After several days of travel, Zonna and all her companions finally reached the capital of the Republic, Raalo. The city gave the name for the entire country. The country has a unique system in Altea, as it is one of only three republics on the continent. The other republics are Pronsia and Kuhtia. The system was that the people of the republic have the right to elect their representatives to the Assembly of the Republic. Maji who are elected decide everything that happens in the country. These decisions are made by majority vote. The Republic is headed by a tex, elected from among the hereditary rulers of the cities for a lifetime term. The name is derived from the first republican ruler on the mainland. Kuhtia was the country in which he ruled, his name being Texis. Tex has the right to veto laws passed by the Assembly, but his veto can be overridden. He also has the ability to make laws, but needs the Assembly's approval to enact them.
The city of Raalo itself was a huge urban organization that had no equal on the continent. The population reached tens of millions of Maya. It was comparable to Arda, the city in the history of the continent that had the largest population. This was not the only thing that was impressive in its size. Raalo's trade area was four times larger than that of Barta, next in this classification, located in northern Syriacaria. That's not all, the republic's capital was the city with the largest area in Altea.
Because of the important trade routes of the three powers of Viohtari, Bazionia and Acharmageia intersecting here, one could very often see merchants in the streets selling goods that came from the distant lands of the continent. In addition to merchants, huge numbers of students could also be seen. After all, the other specialty of this city, as well as the whole country, was education. Teaching here became a way of making a living for many residents. Indeed, all schools were fee-paying. Many foreigners nevertheless came to Raalo to study in the local schools. For Altea's elite, an education in the Republic meant not only quality, but also prestige. This interest meant that local Maji earned even more from teaching others, expanding Raalo's wealth.
However, the Republic's authorities were not blinded to profit alone. Their prosperity was built on an educated population, so they had to ensure access to commercialized education. The state financed Maji's education between the ages of six and fourteen. This allowed one to be a competent worker, but was insufficient for specialized classes. Funding for further education already required a contribution, but there was a budget for the specially gifted. Not only did they have their further education paid for, they even received payment for their further education. These rules applied to all schools, including the most prestigious Raalo Academy. Such a school system resulted in maintaining a high level of education for Raalo residents.
Another thing resulting from the large number of merchants and foreign students was a developed network of restaurants, hotels and dormitories. After all, somewhere had to eat and sleep all the Maji who came to Raalo. This caused residents who owned their own buildings to convert them into restaurants, hotels and inns. This brought huge steady profits, as the city of commerce and learning, as Raalo was called, never lacked visitors looking for food and lodging.
However, the most expensive were the luxurious residences rented to very rich merchants and, above all, to upper-class students. These were the children of: magnates, high nobility and royal families. Magnates were defined as the most influential Maji in the republics and hereditary rulers of cities. Hereditary cities were the legacy of territorial leaders. High nobility, on the other hand, were defined as counts, marquises and dukes.
One should not forget the merchants themselves, who filled the streets of Raalo in large numbers. They came from many countries and conducted numerous transactions. There were specially prepared places for this with skilled workers, where merchants could make purchases and sales. There were, however, fees on this. The merchant could choose between a fee per place or per transaction. The first form paid for large exchanges, and the second for small ones. It seemed that Raalo was losing revenue by giving the choice of payment method, but this made merchants prefer to trade here rather than somewhere else.
An army of clerks was needed to control all this, another profession that paid well and required educated Maji. What's more, there was a cumulative bureaucracy in Raalo, both municipal and state.
Such growth of the city and specific professions meant that there was a shortage of workers for simple jobs among Raalo residents. This gap was filled by slaves purchased abroad. They made up a quarter of the city's population. For the most part, they were Dragonits or Gruns. There were also some Nords and Aisens. However, in Raalo the slaves had the best conditions in Altea, because they did the work that elsewhere was done by ordinary residents.
Raalo's move into services also meant that four smaller towns sprang up around it to produce food and goods for their own use and that of the metropolis at the center. In addition to the local population, immigrants from the other members of the Alliance of Ardea also found employment in these cities. This kept Raalo's economy going, and only a great war engulfing most of the continent and stopping almost all trade could derail it.
Every newcomer who showed up in town had to go to the immigration office to get the proper papers and licenses. Depending on what papers one had, one was entitled to different privileges and responsibilities. Zonna and Etiene went to the office to get their student IDs. Due to the fact that they still have to pass tests, the documents were temporary. Then the princesses and their entourage went to a free hotel. They needed to rest after an exhausting trip before tomorrow, when they will take their tests at Raalo Academy.