From MC's Perspective:
After a few hours of travel, the city finally ca into view. A wave of relief washed over as the towering skyline grew closer. I still needed to find a place to settle, but at least the journey was almost over.
As we approached, the city looked like any other from a distance, but its defining feature stood out imdiately: massive fortified walls stretched as far as I could see, encircling the entire periter.
At the city's entrance was a colossal iron gate—over a hundred feet high, gleaming under the afternoon sun like so impenetrable barrier between this world and the next.
I couldn't fathom why anyone would need a gate that size. Was it for defense or intimidation? Before I could ponder further, the Black Tiger Monster, with its sleek, shadowy form, landed right in front of the gate. Gloria, as composed as ever, stepped out from its back, her movents calm and deliberate.
Following her lead, I descended to the ground, unsure of what awaited us beyond the gate. Right now, she was the only one I could rely on.
"Co with ," Gloria commanded, her voice firm and distant. She didn't bother to look back, expecting to follow without question.
I fell in line behind her as we made our way toward the entrance. The enormous gate lood above us, silent and imposing. Suddenly, as if it had sensed our arrival, the gate began to move.
Creak!
The heavy iron doors groaned as they swung open, revealing the city beyond. I stepped forward and my breath caught in my throat. Towering skyscrapers filled the skyline, far more modern than I had anticipated.
The blend of ancient, fortified walls with such advanced architecture was staggering. For a mont, I was rooted in place, overwheld by the contrast.
Gloria turned slightly, noticing the surprise on my face. Her expression softened, as if my reaction confird sothing she had suspected all along.
Throughout our journey, she had been learning about —perhaps now, she believed the story I had told her about my past.
"Vincent, this way!" Carolina's voice broke through my thoughts.
Her call snapped back to reality. Without another word, I followed them through the massive gate, leaving behind whatever expectations I had before seeing this place for the first ti.
I followed Gloria as we stepped through the gate and into the city. The mont my feet crossed the threshold, I instinctively turned to take in my surroundings. The city was alive with activity, a stark contrast to the quiet plains outside the walls.
But before I could absorb too much, my attention was drawn to a group of uniford guards heading in our direction. Their presence was unmistakably official, their dark uniforms sharp and their faces stoic.
As they approached, I tensed, unsure of how this encounter would unfold. Gloria, however, stepped forward confidently, her deanor as calm and collected as ever. I watched her engage in conversation with the guards, her tone asured and authoritative.
The ease with which she handled the situation made breathe a sigh of relief. Without her, I doubt I would have managed to navigate this so smoothly. I was a stranger here, and every glance from the guards reminded of that fact.
Just as I had hoped, Gloria sohow convinced them. I couldn't hear all the details, but her persuasive skills were undeniable. After a few minutes, the guards nodded, exchanged a few words with her, and then turned to leave, their heavy boots echoing against the cobblestone streets.
She returned to , her expression unreadable but purposeful. "I explained your situation," she said, her voice calm but firm. "You'll need to get a temporary ID first. It will help you access more areas and allow you to reach the Headquarters without issue."
I nodded, processing her words. "How far is the Headquarters from here?" I asked, curious about what was to co.
Gloria's eyes flickered, her gaze briefly moving toward the distant horizon before she responded. "It depends on the mode of transport. By aircraft, you can reach it within a day."
I blinked, surprised at the casual ntion of aircraft. "And by other ans?" I inquired.
She shrugged slightly. "By land, it could take a week or more. The terrain is unpredictable, and there are areas even we avoid."
The weight of her words settled in.
She then led through the bustling streets toward the administrator's office to get registered. As we walked, I couldn't help but let my gaze wander, taking in the new world around . The city was alive with activity, but what intrigued most were the locals.
The people here wore traditional clothes, rich in color and intricate patterns, a style that seed both ancient and elegant. But it wasn't their attire that left stunned—it was their strength.
As we passed by, I could sense the powerful mana radiating from them. Every single person we walked by seed to possess the strength of a level-6 Wizard or higher.
Back in my holand, such power would be considered rare, even among the elite, but here it appeared almost commonplace.
This realization made uneasy. How could an outer city, far from the central power hubs, be ho to people so strong? My curiosity grew, and I began to focus on the mana flowing through the air.
I was expecting a difference, so indication that this place drew its strength from an unusual source. Yet, to my surprise, the mana here felt familiar—just like the mana back in my capital.
A sudden realization hit like a bolt of lightning: this was only the outer city. If the mana concentration was this strong here, what could I expect from the inner parts of the city, or even the heart of the region where the true power lay?
Despite the impressive mana flow and the strength of the locals, none of them seed dangerous. In fact, the people around appeared calm, going about their daily lives with an air of serenity.
No one paid us much attention, as if the presence of strangers like and powerful figures like Gloria was nothing out of the ordinary.
Still, I kept my thoughts to myself, not wanting to jump to conclusions. Appearances could be deceiving. I'd learned that lesson well enough in the past. So, I quietly followed Gloria, maintaining my composure as we approached the administrative building.
The structure was sleek and imposing, made of dark stone and etched with runes, signaling its importance to the city's functioning.
For now, my focus was on getting registered. Whatever mysteries this city held, I'd uncover them in ti.
Admin office
Soon, we arrived in front of a towering building, its sleek and polished exterior standing out amidst the surrounding architecture. It was undeniably a place of importance, likely so form of governnt office.
As we walked inside, the air felt a bit heavier, charged with the unspoken weight of bureaucracy. My instincts confird that this was the right place; the stern faces of officials and the orderly rows of desks cented the atmosphere of authority.
Gloria led down a series of hallways, each turn bringing us closer to our destination. Finally, we arrived at a room tucked away from the main entrance, a space dedicated to collecting information from newcors like .
The room was modest but efficient—runes etched into the walls glowed faintly, likely used for scanning and recording data.
Without hesitation, I began cooperating with the staff. They asked for details, cross-referencing them with so sort of magical registry. Everything seed to be moving smoothly, and for the first ti since entering this city, I felt a small sense of progress. My registration was almost complete.
anwhile, outside the room, Gloria had stepped aside to check her ssages. Her focus was so fixed on the glowing device in her hand that she barely noticed the people passing by or the subtle hum of activity in the building. For a mont, she seed completely absorbed in her work, unaware of her surroundings.
"Hey, Gloria, what are you doing here?" a voice called out suddenly, breaking the quiet atmosphere.
Startled, Gloria quickly looked up, her eyes widening in surprise. She turned to see who had spoken, only to find a wizard approaching—a man wearing a red, intricately designed shirt paired with crisp white pants.
His attire stood out as much as the easy confidence with which he carried himself. As he stepped into the building, his eyes found Gloria, and a bright, genuine smile lit up his face.
Gloria blinked, a flicker of recognition crossing her features. Clearly, this was soone she knew, but the surprise in her reaction suggested she hadn't expected to run into him here.
The wizard's smile widened, as if genuinely pleased to have run into Gloria in such an unexpected place. His eyes sparkled with familiarity, the kind of warmth that suggested he was genuinely glad to see her. There was an ease in his posture, the relaxed confidence of soone who felt at ho in almost any setting.
But Gloria's reaction was the complete opposite. The mont their eyes t, her entire deanor stiffened. The air around her seed to grow colder, and her usual calm composure hardened into sothing far more rigid.
Annoyance flickered across her face, subtle but unmistakable to anyone who knew her well enough. Her posture, once relaxed as she handled her ssages, straightened as if she were bracing for sothing unpleasant.
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