This was the first time Rod had left the palace since regaining his memories from his past life.
He had been filled with anticipation for this new world, but as soon as he stepped outside, he immediately regretted it.
There was barely a decent road in all of Elserland.
Even the main road was a pothole-ridden dirt track. If a strong wind blew, the whole city would be engulfed in a yellow sandstorm.
Rod could imagine how muddy the streets would be during the rainy season.
What he found even more unbearable was the pungent stench of manure.
Yellow piles were visible everywhere, and even when passersby, curious about Rod and Rita's identities, stepped on them, they didn't seem to swear, as if they were already used to it.
Rod was silent at this sight.
“.......Rita.”
Before Rod could finish, Rita immediately understood.
“I have put the matter of road repair and public toilet construction on the agenda. After spending half a day researching the impact of magic on infrastructure, I will submit a comprehensive construction plan.”
Rod felt relieved and a sense of gratitude flooded him.
Thank goodness he had summoned Rita, with her modern mindset...
Having a capable secretary was truly a blessing.
The two of them then proceeded along the main road to secretly observe the main gate of the capital city.
Rod fell silent again.
“.......Rita, have you read the national history records in the palace?”
“Yes.”
“Then how does it describe the capital city, Elserland?”
Rita's expression was a little ambiguous. She gathered her thoughts.
“The capital city, Elserland, is the most beautiful city in the Contested Zone, a land of abundance that many commoners aspire to reach.”
“It is vast, with tall walls built of hard black stone, insurmountable by any beast.”
“Living in Elserland is the highest honor, guaranteeing absolute security.”
Rod twitched his lips.
He suspected he had misread it. He had examined it carefully with his six eyes several times, but ultimately, he confirmed with a speechless nod that the so-called “tall black stone walls” were nothing more than a three-meter-high earthen mound.
Rita continued.
“Elserland is filled with shops and teeming with tourists. All merchants consider opening a shop in Elserland an honor.”
Rod’s eyelids twitched as he surveyed the surroundings.
The dilapidated and leaky buildings lined the streets, with old houses that had been vacant for years, crumbling and in danger of collapse.
Children, ragged and young, held broken bowls and timidly begged from the sparse passersby, only to be roughly pushed aside.
They were pale and thin, clearly having gone without a proper meal for a long time.
“The most magnificent and luxurious building in Elserland is undoubtedly the palace, with tableware carved from crystal, carpets woven with golden threads adorning the floors, and walls hung with glittering gold and silver decorations......”
Rod couldn't take it anymore and hastily interrupted Rita’s attempt to recite it as a ballad.
“Enough, I know what a piece of junk the palace is.”
“The person who wrote that book is a real talent. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have almost believed this ridiculous story. Can't they have a bit of literary integrity!”
Rita, seeing Rod's childish annoyance, covered her mouth and giggled.
“Maybe the previous king forced him to describe it like that with a knife.”
Rod was taken aback and shook his head with a wry smile.
“Well, you know, it's possible.”
However, Rod understood that the dilapidated state of the capital city was not necessarily the fault of the previous king.
Being able to protect a region in the Contested Zone was already a feat worthy of admiration.
As for creating a peaceful utopia where everyone was well-fed and content, perhaps the people of this world didn't even dare to dream of such a thing.
After pondering for a while, Rod turned his gaze back to the soldiers standing on either side of the gate.
The guards at the gate seemed to be veteran soldiers from the battlefield and were much more dedicated than the palace guards.
Rod observed them with his six eyes and found that even ordinary guards possessed the strength of upper-level swordsmen, while the captain was almost at the level of a sword saint.
However, they all had injuries, light or severe, which reduced their combat effectiveness and hindered their further progress.
Observing the soldiers' skilled movements in extorting bribes, Rita bent down and whispered a reminder.
“According to Lilya, the previous king fought many wars, leaving the treasury empty. The soldiers have to find other ways to support their families.”
“In fact, it’s quite loyal of them to not betray the king at a time like this.”
Rod nodded silently.
“Rest assured, I don't blame them.”
He pointed to the captain who was holding a spear.
“Rita, bring him over. I have something to ask him.”
Rita nodded and walked towards the captain. As she approached, the captain was startled by the aura of strength emanating from Rita and nearly raised the alarm.
Following Rita’s finger, the captain saw Rod nodding in agreement. His eyes widened instantly, and he quickly followed Rita to Rod's side.
Rod waved his hand to stop the captain from kneeling and asked directly.
“No need for formalities. What's your name?”
The captain subconsciously lowered his head in compliance.
“Your Majesty, my name is Nathan Ratebart. I am temporarily acting as captain of the capital city’s guard.”
【The next part of the illustration is the Carbon-Based Hunter, please give flowers, please give votes】