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Following the paladin, Ji Mo arrived at the last sanctuary in the world, in front of the royal city that had once been the capital.

The walls, visible to the naked eye, covered the royal city like an inverted bowl, while the city gates were tightly closed, making it difficult to observe the interior of the royal city from the outside.

"That older woman updated her barrier again, meow?" the catwoman muttered. "Why does it feel a little different from before she left, meow?"

The paladin didn't pay much attention to the catwoman's words, after all, complaining and giving her nicknames had become her habit.

Those who can tolerate it no longer care, while those who cannot, such as the older woman mentioned by the catwoman, would have already been hit with a fireball if they were present.

The paladin took out his bone whistle and blew it hard. Upon receiving the signal, figures moved on the top of the city wall, and the city gate opened again.

Divided by a barrier, the area inside and outside the royal city is two different worlds. Outside the city lies endless gloom and dampness, while inside, the sun shines brightly.

The streets are wide and clean, and the buildings, which are of a uniform style, stand side by side. Although they are not luxurious, they are by no means dilapidated.

This place is home to the world's last 300,000 people, a small number of extraordinary individuals and scholars who are working hard to maintain the current peaceful situation.

"My family is waiting for me up ahead."

Catwoman stopped on the main street of the city, then nimbly ran toward a group of people who looked somewhat luxurious, including a woman who looked about the same age as her.

"Those were some of the nobles who didn't leave the world; they stayed for Tina's sake," the paladin explained. "Thanks to their help, we were able to figure out those defensive functions that were originally only known to the nobles."

Someone else shouted towards their group, this time targeting the hero.

"Hero, you're finally back. The weapon is ready, come and try it out."

The hero's eyes lit up. Back in the mortal realm, he could only stay at home all day, reading adventure stories over and over again. But when he came to this world, he found that what he liked most was not adventure stories, but collecting the legendary weapons in the hands of the adventure protagonists.

However, this world does not have a fixed tradition of summoning heroes. The last hero was seven hundred years ago, and his weapon was as ordinary as iron under layers of sealing. Mara has been trying to find a way to replicate another weapon of the same level.

"I'm coming right now."

The hero vanished in a flash, faster than a patient who had just recovered.

Just then, a patrol team dressed similarly to her approached, led by a woman.

"Captain, you're back." The patrol team stopped and saluted.

"These are my trustworthy comrades-in-arms, the knightly order we have rebuilt. Now we no longer need noble awards or adulthood." The paladin looked proud.

"Jane, aren't you going to introduce this guest to me?" the neglected female mage reminded her.

"This is Mr. Ji Mo, the guide who came to take the hero home. However, he respects the hero's wish not to return and is willing to help find a way to purchase food. Well, through outside channels."

Paladin Jane, acting as the intermediary, introduced, "This is Mara, our most outstanding scholar and mage."

"Would you provide access to external food purchase channels...? If only you could have come sooner."

There was a hint of regret in her words, but it did not arouse the paladin's deeper exploration at this moment. She attributed it only to her feelings about the difficult times of the past.

The paladin was eager to return to the order and, citing his lack of negotiation skills, passed the rest of the trade discussion to Mara.

The once lively group was suddenly reduced to just Ji Mo alone and Mara, whom he had just met.

"The royal city has enough food to treat our guests from another world to a meal. Would you do me the honor of having one?" Mara extended the invitation, but fearing that Ji Mo might refuse, she added, "Let's discuss your proposal regarding third-party teleportation and the purchase of food over our meal."

Ji Mo remained silent.

From the moment he first glimpsed the outline of the royal city until now, he has remained as silent as a monk practicing meditation.

"Mr. Ji Mo?" Mara called out again.

"……good."

Negotiating bargaining chips and deals at banquets is a common practice among the upper class.

As a Mara whose lifespan is measured in thousands, her race is the source of her innate nobility, and even though the world has fallen to this state, some of her habits have not changed.

Mara was a very talkative person. She held up the few remaining bottles of wine, sipping them slowly and appreciating them greatly.

The food on the table hadn't decreased, and although she had expected it, the elf still tried to salvage the situation:

"These dishes were not worthy of being served to welcome distinguished guests from all over the world before, and I should know this better than anyone else. If distinguished guests do not like them, there is no need to force them; it is already a great honor that they are willing to dine with me."

"Has it always been like this?" Ji Mo suddenly asked. "Is this the only place left for humanity?"

"If you're asking about the territory for survival, it's been seven years since a large number of nobles fled. The area we control originally included not only this royal city, but also several other cities."

But in the face of disaster, the defenses retreated again and again, and almost no good news came.

Everything changed only when a hero arrived.

Although his combat capabilities still have significant shortcomings, his knowledge is exactly what we need most. With his help, the royal city has now recovered to its current state.

Mara raised her wine cup high, as if toasting the heroes at the workshop, then drank it all in one gulp, her face slightly flushed.

"Perhaps in the mortal realm, he is just an ordinary person, but here, he is our hero and partner."

I am very grateful for your understanding and reasonableness.

Ji Mo: "..."

Ji Mo suddenly got up and walked to the balcony.

The dining venue was originally the place where banquets were held in the royal city, and naturally it had a private and airy balcony from which one could take in a part of the city's landscape at a glance.

From the moment Ji Mo saw the city gate, he could not find any scene that could be described as prosperous.

The barrier was crumbling, and the city gates were rusted and worn. The so-called bright sunshine inside the city was nothing more than a sickly halo cast through the filthy barrier.

The streets were dilapidated, the buildings were leaning precariously, and the walls were covered with eerie black moss.

The entire city was lifeless; it was less a sanctuary and more a spooky castle theme park, and a shoddy one at that, prioritizing horror over cleanliness.

As Catwoman Tina ran towards her family, Ji Mo only saw the girl rushing towards the end of the deserted street, enthusiastically embracing the air.

The paladins' proud companions in their order of knights are armor whose power is unknown and which floats automatically.

As for the meal that Mara had carefully prepared, it was food that had been rotten for who knows how long.

As for the hero... although I didn't witness it firsthand, a victory isn't necessarily achieved by simply throwing a wooden stick, right?

I feel like I'm in a completely different world from the people here.

more importantly……

Ji Mo tapped her ear, but the other end of the communication was as quiet as if no one was there.

He also seems to have lost contact with the production team.

"As expected, there is no such thing as an easy task."