Kusak was very different from all the other places Adam had been to. The moment he arrived he immediately felt the wetness of the air, and yet the sun was shining on them in all it's glory, making the place almost as hot as Yam.
It also looked like Lizardkin didn't share the same love for tall buildings as the other races, as Adam couldn't see any tall palace or anything like that. Instead, the tallest thing in the whole city was probably the ramparts.
Also, Kusak was closer to nature compared to the other cities Adam had been to, and it was a lot greener as a whole.
Lizardkins looked devious and ill intended from their looks, but they were actually one of the most peaceful races, and most Lizardkins were nice to outsiders. However, one shouldn't take them for weak peace lovers, as history had proven time and time again they were not to be trifled with.
However, they weren't here for sightseeing. Thalia said "The good thing is, the Capital is already the closest city to the Great Swamp, or at least where we want to go."
Adam couldn't help but ask "How come you know so much since you never left your home?"
Thalia let out an exhausted sigh as she said "You have no idea how boring my education was. I was forced to learn geography, history, poetry… A lot of useless stuff just to look refined in front of suitors. Being a princess definitely isn't as great as people think."
Adam said "Then would you rather lose your position and influence to live a normal life, or keep your currant life?" Thalia snickered "Keep my current life. I'm not the only one involved, lots of people depend on me."
Adam asked "You do realize you just fled from the palace right?" Thalia rolled her eyes "I'm just taking a break, I'm not giving up. And what kind of ruler would I be if I never left the palace?"
Her words intrigued Adam so he asked "Are you the only heir to the throne?" Thalia shook her head "I'm not, but my Eldest Brother is a fool, my Second Sister is married to a prince from Feynwoods, and my Third Brother is interested in nothing but magic."
Adam asked "You don't have a good relationship with my family?" She shook her head "I do love my parents, but they were absent for most of my childhood. As for my siblings, my eldest brother has been aiming for the crown for more than a hundred years already, and after he thought the throne was his for sure I appeared, so he always was distant."
Adam asked "What about the other two?" She shrugged "My sister is very different from me, she's a 'real' princess, and she never fails to give her opinion about me, who's not fit to be a princess. As for my third brother, he is my favorite, he's not good at showing love, but I spent a large part of my childhood with him. What about you?"
Adam smiled and said "I only have a single brother, and I love him unconditionally. Actually, he is the reason I am here." Thalia raised an eyebrow "How so?"
Adam replied "My brother has had a disease since he was a child, and my family didn't have the money to heal him. And for me, the only way to earn that money was to come to this world."
Thalia asked "If you need money I can give it to you if you want. If there's a thing I can spend without minding it's gold coins."
Adam was surprised, and then smiled "Thanks, really, but I've already taken care of it. I joined this world for him, but then I continued coming because I took a liking to Epoch. For now… well, I like this world."
Thalia couldn't help but ask curiously "So you aren't going to leave this world?" Adam smiled wryly, maybe he had this choice before, but with what he just learned, he couldn't leave anymore. He said "I won't."
Adam couldn't see it, but Thalia smiled under her cloak's shadow. Although she was a little scared of him at first, she grew curious about this man. She had only seen one other Sovereign in her entire life, and it was her Third Brother, so she thought this man would be similar to him.
However, he was completely different. Actually, he was different from anyone she had ever met, and so her curiosity grew. That's why she felt it would have been a shame if he already left.
Soon, the two reached the Northern Gates. The area around the gates, inside the city, was actually quite popular with many different stores. This was because there were many adventurers who would head in the Great Swamp.
Unlike the Mirage Desert which was only a dangerous spot and a natural defense for Buwog, the Great Swamp was a big training spot as well as a treasure land for Kusak or Cassifon on a whole.
There were also several bodyguard businesses and tourism agencies who had created paths through the forest to make foreigners discover the swamp. One could even pay to cross the entire swamp.
Adam and Thalia could pay for that, but they decided to head in by themselves. Adam chose to do so because he wanted to level up, as well as reveal Neith without worry, and Thalia accepted because she wanted to really experience this adventure, and not just be carried through it.
She hadn't been able to do anything when she was in Everburn Mont because what she aimed for was out of her reach, but now that they were entering the Great Swamp she intended to get some fighting.
When they entered the Great Swamp deep enough so that they couldn't see the city anymore, Adam summoned Neith, who released a yawn as she was summoned. She asked 'Where are we?'
Ignoring how weird it was to see a giant spider yawn, he replied "We are in the Great Swamp, in Cassifon. This girl here is our companion for this travel, can she come on your back?"
Neith threw a glance at Thalia, who was looking back excited under her cloak, and said 'Sure, why not.' Adam turned to Thalia and told her Neith was okay with her coming up before jumping, soon followed by Thalia.
Fortunately the tress and the vegetation in the Great Swamp was taller than the Lizardkin's architecture or Neith wouldn't have been able to come out.
Thalia asked "Does it bother you if I kill the lower leveled monsters?" Adam asked "How strong are you?" Had it been anyone else she wouldn't have told them the truth, but since she knew Adam she decided to say the truth.
"I am a Level 50 Fire Elementalist… Don't you know what the number of tails of a Foxkin means?" Seeing him shake his head, she said "It actually represents the potential, or in the words, the class of the Foxkin. When they are born a Foxkin has a single tail, and when the others will grow when they become Bronze Ranked. An E Class will have 2 tails, a D Class 3 tails, all the way up to a Sovereign who will have 9 tails."
Adam said "Then you are a Level 50 SS Fire Elementalist. You should be as strong as a Level 80-90 Lord."
Thalia tried to argue "But my stats…" Adam cut her off "I do understand your parents most certainly fed you many different kinds of potions like the [Inner Strength Potion] and such things to make you stronger than people of the same level, and you opened the 3rd Gate… But in a fight between life and death, even someone ten times weaker than you can kill you if you have no experience."
Thalia pouted a little, but she didn't say anything, deciding to prove herself by her own means. And the opportunity quickly arrived as a group of five Level 100 Chieftains appeared in front of them. Thalia decisively jumped off Neith's back, eager to prove herself.
What she didn't realize was that just this single action strengthened Adam's decision.