Looking at Alfonso, who was fully armed, Huggins tapped his helmet: "In Twilight City, you don't need to carry this iron bucket at all."
Alfonso hesitated for a moment: "I'm wearing the dragon bone armor, you should know that, those things on my head..."
"It's alright, it's alright!" Huggins said with a smile. "The aliens have long been a part of Twilight City. Let alone showing their faces, even if they take off their armor and walk around in their dragon bones, it won't be a big deal."
With a hint of disbelief, Alfonso took off his helmet, and the parasite's limbs on his head slowly stretched out, beginning to twist and writhe incessantly.
The people who came to worship at the cathedral only glanced at Alfonso before continuing with their own business.
Alfonso glanced around, a slight sense of relief settling in his heart: "The cross I brought... His Majesty instructed..."
“That matter has been handled entirely by Lord Emerson, so you don’t need to worry about it anymore…” Huggins pointed to the door: “It’s been a long time since I’ve been back to Muxi City. Otherwise, I’ll take you out for a walk.”
"However, His Majesty also told me that I was in charge of taking some people away."
Huggins waved his hand: "That matter isn't urgent. I'll let you meet them later."
Alfonso spread his hands: "In that case, I need to go somewhere first."
Huggins suddenly realized: "Oh, right, I think I know where you're going..."
An hour later, Alfonso and Hudgens stood in a cemetery, with Alfonso placing a bouquet of flowers on a tombstone.
“Adelina…” Hudgens looked at the name on the tombstone, lost in thought: “She was the woman who sacrificed her life in the Battle of Muxi.”
“I owe her so much…” Alfonso, who had been kneeling on one knee, slowly stood up: “So much…”
Looking around, Alfonso asked, "There seem to be a lot more tombstones here?"
Huggins nodded: "His Majesty has decreed that this hill be designated as the royal cemetery, and only those who have made great contributions to the country can be buried here after their death. No one, for any purpose, may requisition or use this land."
Alfonso sighed, "So that's how it is. Now that I think about it... I owe His Majesty a lot..."
Huggins nodded: "Let's go, let's take a look around the city."
After leaving the cemetery, the two sat in a carriage and began their city tour along the clean and wide streets.
"The permanent residents of Muxi City now number over 220,000. If tourists, laborers, and sailors are included, the number could exceed 500,000."
As Huggins pointed to the crowded streets, he said with considerable pride, "Looking at all the countries within the diocese, even the entire population of the Papal States and its vassal states cannot compare to the population of just one city, Muxi."
Alfonso leaned out of the carriage and said with a hint of helplessness, "I'd much rather ride a horse than sit in this."
Huggins said with a smile, "The Cabinet has issued a decree prohibiting horseback riding in downtown areas. However, members of parliament and knights are permitted to own carriages."
Seeing Huggins' smile, Alfonso frowned, but ultimately chose to remain silent.
"Look there! That's the Victory Day Fountain Garden, the largest and most luxurious man-made lake garden on the entire continent. The huge fountain in the center of the lake, which is over twenty meters high, alone cost a full thirty thousand gold coins. At night, the fountain, the lake water, the spotlights, and the colorful glass turntable all turn on at the same time, making this man-made lake garden look like paradise."
"That is the Holy King's pilgrimage palace. A golden statue of His Majesty was crafted there at great expense, and it also houses precious works of art collected from various kingdoms..."
Alfonso turned around and interrupted Huggins: "Who paid for the construction of these buildings?"
“Of course it’s the Cabinet. I remember when you first left, the Cabinet, which was responsible for the kingdom’s public expenditures, was penniless. Sometimes they even had to borrow money from the royal family to pay their staff’s salaries. Now everything is different. Muxi City has become wealthy. Although the tax rate has not changed, the tax revenue is ten times what it used to be. The Cabinet can use more money to spend on public construction and landscape roads. Isn’t that a good thing?”
After hearing Harkins' words, Alfonso turned his head away noncommittally and continued to look at the dazzling "prosperous scene" of Twilight City before him.
Suddenly, something abruptly caught Alfonso's eye, prompting him to stop the carriage.
Hearing Alfonso's shout, Huggins looked in the direction he was pointing.
A middle-aged man in tattered clothes, with two thin, young girls, huddled in a corner, looking at passersby with pleading eyes.
In front of them lay a wooden sign with a drawing of a loaf of bread and a crying face at the top, and the words "Hungry! Please give me food!" written in Common tongue crookedly below.
Looking surprised, Alfonso pointed at the three people—one adult and two children—and asked Huggins, "Are these people refugees who came to Muxi City to escape?"
The latter looked at them carefully, shook his head and said, "No, these people are legitimate citizens of Muxi City."
Alfonso's eyes widened: "What did you say?! How could a law-abiding citizen of Twilight City be reduced to begging on the streets?!"
Huggins lowered the carriage curtain and gestured for Alfonso to lower his voice: "It's a long story, I'll explain as we go."
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