A Fairy Tale
At first, the environment changed. The difference was like the sea meeting land. The crystal plains had turned grassy, and paved roads came into view. There were many people they passed by, but Adam couldn't see them very clearly due to how fast the chariot was. It didn't take long for a structure to come into view, along with a very long line.
"Is that where we're headed?" [Adam]
"It is called Spezio! The heart and capital of this country I consider home!" [Fortis]
He slowed down the chariot, allowing Adam to get a better view.
("Wow.") [Adam]
The structure was unfamiliar in design. There was a massive stone wall bordering the city and acted as a gate. There were guards with plated armor that Adam had only seen in Askyros' memories, making it feel more surreal than ever.
"Is this a kingdom?" [Adam]
"Maybe? I'm not very good with words. Fuhahaha!" [Fortis]
Adam's eyes began to wander, leading him to take notice of those trying to enter the city.
("They're… not human?!") [Adam]
Creatures with the body of man, but with the head of animals. Some even appeared to look human, yet the odd length of their ears said otherwise. Adam was put on guard, believing that he'd been tricked. Was Fortis luring him into a city of these monsters?
"Felix! Are you seeing this?!" [Adam]
"Seeing what?" [Felix]
Peering out of the chariot with a disinterested expression, he was also put on alert after seeing the people.
"Enemies?!" [Felix]
He whipped out his staff in haste. However, Fortis laughed and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Are you not familiar with them? This land accepts all! Elves, Dwarves, Beastkin, Ancients, Humans, and more! Take a good look at all this life!" [Fortis]
The people in line gave Fortis strange looks hearing his booming voice.
"Uh… Adam, translate." [Felix]
"He said they're not enemies. They're people too or something like that. He mentioned Elves and Dwarves. I didn't really catch the rest of it." [Adam]
"...You mean like the fairy tale kind?" [Felix]
"I think so?" [Adam]
Upon closer observation, it appeared to be so.
"Get ready to show your faces. We're almost at the gate." [Fortis]
"Already?" [Adam]
Considering the long line, Adam expected it to take a while. That is, until he realized they were skipping it. They arrived at the gate supervised by twelve guards, who allowed them to pass after confirming the amount of passengers.
"That was quick." [Adam]
"I'm quite well known." [Fortis]
("So we got the VIP treatment.") [Adam]
Upon passing through the gate, Adam found himself lost in his senses. The city was simply… beautiful. Large stone paved roads, an abundance of happy people, surprisingly clean streets and buildings, lavish decorations made of stone, and much more.
"It looks like eighteenth or nineteenth century architecture? Huh. There are also hints of maybe Roman or Greek influences… How old is this land?" [Felix]
"Uh… what?" [Adam]
"You wouldn't understand." [Felix]
Among the many sights, there was one that was practically impossible to ignore. The domineering castle in the center of the city. From what Adam could see, it had a grand wall just like the city outskirts. There wasn't much that could be seen other than the twelve towers that seemed to be slightly taller than one another in a strange order.
("It's bigger than a skyscraper!") [Adam]
They passed through the streets on the chariot, somewhat forcing pedestrians to move aside. After some time, it appeared that they were going uphill, straight to the castle towering over the city.
"Are we headed in there?" [Adam]
He pointed at the castle.
"How did you know?" [Fortis]
"A wild guess." [Adam]
As they progressed through the city, buildings became more scarce. It was as if they were leaving more land for the castle, or perhaps they didn't dare to build near it. At the very least, they maintained greenery on the land.
"Didn't you mention we're going to go meet someone? Is it the lord of this place?" [Adam]
"You mean the king?" [Fortis]
"Yeah, him." [Adam]
"He's out for now." [Fortis]
"Eh…?" [Adam]
("What kind of king isn't in his castle?") [Adam]
The chariot slowed upon nearing the castle. In fact, they came to a complete stop. Before them was a moat filled with water that glittered. If Adam wasn't curious, he wouldn't have noticed the lights coming from the fish inside it.
("I wonder if they're carnivorous…") [Adam]
"Wanna test it?" [Krino]
("Hell no.") [Adam]
Looking past the moat was the wall he had seen from afar. Unlike the city outskirts, the entrance seemed to be blocked by a wooden board.
"Oh, it's a drawbridge. I never thought I'd ever see one in real life." [Felix]
"Is that what it was?" [Adam]
As if to answer his question, Fortis issued a command.
"Lower the bridge!" [Fortis]
His voice held enough power to cause the moat to ripple. It didn't take long for the drawbridge to fall. There were a few guards there to greet them, but they didn't guide them. They simply raised the drawbridge once Fortis drove in.
"Woah… It's like another city here. Just… smaller." [Adam]
"You mean like a town?" [Felix]
"You know what I mean." [Adam]
It wasn't that there were homes and other such things, but the amount of people present. Knights in white armor patrolled the grounds while maids, butlers, and other workers rushed to work. There were several small paved roads, seemingly like a labyrinth. If not for Fortis guiding Adam and Felix, they may have gotten lost in the garden.
"Uh… Fortis? What position do you hold here?" [Adam]
"Didn't I say? I'm sure I told you when I introduced myself." [Fortis]
"You mean that long title you recited?" [Adam]
"Fuhahaha! It was pretty hard to memorize it." [Fortis]
Unable to get a proper answer, Adam and Felix were led to the castle door. It was guarded by two knights donning white armor and purple capes. The door had the carvings of wolves with green gems embedded as eyes.
"Open the door." [Fortis]
As he commanded, the two guards pushed the doors open.
"Welcome to the- oh." [Fortis]
Freezing on the spot, Fortis stared at a figure behind the door. A man dressed as a butler with eyes white as snow.
"Welcome, young lords." [???]