NOVPUBThe capital of the Poson Kingdom.
Floral City, Pariel.
On a fog-enshrouded night, the pale moonlight above the city illuminated the ancient and beautiful Pariel below.
The silhouettes of buildings peeked through the night, their spires and spiral stone towers casting long shadows in the moonlight.
A carriage with closely drawn curtains rattled over cobblestone streets, faint figures stirring within, while shuttered shops and secured windows on either side lent the air a quality of stillness and unease.
At that moment, accompanied by the sound of rushing air, an even larger shadow loomed as if a sheet of the heavens drew near.
A great brown airship sailed through the skies a kilometer above Floral City Pariel, its surface covered with metal plates, with steam and the glow of magic power faintly visible through the seams.
The oval-shaped airship resembled a courtyard-style sky garden, pointed at the front and wider at the rear, with huge propellers and rotary blades on either side like the fins of a whale, making the entire ship glide smoothly through the air.
Inside the magic-energy airship was a palace-like interior, adorned with fine wooden panels and copper decorations, where flickering lights and the soft hum of machinery intertwined.
"Ladies and gentlemen, passengers, we have entered the city limits aboard the massive magic-energy airship ’Floating Castle Number.’ Deceleration has begun, and we shall arrive at our destination—North Pariel Station—in thirty minutes."
A flower-shaped metal horn announced the journey’s progress.
The passengers were draped in casual or formal attire, each engaged in their own activities, some engrossed in conversation, others quietly admiring the view outside.
In the opulent passenger saloon, a girl lazily sprawled across a table by the window.
Her name was Lixancy, and this was her umpteenth visit to Floral City Pariel.
Part of the city’s terrain had been repurposed for developing Poson’s Demon World, and its extensive barrier made it difficult for the Magic Power Rail Train to traverse the northern half of the city. Thus, the station was positioned closer to the south, and if one wished to reach the north from neighboring cities directly, it was more convenient by airship—at least it spared them tens of kilometers of further travel upon disembarking.
Of course, many sightseeing tourists also preferred to travel by magic-energy airship.
In many countries of the South Continent, city planning regulations prohibit large levitating vehicles from flying over cities, but the Poson Kingdom boasts cutting-edge technology and aerial protective enchantments, making airships a distinguishing feature of Floral City.
Normally, each visit to Floral City Pariel was uneventful.
But this time.
The young man opposite her was quite unique; he was alone yet had purchased three tickets, prompting a moment of confusion for the ticket inspector.
This resulted in only the two of them occupying a table that should have been shared by four seats.
Despite this, she only sat in her half of the seat, not encroaching on the other half that remained unoccupied.
Just then, as an expanse of thick clouds was cleft by the airship, the entire cityscape below became crisp and clear.
A city ablaze with brilliant light suddenly appeared outside the glass.
The golden glow, like reflections of light upon the mirror of the city.
And from this high vantage point that overlooked the night of Floral City, it seemed akin to the eye of a storm.
The cabin of the airship was filled with exclamations of wonder, the joyful clamor of excited tourists.
Even the young man opposite Lixancy momentarily set aside his copy of the "Poson Kingdom Code" to gaze into the distance.
It was only after a while.
"Is this your first visit to Floral City Pariel?"
Lixancy exhaled a breath and finally mustered the courage to strike up a conversation with the stranger.
The young man often looked out of the window, as if every landscape was filled with charm for him. He wanted to record everything with his eyes and turn it into the most beautiful scroll in his memory.
Both of them were solo passengers, not in groups or families like the others in different seats.
That’s also why she was able to meet him, who had bought three tickets, at the same table.
The next half hour was going to be quite long; she always felt too bored.
She was curious why this man would buy three tickets, and that was what she intended to figure out in the next half hour.
"Well, to be precise, this is my first time coming to the Poseen Kingdom,"
the young man with black hair and green eyes closed the book in his hands and looked at Lixancy with a slight smile in response.
The night temperature in Floral City Pariel was a bit cool, and he was wearing a light, casual style pure black vest with a beige knitted sweater-jacket over it.
His demeanor was like that of a painter at leisure.
"So you’re a foreigner. In August, Floral City Pariel indeed has quite a few grand events, including the Floral City Holy Grail Servitor Competition, Platinum Level Card Maker exam, Fireworks Ascension Festival, National Day, and so on,"
Lixancy detailed.
She had thought he was from a city in the Poseen Kingdom too, especially since the number of international travelers from the South Continent had started to sharply decline this year.
After all, there were always rumors from the Cerryti Empire in the south that made people prefer not to leave the safety of their own country’s Protective Enchantment and embark on a long journey to an unknown place.
Of course, recently, there were also some not so great rumors about the Poseen Kingdom itself, causing public unease.
"We are about the same age, there’s no need for formalities,"
the young man with black hair and green eyes said cordially,
"Are you also here for tourism?"
Contrary to what Lixancy had imagined, the other party was not some noble young master type. Instead, he was quite talkative and approachable. Once he started, he seemed to take the initiative to chat with her.
"No, I’m here to find a job. I want to earn more money in this big city. I just graduated from a small city school in the Poseen Kingdom, and I hope to find a job as a pastry chef in Floral City Pariel, although it might involve working and learning at the same time..." 𝓷ℴ𝓿𝓹𝓾𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Lixancy said somewhat embarrassedly.
Although she had always been studying magic, its practical application was inclined towards magic that would be used in pastry-making, such as freezing magic and baking magic.
Even if she hopes to find a job at a good pastry shop, she would probably start as an apprentice.
"A high-level magic culinarian’s salary is not low, after all, they can create those kinds of food that can quickly enhance attributes,"
Lanci recalled the Demon King’s Restaurant in the Purgatory Corridor Academy, where the chefs were truly impressive.
If he brought "that" "woman" there, Lanci felt his school might actually go bankrupt and close down.
Sadly, Cat Boss was a regular chef, who didn’t understand Magical Engineering and couldn’t make dishes with even a bit of effect.
But that was also fine—if the food’s magic power was too strong, and Tata ate too much of it, it would be hard to digest and she really could end up with a little belly.
Just as this thought crossed his mind, he felt his neck being grabbed by an invisible hand.
"Wrong, wrong, wrong! Tata!
Lanci hurriedly panicked and apologized in his mind.
