Chapter 49: Chapter 39: Mutm, the Imperial Capital.

Echoes of Fire and Shadows

Chapter 39: Mutm, the Imperial Capital.

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"Wow..." The sight in front of me had left me speechless...

"I can't believe I'm actually here..." Klein said with disbelief.

"I see, so this is the capital... We haven't even entered yet and everything is so lively and noisy... I love it!" Mia was so excited that she suddenly started clapping.

We had finally reached our destination. The city of Mutm, the city founded by the Hero Rokkshar after defeating my ancestor, the Demon King, Bass…

In front of us, there were huge walls that were as white as marble and easily above 15 meters in height… On those walls, there was a pair of enormous iron gates behind a portcullis of almost the same size as the gates.

The portcullis was raised and the iron gates were open as wide as they could be, inviting everyone to see the marvels of the capital city of the Marcelian Empire.

The architectural design of the city seemed a bit odd at first… I never studied architecture, but I noticed that the design was some sort of mix between classical architecture, romanesque architecture, and gothic architecture. The more I looked at the buildings, the more I started to like the strange yet familiar design. In fact, this strange style even reminded me a bit of the city I used to live in when I was on Earth.

Most of the buildings seemed to be made out of wood, stone, bricks, marble, or clay, but they all still followed the same design patterns…

If I looked to the right, I could see all the much newer buildings which combined all the previously mentioned styles in things like columns with awe-inspiring geometrical shapes and patterns and even flying buttresses. 

If I looked to the left, I could see the older buildings which seemed to be under renovations to follow the same designs as the new ones, but they still seemed to favor one architectural style over the others.

And if I looked forward… At the end of the long paved main street, past all of the beautiful buildings and the seas of people, I could see another much smaller wall and behind it, a majestic white castle built at the edge of a cliff near the sea.

It was truly a sight to behold!

Everything about Mutm was simply so astonishing… I had no other words to describe the city… I really couldn't contain my excitement after seeing such a place!

As expected of one of the oldest cities in this world… It really has that same fantasy feeling as the cities in all of those anime, manga, and novels that Claire loved so much and made me watch!

Now that I think about it, these walls do remind me a bit of that old anime about people who fought titans using some sort of tridimensional maneuver equipment to move around the city using the buildings around them…

What was the name of that anime again? 

Nevermind that… I wonder if I could make some equipment like that in the future? It would be interesting to try.

Anyway, regardless of whether people were going in or out, the city guards and the knights were examining everyone and the goods they were carrying.

Adventurers, mercenaries, farmers, and merchants… No matter your profession, your race, and how much money you have on you, you still have to wait in line to be examined and pay the fee to enter the city. 

However, social standing does matter for this quite a bit… 

People of noble origin with nice fancy carriages and their escorts were able to quickly enter the city without waiting for long through much smaller secondary gates a bit further away from the main ones.

The reason for that is most likely to prevent unnecessary conflicts between nobles and commoners about who gets to enter the city first. That and because they probably don't want to mingle with us commoners for too long.

Yeah, I do think it is a little unfair, but that's how things are. They are the ruling class, after all, it is only natural that they'd make themselves the exception.

In any case, there were hundreds of people in front of us, waiting in line so they could enter the city. On the other side of the road, there were fewer people lined up to leave.

Well, even though there are fewer people on that side, the flow of traffic was terrible on both sides… Mainly due to the many merchants trying to bring their caravans full of goods in and out of the city.

Since we had just arrived, it was painfully obvious that going into the city was going to take a long time…

Fortunately, that was not the case for us! For a variety of reasons.

The most important one is that since we were invited by Eliana and she's part of the nobility, then that means that we are in the obligation to go use the secondary gates that the nobles use in order to keep the appearances and show off Eliana's status and power. 

There's also the fact that Dad is still technically a noble even if he was disowned by his family. Since he is a bit of a national hero and used to be an important knight, he is treated like a noble and is allowed to use the secondary gates at his leisure.

I feel bad for the people waiting in line, but hey, as long as we can enter the city, I won't complain about privilege.

Anyhow~. All of us kids had returned to our wagon by Ophelia's suggestion a few minutes ago. We did it so the knights could properly escort us into the city.

I forgot to mention it, but there are also a pair of new passengers for our merry wagon… Those passengers are Neris and Elissa, the girl that Klein has fallen for.

Our small caravan was being escorted by Ophelia and the Blue Roses towards one of the secondary gates.

The professor's carriage was leading the caravan and going in first since he had to return to the castle and inform Eliana of our arrival. The professor's carriage was followed closely by us in our little wagon and then last but not least, my dad who was traveling alone in the wagon that had most of our supplies and luggage.

"So? What do you think of the Imperial Capital so far, kids?" My mom asked with an expectant look on her face. 

"It is even better than I thought! I can't thank the gods enough that I'm alive to see this place!" Klein prostrated himself and started praying with tears of joy in his eyes.

"You haven't even gone into the city yet, silly." Elissa looked a little amused thanks to Klein's behavior.

"But it is still so amazing! This is the first time in my life that I have seen this many people!" Mia replied instead of her brother. She was beaming with excitement. 

Her genuine smile immediately made my heart beat wildly…

"The houses are so big too! I wanna go into all of them to see what they look like inside!" Leaf was peeking her head out of my shirt pocket. She was looking at everything with a curious expression.

I was not particularly shocked by the number of people swarming the main street and the city gates. I lived in several big cities in my past life, after all. It was still impressive, but the thing that got me was the strange architecture and the mesmerizing views.

(The city is pretty impressive despite being a monument to Basalto's death… Bassand is way better though.) Lia said in a cold and mildly irritated tone.

(Well, I do have to agree with that. Still, I think Mutm has its charm.) I said to Lia.

The capital of my homeland, Bassand, is way smaller than Mutm, both population-wise and in general size, yet it is still far more advanced.

I don't remember much about the city even after Lia unlocked most of my memories of it. That is, unfortunately, the result of me not being allowed to go out of my family's castle very often.

The few memories I have about Bassand are pretty good actually. Most of my visits to the city were with my parents and Lia during festivals and special occasions.

(I wonder if we could do that once more when I go back…) I thought as I was filled with nostalgia.

(Ahh! I promise that we'll do it! As soon as you can return, I'll organize something for you!) Thiasis immediately panicked the moment she noticed how I felt.

(I'll be looking forward to it then.) I was happy to hear those words.

(Leave it to me! Festivals and parties are my specialties!) Thiasis said before giggling with excitement.

(If you have the time to set up a festival, then let's go back to work.) Lia said to her other half with a flat tone.

Even though I don't know when I'll be able to return, I'm still happy that I can look forward to it… 

"Hey! Hey! So what do you think of Mutm? Are you impressed?" Liliana asked before hugging me from behind. Her sudden actions made me snap out of my thoughts.

"I am! The city is way more beautiful than what I read!" I turned around and smiled at my older sister. "The descriptions people have made really don't do the city any justice!" I nodded to myself as I gave her my honest opinion.

I may prefer Bassand, but my opinion of Mutm is pretty great so far.

"You should be saying that after you have gone into the city." My mom chuckled after hearing my response. She seemed to be in a really good mood.

"Julius, Mutm is very beautiful but it can also be really overwhelming and a bit dangerous, especially if it is your first time visiting. It wouldn't be strange if you were left frozen in place from the initial shock, someone decided to pickpocket you." Luna said as she moved closer to Liliana and me. 

"Ugh… That happened to me when I came to live here…" Neris said before letting out a very awkward laugh. "It took me a while to get used to the noisy streets and all the people around, but it is genuinely a great place!" Neris said with a smile.

"See? So that's why if you feel overwhelmed, you can come to me and I'll hold your hand to keep you safe~!" Liliana said with a confident look on her face. "That's what big sisters are for after all~!" She then tightened her hug.

"D-D-Don't forget about me! I'll keep you safe too! I know these streets like the palm of my hand!" Luna said in a rush before hugging me too.

Jeez… My sisters are really adorable too…

It only took us a few minutes to reach the gate used by the nobility. We still needed to pay the fee, so when the caravan stopped moving my dad had to get off his wagon to pay the fee.

Since my sisters were still hugging me very tightly, my mom was casting glances at us and wagging her eyebrows repeatedly…

...

...

...

Dammit! She made me conscious of that again! 

Sigh... Ever since I had that talk with her about being more selfish, I can't stop thinking about the possibility that the twins may have romantic feelings for me...

And it is not like mom helps me forget about it either. Ever since this trip started, she has again and again taken it upon herself to remind me of that fact in not so subtle ways! Every time she does it, I end up becoming awkward around Liliana and Luna!

"Julius, your whole face is red… Are you feeling ill?" Said Luna before suddenly pressing her forehead against mine. "Hmmm… You don't have a fever or anything." She spoke with relief.

"I-I-I'm fine, thank you…" I tried to play it cool, but having Luna so close to me was making me extra awkward.

"Hehehe! I'm sure he's just embarrassed that we are pampering him in front of Neris and Elissa!" Liliana said with a mischievous tone. 

"N-N-No, that's not…-" I ended up stuttering…

"You don't need to try to act cool! You can't fool your older sister!" As usual, Liliana was acting very cheeky towards me…

Both Neris and Elissa just giggled in response while I sat there in silence, glaring at my mom. My mom seemed very satisfied with this situation.

Dear gods… Mom, I swear that I will back at you for making me feel this embarrassed!

While I was thinking of possibly revenge plans against my mother, Ophelia and my dad both came over to our carriage.

"I have the pleasure to inform you that you are all welcome to go into the city~!" Ophelia was all smiles when she arrived.

"So I assume everything went well." My mom said with a gentle smile.

"Aye. The only thing worth mentioning is that coming into the city is more expensive than what I remember…" My dad looked a little annoyed.

"Well, remember that not only one, but two princesses are graduating at the same time from the Blaise Academy. It is obvious that His Majesty would decide to increase the fee to enter the city to fill the city's coffers." Ophelia said nonchalantly.

"Sigh… I know, I know… But 200 des per wagon seems a little excessive, don't you think?" My dad complained.

"Don't look at me, I don't make the rules!" Ophelia just shrugged in response.

"Fred, you really like to choose the weirdest things to get stingy about…" My mom looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Stop acting like we don't have the money to pay that miserable sum." My mom scolded my dad.

"Alright… It still feels like I'm being robbed though…" My dad said before letting out a sigh. "The old man said that he will go ahead to the castle to inform Eliana about our arrival." My dad said as he pointed at the luxurious carriage that was already getting lost amidst the crowded streets of the city.

Well, I guess that means that we'll be seeing Eliana and Marina sooner rather than later. I'm not too excited to meet Eliana again for obvious reasons, but I am excited about seeing Marina.

"Anyway, you guys sold your house in the capital, right? Do you have a place to stay?" Ophelia asked before peeking into the carriage. "I wouldn't mind if you all stayed in my home! We have plenty of space so the kids can have a sleepover! It would be pretty fun, don't you think Neris?" Ophelia smiled at me and Neris.

"Aunt Ophelia! D-D-Don't treat me like a kid!" Neris got extremely embarrassed thanks to her aunt's antics.

I mean, it could be fun. Though it is clear that Ophelia wants us to stay with her so she can keep spoiling me… 

"There's also a lot of unused space in the barracks if you wish to stay there. I'm sure that the others would love the idea!" Elissa suggested with a warm smile.

The moment she said that I could see that all of the Blue Roses that were standing in front of our carriage started nodding vigorously. Klein was also nodding like his life depended on it.

"I appreciate the offers, but I already have a place in mind. I want to visit the old neighborhood, you know?" My mom quickly rejected both offers with a smile. Her voice was filled with nostalgia.

At that moment, I heard a collective groan of disappointment coming from the knights from outside our wagon…

"I imagined that would be the case." Ophelia said with a bit of disappointment. "I suppose this goodbye for now then. As you can imagine, I can't let my subordinates organize the trial and the execution of the bandits on their own, so we have to go." Ophelia was sad about having to part ways, but she still smiled at us.

I heard another collective groan of disappointment from the Blue Roses.

"Well, please enjoy your free time, you two. Don't forget to show Julius the most interesting places in the capital in my place! We'll see each other at the barracks then." Ophelia said to Neris and Elissa.

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"Of course! Leave it to me!" Neris replied with increasing excitement.

"Consider it done." Elissa replied while smiling warmly at Klein, who in turn, looked mesmerized by the sight of his crush.

Ophelia nodded with satisfaction. She was about to turn around and walk back to her horse but she stopped herself.

"Ah, before I forget it, you are very welcome to come to visit your Aunt Ophi at our headquarters, okay Julius?" Ophelia smiled and winked at me. "You need to come to pick up your reward for capturing the bandits, so don't wait too long to visit!" Ophelia playfully stuck out her tongue and then walked away towards her horse.

Oh! I almost forgot that those guys had bounties on their heads! I already brought with me a lot of spending money from my savings, but more money is always welcome! Hehehe~!

And just like that Ophelia left. She was followed shortly after by the Blue Roses, who all had departing words to say to us.

Most of them were encouraging us to visit them as soon as possible, saying that they'll miss us and wishing that we have a lot of fun visiting new places here in the capital.

I'll really miss them too. I certainly enjoyed being spoiled by them, even if it was a little embarrassing at times…

All of us just waved at the knights as we watched them leave.

"Guess we should get going too. Lead the way, Lilia." My dad said to us before walking back to his wagon.

"Alright! Sit tight and enjoy the view, kids. I'll take the longest route, so you can see the most beautiful parts of the city!" My mom turned her head and smiled with confidence.

And so, our wagon started moving again, this time through the busy streets of Mutm. 

Since I didn't know exactly where we were going, I just merely enjoyed the beautiful architecture of the city and observing the people from all the different races in the streets living their lives and minding their own business.

While I was doing that, my mom started giving us a class about the city.

Mutm is mostly divided into districts, the most important ones are the Commercial and Religious Districts which are located in the center of the city, the Artisan's District to the west, the Noble District to the southeast, the Ports to the south where the sea is, and finally the Academic District which is located in between the center of the city and the Noble District. 

There are also the slums and the Ruined District. Slums are located in the northwestern part of the city and are basically glued to the walls of the city. The Ruined District is the former Noble District which was completely destroyed during a powerful earthquake less than five years ago. It is located to the northeast, just a few kilometers away from the new Noble District.

We passed through several important and famous places of the city like the Imperial Plaza where all the temples and churches were located, the city market, we crossed the Luminas Bridge over the Iris River which cuts the city in half, and the huge port filled with wooden ships loading and unloading their cargo…

We also visited the middle walls of the city, which divided the noble district from the rest of the city. Since we were with my dad, we could easily go into the district without any trouble, but my mom said that we can visit it later.

Instead, we went all the way west and then to the north, towards the slums. The streets around us were filled with all kinds of workshops. Blacksmiths, alchemists, magic tool artisans, tailors, and seamstresses… No matter where you looked, you could find one of those stores in this district.

Not only that but there were numerous bars and inns around the area for all of the workers to have drinks when they were finished working for the day.

There's also apparently a Red Light District too, which is supposed to be part of the Entertainment District but my mom didn't even want to tell me where that entire was…

It is not like I have any interest in that particular district since I'm not even allowed there because of my age, but still…

Ah, during the whole class, Klein was acting like a fangirl watching their favorite boy band playing for them on stage. It was an interesting experience to see that, but I was happy for him.

In any case, after taking quite a few turns here and there, we found ourselves stopping in front of a three-storied house that was surrounded by a tall brick wall.

We were only a kilometer or so away from the walls and the slums…

"We have finally arrived!" My mom said the moment the wagon stopped moving "Sheesh! Things haven't really changed in the neighborhood, huh." She said with a happy smile while looking at everything around with nostalgia.

Just like most of the buildings in the district, the house seemed to be quite old. Instead of following the new designs near the main gates, the buildings in this area were all of gothic design. The brick wall had two wooden gates, a big one for carriages and a small one for people.

"This is the house I grew up in! I'm sure you're gonna love it!" My mom said to me with excitement. 

"Oh! So this is where you grew up!?" I looked at the house with increasing interest.

"I would have liked to take you to see our old house too, but since we sold it when we moved, it might be a bit difficult…" Mom said with a bit of sadness.

"Really? That's a shame… But it's okay, I'm happy enough to be able to stay in your childhood home." I smiled at her.

"Don't worry, mom! We'll take him there later! It is just a few streets away from here anyway!" Liliana said to us with a wide smile.

"I'm sure that if we talk with the new owners they'll understand and they might let us go in." Luna added with a bit of excitement. Although I could feel a bit of anxiety in her voice too…

"You may be right about that. Let's hope they are nice people and they indulge us for a bit." My mom nodded. "It has been a long trip, so how about we go inside and have lunch?" She suggested.

Naturally, all of us immediately agreed with her suggestion since we were tired from the long trip and all the sightseeing we had just done.

All of us quickly got out of the carriage. However, the moment my feet touched the cracky cobblestone streets, I felt a massive shiver going down my spine… I started to have goosebumps and I was sweating bullets…

I found myself looking all around me with my hand on the hilt of my blade as a burst of weird yet familiar laughter echoed for a moment in my mind… I could even feel the faint presence of its owner nearby in the direction of the slums…

(Lia, do you feel that…?) I asked warily.

(Yeah...) She replied with a serious tone. (I can feel some faint traces of Agmos descending upon the material plane. He is no longer down there, but…) Lia seemed a little confused.

(But?)

(It is strange… Why would he descend here and now? Could it be that he has just chosen someone as his apostle or is in the process of turning that person into one? That would explain why he left traces of his presence… Yeah, that would make sense… Maybe, it is possible that…-) Lia suddenly started talking to herself…

Before I could make her snap out of it, my own shoulders were grabbed and shaken repeatedly.

"Julius! What's the matter!?" My mom looked at me and shouted in a panic.

Not only my mom, but my older sisters, Mia, Klein, Neris, Elissa, and even my dad who had just gotten off his wagon were looking at me with concern.

Neris and Elissa were also prepared to brandish their weapons at a moment's notice… Both of them were looking around for the threat I had felt…

"N-No… Nothing… I just thought that someone was looking at us with malice…" I said while letting go of my sword…

"But there's no one around…" Mia said to me while tilting her head.

"Ah…" As I looked around, I realized that Mia was right. The street was completely deserted. "Sorry, I guess I'm more exhausted than I thought… It must have been my mind playing tricks on me. I'm sorry that I made you worry." I lied and apologized to everyone while sending a few serious glances at my mom.

My mom quickly caught on to what I was trying to tell her and nodded in response. I'd explain everything to her later.

Since Lia had confirmed it, I was sure that what I just felt wasn't a hallucination. I felt a little bad about lying, but I couldn't say anything about it since Neris and Elissa were here with us…

"Jeez! Don't make us worry like that kid!" My dad started to ruffle my hair. "But I get it! On my first long trip, I was also seeing things by the end of it! For a moment, I thought I was going to have to fight a minotaur, but it turns out that it was just a really hairy guy whose face resembled a cow's!" My father let out his usual loud laughter as he told a story from his youth.

Thankfully, my dad's laughter quickly erased the tense atmosphere I had created…

However, just a few moments after that, a cranky human old man came out from my mom's childhood home…

The man was… Well… Very old. He seemed to be closer to his eighties than he was to his early seventies. He was balding, but he still had a bit of white hair here and there and a short white goatee… His brown eyes were filled with fury and annoyance. Since he was not standing fully upright, he didn't seem any taller than 1.75 meters tall. He was walking towards us with a cane and everything.

"What is this commotion about!? Are you all here to try and break in again!? Bring it on you punks! I swear that I will tear you a new buttho…-" The man was about to verbally rip us apart, however, he was left speechless when he saw my mom. "Little Lili…?" His expression was filled with nostalgia and shock.

The old man quickly rubbed his eyes with his free hand, almost as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"Yes, it is me! Your beautiful and lovely granddaughter!" My mom spoke without any shame whatsoever. 

Hold up… Grandpa? Didn't mom say that she was an orphan and that she was raised by her magic teacher? I'm a bit lost now…

"My beautiful Lili… I can't believe you're here… I thought that I'd die without seeing you again…" my mom's grandfather(?) was on the verge of tears. "And the twins! Look at them! They have grown so much!" A huge smile appeared on his face when he saw my older sisters. He only had a few teeth left.

Both of my sisters also seemed quite excited as well as a little embarrassed. Liliana and Luna smiled warmly and waved at him.

"Hahaha! Don't say something like that! It only has been a few years, but you still look as young as ever! You still have plenty of life ahead of you!" My mom smiled happily as she walked over to the old man. "Since things have been going well, we decided to pay a little visit. So, would you mind letting us in? There's someone I'd like to introduce you to, you know?" My mom asked after hugging him.

As soon as the old man heard that question, he panicked…

"Please wait right here! Absolutely do not move and do not enter the house until I come back!" He said in a panic before running back inside the house.

All of us, my mom included, were left stunned by the abnormal running speed of the old man… 

"Laura! Sarana! You two have twenty fucking seconds to bring your lazy asses down here right this instant! If you don't clean this huge mess right now, I swear to the gods I'll crack open your skulls with my cane!" The old man screamed at the top of his lungs. "Don't you dare embarrass me in front of Lilia and my great-granddaughters!" I was able to hear the sounds of things being thrown around inside the house…

Soon, the noises inside the house became louder and louder… The shouts of a pair of women were now added into the mix…

I couldn't help but look at my parents with confusion.

What the heck just happened?

"Hahaha! Bruno hasn't changed in the slightest." My father just laughed.

"Grandpa is just as intense as ever!" Liliana said with pride.

"Yeah. Did you see his head? I think his hair is growing back and all!" Luna nodded in agreement.

Those three were pretty unconcerned about my confusion. The only one who finally decided to give me answers was my mother.

"Mom, weren't you an orphan?" I asked.

"Hehehe… I guess you must be a little confused…" My mom said with an awkward smile. "But yes, as I have told you before I was an orphan and I was raised by my magic teacher. Bruno was her business partner and her ex-husband back in the day." My mom explained to me, still with that same awkward smile from before.

"Ah, I see… I thought for a moment that he was your actual grandfather." I nodded in understanding.

"Hehehe… Well, he just sorta decided to help my teacher, Arentia, to raise me and he just became my grandfather." My mom said. "That was almost 28 long years ago. When I was about your age, I wanted him to call me his daughter, but he always said that it would be better for him to be my grandfather since he was already one hundred years old." My mom revealed a shocking fact with a warm smile on her face.

Wait a minute… That old man is 128 years old and he can move so fast!? Holy cow! Talk about aging well, jeez!

"Hey, so I'm gonna need you to do me a favor, okay?" My mother whispered to me. "Can you take off that magic tool of yours when I introduce you to your grandpa? I don't want you two to have a relationship while you're hiding your true self." My mom's eyes were full of expectation.

I think I forgot to mention this, but I have not taken off one of the magic tools that I commissioned Urfathy to make. Ever since we departed, I have been wearing one of the rings so my hair has been light brown-colored, just like my sister's. 

"But what about Neris and Elissa? They are here too… Are you sure you want me to show them my hair?" I whispered back to her.

"You know that both of them are good girls! If they had any bad intentions, Lady Lia would have said so a long time ago, right?" My mom said with confidence.

(She's right about that!) Thiasis chimed in.

(For the last time! Get back to work! The barrier will crumble without proper maintenance!) The logical Lia was genuinely pissed off against her other-self.

I just ignored both of them and nodded in agreement with my mom.

"Well, I don't mind doing that if it is what you want, mom." I said to my mom.

"Don't look so reluctant! Neris and Elissa will hopefully be in our lives for a long time! It's really bad to keep secrets among family~!" My mom quipped.

I was about to say something back to her, however, I couldn't since my newfound adoptive grandfather had returned looking quite flustered.

"Sorry for the wait! Please come in! Let's have some tea! You all must be tired from the journey!" Bruno was sweating profusely.

"Let's go in." My mother smiled mischievously. Almost as if she was impatient to introduce me to Bruno. "Ah! Dear, can you park the wagons and leave the horses on the patio? We don't want them out here by the time all the bars are open and the drunkards start coming." My mom said to my dad.

My dad only replied with a nod, before walking away to open the bigger gate.

The rest of us quickly went inside since Bruno was urging us. He was quite surprised to see that my mom was basically pushing me into his house… I hope we can get along. 

I would like to hear stories from my mom's childhood.

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Chapter 39: Mutm, the Imperial Capital.

END

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