Life in the City

Caelum's eyes felt glued shut; it took some force for him to open them. The hotel room was dark, being barely illuminated by the dark blue of the outside.

He wriggled out of Yezekael's tight grip, walking sluggishly. He was in a daze. But there was one thing he was certain of.

The loud, booming of thunder pounded at his eardrums. White lights flashing momentarily. The window slightly opened. Strong winds broke into the room, sending the white curtains flying.

And a familiar scent wafted through the air, into his nose. A smell that made no sense at all. 

He rubbed at his temples, in an attempt to cure the painful migraine he was a victim of. With careful steps, he walked toward the window.

Have I woken up from a nightmare? What's going on?

The smell was confirmed to be coming from the seawater outside! Salty air!

The specific room that they had been staying in had somehow been transported into the middle of the ocean.

Suddenly, something burst out of the water!

Caelum flinched, droplets of water getting on his face. 

It rose slowly.

The serpent mana beast that sank their boat! 

Though, it was no longer red. Its scales were now pitch black, and its underbelly was a light tan color. The manabeast's eyes were glowing red. 

Three black horns stuck out of its head, the one in the middle straight, while the other two beside it were curved. Giving it a demonic appearance.

And there it was. Floating behind its head, a white circle with two lines intersecting inside it. Glowing red as well.

This must be some form of spatial magic! Since it can only exist in water, it managed to teleport me and Yezekael into a domain where it would thrive!

Caelum's jaw clenched.

[Cast: Hall of Subjects]

Golden arms sprout out of his abdomen. He jumped at the manabeast.

Thump!

He fell onto the wool carpet.

"Ack…!"

He groaned, quietly. Opening his eyes, the sun was soft and just peaking over the horizon, unlike what he had previously seen.

"…"

So… it was a dream.

. .

.

"Wow.."

"Woah…"

"You guys look like total tourists right now. Keep your head straight!" Natalia growled, grabbing the two of them.

While Caelum was familiar with the look of a lively city, the country boy Yezekael's eyes widened. Maybe to take in more of the scenery?

Bustling was one way to describe it. Like any capital, there were well-paved roads, and activity at every corner. The sidewalks were kept clean.

Carriages passed through every so often.

Caelum and Yezekael wore the same thing. A white shirt underneath a clean black vest. A bow tie hung beneath their chin.

Yezekael donned a monocle, something that the two of them could not stop laughing at for a while.

Caelum, of course, wore a simple black eyepatch over his right eye. 

At their waist, was a sword holster, a basic sword resting within it.

They stood side by side, with Natalia in between them.

She wore a different dress from before, a crimson red dress with black petticoats underneath it, with elegant black patterns fitting of a Victorian era. Hanging from her neck were glossy pearls.

"Dinet is really a wonderful place!" Yezekael yelled out. 

As they turned the corner of the street, Caelum's eyes caught sight of a bakery, with an open glass that allowed them to view the inside.

"Should we try this?" Caelum asked, his face glued to the glass, almost like a little kid.

"No way. We have no time."

At the front, written in white paint on a wooden sign, it said 'Meadow's Bakery Relief'

"Meadow…"

"That's the name of the street," Natalia proudly informed them, a little pleased with how much knowledge she had about her home country.

Yezekael finally spoke.

"You should relax, Miss Natalia. You're only the daughter of a diplomat. It's not like you'll be active in the diplomacy, huh? Your father will be pleased to see you anyway."

He rubbed his chin, nodding slowly, satisfied with his conclusion. Natalia grumbled, seeing truth in his words.

"So let's treat this as a vacation!" Caelum smiled.

. . .

After 25 minutes of scrutinizing, the trio bought three brioche rolls for each person, one large cinnamon bun, and a bottle of water. It cost 2 silver coins and 3 copper coins.

"Not bad, not bad at all…" Yezekael sighed.

"That's easy for you to say when you aren't the one paying, lazy bastard."

Natalia walked in front of the two of them, upholding the intimidating presence of royalty.

Caelum carried the brown paper bag that contained the delicious pastries. It took them no longer than 10 minutes to find a nice spot where they could eat.

A field of grass, in the middle of a park. There were wooden chairs firmly held by metal. A nice spot to sit.

"Eat quickly. I need to get there as soon as possible."

She said as she enjoyed her brioche bun. 

They finished fast, returning to the street.

Despite being held captive, Natalia felt quite refreshed and spirited, though she hid it underneath a cold scowl.

I could get used to this… peasant lifestyle.

She thought fondly of the moment, a smile almost breaking onto her face.

"What are you thinking about?" 

Caelum and Yezekael asked at the same time, their faces close. 

She shrieked.

.

The more skilled Natalia easily got them a carriage with a simple wave of the hand. She handed the driver 3 silver coins. 

"What a shame… the previous driver ran off," Natalia sighed, her eyes closed. She leaned back.

After 20 minutes of smooth riding, they arrived.

Acting accordingly, Caelum and Yezekael stepped outside the carriage first, opening the door for Natalia.