Lyon POV:
The main plaza was packed by the time I arrived. News had spread like wildfire through the city of Glisa that an important announcement would be made, and it showed.
Several food stands were lined up along the entrance to the plaza. They extended outwards into the main street as businesses were quick to take advantage of this opportunity to boost their own sales. Their stock decreased rapidly due to the constant streams of people heading this way.
My gaze shifted to others who took a different approach to watching the announcement. They climbed up the sides of the tall buildings overlooking the plaza, sitting on the rooftops in order to get a better view from above.
People laughed and chatted among themselves, creating a buzzing atmosphere that struggled to control the growing expectation of the public.
‘Hmm.’
I made my way through the tightly packed crowd with ease; taking advantage of several openings that appeared until I found a somewhat suitable position.
A large water fountain graced the centre of the plaza. It had five bowl-shaped tiers that gradually increased in size as it reached the bottom. The last tier was held up by five statues; four of them facing a cardinal direction. The fifth statue could only be seen through the large open gaps as it stood directly underneath the bowl.
I pondered for a while before turning my attention back toward the upcoming announcement.
Casters. That was the name of the artifacts used to display announcements. They were small, round objects that had a medium-sized slit running along their centre. It contained several, smaller circular lenses with the largest one being in the middle.
A technician had enthusiastically explained to me that each lens had a different function. The largest lens was used to project an image while the two smallest lenses, at both ends of the slit, focused on connecting with other broadcast artifacts. The remaining two lenses had other features that helped create a kind of complex network of sorts.
Naturally, this was all possible due to the phenomena known as Ki.
“It’s starting!!”
Several Casters, embedded into the base of the water fountain, emitted a faint blue light that shot up high into the sky. It quickly spread out, forming a large, transparent window.
People closer to the front began to cheer, causing a ripple of applause to spread out behind them. It reached those watching from above while the ground shook lightly from the thousands of people present.
An image of a man with a short beard and short, whitish-blond hair formed. He wore exquisite clothing over his sturdy frame, embedded with gold-coated engravings that screamed nobility. His lips parted, revealing his pearly white teeth while his piercing blue eyes speared through everyone watching.
It was a face that everyone present was familiar with. It was Wilfric Windmore—the Council Leader.
“I, Wilfric Windmore, greet the citizens of the Cotis Empire.”
He bowed his head politely, causing the crowd to murmur amongst themselves.
“Many of you are familiar with dungeons. Throughout the history of mankind, they have been graded based on their level of danger as well as their location—this is nothing new. You all know that despite the danger of these dungeons, they also benefit our economy. But..., so what?”
The Council Leader’s gaze seemed to penetrate through the projected image, forcing the murmurs to intensify. It was clear that they didn’t expect the announcement to be related to dungeons.
“Even within the Empire, many are still impoverished. Many wish for money, some desire fame and others crave combat and carnage. Ultimately, they all seek power!”
His voice echoed across the plaza, stirring up the crowd in the process. His words easily found their targets, as many began to watch the large projected screens with a renewed sense of anticipation.
‘Hmm.’
My eyes narrowed slightly. If my thoughts were correct, then this was going to be a big deal.
“Today, I am not here to glorify the nobles. I am not here to promote the Council members or those placed in high ranking positions! I am here to give YOU, the public, a platform from where you can rise up like the symbol that represents this Empire!!”
The screens suddenly went black. Excitement oozed out of the crowd, while I ignored the increasing volume of the chatter around me. I observed the screen closely, barely making out a figure becoming more visible as it drew closer towards the Caster.
“!!!!”
The sound of monsters roaring rang out across the plaza. Many people screamed, frantically looking around in fear as they confused reality with the realistic audio being transmitted from the Casters.
Monsters immediately appeared on the screen at the perfect time. The confusion present vanished as everyone’s attention was focused on their futile attempts at viciously attacking the silhouette.
They couldn’t get close.
The blacked-out figure slowly walked forwards while the horde of monsters only grew. The barrier of air that surrounded him became known, as it gained faint dark green and black hues.
‘It’s him.’
My lips curved into a wide smile at the same time a light flashed. It revealed the identity of the silhouette and the crowd... Exploded.
“Keo ‘The Superman’ Yeboah!!”
They roared out his name while cheering and dancing. It was only further magnified when a giant troll stepped in front of him. He stretched out his hand; his golden brown eyes leaving a trail of light behind him as he gripped the air—shredding the monster into such tiny pieces, its existence had effectively been eradicated.
‘Incredible...’
A bead of sweat rolled down the side of my forehead while I watched his otherwordly skills. It took me a few seconds to realize that I was also cheering alongside everyone else.
The screen faded to black, and the Council Leader reappeared with his arms spread out wide.
“Citizens of the Cotis Empire, the dungeons will soon be opened to the public! Those who wish to challenge themselves, those who wish to rise up, to change, to fight, and to grow—THIS is YOUR time!”
‘This will do.’
My thoughts were drowned out by the cheers reaching a deafening level. I balled my hands into fists as the corners of my rose.
“Guilds will be made to facilitate those who wish to take on this challenge. Rankings will be published and updated often in order to solidify your results and progress! This process will provide many with new jobs, new ambitions and new desires! So, who among you will climb to the top?!”
The screen flickered. It showed various famous people from all of the countries within the Empire, before switching back to the Council Leader who lifted up one finger towards the sky.
“One month. One month from now, the dungeons will be officially open. This is the time for a new era, the Era of Adventurers!”
The crowd erupted once more as confetti rained down from above. People played musical instruments to commemorate such a historic announcement, while others grabbed a random person and danced along with the festive tune.
I stared at the same spot where that large, projected screen used to be a few seconds ago. I had made mental notes on everything that was said, and now I was organizing them neatly.
My eyes narrowed as I thought about those waiting for me. I needed to get stronger, much stronger in order to face the real threats ahead.
“It’s finally time.”
***
Evening fell as I made my way back to the tavern. By the time I drew closer to the entrance, I saw a familiar face waiting outside for me.
“You’ve grown a little taller, eh? Leo.”
He examined me carefully for a few seconds before smiling warmly. I couldn’t help myself from grinning as I stepped forward.
“Let’s head inside, Tobias.”
We sat down at a table while a waitress handed him a medium-sized jug. He stared at the alcohol inside, frowned and looked away.
“You’ve really grown up well. I remember when you’d always be running all over Glisa and other cities... working yourself to the bone, ha...”
His eyebrows quivered slightly as he looked down. I smiled at his remark but chose to remain silent. I had come a long way since then.
The jug reached his lips, and he instantly regretted it. I watched his face contort with disgust as he spat out the beer before holding his head lightly.
It was after that incident happened. The other villagers wanted to take me in, but the me back then thought that I wouldn’t be able to grow the way I needed to if I stayed.
I had heard from one of the soldiers that Glisa was the capital of Efros, so without a second thought, I set off. I was homeless, living on the streets and sleeping in one of the few back alleys until Tobias found me.
“I thought you’d make this easier for me, but you’re just staying quiet, eh?”
“It’s nice to reminisce once in awhile, right? It helps me stay grounded and remember all of the things—the people I’m grateful for. That includes you too, Tobias.”
“Ha, look at you!”
He ruffled my hair while grinning widely. I could see it in his eyes; he was relieved, relieved that I had changed.
“I’m going to enter the dungeons one month from now.”
His grin turned into a soft smile. Tobias let out a helpless sigh before parting his lips once more.
“I already know, Leo. Besides, my mind would be more at ease knowing that you had a party supporting you.”
Despite the years that had passed since our last meeting, Tobias still understood me well. However, that understanding worked both ways.
The fact that he had came to see me on the day of the announcement meant that he would be most likely leaving Glisa. Taking into account his occupation as a soldier of the Imperial Army, this wasn’t good news.
“I’m leaving in three weeks, and I don’t know when I’ll be coming back.”
I leaned forward, interlocking my fingers underneath my chin. It was as I expected, and that meant the next logical explanation was this.
“There’s an upcoming war.”
Tobias looked at me with narrow eyes before shifting his gaze to the mostly empty tavern.
“That’s right. Our opponent this time is probably the biggest threat the Empire will ever face: The Kingdom of Vidris.”
I pondered for awhile over the situation. I wasn’t well versed in matters concerning the continent of Vidris. However, what I did know was that the Kingdom of Vidris was a stronghold; a powerhouse that had a history this budding Empire could never compete with, so why?
The Kingdom of Vidris kept to themselves. As far as I knew, they had never actively engaged in war for the sake of expansion. So, if the Cotis Empire planned on risking its existence of its own volition, then the gain had to be equally worthwhile.
“A war for more resources? I thought the Empire already had control over the majority of Silin mines in Idora.”
Tobias shook his head, opting to remain quiet as he stared into the jug again. He abruptly got up, placed some money on the table and rested his hand on my shoulder.
“Enough about that. I have a surprise for you. Think of it as my farewell gift.”
I wasn’t in any position to interfere with what the Empire was doing, so I could only hope that the Emperor had a plan or at least a goal that made sense.
He walked off while I observed his back. The conversation had taken on a rather political tone, and Tobias hated that. It also wasn’t wise to talk about such things in detail so openly.
It wasn’t difficult to describe my relationship with him. He took me in, but I never saw him as my guardian. To me, he was more of an Uncle.
My lips curved upwards as I got to my feet and followed after him. I wasn’t worried about Tobias, because I knew he was strong.