Early the next morning, Nexus was found in his room, sitting cross-legged on the bed. He focused on his breathing, allowing the Spirit Energy to envelop him with each inhale, entering his body through his pores.
As he exhaled a mouthful of turbid air, Nexus slowly opened his eyes and stood up,did a simple stretched, the sound of his joints crackling in the quiet room.
Making his way outside, Nexus stood in the front yard with his hands behind his back raising his head he looked at the horizons illuminated by the morning sun,his red hair fluttering in the morning breeze.
Kassius appeared behind him, gazing at Nexus with respect as the morning light illuminated him, giving him a divine aura. Kassius remained silent, lowering his head in reverence.
Twenty minutes later, Nexus snapped out of his daze, shook his head, and turned around. When Kassius saw Nexus turn around, he immediately bowed and greeted, "Good morning, Your Highness."
"Morning, Grandpa Kassius," Nexus responded with a nod. "Grandpa Kassius, why are you up so early this morning?"
"Your Highness, I usually wake up early, and because of what we discussed yesterday, I wanted to continue gathering information about the Heavenglow Continent to help you establish your Kingdom," Kassius explained with a fervent look in his eyes.
Nexus gazed at Kassius with gratitude, "Thanks for your help, Grandpa Kassius, but there's no need to rush. I'm just going to check out the Purple Thorn Kingdom."
Kassius composed himself and nodded.
"What about Grandma Sora and Nyx? Have they woken up yet?" Nexus inquired, glancing towards their rooms.
"It's still early in the morning, Your Highness. They're probably still asleep," Kassius replied quickly.
"Okay, Grandpa Kassius, I'm heading out now. If Nyx and Grandma Sora wake up, you can all have breakfast without me. I won't be long," Nexus instructed.
"Understood, Your Highness," Kassius bowed. "But you can't go out like that," he added.
Nexus was surprised. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, Your Highness, you stand out too much. You might attract unwanted attention in the city," Kassius explained with a strange expression.
"Oh, is there something wrong with the Purple Thorn Kingdom?" Nexus asked curiously.
"Remember when I told you about the kingdom's situation a few days ago? It's not looking good," Kassius reminded him.
"Yeah, I remember. So, how does that relate to my appearance?" Nexus realized.
Kassius shook his head slightly and handed Nexus a cloak with a hood. "Just wear this, Your Highness. You'll understand when you see for yourself."
Though still puzzled, Nexus accepted the cloak and donned it, concealing his face in the hood. With a gesture of farewell to Kassius, he made his way out of the courtyard.
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Nexus was still perplexed by the information Kassius had shared regarding the Purple Thorn Kingdom. Despite the pieces of information provided, Nexus found himself struggling to understand the necessity of concealing his appearance when venturing outside.
Pushing aside these thoughts, Nexus lifted his head and surveyed his surroundings with a sense of curiosity reflected in his crimson eyes. This marked his first going out of the courtyard since their arrival.
Kassius had informed him that upon landing in the Heavenglow Continent, they had lost all their possessions, including their money.
Consequently, Sora had been forced to part with her cherished necklace in exchange for meager funds, which were used to secure a dilapidated courtyard in the slums of the Capital city of the Purple Thorn Kingdom.
As Nexus followed Kassius' directions through the slums, he was taken aback by the deteriorating state of the buildings. Each step revealed more decrepit structures, some already reduced to rubble and littered with filth, emitting a putrid stench that permeated the air.
According to Kassius, their current courtyard was a rare exception, acquired at a significant cost that nearly depleted their remaining funds.
The sight of the dilapidated surroundings left Nexus in disbelief. Every building he encountered bore the scars of neglect and decay.
Unable to shake the unsettling images from his mind, Nexus found himself reflecting on Kassius' earlier revelations about the Purple Thorn Kingdom.
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The Noble Families are basically part of the Royal Family, but not quite as high up. Some of them become Nobles through politics or military achievements. They have a lot of power in the Kingdom, with their own territory and army. They always thought they were better than everyone else because they thought their bloodline is above thoses who are not Nobles. So, you've got the Royal Family, the Nobles, and the Commoners. Sometimes, the Nobles end up running the the Kingdom, using the King as a puppet to control the Kingdom. Just like in the Purple Thorn Kingdom.Over time, the Nobles got more and more power-hungry, trying to take control of the Kingdom from the Royal Family. They even started manipulating the kings who came to power, making life harder for the citizens. Luckily, a new king took the throne, and he wasn't so easy to control. The Nobles tried to threaten him with rebellion if he didn't do what they wanted, but he stood his ground. In the past, the Nobles used this tactic to threaten the previous kings, but the Royal Family couldn't do anything because the Nobles' power and influence were strong when they came together. This made the Kingdom very weak, affecting their ranking among other Kingdoms. For many years, they hadn't even broken through to Level Two Kingdom because the Nobles monopolized the resources for themselves, making themselves rich and powerful while neglecting the Kingdom. But then a new king ascended to the throne and didn't allow the Nobles to control everything. It was challenging at first because the Nobles tried to block him at every turn, but he stood his ground. Plus, the new king was a genius in cultivation, quickly raising his strength. This led to the Nobles' series of assassination attempts failing. The king then implemented laws that greatly affected the Nobles, causing their to resolve to kill him. However, killing him proved to be incredibly difficult. The new king raised an army of elite soldiers, conquered vast territories, and improved the lives of the commoners. Although the Kingdom became a Level Three Kingdom, the Nobles' power and influence remained strong. They controlled most of the economic activity and had officials in the Kingdom. The king tried everything to remove the Nobles, but it was all in vain. As time passed by the king's power grew stronger, while the Nobles grew weaker. He started removing the Nobles' influence by finding excuses to remove some of their people from official posts. The Royal Family even started their own businesses to compete with the Nobles. Everything seemed to be going well as the king became stronger and the Nobles weaker. Realizing they might be eliminated if they didn't act, all the Nobles joined forces to try to kill the king. The Nobles, recognizing their current lack of power to challenge the King, joined forces with other enemies of the Purple Thorn in a conspiracy to eliminate him. Through their collaboration, they successfully ambushed the King and his personal soldiers in a valley, overwhelming them with a massive army. The ensuing battle lasted three days and nights, resulting in the deaths of all the King's soldiers and ultimately the King himself. Relieved at finally achieving their goal, the Nobles then turned their attention to securing their own positions of power. In a ruthless move, they systematically assassinated every member of the Royal Family, from children to the elderly, ensuring that no potential threats remained. With the throne now vacant, the Nobles divided the kingdom amongst themselves, consolidating their control over all available resources. As time passed, the kingdom began to deteriorate under the Nobles' oppressive rule. Enemy forces took advantage of the weakened state of the kingdom, seizing territories and causing chaos. The commoners suffered as food shortages became rampant, with the Nobles hoarding supplies for themselves and turning a blind eye to the plight of their people. The once prosperous kingdom descended into corruption and decay, with even bandits now demanding tribute from its inhabitants. The situation had become so dire that Nexus, upon hearing of these developments, was left speechless when Kassius told him this. The tables had turned, with bandits now dictating terms to a once mighty kingdom. Due to the mismanagement of the Nobles, the once prosperous Kingdom has been weakened significantly. The Nobles, consumed by their own greed and desire for power, have neglected the well-being of the commoners. As a result, the Kingdom has become a haven for criminals, with thieves and killers running rampant. The deteriorating state of the Kingdom has led to a drastic decrease in population, with cities, towns, and villages falling into ruin. The citizens have been left impoverished and vulnerable, with many struggling to survive. The once thriving population of ten million has dwindled to a mere two million, with the majority being children and elderly individuals. The Nobles' disregard for the welfare of the Kingdom has not only led to its downfall but has also caused immense suffering for its inhabitants.