Sacrifice: Time of Mine
Chapter 2: Trading-Hills Capital

In the world of Flasse, numerous countries each in their continents were divided by the large sea, some having more than a dozen islands and even hundreds because of being an archipelago.

However, there are only a few divisions of continents. One, on the very west, was the oldest among the continents called Arcansas. It was the biggest continent in the world and also the most diverse one, having over more than a dozen countries within it.

Unlike the Great Darea on the east which was ruled by a supreme conqueror and the continent that was said to be the center of the world, "Centre" on the top, the Arcanas had a culture that treats everyone equally and does not discriminate against anyone whether they are just simple commoners who are not Elementalists.

However, that is just the surface as there will always be inequality and oppression no matter where one goes and much more to a continent as big as this.

But, in the most-west part of Arcansas, there is a country, a simple and large island that was ruled by four kingdoms. With large terrains of mountains and lakes with only seasons of either sunny or rainy, it could be called a tropical island.

The Rianzares Kingdom in the coastal area on the east side of the island, covering a large perimeter, the Hansheles Kingdom in the mountain ranges on the northern side of the island, the Karan Kingdom on the southwest that was filled with plains, and in the middle was the Trading-Hills Capital were the four kingdoms.

And in one of the four kingdoms, there is a newly-formed one which was created by the other three original kingdoms to have a place of trading.

As the name suggests, Trading-Hills Capital was where the trade and exchange of the three kingdoms majorly happens. It was built centuries ago as just a little market and taverns forming a town for the travelers but in the project and symbolize alliance, the three kingdoms shared their own interests and created a capital, the center of where merchants sell and buy stocks of resources from their kingdoms.

This greatly improved the development of the three original kingdoms, and the island entered a peaceful era with a strong-forged alliance between the three sides, co-benefitting each other. With such development. the other countries were afraid that these three, forming a country called Haliviana will eventually come out of their lonely island and began conquering them like what happened to Darea.

A country that is filled with rich resources, powerful kingdoms, and peaceful societies. It was almost like a utopia that even some people from other countries tried to immigrate there...

In the Trading-Hills Capital, it was governed by the crown prince and princesses from the three kingdoms. It was for many reasons.

The first reason was that the capital forbids strong outsider Elementalists that may disrupt the business in the capital since almost all resources were in there. So it would be the safest place for the precious young crown princes and princesses to live as they try to govern it and gain experience.

Secondly, as it was said, for the experience. The Capital is just a city filled with trades and merchants so there was just not much politics, meaning, it would be a great training ground for the young crown princes and princesses.

Lastly, it is to bring friendship between the three future rulers of the three kingdoms. If they have personal relationships, connections, and past interactions, there will be a greater chance that the strong alliance between the three kingdoms were to be continued.

Everything was normal and peaceful. They were far from the other countries so there was nothing much to worry about. But if they were invaded, it wouldn't be too easy for the invaders as the Haliviana prioritized defense rather than offense. This is also to ensure the probability of any of the three kingdoms backstabbing others low.

Currently, people in the Trading-Hills Capital were celebrating the arrival of the crown princess from the Karan Kingdom in the southwest who will be the one who will take over the position of one of the three rulers there. The other crown princes from Rianzares and Hansheles Kingdom had already arrived a few years back.

If the crown prince and princesses were still too young, the three kingdoms would send representatives to temporarily rule over the capital until their crowned child will reach their age of maturity of seventeen.

Now, the princess who just turned seventeen last week was carefully sent to the Trading-Hills capital.

Everyone cheered, from commoners to merchants to the few Elementalists as the old representative from the Karan Kingdom was going to be replaced. Not that the current representative was hated but he was just too old and would sometimes make mistakes, and worst of all, a perverted old man. Nobody hated him since he wouldn't exceed his limits but nobody liked him either.

If this beautiful maiden in silver armor would be the new ruler, then anyone would rejoice. And so, the princess who was said to have insurmountable beauty and leadership, Princess Alisera Karan who wore a jeweled crown from the Karan Kingdom had arrived at the front gates of the capital.

The people of the Trading-Hills Capital prepared a path for her arrival which was filled with silver flower petals, cheers, and trumpets. All eyes were towards the silhouette of the Princess and her escorts who were the royal guards.

However, at that moment, without anyone noticing, a man just appeared in the middle of the road which was supposed to be the path for the arrival of the princess.

Avion Teller was obviously that man. He looked left and right and saw silver petals becoming his bed. At the same moment, he heard noises and bustles, cheers from the crowd that filled the sides of the main road.

"Why are there other humans in my Home?"

He sat up and looked around to see people shouting in joy and waving their hands. That was when he was noticed by these people as one pointed;

"Huh? Hey, you! Get out of there!"

"What is he doing there?!"

"Kid! The princess is approaching!"

Many eyes fell on him but he just raised his eyebrows and pointed at himself.

When the people saw this, they scratched their heads and shouted, "Yes kid, you! Are you stupid or something?! You're the only one on the road!"

From this insult, Avion furrowed his eyebrows. This was the first time he conversed with other human beings and there was already an insult, he wouldn't take it as he said with a slight frown;

"Don't you dare call me a kid, I'm already seventeen!"

"That's what you cared about?!" the people reacted but then continued to shoo him away, "Just get out of the way, the princess is just there!" they pointed.

"Hm?" Avion squinted his eyes as he stood up. But the moment he stood up, he heard a horse that neighed which was startled by Avion.

"Woah!" he too was startled by the horse.

The princess who had long peach-colored straight hair and a doll-like face with clear eyes was the one riding that startled horse and when the horse suddenly stood from being startled, she almost dropped, making her shrieked, "Kyaa~~"

When Avion saw this girl, he was entranced by her beauty and just stared in a daze while the princess glared at him after the horse calmed down.

"Protect the princess!" guards in iron-plated full-body armors then came down in their horses and surrounded Avion after they shouted.

Although exaggerated, they were strictly ordered to protect the princess from any harm by the king of Karan Kingdom. If anything would happen to the treasured princess, the king would flip out and execute everyone that is connected and if the cause of harm was from the other kingdom, the king will even wage war on the spot and destroy the centuries-old alliance between the three.

After the treasured, or more accurately to say, the spoiled princess glared, she noticed the handsome face of Avion as she blushed, "Oh..."