"The castle sure was a memorable sight"
"Yeah, every time I come to Celestia I stop by to admire it."
The three were currently taking a stroll through the city, exploring the sights and sounds of the area.
After visiting the castle and being in awe of its grandeur, they moved on to explore other parts of the city.
Though the magnificent castle was still etched into their minds, how could one forget such a sight?
Kian and Luna had visited other cities and seen various monuments but nothing was close to what they had just witnessed.
It was a memory that would stick with them forever.
Snapping back to reality, Kian presently found himself in a well-maintained neighborhood with rows of delicate houses and well-cared-for gardens.
The social impression of the area was evident, with different types of flowers planted in different gardens, showing the pride that the inhabitants took in their homes.
It was clear that this was an above-middle-class neighborhood, and the cost of the houses was likely high.
As Kian observed his surroundings, he saw people going about their daily lives.
A middle-aged woman was humming while watering her flower bed, and children played joyfully without a care in the world. If one only were to see this part of Celestia City it would appear to be a perfect society.
However, the reality was not as idyllic as it seemed. The existence of a wealthy class implied the existence of a poorer one, and the latter typically outnumbered the former.
The existence of broken-down houses, homeless people, and families unable to afford to feed their children or access proper medical care highlighted the disparity in the city.
Despite the apparent harmony of this neighborhood, the harsh reality of poverty and inequality was just a shy walk away.
This social construct of the area raised questions to Kian about the ethical implications of income inequality and the unequal distribution of resources.
The divide between the haves and have-nots was a reigning issue that plagued many societies in his old world, and it highlighted the need for a more equitable distribution of resources to ensure that all members of society had access to basic necessities.
Ultimately, it is essential to recognize that the world does not slow down for anyone, and unless action is taken, social and economic disparities will persist.
Although this just brought the question of how did the leaders of this kingdom treat the less fortunate?
How did they decide to handle this plague to keep the kingdom running?
Of course, he knew that some people simply couldn't be helped, he wasn't unrealistic.
But in a new and magical world, he had hoped that maybe they would be purer than how his world was.
This was shallow thinking on his part.
At Least the hierarchy system wasn't abused too much. Seeing as the kingdom stood for centuries they must be doing something right.
Ending his train of thoughts on the social construct of the city he welcomed reality back.
The reason they were here in the first place was that Landon had thrown up the idea that they should travel to a nearby market area to check out some of the things they were selling.
They had been walking for roughly 15 minutes, so the day was still in its prime.
So with the sun overhead, the group continued on their light stroll while having small chats.
***
In a secluded area, a man with a robe over top of him with dark brown hair and brown eyes that matched its color perfectly was watching over another person from afar very carefully.
His dark brown eyes seemed to see everything as he studied the person he was currently stalking.
He examined every step he took down to the last muscle.
He analyzed where his gaze traveled, making sure to see everything he had viewed.
He examined every breath he took down to the last molecule.
Looking at the man he was following one wouldn't understand why; he didn't seem too special.
He had black hair which covered part of his forehead and a decent build with good looks, his looks may catch some people's attention but in the end, he'd be seen as just another ordinary person in the crowd if it wasn't for a distinct feature; his two different colored eyes.
But in the end, that wasn't the reason the man was following him.
The person he was investigating was none other than Kian.
He made sure to stay hidden from him and the two people he was with. It would be impossible for them to realize he was following them.
The unknown person seemed to be very skilled in this art; his movements were fluid, and it was as if this wasn't the first time he had done this, or rather it seemed like he mastered it.
He followed him for a few more moments before stopping in his tracks.
"What did he say?"
Turning around, the man was met by a woman wearing the same robe he was.
Seeing her robe fluctuate with the wind made it clear to see that the woman was nothing short of breathtaking.
She had several striking features and the natural beauty she possessed was immense.
She had medium-length pitch-black hair that appeared very luxurious, she had smooth skin which seemed to shine in the sunlight.
And on top of all that she had a very mature aura to her which paired very well with her looks. This was seen through her posture, demeanor, and manner of speaking.
This type of aura would make her stand out, it was easy to say this person could probably be a high-tier model and have almost any man she wanted, or even women for that matter.
In short terms she was stunning.
Yet the man didn't even bat an eye when he saw her, actually, his mood seemed to slightly drop when she presented herself.
"Ehhh that's the first thing you say when you see me…"
"I don't care about any futile ideas you may have"
"You should be nicer to me, but anyways, 'he' said that what happened sounded very, and I mean very, interesting."
She made sure to emphasize the "he" for an unbeknownst reason.
"Yes it was indeed very intriguing, so I assume he wants me to continue trailing him then?"
"Yup, he told you to observe everything."
"I was already doing that."
With that the man turned around, back towards the direction Kian had walked off to, however, he was well out of sight by now.
He had probably taken a turn, obscuring himself behind various houses or traveling far enough to be unseen by the man.
Given the orders just received one would usually panic to see the person they were trailing get out of sight.
Though the man didn't seem to be bothered.
Staring into the city streets he allowed something in his body to flow through, it was as if a dam was opened to let a little water gush through.
And when it did he gave off a radiating presence.
The craziest part was that Kian wasn't hidden anymore, the man's gaze pierced through everything in its path, zooming in on him.
Staring at him with this enigma of a power he muttered something under his breath.
"Just who are you?"
***
"This one looks nice, right?"
"Yeah the colors blend well"
"Let's get it then"
Kian, Luna, and Landon were in a small accessory shop.
When they arrived at the area with a large number of shops they looked around but didn't find anything worth buying.
But after spotting this shop they had decided that they would all get matching pendants since it was Kian and Luna's first time In Celestia City.
It was originally Landon's idea so it wasn't like they were draining him of his money.
The pendants they had chosen were fairly nice and they didn't cost much at all.
The design was a moon and a sun paired together in a dark silver color, it wasn't made out of any special materials but that didn't matter to them.
The thought behind it gave it its meaning.
With a pendant in hand, they walked up to the clerk and paid for it. The cost came out to a few BP, relatively cheap.
After making their purchase they stepped out of the shop.
It had been around an hour since they had eaten, and the day was advancing somewhat fast.
They started walking around for a short while but ultimately gave up on shopping and sat down on a nearby bench for a brief rest.
"We've been walking around all day, ugh, when I get home I'm going to sleep like a baby."
Landon said in a tired manner.
"Yeah I understa-"
"Like hell he's going to win! The wicked crusader is miles ahead of that loser!"
Just then, Kian was cut off by a distant person yelling at what seemed to be someone else.
"Tch, believe what you want, the truth is that the silver swordsman is going to wipe the floor with the wicked crusader!"
Another person spoke up quickly and just as loud.
It sounded like these two were arguing over… who they thought was going to win in a fight?
Kian wasn't the type to eavesdrop but they were standing on the other side of the street while yelling loud enough to overshadow his words.
Hearing this Landon glanced over at the two sitting next to him, they had confusion splattered all over their faces, so he decided to clear it up.
"They are talking about the enchanted blade tournament that's supposed to happen later today."
"Enchanted blade tournament?"
Landon sat up and leaned forward.
"It's a popular sword fighting tournament that hosts fights every other week."
It was starting to make sense, these two had a favorite fighter and we were debating on which would win.
"Ah, I see"
"Yeah, it's a really cool fighting tournament."
Peeking over Landon saw that Luna and Kian both possessed looks of curiosity.
Seeing this he decided to say something that he knew would make them happy.
"The tickets are pretty cheap, do you guys want to go check it out?"