When they went outside, Luna's eyes widen when she saw a horse carriage. Nonetheless, what else could she expect? This world's setting was comparable to medieval times after all. She had already grasped a bit of general information about this world after observing the surroundings.
The horse carriage was good-looking and it's bigger than usual. The man riding in front was wearing formal clothes and was holding a leash in his left hand. Akiro easily took their luggage with both hands. Despite his normal build, he carried them with ease. Luna suddenly thought if she could also increase her strength or stamina with magic.
"What are you waiting for?" Akiro uttered as he looked towards the spaced-out lady.
Luna went surprised and quickly entered the carriage before she could get another scolding. She peeked through its small window and saw Miss Zione waving goodbye. Her back leaned on the soft seat inside the carriage. The ride would take long, she guessed since cars were technically faster than horse carriages.
Not long after, Luna found herself holding the side of the carriage tightly and preventing her head to bump in front. She also accidentally gripped Akiro's arms which made the latter furrowed his eyebrows.
"W-why it is so fast?" Luna asked.
It was a surprising event for Luna. Akiro hurriedly closed the windows and found it strange.
'Aren't their vehicles as fast as this thing?' Akiro thought.
"Magic, of course. Black horses use magic to run faster than most species in Vermillion and this carriage is specially made to withstand its speed. Closing the window will prevent us from experiencing that horse's great speed outside," Akiro explained.
His brows almost met again.
"What about those rectangular-looking vehicles on Earth? Aren't those as fast as Black horses? But how can it run by itself?" Akiro questioned.
Luna was left dumbfounded. How would she explain the scientific terms to a person who thinks differently? It made her scratched her head lightly.
"Well, it's quite complicated. It's like how this horse carriage works but there's no magic done in it," Luna explained.
"Hmm, I should've brought books with me that time," Akiro said.
Hearing that, she ended up praising his determination to learn. Although she doubted if it'll be enough since it would be hard to understand the complex mathematical and scientific terms. Akiro's common sense was different compared to people on Earth.
Luna was fortunate because she read countless fantasy stories although experiencing it was different altogether.
"You should bring this thing along," he said.
Luna took her umbrella from his hands in confusion.
"This thing has acquired magic. Don't you find it suspicious when you entered Vermillion?" Akiro said.
A bright bulb seemed to appear above her head and explained, "Right! I remember when I opened it, this umbrella might be the reason why I find myself in front of a village the moment I opened it. Afterward, it suddenly couldn't open when I needed to use it. I thought it's already broken."
Akiro nodded and listened to her explanation and eventually analyzed everything. "Your umbrella will make you teleport in other places. It will help you escape dangerous situations temporarily," he said.
Half an hour had passed and the carriage slowly stopped. The man whose riding the horse earlier went down and opened the door for them. Akiro let Luna get out of the horse carriage first before him and he took their luggage outside and placed it on the ground. The horse carriage took off after Akiro paid him with a bag of coins.
Then, Luna went startled after a man quickly appeared beside them and took their things. She could feel her body froze a moment. 'What astonishing speed,' she thought.
"Good morning, Ma'am and sir," He gently greeted them.
Luna turned around and saw the huge letters that hanged above a silver gate. The words formed the name, Red Castle Hotel. Luna remembered that Miss Zione said something like that. Then there was a huge gray castle that resembled a Romanesque building that towered over her. It had touches of red including the roofs. The castle could pass as a home of a royal family although it had became a hotel for travelers like them for years.
They walked inside the hotel and Akiro directly talked to the receptionist while she took a few steps and looked around the place. 'It's so huge!' she thought and uttered, "It might be twice or thrice larger than Akiro's mansion."
"Luna, let's go," Akiro said as the latter where on her own thoughts again.
She nodded and followed him. A man led them to their room while holding their luggage. When they reached the room, Luna quickly saw the number '4023' that was engraved on a golden circular plate. As expected, she saw an elegant living room after the two-way door opened. The man put their bags safely above a drawer.
"Enjoy your stay," he said shortly. He bowed and left after that.
"There are two bedrooms here of course and the left ones would be yours. Put your things there and rest for an hour then we'll be going on our task," Akiro said and walked towards the right door after getting his luggage.
Luna entered the left ones, put down her bag and jumped on the bed. She felt her limbs went numb from staying in a small horse carriage. "We just got here but I'm already tired," Luna mumbled.
She hugged a pillow beside her and felt her eyes heavy until she couldn't help sleeping after she yawned. 'This world always makes me drowsy,' she thought as her eyes began to close.
An hour had passed and Luna heard sudden loud knocks on her door. She abruptly got out of her bed, quickly combed her hair, and took her umbrella. When she got outside, she was welcomed by a man's irritated face.
"Come on, we need to go already," Akiro said. He said nothing except that and walked away which Luna hurriedly followed with quick footsteps. She found themselves walking outside the hotel and she didn't have any idea where they would go to. Not until they stepped into a village named West Village which she heard from Miss Zione.
'Are villages here named after directions?' Luna thought while looking around. They walked further and stopped at a simple brown two-story house. Its size was only slightly larger than the houses in her country. It made her feel familiar when she saw a normal-sized house. Ever since she came here, all things were very large and elegant.
The other houses were the same. The colors were different but the styles were most likely not. Even though it's simple, the surroundings were clean and Luna saw children playing in their gardens. She remembered a memory when she was younger. With her childhood friends, they played all day long without a care in the world.
Meanwhile, Luna didn't notice herself get immersed in her thoughts and when she looked around, Akiro was no longer by her side. She thought that he got inside one of those houses so she found a chair to sit and wait for him.
'Didn't even wait for me?!' Luna thought after sitting. She waited with her long patience for Akiro but several minutes passed and there was still no sign of him.
'It couldn't be possible that he's forgotten me?' Luna doubted.
"What if he didn't really enter in of those houses?" she mumbled.
One by one, an unlimited number of negative thoughts entered her mind. She stood up and walked back and forth with her hands on her waist. Until she walked away and followed the straight path leading to who knows where.
"W-wait, where am I now?" Luna questioned.
~~To be continued..