Ezra had heard plenty about Valaria’s capital from his father and read about the city in several books, but this was his first visit to Magaravia. It was nothing like Aranor or the villages around it. In fact, it looked far advanced than any city in Valaria.As their motor wagon glided across the streets of Magaravia, Ezra rolled his window pane down to gaze outside. There were no cottages or huts in this city and even the most modest houses had tiled roofs and large oval windows.The other buildings were brightly painted and had multiple floors. Most of them sported glass windows and a small backyard. There were tall concrete structures with dome-shaped roofs as well as stone towers and minarets scattered all across the city.Ezra marveled at the sight of the different shrines, temples, and guild houses. Every architectural wonder had been crafted following a specific style unique to Magaravia. Almost every building had oval windows and open terraces bordered by decorative banisters.

Count Gressil held Ezra’s shoulders with a fatherly embrace and promised him they would avenge Lord Sebastian’s death.Ezra nodded silently, expressing his gratitude with a half-bow. Now that Aranor had fallen and the Morelises were in power, Ezra did not have too many well-wishers in this world. But Count Gressil’s unwavering support assured him that he wasn’t alone in this fight.“I need to have a word with my informers. You are welcome to stay with us for as long as you like, Lord Ezra,” Count Gressil said before taking his leave and walking out of the room with his most trusted Elite Guard.Soon after, Glenn took his leave as well and promised to return in the evening. For now, he had to return to his house and make arrangements to recover his strength and replenish his magic.Only a couple of knights remained outside the room, leaving Ezra and Tanya in each other’s company.If things hadn’t taken such a drastic turn for the worse, Ezra would have cherished the opportunity to spend

Acquiring an enchanted firearm took priority over everything else, but Ezra knew he could not just waltz into any store and ask for a weapon. Here in the capital, even the most affluent merchants and most respected Gunners needed special permission from the Central Council to purchase enchanted firearms and bullets.Despite having a Gunsmithing system at his disposal, Ezra did not possess the necessary skills to craft new firearms from scratch. In order to create a new weapon, he still needed to get his hands on their blueprints.Marlin’s advice about participating in the duels held throughout the capital was a quick and easy way for Ezra to acquire a firearm and even get his shot at earning some extra coin. However, there was one small problem: he still needed a gun to challenge his opponent in the duel.“I need to acquire a gun to take part in any duel. But they took my coin purse before throwing me in the dungeon, and now I am nothing more than a pauper,” Ezra said to Marlin.The o

The gray-haired woman welcomed Ezra inside a run-down tavern with squeaky wooden floorboards and damp, dilapidated walls covered in cobwebs. One look was enough for anyone to tell that the place had seen better days. But the people sitting on those old wooden chairs and chattering away their cares did not seem to mind their sordid surroundings.A plump barmaid with a bountiful bosom was shuffling plates across the tables and scooping up empty flasks reeking of cheap liquor.As Ezra stepped into the light, the people around him started talking in hushed whispers. Some looked at him suspiciously while others regarded him with utter disinterest and continued munching on their unsalted peanuts and soggy pretzels.The gray-haired woman guided Ezra to the bar counter and walked in through a flimsy wooden gate to stand opposite to him.“I take it you are new in town, boy. So…where are you from? And what brings you to these parts?” she asked, regarding Ezra with curiosity.“I am from a town t

The gray storm clouds brewing overhead cast a shadow over Magaravia. And as thunder rumbled in the skies above, Ezra realized it was about to rain. The little boys playing in the streets flocked to their homes, and the cats and dogs sniffing through the refuse scampered off and hid under the tarpaulins spread across the slums.Everyone seemed to be in a hurry to seek shelter even though it looked like it was going to be a light shower. Ezra stopped near the bridge leading out of the slums and looked up. It was unusual for it to rain at this time of the year, but the clouds looked different. Each time there was a flash, they glowed in the somber darkness, scattering sparks of blue lightning that arced across the skies.As Ezra kept staring in awe, the storm clouds turned a shade darker, and a swirling blue vortex appeared in the middle of the cloud formation. It crackled with lightning and gradually expanded, covering the entirety of Ashton Alley and bathing the area in pale blue ligh