From the harbor to the bustling Upper City, Karin City rose in tier upon tier of trapezoidal structures, like a pyramid—or a dam.
It was one of Coriel's oldest city-states, yet faced with such a towering, magnificent city, Li Wei's first impression was that he simply could not bring himself to like it.
There were truly too many people in this city. The market district was especially packed to bursting and chaotic beyond measure. Tiny fly-speck shops could often be seen crammed into unbelievably narrow alleys, hawking their wares through little windows from which only a pair of eyes could be seen.
Meanwhile, large merchants who had cultivated ties with the city guards simply parked carts freshly dragged in from the harbor along both sides of the main streets and sold their goods directly.
Most of the goods came from the north, especially Water-Drawing City: cheap little ornaments that had recently become fashionable, and ordinary magic items.
Li Wei could tell at a glance that they bore obvious marks of factory assembly-line production. He even spotted one of Zelandia's specialties—alchemical bicycles.
Yet in this distant southern land, such finely made, intricately constructed alchemical items had plainly become "luxury goods." Those who rode them were either children of the wealthy and powerful, draped in gold and silver, or merchants using them to haul loads of merchandise.
Clearly, because they needed neither fodder nor precious fresh water and could carry a fair amount of cargo, they were highly popular among small and medium-sized merchants.
And the most common commodity on Calimshan's markets was slaves. Some were even hawked right there in the streets.
Collars and chains were generally fastened around their necks, or else a simple knot of hemp rope was tied there. Most stood naked against the walls, while passing travelers