Viscount Louis led his party through the customs gate, only to be stopped in his tracks by the sight before him. A massive road stretched out into the distance—exceptionally wide, perfectly flat, and paved just like the harbor.
The thoroughfare was divided into distinct sections, separated by rows of neatly planted trees. Flanking the main road were two smaller paths, also partitioned by greenery, though the path on the far left was still in the process of being paved.
"Why are all those people huddling on the narrow side paths instead of using the main road in the middle?" One of the knights asked, bewildered.
"It is likely a path reserved for nobility," Louis remarked with a smug chuckle. He confidently stepped onto the broad, central lane.
"Hey! You there! Halt!" A loud shout boomed from the side.
Louis froze. He turned around to see two soldiers in gleaming armor staring him down.
"Me?" Louis pointed at himself, his confusion turning to irritation. "Is there a problem? Am I not allowed to walk?"
"Get over here! Do not stand in the middle of the road!" The soldier barked. "Move, now!"
Louis was flabbergasted. He felt a surge of rage, but as he looked around, he noticed a crowd of commoners pointing at him and whispering. It felt like he had just done something incredibly shameful.
"Look at that guy. He must be a newcomer. Does he not know the basic rules?"
"How pathetic. Even a noble acts like he's missing common sense."
"It's embarrassing. Carriages and horses aren't allowed to stop on this road. If he gets trampled, it's his own fault, but he shouldn't endanger others."
Louis's face darkened. He suppressed his temper and walked over to the soldier.
"Can you not read the sign?" The soldier pointed to a wooden board nearby.
Louis frowned and read the text aloud: "Carriages and horses use the central road; Pedestrians use the side paths. Keep left while coming, keep right while going."
"Understand now?" The soldier said coldly. "If you walk out there and get hit by a carriage, there will be no compensation for your injuries."
"This... the middle path isn't for nobles?" Louis stammered. "It's just for... horses?"
"If you want to travel, go to the designated area for hired carriages. If we catch you walking on the main road again, you'll be facing a jail cell," The soldier warned.
Louis quickly complied, unable to bear the judgmental stares from the locals. He followed the soldier's directions to a long line of identical carriages, each with a driver waiting patiently.
"So many carriages?" Louis was amazed. He began walking straight toward the one at the front.
"Hey, you over there! Have some manners! No cutting in line!" Someone shouted from the crowd.
Louis's body went stiff, his face turning a deep shade of purple. He didn't even have to look to know they were talking to him. He turned and saw a long queue of people—and one of them was glaring right at him.
"Get to the back! Everyone is waiting. Who do you think you are, trying to jump the queue?"
"Truly shameless. He looks like a noble, yet he has no discipline."
"If he wanted to go fast, he should have bought a premium membership. Instead, he just tries to cheat. How disgraceful."
Louis felt like he was going to cry. He was a visitor! How was he supposed to know these commoner rules?
"My Lord... there is another sign over there," A knight whispered, pointing to a board that read: TAXI STAND: PLEASE QUEUE HERE.
Louis took a deep breath, swallowed his pride, and walked to the very back of the line. In a matter of minutes, he had been humiliated twice. He realized that his habits from other cities—where nobles could do as they pleased—were completely useless in Sedona City. Here, the Law and the Regulations governed everyone.
Eventually, they boarded a carriage. Louis was briefly distracted by the "steel coins" used for payment—a sleek, industrial currency he hadn't seen before.
As the carriage pulled onto the concrete road, the speed picked up instantly. The trees began to blur past the windows, leaving Louis and his knights gripping their seats in terror.
"C-C-Driver! Slow down! This is too fast!" Louis screamed.
"Relax, customer! It's perfectly safe," The driver shouted back without turning his head. "We have speed requirements on this road. If I go too slow, I'll be fined!"
The driver wasn't joking. With the road being so flat and smooth, a slow-moving carriage would cause a traffic jam or be rear-ended by the horses behind it. Moreover, thanks to the steel ball bearings Lucas had introduced, the friction was significantly reduced, allowing the horses to pull heavier loads with much less effort.
"What? You'll be fined for going slow? What kind of insane rule is that?!" Louis shrieked.
"Don't worry, My Lord," A knight tried to soothe him. "I saw a sign back there that said 'Express Lane.'"
"Exactly," The driver laughed heartily. "The road has markers. We slow down when we're supposed to. We've all been through professional training provided by the City Lord!"
Louis stared out the window at the gray, seamless concrete. He was starting to regret coming here. Everything was so alien, so fast, and so impossibly efficient. It was a world he didn't understand.
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