Chapter 406 - Cadria VII

The reception that the party met going through Titus county was perfectly representative of every encounter thereafter. A brawl ensued whenever they were found out. Most of the bouts were friendly, but not everyone was quite so sensible. Chief among the idiots was a centaur by the name of Ignacio Alsomethingorother, who paid the party a visit in the middle of the night and shouted an introduction at the top of his lungs. He screamed for upwards of ten minutes, begging loudly for a duel until Claire finally lost her patience. Needless to say, the moron in question was reduced to a dark red stain shortly before she planted her face back in the blankets.

At Allegra’s behest, they visited a number of local dungeons as they continued to make their way north. Chloe finally achieved her third ascension, the primary changes of which manifested through her hair yet again. The once golden strands grew lighter, becoming a silvery platinum with bits of red interspersed. The only other notable change was that she grew a second pair of wings, though unlike the first, they emerged from her clothes instead of body. They extended haphazardly from her sleeves, her shoulders, and sometimes even her socks. Their precise shape and texture were outside of her direct control and they changed every time she swapped out her clothes, though individual outfits appeared to yield consistent results.

The rest of the party crept closer to the eight-fifty wall, with Allegra further improving their fundamentals through her meticulous instruction.

Frequent as they were, the experience-focused detours stole much of their time; a full month passed before the brigade finally found itself in Valencia.

Claire’s hometown—Cadria’s capital city—was exactly as she recalled it. It stood proudly in the middle of a massive plain. The mightiest stronghold known to mortal men.

Unlike many of the other cities they had found along the way, it was without the towering metal walls that gated its expansion. It was enclosed in a gargantuan dome instead—a visible magical barrier that enveloped both the city and the area around it. Though it appeared to be fixed in place, the oblong shield could be freely adjusted. Of course, its requisite power draw would rise with an increase in its dimensions, but that was an issue of least concern. It was fueled by no less than thirteen greater ley lines. To label the situation as overkill was nothing short of an understatement. A single standard line sufficed to supply all the city’s needs, shield and all, and it was said that a higher level dungeon was sure to spawn wherever two happened to meet.

In fact, that very phenomenon had played out several times. Though there was only one at the time of its settling, six more had since sprung up within the city’s limits. They were all high level, dangerous enough to put Crimson Rock to shame. And yet, the citizens saw them as boons, blessings from the gods, delivered straight to their doorsteps. One particularly entrepreneurial horse had even made a fortune by selling the right to enter his home after his basement was divinely repurposed.

While everyone else looked around the meandering streets with their eyes aglimmer, Claire, Sylvia, and Allegra found it an ordinary sight. The moose had lived in it for most of her life, the rabbit was partially responsible for its present shape, and the fox had visited over a dozen times. Even Boris scanned the scene with his eyes wide open. Though his visits were barely less numerous than Sylvia's, he was rarely conscious and recalled little beyond the castle's confines.

“Goddamn,” said Jules. “We’re straight fucked.” His eyes were on the battleships parked outside the military HQ. There had been a few in each of the cities they passed, but none had as many as the capital. Docked across the sky was a count well into the hundreds, though none were quite as prominent as the three furthest away. The ducal houses were so high up that they were but the tiniest of specks, often hidden by the clouds that dotted the pure blue sky.

“How big is this place? I can barely see the palace, let alone wherever it ends,” said Krail.

“Valencia is about six hundred square kilometers,” said Allegra. “Twenty from north to south and thirty across.”

“Sorry, but those numbers are big enough that they don't really register,” said Krail.

“Four hundred ship lengths,” said Lana.

“It's about twenty five times the size of Vel’khagan,” said Chloe.

“Holy fuck. Is that including the new districts?”

The maid nodded. “Including everything we’re still in the middle of building.”

“How are we even supposed to wrap our heads around a city that big?” asked Krail.

“There are so many magnificent structures that I am beginning to doubt the appeal of my castle,” added Arciel. She glanced not only at the obvious landmarks, like the castle and the colosseum, but also some of the miscellaneous bureaus and businesses scattered all around. The museums, art galleries, and casinos loomed over the downtown area, blotting out the skyline and everything beyond it.

“It's not that big of a deal.” Claire rolled her eyes. “It's just Valencia.”

Allegra put on a bit of an awkward smile. “Valencia is a pretty big deal. Do you know how much planning it took for us to get it to grow this big?”

“I don't care.”

“Oh, come on Claire! Where’s your pride? This is your hometown!” The rabbit gave her head a disapproving shake.

“Hardly. You never let me explore it.”

“That's because all you ever did was get up to mischief and try to run away.”

“I didn't try to run away. I tried to explore.”

“You tried to give your guards the slip every time you got the chance.”

“They were stifling.”

“Wait, so does that mean she was just as silly and reckless when she was a kid?” asked Sylvia.

“She was,” said Allegra. “She would even use her royal decrees on her guards when they got close to catching her,” she paused for a moment, speaking again when her ears twitched. “Oh, right. I guess that wouldn’t make much sense to the rest of you. Basically, the soldiers and officers swear vows to the goddess of war when they join the army. They’re unable to disobey magically laced orders that come from the higher ups.”

“Uhmmm… wait, how does that make any sense?” asked Sylvia. “Wasn’t Claire just a kid back then? And I’m pretty sure she wasn’t a princess either, until, you know.” She raised both paws to her neck and dragged them across.

“Most of the military sits under House Augustus’ command and she is its only heir,” said Allegra. “If anything happens to her father, the military will fall under her rule. That was true even before her father seized the throne.”

“That is a rather… troubling thought,” said Arciel.

“No it isn’t,” said Claire. The statement earned her a number of looks, but she ignored them, settled back into her seat, and focused on her thoughts. The palace was up ahead. There was still quite some distance until they reached it, but she was struggling to stay calm.

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It wasn’t the fault of all the attention being thrown in their direction. They were certainly due for another brawl—the only one they had fought by the city’s confines was right by the gate—but the circumstances had rendered it impossible. The party was accompanied by the city’s finest; the royal guard had descended from the castle to serve as an escort.

The man in charge had quickly explained the circumstances before taking a respectful distance. His team was clearly in earshot, but Allegra had carved a simple soundproofing spell into the carriage to ensure that no outsiders could overhear their conversations. Thanks to that, they were able to laze about and enjoy the scenery as they proceeded towards the heart of the enemy nation.

Their purpose in visiting Valencia was twofold. They weren’t due to show their faces for the better part of a year, but it seemed rude not to greet the king as they passed through his domain. More importantly, they planned to remind him of the issues with the Pollux march’s administration, though the group’s Cadrians knew it was effectively a waste of effort.

It wasn’t like Virillius was unaware. There was only so much that he could do without any reliable staff on the scene. Even if he was slowly becoming more competent of a king, he simply didn’t have the time to personally micromanage the southernmost march whilst worrying about the rest of the nation.

Even without any traffic jams or other obstructions in the way, it took roughly four hours to go from the city’s far end to the castle’s gates. It likely would have taken less than a quarter of the time had it been a straight-line path. But in Valencia, no such road existed. It was outright impossible to make it from the border to the castle without making at least thirty different turns and no one doubted for a moment that the layout was anything but intentional.

The city was a labyrinth, a sprawling maze meant to confuse, deter, and stall any invaders unwilling to engage in wanton destruction. And oh so effective it was. After all, it had only taken four hours because they were guided by a group of soldiers who had perfectly memorized its layout.

“Good day, visitors. I am Centrius Cleveland, a thunderhoof dreadnought in service to Cadria’s king.”

The speaker was a face that Claire knew well. The older, greying centaur was her father’s personal caretaker and she had known him for nearly as long as she breathed. He was accompanied by a full retinue of servants. They were lined up perfectly with maids on the left, butlers on the right, and even spacing between each member.

“And I am Arciel Vel’khan, empress of tentacles and blood.” The squid stepped out of the carriage as she spoke. “I extend my gratitude to your master for his kind invitation.”

“I shall relay it to him at once,” he said. “It must have been quite a long journey to come all the way from Vel’khan. While you are here, we would like to offer only the best hospitality. We have prepared a set of individual rooms for each of your members. To our knowledge, they have been tuned to your liking. Please let us know if that is not the case, and we will see it addressed immediately.” He twisted his lips into a smile that perfectly matched the shape of his moustache. “You are welcome to stay a full year if you wish. Though, forgive me if I am mistaken, I am under the impression you will be setting out again not too far in the future.”

The formal exchange dragged on as the carriage continued its way through the courtyard, ending shortly after they disembarked. The party’s members voiced their impressions in turn, but Claire paid little attention, neither to them, nor the poorly disguised rabbit fussing over her costume. Everyone knew that she had long been made, but she continued to act as if she hadn’t. Oddly, the guards played along. They whispered about it behind her back, although not at all because they considered her a traitor—the locals were clearly excited to see a battle between the king and the grand magus—but no one said anything to her face directly.

Unlike the rabbit in question, Claire was unable to proceed quite as boldly. She wasn’t sure why, but she felt a strange sense of discomfort. It was never present when she visited the castle before, not even when she brought her real body at her father’s request. It wasn’t like anything had changed. That much she knew from all the time she spent with Rubia. Still, the sense of malaise crawled all over her skin as she joined the others in following the butler.

They were shown none of the convoluted pathways that allowed the castle to play its part as a fortress. Cleveland took them straight to the throne room and silently beckoned for them to enter.

At the end of the wine-red carpet sat two familiar figures. One was the nation’s monarch, a moose with a silvery-white coat and his fur in much the same colour. He was dressed not in the regal robes that one might expect of a man of his stature, but rather the same metal protectors that adorned the guards who hovered around the castle. The only piece he was missing was a bucket-shaped helm. To the foreigners, it was a mystery how the locals and their antlers even managed to get them on.

His daughter, on the other hand, was dressed in a set of silken garbs. She was almost perfectly covered, with even a thin veil to mute the details of her visage. But while slightly obscured, they were not made invisible. Her face and her ears were both immediately recognizable. And though they had all been warned in advance, many of the party’s members fired glances in Claire’s direction.

No one bowed. Even as they stopped just before the dias, the foreigners remained as they were. That too was an expectation divulged in advance, even if one that demonstrated a lack of respect.

“Welcome to my castle,” said Virillius. His voice was cold and quiet, but it rang throughout the hall. “You must be tired, having come all this way.”

He didn’t bother with an introduction. They knew who he was, and he knew their identities in turn.

“Not at all,” said Arciel. She stepped forward, her lips a calm smile and her crimson eyes alight. “Your concern is well appreciated. It is every bit as generous as your hospitality.”

“It is only a given. We have placed the burden of travel entirely in your hands.” A set of stone carts entered the room as he spoke. They navigated their way across the carpet and each parked themselves in front of one of the party’s members, as if presenting the glimmering golden crests on top. “You will be guests of the state for as long as you are in Cadria. These medals will serve as identifiers. Show them to any shopkeepers or merchants whose path you might cross, and you will be granted their wares for free.”

“Thank you,” said Arciel.

The king nodded. “You need not restrain your purchases on account of those you trade with. While you will not be offering any direct payment, they will claim their remittance from the state. There is, likewise, no limit to your spending. You are free to enjoy yourselves without any concern for reason.”

“It is a wonderful gift,” said Arciel.

“I am glad that you see it as such,” said Virillius. “Now, to return to the matter of our antagonism, I will be sending a servant to your room later tonight to provide the details in writing once you have settled in. I ask that you jot down your inquiries so I might provide an official, documented response. I would not be against scheduling a formal conference should you prefer an in-person discussion.”

“We shall sort through the necessary information posthaste,” said Arciel.

“Good. Now, with that settled, I believe there is another matter to address.” He took his eyes off of the squid and shifted them to one of the figures behind her. “Allegra.”

Allegra threw back her hood and awkwardly twisted her lips into a smile. “I was hoping you wouldn’t see me.”

“Explain yourself.”

“There is nothing to explain,” she said, with a breath. “I don’t have anything to say to you, Virillius.”

“I see.” His face remained exactly as it was, cold and stoic as ever. “If I must strike you down, then I will. If you are to stand on the side of Cadria’s enemies, then I will show no mercy.”

Allegra smiled, but she said nothing more. Virillius, likewise, refrained from addressing her further.

He scanned the crowd again instead, his eyes eventually settling on Claire.

“You stay behind,” he said. “The rest of you are free to explore the castle at your leisure. In two hours, there will be a grand feast to celebrate your arrival. Look forward to it. We have prepared only Cadria’s finest.”

He was sending a clear message. The others were to leave.

And after looking in Claire’s direction to confirm that it was fine, most of the others did just that. Allegra was the only exception. Ignoring Viriilius’ command, the ever-rebellious rabbit remained with Claire and her pets.

“Anyway, enough stalling. Let’s get to work, Virillius,” she said, after waiting for the doors to shut.

“Work?” Claire narrowed her eyes. “I thought you were on bad terms.”

“We are,” she said. “But if we work together, we can fix your circuits.”

Virillius shook his head. “There’s no point, Allegra.”

Claire narrowed her eyes. “You knew how to fix them all this time?”

“I didn’t see any reason to bring it up,” he said.

“Why not?”

“Because it will cost the homunculus’ life, distilled down to its purest form.”