Aldolph. A great city full of legends, it is also the capital of the empire.

Rhodes had imagined a lot about the city in his mind, but when he was really close to it, he couldn't help but be amazed by the real city of Aldolph. It's big, it's spectacular, but it's also dirty......

When the convoy arrived on the plains outside the city, Rhodes saw the outline of the city with excellent eyesight. The capital of the empire was located at the junction of two large rivers, and the city of Aldolf was built on a large island, to be exact. It's just that the island is so big that few people associate it with the word island. It's so big that it can barely fit five Kislev cities. The population is also several times the size of the city of Kislev.

The road into the city is guarded by special guards, and the city gate is tall and resembles a giant beast. People walk underneath like ants. This reminded Rhodes of the dwarven architecture. Although the dwarves are small, the dwarves' castles like to be built incomparably large, and the huge gates that are tens of meters high are placed there, like a façade and image engineering, showing the strength and civilization of this race.

Aldolf is no exception, arguably the largest city Rhodes has seen since he came to the Middle Ages. The walls of the outer city consist of solid white rock and are only about three stories high. The walls were dotted with watchtowers and defense towers, and large ballistas and even artillery were scattered across these giant towers. There are specialized sapper operations.

The passage into the city is two permanent stone arch bridges. It is the only land link between the entire city and the outside world. Others, if you want to get in and out of the city, you have to go by water.

Of course, this did not bother Aldolph, the merchants of the empire. In fact, the city of Aldolf, which had no resources, eventually developed into the capital of the empire because of its excellent location.

The vast empire was linked by water and land, and more importantly, by water. Because the cargo capacity of ships is much greater than that of horse-drawn carts and ox-carts. Moreover, the waterways are safer and free from the harassment of all kinds of beastmen and green-skinned creatures in the forest. The Talabek and Rick rivers were two of the most important waterways in the western part of the empire. Countless merchant ships come and go on these two great rivers every day.

Aldolf is located at the junction of the Talabek and Rick rivers. In the heart of the crossroads, the goods of almost the entire western part of the empire passed through and were transported in all directions. Merchants needed to rest, goods needed a transit station, and the docks in Aldolph became the busiest in the Empire.

Trade generated a lot of wealth, and more and more wealthy people gathered here, which in turn led to various local industries. services, manufacturing, and more. The rich come here to do business, and the poor come here to find a job to survive. Gradually, the city was expanded. It ended up being what it is today.

Like Kislev, Aldolph is a troubled city. In general, every important city and stronghold of mankind has to experience some disasters in the long history of thousands of years. Aldolf, as the capital of the empire, was no exception.

Rhodes also can't remember how many alien invasions the city has experienced over the course of a thousand years, but it is certain that each large-scale invasion and destruction has only strengthened the city. At the very least, its walls are getting taller, thicker, and stronger.

However, humanity is a race that easily forgets its pain, and its lifespan is so short that many of the stories of previous generations fade into oblivion after two or three generations. As if there had never been such a history, it could be seen from the faces of these tsundere-looking Imperial soldiers. They have magnificent walls and advanced weapons, but they do not have the fortitude and tenacity of warriors in adversity. Rod could only sigh secretly, such days would not last long. In another twenty years, or thirty years, the entire medieval world will usher in a bloody cataclysm. At that time, the soldiers, and their children, may have been a completely different look.

The city of Aldolph is vast and immense, full of luxury and decay. The most prosperous streets in the entire empire are here, the best goods are hoarded here, the most luxurious hotels in the entire empire are here, and the most beautiful women are here......

However, all this cannot hide its dirty and rotten inside. When entering the city, Rhodes followed the Imperial Guards all the way forward, and the streets were bustling with people and horses. It is not known whether the manure that can be found everywhere is left behind by a horse-drawn cart or a small cattle trader. The squandered feces and sludge emitted a foul stench in the dense air. And the people here are used to it. There is a saying that there are as many animals as there are people in Aldolph. Millions of people and millions of livestock are huddled together on a large island, and at night, the inhabitants sleep in the attic, and downstairs, there may be the sound of a boar arching cabbage, which is not too beautiful......

Rhodes suddenly resounded about the tragic history of the plague, the deadly plague of the rat people is one thing, but the living environment of the people of the empire is also one of the causes of that catastrophe.

Next to Iron Street, a corpse was lying in a stinking ditch, bitten by a pack of wild dogs, and the blood drained down the ditch into the river. The blacksmith workers on the side turned a blind eye to this. It seems that such a picture is too ordinary for them. A homeless beggar provokes a knight or a nobleman and lets a dog bite him to death. Or, a civilian, who borrowed a loan shark and couldn't pay it back, was cornered, died tragically on the streets, and was bitten and eaten by stray dogs. This is not news in the empire.

What seems to be a huge and powerful empire is actually hiding countless crises. These, along the way, Rod saw it all. But there is nothing to be done.

The guards, armed with long swords and large shields, walked through the crowded streets, they were regular soldiers, professional soldiers. The status is relatively high. Those who are responsible for maintaining order in front belong to the city patrol officers. Armed with sticks, they beat the ragged civilians and drove them away. In order to ensure that the guests escorted by the army can reach their destination in the city smoothly.

In fact, Rhodes knew that these so-called vigilantes might also be street ruffians, but they only gave a small official tip and worked for the city officials of Aldolph. They usually eat both black and white, ostensibly responsible for maintaining order in the neighborhood during the day, and at night, taking off their uniforms, they turn into ruffians and hooligans, going door-to-door to collect protection money...... Aryria scoffed at this, a look of disgust. And more of the inside story, Rod hasn't told her yet. I'm afraid that after hearing this, this "noble" elf will be furious and take the patrol away. In that case, it would be really embarrassing.