NOVEL NEXT Chapter 130
In the blink of an eye, we had traveled to the city. It was a speed unlike anything from the teleportation at the Academy.
Just moments ago, I could see golden grains dancing in the fields, but when I opened my eyes again, I found myself inside a building.
The walls were a polished ivory, and the tiles shone enough to reflect the ceiling. Floating lamps glimmered in the air, possibly fueled by something unknown. Compared to the decorations at the Academy, the golden embellishments here felt understated, yet beautiful.
Before I could feel bewildered by where I was, I thought it was simply beautiful. Turning my head, I noticed some were engaged in heated discussions, while others beamed at someone.
“Let’s see, this time… one girl and… what’s this? ‘Unknown’? Ugh. Could you please use your legs to move new things… Oh! Princess?!”
Just as I was soaking in the ambiance and the anticipation of the unknown, a fox-eared beastman grumbled while approaching us, only to stop in shock upon seeing me and Ho-yeon.
At the sound, everyone around turned to us, displaying a variety of reactions. Unsurprisingly, they were all beastmen, amplifying the chaos threefold.
Ears fluttered, and tails swished here and there. Then, I remembered that Ho-yeon could be uncomfortable under their gaze, so I glanced at her, but she seemed unfazed.
“Um, Princess? I heard you were studying abroad… are you back already?”
“Yeah. Not much to look at. Why are you all so surprised? Just carry on with what you were doing. I’ll be exploring the city with this one. Your name is…?”
“Ah, Ah-ra! My name is Ah-ra! If it’s not too much trouble, may I ask who the man next to the Princess is…?”
Ho-yeon seemed to speak casually to calm the surroundings, but it only heightened the ruckus.
“It’s no trouble at all. He’s my boyfriend. Ah-ra, right? Good luck with your efforts.”
She finished her sentence and coldly walked out of the building, but the words that echoed as she left were not the kinds of remarks typical of those returning to work.
“…Ho-yeon, can you really go around saying that?”
Is it true that what’s inside is wider than outside? Stepping out, I found a corridor with a similar architectural style. Given the narrow gaps between the doors, it seemed indeed that the interiors of all the buildings were wider than their exteriors.
“If I go around saying it like this, even Dad can’t mess with you. I’ve nailed it down that he’s my boyfriend, can he really cut off my head?”
…That makes sense. She must be confident she can handle the aftermath, right? Thinking about it, there wasn’t much I could do, so I decided to let that one go.
But speaking of which, I wondered what the windows were made of, as they glowed softly in a blue hue. It wasn’t suitable for gazing outside, but it emanated a mysterious vibe just by itself.
If it’s like this inside, I couldn’t help but imagine how magical it might be outside, and I felt a flutter of excitement. I hadn’t felt this thrilled even when I went backpacking in Europe alone a while back.
And the scenery outside exceeded my wildest expectations.
Ivory-colored buildings, soaring gracefully with curves, rivaled those of modern metropolises, and atop them, was something resembling a tiled roof, giving an appearance akin to mushrooms.
On the roadside, lamp posts resembling lanterns lined up orderly beside trees with purple leaves, creating a fascinating sight. People dressed similarly to Ho-yeon—though plainer—were chatting amicably or exchanging passionate glances.
However, what caught the most attention was a building towering high enough to pierce the clouds in the distance. Its thickness and size were on a different scale; it reminded me of the World Tree I’d seen in the elves’ forest.
…That tree was probably only half the size of that. What kind of facility could it be? Given Ho-yeon’s words were mostly true, it couldn’t be a palace.
After all, even in the original work, she admitted that it looked quite plain. What kind of building could be that immense?
“Ta-da! Welcome to our Empire’s capital! Though, this may not be where your mother asked you to look around… but, who cares? If you’re going to see it, it might as well be the most beautiful thing, right? Hehe, how’s that for breathtaking?”
“…Uh, really. But what about that thing over there in the distance? What building could be that… big?”
Even the building we just came out of wasn’t particularly huge. It couldn’t even compare to the size of a shopping facility in a housing complex, but that size looked like it could fit a city inside without being a joke.
“Aha… so that’s what you were curious about? No amount of explanations can compare to seeing it for yourself, so let’s go check it out. But wait a moment… Heh, just a second.”
Ho-yeon covered her mouth for a moment and slightly sat down. Was she not feeling well? I moved closer to support her, and she quickly collected herself and stood up.
“…I won’t be spitting anything out now, heh. Thanks, I’m all good now. Let’s go. This time, for real.”
—
Dokan looked around the surroundings like a kindergarten kid on his first field trip, asking me lots of questions about what this and that was. It was cute… or rather not, considering he looked more like a boy than anything else. Still, he enjoyed it, so I did my best to answer.
When he saw a trash can and asked if it was a piece of advanced technology, I thought maybe he wouldn’t believe me if I made something up, so I just said it was a trash can, and he looked disappointed.
“Welcome to Yuhyeon Academy. What brings you here? Paper review? Facilities for theoretical verification? Or… oh, it’s the Princess.”
The older man with glasses at the front desk didn’t even look up while fiddling with a fan, but when he turned to face us, he stood straight.
Looks like he’s still as busy as ever. From what I could see, he seemed to be writing some difficult theory or something. I know a bit, but I didn’t understand a thing here.
“It’s been a while, Master. I hope you’ve been doing well.”
So, up until about middle or high school, I frequently came to this place. I didn’t have grand ambitions for academia; I just wanted to escape Dad’s nagging and family education even a little.
Whenever I said I was going to Yuhyeon Academy, Dad would be glad and tell me to learn a lot. In reality, I just went to see some interesting things and ended up napping in empty places.
But calling him ‘master’ was sincere. I learned a lot from him.
“Oh, don’t call me that. What have I taught you to deserve such a title? By the way… you’ve already returned from studying abroad?”
I was curious why everyone said the same thing, but… well, I guess it was that shocking.
Still, I didn’t want to explain, so I just vaguely hinted that there were circumstances and nudged Dokan.
Naturally, the wise man realized the general outline.
“Oh dear… the Emperor will be troubled for a while, I suppose. He used to visit every day when you came often, checking how much you learned and enjoying it.”
Dad said that? This was the first I’d heard of it. I went out every day, but I thought it was just to inspect troops or train personally.
…But hearing that didn’t mean I was going to hate Dad any less, so I ignored it and asked Master if we could tour the facility.
“Here, I’d like to show my boyfriend around the facilities, if possible?”
I didn’t forget to mention “my boyfriend” even amid all this. I felt a little sorry for Dad, but it couldn’t be helped. If I didn’t state that openly, it wouldn’t feel safe.
“Yes, anytime is fine. Before that… is this fellow from the same… race as the Empress?”
“…With my mother? No, he isn’t. Dokan is a human.”
Even amid all that, Master’s curiosity seemed to be piqued, as he adjusted his glasses and asked if Dokan was from the same race as my mother. It must have been because they looked somewhat alike.
…To be honest, I didn’t even know what my mother’s race was. I could guess it was something transcendental beyond God, but she wasn’t a human like Dokan.
“Oh, a human… I see. Yes, understood. Then, you said your name is Dokan? You’re welcome to observe, but please refrain from touching anything or making a noise. The equipment and students inside are… well, quite ‘sensitive’.”
Master warned Dokan while leading us deeper into the academy.
Having once gotten lost inside, I grabbed Dokan’s hand and hurried after Master.
“Hey, wait, Ho-yeon. There’s still something to see…”
“What will you do if you get lost? You better hurry up. I’m saying this because I’ve been a lost child before.”
I must have gotten distracted watching. After all, the entrance was filled with curious decorations. Still, I shouldn’t be surprised just at the surface level.
“Alright then, let’s see the Creation Space, the pride of the academy and the pinnacle of imperial technology!”