After traveling for three more days as the afternoon sun was moving towards the western horizon, the party reached Ternip village. Turnip village was not a small village like others, rather this village was a place where three main paths met and went towards Almon city. Thus the village had some small and medium-size inns where many villagers worked. There was also a market where many people from nearby areas came to sell food and commodities. This People refill their rations on the way.
The party took lodging at a small inn. Alex had to pay two coppers for a small single bedroom and one more copper for food. Quickly having a fill Alex had went to the room and fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already night. After having his dinner Alex had some chat with the caretaker and went to a bar opposite the inn. As it was getting dark the bar was mostly empty. Alex sat on a chair near the counter and ordered some mild drink. For the people of Risa kingdom above there was such thing as the age of consent or such. Although it was unusual for a child to drink alcohol, but not to such extent that people will get shocked. In his previous life, Alex was habituated to drink and smoke. After losing his parents at a very small age, he didn't have someone like his moral compass. At college, he was one of the addicts, but he had control over himself. Alex's addiction came from his curiosity towards the unknown.
"Uncle, what's the special available here?" Alex casually asked the bartender.
"Kid you better have money, you know!" the bartender replied "Don't tell me I didn't warn you."
Alex threw 6 copper coins to the bartender and nonchalantly asked, "Will this be enough to get me drunk, uncle?" And with this, the bartender broke into laughter and passed him a cocktail saying, "let's see kid. Don't worry I don't rob youngsters of your age."
Alex was having small pegs with some interval and thinking about his future course of action when an elderly man approached him. This person was sitting a few chairs next to Alex. "Boy, can u help this old man with one or two pegs?" The old man smiled, "you see, 6 coppers are actually enough for having a small drinking party by 4 people. You help me and I help you - the payment and stuff."
Alex frowned and looked towards the man's face. He was a middle-aged fat man with a big mustache and beard with some white hairs here and there. Alex knew this kind of people. Pure drunkards. But then again having a company was not bad at this time. So he affirmatively waved his hand and said, "I can, but in return I want you to tell me something interesting."
With this, an old man and a young boy, and a bartender gave each other company under the aroma of booze.
"Kid, When I was young I had many ambitions." the old man started his story, "I used to work for the Royal Army of Risa Kingdom. Throughout my carrier, I have seen many things. I will not say that I was fond of everything that I have seen or done, but as a soldier of the kingdom, I had to do whatever I was tasked with. This sometimes included plain guarding duty, sometimes clearing up the mess of a rich noble, even sometimes fighting for the nation. In this kingdom, you need power or status. If you don't have any of these then your life is treated as ants. I wanted to escape this trap of poverty. I worked hard to impress my masters and superiors, did whatever they asked, even killing innocents and plundering villages in the name of justice. And so I was recognized as a faithful dog, someone useful. From a lowly soilder I climbed up the ladder, became awakened thanks to my merits, and then a captain."
"You don't seem like a captain though", Alex frowned.
"And there is a reason for this state of mine", the old man rebuked.
"When you become powerless, you become useless, and then you are thrown like trash. That's how this kingdom works kid. But the continent is vast. There are so many kingdoms and nations. Our continent is divided into the central continent, northern region, southern federation, and eastern region. Except for the great equator seas, the majority of the central continent is occupied by humans, elven and dwarf nations. The Kingdom of Risa, the kingdom of St. Orario, Fermus kingdom, Ulaborg Empire, Kagha Empire, Barma Kingdom these six nations are the main domains ruled by the humans. Out of which Ulaborg is the strongest one. But due to a treaty between Ulaborg and Kagha they don't try to expand their nations. Otherwise other kingdoms would have wiped out of the map long ago. The eastern mountain Side of the central region is the land of dwarves while from north-central to farther north stretches the great forest of Exalos, where the elves live. North to that, is the forbidden lands of ancient dragons, don't ever compare them with normal dragons. As far as the rumors go ancient dragons are the most strongest and prideful species. They can transform into giant dragons, but they prefer to stay in humanoid form. The southern federation belongs to the beast-men, while the eastern regions are mainly habited by strong magical beasts.
However, what many people don't know is that there is a vast land to the waste of the continent which is completely separated from the rest of the world by the walls of God. Those who know, often say that the walls of god were there from the beginning of this world, but it is a common belief that the walls were created by the gods themselves to protect us from the monsters called abominations. Abominations were also the creations of God, so God could never destroy them out of his eternal love. And the same went for the living beings. The living beings represented the will of creation and prosperity where the abominations represented absolute destruction. After creating the walls the god ordered the beings of the world to protect the walls and the abominations to destroy the wall. A big part of the Ulborg and khaga forces protect the walls on the human side. But all the other kingdoms must send some of their strongest troops to protect the walls. The same goes for elves and the beast-men who protect the north and the south portion of the walls respectively. The dwarves are pledged to maintain and repair the walls and they are the only race that the god has allowed to know how to restore the wall. Thus many of the strongest individuals in the world are protecting the walls. The legends say that the walls must never fall. The day the walls fall, the world will be engulfed by chaos and all will perish. That day will be the beginning of the apocalypse."