ARRIVAL

—Lua, not to rush you, but… how much longer until we reach the academy?

Irv sighed, feeling the weight of the days spent traveling since they’d left behind the Silver Grove.

—Not much longer. If we stay on this path, we’ll reach Antterr City before nightfall. From there, we can rent a winged carriage to get to the capital.

—Winged carriage? Zandor let out a soft chuckle. —I’m imagining a carriage with wings on the sides, but that sounds a bit too literal. Or is it some kind of mechanical invention?

—Oh, sorry, I didn’t explain it well, Lua said. —They’re just carriages pulled by small domesticated griffins. Normally, griffins live in the mountains, but Antterr City is famous for its magical beast breeding base. Of course, they only work with non-intelligent creatures, like Lesser Griffins or Centaripedes.

—Wow, interesting… Zandor paused briefly before smiling. —If you’d told me they were taming intelligent beasts, that would’ve put me in a moral dilemma.

—Why do you say it like that, Mister Za—

—Can you stop with that already? Just call me Zandor. I clearly don’t look like an old man, and hearing it every time you speak to me doesn’t help.

—Sorry, then sooo... Zandor, why talk about morality?

—It’s simple. I believe any intelligent being is free as long as it’s fully functional. Taking that away from a conscious creature, unless it’s for survival, disgusts me.

—It’s a crude comment, I know, considering I was a weapons maker and merchant for five years. Even now, I craft them as a hobby. But I don’t want these girls growing up with a slaver’s mindset.

—Oh, you don’t have to worry, Lua said with a calm smile. —At least in this kingdom, slavery was abolished nearly five hundred years ago. It was a decision made by the monarch back then. During that time, there was also strong supremacy among the dragonewts... Even their distant relatives, the lizardmen, weren’t spared the contempt.

—Ugh, boring, sis, Irv interrupted, giving a little hop as she walked. —Why don’t you just cast a speed spell so we get there before noon?

—Hey, you can’t just use magic like that, Lua replied, frowning. —A poorly cast spell doesn’t just make you move faster; it can mess with other things too. Would you like to go to the bathroom five times in ten minutes?

—Eww... yeah, I’ll pass.

—Exactly. Magic is used with control and wisdom. If you mess up the casting, the side effects can be... unpleasant.

—Not to rush things, Zandor interjected for the first time, in his usual serene tone, —but if you’d like, I could open a gate and we’d be in the city in an instant.

—A gate? Irv asked curiously. —What’s that?

—A portal, Zandor explained calmly. —Transportation magic. I create one from where we are to our destination. We skip the whole journey.

—A portal!? That’s high-level magic! Only high-class nobles or royalty can use it, because of the massive mana cost...

—Ah, that’s not a problem for me, Zandor replied with a faint smile. —Mana’s not something I’ve lacked… for a long time now.

—Then go ahead! If we make it to Antterr City, drinks are on me! Irv said cheerfully, only to get a gentle tap from her sister Lua.

—And with what money would you pay, huh? Besides, you can’t drink alcohol. You’re still a child.

While the sisters bickered—one with magical lectures and the other complaining out of boredom—I chose to stop listening. I already knew this kind of dynamic. I liked it, sure, but only up to a point.

“I’ll open a gate,” I said, without raising my voice much.

Gate.

To most, it’s an advanced spell that requires having been to the destination before.

But I don’t have that problem.

I made this world.

My consciousness extends throughout the planet like part of the operating system.

There isn’t a place I don’t know.

I hadn’t used it until now because… well, I’d been enjoying the walk.

It had been a long time since I’d traveled the world on foot, like an ordinary mortal.

Hearing footsteps, feeling the air, getting tired… those simple things have value when you’ve gone centuries without experiencing them.

But that was enough for today.

I wanted to reach Antterr City before they kept arguing.

I was interested in what they were doing there. They’d started domesticating wild beasts, and that was quite the risk considering their low levels. Most people barely reach level 20—if they train. Veterans, with luck, reach 40. Beasts, on the other hand, average around 60 to 80.

They’re playing with fire.

Interesting move. I want to see how they handle it.

So I traced the spell in my mind, aiming straight for the city’s central plaza. Quick, clean.

All that was left was to activate it.

—We’re going, I said without dramatics. —The gate opens now.

—Already? the sisters said in unison, surprised.

—We thought you’d take longer to channel the spell, Lua added, looking around like she expected something more dramatic to happen.

—Well, that just shows how amazing I am, I answered with a calm smile. —Come on, the gate won’t stay open forever.

A small lie. The portal could stay open as long as I wanted, but better to make them hurry. No need to hang around in an interdimensional zone just because Irv decided to admire butterflies.

We stepped through the gate, and the scenery changed in the blink of an eye.

From a quiet plain, we were now standing amid the bustle of a lively city.

We’d passed through several towns on the way, but this was something else.

No wooden huts or dirt roads here.

The streets were paved with polished stone, and the buildings were tall—some with ornate facades, like they were trying to show off status with every brick.

In the center of the city, a large plaza dominated the view.

There was a fountain surrounded by sculptures depicting a high spirit… judging by the features, I think it was one of the subordinates I designed back during the world’s creation stage.

I didn’t remember clearly. Maybe I’d left him on autopilot.

People bustled everywhere.

Merchants, travelers, guards, children running around...

There were carts full of supplies, shops of all kinds, and barely a trace of dirt in the streets, which caught my attention.

Cleanliness and order in a city like this weren’t common.

In short: a typical fantasy city in Isekai style... with one difference.

Airships.

Small ones, floating above rooftops, releasing steam.

They weren’t very fast or big, but they were there.

Working.

This place had already begun its own industrial revolution.

And considering how rudimentary the earlier towns we passed were, this technological leap was, at the very least, impressive.

I didn’t expect to find this much progress here.

I wonder if it’s just this city, or if the larger cities in this kingdom share the same level.

Either way, Antterr City was far beyond what I had imagined when we began this trip.

And of course, opening a magic portal in the middle of a crowded plaza wasn’t going to go unnoticed.

People around us stared in a mix of awe and suspicion.

I don’t blame them—appearing out of nowhere in such an orderly city would definitely raise some red flags.

What did surprise me was how quickly they reacted.

Not even five minutes had passed and we were already surrounded by what looked like a squad of soldiers.

Well-maintained uniforms, gleaming weapons, and a rigid posture that revealed their training.

I suppose they were the local police or something like it.

One of them—clearly the leader, given how he stepped forward—raised his voice with authority:

—Halt! Identify yourselves and explain how you arrived at the city center!

I looked at the sisters.

Irv raised an eyebrow, barely holding back a laugh, and Lua was already bringing a hand to her forehead with resignation.

I let out a soft sigh.

And to think... I just wanted to avoid an argument.