The Grace Empire
Lisa gathered our opinions and shared the travel itinerary.
It would be our first trip together as friends after turning eighteen.
All of us waited eagerly, hearts fluttering, for the day to come.
‘I’ll probably have a hard time clearing episodes once we get there, but still. A trip is a trip.’
And so, that morning.
Filled with anticipation for the journey, Yeon Haneul, the triplets, and I headed for the Grace Empire.
Since we used a warp gate, the travel itself didn’t take long.
However, we had to spend a fair amount of time going through immigration procedures.
Especially at entry inspection.
‘Departure was simple enough, but entry was really….’
As if reflecting the closed nature of the Grace Empire, the imperial official in charge of entry inspection tried to thoroughly investigate our identities and purpose of entry.
They even asked for information on an imperial citizen who could vouch for us.
—You cannot enter the Empire unless you have been invited by an imperial citizen. Please submit your invitation.
—Yes… here it is.
—Please wait while we verify its authenticity. Your guarantor is… Lisa… Grace?
—Yes, that’s right.
—…So you are acquaintances of the Twenty-Third Imperial Princess. My apologies for the discourtesy.
Once it was revealed that we were entering at Lisa’s invitation, the screening became somewhat simpler.
Even so, we were exhausted by the time we received permission to enter.
The friends we met at the immigration hall were in the same state.
“I never thought the entry procedures would be this strict even for Lisa’s friends…. It’s as difficult as they say.”
“I’m so sleepy I could die….”
“No, how can they treat someone from the Min mage family like this? This would be unimaginable in Korea. I’m so furious, seriously….”
“I had a hard time keeping my temper down too. Ah, I’m so stressed! Eunbi-kkabi! Is there anything fun to do?”
“Hmm… I was quite flustered when they asked me to write the family head’s name in Chinese characters.”
Bak Sagun, cleaning his glasses.
Cha Eunsol, leaning against Yeon Haneul’s shoulder as she tried to sleep.
Min Arin, sweeping her red hair back as she swallowed down her anger.
Nam Yuri, wearing a sullen expression.
Yong Haerang, arms crossed as he agreed.
The other friends each voiced their own complaints as well.
We chatted like that while waiting for Lisa to come greet us.
Before long.
Neigh!
Just as the cry of a horse reached our ears, the sound of hooves grew closer.
Sitting in front of the gate terminal, we turned our heads toward the sound.
“…Am I seeing things?”
“….”
A carriage was approaching us along the paved road.
Kang Hanbyeol doubted his eyes, but it was definitely a carriage.
Living in a world where civilization had advanced through science and magic, we could only stare blankly in astonishment.
But when I looked more closely….
‘What, so it was a magic tool.’
The carriage seemed to be powered by mana.
Because once I became aware of the mana permeating the world, I could see the mana rising around the carriage.
Only then did I realize that the horses pulling the carriage were machines that merely looked convincing on the outside.
A few of my friends seemed to have noticed as well.
Just then.
Neigh!
“….”
The carriage came to a stop in front of us.
The horses lifted and lowered their forelegs as if they were alive.
Soon, the person who got down from the driver’s seat opened the carriage door.
“Welcome to the Empire. It’s been a while, everyone. Have you all been well?”
“It seems you passed inspection safely. There is a compartment in the back for luggage. Load your bags and get in.”
Lisa and Mikhail were riding in the carriage.
The two of them welcomed us.
* * *
Apparently, carriages were a famous tourist mode of transportation in the Grace Empire.
It seemed they could travel freely anywhere within the range of the post stations.
‘It’s a little slower than a car, but it has its own charm.’
The carriage was running through the imperial capital.
I half-listened to Lisa’s explanation as I admired the scenery unfolding beyond the window.
A walled city where various cultural styles coexisted passed by.
It was a sight so different from anything in Korea that it felt incredibly novel.
“Because the Empire has such a long history, the imperial capital is a blend of many different eras. After crossing over from another world, architectural styles from this world were incorporated as well. Historically and culturally, it’s an extremely valuable place.”
“….”
It was a feast for the eyes.
My friends must have felt the same way, because they were busy looking out the window too.
A short while later, the carriage stopped.
“This is called Vivian Street. It’s one of the most famous bustling districts in the imperial capital. We’ll look around the street here while heading to see the World Tree over there.”
Lisa got down from the carriage while holding Mikhail’s outstretched hand.
After getting down after her, we looked in the direction she pointed.
Beyond the crowded street, a gigantic tree grew so tall that its top was hidden by the clouds.
It was the World Tree of the Grace Empire.
“Everyone, let’s take a picture here. This is a spot where both Vivian Street and the World Tree come out well.”
Lisa suggested this under the entrance sign, which seemed to have the name of the street written on it.
At that, the girls who liked taking pictures gathered excitedly around her.
Kang Hanbyeol, Yong Haerang, Bak Sagun, the triplets, Mikhail, and I also mixed in among them and found places to stand.
The coachman, who had received Go Eunbi’s smartphone, took the picture for us.
After that, we followed Lisa and explored Vivian Street.
‘I heard that many different races besides humans live in the Grace Empire. It really is fascinating.’
A street filled with exotic sights.
There, we could see not only elves, dwarves, and demihumans, but beastfolk as well.
‘Wow, there are rabbit beastfolk over there. Are they mother and daughter?’
Beastfolk had crossed over from another world with the Grace Empire during the period of the Great Cataclysm.
They were classified separately from demihumans.
Demihumans were beings whose human genes had changed, giving them animal traits.
Beastfolk, on the other hand, were beings who had evolved to resemble humans based on animal genes.
That was why their animal traits were far more pronounced than those of demihumans.
Their eye colors were also varied.
‘If I could, I’d buy those rabbit mother and daughter some carrots…. But they’d be wary of me, right? What a shame.’
As someone who had always liked animals, my gaze naturally went to the beastfolk.
Especially to the rabbit beastfolk.
I couldn’t take my eyes off the pink rabbit mother and daughter, who were amicably shopping together.
For reference, in the Grace Empire, they were apparently called the Myo race.
‘Their fur looks so fluffy. I want to touch it…. Would it feel different from Haneul? It would, wouldn’t it?’
Seriously….
The more I looked at them, the more they made me want to chase after them and attach batteries to their backs.
I smacked my lips regretfully.
That was when I felt someone’s gaze.
“…Haneul?”
“You weren’t thinking anything rude about those beastfolk, were you? You’ve been staring at them for a while.”
“….”
Yeon Haneul was smiling brightly.
Scary.
Soon, her smile vanished.
“Do you like anything as long as it’s a rabbit? Is that why you’re dating me?”
“Haneul, calm down… I think you’re misunderstanding something….”
“Why? If you like rabbits that much, why don’t you just raise a whole bunch of rabbits and die old with them? Or date someone from the Myo race here. They’d be even more rabbit-like than me, so you’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Hey, you and rabbits are different…. Haneul, please listen to me.”
“Hmph, no thanks. Eunbi, Eunsol, let’s go look over there!”
Yeon Haneul was thoroughly sulking.
She swept right past me.
Watching her disappear into the distance while holding hands with the girls, I sighed.
‘I’m going to have a hard time placating Haneul. But is it not even okay to just look…?’
What had already happened couldn’t be helped.
I decided to wait for a chance to put Yeon Haneul in a better mood.
At that moment, Mikhail clicked his tongue and scolded me.
“This is also one of the reasons the Empire is closed off to other countries. People who have never encountered other races before tend to look at them as if they were rare animals.”
“….”
“I understand that beastfolk seem fascinating, but try not to stare too much. It’s disrespectful to them.”
“…I wasn’t thinking enough. I’ll be careful.”
I nodded heavily.
“By the way, I didn’t know you’d be coming too, hyung. What brings you here?”
“It was obvious Lisa would struggle taking care of all of you by herself. So I decided to help. At any rate, I hope you don’t cause trouble and simply enjoy your trip comfortably before returning.”
“Uh… um… that might be… difficult?”
“…If you don’t want to be deported, please behave yourselves.”
* * *
Unlike the World Tree in Academy City, the World Tree of the Grace Empire opened its shrine once a month only to visitors who had applied in advance.
Furthermore, visitors could view the divine staff kept inside the shrine, one of the Twelve Divine Artifacts of the World Tree.
“If I’d been even a little late with the reservation, we wouldn’t have been able to enter the shrine. The slots filled up almost instantly.”
That was why Lisa had planned the trip for this period.
Thanks to her efforts at securing tickets, we were able to enter the shrine of the World Tree.
At that moment, an elf with striking red hair approached us.
“Hello. I am Yesika, guardian of this World Tree. I sincerely welcome His Highness the Fifth Imperial Prince, Her Highness the Twenty-Third Imperial Princess, and your companions.”
The guardian of the World Tree, Yesika.
After briefly exchanging introductions with her, we looked around at the view visible from the shrine.
In the distance, we could see the three walls that surrounded the imperial capital.
“The view is nice.”
“It is.”
Yeon Haneul gently hugged my arm.
Having somehow managed to make up, we admired the scenery while also taking pictures with our friends.
Then, Yesika gathered everyone’s attention.
“Those who wish to view the divine staff, please come to me.”
It was time to view the divine artifact of the World Tree.
We quickly headed over to Yesika.
A short while later, she led us and the other visitors toward the shrine.
‘It was a divine artifact I’d only ever seen in the game…. I’m looking forward to seeing what it’s like in reality.’
Divine Staff—Endless Platina.
It was a divine artifact of the World Tree that had appeared twice in the game.
Once was now, when we went inside the shrine in person like this.
And the other time was….
‘In the final episode of the story.’
According to the game’s progression.
Around the time Kang Hanbyeol was nearing graduation, an all-out war broke out between Hunters and villains.
At that time, Kang Hanbyeol and his party defeated Tacheon after a desperate struggle.
However, they were unable to stop his ambition, and in the end, he caused a massive rift that would lead to the destruction of the world.
In that situation….
‘A platinum light falls before Lisa, and the divine staff appears within it.’
It was a scene that had left a deep impression on me in the game.
Even now, after being reincarnated into this world, I could vividly recall the scene where Lisa, recognized as the owner of the divine staff, sealed the massive rift.
The thought that I could view that very divine staff made my heart pound.
Before long.
“Since the shrine is protected by all kinds of security magic, please do not recklessly touch anything inside. Also, do not under any circumstances step beyond the sacred ropes. If you do and an accident occurs, you will bear responsibility for it.”
“….”
We stepped into the shrine.
Inside the space carved into the trunk of the World Tree, tools that looked as though they might be used in rituals were on display.
Sacred ropes preventing access had been set up around the tools.
“The divine staff is this way.”
Following Yesika’s guidance, we moved to the innermost area.
The Divine Staff—Endless Platina was kept there.
‘…I can tell it’s not ordinary.’
A golden staff decorated with jewels of every color.
At a glance, the Divine Staff—Endless Platina gave off a holy aura that was far from ordinary.
Captivated by that aura, we stared at the divine staff almost in a daze.
“I want to steal it….”
“….”
…Hanbyeol, you can’t do that.
Coming back to my senses at the sound of him swallowing, I decided to shift my thoughts.
‘In the game, it only appeared as an event item, so I couldn’t check its information. Should I take a look now?’
I focused my eyes.
I brought up the divine staff’s information.
Unfortunately, however.
[The target’s rank is unfathomably high.]
[Information cannot be viewed.]
Tch.
The message I wanted did not appear.
In truth, I hadn’t expected much, and I clicked my tongue inwardly.
The anomaly happened then.
For an instant, the divine staff seemed to flash….
‘Huh?’
The world transformed.
Before I knew it, I was standing amid ruins.
And yet, they somehow felt familiar.
‘This place is….’
Under a night sky where not even starlight could be seen.
Looking around at the collapsed city, I spoke the name that abruptly came to mind.
“Heartland?”
I Became the Childhood Friend of the Mid-Boss