The bartender''s voice carried a hint of reverence, but also something else. Something cautious.


    Arthur caught it immediately.


    The Ashborne family—rulers of Mera. That meant Caldera wasn''t just another city; it was a ce where power dictated survival.


    The bartender continued, swirling the amber liquid in his ss. "The Ashbornes govern everything. But they''re not the only ones with power."


    He leaned in slightly.


    "There are four elite families. You''d do well to remember their names."


    Arthur said nothing, waiting.


    The bartender lifted one finger. "First, there''s the Ashencroft family. Duke''s house. Blood rtives of the Ashbornes.


    Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Duke''s house?"


    The bartender nodded. "Yeah. Mera has two dukes, and the Ashencrofts hold one of those titles. Being blood-tied to the royal family makes them untouchable."


    Arthur absorbed the information quickly. Duke''s house. Meaning influence, power, wealth, and connections.


    The bartender lifted a second finger. "Then you got the Draketower family. They''re different. They weren''t born into nobility like the Ashencrofts. They earned their duke''s title through sheer merit—through war and conquest."


    Arthur''s interest sharpened. "Meaning?"


    "Meaning," the bartender smirked, "they''re warriors, not politicians. You step into their house, you better be ready to prove yourself with a sword or die trying."


    Arthur liked that. Strength over lineage.


    The bartender lifted a third finger. "Now, this is where things get interesting. The Gilderhaven family."


    Arthur''s eyes narrowed slightly.


    "They own the only tinum-grade guild in the entire kingdom. You need a job done? An army raised? A war fought? They''re the ones you pay."


    Arthur frowned slightly. "A tinum-grade guild?"


    The bartender let out a soft chuckle. "You must be from the countryside if you don''t know what that means." He shook his head. "Guilds are ranked. Bronze, silver, gold, tinum. And tinum? That''s the highest. That means they have the best fighters, the best assassins, the best mercenaries—" he swirled his ss, "—and the highest prices."


    Arthur filed that away. A tinum-grade guild meant elite warriors, unrestricted power, and influence outside the royal family''s direct control.


    Arthur remembered the gold-grade guild token he had gotten. He wasn''t sure if the grades were on the same spectrum. After all, a gold-grade guild in the system might either be silver in the city''s standard or tinum.


    Arthur would test it out soon enough, so he didn''t bother thinking too much about it and focused on the bartender.


    The bartender lifted a fourth and final finger.


    "Then there''s the Thornwyck family." His lips curled slightly. "You''ll want to remember them."


    Arthur tilted his head. "Why?"


    "Because," the bartender set his ss down, "they own the biggest gold-grade guild and the most powerful medicine hall in the kingdom."


    Arthur immediately understood the weight of that.


    A gold-ranked guild meant they were just beneath the Gilderhavens. Still dangerous. Still powerful.


    But the medicine hall?


    Arthur''s mind spun through the implications. Control over medicine meant control over life and death. If someone needed healing, potions, or elixirs, they''d have to go through the Thornwycks.


    Meaning—they had influence over everyone.


    A soft chuckle pulled Arthur from his thoughts. The bartender watched him, eyes glinting.


    "Starting to see the picture now, aren''t you?"


    Arthur leaned back slightly, digesting the information.


    The Ashbornes ruled.


    The Ashencrofts maintained the royal bloodline''s influence.


    The Draketowers controlled the military and war.


    The Gilderhavens controlled mercenaries, assassins, and hired power.


    And the Thornwycks controlled healing, medicine, and recovery.


    It was a delicate bnce of power.


    Arthur nodded. "Continue. Tell me about the buildings"


    The bartender leaned against the counter, the dimntern light casting shadows across his face. "The most important buildings in the city are the following," he said, tapping a thick finger against the wooden bar. "First, the royal pce. It''s where the king decreesws, decides punishments, and grants pardons. Of course, it''s also home to the royal family. Heavily guarded, only the most powerful warriors and magicians stand watch over that ce."


    Arthur took in the information silently, his mind already mapping out the city in his head.@@novelbin@@


    "Next, we have the guild halls and the medicine hall," the bartender continued. "The guild halls, well, they''re obvious. That''s where adventurers like you gather, take missions, and build connections.


    "The medicine hall is obvious, you would go there to either buy herbs or already concocted medicine and potions."


    "Then we have the weapons hall," the bartender went on. "Need gear? That''s your ce. Swords, armor, enchanted artifacts—you name it, they''ve got it. But don''t expect to waltz in and buy the best equipment just because you have gold. ess is tiered."


    Arthur tilted his head. "Tiered how?"


    "Reputation," the bartender said simply. "The stronger you are, the more respect you earn, the higher floors you can enter. Floor one? Common and umon weapons. Floor two? Rare and Very-Rare Items. Floor three and up? That''s where things get real interesting." He wiped his hands on a cloth before adding, "The royal family owns the weapons hall, but the four elite families have shares in it. No one really knows what''s on the top floors, but rumors say they hold weapons capable of ughtering dragons."


    Arthur absorbed the information, his mind already strategizing. He had a decent amount of reputation he had gained doing missions and secret realms. But still, he''d need to build his reputation fast.The bartender leaned in slightly, lowering his voice. "And then, there''s the Academy of Mera."


    Arthur''s gaze sharpened. "Is there anything special about the academy?"


    The bartender''s lips curled into a knowing grin. "Of course."


    A pause.


    Arthur didn''t speak, waiting for him to continue. He could tell from the man''s tone that whatever came next was the real reason the academy was worth mentioning.


    "The academy isn''t just a ce for young nobles and warriors to train. It''s built on sacrednd," the bartender said, voice dipping lower. "The entire campus is structured around a Nexus Point."


    Arthur frowned. "A Nexus Point?"


    "A ce where mana is naturally concentrated," the bartender exined. "One of the strongest in the kingdom. Some say thend itself chooses who flourishes there. It''s why those who graduate from the academy aren''t just strong—they''re something else entirely."


    Arthur''s interest piqued. This wasn''t just a school for the privileged—it was a battleground for the elite.


    The bartender studied Arthur, gauging his reaction. "If you ever get the chance to enter, you should take it. But be warned… the academy is not for the weak."


    Arthur nodded, his expression neutral. "I see."


    The bartender smirked, leaning forward on the counter. "I''m not finished."


    Arthur raised an eyebrow, intrigued.


    "The academy holds apetition once a year for first-years," the bartender continued. "A trial set in a high-grade secret realm."


    Arthur''s fingers instinctively curled against the counter. Secret realms were no joke.


    "The realm is treacherous," the bartender went on, watching Arthur closely. "Filled with high-grade bosses, creatures that could rip apart even experienced warriors. But it''s not just danger that lurks inside—it also holds rewards. High-grade items, rare herbs... treasures beyond imagination."


    Arthur stilled. His mind, started running through the implications.


    Rare herbs in a secret realm...


    Charlotte.


    That single thought rang like a bell in his mind.


    There were two avenues in front of him. Two paths that could lead to a cure.