Seastar Region

After interrogating the manager, Shui sealed his memory of the incident and then left the vicinity of the town soon after with the twins in tow. If he was to accommodate for their walking speeds and conditions, then it would take too long to reach his destination, so he 'borrowed' a horse from one of the residents of the town. Naturally, this was after a brief negotiation so both sides were left satisfied.

Shui preferred to send the twins to Cyrus or to someone he could trust, but he didn't want to leave them without proper protection, and all the places and people he could think of were too far, so he decided to bring them along for now. He obviously wouldn't be able to bring them into the Ancient Sanctuary, but he figured that arrangements could be made once he reunited with Alice.

He had informed the twins of what happened in the five cities region and told them that he would take care of them for the time being. Though they weren't as withdrawn and fearful as before, even helping out with the cooking and setting up camp, he would often catch them brooding. He knew that they had major concerns, but if they wished to stay silent then there was no need for him to ask about them.

A bit later than planned, Shui arrived at Windwave City in the Seastar Region, and immediately spotted the vehicle he would take to reach Ashen Star City. Above the pearl white walls of the city, there was a massive object gaining altitude. It had the shape of a large ship that would sail on the high seas, but a white sheet covered the deck, giving it a figure similar to a clam. There was nothing similar to wings attached to this object, but it neither shook nor seemed unstable as it made its ascent. Once it was high enough that it was smaller than a fist when viewed from the ground, the object shot forward like an arrow. Even the large ships that were referenced in its creation were things Shui had only read about, but he could easily tell what the object was.

"So that's an airship. Amazing."

In the Alterna Kingdom, airships were without question the fastest vehicles. Unfortunately, due to the massive amount of resources and high level of skill needed to make one, less than ten existed, with three being owned by the royal family and the government. Such a valuable device was something major-level forces would wage wars over, but a medium-sized city like Windwave City was allowed to have one because the main engineer behind the original prototype was a resident here. It, along with the various technologies used here, made Windwave City one of the most popular tourist location.

Shui's heart pumped with excitement as he thought about how he would be going on that vehicle. He would love to take his time looking at it and its components, but he knew it would be hard to get permission for that; if he owned one, he would definitely not allow just anyone to meddle with it. As the airship was out of sight and he was approaching the gate, Shui reluctantly dragged his eyes back to the ground. Considering how popular this city was, he was surprised by how quickly he could enter it, but he believed that to be a result of the city's efficient systems. He noticed that the twins had spotted the airship and were still in a daze, but he wasn't petty enough to disturb them.

He had expected to meet guards when he arrived at the gate, but found it to be unmanned. However, that didn't mean he could just slip inside. When he was in front of the gate, he could sense an array scanning him, the twins, as well as the carriage, but it couldn't pry into his storage ring. It felt like a breach of their privacy, but he wasn't too bothered since he was intrigued by this type of array. It wasn't hard for him to get the principle behind it, and given time he could likely replicate this array, however, it was impressive that someone came up with this idea though he imagined the guards who originally had gatekeeping duty weren't too happy about it.

Seemingly having passed the requirements, the smooth metal gate doors opened a gap through which his carriage could enter. The carriage entered a short tunnel that was well lit and had similar metal gate doors at the end. At the middle of the passage, Shui finally met someone from the city. A young man with a kind and polite smile was standing behind a half-opened window on the right wall of the tunnel.

"Good day to you Sir and Madams, the entry fee is one normal quality spirit gem per adult."

Dia and Diana gasped at the price, but Shui was more intrigued by how that the young man knew that the two were inside without checking. He had likely obtained the information from the array at the entrance, but the fact he could get such information so quickly was proof of the effectiveness of their system.

"Here."

"I have certainly received the payment. Please take these access cards, they are vital to exploring the magnificent Windwave City. If you lose one, just return and we'll prepare a new one for you. However, there will be a high replacement fee charged so be careful."

After handing over the fee, Shui received three crystal cards that reflected rainbow light when tilted at certain angles. He could tell that these were something similar to his worker's ID but with simpler features, so he mentally noted to fiddle with it while he was in the city.

"Thanks."

"It's no trouble. Welcome to Windwave City, where the sky is always within reach. You'll receive a more detailed explanation about the many attractions once you're inside. Please enjoy your stay."

"I plan to."

The exit gate doors then parted so Shui drove the carriage through the opening and towards the eccentric city that awaited them. It was harder to tell from outside, but he immediately noticed that the city was built on a very shallow incline that went all the way to a compact palace that he assumed was the residence of the city's top management or one of its core facilities. This city wasn't considered large in the Alterna Kingdom, but like a giant puzzle, the buildings were designed to allow the maximum guests while taking up minimum space. Furthermore, these efficient structures didn't feel cramped as one would expect, but gave the city an atmosphere of order and harmony.

Just by making it past the gates, Shui discovered more intriguing devices being used all around him and smiled in childlike joy. He still had out his true face since he was with the twins, but even with his presence suppressed, a pure smile on his face easily drew more attention than he realized. Alia should have noticed this, but she was also fascinated as she took a seat on his shoulder, already planning where she would explore. Like this, Shui made a name for himself without knowing.