The midnight sky was filled with a vast array of shining stars.
Ahead of Rein, the Valenor Gate leading into the Floren Kingdom was located.
[ Let's go. There should be no problems getting inside as you got permission from the Royal Guards. ] Ciel said
The Valenor Gate was 15 metres tall, and was currently closed. It would only need to be opened slightly in most instances.
The gate was brown in color, contrasting the large gray walls.
Rein went forward, and met with the gate's security guards.
There were two men, who both seemed to be Soul Sorcerers.
One of the security guards stopped her and asked in a monotonous voice:
"What's your business coming to the Floren Kingdom, young lady?"
Rein pulled out an envelope from her coat. It was the same one that the Royal Guard Emille had given her.
"I've been invited by the Royal Guards." She explained
The security guard looked at the stamp on the envelope and confirmed its authenticity.
There was nothing more to confirm, and she was let into the kingdom.
"Sorry for any inconvenience. You may go forward." He said formally as the gate slightly opened up
Rein nodded and went through the gate.
[ So we're already done with the first step of getting the Star Fragment. Getting into the kingdom was easy, but the real challenge starts now. ] Rein said as the gates closed behind her
[ Right. For now, you should find a place to stay the night as it's already so late. Tomorrow, we'll reach the 2nd quadrant. ] Ciel suggested
[ Okay, but where do I find a place to stay… this place is way larger and grand than i had originally expected… ] Rein said reluctantly
She had forgotten that this world wasn't medieval, but in the age of steam.
There were many large factories with smoke coming out of their chimneys that could be seen in the distance.
The Arrow village had made her feel like she was in one of the usual medieval Europe stories.
There were many carriages that could be seen going around that were being led by horses.
Most buildings were under three stories tall, with some of them extending underground.
[ I wonder if we should just go by carriage and sleep on the way. ] Rein said, asking for Ciel's opinion
[ You can do that if you want, but the cost will be quite high. It's not like there's a deadline for you to reach there or become a Royal Guard. ] He said
Rein only needed to get to the 2nd quadrant and settle down over there. She could then decide to live normally while being watched or strive to become a Royal Guard.
Of course, the second option sounded much more appealing.
But it wasn't easy to become a Royal Guard. There was a chance she would fail and get a job like the security guards for the Valenor Gate.
Last night, they had also read the details to become a Royal Guard.
[ It will take quite some time before we can infiltrate the Royal Guards. I guess I'll find a place here for tonight. ] Rein said
[ I don't think we should go all the way. The leash may be unbreakable if we go too far. We'll do our job from a safe distance, while keeping their trust. ] Ciel said calmly
He knew there was a high chance that there would be no way out if the Royal Guards had any restrictions.
With how careful they were with stray Soul Sorcerers, it was highly likely that there was a way to ensure the loyalty of the Royal Guards.
No kingdom would want its soldiers to betray them after all.
[ True. So, what badge should I go for? ] Rein asked while searching around for an inn
There were a few requirements to becoming a Royal Guard.
Not just any Soul Sorcerer could become one.
The first requirement was any type of Silver badge.
There were four types of badges, with three different levels.
First off was the self explanatory Soul Tier badge, followed by Combat, Support and Healer badges.
They all ranged from Bronze to Silver, and finally Gold, which was only for elites.
The highest level badge one could get also depended on one's Soul Tier.
A normal human could get a Bronze badge, but had no way of getting a Silver badge.
The same went for a Silver badge, as only an Awakened Sorcerer or above could get one.
Finally, the Gold badge was only available to Radiant Sorcerers.
There was a hard cap to stop people from getting a badge rank higher than their Soul Tier.
The second requirement was at least one year of experience as a Soul Sorcerer while in the Floren Kingdom.
There were two ways most people would spend this year. The first was to go to an academy, training to get a Silver badge.
The second way was to complete various missions given by the Royal Guards.
'So we have the academy or adventurers guild routes…' Rein thought to herself
These were quite familiar settings to her.
[ We can forget about the Soul Tier and Healer badges. Other than that, the only options for us is the Support ot Combat badges. ]
[ If I stay in your shadow the whole time, I'll be able to use Soul Transfer to easily get you a Support badge. ]
[ If you stick to your own abilities, a Combat badge will be too taxing for you. ]
[ Either way, getting a Support Silver badge should be our goal. ] Ciel said
Of course, he wasn't planning to show their real abilities under any circumstances.
There was only a part of their abilities that they would be comfortable with showing.
[ We'll wait a week before sending a reply letter to the Royal Guards. We can't take for too short or long of a time, otherwise resulting in suspicion. ]
[ We also need to be careful of our actions until we are not being followed anymore. ] Ciel said calmly
Even in the kingdom, there was still someone unknown keeping watch on Rein from afar.
[ Well then, let's start by finding a damn inn. ] Rein said
She wandered around for a few minutes, passing by many interesting looking buildings.
Eventually, she found an inn where she could spend the night.
After paying the fee, she went to her room and closed the door.
There was a medium sized single bed, a wardrobe and desk, with the usual common furnishings. However, there was also a personal bathroom here.
'I guess the kingdom is really way more luxurious than the Arrow village on the outskirts.' Rein thought
Ciel didn't exit the shadow, as he needed his enhanced senses to keep an eye on their observer.
The night passed in peace and silence, with no incidents occurring.
In the early morning, the sun started to rise with its usual vibrant sunlight. Rein soon left the inn and went on towards the 2nd quadrant.
It would take another 12 hours before they reached.
[ Let's stop for lunch. We're soon going to reach the bridge leading into the 2nd quadrant. ] Ciel said, as the sun was now reaching overhead
[ Yeah. ] Rein replied solemnly
Walking around the Floren Kingom made her open her eyes to the reality of this world.
The people here were just like they were on Earth, and the basic technology was just starting to be discovered.
Would this world suffer the same fate as Earth? Rein didn't care for this planet, but the question still gnawed at her mind.
[ Don't worry, nothing's going to happen to the people here. I've honestly never seen a place as prosperous as this. Back on Prisma, a place like this could only appear in dreams. ]
[ The people here know magic as well, making it hard for a high scale disaster to occur. ] Ciel said while trying to ease any tense or unknown feelings Rein was having
He could tell that Rein was thinking about Earth and wondering about the similarities of life that the planets had as they ventured through the kingdom.
'Ah… I really am bad at cheering someone up… what am I supposed to say?' He thought
After the lunch, Rein seemed to regain her composure and soon reached the bridge going across the Pearl River.
[ I don't wanna get swept away by this river again any time soon. ] Rein said as she walked in the center of the bridge
There were fishermen waiting for a bite or laying nets nearby. It was much easier to go after seafood rather than land animals in the kingdom.
Soon, Rein reached the end of the bridge. She suddenly felt a gaze landing on her.
There was no malice or obvious emotion in the unknown gaze.
She carefully looked in the direction of the gaze, noticing a young man looking at her with a distant expression.
He had snow white hair and sharp white eyes, standing at 5'8. He looked to be around 16 years old.
He was wearing a few layers of clothes along with a face mask. In his hand was a seemingly blank notebook.
[ What's up with that kid? I don't know why, but he seems quite strange… ] Rein said
[ I think he may be a Soul Sorcerer… I can't tell what Soul Tier he's at though. ]
[ Maybe he just noticed you're a Soul Sorcerer as well. Just ignore him, I'll keep an eye out. ] Ciel said
Rein did as said, and was soon standing on the ground of the 2nd quadrant. It was still evening, and they had arrived earlier than expected.
The white haired young man did not seem to follow them or pay them any attention anymore.
[ Let's find an inn we can stay at for a few days. I don't think we can even afford a small apartment in this area for now. ] Rein said