Chapter 8: Beyond the Walls

Inside this castle, I felt safe.

Everyone was kind to me, and the scenery always seemed to shine. I could spend my entire life here and reach a genuine level of happiness.

However, my duties as king were not limited to training and personal study. There was one unavoidable step I had yet to take.

I had to see my people in person.

“Mother, I want to tour the streets of the city tomorrow afternoon.”

My announcement did not go unnoticed by Mother. She raised her left eyebrow in surprise, while Alda continued eating as if none of this had anything to do with her.

“Is that so? Why the sudden interest?”

“I’ve been living happily within these walls, but I understand this isn’t the reality of ordinary people. I want to see them in person so I can better understand my people and find a way to make their lives easier.”

Just like in my previous life, most ordinary people could not afford the luxuries of the ruling class. This medieval world with traces of fantasy was no exception.

Until now, I had enjoyed the kingdom’s greatest comforts: hot meals, a feather bed, and an elite education.

But commoners definitely did not live that way.

“Well, if that is what you wish, then very well. I will order the Royal Guard to prepare to escort you into the city, and I will also request a detachment of men-at-arms.”

Mother sighed in resignation. She did not seem thrilled by the idea of going out, so out of pure curiosity, I decided to ask.

“You don’t look very motivated. Is something wrong with the town?”

“Hmm… It is difficult to explain. It would be better for you to see it in person tomorrow. Do not worry. I will go with you. I also need to see the state of the capital so I can order the proper use of our funds.”

“That’s true, Mother. As regent, you fulfill the role of sovereign, right?”

“I do not have total control over the vassals, nor can I order a levy recruitment. My functions are limited to tax collection and the review of laws. Everything else must be handled jointly with the court until you turn sixteen.”

Mother sighed again, this time with visible exhaustion. To be honest, I rarely saw her walking around the castle. She always spent her afternoons shut inside the throne room with the rest of the court.

“I’m sorry for asking this, but I really need to see the people.”

“Do not worry, my son. Your argument is valid. A king needs to know his people.”

“I’ll wait for you here,” Alda commented. “I’ve gone out several times before, and honestly… It’s better if you see it for yourself, Brother.”

After saying that, my sister did not comment any further. She continued eating in uncomfortable silence, clearly uneasy about the topic of going outside, and in the end, she withdrew from the table with a polite bow.

Did the people hate us?

I wanted to ask again, but Mother’s uncomfortable expression told me not to.

By the following afternoon, the preparations were complete.

Mother and I climbed into a finely crafted wooden carriage. It had golden edges, and the vehicle itself was dark, with decorations alluding to the red lion. It was drawn by four white steeds and driven by a member of the Royal Guard.

In fact, it was the first time I had seen them all together.

“Is everything ready, Your Highness?”

I had no words to describe Sir Marte Hogan in full armor.

If he had already looked imposing in normal clothes, seeing him armored from head to toe certainly left me intimidated.

The entire Royal Guard wore silver plate armor. Their helmets had visors that each knight could open or close at will, and right on the breastplate rested the face of a red lion embroidered with rubies.

Two meters of pure steel.

“It is, Sir Marte.”

My personal guards rode enormous destriers armored with metal barding. It was the first time I had seen them in action, since inside the stables, they were kept as lightly equipped as possible.

“Excellent. We shall depart when you give the order.”

The destrier my mentor rode was the largest among the ten royal knights. It took an animal of considerable size to carry such a giant.

“We can leave.”

The enormous castle gates began to part with the movement of the pulleys. To be honest, this was also the first time I had seen them open from so close.

At last, I would see the world without the blindfold of comfort I had been wearing ever since I reincarnated.

The Royal Guard arranged themselves around the carriage, and farther ahead, the men-at-arms formed a protective barrier in front and along the sides.

Unlike my knights, they wore brown plate brigandines, with no heraldry or visible insignia. They carried oak shields and long spears in their hands. On their leather belts, I managed to spot falchions, probably meant for close combat.

We advanced across the enormous stone bridge that served as the castle entrance.

The surroundings were very well maintained, with vibrant green grass and a blue sky offering us an almost poetic view of the place.

Of course, the surroundings of a castle always gave a good impression.

But as we descended, little by little, we began to see the grass deteriorate.

We went from orderly shrubs to weeds piled up everywhere. In the distance, I spotted many houses made of wood, stone, and adobe. The architecture reminded me of medieval England, but I also noticed curious details that had not existed in my previous world.

First of all, the houses had straw roofs or were covered with brick and stone. I found no concrete anywhere, except in some of the castle walls and the upper citadel.

Was that some local law?

I would ask Gonzalo later.

Another important detail was the absence of giant churches or cathedrals, which had been very common in my world of origin.

“Where are the churches?” I asked Mother.

“Have you forgotten already? There is only one temple dedicated to the God of the Earth, and it is located in the Duchy of Chiapa.”

Chiapa?

Like Chiapas from my world?

What a coincidence.

“The Duchy of Chiapa… Does that mean ‘water beneath the hill’?”

“Correct. I see you have been studying, my son.”

I did not know whether this was some tasteless joke or simply an extremely strange coincidence. In the language of the extinct Chiapanecas from my world, Chiapas—or Chiapa, depending on whom you asked—also meant water beneath the hill.

“According to the master tablet, when the God of the Earth created the first mountain, he decided to give it a companion so it would not be alone. And so, he also created a lake that passes right beneath it. The priests of our religion say this represents human creation, with the mountain being a man and the water being a woman.”

“Oh, interesting, Mother. I’ll read about it later.”

We finished passing through the overgrown outskirts and finally entered the city.

My first impression was not favorable at all.

The men-at-arms politely moved pedestrians aside, and the people simply lowered their heads as we passed.

There was something strange about them.

Their living conditions were not healthy. The rotten, disgusting smell struck my nose head-on and nearly made me dizzy. I already knew that the life of commoners was hard, but this went beyond the medieval poverty I expected to find.

The stone roads were cracked, and the dirt made it difficult for the horses to advance. I turned my face to better observe the larger buildings: houses belonging to minor nobles who lived among the common peasantry instead of inside the castle. Other places also caught my attention, such as the tall concrete buildings belonging to the local guilds: blacksmiths, seamstresses, and cooks, the three largest industries in the capital.

The farther we advanced, the more depressing the scenery became.

The men looked tired and without the will to do anything. They wore filthy, foul-smelling rags that even had their own little entourage of flies around them. The sickly, starving children also seemed intimidated by the presence of the Royal Guard and the soldiers escorting me.

The women did not lift my spirits either. Many wore dresses that had probably belonged to their great-grandmothers, perhaps even older. They walked through the streets covered in grime, and a worrying majority did not even bother to raise their eyes after giving the required bow.

I said nothing.

We simply continued moving through the streets.

“Why is there no concrete on the road?”

“Because the King of Apolo from two generations ago forbade us from having concrete streets in our cities. He said it was a fitting punishment for us.”

Mother looked very depressed every time she remembered the Sanctions of Apolo, as they were usually called in the main court.

“I see. That’s awful…”

Reality was harsher than I had imagined.

Seeing these villagers walking around so dispirited struck a blow against my morale.

“We will now pass through the merchants’ district.”

The cobblestone streets were flatter and better maintained. Nearly all the homes and shops in this area were made with fine wood and stone.

I saw an enormous bakery, clothing stores, blacksmith workshops, and even an armory for commoners. There, they sold swords, armor, crossbows, and arrows. I did not find a single bow among the merchandise.

Even so, the mood did not improve.

The people continued bowing to me as I passed, and nothing more.

Not a cry of anger.

Not a cheerful shout.

Nothing.

This place looked like a ghost town.

As if everyone had resigned themselves to living in depression and loneliness. The spirit of this town was deader than sincerity on a meme page.

“T-This is sad. Why does everyone look so discouraged?”

I took Mother’s hand so I could feel accompanied. Seeing this tragic situation face-to-face made me understand Alda’s words.

It’s better if you see it for yourself.

And indeed, I saw it.

What a gray, unfriendly sight.

“The tributes we pay to the Kingdom of Apolo are far too high. On top of that, they raid our borders, and to make matters worse, this city is being attacked from within by a criminal network known as the Gray Fist. They are a band of thieves, human traffickers, and extortionists who attack rich and poor alike.”

Oh…

Organized crime.

If there had been even the slightest bit of joy in my heart, it disappeared the moment I heard that concept I hated so much.

“Then why don’t we do something?”

“The people will not let us,” Mother replied. “They are afraid of reprisals.”

Just as we were discussing the matter, the carriage suddenly stopped.

Sir Marte rode a few meters ahead and then returned to us. The men-at-arms, on the other hand, held their position.

Were we about to be attacked?

No.

No one raised their weapons.

“There is a corpse up ahead,” my mentor said. “Give us a few minutes while we clear the area. You should not see this at such a young age.”

“No,” I replied. “I want to see it.”

“Are you sure, my son?”

Mother took my hand again and then wrapped my body in a warm embrace.

“You do not need to see it.”

“No, Mother. I do need to. You can wait in the carriage if you want.”

“I will go with you. Sir Marte, please guide us.”

We climbed down from the carriage, protected by the Royal Guard and a handful of armed men. The walk took no more than two minutes. We only needed to move a few meters ahead of the first bodyguards to see the infamous corpse lying in the middle of the road.

How should I have felt about it?

Mother brought her right hand to her mouth, trying to hold back the vomit from the shock. She had never seen a corpse before, and the sight made her feel dizzy. Even so, she did not step back, and with her other hand, she held me close to comfort me.

However, the only thing I felt when I saw it was sadness.

It was a middle-aged man wearing old rags that barely covered his violated flesh. He had an axe wound in his back and a knife wound in the rear of his neck. His blood was still flowing fresh, and the postmortem spasms had only just stopped.

My eyes did not leave the deceased man.

This was not right.

“Who did this?” I asked aloud, since several curious onlookers had approached to see me.

Obviously, my guards kept them away, but I shook my head and addressed the people again.

“Who did this?”

“It was the Gray Fist.”

A fearful voice could be heard among the crowd of pedestrians. Whoever spoke probably did not want to reveal their identity out of fear.

There was definitely no mistake.

This poor man had been killed by organized crime because he no longer had money to pay for their famous “protection.” The typical crime committed against ordinary people.

I furrowed my brow in anger.

This made me furious.

Very, very furious.

I had died murdered by damn criminals. Seeing a poor wretch suffer the same fate only a few meters away from my men made me feel even worse than I already had during this visit.

“Are you all right, Your Highness?” Sir Marte asked, clearly surprised by the hatred filling my expression.

“No, Sir Marte. I am not all right. None of this is all right. They just killed a man a few meters away from us. How could I possibly be all right?”

I did not want to scold him or take my anger out on him, but the terrible frustration I felt was not easy to forget.

“My sincerest apologies, Your Highness…”

“No. This was not your fault. I’m sorry.”

I bowed respectfully to my mentor, a gesture neither Mother nor the rest of the peasants had expected.

Was it unusual for a king to show humility for his mistakes?

I did not know.

And honestly, right now, I barely cared.

“We should return to the carriage, my son. Let your soldiers bury the man so he may rest in peace.”

Mother’s voice brought me back to reality. Afterward, I nodded and returned to the carriage with her.

“Yes. Let’s go.”

I did not vomit, nor did I freeze in front of the blood. Perhaps because of my violent death, nothing surprised me anymore.

Whether in Mexico or in the Kingdom of Etrica, people lived terrified of external and internal enemies.

However, not anymore.

“There are nobles living in these streets, right?” I asked Mother again, whose pale face was only just beginning to recover from the shock.

“Y-Yes, my son. Why do you ask?”

“Does the Gray Fist bother them too?”

“Almost never. They only attack merchants, traders, and poor people. The nobility considers them a minor plague. Mere thieves to be hanged if caught in the act, but not worth the trouble of destroying.”

Mother’s explanation nearly made me climb out of the carriage again and scream in frustration.

Damn it.

Why did they not stop those murderers?

How blind was the nobility, really?

“I understand.”

I did not show my displeasure in public. One skill I had gained from my old political career was not showing my emotions too openly. Perhaps I was not very good at it, given my expressive personality, but sometimes I succeeded.

Especially when I felt as furious as I did now.

“Let us return to the castle. I have seen what I needed to see.”

Without further delay, we turned around and rode slowly back home.

A city battered by tribute and criminals.

A frightened, apathetic population.

My duty as sovereign had only just begun…