I had my first big realization before I even left castle grounds. Living within such a confined space had really ruined my sense of scale because the palace encompassed what seemed to me as an insanely massive space. A fact no one else seemed to be freaking out about.
The carriage moved at a slow pace as we traversed the land, Liza answering my many questions as we went. A gift from a foreign minister here, a statue commemorating an ancestor there, the fact that said ancestor had been a demi-human didn’t seem important to her. There were monuments gifted by long dead emperors and entire libraries dedicated to the history of the country, though the highlight for me had to be the museum. Liza had explained decided we would take the long way out of the castle, making the one-and-a-half-kilometer compound feel like it encompassed much more.
The museum was in front of the public wing and was filled with countless magical items. Grimoires, elemental swords, armor, magical art, and even staffs of Sages… multiple Sages. I couldn’t actually enter but the mana that surrounded the building was so dense even at a distance it was visible to my weak manasight. When I had first learned of the museum, I’d done some research and while I could only see two guards, the building was said to be protected better than the royal vault. Though with the amount of wealth that collection had to represent, I was surprised it wasn’t the vault itself.
Sad I couldn’t see the artifacts in person, we continued our tour through the palace quickly reaching the first checkpoint. Liza rolled down the window as a middle-aged man, wearing the armor of the royal guard, approached.
“Name and identification, please. The carriage in front said you hold for all.”
“All three are under Quinton,” Liza replied, handing the man a single metal engraved card. With a grunt he took it and walked to his booth, returning a minute later.
“All is confirmed, sir. Have a safe trip.”
Passing through the gate, we traveled along the cobbled path, buildings sparsely distributed around us, before arriving at another checkpoint. This one we didn’t have to give identification at, but for the two following that, Liza gave the same name and single card, getting us through quickly. Curiosity getting the better of me, I asked her why she kept giving that false name.
“Well, it’s a long story that I don’t know all the details of, but there was once a prince named Quinton who had a deviant type of magic that could get him into anything. From the age of ten, when his core formed, he used to explore around the castle going anywhere and everywhere, nothing could stop him. This was over five hundred years ago, and they didn’t have the security technology we have now, so as you might imagine the castle was basically his playground. Anyway, a few hundred years later it became commonplace to tell anyone with variable access rules to use the name Quinton. The name is just to avoid from having to an official one in the record book. The ID card is what actually tells people where you can go, what you can do, and so on.”
Nodding, and now hoping I got some of that Quinton’s magic, I watched as the landscape passed. I didn’t know if it was because I watched her fight yesterday, because of the trip, or maybe something completely unknown, but even after only this first hour Liza seemed different, a little more open.
The Zema kept to a trot as we passed into the city proper. While I had taken off my jacket due to the carriage’s climate control enchantment, I was surprised by the lack of people wearing more than a sweater. It wasn’t freezing cold, but it was the middle of Nesvar, the second to last month of the year, so I expected more than just a hoodie. Seeing my confusion, Liza took pity on me, something I seemed to need a lot, and explained. Apparently, once people formed their core, something that most people who frequented this district had, it was easy to shrug off minor temperature changes such as this.
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Many of the mansions we passed were impressive. Nothing compared to the castle, but a grand four-story building with perfectly manicured gardens and beautiful ivory sculptures spread throughout a two-hundred-acre property, wasn’t to just ignore. However, even that was nothing compared to the massive structures of the Takai district. Buildings so tall I couldn’t see their roofs from the inside of the carriage surrounded me as we moved further into the high-rise district. I’d seen many of these buildings from the windows of the castle but being here was another experience entirely. It was awe-inspiring but at the same time had the ability to make me feel tiny.
“There is the Adventurer’s Guild.” Liza pointed at a massive conjoined plot of land that held a few smaller buildings along with a central one about fifteen stories high.
“Then to your right is Scatetown, and you can’t see it from here, but a bit more south is Little Eunoia.”
Passing through the more commercial section of the inner city, we reached a circular wall, the guards allowing us to pass quickly. This was where I saw more of what I expected from Vander is stated to be a city with a couple million people. The area at the edge of the wall was similar to the inside for the most part, if a bit dirtier. After five minutes of riding however, we seemed to be in an entirely new place. There were fewer carriages, and pedestrians seemed to use the road to walk in nearly as much as the sidewalks. Street carts selling everything from food to pets littered the way. People stared at the coach as we passed by, but I knew they couldn’t see me through the tinted windows, and no one seemed keen on getting closer for a better look. Rather, they seemed to avoid us as best they could.
Ten minutes later, as we reached the outskirts of the town, I realized what had been bothering me the most. People of all ages were wrapped up in full coats, sweaters, gloves, hats, and the like. Asking Liza about it, I received a response I never considered. Throughout my entire life, magic was a staple. Everyone I knew could use magic and while me not being able to manipulate mana was a consideration, it was only due to some outside force, like the void bracers, stopping me from gaining a mana core. I’d never considered that there were plenty of people who just never formed cores naturally. The revelation kept me quiet as we reached the second wall, a massive structure that likely went on for a few kilometers in either direction. Passing through the final gate, we walked out into what should be considered the countryside, though with the massive line of people, carriages, and the like waiting to get in, the area looked like its own miniature town.
We left the palace going straight east on Oracle Road, and our destination was north. I had wondered when we would turn and after continuing out for a mile or two, the Zema now moving faster, I got my answer. When the horses-like beasts began to slow, I climbed past Liza toward the front of the carriage, where Yoojin sat. Knocking on the pane to get her attention, I was about to ask her what was happening when I saw what could only just be considered a road. Turning to look at who knocked, the yellow eyed guard’s face filled with mirth as she saw my reaction. It was odd to see her out of her royal armor, though the set she wore was likely just as expensive.
“That Pri-.” She stopped herself from using the title that no one was supposed to know I held, before continuing. “That sir is the Speedway; it crosses the entire country in one way or another. It’s made of that black looking substance and basically enchanted the entire way through to allow for fast, smooth, travel year-round.
Pointing to the lane the furthest left of our side of the Speedway, she continued.
“That lane is for people, or groups of people, each on their own mundane mount. It’s not a huge change from taking other trails, and sometimes it’s even slower depending on where the nearest exit is, but they still get a lane. The three left of that are for the carts being pulled by any average beast of burden. It’s the lane for caravans and the like.”
Yoojin pushed the mana beast to move forward as the queue length shortened before she spoke again.
“Then to the left of them there are two lanes for solo speed riders. Any people who have a beast or construct that can go fast are welcome to use it. The final three lanes are where we’re going. It’s for the carriages and larger constructs that can move at higher average speeds.”
The queue lasted for another few minutes before Yoojin paid the toll attendant, showed her identification, and we were let onto the “fast lane” as she referred to it.
“Buckle up,” Yooj shouted back to us, before whipping the reins three times, causing the Zema to accelerate and me to be pushed back into my seat, a wide grin on my face.