“Look over there. We’ve arrived at the Imperial Capital.”
“Wow…”
How long had it been since we passed through the vast forest, crossed the enormous hills, and the endless plains had become a familiar sight?
Even though we had used the overwhelmingly time-saving method of traveling through the sky, it still took a great deal of time to come from the westernmost edge of the Empire to the Imperial Capital.
It made me truly realize that the domain of Prah, where I was born, had not been nicknamed the Western Speartip for nothing.
“…It’s huge.”
The view of the Imperial Capital, which I finally saw after traveling a distance so long that even I, who had merely sat still on the Celestial Horse’s saddle, felt mentally exhausted, was indeed very different from the villages of this world that I knew.
There were no city walls to be seen. No moat, either.
All I could see was a spectacle of buildings spreading outward in every direction, like water spilled from a cup and splashing across the floor, and crowds of people walking between them.
Like a modern city from my previous life, the boundary between the city and its outskirts was indistinct.
This was the first time in my second life that I had seen such a dense, overcrowded city.
“Pretty surprising, isn’t it? A lot of people live in the Imperial Capital, so it might look a little stifling to you. But once you get used to it, even a packed-together view like that will start to feel familiar.”
“It’s incredible. I never thought such an enormous city could exist…”
As I craned my neck and stared blankly down at the city below, the mage smiled softly and looked back at me.
“It’s too early to be surprised. This is only a drop in the bucket.”
“What?”
“The place you’re looking at is District 13, which serves as the gateway to the Imperial Capital. You’ve only seen one district, haven’t you? There are also places like District 3, where Academia is located, and District 6, where people are especially concentrated.”
What had this mage just said?
That enormous city below wasn’t the whole Imperial Capital, but only one district?
Did this fantasy world really have that large a population?
“You’re saying that’s only part of the Imperial Capital?”
I pointed with the tip of my finger at the city stretching beyond the horizon.
That place, vast and expansive enough to compare to a mid-sized city in a modern nation, wasn’t the entirety of the Imperial Capital?
“Mm-hm. District 13 below us is what you might call an outer district where outsiders to the Imperial Capital gather. That’s why it’s a little more chaotic than the other districts. Of course, because it draws in the most people, it’s the largest of the thirteen districts as well.”
The mage said with a smile that District 13 beneath our feet was the place that contributed greatly to the city’s expansion.
She said that after only a few days, new buildings kept multiplying as though giving birth to offspring.
That was why, as a joke, they said there were residents who, despite having lived in District 13 for years, would ask travelers who had just arrived in the Imperial Capital for directions.
They would say that the traveler, having just passed through the outskirts of District 13, probably knew that part better than they did.
“Now then, our destination is District 3, where Academia is, so from here on I won’t explain anything and we’ll pass through quickly. Even if you see something interesting on the way, we’ll just go right past it, so don’t be too disappointed.”
“…Wait a moment. Don’t we need permission from the guards here to enter the Imperial Capital? This is the capital of the Empire where the emperor resides, isn’t it? Outsiders shouldn’t be able to just come in as they please.”
Even in my previous life, when people could freely travel the world, you still had to go through passport checks to enter another country.
And this place, in particular, was a fantasy land where you couldn’t find anything resembling human rights no matter how hard you looked.
If so, then naturally there had to be a “right” required to enter the inner parts of the Imperial Capital.
Whether that was a pass purchased with money or a family token proving one’s status.
“Is it really all right to enter the Imperial Capital like this without any permission?”
“Mm. As you said, if we had walked into the Imperial Capital, I would have had to prove my identity to the guards at the gate in District 13. Like I said, people who want to live inside the Imperial Capital gather in District 13 practically every single day.”
The mage briefly explained what would have happened if we had arrived like ordinary people.
We would have to push through narrow alleys and waves of enormous crowds, then stand in a line for an eligibility examination to enter the inner part of the Imperial Capital, where the end could not be seen, and wait our turn.
Of course, thanks to the luxurious clothes I was wearing, we would also end up meeting three or four flies drawn to me.
After all, the people in the Imperial Capital did not revere country bumpkin nobles.
Rather, they saw them as honey pots with plenty to be picked clean.
“If things went that way, you and I might be late for Academia’s entrance ceremony and get indicted by the Empire’s Supreme Inquisition. Just hearing it gives you chills, doesn’t it?”
“So normally, one would have to go through all of that to enter?”
“Yes. If we hadn’t flown in through the sky, that is.”
Prrrrr!
The mage turned the Celestial Horse’s reins, breaking away from its straight course and beginning to move in a certain direction.
“But there’s a good way to avoid all those troublesome matters. We simply pass over District 13 and head inside from the start.”
“Like flying in through the sky like this?”
“Whether you fly in through the sky or teleport in, as long as you somehow get past District 13, it becomes extremely easy to move around afterward. That’s because the very mystical ability to enter the Imperial Capital without going through the gate is recognized as a form of status in itself.”
The mage glanced around for a moment, then looked back at me as I listened attentively.
“What I’m saying is, there’s a reason Academia uses mages like me as guides. You’re a precious talent who can become a mage, so there’s no need for you to go through the bother of having your identity checked at the gate like ordinary people.”
“Special treatment, then.”
“Of course. The supply of talented mages is never smooth. It’s one of the rights authorized by the emperor in order to train even one more mage.”
I see.
So the Empire wasn’t forcibly gathering people capable of becoming mages for no reason.
Considering that they were willing to provide this much convenience just to bring them in, it almost seemed desperate in a way.
“So if you become a mage too, you won’t have to bother entering through District 13 and going through an identity check. Though of course, I don’t know what kind of magic you’ll have.”
The mage briefly examined my face, seeing that I seemed to accept her explanation, then turned her head and guided the Celestial Horse.
Whoooooong.
Perhaps because we had entered the Imperial Capital, instead of cool and refreshing air, a somewhat stuffy and slick breeze flowed past my cheeks.
On the way, we pierced through a dangerously large cloud of steam rising from what looked like an enormous factory, and we also flew between buildings that soared into the sky like skyscrapers from my previous life, quickly arriving at our destination.
Since I had been so fascinated by the unfamiliar buildings and by the sight of people moving with such perfect order like ants, I lost track of time watching them and did not feel all that tired.
You could say my eyes had been entertained.
And so, without a word, we crossed the skies of the Imperial Capital and arrived at District 3, where Academia was located.
“This is the sacred ground of learning and the place where Academia stands, District 3. Get down.”
The place where the Celestial Horse landed was a round landing pad made of pure white marble.
It was similar to a helicopter landing pad from my previous life.
Of course, there was no one guiding the landing like with a helicopter, but there was someone approaching from afar after confirming that the Celestial Horse had descended.
Prrrrr!
“…Yes, thank you for carrying us such a long distance. You can go back and rest now.”
The mage nodded, adjusted the harness on the Celestial Horse, then took out an object like a pure white crystal from a pouch at her chest and placed it in the Celestial Horse’s mouth.
Then.
Crunch!
Neeeeigh.
The Celestial Horse chewed the crystal-like object in its mouth without hesitation, then let out a long cry in a voice only she could hear.
“All right. Next time, let’s fly with just the two of us.”
Upon hearing the mage’s words, the Celestial Horse smiled in satisfaction and looked back at me once.
“…?”
Pruhuung!
The Celestial Horse gazed at me intently like a person, then gave a short cry and gently pressed its enormous head against my shoulder.
As I was flustered by the sudden weight of the Celestial Horse’s head and did not know what to do, the Celestial Horse raised its head again and leisurely disappeared through the portal the mage opened.
“…What was that?”
“Remarkable. Gaining the recognition of a Celestial Horse is truly difficult. Especially when you are not a mage and likely possess no pure ether.”
“What?”
At the sudden sound of a stranger’s voice, I hurriedly turned to look at the woman who had brought me here, but she was already bowing her head and greeting the unfamiliar woman who had spoken to me.
“Hello, Professor. You’re on duty today?”
“Yes, Belle. Professor Jian suddenly had a stomachache and asked me to switch shifts with her. Honestly, her stomach is so small, yet I don’t know why she loves eating so much.”
“…Professor Jian is the same as ever.”
Belle Daisy greeted the middle-aged woman who had come toward us with ease, as though they were well acquainted.
“Let’s see. You’re the child Belle brought, then. You must be Jin Prah, eldest son of Count Prah.”
“Uh… nice to meet you?”
“You’re bright with your greetings. Fortunately, Belle, the child you brought isn’t a dud.”
The middle-aged woman gave a slight smile toward me, who had offered an awkward greeting, and introduced herself.
“It’s nice to meet you. I am Ran Tiyu, the professor in charge of the first-year students of the Faculty of Mysticism this year. You may call me Professor Ran.”