Chapter 007 Arrival in the Imperial Capital

However, Long Kofi was not dissatisfied; instead, he immediately insisted that Bing He had made a noble commitment. He also instructed the retainer beside him to assume a sword-drawing challenge posture, thereby turning it into an established fact

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Kofi shifted his gaze back from the window and said to Binghe, "Binghe, is this your first time in the capital?"

Bing He was taken aback and looked at the knight who had been beside Kofi. The knight also stared at Bing He, and after a moment of mutual gazing, he helplessly walked over and whispered to Bing He: "Young Master Bing He, you are now the guardian knight of Her Highness. You should stand by her side to protect her"

Each area is connected by a traffic system resembling an interchange. These concrete bridges are thirty meters high, and individuals cannot climb beneath them; access to the bridges can only be gained through the entrances located in the inner city.

After several people got into the vehicle and took their seats, the occupants turned their attention to Bing He. The seat next to Kofi was empty, and it was evident that the people inside the vehicle believed this seat belonged to Bing He

In the core, I silently thought: "This world seems a bit off."

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Commoners wishing to become nobles must develop along both of these paths simultaneously, requiring at least ten generations of effort

The train traveled southward, crossing vast plains and spanning six rivers, passing through six major cities, and ultimately arriving at the heart of the empire. Six thousand years ago, this city was merely a small fortress defending against the southern desert tribes. With the continuous rise and expansion of humanity, along with the development of productivity during the steam age, the remnants of this world religious era were gradually crushed into the corners of the continent

Bing He paused for a moment to contemplate and said: "Your Highness, is noble status very important in the imperial capital?"

Indeed, this city is divided into two worlds, with the upper world enclosed within the walls of each area, while the lower world consists of merchants and petty citizens gathered outside the walls

Bing He paused for a moment, then moved to the seat next to Kofi, but his body unconsciously leaned to one side. Of course, Bing He quickly realized his behavior and thought to himself: "Am I feeling shy?"

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The city is divided into more than sixty districts. Each area has been expanded based on a castle, and thousands of years ago, this was a series of fortresses. Of course, the traces of the castles are now hardly visible, as the stone walls have long been covered by concrete. The area of each castle district has also increased dozens of times. Within the expansive walls, these castle districts have transformed into semi-independent regions

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Bing He nodded and said, "I see you seem quite interested in the capital. Do you have any thoughts on it?"

However, the bowed head, though apologizing verbally, was internally tumultuous with a multitude of intertwined memories that had just surfaced in a moment of distraction, prompting a different kind of rational thought within.

For Coffee, a knight willing to protect is a noble, embodying one's identity more than any precious jewelry. The core belongs to the green leaves that are delivered to the door.

This gendarme was encased in dozens of kilograms of metal armor, as cumbersome as a tin can, making it difficult for him to even bow

However, such a situation does not exist in this world. The nobility holds absolute power over life and death. The imperial nobility controls the military-industrial system, the food supply system, and the national transportation system. Moreover, the great nobles have established stable political rules with the emperor of the empire, forming a united monopoly. When a financial crisis arises, they will eliminate a group of wealthy individuals amidst the cheers of the lower-class citizens.

At the center of the commercial district stands a 70-meter tall statue of a goddess, surrounded by tiered, circular commercial buildings, with carriages coming and going incessantly

Now, as Binghe followed the gesture of the gendarme, he noticed that the convoy of carriages stopped on the overpass was different. At the front of the convoy was a magnificent carriage, while at the rear were ordinary carriages. Reflecting on the young people queuing below the bridge, Binghe suddenly understood that the vehicles on this bridge did not simply come and go at will, but rather followed a certain order. The system and hierarchy were evident in every aspect of this world. Reflecting on the young people queuing below the bridge, Binghe suddenly understood that the vehicles on this bridge did not simply come and go at will, but rather followed a certain order. The system and hierarchy were evident in every aspect of this world

Therefore, many large enterprises and government collaborative projects, even if the profits are minimal, still choose to participate. This is because being part of the ruling system is considered safe. Detached from the ruling system, having a lot of money is merely a number. As for the foolish notion of escaping abroad with money, it is merely a speculation of the common people. Outside, there is also a resentment towards the wealthy and a tendency to exclude, while the governments abroad are even more unscrupulous, with no public opinion to restrain them.

In the public execution-like shame, the flames of the gunfire embarked on a journey

Instead, he answered, believing himself to be conventional: "I want to be a noble who is supported by the people."

However, these wealthy families are facing an invisible crisis; once economic turmoil occurs, they are at risk of bankruptcy. In contrast, industries related to military and agriculture do not have to worry about this issue. As long as these industries possess irreplaceable technological functions, they have a golden ticket to immunity from failure

The military zone features a sixty-meter high pentagonal tower, with a massive chimney at its center. The tower is equipped with turrets arranged in a crossfire configuration, providing excellent observation and attack capabilities. Surrounding the pentagonal tower are small fortifications resembling satellites.

Bing He was momentarily taken aback, just about to nod, when suddenly, a fragment of memory surged through his mind. In a daze, the phrase "The people are precious, the state is secondary, and the ruler is light" emerged in Bing He's thoughts. This left him quite astonished. However, faced with Kofi's inquiry, Bing He did not voice this response.

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Saint Sock City, with a total population of 600,000, is located at the confluence of a river and the intersection of six railways. After hundreds of years of development, all the buildings in this city are constructed of concrete, with massive chimneys towering at the city's edge

Bing He lowered his head and immediately admitted, "You are right, I may often be too superficial."

The atmosphere in the car paused for a moment, and everyone's expressions were peculiar. Kofi, after brushing her hair back over her smooth shoulders, smiled and said: "He, you are truly an interesting person. Nobility is the essence of this empire. What kind of noble do you wish to be?" (Nobility is not only important in the imperial capital, but everywhere.)

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The second point is the establishment of the new magical system. The new magical system has been continuously improved over the past ten thousand years. Although the exploration at the lower levels can accumulate the heritage of lower-tier practitioners over two to three generations, the higher-level heritage system is only mastered by the well-educated nobility. This requires a substantial accumulation over many generations

As Binghe stepped off the train, a large group of imperial gendarmes immediately cordoned off the train station. They cleared a path for the nobles disembarking, leading to the ramp of an overpass. Binghe ascended the slope of the elevated bridge, observing the throngs of people below, dressed in ordinary woolen garments, jostling against one another, a strange feeling arose within him. Suddenly, a word emerged in Binghe's mind—"class." The emergence of this term was so abrupt that it left Binghe momentarily stunned; however, upon further reflection, he could not grasp its meaning and ultimately let it go. Binghe ascended the slope of the elevated bridge, observing the throngs of people below, dressed in ordinary woolen garments, jostling against one another, a strange feeling arose within him. Suddenly, a word emerged in Binghe's mind—"class." The emergence of this term was so abrupt that it left Binghe momentarily stunned; however, upon further reflection, he could not grasp its meaning and ultimately let it go.

Kofi looked at Binghe with his blue eyes and said softly, "You are very kind." Then, changing the subject, he said flatly, "You are also very naive."

The metallic spheres representing celestial bodies rotate precisely on the metallic ring. Each metallic sphere emits a crisp sound, and due to the differences in materials, the sounds vary. At the hour of chime, the clear bell tolls resonate throughout the entire city

To ascend to the higher realms, this world requires two paths

Wealthy individuals engaged in commercial activities on Earth can utilize public opinion tools to vehemently criticize the government

However, each area is surrounded by a five-meter-high wall, which encloses these areas into individual inner cities

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Industries that are not essential but generate substantial revenue: for example, the luxury goods industry and the five-star hotel service industry have created numerous wealthy individuals

In this world, power is held in the hands of a few; only the long-established noble families with a rich history of magic and the newly wealthy who have ventured into the military-industrial complex are the ones who divide the spoils of this world

The first point. The Gunflame family began to accumulate military achievements seven hundred years ago, initially entering the upper echelons, and then accumulated once more two hundred years ago, obtaining the important function of controlling the military-industrial production in the northern part of the empire.

More than 60 areas are divided into factory zones, military zones, machinery zones, commercial zones, and palace zones, with each area featuring landmark buildings

Thus, the affluent individuals, dressed elegantly, whom the gunfire witnessed on the overpass, appeared timid and shrinking in the presence of people like us

Although on the train, Bing He stated that he wanted to be Kofi's guardian knight, which created an awkward situation

In fact, it is the same on Earth; for those at the top tier, it is no longer a matter of comparing the figures of wealth, but rather about which key industries they control

Certainly, the most important area in the city is the Palace District. The Palace District is not solely the residence of the imperial emperor; it also houses schools, administrative buildings, and residences for the nobility. The entire city has three Palace Districts, with the one located at the very center of the city featuring a landmark building, a large astronomical clock tower standing two hundred meters tall. At the top of this clock tower is a celestial simulator composed of multiple metal rings, each with a diameter of twenty meters.

Bing He, Ke Fei, and their attendant took their seats in the first carriage, which featured a stainless steel structure, a white ceramic exterior shell, and silver tassel chains as decoration. This was the most luxurious vehicle in the entire convoy and also the only type of carriage permitted for use according to the regulations

In the lower urban area, there is no shortage of affluent individuals. At the entrance to the elevated bridge, some families, clearly possessing numerous servants, arrive to send their well-dressed children to the platform. The adults from these families engage in casual conversation with the gendarmes at the platform, exchanging quiet handshakes and discreetly offering bribes within their cuffs

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Bing He was taken aback for a moment, glancing at Kofi, who was lightly tapping his fingers while his eyes were fixed on the window. She did not say a word, yet from the corner of her eye, she was watching Bing He.

This gendarmerie captain belongs to the lower intermediate level of professionals. He is already capable of applying multiple magical effects to the armor system and holds the rank of a junior non-commissioned officer in the military, assigned to manage traffic control in the city

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These wealthy individuals are part of the commercial class that originated from the petty bourgeoisie, and they are not lacking in financial resources. Some merchant groups engaged in the resale of freight and the trafficking of slaves possess remarkable financial power. However, in this world, such wealth is of no use. They are unable to penetrate the ranks of the power elite

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The gendarme was just being domineering while maintaining order below, yet now, in the presence of Long Kofi and Bing He, he displays absolute humility. This is due to the noble status of Bing He and Kofi, which compels him to bow down.

However, Binghe noticed that there was no sound of collision from the armor as he walked, as if it were stabilized by a mechanical system of screws, resembling powered armor.

"Miss Coffey, the noble, and Master Binghe, the benevolent, your carriage is at the front; please allow me to lead the way for you." Just as they reached the overpass, a gendarmerie captain approached like the wind, bowing and speaking in a low voice.