing it with them and others should not have to suffer for their mistakes but it did not mean that all people were rational enough to accept that.

It was actually pointless for a noble to even hold a grudge over such a thing if they made a mistake because that money may end up finding its way back into their pockets but it was not really a matter of money for the young master and instead was due to his pride being affected more than anything else.

The other guard patted the shoulder of his friend. "Go report it to the boss first so we can prepare. Hopefully you will be able to keep your job."

The guard frowned and walked away. "You are right.. so troublesome these nobles are. Everywhere they go they just keep causing problems for others."

The other guard chuckled then waved towards the carriages while counting the amount of carriages and sleds entering.

He calculated the entry fee for them based on the amount of carriages and people or animals then held out his hand. ".. so that is how much it will be for all of you. Pay up."

The person handling the greetings was one of the workers for the Bombyx family who counted the money then paid him which allowed their entry into the capital.

Ki passed by the open gates and entered the city to see the old buildings made from strong and sturdy materials which had not been broken down or had deteriorated after they had been built up and had been maintained from a very long time ago.

Further into the capital was a towering palace which shone brightly at its centre and stood out the most out of anything else in the capital.

Ki observed it from far away and her eyes shined. "So that is the crystal palace of the northern royals. How beautiful."