NOVPUBImperial City of Herram.
The illuminated buildings bolstered the deep dusk of this fortress city-state of the Protoss Empire.
The enormous city appeared isolated, and at a distance, the towering and sturdy rampart-like enchantment seemed to merge with the sky and the ground. The architectural style along the edges, made of solid stones and cold metals, gave the city a feeling of time accumulation.
The Magic Energy Train Station at the city’s boundary had numerous passengers coming and going, even at ten o’clock in the evening, shuttling between the station platforms and the spacious halls.
From afar, a train arrives at the station, the shrill squeal of wheels rubbing against the railway echoes on the deserted track, and the light inside the compartments spills onto the platform through the train windows.
The train has a classic decor but with many signs of modern modifications. Its surface is covered in subtle runes, which start to shimmer as it approaches the station marking a resonance with the station’s protective enchantment.
Inside the compartment.
"Finally in the capital?"
Zestira and Lanci waited briefly at the door.
Even before the door opened, music could be heard echoing from the station layers.
"Again this annoying..."
Zestira murmured with a slight wrinkle of her eyebrows.
Lanci, standing next to her, could hear it clearly.
As background music for the city of Herram, it was chosen to depict the rich history of Herram and the nobility of the powerful ones. It started with grand symphony music, including majestic brass instruments and strings with religious undertones. At the same time, it was solemn and mysterious, rational, and lonely, perhaps due to the northern location and climate. There was a sense of urgency that the war would never end due to the combination of organ music and the continuous increase in pitch.
The melody speeds up when descending then slows down when ascending again. With the overlay of horns and trombones from the brass section, an illusion is created in the brain that the pitch is infinitely rising and you never know when it will drop.
There was no hint of hope nor relief.
Like the heavy history of the Holy Demon War seeping into the marrow, no soft melody or harmonious chord was ever forthcoming throughout the piece.
Even now, there remained a deep-rooted bias against the Demon Race at its core.
"I think I understand why you find this music annoying."
Lanci looked out through the glass of the carriage door, seemingly deep in thought.
"..."
Zestira didn’t utter a sound.
She knew Lanci was a Magic Engineer and therefore might have some understanding of artistic magical items and melody magic.
However, the discordance in the music was not the real issue. As a human who was raised in peace in the South Continent, it was hard for Lanci to comprehend her discomfort.
As the carriage gradually came to a stop, the doors slowly opened and a thin transparent mist drifts out from within the carriage. The leftover heat from the train’s regulator slowly disappeared.
In the midst of this pervasive music in the train station, Lanci followed Zestira out of the compartment. They were met with a transparent curtain that captured the expressions of newly arrived passengers and held it for several seconds before disappearing.
"It’s a tradition of the station, to record and verify the identity of every arriving passenger."
Zestira explained to him not to worry.
If you have disguise magic, your true form would have been revealed, then you would be immediately arrested by the city’s guards.
"What’s this beneath us?"
They walked on a platform paved with grey stone. The path lit up at random, producing a deep blue glow with small ripples spreading underneath their feet, like stepping on the surface of the ocean.
Lanci understood this was not an offensive magic technique before stepping on it.
"If you don’t have legal documents of the Empire, you won’t be able to move a step."
Zestira replied.
Although she tends not to interact with anyone unless necessary, she was now used to patiently answering Lanci’s questions.
Because this naive and vulnerable young man required her.
Passing through complex security checkpoints, they emerged from the station and walked into the fortress enchantment of the Imperial City.
The Herram city skyline was scattered with brightly lit skyscrapers, ancient churches, and suspended structures resembling different dimensions. The night sky was not just deep blue but occasionally showed a golden glow, like reflecting the city’s mirror image.
This was a city full of magical miracles. A catastrophic accident triggered by the Holy War a hundred years ago left profound abnormalities in Herram, spanning not just the physical plane but also culture, society, and law.
In the city of Herram, humans and all sorts of hybrids live together, filled with uncertainty. You might see floating Sky Gardens between towering buildings, or encounter runaway Alchemical beasts on the Magic Energy railway. The shops sell everything from ancient potion recipes to advanced Magic Devices.
Although some regions of the city were the domain of the powerful ones and the imperial elites, known as the absolute order, places far away from those elites often witnessed chaos, crime, and violence.
"Stay close to me. It will become your routine to be stared at with hostile eyes."
Walking towards the Protoss Royal Academy, Zestira said to Lanci.
The academy wasn’t far from the station. They could reach it on foot.
"Speaking of it, will there be people bothering you in the school?"
Lanci had already noticed the harsh stares of the people they passed, not only residents but also guards. Very few were friendly. Zestira looked too much like a pure-blooded Demon.
"For instance?"
"For instance, you’re quietly reading in school, and suddenly a Marquis’s young master comes and mocks you."
Taking a cue from Ichrite-style, Lanci gave an example.
"Then I’ll slap him in the face."
Zestira looked at Lanci and responded, taking it for granted.
"Good girl."
Lanci admired.
In considerations of Demon Realm culture, she was quite polite already.
She wanted to be a demon, so it wouldn’t be fair to judge her by human standards, Lanci had always respected the personalities of his students.
"However, that kind of situation probably won’t happen. People in this school who really want to harm you will not talk to you much. Instead, they will first try to make you feel they are reliable allies."
Zestira stated.
Even if she didn’t expect Lanci to admire her, the nobles Lanci talked about were too gentle.
"Like who?"
Lanci also needed Zestira to give him an example.
"For example, in the big pre-course student test later this month and the Shadow World challenge at the beginning of next month. Shorts who want to team up with me mostly harbor ill intentions."
Zestira responded indifferently.
"Zestira, how do you know, about others’ attitudes?"
Lanci didn’t think Zestira had a persecution complex as she spoke with great certainty.
"I can sense hostility and goodwill to some extent. You are extraordinary, innocent like a blank sheet."
She looked again at Lanci and said.
