Ugh, this chapter was a pain. Sorry it took so long, enjoy!
As the carriage approached East Dragon City Sophia couldn’t help but gasp in amazement. “It’s… huge!” The city was surrounded by a massive stone wall, dozens of meters high. As for the area, it was impossible to determine. The wall was so wide that Sophia couldn’t see the ends of it. What’s more, the wall seemed to be made of one piece of seamless stone that glowed with magical diagrams.
“Naturally, a city that holds four million people would need to be somewhat large,” Lloyd said, chuckling.
“Four million!” Even on Earth, such a city would be considered fairly large. Considering how primitive Bright Cove was, Sophia never would have imagined that this world had the technology to create such an enormous city.
“Careful,” Lloyd joked, “if you get too excited, people will think you’re a country bumpkin.”
“Humph, I don’t know what you’re talking about!” she said, pouting. “Why would I get excited about seeing one measly little city!”
“Pfft!”
Sophia’s eye faintly started twitching. This guy…
When the carriage approached the gates, the guards took one look at the insignia of the Church of Light and waved them through.
Once inside Sophia was shocked to discover that East Dragon city wasn’t the least bit inferior to the cities on Earth. The roadways were wide and made of the same seamless stone as the walls, making it just as effective as pavement and not nearly as ugly. Most of the houses on the outskirts of the city were made of wood or brick, but their construction, while simple, was sturdy and well organized.
What really caught Sophia’s eye though, was just how clean everything was. There wasn’t the slightest trace of filth anywhere to be found. To keep a city this big this clean without the use of modern technology… I’ve underestimated what these people can do with their magic, Sophia thought.
They didn’t stay in the outskirts for very long before entering the inner city. Here, the buildings were all made of the seamless stone that Sophia had come to associate with magical construction. Their design was also far more elaborate than the buildings on the outskirts, blending the line between construction and art.
Hmm, I guess that the church in Bright Cove wasn’t really all that unusual, Sophia thought. I suppose it makes sense. I mean, if you’re going to build something out of magic, why not make it as pretty as you can?
Eventually, the carriage came to a stop outside of the East Dragon cathedral. Holy Shit! Sophia could barely keep herself from cursing out loud. If the Bright Cove church had been gaudy than the East Dragon cathedral was a monument to excess. Its size and level of artistry put the Gothic cathedrals from Earth to shame. Even with magic, she had to wonder just how much time and effort was wasted on constructing such a ridiculous building.
“Alright Sophie, we’re here” Lloyd said stepping out of the carriage. He held out his hand to help her step down while a group of young Initiates (Priests in training) dealt with her luggage.
A Priest led them through the halls of the cathedral until they arrived at a set of double doors. “Your Grace, Brother Lloyd and Miss Sophia have arrived,” he said after knocking.
Your Grace…? Oh my god! You mean to tell me that Lloyd’s old mentor is a Bishop?! Sophia was starting to get sick of surprises. Over the past eight years, she had only known Lloyd as a friendly, and sometimes goofy, clergyman who liked to help people in need. Just how many secrets was this small town Priest hiding?
“Very good. Let them in,” a voice from the other side of the door said. The doors opened and Lloyd and Sophia were ushered into the Bishop’s office.
“Hahaha, it’s good to see you again kid!” the Bishop said.
Sophia raised her eyebrow in confusion. The Bishop didn’t look that much older than Lloyd. Certainly not old enough to call him kid.
“Don’t be fooled,” Lloyd said as if reading her mind. “This old foggy might look middle aged, but he’s actually old enough to be your great grandfather!”
“Brat! Why don’t you get over here and see just how old I am!”
“Pfft!” Sophia couldn’t help but chuckle at their back and forth bickering. “It would seem that His Grace, the BISHOP,” she said emphasizing the word, “really is an old mentor of yours. I can’t imagine anybody else tolerating such blatant disrespect.”
Lloyd gaped at Sophia who had just thrown him under the bus. This brat… she’s totally getting back at me for earlier!
“Bwahaha! I like this kid!” the Bishop said, “SHE knows how to respect her elders, unlike a certain snot nosed punk I know who used to get spanked for stealing extra food from the kitchens.”
“Oh my, that sounds like a wonderful story that I simply HAVE to hear about in detail,” Sophia said while grinning evilly at Lloyd.
“Ahem… As delightful as that sounds, I’m afraid that we’ll need to save it for another time,” he said, trying to salvage his dignity.
“Heh-heh, well I suppose you’re right,” the Bishop said, grinning just as widely as Sophia. “Don’t worry Miss Sophia, next time we meet I’ll tell you all about what Lloyd was like as a kid, but…” he said, noticing Lloyd’s death glare, “for the time being, we have your travel arrangements to take care of.”
“Ah yes, I wanted to thank you for that, Your Grace.” Sophia said, bowing. “I doubt that getting into South Sea academy would have been possible without your help.”
“Bah, nonsense!” the Bishop, waving his hand dismissively. “With your innate talent, the best schools on the continent would start a bidding war to get their hands on you.”
“Only more reason for me to thank you,” Sophia insisted. “By the way Your Grace, I just realized that I still don’t know your name.”
“Haha, I suppose that in all the excitement I forgot to introduce myself. How rude of me.” The Bishop stood up from his desk and made an elegant bow. “My name is Alexander Gilliam. As you might have noticed, I am the Bishop in charge of tending to the East Dragon kingdom.”
“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance Lord Gilliam. I am Sophia, I’m afraid that I don’t have a noble name such as yourself.”
“Hmph!” Gilliam snorted coldly. “Being a noble isn’t such a great thing,” he said, “It just means leaching off of the glory of one’s ancestors. A truly great person makes their own legacy!”
Interesting… Only nobles could have surnames in this world, and yet, Alexander Gilliam didn’t seem to hold his own kind in very high regard. So it’s not Lloyd, Sophia mused, Bishop Gilliam is likely also an outlier who was banished to East Dragon for his unconventional views.
“…Sophia, I must admit that I have a few ulterior motives for helping you,” Gilliam continued. “With your innate potential, I have no doubt that, one day, you’ll become a powerful and influential figure and create a legacy of your own. My hope is that, when that day comes, you won’t forget who your friends are.”
Oh, he’s a crafty one, Sophia thought, by admitting his ulterior motives now he hopes to build up some good will between us. He also wants me to think that I already know the scope of his plans to that I don’t question his intentions later down the road. If I were a normal child, I’d probably fall for it hook, line, and sinker. Hmm, I’ll trust you for now Alexander Gilliam, but if you think you can use me, you’ve got another thing coming.
“I understand, Your Grace,” Sophia eventually said. “In the future I hope that I can repay you for all that you’ve done for me.”
“Excellent!” Gilliam seemed quite pleased with Sophia’s answer. “Now, there are just a few things to take care of before we send you on your way.” The Bishop snapped his fingers and a priest came in carrying a small box which he handed to Sophia.
This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.
Curious, Sophia opened the box to find a ring that glowed with a magical aura. “That ring is an interspatial storage device,” Gilliam explained. “I took the liberty of having your luggage inside.”
Sophia sent her Spiritual Energy inside the ring and gasped when she found a large space inside. In terms of area, the space inside of the ring was even larger than the Bishop’s office that she was currently in. Off in the corner of the space she found her luggage, but that was hardly the only thing inside the ring.
Noticing her confusion, Gilliam smiled. “Ah yes, I also went through the trouble of adding a few other things,” he said. “Cultivation resources, training manuals, a few spell books, just some of the things that any magus-in-training needs.”
He tried to downplay it, but Sophia knew that the gifts in this ring must have cost a fortune. Wow, he’s really trying to win me over, she thought. I can’t imagine that I’d be worth such an expenditure just because of my fourth tier Spirit Realm. He must be running some play that I’m not aware of yet.
“Your Grace, this gift is simply too much for me to accept,” Sophia said.
“Bah! Nonsense! Once you’ve spent a few years in South Sea academy, these kinds of resources won’t seem like anything special.”
“Well… alright.” Sophia put on the ring without any more fuss. She didn’t really want to reject his offer anyway, but she thought that it would seem rude to accept something so valuable right away.
“Heh-heh, excellent!” Gilliam wasn’t fooled. In fact, he found Sophia’s shallow insistence on decorum rather amusing. Kids are supposed to be a little selfish, he thought to himself, but this girl is surprisingly mature for her age. With this kind of temperament she’ll definitely go far!
“Well, with that taken care of, shall we be on our way?” Lloyd asked.
Gilliam nodded. “Ah yes, I suppose that it’s about time we send Sophia on her way. I’m glad that we had this chance to meet Miss Sophia. I look forward to seeing your feature accomplishments.” With that, he turned his attention to the paper work on his desk. It was a clear dismissal, so Sophia and Lloyd bowed, said their farewells and left the cathedral.
A different carriage picked them up outside the cathedral and took them to a different part of the city. Here there weren’t any homes. Instead, the streets were lined with shops and warehouses. This must be the business district, Sophia thought, but something feels off… For a moment, Sophia glanced around in confusion. That’s it! Suddenly enlightenment came to her. A lot of these warehouses are for import/export businesses, so what are they doing here? In order to move things in and out of the city more easily, they should be on the outskirts, not here in between the inner and outer districts.
She just couldn’t understand why anyone would build their warehouses in such an inconvenient location. Her answer came in the form of an enormous structure. Its size exceeded even the cathedral.
Suddenly, Sophia watched as a large object lifted up from inside the structure. It’s an airship! She realized, oh my god! They’re sending me to South Sea academy on a freaking airship! What fantasy world would be complete without airships? Sophia had heard of them before, but, living in a backwater like Bright Cove, she’d never even had the chance to see one let alone ride one.
This was why the warehouses were here and not out the outskirts of the city. Airships might be monstrously expensive, but a single airship could carry more cargo than tens of wagons. For cities without access to a port it was the fastest and most efficient way to get from place to place.
Sophia practically bounced with excitement as the carriage pulled up to the airport. Lloyd could only shake his head helplessly as she rushed inside before they even came to a complete stop.
Sophia ran through the hallways, dodging passengers and work crews. A few people shouted angrily at her, using words that her mother definitely wouldn’t approve of, but she just ignored them. Finally, she reached the hanger, and her jaw dropped.
They were even bigger up close. The hanger was packed with airships: big ones for transporting cargo, smaller ones for transporting people, there were even luxury ships for the rich and powerful. For a moment Sophia could only stand there and stare at them in awe.
“Sophie, you can’t just run off like that!” Suddenly, an agitated voice came from behind her. She turned around to see Lloyd walking towards her with an irritated expression.
Being a child really sucks, Sophia thought, I can’t go anywhere without a freaking chaperone! Of course, what she said was, “I’m sorry Lloyd.”
“*Sigh* All right, let’s hurry up and find your ride.” Lloyd led her to a small and luxurious private air ship, the kind that rich people use for pleasure cruses.
“Wow, the church must really be raking it in if they can afford something like this,” Sophia said.
“Haha, as if. This ship doesn’t belong to the church. You’re just hitching a ride,” Lloyd said. “The owner just happens to be going to South Sea academy as well, and they were kind enough to let you tag along.”
“Really?” Now Sophia was curious. Who could be rich enough to own such a fancy private cruiser, but nice enough to actually let a stranger come along for the ride?
When they approached the ship they were greeted by a young boy. The boy walked up to Sophia and held out his hand. “Hello there,” he greeted, “my name is Marcus East.”
He’s certainly pretty, Sophia thought to herself. The boy was just a little bit older than her, maybe ten or eleven. He had golden hair, blue eyes, and a comforting smile that put the people around him at ease. Sophia began to extend her own hand, but then she remembered his name and her face turned pale. “Forgive me your highness!” she said, bowing. East, this was a surname that only the royal family could have. Also, it was well known that the king only had a single living relative, making this boy the crown prince!
“Haha, please, please, no bowing,” the prince said. “Pretty soon we’ll be fellow students in South Sea academy. There, my status as crown prince of East Dragon kingdom won’t amount to anything, so I’d really like it if we could be friends rather than lord and subject.”
Marcus held out his hand once more, and Sophia took it after a moment of hesitation. She had always been taught that nobles were all arrogant and devious, but Marcus East just seemed so friendly that she found herself getting pulled into his pace. “It’s a pleasure to meet you your highness, I’m Sophia.”
Marcus seemed confused for a moment before shaking his head and saying “please, just Marcus. It’s been a long time since I could be friends with another boy my own age, so I’d like for us to be on equal footing.”
Now it was Sophia’s turn to be confused. Wait… does he – does he think I’m a boy? It was an easy mistake to make. Sophia was dressed like a boy, her hair was cut short like a boy’s, and as a child, it was difficult to distinguish her body and voice from a boy’s. It’s no wonder he looked so confused when he heard her name. Oh, this is going to be fun, Sophia thought to herself. She could barely keep the evil smile off her face.
“Um, actually your highness-” Lloyd began to correct the prince but Sophia elbowed him and gently shook her head. Oh, this child… he thought, helplessly, but in the end, Lloyd didn’t say anything. He too thought it would be amusing to see the prince’s reaction when he finally figured out the truth. “Ahem, well, you two had best be making your departure.”
“Ah, right! Come with me Sophia, let me show you around the airship!” Marcus said, taking Sophia’s hand.
“Alright!” she was also excited to see the inside of an airship. However, when she reached the top of the steps leading into the ship’s interior, she turned around and shouted “goodbye Lloyd! I’ll see you again in a year, and you’d better have a girlfriend by then or I’ll seriously start to question your sexual preferences!”
“#%@&!” Lloyd was so shocked that, for a moment, he wasn’t even capable of coherent speech, but before he could shout back, the door had already closed, and the ship was beginning to take off. “That brat…” Lloyd was already feeling sorry for the instructors at South Sea academy. They had no idea that a little monster was heading their way.