Fortress City of Torun stood at the intersection of three borders- Korcari Wilds, central Castall and western Castall. It is defended by three layers of walls. The districts enclosed by each concentric circle of the walls are distinctly different from each other.

The outermost district was sometimes used to billet the troops from the Royal Army, and so it is fully furnished with barracks and other military facilities. 

The innermost district was the administrative area of the city. In addition, the district also contains storehouses for combat rations. Thus, it was heavily guarded. The previous rulers reside in here. Although it was supposed to be a residential building for rulers of Torun, it is far cry from the gigantic, luxurious and complicated Redcliffe castle. 

Its oversimplified construction shows that the rulers only use the practical and military purposes. 

Between these two areas is the residential district, where the people of Torun make their homes. This place best fits the image that comes to mind when one thinks of a city. 

There are several plazas here, and the largest of them is called the Central Plaza. It is filled with stalls selling vegetables, spices, and other such commercial products.

Amidst the crowds, the stall owners energetically shout their sales pitches to the people walking by, while the older women haggle with the merchants as they look for fresh food. Drawn by fragrant scents, young men purchase skewers of roasted meat which oozed with warm juices.

No one would imagine that a deadly war occurred here two weeks ago. 

However, it took over a week for the new ruler to convince the citizens to continue to live normally.

Riheet passes through the main gate and reaches the company stables on the outer ring of the city. He exhales deeply, to relieve the fatigue clouding his mind.

He is immensely exhausted.

The meeting he’d just attended made him acutely aware that he was a mere commoner, who suddenly threw himself into a troublesome meeting with educated nobles.

Brian Haddock seemed like an experienced tactician. Jascha Alatt is young talented thinker in his thirties. Both of them are from Redcliffe. Odbart Adalgiso is an extremely knowledgeable young man. He is from former northeastern Dioral. Noir Virginia is a middle aged man who possesses the largest demesne in northern Castall. Finally, the king, Hiro Hezri. He seemed less knowledgeable than the rest and obviously lacked military experience but he has an extraordinary knack for connecting ideas. Even someone as brave as Riheet got goosebumps whenever he thought of the king's out of the world ability. 

Riheet is excited as her sister, Lupine is now the king's lover and has obtained the Marchioness status.

He slowly scans his surroundings. The soldiers, shouting as they run back and forth ― they are mostly the trained refugees. They are the people of the former Tevinter state of Olga Federation who had been absorbed into the kingdom and trained as soldiers. 

Even a proud man like Riheet was impressed by their performance. During the last war, only 5 persons were killed and dozens suffered serious wounds. The fifty dark elf warriors didn't suffer any injury because these former peasants were reliable.

But how those peasants could turn into reliable soldiers within months? They were Their hands were meant to hold hoes and shovels. 

How the king and his right hand men did that? He also noticed weird but  very useful structures in the kingdom which he had never seen in his whole life. The people only told him that those things were the king's miracles!

Riheet recalls the image of Hiro Hezri who always listen attentively but ponders deeply. 

Riheet feels that Hiro Hezri is not a thoughtful man, given the way he deals with people and develops the kingdom. Yet, at the same time, Riheet senses that he is no ordinary good Samaritan. The image he had of Ainz was that of a man who is cunning and scheming.

As Riheet looks out on the people surrounding him, a weighty feeling in his heart, he catches sight of a dark elf youth from the corner of his vision. Along with him is a dark elf swordsman who seems to float lightly on his feet. They are Tamm and Azal.

He approaches the two of them from behind.

Metal armor makes noise when its wearer walked.

It would not be strange for people to notice and react to the sound if it drew close to them.

However, there are many people here, all busy preparing for battle. It would be hard to notice the sound of him moving forward amidst the clamor here. 

Azal widens his eyes. Then, he glances at Tamm and grins, as if he has pranked him.

Although Azal seems to have gotten the wrong idea, this is fine as well.

Riheet takes care not to make noise as he carefully advances on the still-unaware Tamm. Although he has not been trained in moving silently like thief and is wearing metal armor, Tamm still had not noticed him, and seems to be discussing something with Azal.

His challenge is to reach the spot directly behind Tamm’s back, which he succeeds in doing.

Riheet brings his hand down in a karate chop, directly onto Tamm’s unguarded head.

“Uwah!”

Tamm stumbles back while squeaking in a thoroughly unmanly way. As his eyes recognized Riheet, they goggle open.

"Riheet, it hurts!"

"I have to say that you need to be more alert. After all, you did miss someone in full plate armor sneaking up on you. Still, there shouldn’t be any enemies here.”

“What are you saying, Riheet? Being relaxed isn’t necessarily bad. Being wound too tight is.”

“Then, Azal, how did you discover me from so far away?”

“Isn’t that obvious? There was a strange presence in the air.”

Riheet noticed that Tamm is looking at Azal and himself with eyes full of surprise.

"Tamm. as a soldier, you need to be able to sense presences like that. If you miss a hidden assassin, your charge will be hurt.”

"You are too harsh!"

“I’m not finding fault with you. I just wanted to make sure. To be honest, I used to be like that in the past as well. It’s easy to forget about practicing sensory skills like that when you train by yourself. That’s a dangerous habit. After all, a lot of the time you won’t have a straight fight against an attacker that you know about.”

Come to think of it, is it alright for you to chat idly with us, Riheet?”

“Well, I’m actually kind of busy right now, but I just wanted to take a break… Say, do you two have spare time?”

Tamm and Azal looked at each other in response to Riheet’s question.

“Spare time… huh.”

“Yeah, I guess. Don’t have much that needs doing, just prepping my gear.”

“Then, I hope you… right,” Riheet said as he looks to one of the watchtowers on the city walls. “Want to head over there?”

Nobody refuse, and Riheet leads the way.

As the commander-in-chief, no soldier stops him. In this way, they make it to the place Riheet had in mind, the place with the best view in the city.

Torun’s outermost walls are the highest point in the city which is to say, they have the best scenery and one could see furthest from there.

And because the air warmed by the heat from the many people below them do not reach this place, the cool, fresh winter wind refreshed their bodies.

“What a great view!” the lad exclaims in heartfelt delight as he looks toward the southeast.

"Beyond there is central Castall, right?" Tamm asks innocently.

"More enemies."

After answering, Riheet takes a deep breath and then forcefully exhales. The fresh air filled his body, and he hopes it would drive out the uneasy feelings he has about Castall kingdom.

“I guess seeing the world like this really changes your perspective, huh.”

“As if. Why don’t you bring a few dark elves up here and see it if works? If they don’t change their tune, we’ll chuck them off the side of the wall. Two birds with one stone.”

Riheet smiles wryly at Azal’s joke. If people could be changed that way, he would drag them over in chains if need be.

Tamm looks like he does not know how to respond, which makes Riheet feel better.

“Haha. Coming here with you guys was the right thing to do. I feel relieved now.”

“Well, that’s good to hear. Then… why did you call us out here? Are you sure nobody’s watching us? Don’t tell me you gathered three strapping men together just to look at the scenery? Or is there someone you want dead?”

“…I was just thinking that it would be good for the three of us to have a chat while we had some free time, and that this was the only place where I could take my time to talk without worrying about what others would think of me. If we were in the capital, I know a place where we could have a quiet drink too.”

“What, so we’re really just talking? I thought you had some secret orders for me…”

“No, it’s not like that. How shall I put it…”

After pondering for a while, Riheet explains,

"Finally, we got a way to avenge Castall."

Azal grins,

"And a place and ranks for our tribe."

Riheet nods and continues,

"What do you guys think about the king?"

Tamm quickly answers excitingly, "He is such a humble man. He is a king but he talks to me in equal standing!" 

Azal turns his face away.

"That man... something about him is off. My instinct has never been wrong."

"What are you talking about, Azal? The king is a cool guy!" Tamm yells at Azal.

"Shut up, kid. You know nothing!" Azal retorts the youth.

"Still, what that huge buildings. Those things appear within a day." Riheet recalls several constructions which are called sewerage treatment plants.

"Oh, you mean those huge ponds with walls surrounding them. There are four of them in northern Castall now!" Tamm responds enthusiastically.

Azal scolds Tamm, "Idiot. Those things are not pond. Those are poops! Poops from houses go into there!"

Tamm scratches his head, "Those sewerage whatever the name are, they are everywhere in Dioral and Redcliffe and even in Korcari Wilds Dalish encampment. The villagers praised diseases become a lot lesser. No more bad smell."

Silence envelopes them. Then, Riheet breaks the silence, "We are not talking about how good those things are. But how in the world that things appear suddenly?"

"That's why I said something is off about that king." Azal says in joking tone.

"Don't insult the king. I respect the king!" Tamm innocently raise his voice against the taller man.

"Idiotic kid. Did you hear what I just said!" Azal scolds him but jokingly.

The two if them laugh and Riheet slightly smiles.