[4] New Civilization (2)

###

"What do you mean I can't enter?"

I stood in front of a guard, my face slightly scrunched in irritation.

When I first arrived in this city, I didn't see any fortresses like the ones I remembered from the previous era. At first, I thought their defense system had evolved, perhaps using something more advanced. But now, as I walked along the pavement with a longsword strapped to my back, I was suddenly stopped and interrogated by a group of uniformed men with badges on their hats.

The man who seemed to be their leader stared at me with a neutral expression before answering,

"It's not that you can't enter. What I'm asking is, why are you carrying a weapon like that inside the city?"

He pointed at the sword on my back.

"Even though there's an Adventurer's Guild around here, you still have to abide by the established regulations."

I gave the uniformed man a flat look, then glanced at the longsword on my back.

"So… just because I have a sword, I can't enter the city?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

The man—the apparent leader of this group of guards—sighed, as if he was already tired of dealing with people like me.

"That's not it," he said, his voice patient but slightly exasperated. "The rule is simple: large weapons like longswords or spears must be stored while inside the city."

I narrowed my eyes. "Stored? Where?"

"We have a storage facility at the city gate," he explained, pointing to a small building near the entrance. "Or, if you insist on carrying it, you have to wrap it up and keep it sheathed at all times."

I stayed silent for a moment, processing the information.

So, they weren't banning adventurers from carrying weapons—just making sure they weren't too conspicuous.

I glanced around. Many people were walking the streets, and some of them did carry weapons—but they were properly wrapped in cloth or neatly secured in their sheaths.

Meanwhile, I?

A kid with a longsword strapped to his back, completely unsheathed—walking around like a barbarian fresh out of the wilderness.

...Okay, I could see why they stopped me.

I let out a deep sigh and shrugged. "Alright. I'll wrap it up."

One of the guards, who had been silent until now, finally spoke. "If you don't have a sheath or cloth for it, you can buy one from a nearby shop."

I frowned. "I have to buy one?"

"Yes," he said, crossing his arms. "Or you can store your sword in our facility."

I muttered under my breath. This world had really changed…

Back in my era, there were no ridiculous rules like this. Adventurers could walk around with their weapons drawn, and no one cared.

But now? They even had a weapon storage system at the city gates.

I exhaled heavily. "Fine, fine. I'll buy something to cover it."

The lead guard nodded. "Good. Just don't cause any trouble. Now, can I see your citizen identification card?"

"Hah?" I frowned. A citizen identification card? What was that? Wasn't an adventurer's card usually enough?

Seeing my confused expression, the man crossed his arms and sighed as if he had expected this.

"Judging by your reaction, you don't have one, do you?" he said, his tone slightly sharp.

I was still trying to grasp the situation. "So… I need an identification card just to enter this city?"

"Yes. Every resident or registered visitor is required to have one," he explained in a formal tone. "Without it, we can't allow you to roam freely in Apex."

I swallowed hard. This was completely different from my previous era.

Back then, adventurers could come and go as they pleased as long as they had a guild card. No one cared where you were from, as long as you didn't cause trouble.

But now? They even had an official identification system for everyone.

"In that case…" the lead guard continued, "you'll need to come with us to the police station for further inspection."

I blinked. "The what?"

"The police station," he repeated. "Where we process people without proper identification."

I fell silent.

Police?

Who the hell were they?!

Long story short, a lot happened after I was taken by a group of people who called themselves the police.

In my previous era, I would have called them city guards, but apparently, much had changed over time. Every era had its own rules and systems—and I had to accept that.

Since I didn't have an official identity, my situation was a little complicated.

In this kingdom, people were considered adults at the age of fifteen, and at that age, they were required to have a citizen identification card.

Of course, I didn't have one, so they took me to their office to go through a long and tedious registration process.

And just like that, an entire day was wasted.

By the time everything was finally settled, the sky had already darkened. My stomach rumbled softly, reminding me that I hadn't eaten anything all day.

"Damn… what a tiring day."

I let out a long sigh and gazed at the city streets, now illuminated by glowing magical lamps.

Well, no point in complaining.

For now, I just needed to find an inn and get some rest.

Tomorrow, I would register as an adventurer—just like I did in the past.

The next morning, I woke up early and immediately started my usual running routine before sunrise.

Aside from training my body, this also helped me get familiar with the city's layout.

And in short? I was amazed by this era.

So many things had changed—far more than I had expected.

One of the most fascinating sights was a massive iron carriage emitting thick smoke. Its long carriages moved steadily across a large bridge spanning over a river.

I wasn't sure of its exact size, but one thing was clear—it was far more advanced than anything from my time.

Even more surprising was the fact that, despite the early hour, people were already up and about.

Back in my time, most people didn't start their day until the sun was high, but here, the city was bustling from dawn.

"Hmm, this is a good thing," I muttered as I continued running.

After circling the area around my inn a few times, I finally returned.

As soon as I arrived, I grabbed a towel and prepared to clean myself like usual. However, as my eyes landed on a small room with a water symbol on its door, I stopped.

"Wait… is this… a bathroom?"

I opened the door slightly, and sure enough—inside was a shower, something that only nobles and the wealthy had access to in my past life.

I let out a breath, feeling both impressed and bewildered.

"So even ordinary inns have these now?"

Of course, I wasn't complaining.

On the contrary—this was amazing. I could bathe properly without having to find a river or resort to wiping myself down with a damp cloth like before.

I removed my clothes and stepped inside. The moment the warm water touched my skin, I allowed my body to relax.

"Yeah… I guess progress isn't so bad after all."