Chapter 86 A Day in the Life, This Place Is So Nice
Half an hour later, Verion changed into his mage robes, accompanied only by Xiwen.
Ancia looked around and saw guards dressed in ordinary clothes scattered into the surrounding environment, but some clues could still be discerned from their figures and aura.
Ancia twitched the corner of her mouth, "...Never mind, it's better than not pretending at all."
She said to Vilian, “Today there is no His Majesty, only two ordinary three-star mages. Remember this rule: only look, only listen, ask questions, and do not judge. If you agree, we will set off.”
Villion nodded. "Of course, I'm looking forward to what I'll see today."
Ancia led Verion along the main street of the Eternal City, the most bustling street in the city. Even though he had only changed into a robe, Verion had a completely new impression of the city.
Throughout his more than ten years as Crown Prince, every time he appeared in the Eternal City, he was always in a magnificent carriage, surrounded by guards and attendants. The people did not recognize him, but when they saw the array of guards, they would subconsciously fall silent. The Eternal City had never been so vivid in his memory.
Today happens to be the day the market is open, and many vendors selling small commodities have appeared on the streets.
Ancia stopped in front of a craft stall. Lifelike wooden carvings were displayed on a checkered cloth. Each one was only the size of a palm, with a brown surface coated with a layer of clear varnish and a smooth feel.
The wood carvings came in various shapes and sizes, with the animal carvings being particularly lifelike, which caught Ancia's attention. She picked up an upside-down bat carving and examined it in her hands.
Seeing that she liked it, the old craftsman offered to introduce it, "Your Excellency, this wood carving looks very realistic, doesn't it? It's only five gold coins each, and it's even cheaper if you buy two together."
Ancia was taken aback. It was really cheap. The artistry and craftsmanship of this wood carving justified the price. "Did you carve this? It's an excellent piece of work. I really like it."
The old craftsman chuckled and said, "No, these animals were carved by my daughter. She has a natural affinity for wood." He glanced at the star markings on Ancia and Verion's chests and sighed enviously, "My daughter also has magical talent."
Verion: "Which college is she attending now?"
The old craftsman said regretfully, "She didn't go to the magic academy because the tuition was too high. Her family didn't have enough gold coins to support her studies. Now she has inherited my craft and carves wood carvings at home, which I sell."
Verion frowned. "According to the highest education decree, Gracia provides subsidies for impoverished students, so even students from slums can successfully complete their studies."
Ancia's mentor, Cheryl, is a prime example. When she entered the academy, she only had two sets of clothes to change into, but now she has become a Light Mage and has her own mage tower.
The old craftsman smiled calmly, “My lord, my daughter’s affinity is not outstanding, it’s 37 points, which is better than an ordinary person with no talent at all, but it doesn’t meet Gracia’s admission standards. And magic academies in other places are not cheap. My wife and I are in poor health and have spent a lot of money on medical treatment. We have no other choice. I’m really sorry to her.”
Verion fell silent. His own wind element affinity was 97 points, and his sister, classmates, and subordinates were all exceptionally talented.
Once commoner students in Gracia establish connections with nobles, they will never lack gold coins again.
The world will make an exception for outstanding people, but it will not extend a helping hand to ordinary people.
"I understand," Villion said in a low voice.
Ancia picked out a bat wood carving, a wolf wood carving, and an eagle wood carving with outstretched wings, and paid the old craftsman fifteen gold coins.
Old craftsman: "Buying three only costs twelve gold coins, Your Excellency, you've given me too much."
Ancia smiled. "I really love these three wood carvings and admire their craftsmanship, so I'm willing to buy them at the original price." She added sincerely, "These are the most spiritual wood carvings I've ever seen. The person who carved them must have loved their craft to have poured so much emotion into them."
Praising the old craftsman's daughter made him happier than praising him. The old craftsman nodded repeatedly, rubbing his hands shyly, "Thank you, Your Excellency."
Ancia put away the wooden carving and continued walking forward with Verion; the dining area was just ahead.
Several children surrounded the candy stand. Their clothes were a bit old, but very clean, and the torn parts had been cleverly patched into a flower by their families.
The children huddled together, collecting silver coins in their hands. "One lemon candy costs one gold coin and twenty candies. If we each eat one, we'll have..."
The lemon candies at this candy stand were the cheapest, sold in batches of twenty. Ancia bought twenty and went over to the children, saying, "Little friends, could you take me to Jenny's bakery? If you take me there, these candies will be your reward."
The children happily accepted the task and headed towards Jenny's bakery. "Sister, this way! There are fewer people here, and it's a shorter route."
Ancia turned to Verion and said, "See, they're easy to please, aren't they? All it takes is a little sweetness."
Verion nodded slightly, while Sven followed behind them with a complicated expression.
The area in front of Jenny's Bakery was packed with people. Some were noble servants who came to buy food for their masters, while others were commoners who had saved up for a long time and wanted to treat themselves to a better meal today.
Ancia stood at the end of the line, tiptoed to look at the line in front, and saw a sign at the very front that read "New Products Today". "Wow, it seems like they have new products today, no wonder there are so many people."
She pulled Verion to join the queue, and Sven had no choice but to stand up as well. The people behind them in the queue were somewhat apprehensive and kept a slight distance from the three people dressed in priest and mage robes.
Verion was intrigued; he had never experienced queuing before. The line moved slowly forward, and the expressions of the people in front changed accordingly. Some went from impatience to relaxation, while others became increasingly expectant.
Finally, it was Ancia's turn. She ran her fingers across the counter and said, "Three of all the new products and best-selling breads, I want to take them home and share them."
The owner called out a number, quickly collected the money, and at the same time leaned out of the queue and shouted to the people at the back, "This batch is sold out! The next batch will be available in twenty minutes!"
Some people left the queue, and more people joined in.
Anciya asked with a smile, "Boss, your business is doing well, making a fortune every day."
The boss sat down to catch his breath, then lifted his apron to wipe his hands. "The customer traffic has been good lately, but the flour tax has gone up again, so we haven't made much more money. And there's the royal celebration coming up soon, which is tough on us small business owners."
Verion was taken aback. "Isn't the celebration supposed to be a joyous occasion for the people?"
The shopkeeper smiled wryly, “Oh, my esteemed mage, you have no idea. There are celebrations for the new emperor’s ascension to the throne, commemorations for the late emperor’s death anniversary, and parades for His Majesty and the princess’s birthdays… Every time, it’s us, the shops along the street, who voluntarily donate money. It’s voluntary, but who dares not to donate? Each time it’s a hundred gold coins! We can’t earn that much even if we sell bread for a month.”
She lowered her voice, her chubby face full of worry, "Those tax collectors, we have to prepare a hardship allowance for them every time, otherwise they'll find fault with us, saying that our flour is not of the right grade, or that our ingredients are not clean... Sigh, all these things add up, how can we make any money?"
Verion: "...Have you considered telling the people above? His Majesty might not know these details."
The boss shook his head. "How could he know? We used to always hope that the previous emperor would abdicate and let the current emperor take over, but it seems that things aren't much better now than before."
Xiwen's expression changed, and he subconsciously looked at Vilian, preparing to judge whether to warn the boss based on his reaction.
Verion fell silent.
This is just a common problem for a bakery owner, and it doesn't seem to matter much.
But the majority of this empire consists of ordinary people, who form the cornerstone of this empire.
Stone is durable and useful; it can support a country. If a stone cracks, you can simply replace it with another one.
The empire has no shortage of stones, and a monarch who always looks ahead will not focus his gaze on the ordinary stone path under his feet. He is used to looking at the proposals in his hands and the distant Monster Mountain Range.
People's livelihood is the numbers on the report, the black dots gathered at the bottom of the celebration, and also his ignorance.
From a young age, Verion knew he would shoulder the responsibility of an empire, and he considered the entire nation his duty. However, he did not realize that the empire was made up of people, people with their own regrets and troubles, and that they were living, breathing wills.
“He will find out,” Verion said in a low voice, and no one else could hear him except for Ancia beside him.
The bread was packed up, and Ancia led Verion to a side alley. "Verion, I don't know how to govern a country, I don't know how to collect taxes, and I don't know how to balance the interests between nobles and commoners. I only know one thing."
She looked into Vilian's pale gray eyes and said, word by word, "If you remain seated on your throne and never come down to listen to their voices, you will never achieve your ideals."
Verion looked back and found himself smiling in Ancia's bright black eyes—the first smile without any ulterior motive.
She is a clear mirror, reflecting all his ignorance and confusion.
"I will never forget this day, Ancia," Verion said softly. "Please keep your eyes on me. I will realize my dream and provide a stable and happy life for the people of this empire."
A puzzled female voice came from the alley entrance, "Brother?"
Xiwen, who was standing at the alley entrance, suddenly turned around, "Rachel?"
The noblewoman who often followed Eve ran over, lifting her skirt. "Brother, didn't you say you had important business to do today and couldn't come out with us?" She looked into the alleyway, covered her mouth in shock, and immediately turned around to gesture for someone behind her to come quickly.
Eve walked over gracefully, scolding the noblewoman, "What are you doing out here when you haven't even bought the bread yet?"
Simon tried to block Eve's view, but his mage frame was still rather thin. Eve looked in the direction Rachel was pointing and exclaimed in surprise, "Brother?! Ancia?!"
Eve's expression was complicated, but mostly aggrieved. "Ancia...you...didn't you say you were very busy these past few days? I invited you to the Nightingale Salon, and you refused!"
Ancia sighed helplessly, "Because someone made an appointment first, and I agreed to it first, I didn't have time."
Someone nodded in agreement, calmly admitting it. Eve puffed out her cheeks, unable to do anything about the two people who were most important to her.
Seeing that Eve was still a little unhappy, Ancia handed her a wooden box she was carrying. "Here you go. I was originally going to have Verion take this back for you, but since we've run into each other, it saves me the trouble."
Hot bread...it takes a long time to buy...Eve's slight grievances instantly vanished.
"Okay, I forgive you." She blushed as she took the wooden box, pulled Rachel away, and silently said to Villion before leaving, "Good luck, brother."
For a moment, Vilian's eyes were filled with confusion. "Add fuel to what? Fuel to be a proper king?"
Ancia had Xiwen summon a disguised guard to deliver the hot bread back to the mage tower. She then took Verion to explore other parts of the Eternal City until dusk, when they finished their guiding duties for the day.
Ancia strolled slowly toward the mage tower, her fingers tracing the rough walls as she watched the residents coming and going in the Eternal City, and a smile crept onto her face.
Not only was Verion's perception changed, but in Ancia's own mind, everyone here had long since transcended the concept of NPCs and was now a vibrant, free soul.
This place is wonderful.
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