Another Offspring (Ten-Thousand-Word Mega Chapter, Please Subscribe)

At dusk, the setting sun shone upon the streets of Calimport in southern Faerun, draping this ancient city of long history in a golden veil.

The bustling crowds in the streets and markets, the hawkers shouting themselves hoarse, merchants haggling, and the laughter, curses, and banter of patrons in taverns, inns, and restaurants combined into a picture of thriving prosperity.

As the Sword Coast Empire's second-largest city, as well as its cultural, educational, and political center, its importance went without saying.

If the capital, Athkatla, was the heart, endlessly pumping blood through the Imperium via its economy, finance, trade, and manufacturing, then Calimport was the brain.

All policymaking, fiscal budgets, appointments, rewards and punishments of officials, repeal and enactment of laws, and military deployments were carried out here without exception.

Although Calimport's large-scale expansion and renovation had severely damaged and forcibly demolished many landmark buildings that could be called "cultural relics" after standing for thousands of years, its overall style had not changed.

In particular, the resplendent Royal Palace, rebuilt and renovated after Shaan VII's restoration, was almost no different from how it had looked during the Shaan Dynasty.

This inevitably reminded countless Calimshan people of the glorious history and civilization of their past, when they had nearly ruled the entire Sword Coast of Faerun. It also filled them with a sense of identification and belonging toward the current Imperium, which had gained Shaan royal blood through marriage.

After all, the Sword Coast Empire's vast present-day territory was precisely what they had always longed for but failed to achieve.

That alone was enough to make the vast majority of proud Calimshan people sincerely support the legitimate rule of Emperor Raymond and his descendants.

Not to mention the powerful centralized government, the efficient and incorruptible bureaucracy and judicial system, and the