Choices II — Ambrosya

Since Rose ended up coming along with me, I returned the letter to her. I arrived before a familiar machine filled with enchantments aplenty. It was currently lying silent on the stone flooring.

Beep beep—!

King unlocked his vehicle, and I watched as all four doors opened upward.

With familiarity, I got into the back seat of King's mana car. I then realised something just as I got comfortable in its leather seats.

"I haven't eaten dinner yet, by the way."

"..." King was just about to start his car.

"..." Rose froze as she sat in the front seat.

They both looked at me, questioning how I could forget. We were already at the Information Veil's sky restaurant. A variety of dishes and wine were being served left and right. Yet I still somehow forgot to order.

"...Can we go to a drive-thru? I'm genuinely starving."

Thus, we ended up waiting in line at the nearest fast food chain. It still amused me how modern I made this metropolis. It was a surreal experience to order from a glass orb, where my voice was transmitted not by electric currents but by mana.

"Come on, don't blame me. I was focused on helping you two out, remember? Cut me some slack."

King smacked his lips, "I sometimes forget how young you are."

"What do you mean, dear? How young is he?" Rose tilted her head.

King glanced at me from his rear-view mirror, soliciting an answer.

"I'm... 16," I answered with a wry smile.

"Ah..." Rose shook her head, "You should really take off your hood when speaking to people. It is common courtesy, is it not? If we were in Kyokto, I would have had you executed had you kept your hood on while talking to me. Especially since you're so insolent as to keep your hood on in front of those who are older and more powerful than you."

"Well, I'd really rather not," I chuckled. "This hood is key to my survival here in Aelthrie. The fewer people who can identify me, the better."

Our turn eventually arrived. I ordered what was basically Indian naan bread and some flavour-rich dips.

King paid for my food without batting an eyelid.

"Thanks, thanks," I said, bowing my head. My mouth was already watering like crazy. I swiftly dug in, still making sure that I spilt not a single drop of anything. I kept everything clean as I ate, allowing both King and Rose to sigh in relief.

'At least he isn't a sloppy eater,' They seemed to think the same thing. I could tell just from their expressions.

"Alright, where do we head?" King asked as he moved the car onto the mana highway.

I looked around with Mana Vision. A swift-moving stream of mana surrounded me. I felt like a fish in a deep, clear river, moving with the rapid current.

It was another sensory-overloading sight that gave me a headache from simply looking at it. Thus, I focused on my food as I spoke,

"Head to the outermost ring, then follow the train line north until we reach the edge of Aelthrie. Find the local wizard tower and then we'll proceed on foot from there,"

...

Half an hour passed while King put the pedal to the metal. We zoomed through the Mana Metropolis highway, moving past buildings aplenty, all powered by mana and gleaming with colours of blue and brass.

Magepunk. The beautiful theme I had given the city made for a wonderful sight at night.

After eating my food, I had fallen into meditation while King drove. He was going pretty fast. The roar of the mana car's engine threatened to break my concentration at times.

"We're here," Eventually, King spoke, with his baritone voice echoing throughout the confines of the car. Both Rose and I opened our eyes at the same time.

I looked out, and I saw a wizard tower climbing into the night sky. The lights from its windows were bright, and I could see that the mana here was slightly denser than it already was around Aelthrie.

"Hmm," I hummed. "Let's go,"

I got out of the car with King and Rose. The two subconsciously situated themselves behind me as I led them through a set of narrow passageways.

Now, I had explained a few passageways to Cheri's hideout in my book, but actually being here was a lot more confusing. I didn't make it a series of simple lefts and rights, after all. I had to move based on the characteristics of the buildings, and some buildings looked a bit too similar to others.

I got lost a few times because of this, but I didn't let King and Rose know.

It thus took us another half an hour of walking to arrive at a small, secluded compound. It should have taken ten minutes, but alas, my mistakes led to the extra time.

"Is this the place?" Rose was clearly annoyed by all the walking.

"It is," I answered as I walked forward, quite excited to meet yet another Named character. "Your aunt should be hiding within one of these buildings."

It was then,

My gut lurched as I felt that something was wrong. I stopped dead in my tracks.

My gaze fell unto the entire compound in one swoop. Sight-Sent Senses told me of a foul scent that lingered in the air.

It was the thick smell of blood. I could even taste it in the air.

I rushed in, terrified of what this scent entailed. Upon entering, I felt myself pass through some kind of barrier. I knew what it was, but it wasn't on my mind right now.

The compound was silent. Eerily so.

It reminded me of Deuzetai's tragedy. A massacre that had occurred in the past, and will occur many times more.

"This is bad," I muttered, "Very bad,"

King and Rose had followed after me. As they stood by my side, they realised the direness of the situation. They sensed the same things I sensed, so they must have come to the same conclusion.

"King," I said, "Be ready to guide us out at a moment's notice."