Chapter 326: Back at the gates (1/2)

The city of Higrove was situated at the southeastern edges of the Kingdom, with only a few days' distance to the southern shoreline. To the west, the seemingly endless Forest stretched all across where the eyes could see, whilst to its east you were met with what was simply nicked the 'Plains'.

A massive, ever-stretching field of plains that, just with the forest to the east, was seen as eternal, never-ending. Whilst this was obviously not true, it was a fact that besides the vague silhouette of a hillside at the far-away distance, only the slithering road and the riverside to the north was the only spectacle for the eyes of the occasional traveler.

Still, despite that, it wasn't barren, away from the prying eyes of the city walls life always found a way. Small, miniature huts stretched along the broad riverside, where a variety of folk resembling a mixture between humans and fish lived their lives.

In the thick, vibrant green, lush foil of grass, critters and smaller animals of all kinds could be spotted every now and then, with abundant variety. Whilst the vicinity of the roads were mostly safe for the wayfarers, the occasional intercourse did happen, especially during the shroud of the night.

Anyway, while the western side was mostly uninhabited, at least for what was known to the city folk, the east had several villages placed alongside the road as it ultimately slithered towards the capital, Elsaid.

Many merchants, farmers came to and fro daily with their carriages, on horseback or even on foot, to sell their wares for money or exchange them for a mixture of necessities.

All in all, whilst the city had 3 official entrances, gates to the city, all guarded by the City Guard, the eastern gate seen the most traffic throughout the day, with the southern side coming in a close second. Contrary to them, the western side rarely ever seen anybody coming in, it was mostly used by the adventurers and hunters setting out for their accepted quests and whatnot or getting back from their hunts.

As for the northern part of the town, there were no official gates, nor bridges, as that part of the city was the Nobles Quarters which also housed the City Hall, the City Lord's estate as well. There was no place in that district for the riff-raff to venture into the city. How could those of higher social standing allow the dirty wanderers to soil their territory? Not to mention the fact that the river was flowing there.

Even the guards were distributed in a fashion that matched the importance of said entrances: The east and south had a stronger presence, whilst the west was pretty lax, laid back.

Under the bright rays of the sun, 3 cloaked and hooded figures could be seen walking at a leisurely pace on the dusty road. They were sticking to the left side of the roads, letting the mounted traffic pass by them without any issues.

All three were mostly of the same height, with two obviously having a more masculine physique than the third, more slender, slicker figure.

They were sticking to the main road, their destination was clear, they wanted to reach the city.

As they walked, the figure walking at the center, who also happened to be wearing a black, faceless mask spoke up. His tone was calm, not showing any signs of the wear and tear of the long journey they must have gone through over the course of several hours by now. What was strange, however, was the language he spoke. It was not the common most of the human civilization was used to, it was hoarse, and rough-sounding, primitive.

”[Goblin] Galina, my dear. Make sure to not say a word once we get to the city. You have not learned the human language as of yet. Although most would have no idea, some might still recognize bits and pieces of it. Let's not risk anything. If you want to ask something, just use the mental connection, okay?”

The feminine, cloaked figure that was walking on his left nodded silently. Following her young master's command, she spoke out mentally instead.

'[Goblin] Yes, young master. I will follow your commands!' Her tone was cheerful, she was clearly in a happy, elated mood. How could she not? After a long session of preparation, she was allowed to accompany her master to the city and wasn't forced back to the other world!

Also, even though she was incapable of their speech, her looks matched that of a certain fiery, red-haired princess that was almost going crazy by the unease she was feeling. A few minutes ago, as the sturdy walls of the city appeared on the horizon, her masked young master gave her the command to use the ring she received from the third member of their small group, the silver-haired human prince, Drake.