The marketplace was big. A lot bigger than the main square at least. It felt very spacious, as it wasn't filled with tall buildings like the main square.
In the centre of the marketplace were some fighting ranges. Those were fenced all around and had earth as a footing. People fought inside some of them, with observers standing around.
Apart from the fighting rings, stalls occupied the plaza. The stalls were selling merchandise of differing sizes and uses, some with vegetables and food, some with low-quality armour and weapons. There were no precious items there, as those were sold only in specialised shops or by merchants who travel around the kingdom and sometimes to the empire, in their stalls on the main street.
There was a lot of empty space in the marketplace, making it feel more vast and spacious than it is in reality. Some of it was used by children to play, some had adults dancing and celebrating something, or training with their weapons, but most of it remained completely empty.
At the edges of the square stood big shops, warehouses, bakeries and restaurants. Around these establishments, a lot of guards were walking around, in contrast to the rest of the marketplace.
And that is where Adam, Steven and Cynthia were. They had already seen everything in the marketplace and were heading into one of the best restaurants in the city, at least in Steven's opinion.
They sat on an open terrace, with a view of the city and ordered their dishes. Steven and Cynthia knew what they liked there, so there was no problem with their decisiveness. But Adam was a whole different story, as Steven was paying for the whole meal, Adam didn't have any reservations concerning money, his problem lay elsewhere.
Adam just didn't know what those dishes were, for example,- "Golden King Laying Waste To His Enemies". What was Adam supposed to think? Was it a chicken, a slice of pork or some other meat? Or They just wanted to confuse their customers and in actuality, it was a broccoli in breadcrumbs? Looking at the prices also didn't help, as everything was expensive, and it was impossible to distinguish a large meal from an appetizer by its price.
Eventually, Cynthia had to order instead of him. He got some kind of porkchop with potatoes and cauliflower, in a weird sauce. Called "Grandoise Yet Grounded".
"If I ever meet the person in charge of naming these dishes, I will have to have a long conversation with them. Just how do they come up with them?" Complained Adam.
"Who are those people in the rings? They seem good at fighting." Said Adam, after finishing his meal.
"Mmm... They are probably a part of some gang. It is common for ex-adventurers to join one. The matches they are holding are completely rigged, by the way." Answered him, Steven, munching on his steak.
"There weren't any gangs in Ferston. Why would someone join one?" Asked Adam in curiosity.
"The reason behind that is Master Edgar, I heard he eradicated all troublemakers when he first arrived. And about them joining the gang, it's probably because they don't work at Adventurers Guild anymore." Answered Cynthia, deep admiration was heard in her voice as she talked about Ferston's Chief Guard.
"Why would they leave? I guess they could after amassing an impressive amount of money change their job onto something more stable, but they don't look like a respectable stonemason or a merchant would." Questioned Adam again.
"It's not their decision, Adventurers guild has very strict regulations when it comes to the condition of adventurers. If they have even a minor injury, they can't participate in raids until it heals. Those of the adventurers that retire early are either very rich or had some serious injury that didn't heal properly and in turn, made them incapable of earning money as an adventurer." This time, it was Steven who satiated Adam's curiosity. He seemed knowledgeable about such topics.
Silence ensued from this point onward. They finished eating their meals and after Steven paid for everything, walked outside.
Next on their list of attractions was a cathedral of the Goddess, specifically Pruina the only god worshipped in Derdania.
The cathedral was massive, not as much as the Magic Tower or the castle, but huge in its own right. Its exterior was simple, yet majestic, terrifying even.
The smooth stone it was made of had this weird property, It made it reflect light like a piece of ice or a mirror. But it was far from normal mirrors, when were around the cathedral, your reflection may have appeared on any part of it, the roof, a wall, or even the altar. No one knew if someone wasn't observing them, unsuspecting and clueless, while they walked past the church. this made staying around the cathedral an uncomfortable, creepy experience during which no one knew if some stalker was peeking at them.
No wonder all houses around had thick, dark drapes in the windows, always pulled all across the opening.
Adam and his company left that place as fast as they could, while also trying not to look suspicious.
Eventually, they arrived at the central square.
"Unfortunately, I have other matters to attend to. It was nice walking around with you too, I will look forward to you inviting me again." Said Cynthia, making her leave.
"Goodbye, Miss Cynthia." Replied Steven.
"It was nice to meet you, miss." Adam said.
When the girl left, two of them stared after her for a while, and then an awkward silence came.
"So, do you want to see anything else?" Asked Steven, finally breaking the silence.
"I would like to register as a mage, where do I have to go?" Asked Adam after taking a moment to think.
"At this time of the day?... The easiest way would be going to the adventurers guild, you just have to mention what you came for to the receptionist and they take care of you" Answered the tower administrator. " If you intend to register now, I will take my leave, if you don't mind of course." He later added.
"No, thank you for your time, I will manage on my own from now on."
After saying their goodbyes, Adam and Steven went their own ways,
As Adam walked through the main square, and then the main street, he noticed there were more people on the streets today. The most likely reason behind that was the time of the day, right now, the sun was still somewhat in the sky.
When he reached the guild's house, he was flabbergasted, shouldn't the main headquarters of a guild spanning an entire kingdom be more... luxurious?
Although the building was made from stone, had carved sculptures on walls and was rather clean, after a brief look, the imperfections were seen. Adam noticed that the wooden floor was worn out, forming small cavities within, and had cracks appearing occasionally, the sculptures on the walls were cracked, with small bits and pieces broken off on the corners. It was generally in a bad state, intensive renovation would be needed to bring it back to its former glory.
As Adam headed inside, he had to push through the people standing all around. As he approached the receptionist's desk, he was stopped by a group of men.
"Don't you know, that queue is supposed to be entered from behind?" Asked a man in the centre, a huge one, with an axe by his hip.
"Ha! Just like your mother, Frank!" Laughed his companion.
"Fuck off!" The man supposedly named Frank turned around and punched the other one in the guts.
"Hay! Not fair! You asked for it!" The attacked man bellowed, clutching his stomach.
"I came to register as a mage. Do I also have to wait in line?" Answered him Adam, who genuinely didn't know.
"You want us to believe you are a fucking mage? Then I am Helga, The Saintes of Pruina herself!!" His words were met with a peal of laughter all around them.
"Well, as you say, I will go the the end." Angering those guys wasn't a good idea, so Adam chose a pacifistic approach. Waiting for a bit wouldn't hurt him either.
"Oh, no! You picked our interest. Show us some spells and we will let you through." Frank, who was definitely drunk, seemed to have fun from the situation.
"Ok, that will do, [Icicle]" Adam cast the spell he was most proficient with at the moment. Actually, he didn't have to say the name out loud anymore, he was familiar enough with his creation to silent-cast it, but he didn't want to show off before a horde of drunk men, and some women also.
Ice spike manifested in the air, above his outstretched hand. Adam moved his hand slightly in a circular motion. the icicle followed suit, flying in circles around Adam's palm.
"Whoa!!!" Loud gasps were heard in the audience, and the face of the drunkard darkened slightly.
"I'm sorry, esteemed mage. Recognising one such as your distinguished self without signature robes of the mages is a task beyond my small, humble brain." Even thou the alcohol percentage in his blood was high, the man was still smart enough to turn the situation around and laugh with Adam, instead of laughing at him.
"That's exactly the reason I am here, to get my robe." Answered him Adam excitedly.
Adam started moving again, and people got out of his way, this time they were doing it very willingly. Now, as people stopped blocking his vision Adam could finally observe the interior of the guild.
On one side, there were three counters, with attendants sitting in them. That was a part where people got registered as adventurers and applied for a raid. Adam also needed to go there, to get the robe he dreamt of last night.
The other side of the room was a tavern or rather a bar. Adventurers drank and chatted among themselves as they waited for their turn at the counter, having one of their own inside the line, waiting or just sitting around for the company.
He soon reached the counter, without any problems on the way from the drunkard's position.
"Hello, what can I help you with?" Asked the female attendant, who sat behind the counter. She had seen the commotion that happened before, so her question was strictly formal.
"Hi, I would like to register as a mage." Answered politely, Adam.
"Okay, the law requires me to ask you to cast two different spells in quick succession, could you do it for me?"
Adam complied, and cast the two spells of his, [Icicle] and [Shield], one after the other.
"Is this enough?"
The attendee stared blankly at the transparent sheet slowly disappearing from her vision, dissipating into the air.
"...Yes.. certainly. Now, please write your name, last name and main element on this paper. And that would be all."
"Sooo, how much do I need to wait for my robe? An hour? Two?" Asked Adam eagerly, he couldn't wait to own such a cool thing.
"No, you must have misunderstood, young master, you will have your robe and certification delivered to the Magic Tower, where it will be possible to get it from the reception. In about two days' time. Another two days will be needed for the completion of the spare robe, but it will be delivered directly to your chamber at the tower after it's done and you have acquainted yourself with the room." Said the Attendee with a flat tone, after reading the rules and regulations about the topic from a thick book.
Now, it was Adam's turn to stare at her blankly.
'No robe?..'