“Woah. I’ve never seen roads this crowded before.” I said.
The convoy was now waiting in a long line of people queuing to enter the largest metropolis I’ve ever seen – the Latium Republic’s Capital City of Romellus. And that was the VIP line; the line for people entering through the regular gate next to us stretched beyond the horizon.
Turning my head back to take a look at the city from atop the hill we waited on, many unique landmarks caught my eye. I saw large bridges moving through large sections of the city, with many branches spreading out like veins, all carrying water to buildings. There was a large marble statue, a square with a large arc, and many neatly arranged and ordered blocks of buildings.
Of course, all of these paled in comparison to the gargantuan coliseum towering over the rest of the city – and apparently the location where the tournament is being held.
“How many people can fit into that venue?” I asked Nico, who was taking in the scenery just as eagerly as I was.
“I’ve no clue. Probably hundreds of thousands of people, and I imagine that’s still not enough to accommodate everyone present.” She said.
Although many of the languages the people around me spoke weren’t part of the six I knew, I was quickly picking up on many of them.
Language Detected: Norse
Language Learning Process – Norse 0.09%
Language Detected: Gaulish
Language Learning Process – Gaulish 0.07%
Language Detected: Anglo-Saxon
Language Learning Process – Anglo-Saxon 0.09%
Language Detected: Castilian
Language Learning Process – Castilian 0.08%
…
“Wow. You weren’t kidding about all the different cultures in the Republic.”
Despite the long wait, an atmosphere of eager excitement permeated through the air. Putting my lack of understanding of the languages aside, it was clear that people couldn’t wait for the tournament to start.
The queue was moving pretty quickly, in spite of what the crowd’s presence implied. It’s barely been half an hour since we lined up and there were already enough people behind us to block my view of the horizon. The event was just drawing that many people.
Soon enough, we finally reached the gate, where the Major showed some documentation proving our identity to the guards. Immediately after, a bunch of soldiers emerged out of the gates, led by a particularly well dressed and stern looking officer.
“Greetings, guests from Tamery. My name is Legate Floria Ventor, and it is my pleasure to welcome you to Romellus. Please follow me; I’ve been instructed to escort you to your accommodations.” She said cordially, drawing some attention from the nearby people.
“What are you looking at? Do you want to spend the next weeks camping outside the walls?!” another guard yelled, stopping anyone from making a fuss prematurely.
With a word from the Major, the convoy stepped out of the line to follow the Major away from the crowds. The Major and the Legate walked side by side as the rest of us followed, and I shut my mouth to try and listen in on their conversation.
“Thank you for personally receiving us, Legate. My name is Major Akila Amset, and I am in charge of this diplomatic mission to the Latium Republic.”
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“Well met, Major Amset. I have been given orders to ensure that your stay is as comfortable as possible and help you get settled. Until you are ready to meet with our diplomats from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, I am at your service.”
The two stopped before a smaller gate without anyone else waiting on it, likely one for the exclusive use of the government or the military. A moment later, the gate opened, revealing the city within. As the convoy entered, the two continued their conversation.
“Thank you for your consideration; our envoys are also eager to begin normalization talks with the Republic. Once I get the word from the Head Envoy, I will let you know that we are ready. That said, the only say I have over our diplomats is when we ought to return to Tamery; any diplomatic affairs are theirs to handle. My primary duty here is to serve as the leader of our contestants in the tournament, which we are eager to prepare for. Do you have any facilities that we could use to that end?”
“While we do not possess arenas like the other nations do, given that they are artifacts created by gods, we have a wide array of alternative options. From dungeon delving to private fighting rings, to obstacle courses and training grounds, plenty of spaces have been reserved for use by the competing teams with an absolute guarantee of privacy by the Legion. That said, I recommend that you hurry with your preparations, since the tournament begins just after tomorrow.”
As we entered the city, I stopped paying attention to their conversation to take in the view.
The streets of Romellus were gorgeous and full of life; despite the sheer number of people that were entering it, they were never too crowded to navigate. People could be seen entering public baths, lining up for bread at a bakery, or chatting with a friend as they took a stroll. A beautiful fountain seemed to wait in the center of every intersection, with unique statues adorned atop each of them. The lively energy at the gates was just as present here, and many of the locals were talking about the tournament with barely contained excitement.
The merchants on the street were eagerly taking advantage of the opportunity, selling flags and cheering merchandise by the dozen without managing to meet the demand.
“Merchants are the same everywhere. I bet Jezibel would kill to take a slice of the pie.” I chuckled.
“I wonder if she came to watch. Perhaps she even joined, much like we and probably Nisos did?” Nico said.
“I doubt it; she said the entire point of her becoming an adventurer was to make a living, and she already made a fortune from the whole Assassin’s Guild fiasco. She wasn’t particularly patriotic or pious either – not unless her worship for money counts, I guess. Also, now that our former team came up, why didn’t Ati try out for the commoner’s team? There’s no way someone as talented as him didn’t get scouted or slipped through the cracks.”
Nico shrugged.
“I don’t know. I looked into it, and I remember that he was sent an invitation to apply, but I suppose he must have refused it.”
Huh. That’s a shame.
“Did you ask him about it? Any guesses on why at all?”
“I didn’t. It’s hard to explain to a foreigner like you, but social hierarchy puts a certain distance between nobles and commoners, which makes things a little awkward between the two of us. On top of that, I am in a position of power over him as a noble, so I am not sure if he’d be answering because he felt like it or because he felt compelled to. That said, if I had to throw out a guess, I’d say that Ati really dislikes our country.”
“Wait, seriously?” I gaped.
Nico rolled her eyes.
“That’s just my guess, Kiara. Even if it was the case, he’d be far from the first person to feel that way. But I think there might be more to it. Do you remember how he reacted when Jezibel’s father was kidnapped?”
“You mean when he grimly swore a soul oath of revenge? Yeah, I remember. Mostly because it was surprising and really out of character for him.”
“I think something happened to him before that made him react like that, and that it might also be why he didn’t join. Admittedly though, this is all conjecture, and I already said I couldn’t pry about things he didn’t share. I also didn’t want to invade his privacy by investigating his history privately, so I just let the matter rest.”
“I guess I should be the one to bring it up with him when we get back. None of those issues with your status apply to me; though it’s a bit too late to have him join the tournament with us.”
***
Nearly an hour of walking later, the convoy finally made a stop near a building close to the coliseum, which looked even larger from up-close.
“You may park your carriages and wagons inside the building’s premises; this inn has been reserved for your exclusive use for the remainder of your stay. I will remain at the lobby should you require my presence.” The Legate said to the Major.
“Thank you kindly, Legate Ventor. We won’t have you waiting for too long.” The Major said, before turning to us.
“Everyone, go to your assigned rooms and leave your luggage in them. Contestants, you have twenty minutes to be back in the lobby in streetwear. Anyone who brings back gear or arrives late will be punished. Dismissed!”
The second the major uttered those words, we were already rushing inside, with the Head Envoy approaching the Major and the Legate to talk to them, not that I cared.
“Do you think the Major is taking us out to eat somewhere?” I asked Nico excitedly.
“I don’t know, but I know it won’t be good if we don’t hurry and do as she said.”