Chapter 285: Little Majesty and the Royal Guard
Merchant Alliance, Old City of Edinburgh.
The name of this ancient city originated from the kingdom that once ruled this land—the Dawn Alliance, a political entity jointly governed by ancient nobles and a Mage Council, which had its moment of glory, where magic and chivalry shone together.
However, in the end, due to the arrogance of the ruling class, internal divisions began, leading to civil strife and destruction. The newly risen nobles allied with the foreign Visagi Coalition Army, breached Edinburgh's sturdy city walls, the Dawn Alliance was destroyed, its legacy carved up, and this land welcomed new masters.
As for the defeated Dawn mages, they wandered southward with their knowledge, ancient texts, and hearts full of resentment, eventually taking root in the southern kingdoms. Their heritage and knowledge, to some extent, contributed to the rare flourishing of magic seen in the south today.
Therefore, in the south, the status of mages is extremely high. Whether nobles, merchants, or commoners, when encountering a professional mage, they often have to respectfully address them as "Master."
At this moment, the streets of Old Edinburgh are bustling. Caravans from the White Horse Kingdom brought sturdy, well-fed, and exceptionally durable high-quality warhorses. The stalls of spice merchants from the south are filled with finely packaged small bags of cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper... Occasionally, one can even see stalls selling simple magical items, such as constant-temperature crystals, illuminating staffs, and healing potions.
And in the corners untouched by sunlight, those winding, narrow "black market" alleys permeated with a damp, moldy smell circulate things far richer and more dangerous than what's on the surface—contraband magical materials, antiquities of dubious origin, hiding information for wanted individuals, and even certain secret intelligence enough to cause unrest.
"Done, haggling successful." In a dark dead-end alley, Nilly patted non-existent dust off her hands, looking satisfied at the information broker knocked out on the ground. She gestured for Leon beside her to drag this guy into a more hidden spot behind a pile of garbage.
"Still trying to scam me?" Nilly curled her lip, her tone full of disdain. "Daring to ask for three gold coins for such lousy information? Did you really think Auntie has never been out, never seen the world?"