"The increase in population is actually the second biggest hurdle faced by Sin City after the inability to exit the city boundary," Goloo-Goloo said, continuing his explanation. "The size of the city is fixed, but the number of residents is variable. We can go high up until the Crystal ceiling, and below the ground until we hit the obsidian layer, and we can only go as far as the boundary of the city.

"Over the years, with the residents having kids and new residents coming in from outside, the issue of space has become a critical one. Sin City can't even trade effectively with others, and is at the mercy of those who come to our borders to trade with us.

"Such a situation naturally resulted in a resource shortage which is hard to overcome, but eventually, overcome it we did. With Celestial Dew as our main export, and a number of dedicated trading partners such as the merchant Oaka, combined with a strict hierarchy and rules, the city became a functioning, even thriving metropolis.

"But as a result, the continued thriving status of the city is contingent on all the residents adhering to the laws of this place. It helps everyone involved, so for the most part we face no issues.

"New residents often are the ones who cause the most problems, and a few old ones who might be suffering from frustration at being unable to leave. Sometimes they cause major issues, and sometimes they cause minor

inconveniences. Either way, if they break the rules and threaten the flourishing existence of Sin City, they will be punished.

"Punishments vary in severity, but death sentences have been carried out three or four times in the history of the city due to the intensity of the crimes. But for the most part, punishment means hard labor - as in, making Celestial Dew for the city.

"Oh, there's also a rule that new residents have to pay a higher tax for the first 50 years due to the fact that they could have brought additional resources from the outside. Also, you're not eligible to buy property for 100 years..."

Goloo-Goloo continued to share random yet interesting facts about the city as they walked, occasionally bursting into laughter as he did.

In truth, Sin City was quite big. The city covered more area than some small countries in Europe, so one couldn't say that they lacked for space. But after centuries of accumulation, the number of residents had also increased so much that it seemed like they had a space shortage. In fact, apparently, just a few decades ago, the latest mayor had enacted a one child policy which was really popular among the older residents.

Although what Lex was truly interested in was the geographical history of the place, he didn't mind the interesting facts about the city itself. It was not everyday one encountered such a unique situation, so learning about how they handled their problems was quite educational. The funny thing was, because of how strict the rules here were, the life expectancy was actually greater than other parts of the garden, which is why they had such a high immigration rate! Besides Celestial Dew, Sin City had managed to create a unique plant that only their city knew how to grow, and it was a main ingredient in many medicines. As such, the city was actually quite wealthy. Lex, due to his in-depth knowledge of logistics and city planning from the Inn, saw certain signs of good management that even Goloo-Goloo had probably never noticed.

Eventually, though, their chat ended, and Goloo-Goloo brought Lex to the mayor's office. The mayor, as it turned out, was also an elemental. He was a Bark Elemental, meaning he had immense control over wood. He was one of the oldest residents of Sin City, and an even older resident of the garden.

His seniority, as well as his excellent leadership, were both the reasons that he maintained his status as mayor for so long.

The office was a surprisingly busy place, with a number of bureaucrats working dedicatedly, and offices for many civil departments located in the same building.

Goloo-Goloo brought Lex to the counter for new resident registration and actually collected a small fee from the counter before winking towards Lex and leaving. So it seemed he benefited from bringing Lex here - and the little elemental had the audacity to request payment from Lex too. It seemed Sin City was a city of hustlers.

Lex didn't mind. He simply took in the organized chaos of the mayor's office, finding himself enjoying it a little bit. Compared to the previous obstacle, this one was a lot less stressful, but it might end up being a lot more dangerous. He didn't have to wait long for his personal meeting with the mayor to be approved, which was surprising.

Lex was escorted into a very plain looking office, yet the moment Lex stepped inside he knew he was in the presence of a powerhouse. It was not his aura or presence that gave him away, but the sheer extent of the reaction from his instincts.

Their feedback was pretty clear: he needed to be on the highest guard he could maintain, while looking as nonchalant as possible. The being in this office was more than capable of endangering Lex's life.

While Lex studied the mayor, the mayor studied Lex as well, and Lex noticed a distinct sense of disappointment when the mayor noticed him.

"Welcome, resident, to Sin City," the mayor spoke, his voice gradual and deep, almost causing Lex's hair to stand on end. This was a very dangerous man - he could tell. "I normally don't take the prerogative to ask such questions, but in this case, I cannot help myself, so please do not mind my curiosity. Are you a foreigner to the garden?"

Lex did not show a visible reaction, but immediately he could sense that he was being looked down on. It seemed that foreigners from the realm were not looked upon favorably.