Port City of Callium

Port City of Callium

"The mainland smells really different."

The group has now arrived at the port city of Callium, a large bustling port city in the northern mainland of the Aquintanian Empire, home of more than half a million inhabitants, the city is largely different those from the Nors peninsula in size and power.

Different from the cold and frigid lands of the north, the surrounding lands of Callium is not covered in snow. It might be still cold as it is in the northernmost region of the mainland, but it can't be compared to the cold and snowy lands of the Nors peninsula.

Excited, Princess Tessia, is looking at the city streets and stalls in glee as it is her first time travelling in the city incognito and only a few escorts. As a princess of the empire, she can't have the regular freedom and experience a noble or a commoner could have.

She looks like a child in a new fun place. Constance and his knights are looking at her with warm eyes, the princess is still a young child, sixteen years old in fact, and being swept into the political and imperial struggles in the capital ruined the childhood she could have.

Her knights in particular understand her the most as they have been with her since she was a child several years ago.

Constance thought that it would not be a bad idea for them to have fun and to rest for a day here in the city, they had already travelled for days, and the emperor wouldn't mind if they were delayed for a day.

Constance and the group then decided that as they had just arrived in the mainland, they would stay a day in this city before moving towards the capital. They would explore the city and have fun, or they can take a rest to the inn they reserved in the capital

Constance's knights immediately celebrated the decision to stay here for a day, especially Emile who is planning to go to a drinking bar then a brothel.

Lady Elisa and Lady Sasha agreed to the proposal as they want the princess to enjoy at least a day away from the political struggles and conflicts in the capital.

Constance decided that he would follow Princess Tessia's group instead of his knights who were sure to scatter right away on their own as they had different things they wanted to do. Emile drinking and partying with girls in the bar, Markus looking at the news and information around, Roderick finding some place to relax and John eating around in different stalls.

It would be better if he would go with the Princess as he can assure her safety, as long as he is with the Princess, he could respond to any situation and problem that would arise on the spot.

After deciding who goes who, Princess Tessia dragged immediately Constance and the two female knights around the market square of Callium.

When they arrived at the city square, they could see a huge crowd of people. Children, women, men, old people, nobles and commoners, filled the entire place that their eyes could see.

Rows of stalls and shops are spread across the large city square the city has provided to the merchants and sellers for them to sell their wares and products to the inhabitants of the city.

The dynamic and active interaction of the people in the city square amazed Princess Tessia, it was her first time seeing and visiting what really happened in public without interruption of a noble or royal visit.

Every time she visited a city square in a city in the past, the people were forced to give way and pay respect as she was an imperial princess of the empire. Guards and soldiers are always guarding her, making the people interact with her from a distance and in fear or due to her position.

She thinks that the situation of those times is not the truth of what the reality would happen.

And now that she had come here secretly and without a large number of guards, it made her really happy as she could come here and see what was truly happening in the streets and squares of the city. Even if Constance and the two female knights are following her, she can now witness the reality of the life in the city.

Princess Tessia's eye is sparkling looking and walking around the city square when Constance notices a stall selling a fried skewer. When he smelled the savoring aroma of the fried skewer, he felt hungry, and his stomach rumbled.

He opens his pouch to get some coins to buy a few fried skewers to satiate his hunger. He approaches the skewer stall while Princess Tessia and the female knights are busy looking around.

The man cooking the skewers look to Constance, scrutinizing him. As he sees the sword sheathe in his waist, he realizes that the man in front of him is a knight.

"Sir knight, how many skewers do you want to buy?"

"Give me six."

"It's six bronze coins, Sir knight."

Constance then gave him ten bronze coins and said to keep the change. He tastes the skewer, and it is really good, it is really hard to screw up a fried skewer.

"Sir knight, where do you come from?"

"North..."

"Across the straight Sir Knight?" asks the skewer vendor. He prepares a few new skewers as the one he is cooking is now all cooked. They can talk peacefully as there are still no other customers at the skewer stall.

"Yes."

"You fought in the war against those bearded barbarians Sir Knight?"

"Yes, for six months."

Astonished, the skewer vendor added two skewers to the one Constance brought.

"This is on the house Sir Knight. Everyone who fought in the north across the straight is a hero for us people here in Callium," the skewer vendor added. "After the successful wars against those barbarians, raids and pillages across the coasts is non-existent anymore Sir Knight. We can now sail in peace thanks to those heroes, especially the young wolf of the north, Lord Arignon. I heard he fought together with his men in the battlefield personally."

The vendor is praising the men who fought on the north wholeheartedly, especially the commander who he didn't realize is the one in front of him.

"We have just done our jobs and duties as a soldier of the empire."

"And the only ones in the empire who faithfully follow their duties."

The skewer vendor said sighing. The empire had become corrupt and dangerous for ordinary citizens like him, the army become stagnant and fat, the borders neglected and the commanders arrogant and ignorant.

Only a few have remained true to the code of the knights and soldiers of the empire.