The capital of the Lanka Kingdom is called Lanka City, and the port is located at the southernmost end of the city.
Riding in a carriage through the kingdom's streets, one can take in the scenery of Lanka City.
In this world, most kingdoms are scattered across various islands, with the Four Seas having the most kingdoms, mainly relying on animal husbandry or agriculture as the mainstay, supplemented by regional characteristics and trade.
These countries are often technologically backward, with extremely low modernization levels.
The carriage rolled over the freshly tung-oiled bluestone road, and Rosse lifted the curtain to look outside.
From Rosse's perspective, Lanka City roughly resembled the style of the medieval period.
On both sides of the street were low brick-and-stone houses. The mud walls had been freshly repainted, and traces of moss being scraped off at the corners of the walls were still damp.
With just a glance, Rosse could roughly guess that this was likely hastily prepared in recent days to cope with his arrival.
The streets inside the city were extremely clean. Their carriage was the only one coming and going, and quite a few civilians lined the roads to welcome them, presenting a bustling and beautiful city scene.
"Turn left at the intersection ahead," Rosse suddenly said.
"This... Your Highness, I've already prepared a palace for your rest. There are slaves inside ready with entertainment programs for you," Humphrey hesitated. It wasn't that he was afraid Rosse would see something unpleasant.
After all, he knew very well what kind of virtue Celestial Dragons had.
It's just that the Lanka Kingdom had been unstable recently due to pirate rampages. They needed to spend money to train a capable army. They had just announced new taxes, and there was considerable dissatisfaction within the kingdom.
He wasn't afraid of Rosse seeing the miserable state of the lowborn. He was afraid that some of them might bump into Rosse, leading Rosse to think he was incapable of managing the Lanka Kingdom.
If something happened to Rosse within the kingdom, the Lanka family would face extermination.
"I wasn't discussing it with you," Rosse glanced at Humphrey, who was driving in front. The cold gaze made Humphrey tremble all over uncontrollably.
How could Humphrey dare to say anything else? He could only obediently drive the carriage.
Even if they were bumped by lowborns, it might not be an issue.
But if he didn't follow Rosse's will, he'd be finished on the spot.
The carriage turned as per Rosse's instructions, entering an unplanned road.
Not even a hundred meters in, the scenery outside the window had completely changed.
Low and old stone buildings, a putrid stench, disheveled and dirty vagrants, practically occupied all the street corners and alleys.
"Your Highness, this is the slum of Lanka Kingdom. These are all lowborns. I fear they will taint your eyes," Humphrey said cautiously.
"If they would taint my eyes, then why not give them proper clothes and tidy up the streets?", Rosse asked blandly in return.
"This... they're all lowborns. Even if we gave them clothes, within two days they'd ruin them. Even if we tidied up for them, in a few days it would all turn dilapidated again," Humphrey replied stiffly.
These lowborns, who couldn't create much value, didn't have a status much higher than that of slaves.
His view was similar to that of other nobles. Why would he care about the life and death of these lowborns?
"Oh? Really? I don't believe it," Rosse raised his eyebrows slightly. Just a few exchanges were enough for him to sentence Humphrey to death in his mind.
Aside from being able to drive smoothly and act humble, he was basically a piece of trash.
If he couldn't be useful, then there was no need to waste time anymore. After making full use of trash, it could be discarded.
"Stop the carriage," Hearing Rosse's casual command, Humphrey's expression changed dramatically.
Recalling Rosse's earlier words, how could he not know what Rosse was going to do?
Perhaps to Rosse, this was just a novel exploration.
But if Rosse truly learned the truth, wouldn't that make it a deception? Would he still have a way to survive?
"Your Highness, this place is too dirty..."
PA!!!
Before Humphrey could finish his sentence, he was suddenly kicked flying by Zannie who appeared beside him, his body flying sideways and crashing to the ground. Due to inertia, he even rolled twice on the ground.
The pain in his body made Humphrey cry out in agony.
His long-untrained body couldn't withstand such a hit at all.
On the other side, the carriage was also swiftly stopped under Zannie's control, right near where Humphrey had fallen.
The unusual scene immediately attracted many gazes from the surroundings.
"Is that His Majesty the King lying on the ground?"
"It's him. My daughter was taken by him and died in the palace. I'd recognize him even if he turned to ashes."
"Oh my God, how could His Majesty the King be lying on the ground?"
"Isn't today the day the Celestial Dragon visits? Why is the King appearing here?"
"..."
One whisper after another from around, like sharp blades, struck not only Humphrey's already aching body but also his spirit.
His disgraceful appearance had actually been exposed before the lowborns.
Endless humiliation and shame nearly swallowed Humphrey whole.
Before he could sink into despair, a crisp sound of footsteps approached and finally stopped in front of him.
"His Highness is getting off the carriage," Zannie's words were like a death sentence, completely shattering Humphrey's psychological defenses.
"No, no, no... Your Highness, I cannot be seen in such disgrace before the lowborns,".Humphrey looked pleadingly toward the figure inside the carriage, his face full of supplication, begging for forgiveness.
He was the king of Lanka Kingdom. To serve the Celestial Dragons, he had already fallen to such a miserable state. Even if only out of respect for his sincerity, he should be spared.
"Can't let you lose face? Then do you want me to lose face?", Rosse's cold words made Humphrey's breath nearly stop.
Feeling Zannie's cold gaze upon him, Humphrey knew very clearly that he had no choice.
Either kneel, or...
That was a Celestial Dragon. Even if they killed him, the World Government would at most issue a verbal reprimand.
No, Rosse wouldn't face any consequences, he didn't care at all.
If he didn't agree, it would be his life he'd lose.
As if his soul had left him, Humphrey slowly got up, and under the strange looks of the lowborns, crawled step by step to the side of the carriage.
"Your Highness, please disembark," Accompanied by Humphrey's hoarse voice, Zannie, like a proper butler, stepped on Humphrey and opened the carriage door under the gaze of the crowd.
After opening the door, Zannie elegantly stepped aside and spoke with a voice that wasn't loud, but clearly audible to those around:
"His Highness Jaygarcia, King Humphrey claims this area is filthy. Please ride upon King Humphrey and continue to browse the sights of this district," Hearing Zannie's words, not only did Humphrey's face turn ashen, but even the lowborns looked at him with some hostility.
This wasn't some real slum. This was the port district closest to the harbor. They were all ordinary people working at the port or trying to make a living. The dirt and mess weren't what they wanted either.
Just surviving was hard enough, who had time to care about secondary things?
Besides, how did the filthy streets relate to the workers and vagrants? Wasn't it because the kingdom didn't spend money to send people to clean up, letting it stay dirty?
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