After having a rejuvenescent sleep the night before, I can now endure the constant rumbling of the carriage, monotone and constant. We tried to make small talk like telling stories about great heroes and relevant people in the history of this world and so bit by bit the time passes in horrid boredom, until father suddenly smiles, curious I whisper to mother.

“Mother, why is father grinning like an idiot?”

Looking at me knowingly, father replies faster than mother.

“Son, we’re here” Getting up from his seated position he grabs me and Gabriella despite her protests and takes us outside. “Look! That's Nokt one of the biggest Cities in the whole continent. We’re still an hour away more or less, but even from here you can smell the city life.”Shaking my head at the remark that only a person who has an enhanced body like father can make, I focus on the only thing I can actually see, and what greets me is a giant purplish wall that awaits us in the far off distance. Turning my head to the side I look at Gabriella and notice her hopeful look as if she has seen an oasis in the middle of the desert.

‘She really was unfortunate in her failed travels, I guess she is lucky that she found the main road and even luckier that our caravan was passing by the Raktack forest.’

“Gabriella, you’re going home.” Smiling towards her I notice the childish smile on her face and can’t help but imitate her.

An hour and a half later we encounter the end of the road followed by a purple and polished massive wall that extended itself to at least twenty meters, up above one could barely see soldiers patrolling. To block the passage of unwanted people through a gigantic wooden door with silver hinges, soldiers were also stationed below.

After arriving, we all descend from the carriages that had been our partial home for the last two weeks and headed to the main carriage at the front where Mr. Nero was engaging in small talk with a bulky guard while the rest of the soldiers were inspecting the contents and merchandise.

As we approach what I notice atop the head of the bulky man makes my eyes widen in surprise.

‘T-Those are...Animal ears, fluffy ears!’

My eyes shine in curiosity as I inspect the features of the bulky man approximately two meters in front of me. With wolf-like ears on the top of his head and the color of the silvery moon, his ears twitch to the whims of the wind. Finally reaching both men, I stare intensely at the ears in admiration for what seems like an eternity.

‘So this is a person from the Beast-race, and he should be of the wolfkin.’ Letting out a rare childish moment overcome me, I exclaimed for everyone to hear. “So awesome!”

Hearing this, everyone looks at me in a strange fashion and I immediately realize that my words might be considered offensive toward the Bulky man. Looking at me the man starts to laugh in a rowdy manner.

“Hahaha! This child is funny, never in my 224 years has anyone looked at me and used the word awesome to describe my appearance!”

“Please, I am sorry for my son’s behavior.” Shaking her head, mother apologizes in my stead while grabbing onto my sides with her fingers and pinching to the point that I think that she is trying to squeeze orange juice out of me.

“It’s ok ma’am, he’s only curious as a child should be.” The bulky soldier placed a massive hand on my head while grinning and began to mess my hair up.

“Everything has been inspected Captain Mozier!” A skinny soldier said while approaching us and the bulky Beast-Wolf nodded in acknowledgment.

Then the captain handed back some papers to Mr. Nero and said. “ Sir, everything is in check with the cargo as always and you may proceed inside." Turning his head to look at me with a smile Cap. Mozier said. "Nice to meet you kid and I hope to see you and your lovely family again.” Saying this he turned around and went back to his post.

After a few minutes of putting everything back in order, we headed for the inside of Nokt for the first time. My first impression of the city was that it offered a more of an eighteen-century European feel. While transversing a large and paved avenue, filled with people roaming about in their daily lives there were pleasant and yet subtle smells of freshly baked bread or intense flowery aromas, giving a view of prosperity and bustling activity.

After a couple of minutes of dodging the intense crowds, we arrived at a large-sized building approximately eight hundred meters away from the wall, Mr. Nero stopped the carriage while heading inside a parallel storage-like building, seeing this we descended to the firm and paved soil. Thinking of the size of the building father thought it to be the merchants guild and as such, we stood idly to one side while father and mother organized a schedule. The first thing on the list was to ask Gabriella some questions about her home.

I stood beside mother and father as they were talking with Gabriella, asking her where her house was located and on what street. At first, Gabriella resisted to talk in front of father, but the constant nagging from mother persuaded her to spill the beans shortly after. With a grin, I noticed her red face while explaining that she lived in the upper-class part of the City and that her home had a golden gate at the entrance.

Having finally discovered where Gabriella's home was located, the four of us went inside the large storage building beside the main one, there, we asked around to the busy staff for the location of Mr. Nero and what surprised us was the information provided by an employed boy, who with disdain towards our ragged clothes informed us that Mr. Nero was a busy person not only because he was a merchant but also because his status a noble, and a powerful noble at that.

Apparently, in the eyes of the young boy, Mr. Nero had no time for us because he had to manage one of the biggest trading enterprises in Nokt and at the same time manage dozens of properties, investments, and even the monthly auction. Ignoring the young boy's attitude, father headed toward the back of the large storage building where voices could be heard coming from. Reaching the cramped space, we could immediately see the figure of the pungy man dressed in fine clothes and before father could even talk, Mr. Nero turned around with a big smile and said.

“Mr. Orvar, I thank you for your assistance in this long voyage. Normally I wouldn't go on such trips anymore but this one was a bit special. It involved a certain treasure that one of the clan members in your Kingdom was interested in selling. But after a bitter turndown and a meaningless trip, I’ve met you and your lovely family and as such, it can be said to be worth all the trouble. Ha-ha.” After such monologue truly befitting a cunning noble, the man laughed like a lazy cat while his eyes narrowed, my father not familiar with such flattery scratch the back of his head.

“O-Of course Mr. Nero, it was mutually beneficial for both to have met on the road.” Then father awkwardly reached for his pouch and asked. “Forgive my forthcoming but how much do we owe you for the lift to Nokt?”

“Oh-oh, Mr. Orvar do you take me as a swindler? Through the whole trip, we benefited mutually, so let’s call it even. dare I even say that if you ever need a job, please come and see me.” Reaching for a handshake, father and Mr. Nero said their goodbyes, while we also said some parting words.

Now on the street with the sun setting on the horizon, we headed first to book a room in an inn located in the middle-class district, so we wouldn't sleep outside that night. We reached the ‘Pass-on’ Inn that Mr. Nero had recommended a few days ago while on the road and we entered a hall with a cozy and homely atmosphere.

“Hello, can I help you?” Said a woman behind the counter with a bored look on her face, probably displeased to spend her days waiting for costumers to arrive.

“Yes, we would like the suite, with breakfast and a bathtub included please.” Mother smilingly approached the woman while father hushed words of comfort to the home-sick Gabriella inside the inn. Looking around this inn, it seemed more of a personal house than an actual hotel with flowers pots and rustic sofas on the corners, while the smell of homemade meals spread through the polished wooded lobby. 'I guess the owner knows how to decorate to please and relax the guests.'

“I’m sorry the suite is already taken, but we have another room that is just as nice.” Smelling the opportunity to make money out of a country bumpkin young couple, the woman changed her attitude towards mother. Although we looked ragged, how poor could we be to ask for a suite?

“We also include a meal with the room and hot water with the bathtub. The total amount for everything is 2 gold coins.”

Mother looked towards father flabbergasted and then towards the woman not believing her words. Father, having traveled more than mother approached the counter hand in hand with Gabriella and said.

“Miss, the thing is, Mr. Nero recommended this place to us, however, he never said a thing about the steep prices. So you can understand my wife's reaction.”

After hearing the name of Nero the woman immediately excused herself about the price, brushing it off as a mistake. The inn's bill after being haggled by father like an expert, dropped from the real price of 80 silver coins to just 65 silver coins making fathers mood improve immediately, after retrieving the key we headed outside, and I spaced out remembering how the conversion and value of coins was a standard fantasy 1 (Gold) = 100 (Silver). The biggest difference from fantasy novels from earth was that if one needed greater amounts of money they could buy Nokt bank bonds, where one could cash out the amounts in an account with a balance through an easy transaction and signing process.

There was still a fair bit until dinner so father decided that taking Gabriella back home was the next move to be done. While heading towards the nobles district, we walked past clothing stores and mother began to talk about how we needed new garments for the three of us since we had lost all of our belongings and we only had the clothes on our own bodies. The quality of the goods obviously went up as we headed for the center and after we had walked for about an hour and a half we reached the nobles central district.

This part of the city was better maintained and better guarded than the lower class districts, the people weren’t in a rush and actually walked leisurely around the paved streets and few to no carriages transited through. The sight of our outfits and ragged looks must have startled quite a few of the nobles as their faces cramped when they laid eyes on us, but seeing that we didn’t seek any trouble, they let us roam until we got to a four-story mansion with a golden gate and white walls. On the inside, a luxuriously green and well-maintained garden could be seen. As I was wondering how we would make our presence noticed, I peeked at Gabriella out of curiosity and I could see her hands trembling and her lips quivering, while her moisty eyes were locked at the mahogany colored front door.

In the meanwhile disregarding all manners as always, father shouted at the top of his lungs.

“HELLO, ANYBODY INSIDE?!”