It was getting darker. The medieval houses in the city began to lit brightly. In the dark, the capital of Ducas shined brightly on the plain land.
The capital of the Ducas Empire was in the East of Laurasia, near the eastern ocean. The Empire of Ducas ruled the south with many villages, cities, and few Kingdoms under it.
The Capital was two white-walled circled cities on plain land with an ocean on one side and green hills at the distance. The small city was near the beach, the bigger one was behind it, facing the plain land surrounded by green hills.
Sol, Marcus, and Flaming's Soldiers had been riding the magic-engined carriage non-stop for three days.
The magic-engined carriage ran on wheels operated by magic, without having to be pulled by animals. In the driver's seat, was a vertical wooden helm/steering wheel in the middle. There were some pink mana stones, magic arrays on the driver seat desk. The carriage was powered by mana stones and magic arrays. The wooden helm was there to steer or change direction.
The carriage headed towards the city's main gate.
Marcus was sitting while closing his eyes, taking a nap and Sol was peeking outside through a window.
A large entrance gate, orange in color, made up of metal, was opened. Five soldiers with dark grey armor and a red surcoat stood before the opened gate, guarding it. They had a red crown crest on their chest plate. Some carried swords and some carried spears. There were also soldiers stationed above the white walls with spears and other weapons.
The armored soldiers saw the carriage with the flag of the House of Flaming and its soldiers. The carriage stopped in front of the soldiers. One soldier walked towards the soldiers sitting in the carriage.
One of the House Flaming's soldiers showed the gate soldiers their pass which was the House Flaming Crest. They entered the city.
Sol took a peek outside and what he saw made him amazed.
Stone-paved roads were lit by tall light poles. Houses that were white and red or orange with red-tiled roofs and terraces. It was as if it was a place for only tourists.
Shops with designed flex boards were many.
Sol got amazed while looking at the people. Black, brown, white, Asian, European, etc as if all kinds of people from Earth were in one place.
Sol thought, "You don't see this on Earth where only humans live."
The carriage drove into the inner city. The carriage entered a place surrounded by white walls, guarded by armored soldiers.
Sol saw a crest on soldiers' chest armor: a fire eagle with claws. "Flaming's Soldiers," he thought, "are we going into Flaming's territory or what?"
The carriage drove through the gardens with many lamp posts and then stopped in front of the huge white and red manor.
Marcus first got out of the carriage. Without looking at Sol, with a cold expression he said, "Get out."
"Yes," Sol said smilingly with his fat cheek and got out. He thought, "After I revealed that I don't have mana and can't cast magic he became cold -well it's not like he wasn't like that when I first met."
There was a young butler and a maid outside. "Good Evening, Master Marcus," said the Butler bowing and the maid.
The red-haired and bearded knight asked, "Where's the Duke?"
"He's waiting for you in his office," the butler replied.
"You follow me quietly," Marcus said to Sol.
"Yes," Sol answered. He thought, "I was quiet till now."
They entered the manor. It was big and well decorated: marbled floor, painted walls, designed window with curtains.
The fat blond boy Sol was amused, "Whoah! a noble house."
They stopped before one room.
"You stay here, don't go anywhere and behave yourself," said Marcus to Sol.
The Fat Sol answered quietly, "Yes." He thought, "When did I misbehave?" Sol just smiled, raising his fat cheeks.
Half-armored Knight Marcus knocked at the door, "It's Marcus."
"Come in," a man said from inside the room.
Marcus entered the room.
Sol just stood outside the room with his cloth satchel bag.
Inside the room was an office with bookshelves, a sofa, and other things.
Aron was at the desk.
Aron Alde Fleming was a handsome young Duke, having mid-long black hair. He wore red and black noble attire.
"Did you bring him," Aron looked happy and was expecting something?
Marcus was worried, "Yes! Your Grace. But there's a problem."
"What is it? Marcus," Aron asked.
Meanwhile, Sol was in deep thought on his own.
"What's going to happen to me? Now that I am here I'm ... a little bit worried," Sol thought, "Why did the Duke summon me here? What if I am in some kind of danger? I did tell him that I can't use magic."
Sol did not have mana as a result he could not cast magic in the current world which runs on mana and magic. But it didn't mean he had no power.
Right now, he had his Grimoire, Silver Sentinel, White Sentinel, and Vastra. These were the stuff and creatures he had created as a sketch in his previous world as fun when he was Kudo, which later became real in this world, Vida.
Sol's current appearance was also one of the characters he had sketched back in the past life. Though he made the character slim he was now a fat boy with a big stomach and cheeks.
Sol thought, "Let's see what happens."
The door opened.
Marcus, "Come in."
Sol entered the room. He was confused but it didn't show on his face. His fat cheek face was calm. He saw Aron at the desk. "Who's that?" Sol thought.
Marcus stared down at Sol, "Where's your manner? Greet the Duke."
"Ah!" Sol greeted, "It's an honor to meet you, Your Grace." He thought, "Is this how you do it?"
Aron didn't reply. He had a serious expression and was observing Sol.
Sol asked, "May I know why Grace has summoned me here?"
"It's not something that you need to know," said Marcus roughly.
"Ah Yes!" Sol replied calmly. He was confused inside.
The tall and young Duke didn't have a happy face. He was quietly observing Sol from top to bottom; slick backcombed yellow hair, fat cheeks, red eyes, fat hands and feet, and a big belly. Sol's dress was dirty and looked poor: a white sleeve top, black pants and shoes, and a dirty brown satchel bag. Aron was disgusted and angry inside. Aron thought, "a low-class farmer's fat child." Aron picked up a white crystal-like orb from the desk and threw it on the floor, in front of Sol. When Aron touched the orb it glowed and when it fell on the floor it stopped glowing.
"Pick it up," Aron ordered.
Sol looked at the white orb. He was calm but he was careful too. He picked it up and looked at the orb. "What's this?" he thought, "It doesn't feel like glass or crystal but like sand but it's harder than the sand."
Aron and the prideful Marcus were surprised.
Sol looked at the Duke confusingly.
Aron said while staring, "You truly don't have mana in you. I never thought in my life I would see a Kosong, an unlucky and cursed being, denied by the goddess."
"Unlucky, Cursed, Denied," Sol thought, "So that's what you get called in the city. Did the villagers know about it, or is it that they never cared about such things or they never said for my and my parent's sake." It was his first time being called those still, he was a little surprised but it didn't affect him. He was calm.
Aron noticed how composed Sol was. Sol's eyes were unwavering, confident, and looked like they did not fear anything.
"Those eyes and the way he stares - it's the same as him," Aron was annoyed." Seeing how you have no expression, it seems you have accepted what you are?" said Aron.
There was a reason why Sol was always calm and his eyes looked fearless. It was because he created the character, Sol, as a calm and composed King in his past life. It was a character inspired by a movie villain who was handsome, powerful, and composed.
On the left side of the desk, there was a silver desk call bell.
Aron rang the bell once. It made a small bell sound. After a few seconds, a young brown-haired butler came to the room.
"Take him to the guest room and give him dinner in his room," Aron ordered.
"Yes! Sir" said the butler. "Please follow me, sir," the butler said to Sol.
"The orb?" Sol asked.
Marcus took the orb. The orb glowed.
Sol followed the butler.
"You didn't need to give him that much of a service," said Marcus as he put the glowing white orb on the desk.
"I called him here, so that much should be given and I don't want him to think that I couldn't provide him anything?" said Aron. He picked up the white orb. It glowed. He smiled. "Every time I do something or try to do something, it either fails or not gets approved or ....appreciated."
Marcus said, "Maybe we got the wrong child."
"Though the original plan failed, it doesn't matter," Aron put down the orb on the desk, "I will make use of the boy somehow."
Aron looked outside the window. From the window, the garden, lighted houses, and a huge white wall could be seen. It was evening but the lights made the city glow.
Aron looked at the enormous wall that circled the citadel. "If the boy is the one... Just compare those two, one a great being and the other trash." He smirked, "Well I hope we are correct."
Meanwhile, Sol got a big, royal-like room to himself. The room had a traditional style with a large bed in the middle. Sol took off his satchel bag and laid his big body on the bed. "Woah! A traditional room. I have only seen these rooms on the internet," he said, "But I don't know why I am here. And I don't think they are gonna tell me if I asked them. Those two are too prideful and probably think low of me, very low." Sol got up. He looked at his clothes. "I got on the bed without cleaning my clothes," Sol thought. The clothes were all dirty. "It's good that I told Vastra to not clean itself," he said.
Sol clothes were not clothes but a slime; a blue semi-fluid slime that could shape-shift.
"Clean," said Sol.
The clothes absorbed all the dirt on the bed and bag. It looked clean.
"Clean the bed as well - the dirt on the clothes made it a little dirty," Sol said.
A part of Vastra, a small slime, detached itself and jumped on the bed. The blue slime absorbed the dirt of the bed and reattached itself to its main body.
"Good! Now, let's change the clothes shall we, "said Sol. He moved to a large mirror beside the bed.
The clothes changed into different outfits: a red overcoat, a white shirt, pants, and white shoes.
Sol's belly was sticking out. He looked at himself in the mirror. "Hmm ... let's change to another - this looks similar to the duke and it makes me look more like noble than a poor boy - the prideful Marcus and the Duke won't be happy seeing me in this."
Vastra again changed itself into another outfit: a half-blue button shirt, black pants, and white shoes.
"This is okay but change the shoes to black since I was wearing black shoes from the beginning and I also didn't bring extra shoes with me," said Sol.
The white shoes turned black like before.
The fat Sol looked at himself in the mirror. The dress looked neat and suited his fat body. It made him neat and warm.
"Good! Let's take a nap since I don't have anything to do and I don't think the Duke and that red-beard Marcus would let me tour the manor or outside," Sol laid his big body on the giant bed.
—
The next day Sol was bored sitting in the room. It was already midday. He did not leave the room. He just laid on the bed yawning.
"Am I just gonna stay in this room all day," Sol said looking at the decorated ceiling.
At that moment someone knocked on the door.
"Yes," Sol got up his big body from the bed.
The door opened.
It was the same butler, a young brown-haired butler. He said, "Sir, Master Marcus is calling you outside."
"Hmm? Okay!" said Sol. He followed the butler outside the manor.
Outside Sol saw the same carriage and two knights who were in the driver's seat.
"Master Marcus is in the carriage," said the butler.
"Thank you!" said Sol politely. He thought, "Am I going somewhere, or are they taking me somewhere else?" He carried his brown satchel bag and went into the carriage.
The red-haired and bearded Knight, Marcus, was already in there.
Sol thought, "He looked pissed- must be because of me." He smiled, "Good Morning, Sir."
Marcus didn't reply. From the beginning, he wasn't hiding the fact that he disliked Sol. But it didn't matter to Sol whether he liked or disliked him. Sol sat in the opposite seat in the corner.
The soldier's started the carriage by activating the magic array next to the steering wheel. The four-wheel, brown carriage took off. It went across the large compound of gardens.
The garden looked more beautiful during the day.
The carriage got outside the Duke's compound.
Sol thought, "I don't think he is gonna tell me where we are going if I asked - it seems I will only find out after we reach there."
The carriage went further inside the city.
Sol was in awe of the city: white and orange, 1 and 2 story houses, stone-paved roads, shops, etc. The city was advanced in its way.
"It feels as if I have come to a foreign country for sightseeing," Sol thought.
After a few minutes, the carriage stopped in front of the huge orange metal gate of the inner wall. It was the fortified walls of the Citadel.
There were two enormous walls in the bigger city. One outer circle wall encircled the whole city and the inner wall encircled the citadel and its surrounding, where the Royals lived.
"Are we going inside, to the castle?" Sol thought.
Sol had heard about the Capital City of Ducas and the large castle from his parents and others when he was a child.
The walls were as tall as the outer walls. Just as outer walls, there were watchtowers and soldiers stationed. The soldiers with grey half armor, a red surcoat, and a red crown crest on a chest plate stationed around the walls, watchtowers, and gates.
The carriage went inside.
From inside the carriage, Sol saw grey armored soldiers with a different crest on the armor.
"A red crown crest," Sol thought, "Crown made from swords. It's the Crest of the Ducas Empire. And right now I am entering the Royal Compound where the Royal family as well as Emperor's soldiers."
Royal Compound was what the place inside the inner walls was called. This large place had barracks where soldiers stayed, stables and horses, training grounds, and a hangar.
Sol watched outside as the carriage went into the Royal Compound.
There were fenced stairs behind the walls to the top.
Slowly the carriage drove upwards. The land's onwards was high.
From the carriage window, he saw that they were driving on a gentle sloped small hill of a vast green land, the land which was surrounded by a tall ring of White fortified walls. On the bottomland were barracks, stables, and stationed soldiers.
As the carriage drove around, he saw the majestic white and orange Citadel on top.
The rectangular citadel had large Knight statues on the walls as if they were also guarding the Citadel. These giant Knight statues were made from metals. One statue held a long sword with it, the other smaller one, held a lance and was on the dark horse. Both statues were of the same height. There were another two giant statues on the other side of the Citadel which Sol couldn't see.
Sol was amazed, "Just as I have heard, the Citadel looks cool and majestic."
After a minute the carriage stopped.
Marcus said, "You! Stay here." Then he got off the carriage.
Sol looked outside and saw paved stairs beside the lane going above on. He thought, "Why did they bring me here? In the castle." He moved to another side of the window and watched outside. The green land reminded him of his village. He thought, "I wonder how mom and dad are doing? I hope they are not too worried." He remembered the sad and worried face they had when he was about to leave."And it's been five days since I last visited them." Sol thought about his Kingdom and the one's in it.
After a few minutes, Marcus opened the carriage door.
The fat boy Sol was asleep with the window open, cool breezes coming in.
"Look at that! This brat!" Marcus got mad. "Hey! Hey useless brat Wake up," he shouted.
Sol woke at once after hearing Marcus shout.
"Get out and follow me," Marcus left in anger.
"Yes!" said Sol and he got off the carriage. Then he followed Marcus to the stairs.
The stairs were big and paved on the grassy land, beside the lane.
As he climbed the stairs, he saw four more luxurious carriages in front of the one he came on. Beside them, were soldiers in pairs with different color surcoats and emblems.
Sol walked slower while looking down at those carriages and soldiers.
The carriages were not animal-drawn carriages but magic-engined carriages and were made from metals. They had two banners on them. One was an Empire's red banner with Empire Emblem: Golden crown made of swords and another was a different House banner, which was on all carriage and another banner was different from each other.
One carriage had a blue banner with white insignia: a white, four side star made up of swords. The other banner was green with an insignia: a white horse standing on two legs and a soldier with a lance on it. Another one was orange with white insignia: crossed longswords inside a ring. And the other was Banner of House Flaming. The soldiers of each carriage had their own banner emblem on their armor or surcoat.
Sol thought," looking at the banner and emblem on soldiers, they are from different noble houses."
Marcus shouted, "You useless brat! You aren't here for sightseeing. Hurry up." Marcus was ahead of Sol, "Is your fat belly making it hard to climb these stairs. I thought farmers and their children would be thin and fit because they work in their farmland but looking at your all fats I guess your parents must have not let you do work."
Sol heard everything but did not react to Marcus's words. He just slowly climbed the stairs looking around. He thought, "Why is he so angry?". Sol was calm and composed.
As Sol was walking up flower petals flew past him.
There were flowers at the top of the hill, surrounding the Citadel.
The stairs didn't lead to the top but somewhere else, somewhere down the castle.
Marcus was nowhere seen - he was already at the top.
Sol finally reached the end of the stairs and he was on a big rectangular, stone-paved ground, right beneath the garden that surrounded the Citadel. There were Ducas soldiers at each corner.
In the middle, Sol saw a few people sitting on a chair at the large rectangular stone table. Three people on one side and three on the other, facing each other and one in the middle.
At one side were: a muscular, black guy wearing a green tailcoat, white pants, and shoes; a red-haired, middle-aged lady wearing a blue capelet and patterned black cotehardie and a purple-haired, eleven-year boy wearing a red royal coat.
At the opposite site were: Aron wearing a red tailcoat and black dress underneath, beside him was a mustached brown man, wearing a black half coat above white shirt and at the end was a beautiful, long purple-haired girl of the same age as Sol, wearing a white and red gown.
And in the middle was a young, handsome purple-haired man sitting on a large red and golden chair - different from the others. He wore a red and golden coat.
Marcus was already there standing in front of them. He said, "What are you standing there for? Come here and Greet the lords, Their Highnesses, and His Majesty.
Sol was surprised, "What?" He walked in front of the table, besides Marcus. He then glanced at the Emperor and bowed his head,
"Greeting Dukes, Duchess, your Highnesses, and your Majesty." and stood straight.
The Dukes, Prince, and Princess, their eyes were all on Sol, looking and waiting curiously. The Emperor was just sitting with a hand-on chin, no expression.
Sol thought, "So that's Emperor Ducas IX. Just as they said, the emperor looks really young like he is still in his late twenties when he is already a father of three children. Not just that ... he looks really cool and handsome like straight out of drawing. They say he changed his name to Ducas IX when he was about to be the Emperor: a King of Kings."
The Emperor had mid-long purple hair with light purple eyes and wore long golden earrings on both. He had sharp features and a majestic look. He was truly handsome with a tall and lean body. He looked calm and fearless.
Emperor Ducas IX who was thirty-eight years old looked like he was in his mid-twenties.
Sol thought, "There are many rumors about his young look. Some say he uses some kind of potion or magic to make him look young while some say he has reached a level where he looks like this now. From what I heard he is the strongest in the entire Ducas Empire. And it seems to be true - I feel that he is strong - strongest among all the one that is here." He looked at the emperor and others. "There's just one thing that I don't understand. Duke Aron, I feel like he is actually weak, weaker than his own knight, Marcus, while the other Duke and Duchess, as well as the young Prince and the Princess, feels strong." he thought.
Sol always had this feeling or an instinct where he could tell if someone was stronger or not, although he could not pinpoint how strong. It was the characteristics of character he created which he was right now.
"Looking at the Prince and Princess - they really are the children of His Majesty," Fat boy, Sol thought, "But I don't see the first Prince. It seems he isn't here."
The Prince and Princess were also handsome and beautiful. They were elegant. The Prince had short purple hair and light purple eyes just like his father. He looked like a serious child. The Princess looked warm and gentle. She had long beautiful straight purple hair.
"Lord Aron, Who is this child that you have brought," asked one male Duke, a black man, Duke Noah.
Sol thought, "That's some great deep voice!"
Duke Noah had a deep voice and was a handsome Duke with short black hair and yellow eyes. He was muscular compared to others.
Duke Aron stood up and went near to the fat Sol. He put one hand on Sol's shoulder and said, "This boy is the result of my curiosity. A result of a long search which began from the rumor."
Aron piqued the interest of the Dukes, Prince, and Princess. Ducas had no change in expression. He just sat there with his hands on his chin.
A middle-aged female Duchess leaned on the desk. She said, "Ohh! Then, he must be someone special."
The Female Duchess was Duchess Sahana, with brown short hair and wearing a blue capelet.
Aron said, "Special?" He looked at Sol. He smirked after looking at fat Sol. "Yes! He is," Aron said, "After all, He is the son of His Majesty."
Aron smirked.