"Woah..."
Mercedes was standing before a gigantic wall that separated the wasteland and the city. However though, from the appearance of the huge front gate. She understood the circumstances of the city being poor and dangerous.
"What are we doing here, old man?"
"What do you mean about that, kid?" Caesar raised an eyebrow and glanced at Mercedes as if he was looking at an idiot. Mercedes, noticing his gaze, gritted her teeth and decided to not respond.
This was the first time she met someone annoying.
'Hold yourself back, Mercedes. Remember what Mom has taught you. You must respect your elder.' Mercedes thought to herself before hearing Caesar's reasoning of why they had entered the fortified city.
"I don't know about you nobles, but we, peasants, need food to survive."
"The wasteland surrounding us doesn't give anything other than death and suffering. So we have to enter fortress cities and resupply if we're planning to live longer in this cruel world." Caesar had a calm voice when giving his reasoning.
Mercedes couldn't utter a response and was frozen in silence. She was reminded that the people around her were experiencing the end of their world. Even if they were nothing more but data of the AEGIS, their experience was real.
Caesar walked forward, and Mercedes followed behind him. They lined up along the others and were waiting for the garrison's inspection. While waiting, Mercedes glanced at them and asked who their identity was.
"Old man, do you know the soldiers?"
"Soldiers?" Caesar stared in the direction where Mercedes gazed. "You mean the city's garrison? They are the ones that protect the city, though many wouldn't consider them as good people."
"The garrison can be corrupt, and they might be a hand in the high crime rate happening through the fortress city. The current circumstances might have been a result of their corruption."
Caesar quietly explained, which made Mercedes raise an eyebrow. She wondered why the Imperium wasn't hammering these guys with justice. But then she remembered the grave circumstances.
'The Imperium is fighting a war for survival. They might not have enough time, resources, and personnel to handle local corruption in fortified cities.' Mercedes closed her eyelids and decided to throw the thought at the back of her mind.
The two then arrived at the entrance gate, and the garrison guards started their inspection. Under the scrutinizing gaze of the guards, the garrison guards noticed the identity of the old man. They swiftly bowed and apologized to him.
"We deeply apologize, Sir Caesar."
"It was disrespectful for us to inspect an individual such as yourself. You may enter."
The garrison guards appeared to be nervous when meeting Caesar's gaze. The old man simply shook his head and walked forward while calmly stating to the guards.
"My disciple is with me, so let her enter."
The guards turned their eyes at Mercedes, who resembled a beautiful noble. Assuming Mercedes had a great identity, they also bowed at her and let her enter through the entrance gates without hindrance.
Mercedes didn't reject their offer and followed behind Caesar, who kept walking through the streets. As she walked along with him, she smirked and remarked to the old man.
"Looks like the old man has a special identity. Never did I expect that."
Within her mind, Mercedes already knew that Caesar might have a special identity like Astarte. However, what kind of identity he had was something she didn't know. The way the garrison guards were acting, he seemed to be a bigwig.
Caesar, hearing Mercedes, stopped and turned his head to her. He was gazing at her with confusion plastered on his face. He slowly stepped forward, and his confused expression turned into a stern one.
Noticing his actions, Mercedes couldn't help but think that she must have f*cked up.
'This damn mouth of mine. I shouldn't have said anything. I'm getting too complacent with my newly-gained conversational abilities.' Mercedes decided to take a step back in regard to her confidence.
She understood that it might become arrogance if she wasn't careful enough.
"You don't know my identity?" Standing in front of Mercedes, Caesar questioned with a stern expression. Mercedes immediately responded while stepping backward. "Why would I know your identity?"
"Damn you, kid. So you're telling me that you followed me without knowing who I am?" Caesar was visibly irritated by the things that were going on before him.
Mercedes, noticing where he was heading, gave a quick response. "I have a good ability to judge people, old man. Don't underestimate me just because I'm a noble. There's a reason why I hadn't been sold to slavery while walking upon a wasteland."
Her response was good and straightforward. It solidified her backstory as a noble and gave the old man a sight of her character.
With Mercedes's response, Caesar calmed down and nodded in understanding. What she had said was correct. The wasteland was dangerous, and slave traders were in every dark corner. A sole noble wouldn't last long without some skill.
"I see... But I can't believe you followed me without knowing my identity. I thought my appearance and name were enough for many people to recognize me."
"Hmm... Are you some sort of idol, old man? Are you a great figure in the Imperium?" Mercedes was curious about the old man's identity and wanted to keep digging into it. Who knows. She might gain a valuable piece of information from him.
"A great figure, huh? I don't know if I can be considered as one. But I am a popular old man." Caesar gave a prideful grin which somehow irked Mercedes. She decided to let it slide and continue listening to the old man.
"I was part of the seven paragons that stand at the top of the world. Many call me War God in my younger days. They were so many women who were swooning over me. I might have formed a harem if not for my compassionate self."
For some reason, Mercedes could see the nose of the old man getting longer than usual. She shook her head, and everything went to normal. She started processing what she had heard before asking for more information.
"So, what are the seven paragons? Are they the rulers of the Imperium?" Mercedes questioned, which made the old man look at her as if she was an idiot once again.
Though, Mercedes decided to not mind since she should be patient in the process of gathering information.
"You don't even know the seven paragons?"
"Even for a noble, where the hell have you been living in?" Caesar was flabbergasted, unable to believe the ignorance of the kid in front of him. "Why did I even pick you to become a disciple. You're more ignorant than a child."
Mercedes was barely holding on to her anger as nerves formed on her forehead. She was squinting her eyes while graciously smiling at the old man. No matter what the old man said. She must be calm.
The training given to her by her teachers shouldn't be for naught.
"Anyhow, the seven paragons aren't rulers. As I said before, the paragons stand at the top of the world. Only those who have reached the peak of their profession would be able to become one."
"There was the Paragon of Medicine, Asclepius. The Paragon of Strategy, Doctrine. The Paragon of Governance, Emperor Atlas. The Paragon of Nature, Dryad. Paragon of Technology, Vulcan. And me, the Paragon of War, Caesar."
Caesar fully explained the identities of the seven paragons, though Mercedes did notice something strange. The list of names that Caesar had given her wasn't complete.
"Old man, you forgot the last one." Mercedes expressed, and Caesar thought about it for a while. The old man then realized that he really forgot the last one. He chuckled as memories surged back into his old soul.
"Hahaha, you're right."
"The final one is the Paragon of Knowledge."
"Astarte."
Hearing a familiar name, Mercedes was frozen still. Astarte, her teacher, was amongst the paragon? Well, thinking about it, the identity of Astarte as the Duchess of the Imperium was huge. Astarte also learned something that no one in this world knows.
It was to be expected that she was the last paragon and the Paragon of Knowledge at that.
"Astarte..." Mercedes silently murmured to herself. Caesar continued walking through the streets, and Mercedes followed behind him. As they wandered the fortified city, Mercedes noticed the circumstances inside of it.
The city mostly consisted of slums. It was dirty, and most people within it were malnourish. The only ones traveling to the city were mercenaries and gangs. Caesar was also correct about the high crime rate.
'The living conditions of the people ever since the heavens fall had been spiraling downwards.' Mercedes thought while thinking about her world. 'What a great tragedy.'
She would wish to save them from such an unfortunate fate. Though, what she was seeing before her was nothing more but a memory lane. A set of data created by AEGIS to simulate the fallen world.
It didn't take time as the two entered an inn near the center of the city. Caesar entered first, and Mercedes was right behind him. Upon stepping into the inn, it was brimming with mercenaries. Most people were drinking and wallowing in misery.
But it wasn't her business to judge.
If she was in their circumstances, Mercedes didn't know what she would have done. Living in a world that was falling apart. What would she do in such a world?
Shaking her head, Mercedes decided to not think much about it. Caesar arrived at the reception and ordered for two rooms for both of them. The receptionist, seeing his face, was shocked.
The receptionist swiftly gave the keys to the two of them, not wanting to bother the war paragon. After all, no one would want to offend a paragon of the Imperium. It would be disastrous not only to their inn but also to the fortified city.
Caesar placed the money on the desk and went upstairs without waiting for the change. Mercedes gazes at the trembling receptionist and thinks to herself.
'I won't experience a near-death experience kind of training, right?'