As Noah continued on horseback, the first rays of dawn appeared.
During his journey, Noah rehearsed what he would say. He didn’t need to invent a complicated story.
Several mages had attacked the caravan, and he could not estimate their number. Averitt had remained behind to face them and had ordered Noah to take his horse and escape. After escaping, Noah saw nothing except a group of flames.
Most of the story was true, and it would not be difficult to prove.
As the sun rose, Charchal appeared before him.
High walls and watchtowers surround the Imperial City. Massive buildings rose behind the walls, reminding Noah of fantasy cities in Disney films.
He reached the main gate. The city had two separate entrances. People formed a line at the Lower Blood entrance, where soldiers checked everyone and their belongings. An official collected entrance fees, and those without money were removed.
The nobles’ entrance was wide and nearly empty except for two knights standing at the gate.
Noah guided his horse toward it.
The knight raised his sword suspiciously but lowered it as soon as Noah took out the silver emblem of Lupton.
His stance changed immediately.
"I apologize, my lord."
The knight did not ask Noah to dismount, search his clothes, or inquire about his belongings.
Noah said,
"I am Noah Lupton. A caravan belonging to Charlemagne was attacked on the road. Lord Averitt was leading it."
The guard’s face changed.
"L-Lord Averitt?"
Averitt was a core member of Charlamagne . It was no surprise that the knight had such a terrified expression.
The knight turned toward the soldiers behind him.
"Open the gate! Send a knight to the main headquarters to report immediately."
The soldiers made way for Noah. The guard bowed again before allowing Noah to enter.
The Silver emblem needed nothing more than that.
Charchal, one of the oldest empire cities, had streets that twisted between buildings and got narrower the farther from the main street. The roads surrounding the gate were clean and paved, but spaces blocked by buildings had garbage and dirt.
Two knights sent by the guard accompanied Noah.
One of them said, leading his horse in front of him:
Noah noticed several children inside one of the alleys.
Their clothes were wet with dirty water, but they laughed as they pulled food scraps from a pile of trash. One of the children wiped his hands on the cleanest part of his clothes and put what he had found in his mouth.
The children crowded around the food. The smaller ones stood far away and received nothing.
Noah returned his gaze to the road.
"If no one dies of hunger, then it deserves to be called the most prosperous city." Noah commented sarcastically
The knight nodded proudly, as if he had received personal praise.
They continued forward.
After several streets, Noah could smell sweet bread. Men and women dressed in expensive clothing stood in front of a large bakery, choosing from many kinds of sweets.
A woman wearing a white dress embroidered with golden threads stood in front of the bakery window. A servant gave her a small piece, which she placed in her mouth.
"The crust is crispy, but the inside is soft."
The baker gave a little bow.
"The dough is designed so that the cream comes out when it is chewed, my lady."
"Send two boxes to our residence."
The baker bowed several times, thanking her.
Behind the woman and her servants, several people stood watching the displayed food, but did not approach. The smell attracted them, but their clothes prevented them from entering the shop.
Noah’s gaze met the attractive girl’s before she looked at him absentmindedly and continued on her way.
The horse moved, and the scene disappeared behind Noah.
Those of the Superior Blood made up less than five percent of the city’s population, yet they controlled most of Charchal’s wealth.
Noah reached another wall separating the outer section from the inner section.
The Lupton emblem appeared again, and the soldiers opened the gate without searching him.
After crossing the wall, the city changed. The roads widened, and the garbage piles disappeared. Mansions extended behind private walls; their gates bore the emblems of the families living inside. The servants were all decked out in uniform, and patrols were set up at regular intervals.
The noble houses lived in this section, far from most of the city’s population.
At the end of the road was a third wall, higher than the previous ones. Behind it, towers and palaces rose, larger than anything Noah had seen since entering the city.
The knight said,
"That is the main section. Members of the main house of Charlemagne reside there."
Noah continued to look at it for some time.
Even the branches of the Charlemagne family could not enter without permission. First, the Platinum House separated itself from the commoners, and then it separated its main family from its branches as well.
They reached a large building bearing the Charlemagne emblem. It wasn’t the main palace but the headquarters responsible for the branches’ affairs inside the inner section.
They were the first ones to hear about the attack.
A few soldiers and servants were waiting at the entrance. An elderly man in formal attire stepped forward and said:
"Are you Robert Lupton’s son?"
"Yes."
"Follow me."
I simply want to announce that the publishing rate is more than three Chapters every day, which means approximately ninety Chapters each month.
I would like to ask you for support with three main things:
Corrections, corrections, and more corrections.
Please point out every typo, grammar mistake, inconsistency, or unclear sentence you notice. Your feedback helps me improve both the story and my writing.
I cannot succeed without you and your support.
There are no hidden extra Chapters waiting to be released. I publish the Chapters as I write them, so I am always working on what you will read next. For that reason, your suggestions, opinions, and ideas are welcome in the comments. Please feel free to share them with me!