“Another earthquake. Feels stronger than the last one too,” Octavian pointed out.

The shaking felt stronger than he had felt in the village.

“Might be we are closer to the source,” responded Steve.

With the shaking subsiding Kai could clearly see the city in the distance. After three days of slow traveling and skipping every village and town on the way, the group had finally arrived at their destination of the Ashbourne Kingdom’s capital, Verdia.

The city stood a few miles away, but its walls were easily spotted. Walls of dark grey towered higher than any building Kai had ever seen. They stretched onto his left and right for miles, seemingly endless to Kai’s eyes. One could imagine the enormity that such a task would entail constructing them. It looked like a dark imposing stronghold, where the villain’s headquarters would be found.

The walls belonging to the cities of his past life paled in comparison. Even the best of them measured 10 meters high, but these looked five times taller and sturdier. It was insane to see how far humans had come when his only perspectives were his past life where there had been little to no technology, and everyone was generally new to magic, and his rural village life where the exterior wall was more wooden fence than an actual wall.

Beyond the city, the mountains hailed even higher, matching the dark grey tone of the walls. From small mountains that were easily ten times higher than the impressive walls, the mountains grew larger and larger the further you stared until the peaks shot through the dark overcast of clouds. Flashes of light lit up the grey sky momentarily before receding back to darkness.

Kai stared one last time at the endless mountain region. A chill proceeded down his back as he thought about all the possible monsters hiding in that vast territory. A region like that seemed capable of producing monsters strong enough to threaten any city Kai had ever seen. He wondered if he could venture in there and survive as he was when he used blood magic.

Kai’s facial expressions must have given away his thoughts as his father began stating, “You don’t have to worry Kai. The city of Verdia has seen it all. They have survived waves of monsters and intruders since their creation 1000 years ago. The walls are composed of Ashstone, a substance only found in this region. It’s more durable than regular stone or concrete, but easily molded, and one of the country’s main exports.”

Kai asked, pulling on his collar which was soaked with sweat. The closer they moved to the capital the hotter and more humid it became. “Is it always going to be this humid?”

“It’s the end of the warm season right now, so it should be cooling off slightly, but don’t expect too much. The volcanos deep in the mountains keep this area pretty warm and humid year-round. Once you get some more levels, and raise your vitality, you will be fine. Just make sure you drink a lot of water and stay hydrated until then,” Octavian said.

“One more question,” Kai said. “Is the entire countryside near the capital like this?” Kai asked. Looking around, he could see no trees, rocks, or life nearby within miles. It was devoid of everything except dirt and patches of grass that had begun to grow back.

“The capital purges all wildlife and plant life within a certain range of the walls. It is so no monster or army can sneak up on the city. Most plants and trees are resistant to this humid and ashen environment, so the deforestation done here is from the locals,” Octavian stated.

The longer they walked, the taller the walls appeared. Kai couldn’t imagine anything breaking the walls. They looked downright intimidating. It was as if the walls appeared as a single solid structure curving around and out of sight. Not a single seam or crack. The only weakness of the walls seemed to be the large gate entrance. It was the only gap he could see.

Kai and his group were now in a line of people extending nearly a quarter of a mile from the gate. Hundreds of people waited, some on foot, others in carriages like them. The line moved forward steadily, and it wasn’t long until Kai and his group was at the gates.

“Hold.” One of the guards held up his palm in a stopping gesture.

“All off the carriage, prepare to be searched,” another ordered.

Kai hopped off the cart less gracefully than everyone else landing in a pile of mud. Some of it splashed onto the guard’s leg armor. Kai winced. The guard growled, obviously irritated about the mud. Two additional guards joined after a signal from one of the guards, now making a total of four investigating them. Their armor wasn’t much different than the walls in color, but instead of stone material, it was dull dark grey metal.

“Reason for visiting, sir?” One of the guards asked.

“Dropping my son off to the Ashbourne Academy,” Octavian indicated with his hands, pointing at Kai. Octavian couldn’t keep the proud smile off his face.

The guard briefly glanced at Kai, before returning to Octavian. He jotted something down onto a pad.

“Sir, I see that you have a ring of storage. Are you aware of all laws and regulations regarding illegal and restricted items in the Ashbourne Kingdom? That being found in possession of said items, you are subject to a penalty of monetary compensation, prison, or death if found guilty. And that by entering the capital are you aware that you are acknowledging that you accept the terms and conditions of tax for both sale and buying property and items?” The guard droned on, a lack of emotion in his voice as he probably had said the same thing hundreds of times today.

Kai watched the interaction with interest. Each of the four guards asked his company similar questions.

“Yes, I am aware. Thank you,” his father replied bored. Clearly having heard the same speech before.

Once the guard questioning his father had finished, he moved on towards Kai. Kai’s heart raced slightly. These guards were much different than the guards that Kitsune Village employed as if the ones at Kitsune Village could even be called guards. Kai had never noticed them paying attention to any comings and goings in the village. They were more decoration than watch guards.

The guard proceeded to start questioning Kai. His eyes had a dull lifeless look to them, the man not even blinking once as he proceeded through his questions. Halfway through the second question, Garren sauntered over.

“Buzz, you can stop your questions, he’s good,” Garren spontaneously spoke up. For the first time, Kai saw actual emotion register on the guard’s face.

“I don’t know. The kid looks suspicious. Might have to search him and lock him up for a few days,” the guard smirked as his eyes fell on Garren.

Garren had a half-smile on his face. “As tempting as it would be to see that, I don’t think my dad would appreciate it.”

Laughing a bit, the guard was now engaged in conversation with his brother.

Kai remained awkwardly in place, a little unsure of what to do. He hadn’t been given permission to leave. It wasn’t until Steve, Bettrica, and his father all jumped into the cart that Kai joined them.

“Dinner at McKabes tonight?” The guard asked Garren.

“Sure, I’ll pay, it’s my bad for coming back so late,” Garren countered, punching him lightly in the shoulder.

He vanished and appeared inside the cart next to Kai a moment later. There was no sound or light to indicate his reappearance in the cart. Kai couldn’t perceive anything. Narrowing his eyes, he remembered that Lucian had been able to sneak up on him after he teleported. I’ll have to learn how to deal with bastards that can teleport.

“Who knew you actually had friends,” Kai muttered sarcastically. Seeing his brother actually get along with someone and not him hit harder than he thought.

“Oh, are you one to talk? From what I heard your only friend in the village was Shelly, and you spurned her after you refused to marry,” a nasty smirk formed on his brother’s face.

“Whatever you say third place,” Kai shot back.

“Enough children,” Octavian said before the argument could escalate further.

The cart began moving through the gate. Passing under the section of the walls, Kai saw two large doors made from the same material as the walls. He wondered when the doors were closed if they would make the wall look seamless from the outside. After passing through 5 meters of tunnels under the wall, Kai wondered if the walls were solid all the way through. And if they were, what could possibly threaten a city with such defenses. A flying monster that’s who.

Once through the dark underpass, Kai was instantly blinded by the sun. He covered his eyes with his hands on reflex. Wait... the sun? What the hell is going on? It was completely overcast just a minute ago. Kai took his hand down and tried to locate the source of light, but the light originated evenly across the entire sky. The humidity of the region had also vanished once inside the city.

“As you can imagine the near constant overcast of grey isn’t conducive to the mental health of the citizens. So, they developed an extraordinary enchantment that encircles the top of the walls to project light, much like that from a sun above the city. Other enchantments combat the ever-growing ash and humidity that this region is overwhelmed with. I can’t imagine how much these enchantments cost to be maintained and remain operational all year. The only time they are off is during the night,” Kai’s father informed the group.

Enchantments really were the world’s miracle. Growing up in his first life, Kai had often heard about technology and all its amazing features from people who had transferred from Earth. Because Kai was born into the Myriad of Worlds, he had no idea what these technologies were, but he imagined them being something revolutionary like these enchantments.

No one else had any reaction to this knowledge, so Kai understood that it was for his benefit. Looking down from the sky, he stared at the streets. The main road proceeded straight towards the heart of the city. Shops and stalls were stacked on each side of the main causeway. Humans populated the overcrowded street, their voices drowning each other out. He could see people shopping, engaging in conversation, and children playing. Merchants were hawking their ware, each competing with the other to be the loudest or most noticeable.

Kai stared with amazement. This was completely different than the life he was used to at Kitsune Village. In his home village, there were no proper shops, everyone did their part to help their fellow villagers. There was no exchange of goods or services, if someone needed something, others would do their best to help or accommodate them. This brought unity to the village which could not be seen anywhere else. This city was completely different. Currency ruled all.

Even the cities of his first life couldn’t compare. They were closer to his rural village in nearly every aspect except population size. Here buildings towered high, some almost as tall as the walls. The enchantments gave these city’s citizens an easier, safer life. So, this is what 1000 years of progress looks like.

Kai started to become concerned when he thought about paying for school. How was his dad making money if there were no monetary transactions in the village? He had seen them collect the pouches from the bandits, but Kai doubted that would be enough to sustain the village and his education. Could the money they had saved up really be enough to last so long?

He witnessed dozens of guards standing scattered about, some staring down their carriage as they passed through the main causeway. There were shops of all kinds, clothing, armor, weapons, enchantments, potions, and many more. They all seemed busy.

“Is Verdia always going to be this busy?” Kai asked, their carriage had just stopped for the fifth time in two minutes after shoppers passed in front of their Bovines, completely unconcerned about being run over by the hulking beasts.

“The main road is always like this, perhaps it’s a tad busier than normal with the academy starting so soon, young master,” answered Steve.

Kai spied many young adults, shopping around, who appeared to be of the same age. All were dressed in fancy clothes, some embroidered, others flaunting their enchanted clothing and jewelry.

“Are we going to be shopping here?” Kai couldn’t wait to see what these stores had in more detail.

“You crazy? This is where the nobles and wealthy shop, we will be going elsewhere. Location and name brands don’t necessarily mean quality. There are some shops closer to school where we can pick you up some supplies,” Octavian teased, watching the excitement in Kai’s eyes slowly fade only to become reignited.

They traveled deeper into the city. After fifteen minutes they stopped outside a large rickety building. A young boy ran up to their carriage as everyone began offloading.

“Sirs, I can take your Bovine to the stables,” the boy announced in a squeaky voice.

With a nod, Octavian flipped a bronze coin in the air, the boy quickly snatching it out of the air with surprising dexterity. Grabbing onto the harness of one of the Bovine, the boy gently guided them into the adjacent building.

“Dad, I’ll be leaving now,” Garren stated.

“I hope you will be safe. Make sure you visit home sooner. Your mother will not let me ever hear the end of it if you take three years to come and visit again,” Octavian said

Garren groaned a non-committal response to Octavian. After walking away a few feet he suddenly stopped as he forgot something. “Good luck. Don’t die, little brother,” he said ominously without turning around.

Bettrica and Steve seemed completely unbothered by the abrupt departure. In fact, no one questioned it, as everyone continued into the Kamalash Inn and Tavern. The building looked like it had seen better days. Some of the paint was stripped from the wood, leaving it looking rundown. The surrounding buildings didn’t look much different. This part of the city clearly didn’t see as much attention and care as others. It even smelled of rust and trash.

Kai stared into his father’s back with concern. Are we really so poor that we need to stay here? I think I’m going to need a health potion after sleeping here one night. The large front door creaked open breaking the silence. The inside was much dimmer than the outside, only lamps brightening up the interior. The smell of trash was gone, replaced with the smell of dinner, and potatoes overpowering most of the other food. The dining hall was half-filled with patrons, all engage in various talks. Every patron appeared human. I don’t think I’ve seen any other sentient races during my entire time traveling or even here in the city yet. Even in the village, every single person was human except for the foxes.

“Hello, what can I do for ya?” an older woman with many wrinkles and grey hair asked after walking up to the group.

Kai couldn’t help but identify the woman by reflex.

[Human – ???]

She turned her head sharply and narrowed her eyes at Kai. The moment turned tense as Kai’s eyes went wide, surprised at the sudden attention. “Don’t ya know it’s rude to identify people without their permission,” bellowed the old lady.

What? No one ever told me that. Isn’t that what it’s for? Kai was confused, he looked between his dad and Bettrica, each had a small smirk on their face.

“I’m joking.” The old woman flicked her fingers two feet from Kai’s face, and a gust of air followed smacking him in the middle of his forehead lightly. “Is this ya boy Octavian? Seems a little slow.”

Kai puffed up his cheeks, He was annoyed that he was being teased by some old woman he didn’t even know. Now that he thought about it, he saw that both Bettrica and the receptionist had similar facial features. Their beady black eyes were near identical to the other.

“Yes child, she is my daughter,” stated the receptionist, seeing Kai’s eyes going back and forth between the two.

“It’s good to see you mother,” Bettrica said bowing her head slightly.

“You as well dear. Have you brought me any grandchildren yet?” the receptionist asked.

“No such luck yet mother.”

“What’s wrong with ya Steve?” The woman spewed out, staring daggers into Steve’s face. “Maybe you need to trade for a newer younger model dear. Stop wasting your time on this man. Gods he looks as old as me now,” the old lady spouted without taking a breath.

“Trica... you still haven’t expired yet, you old hag,” Steve sputtered, trying to keep his anger in check. His cheeks were red.

“With a level like that, I’m afraid you’re going to croak way before my daughter or I,” Trica responded with a cat’s smile.

Forgotten, Kai and his father stared at each other for a second before they each started laughing loudly. He knew he shouldn’t laugh but it was like a comedy skit.

“Trica, this is my son Kai. Third born. Kai, this is Trica, hostess, and owner of the Kamalash Inn and Tavern. She’s an old friend of mine and obviously the mother of Bettrica too,” Octavian introduced.

“Nice to meet you,” Kai held his hand out.

“You as well, child,” she said taking his hand and shaking it. Her grip was firm and steady, different than her appearance.

“Can we get the school starting special?” Octavian asked with a smirk.

“Sure, two rooms, two singles, and one double for the two, incapable of giving me grandkids,” Trica said.