Chapter 346 (Patreon)

The massive gates of the Empire only remained open from morning until late afternoon. With thousands of travelers arriving every day and now with the upcoming king of kings festival, it was impossible for the guards to process everyone before sunset. As a result, Kana's group spent another day waiting outside the capital walls, joining countless merchants, adventurers, nobles, and travelers who had accepted that patience was simply the price of entry.

When their turn finally arrived the following day, the sun was already high overhead.

The line moved forward slowly until their wagon rolled beneath the shadow of the colossal gates. Up close, the structure felt even larger than Kana had imagined. The walls stretched so high that they seemed to challenge the sky itself, their pale stone stained red near the base by generations of desert sand carried by the wind.

Artin stepped down from the wagon and approached the checkpoint. From beneath his cloak, he produced a badge along with several official documents marked by wax seals and elaborate stamps.

The guard accepted them casually at first. Then his eyes widened. His entire posture changed.

The man immediately straightened his back and placed a fist against his chest in salute. "As guests of honor," he said respectfully, "you could have skipped the line entirely. There was no need for you to wait outside with everyone else."

Artin blinked. For a moment he simply stared. Then he forced out a laugh. A day earlier would have been useful information.

"We didn't know that," he admitted. The guard looked genuinely surprised. Artin quickly recovered and gestured toward the endless line stretching behind them.

"Besides," he continued, "it wouldn't be fair to everyone else waiting if we simply cut ahead. Would it?"

The guard's expression softened. Then he laughed.

"As expected of the northern people." He handed the documents back. "You are exactly like the rumors, always fair."

Artin wasn't entirely sure whether that was a compliment or an insult. The guard pointed toward a waiting official dressed in white robes.

"Follow him. He'll guide you to the district reserved for honored guests."

Artin laughed again. Several knights joined him.

The laughter sounded a little forced. Mostly because every one of them was wondering how much time they could have saved if they had known this information yesterday.

The wagons rolled forward, finally passing through the gates. The moment they entered, the students struggled to hide their excitement.

Suri failed quickly. Her eyes widened as she looked around, already scanning the streets with the enthusiasm of an explorer discovering a new continent.

Food stalls.

Market districts.

Street vendors.

Spice merchants.

Sweet pastries.

Her attention bounced between them so quickly that Chelle was convinced she wasn't actually seeing buildings anymore, only potential meals. Kana and Boris, meanwhile, remained completely unaware of history unfolding around them.

Both were still sleeping peacefully inside the wagon. Suri almost envied them.

The capital was unlike anything she had imagined. She had expected a larger version of the Kingdom's cities.

Instead, everything felt different.

The first thing she noticed was the absence of small homes. The city seemed obsessed with grandeur. Large estates dominated entire streets. Massive pillars supported balconies and terraces. Buildings were constructed from stone and polished marble rather than wood. Even ordinary structures looked expensive.

White appeared everywhere.

White walls.

White columns.

White rooftops.

Yet despite the Empire's love for the color, the desert always left its mark. Near the foundations of most buildings, red dust clung stubbornly to the stone, creating a faint crimson hue that made the city appear as though it had risen directly from the sands themselves.

Suri was so busy staring that she almost missed the vice captain's shout.

"Stop looking outside!"

The sudden yell startled half the wagon.

Several knights immediately pulled their heads back inside.

The vice captain glared at them. "Again. we don't need extra attention."

His raspy voice carried enough authority to silence everyone. "Remember where we are."

He pointed toward his own arm. "Our skin alone makes us stand out. Wear your gloves. Keep your hoods on."

Several knights reluctantly adjusted their clothing. The vice captain seemed satisfied.

Then he pointed at the students.

"And nobody leaves without permission."

A collective groan spread through the wagon. "Understood?"

The response was less enthusiastic than military regulations probably preferred.

A collection of grunts, sighs, and reluctant agreements filled the air. The vice captain narrowed his eyes. He knew that tone. It was the sound people made when they were already planning to ignore instructions.

Sure enough, a few knights had already begun whispering among themselves.

Suri's ears twitched. Unfortunately for them, her hearing now was better than before. She quickly discovered that their discussion had absolutely nothing to do with military strategy, security concerns, or diplomatic etiquette.

Instead, they were debating which district supposedly had the most beautiful women in the Empire.

One knight swore his cousin had visited years ago and returned with stories. Another claimed he knew exactly where to go though there was an ample amount of coin to be paid. A third was already planning their evening itinerary.

Suri blinked. Then slowly looked toward Chelle.

Chelle looked toward Suri. Neither said a word. Both immediately understood why the vice captain looked perpetually exhausted.

….

It took nearly an hour before they finally arrived at the place prepared for them.

The mansion stood behind its own set of gates, separated from the rest of the city by high walls and rows of towering trees. Even after seeing the grandeur of the Empire's capital, the sight still left an impression. Massive white pillars supported the structure, carved from polished stone that gleamed beneath the desert sun. Unlike the crowded streets outside, the estate felt calm and isolated. The shade provided by the trees cooled the pathways, turning the property into a small sanctuary amidst the heat of the capital.

As soon as the wagons stopped, the knights immediately began unloading supplies. There wasn't much left compared to when they had first departed from the Kingdom. The two missing wagons were a constant reminder of the events in the desert. Most of their provisions and equipment were still somewhere behind them, assuming the other groups had managed to reach the capital safely.

The students, however, were more interested in finally escaping the wagon. Suri practically jumped down from her seat and stretched until her back popped.

"At long last," she said dramatically. "I'm finally sleeping in a real bed."

Her words earned several nods from the knights.

Chelle stepped beside her and stared at the mansion for a long moment before letting out a low whistle. "This place is bigger than our house."

"It should be." 

The answer came from Ryle. He folded his arms as he studied the estate with a thoughtful expression. "The Empire isn't simply providing hospitality."

The others looked at him. Ryle gestured toward the enormous mansion, the expensive stonework, and the countless servants moving through the grounds. "This is a display of wealth and influence. They're showing us what they're capable of without having to say it aloud."

He smiled faintly. "The Empire has always been fond of making statements."

The students looked at the mansion again. Suddenly the oversized pillars seemed far less decorative. 

Before anyone could continue the conversation, the sound of approaching hoofbeats echoed through the courtyard.

Several knights instinctively reached for their weapons before relaxing when they recognized the rider.

A young man dismounted from a single horse with ease. His long black hair faintly moved with the breeze as he landed lightly on the ground. Like most people from the Empire, his skin carried a bronze hue from years beneath the desert sun. His clothing was simple by noble standards, though it somehow managed to draw attention regardless. A length of white cloth wrapped around his body, leaving part of his chest exposed. Combined with his lean build and sharp features, he looked more like a warrior from an old story than a noble heir.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he waved enthusiastically. "Kana! It's been a while!"

Kana squinted her eyes. "Sheen Espada?"

The young man grinned. At least he had the decency to look pleased that she remembered him. He walked over without hesitation and stopped a short distance away. "How have you been?"

Kana considered the question. Between underwater dungeon, assassination attempts, mysterious grey world, and nearly dying, she wasn't entirely sure how to summarize the past few weeks.

"I'm alright." She paused. "I guess."

Sheen laughed. The answer seemed to satisfy him. "Good."

Without another word, he extended his hand toward her. "I can show you around the city."

His smile widened. "Let's go."

Kana hesitated only briefly. Then she shrugged and accepted his hand. The two of them immediately turned and began walking toward the gates as though the decision had already been made long ago.

The reaction behind them was immediate.

Chelle stared. Then blinked. Then stared harder. Finally, she turned toward Rose Light.

"Commander..."

Rose raised an eyebrow.

"Shouldn't we stop them?"

Rose followed the pair with her gaze as they walked farther away. For a moment, she seemed to genuinely consider the question. "My duty is to protect your lives from danger."

Her tone remained completely calm. "I don't believe that qualifies as the sort of danger we're assigned to handle."

Several knights suddenly developed a deep interest in organizing crates.

A few coughed into their fists. Others looked away before their expressions betrayed them. Suri, naturally, was the first to say what everyone else was thinking.

"So a lover from the Empire is allowed?" The courtyard immediately fell silent. Even the servants nearby seemed quieter.

Chelle nearly choked,”It sounds exciting!”

Ryle suddenly found the mansion architecture fascinating. Several knights stared toward the sky with expressions usually reserved for religious enlightenment.

Rose slowly closed her eyes. Not because she was angry.

Because she was tired.

Suri looked around in confusion. "What?"

Nobody answered.

The silence somehow became even worse. Rose finally opened her eyes and shifted her gaze toward Artin, who was helping several knights move supplies into the mansion.

The veteran royal knight paused immediately. Years of experience had taught him that whenever Rose looked at him like that, more work was about to appear.

Artin sighed. A long, defeated sigh.

"It's good to be young."

Nobody knew exactly what that meant, but several knights nodded anyway. Artin shook his head. "Fine. I'll keep an eye on them."

Moments later, his body shimmered with mana. Feathers burst from his skin as his form rapidly shrank. Within seconds, an avian creature stood where the man had been. With a powerful flap of his wings, Artin launched himself into the air. High above the mansion, he circled once before following the two figures making their way through the streets of the capital.

Below, Kana and Sheen continued walking side by side, completely unaware that an entire group of people had silently appointed Artin as their observer.

Not that Artin minded.

Well. He minded a little.

Mostly because he had a feeling that whatever trouble Kana found herself involved in next would somehow become his problem too. And experience had taught him that when Kana was involved, trouble rarely arrived alone.

Post note:

No. We’re not changing the genre. 

Sixth chap of the week.

Hope you enjoy the chap! 🙂

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