Looking up at the three-story-tall black stone pillar that two people together could not wrap their arms around, Angel felt the weight of history bearing down on her.
Without a doubt, this building had existed for more than 1,500 years. Although quite a few ruins from the Tudor era had been excavated around Backlund, and Angel had even entered one herself, compared with those broken walls and rubble, a building that had remained intact and in use all this time was still astonishing.
Unfortunately, it also followed the architectural style that had spread from the Solomon Empire to the nations of the North Continent. The eight stone pillars at the front were clearly an even number, yet five stood on one side and three on the other. The City Hall entrance was set toward the left, making her distinctly uncomfortable.
Lowering her gaze, Angel looked through the open black iron Double Door into the first-floor hall. Even though it was close to lunchtime, quite a few people were coming and going through City Hall. Like the pedestrians outside, they mainly wore black, though their styles varied. What caught her attention was that the crowd generally skewed older, with very few young people in sight.
Is this an aging population...? she grumbled inwardly. Following Cliff through the hall and up to the second floor, she finally could not resist asking as they walked slowly down a long corridor:
"How many people are there in this city altogether?"
The question clearly carried another meaning. Even Nast, walking behind them, looked over curiously, but Cliff answered frankly:
"The last count was five months ago. There were around 103,000 people in total. That slightly exceeded the planned population, but it isn't a major issue... The city's maximum carrying capacity is approximately 120,000 people, so