The World of Tactics

Chapter Thirteen I: A Day At The Kabridge Capital

"To the far Southeast of Anuicia Kingdom was the Iron Mine Capital. Following down south of the Iron Mine Capital was the Kabridge Capital. Straight from the west of the Iron Mine Capital was the Necro Capital. The Traco Capital was also south and west of Necro Capital and Kabridge Capital. The four unassuming capitals form an awkward rectangle. The true capital city, Kalamarsh Capital City, was at the center of most of the awkward rectangle. This was the true kingdom formation to protect against internal and external threats.

Even among the differences between the five capitals. Tonight, we will talk about the Kabridge Capital.

The Kabridge Capital was divided into a few sectors. The noble sector includes long-standing nobles, strong individuals that were strong, and wealthy merchants.

The commoner's sector belongs to the commoners who can own their fair of houses or houses. Normally, there would be open markets. Stalls would be laid out everywhere on the streets. Buildings of all sorts were here. This sector openly touches the commercial sector. The commercial sector belongs where businesses are open to the public to engage in transactions. It was common that the two sectors were mistaken to be the biggest sector. However, only the locals would know such a thing.

The military sector belongs to the garrison that was stationed here. In a time of need, the garrison would need to occasionally suppress an uprising, monsters, invaders, and similar conflicts.

The last sector was the slum sector. Those that were poor could only choose to live here, since being within the wall was much better than outside of the walls. Thugs and thieves roam about. Crimes were common. Sudden personal disappearances are rare but do happen. Only the worst of the worst could live comfortably in this sector.

The noble sector borders the commercial sector and the military sector. The commercial sector and the commoners' sector contact each other. The commoner's sector touches the military's sector. Altogether, the four sectors form the circular wall of the economy around the central castle. Meanwhile, the slum sector was attached to the commoners and commercial sectors. And, that forms the Kabridge Capital." Said a local guide to the tourists (readers) that come to the Kabridge Capital.

---

John Smith's face was quite red like a tomato. He went out of the tavern bar and embarrassingly came back inside. There was nothing he could do because he did not have a map of the capital and did not know where to begin. The capital is quite complicated since there were many walkways, alleyways, and many points of interest. So, he could only go back inside and talk to the monocle man from yesterday.

He went up to the counter and sat on one of the chairs. He watches as the monocle man fills up some kind of diluted ale and serves the other customers sitting on the counter chairs. He calmly waits for the monocle man to turn to him before he asks any questions. With the same signature openings. The monocle man asked, "What can I get for you, young man?"

He was just waiting for this, he asked, "Do you happen to know where the barracks are?"

The monocle man was not expecting a question, but the monocle man could understand. The recruitment season is back again, and such a young adult asks where barracks are quite common. The monocle man answered honestly, "Out the door and flow the traffic on the left main road." With another thought, the monocle man continues, "It'll take around thirty to an hour. The signs should be quite obvious when you get there."

He did not take the information for free though. So, he flicked a gold coin on the counter and went out of the door. Since he paid for a room during the morning, he still got time until tomorrow morning to give back the door key to the monocle man. That was also the reason why he had also ensured that there was enough food for Dork for the day.

Once everything had settled down, he made his turn to the left of the tavern bar. He looked back at the sign that looked like a glass full of ale and read the name of the tavern bar. It reads: "Monocle Ale." Nothing was unusual and he thinks that it was quite the fitting name for a tavern bar. He will remember this name.

The main road was quite crowded. He could tell the amazing smell of food that floated through the air. Oftentimes along the way, he would see a few carts here and there. Some were quite simple while others were much more delicate and elegant. Stalls were lined up everywhere to the left and the right of the main roads. Anything interesting would gather interest from the crowd that walks in the middle of the road. He, too, finds this capital quite interesting and the riches of the economy all around.

While walking down the main road, he found a butcher shop and he was a bit curious. He could sell the wolves' meat in his inventory to the butcher for some pretty gold coins. Later on, it will come into use when he finds something interesting that he needs to buy. As for emergency food, he got enough wolf meat strips to last a couple of days. Just a curious remark and he checked the butcher's status:

[Name: Ford][Class: Butcher][Level: 15/35][Rank: 1][HP: 16/16]

[STR: 6(15) / [1][2][3][4][5][6][][][][][][][][][] ]

[MAG: 0(5) / [][][][][] ]

[SKL: 4(15) / [1][2][3][4][][][][][][][][][][][] ]

[SPD: 3(15) / [1][2][3][][][][][][][][][][][][] ]

[LCK: 1(20) / [1][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][][] ]

[DEF: 4(15) / [1][2][3][4][][][][][][][][][][] ]

[RES: 1(5) / [1][2][][][] ]

[Hidden: [CON: 9][MOV: 5][SKILL: [Clean Cut]][EXP: --/100][WEA: Knife: C]

[Equipped: Butcher Knife][Butcher Knife: Might +2, Hit +85, Crit +5, Weight=2~3, Durability: 33/41. (Knife E)]

He looked through Ford's [1] status screen, the butcher. What he found interesting was that class specification limitations may increase or decrease depending on the class specification. He also realized that a class' name and the trait are important. For example, since the class is just a butcher, there is no need to become proficient in magic or to bring out their full strength with their stats limitation. Essentially, a butcher can not post a threat to a full-blown soldier at the same level.

This might have been the reason why the average class and the average person would not match a hobgoblin in battle. It was also the reason why the average soldier could not defeat a hobgoblin in a one versus one battle at the same level. However, the combatant class seems to be more valued and their stats limitation is five points or so higher than the average working class.

Talking about the working class, he also looked at Ford's son, who was helping on the side. Ford's son's status screen reads:

[Name: Sunny [2]][Class: Workmen][Level: 11/20][Rank: 1][HP: 12/12]

[STR: 4(10) / [1][2][3][4][][][][][][] ]

[MAG: 0(10) / [][][][][][][][][][] ]

[SKL: 3(10) / [1][2][3][][][][][][][] ]

[SPD: 3(10) / [1][2][3][][][][][][][] ]

[LCK: 1(10) / [1][][][][][][][][][] ]

[DEF: 3(10) / [1][2][3][][][][][][] ]

[RES: 1(10) / [1][][][][][][][][][] ]

[Hidden: [CON: 5][MOV: 4][SKILL: ][EXP: --/100][WEA: Knife: E]

The two have low growth rates in comparison to Mike's growth rate. It would have been a wonder if they could fully reach their maximum stat limits even after leveling up to the maximum levels. He sighed at their weak stats and he found himself much more in luck than he had thought. His stats increase was fixed and not only that, he gains one health point every single time he levels up. He again finds that he has such a unique advantage that it was only for him and those soul core units he controls while in battle.

He put his depressing thought aside since he was staring at the two workings. He approached Ford and greeted, "Hello, mister." Without waiting for Ford to greet him back, he hit while the iron was hot, "Would you like to buy some wolves' meat?"

Ford looked at him and looked at the rags that he was wearing, though a bit weird, Ford answered right away. "Sure, when will that be delivered?"

He expected to be refused for a few rounds before Ford the butcher replied in agreement. He could almost help to talk out loud and say, "Right now."

Ford looks back with a brow rise and tries to look behind him to see the wolf's meat, but finds nothing. He understood where Ford was coming from. He had the wolves' meat within his inventory and he might have been mistaken as a scammer. He hurriedly tries to think of something quick and replies, "I'll show you inside."

Ford would normally not expect anything, judging from the appearance of the young man, but since there were barely any customers approaching today. Ford thought that having wolf's meat hanging out would have been a good business deal. So, Ford said, "Come in, I'll show you in."

From outside, he could smell the horrid smell of freshly butchered meat. But the moment he went inside, the smell was much more intense and repulsive, just like the first time he gutted the first wolf. A few seconds later, he eases his nose a little to not be rude and follows through the door. He found a clean table-sized cutting board, some meat cleavers tightly within, and many other butchered animals inside. He found a few chickens, pork ribs, cow's thighs, pork trotters, and so on. He was not expecting the butchering station to look so clean as that.

He stops and Ford also stops. Ford turned back to him and said, "Just leave the wolf's meat on top of this chopping board." While pointing at the table-size chopping board. Then Ford continues, "I'll be right back. I have got something to deal with."

He watches a Ford go to the other side of the room and starts to sharpen some of the cleavers and knives. Without disturbing Ford, he walks up to the chopping board and starts to take out wolves' meat and settle it on top of the counter. Meanwhile, he finishes settling up with all of the wolves' meat. There were a total of four wolves' corpses that looked like they were freshly gutted. Even the freshness of the wolves' meat was still there. Ford was about done as well.

He stood to the side and saw Ford's eyes open in shock. He had also expected Ford's expression to be like that and had already come up with a bunch of excuses when asked. However, Ford was just a bit surprised and that was all. Ford came up to him without asking much and directly observed the wolves' carcasses. He found Ford was muttering while rubbing, touching, and even smelling the wolves’ carcasses. After a bit of observation, he could see that Ford was quite shocked at how fresh the wolves’ carcasses were.

After all, his inventory could store the state in which the items were when the items were stored in his inventory. He has not tried it yet, but he knows for sure that he could not store any living in his inventory because it would have been weird to do so. It was also not like him to experiment with something that might bring death to others. Even if it was just insects and smaller critters.

Ford looked at him and he looked back at Ford. The staring contest lasted exactly three seconds. Ford had first wanted to say something, but appropriately kept it in before saying, "Judging from the freshness, color, and condition..." Finding some better words to say, Ford continues to talk while pointing at each of the wolves’ carcasses, "I could only provide twenty for this, eighteen for this, fifteen for this, and twenty-five for this final one."

He believes that the amount listed was quite honest and, frankly, a lot of that in total. He replied with a single simple word, "Deal." And that was how it had gone with selling off all of the wolves' carcasses. He got seventy-eight gold coins. That was a lot of gold coins, considering how the battle was not even that hard at all. He pocketed the gold coins inside his ragged shirt, but in reality, he had put all of the gold coins into his inventory.

After examining the number of gold coins that he had in his inventory, he got fifteen extra gold coins more compared to when he first came out of the mansion with just five hundred gold coins. The trade was good and both sides were happy. He got on the sidetrack a little, but everything was fine since he could explore the main road while moving through the bustling crowds.

Moving along, he found that there was nothing of interest. The only event that happened after a few minutes of walking through the crowds was when he bumped into another kid his age. Initially, he had wanted to give chase after he found out that his bag of wolf meat strips was stolen, but he saw how skinny and fragile the kid was. He had no heart to chase such a kid in old clothes that were rags. He got a clear look at the kid's status as well and the potential was quite high compared to the average. The kid's status screen reads:

[Name: Mark [3]][Class: N/A][Level: 8/10][Rank: 0][HP: 4/4]

[STR: 1(5) / [1][][][][] ]

[MAG: 0(5) / [][][][][] ]

[SKL: 3(5) / [1][2][3][][] ]

[SPD: 5(5) / [1][2][3][4][5] ]

[LCK: 5(5) / [1][2][3][4][5] ]

[DEF: 1(5) / [1][][][][] ]

[RES: 1(5) / [1][][][][] ]

[Hidden: [CON: 3][MOV: 4][SKILL: [Pilfer]][EXP: --/100][WEA: N/A]

[Growth Rate][HP: 15][STR: 15][MAG: 0][SKL: 29][SPD: 79][LCK: 49][DEF: 13][RES: 10]

What he lost today is a small matter compared to the harsh life the child was living and such incredible growth potential. He did not want to ruin such budding potential. This kind of godly potential, he could not wait until it blooms into a great figure that has maxed out speed. He continued on the main road for a while until he came to a sudden stop.

This place was out of sorts. The stalls that lined up came to a sudden halt here and beyond that were all kinds of branded stores. There was a bakery shop with a sort of bread and dessert in the displayed windows and beyond it were more stores. The same goes for the left side as well. There were inns, blacksmith shops, taverns, a shop that had the sign of a pet's footprints, a shop that sells materials, a shop that sells books, a branded restaurant, and the list just goes on and on. None of the shops except the blacksmith shop caught his attention at the moment.