The Zlatan Empire has a vast territory with strict hierarchal laws from the size of cities. The closer you get to the capital of the nation, the larger the cities. This is because most of the wealth, resources and production happens within the inner parts of the nation.
The closer you get to the border, the more villages and towns you will find.
There are only 4 cities near the borders. 2 on the western border and 2 on the northern border. The eastern and southern borders of the country are coastal regions.
The coastal borders do have some trade ports in small towns but they are overshadowed by the capital. The capital, Zlatan City is located right on the southern coast.
It has the biggest harbor in the nation and is fully controlled by the imperial family.
On the western borders are the 2 cities of Varshlan and Westnut. Both conducted trade with the kingdoms near the western border. They also had their own specialty products.
With a population of about 60,000, Westnut is around 15,000 people smaller than Sofenia. This is because of the massive agriculture system present in the area.
They farm a high-calorie and sweet tasting nut called Westnut. It is what the city is named after. This nut is cultivated in mass and needs many people to take care of it.
The orchards for this nut take up a ridiculous amount of acreage, requiring care year-round.
A lot of nobles residing in here owned and traded using these nut orchards. They all had become wealthy from this.
One of the wealthier families here is a branch of the Zocraten clan. Though this family didn't hold the actual noble title of Zocraten Earl, they were still protected under the main family's name.
In the noble's district of Westnut stood a sizable mansion with big gardens and many outdoor training grounds. There were also all sorts of colors and rare trees that had been imported from other nations.
The entire small estate was a colorful treat for the eyes. There were workers taking care of the place while guards were training in the fields.
It was an overall lively and refreshing atmosphere.
On path that circled the mansion, 2 men were walking while admiring the view.
"How did we fail this time? We gave them all the information they could have possibly needed. We even bought them fire spell scrolls." a young man said with seething rage.
The expression on his face wasn't twisted with anger and frustration. His shoulder-length, blue hair was messily moving because of the breeze.
"None of them made out alive. An elder from the darned Vornix clan interfered." said the middle-aged man next to him.
He had the same blue hair and blue eyes but his hair was cut very short. There were also signs of balding.
"Does that mean that we don't have a chance anymore? Tell me Father, why is that Vornix brat so obsessed with that girl?" The young man clenched his fist while looking at his father for answers.
His father sighed and looked away from his son. He couldn't really see him in the eye. He had promised they would succeed this time but the world had other plans.
"Those two first met when they were merely 5. Being of similar age and living close by, she became one of his playmates. Ryan Vornix also had a couple of other playmates his age but none of them were as compatible with his insanity?"
The father started to explain why Elina Zocraten and Ryan Vornix got along so well.
"What do you mean by insanity?" asked the son.
"That boy enjoyed tormenting his servants by making them do shameful or gross tasks. He also liked to eat at restaurants and then smash their plates when he was done.
He never presented himself as a well mannered noble. He was rather uncouth and treated commoners like playthings. His image was not noble at all. Everyone was always at the mercy of his whims.
For some reason, his parents never stopped him. His behavior only got worse and harder to predict. It only got worse after Elina became his playmate.
The two wreaked havoc together, getting up to insane acts that tormented the city for days at a time.
There was an incident where they blew up the city's sewer system. The city reeked of excrement for weeks."
The father had a look of reminiscence in his eyes with a frown on his face.
The son saw this look and was taken aback. he had never seen his father His father is a man who never looks at the past with such an expression.
"That doesn't explain why he is so dedicated to her. Just because she is as mischievous as him? It doesn't make sense." the son said, messing with his hair in frustration.
"Fredward, men are simple creatures. They need to have multiple reasons to like a woman. Give them just a single reason to fall in love and they will." the father said in a lecturing tone.
"That's ridiculous father." Fredward didn't believe his father. He always found his thoughts too complicated.
He also had many requirements in his mind for what kind of lady he would like to marry. Simply having a single thing wasn't good enough for him.
"Hahaha, my son you have only seen arranged marriages between nobles. You have never seen what true love is like. Maybe you need to venture into the world of commoners."
Fredwards father laughed as the two walked. The man tried to convince his son to go undercover and enjoy the world of commoners. He would be able to gain important experience that way.
"Sir Corren!" while the two were walking, someone called out from behind.
They two turned to face a man in light armor running towards them. He had a sword to his waist. His face sports many wrinkles and his lips have a scar across them.
"What happened Marvin? Why are you so scared." asked the father, Corren Zocraten. The expression on his estate guard captain was not something he would like to see.
The guard stopped running and stood in front of his employer.
'Sir, the entire estate has been enclosed in an invisible barrier. My subordinates realized it when they were about to switch shifts." he said with a grim look. His tone was heavy.
The look on both Fredward and Corren turned equally grim when they heard this.
"Have all the guards been mobilized?" asked Fred.
"Yes, young master. The guards have already covered the estate. They are on full alert." the captain said.
"Let's get your mother and sister into the emergency room." said Corren. he and his son hurried back inside as the captain accompanied them for safety.
Erk! Erk! Erk!
An alarm had been sounded as a magic device made blaring noises. The originally calm estate was now in a panic. All the menial workers and servants all headed to the basement.
There was a designated place for them to go in case of emergencies. It was an imperial mandate to not involve normal servants in the battle.
They would always be moved away from the noble family to avoid unnecessary casualties. The only ones involved in fights would be the nobles and their guards.
"Woah there, such noise is absolutely annoying." a young but masculine voice sounded in front of them.
The 3 men had to abruptly stop as a dark blue magic circle appeared right in front of them. It glows while spinning.
Swish!
With a gust of air, a young man appears on top of the magic circles. The circle fades away as it has done its job.
The young man had a somewhat handsome face with bright orange eyes that matched his spiky hair. He had a sword on his waist whose scabbard was intricately detailed with a red serpent motif.
The young man wore heavy armor all over his body. The armor was black in color with red snakes circled around the joints.
Snap!
The young man snaps his fingers as the alarm abruptly stops. The eyes of the three men in front of him widen as the guard captain pulls out his sword.
The other two do the same as they extract swords from their spatial storage devices.
The young man smiles when he sees this and says "Normally, I like to at least observe the swordsmanship of my opponents for a couple of minutes before I kill them.
Unfortunately, I'm on a time crunch. There are many more rats to finish off so I can't waste time. "
The young man puts his hand on the sword scabbard and pulls out his weapon.
The sword itself is beautifully designed with sharp edges and red snake motifs on the handle.
"Well then let's get this d..." The young man suddenly freezes.
His three opponents rush at him as they have to take any chance they get.
Clang!
They swung their sword but a transparent spherical barrier clashed with their swords, stopping their swords in place.
The men reacted quickly and backed off.
"Ah, you guys are lucky! That lady wants you 2 alive." The young man sheathed his sword and clapped his hands.
Clap! Clap!
A dozen dark blue magic circles appeared and summoned individuals in the same armor as the young man. Unlike him, they were wearing the helmets of their armor set so you couldn't see their face.
"Take those 2 nobles alive and then leave." He commanded. His eyes then turned to the guard.
"You saw my face so there's no sparing you. Rest in peace whatever your name is." He pointed his left index finger at the guard captain.
"Python's Bite!" he chanted. His mana circled and exited his body rabidly. It formed a 2 feet long red snake that charged at the captain.
The spell was coated in less than a second. The captain had no time to react before the snake entered his chest.
His eyes rolled back as he fell to the ground and started convulsing. Soon, froth formed in his mouth and sped out. It didn't take long for him to stop moving.
"Tch, weaklings. I wouldn't even have to be here if it wasn't Ryan's request." the young man said. As a magic circle appeared under him, he was preparing to leave.
"What about the two ladies in the house?" asked one of the armored men before he could leave. He pointed towards the mansion.
"They still have some use apparently. We can leave them." He replied as he disagreed with the magic circle.
The knight who asked the question just shrugged his shoulder. The dozen knights then turned to 2 noblemen and drew their swords.
"Let's make this quick. We have more work after this." said one of them as he charged.
The father and son duo engaged the men as best they could but lost within seconds. The knights hit them in the back of the head with the hilts of the swords.
With all of them being higher tier cultivators, the hit was strong enough to knock 2 men out instantly.
The armored men grabbed the unconscious men and flung them over their shoulders. They carried the men as magic circles appeared and took them away.
Inside the mansion at this moment, 2 ladies were hiding in a room made of reinforced metals. They had gone here as soon as the alarm had rung.
The middle aged woman, a lady with purple hair and golden eyes, hugged her daughter tightly. Her daughter, a young woman in her late teens was hugging her mother back.
She had the same purple hair as her mother but her eyes were also purple. A mutation caused by her element as neither of her parents had purple eyes.
"Mother, why are father and brother taking so long." asked the young girl.
"Don't worry dear, they must be on their way." she said trying to reassure her daughter.
Both were unaware that their lives were about to take a dark turn.