The scorching heat and yellow dust that had been our constant companions for three days vanished, replaced by a stretch of green so bright it hurt the eyes.
We had entered the southern region of the Astra Empire. The Kingdom of Santaria.
A region known as the "Granary of Food and Faith." This is where priests and nuns pray to the Goddess of Light, and where farmers harvest wheat to feed millions across the continent.
"We're not taking the main road into town," said Hilda as she turned the steering wheel, steering our van away from the gate leading to the center of Santaria. "There are too many nobles and checkpoints. I don't want to explain why this van has a Core V11 to stiff knights in armor."
We drove along a side road. A smooth, two-way dirt road, cutting through vast grasslands stretching to the horizon.
I pressed the button on the door, lowering the window completely.
A fresh breeze immediately hit my face. It smelled sweet. Not the smell of sweat and pungent spices like in the Mizar market, but the scent of wet earth, fresh grass, and a faint hint of sunflowers.
I took a deep breath, letting the clean air wash away the remaining desert dust in my lungs. For a moment, I could forget that my hands had taken someone's life just a few days ago.
Hilda, who was sitting in the driver's seat, immediately slowed down the van after seeing something ahead.
About a hundred meters ahead, a group of horse-drawn carts was moving slowly. The wooden carts were filled with fresh fruits such as red apples, grapes, and peaches. It looked like they had just been harvested from a local plantation.
"Why don't we just pass them?" I asked.
"Have you forgotten the basic theory of Mana Engines?" Hilda pointed at the horses pulling the carts.
She was right. The horses' ears were twitching nervously, and their tails were swishing aggressively. Some were even beginning to snort loudly.
Animals, especially horses and dogs, are very sensitive to the humming frequency of the Mana Core. The subsonic vibrations produced by our vehicle's engine disturbed their instincts. The researchers at the magic tower center still hadn't found a solution to this anomaly. It seemed like an eternal conflict between nature and technology.
If Hilda recklessly overtakes at high speed, the horses could panic, rampage, and spill all the harvest onto the road.
We crept slowly alongside the convoy.
An old man controlling the front carriage turned to look at us. He wore a worn straw hat and a coarse linen shirt damp with sweat from hard work. His face was wrinkled and sunburned, but his eyes sparkled with friendliness.
He looked at our dented van, then at the two of us—a beautiful woman and a tired-looking teenager.
"Travelers?" he called out in a thick southern accent, drowning out the sound of the horses' hooves.
Hilda smiled. It wasn't the sly smile she usually gave me, but a sweet, polite smile. "Yes, Uncle! We just got back from the border!"
"No wonder your iron car looks like it's been chewed up by a dragon!" the old man laughed heartily, revealing his toothless gums. "It's hot today, isn't it? Here, refresh your throats!"
The old man reached into the basket behind his back, took out two very large, shiny red apples, and threw them towards our open window.
Hilda and I caught the apples with practiced reflexes.
"Thank you, Uncle!" Hilda exclaimed, waving her hand.
"Be careful on the road! May the goddess bless your journey to the capital!" replied the old man as he gently spurred his horse, allowing us to slowly overtake them once a safe distance had been reached.
Hilda rolled up the window again after we pulled away, leaving a small gap for the breeze to continue flowing in. She stared at the red apple in her hand, then took a big bite.
A crunching sound echoed. Sweet juice dripped from her lips.
"Sweet," she murmured.
I looked at the apple in my hand. There was still a little dirt stuck to its skin. It was very different from the expensive wine Rail drank before his head exploded.
"He's a good man," Hilda said suddenly, breaking the silence.
I turned to her.
"He didn't suspect us. He didn't care who we were. He just saw two people overheated and gave us food," Hilda chewed slowly, her gaze fixed on the road stretching toward the imperial center. "Sometimes I forget, Five. That behind all the dirty political intrigues and assassination missions we carry out. People like him are the ones we're actually protecting."
I fell silent, then slowly bit into my own apple.
It was indeed sweet. And for reasons I couldn't explain, it tasted far better than any luxurious food I'd ever bought with blood money.
Our van continued on, leaving the peace of Santaria behind, heading toward the heart of the Astra Empire. That was the Imperial Kingdom—the place where the shadow of "The Numbers" dwelled.
***
Unlike the strict border checkpoints, the inter-kingdom checkpoints were much more relaxed. The guards at the Imperial Kingdom border gate only glanced at our ID cards, then waved us through lazily.
Once the inspection was complete, our Van-Tech sped through.
And in that instant, the tranquility of rural Santaria vanished, replaced by the giant heartbeat of the center of world civilization.
The Imperial Kingdom.
The heart of the Astra Empire. A metropolis that never sleeps, where machine steam and magic dust dance in the air.
The quiet dirt roads were now replaced by wide, dense stone paving blocks. The sound of birds chirping was replaced by the noisy symphony of city life: the creaking of train wheels, the hum of engines, and the bustle of thousands of people chatting.
"Come to think of it, you haven't been here in a long time, have you? Yes, a lot has changed here since three years ago," Hilda muttered as she lit a cigarette, her hand deftly turning the steering wheel to avoid a pedestrian who was crossing the street carelessly.
"Isn't this the master's fault?"
"What can we do?" Hilda teased, "Every time you complete a mission, there's always a new one from above. That's why I deliberately chose a mission that takes me outside the empire this time."
I immediately turned my gaze to the window, staring at the view outside that never failed to amaze me, no matter how many times I saw it.
The city was divided into several districts connected by clear water canals and aesthetically curved stone bridges.
To our left was the Shopping District. Rows of clothing boutiques and jewelry stores lined up neatly with sparkling glass display windows. The shop signs here did not use ordinary paint, but rather flashing neon magic holograms.
On the terraces of open cafes shaded by white canopies, I saw a group of girls in elaborate aristocratic dresses laughing politely. They sipped tea while showing off their feather fans, while cafe waiters moved back and forth to deliver sweet cakes to each table.
Ding. Ding.
The sound of bells rang out from the middle of the road.
A maroon tram glided smoothly along the tracks embedded in the road. The magic-powered electric train was packed with people. The tram crossed a small bridge over the canal, gracefully parting the crowd of pedestrians.
"It's so crowded," I muttered. "Even though it's not a holiday."
"The economy is good, Five. People have money to burn," Hilda replied casually.
My gaze shifted to the sky. In the distance, two landmarks that were the pride of this city towered above.
The first was the Astra Clock Tower. A giant tower one hundred meters high with a golden clock hand that ticked with precision, setting the rhythm of life for all the city's residents.
And far behind it stood an even more intimidating structure: the Imperial Branch Magic Tower. The building was not made of brick, but of silver metal and black glass. Its peak was surrounded by a ring of blue energy that rotated slowly, indicating that the wizards were busy maintaining the stability of the city's barrier.
Our van turned onto Central Square. In the middle stood a giant fountain with a statue of the First Emperor holding a sword. The fountain did not spout ordinary water, but water enchanted with light magic, so that the splashes created a beautiful eternal rainbow. Children ran around it, trying to catch the grains of light.
This was the face of the Astra Empire.
Who would have thought that behind the luxury of the aristocratic cafes and the beauty of this fountain, there were dark alleys where our organization worked?
Suddenly, my reverie was interrupted.
Beep. Beep. Beep.
A sharp notification sound came from the car dashboard. It wasn't the engine alarm, but a special communication device installed near the steering wheel.
Hilda, who had been looking relaxed while smoking, instantly straightened her back. The aura of a "sister on vacation" vanished in an instant, replaced by the cold gaze of an executive from "The Numbers".
She pressed a button on the dashboard screen. A hologram of a short-haired blue-haired girl in a maid's uniform appeared. Hilda explained that it was artificial intelligence that she was developing with the tower wizard.
"Hilda and Five are requested to return to headquarters immediately. There is a new mission that will be explained tonight."
Hilda let out a long sigh, then put out her cigarette.
"Looks like our break time is really over, Five," she said flatly.
She jerked the steering wheel sharply to the left, making the tires squeal. We left the beautiful main road, turning into a narrow, gloomy alley between two tall buildings.
"Hold on, I'm going to speed up."
*****
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