The building stood alone on a platform in the sky, overseeing the entire Qing Huan Alliance. It was huge; resembling something like an old Chinese palace, with a giant courtyard in the middle, surrounded by doors leading into multiple rooms and corridors. The decor was nothing too fancy, but it was unique, to say the least. There were these metal pipes all over the building, interconnected with each other, forming a network, and wines growing over them, placed intentionally, giving it a rather unique look. From what Zhe heard, those pipes were used to bring power to everything in the palace. How exactly did it work? He did not know. But with the presence of knobs everywhere, and exhaust pipes, he could understand that they transported some form of gas.
He found it rather strange, that a place which otherwise seemed rather futuristic would have a form of power this clunky. He wanted to ask, but didn’t have the opportunity to bring it up last night, or even this morning; Li was constantly surrounded by people, and he couldn’t bring it up around others in fear that he might reveal that he was from a different world. There were pipes on the outside walls as well, all coming to a junction, where they connected to a giant metal cube, from which only one big pipe emerged, connecting to a cylinder that was kept on a small platform just slightly below the platform on which the building stood.
The roofs were like any other roof, made of a complex system of interlocking wooden columns and crossbeams, making them quite sturdy and pretty. They were supported by wooden pillars and had an overhang, and hanging from the corners were lanterns that gave a warm glow, with a paper covering held in place by thin wooden strips which diffused the light, making it rather pleasant to look at.
Liu Zhe walked outside the castle walls, examining every detail of it. Though he was Li’s personal assistant, he wasn’t needed at the moment; she was busy discussing something with her elder sister; so Zhe had little better to do.
The building itself floated in the sky. Below his feet, he could see the Qing Huan Alliance, the people looking like ants. One wrong step and I’m dead. The city itself seemed to be this interconnected web, with the roads twisting and turning, going several layers below, then coming out, all tangled and interconnected forming a network which Zhe thought would be a nightmare to navigate, yet the people seemed quite comfortable, as if they were navigating the back of their hand. That much is expected. They grew up here, after all. To someone who didn’t though, he was certain it would be a hellscape.
Zhe sat down at the edge of the platform with his legs hanging below. He looked at his wrist. 5:30 read the watch. It was difficult to understand what hour of the day it was since there wasn’t a sun or a moon. All there was was a sky full of stars. It was an ethereal sight, sure; for a moment Zhe wondered if he came to heaven—a never-ending sea of stars surrounding him, calling him near, in which he could drown at any moment, or perhaps he already was; but that feeling was short lived. It took him very little time to get used to the sight. The awe died down, and it was only after that when Zhe realised how inconvenient it was. Though the presence of a sun and moon didn’t help know the exact time; there were far better methods available; they were still a good addition. Moreover, he preferred sunlight over any artificial lighting, and that was still true here.
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He looked up at the sky, staring blankly, swinging his legs below. The Qing Huan Alliance was the epitome of mankind in the current era. It was the centre of innovation and trade and had a flourishing economy unrivalled by anyone else, and Zhe didn’t doubt that claim one bit. It was even better than what Zhe had imagined. This was the future. Yet it felt dull. Perhaps it was because he only saw it from up the castle, because he hadn’t himself visited the streets or talked with anyone beside Li, but it all felt rather dull. It was also rather small. What he could see below wasn’t a nation or anything, it was a city. It was a futuristic and confusing city, sure, but it was a city. Nothing more than that. Are all nations in Ar Veil this small, Zhe wondered.
The Qing Huan Alliance was supposed to be a nation born from the alliance between the two great dynasties, the Qing Dynasty and the Huan Dynasty, who both ruled the East. They were on good terms, forming a diarchy and ruling together, until a hundred years ago, when Qing Feng of the Qing Dynasty married the eldest daughter of the Huan Dynasty and united the two dynasties under the Qing Huan Alliance.
That would imply that the regions of the Qing and Huan Dynasties were even smaller, right?
He had to be wrong. There was no way someone would possibly consider a small village a nation? Were there perhaps other areas that he couldn’t see? That should be the case, but from what he heard from Li, this castle and the city below was the QHA. I should ask Li for more details, he thought, before getting up and heading inside.
He headed to his room, which was a little less empty than before. It had a cupboard now with a mirror on the door, and a bed with its head against the wall, right in front of the window. The scenery outside was the same as always, a starry sky. The cylinder was right next to the window, and he could easily see it if he looked out at an angle.
Knock!
‘Come in,’ said Zhe.
The door slid open, and a woman wearing a light-purple hanfu, with a white belt around her waist. It wasn’t anything fancy, far from it. She bowed her head and greeted Zhe.
‘Her Highness has requested for you to prepare for departure. You shall be leaving with her in an hour.’
‘Leaving?’ Zhe asked, confused.
‘Her Highness asked me to inform you of this.’
‘Where to?’
‘I’m afraid Her Highness hasn’t informed me of that.’
‘I see. I understand, you may leave.’
The maid raised her head and left the room. She turned around one final time, bowing slightly, then sliding the door close and leaving.