After entering the city, Shui followed a line of carriages on a road that headed towards the east, and stopped at a wide two story building. Once he got there, he left the carriage with the twins, and saw off the valet that drove the carriage to a large stable that was further east. They were then led to a middle-aged gentlemen who had an air of wisdom and dignity.
"Welcome to Windwave City, are you first-time visitors?"
"That's right."
"Well then, please follow me as I give a quick run through on the norms and rules here."
Shui had expected an explanation, but he was surprised when he noticed diagrams and pictures on the walls of the corridor that the gentleman led them through. Every one of these images were related to a prominent feature of the city, so it was very easy to grasp the explanation.
'This city really is different from the rest.'
As a place extoled for its technological beauty and enthusiasm for discovery, it seemed that much work and thought had been put in every aspect of it. Thanks to the Primordial Library, Shui knew more about the origins of this city than most, but it didn't subtract from his amazement. With the explanation over, Shui and the twins left the building with joy and curiosity proudly present on their faces. Alia had calmed down, but she was still creating a mental checklist of things to do here.
Now that they were free to explore the city, there was much that Shui wanted to see, but he still knew what his priorities were. Close to the main street that they entered on, Shui noticed one of the unique features of the city, a carriage that relied not on beasts, but its own wheels and special power source. It was called a mechanical carriage, or mecha-car for short. It didn't look much different from ordinary carriages, except for the fact that even the driver was fully inside the vehicle, so he couldn't be touched from outside.
Once their group approached the mecha-car, the driver came out and opened the door for them. After all of them were inside and the driver went back to his seat, Shui made a request.
"Please bring us to an inn with good security and a short proximity to the airport. My budget is about fifty high quality spirit gems."
"Hmm, I can think of one in Section C3."
"That will do."
In order to efficiently locate and arrange various places in the city, it was divided into 12 sections and three areas. Areas were concentric regions separated by light blue walls, with each region being occupied by people of a certain status. Each area was divided into four parts, with one part in each of the cardinal directions. Area C, where they were currently, was for the majority of tourists and ordinary citizens. It was hard to not find something even in Area C, but the surprises in Area B were on a different level.
In other cities, areas would be separated based on noble status, but in this one, it was a matter of achievements. While the royal family could get an easy pass to Area B, other nobles wouldn't be allowed without a feat to their name and not their ancestors'. This drew a lot of backlash, but Windwave City possessed both the strength and connections to ignore them.
The achievements required came in many forms including music and cultivation. If Shui proved his skill in arrays, he would likely be able to gain access to Area B, but the city was very thorough when it came to verifying achievements so he likely wouldn't have enough time to enjoy the privileges.
As for Area A, that was reserved for the city's administration as well as those who had achieved things thought impossible, with the last official guest entering over a hundred years ago. The rumours alone made Shui tempted to sneak in there, but he restrained himself.
As the mecha-car went towards their destination, it passed by novel gadgets and other mecha-cars. Section C3 was in the northern part of the city while they were in the opposite direction, Section C1, so naturally it would take some time before they arrived. However, none of them were bored during this time, especially not Shui and Alia since they could clearly spot things even as they went by at a fairly fast speed.
Although most of what Shui found interesting were things that were new to him, there were also some familiar items that put a smile on his face.
'An upcoming idol concert! I can't expect to be lucky this time so I need to buy a ticket today.'
Shui felt that he knew too little about idols to proudly call himself a fan, but saying he was interested was an understatement. Although there was trouble during his first concert, Shui keenly remembered the joy and euphoria that burst from his heart and ran through his blood, so he was eager to experience another one.
At this point, they were still in the window shopping phase, as they were mostly looking at the attractions instead of experiencing them. However, it wasn't as if this a new type of utopia. In this meritocratic city, nothing was despised more than incompetence. In other cities, if a waiter tripped and spilled a few drinks then the punishment could range from a scolding to him being fired, but here, such clumsiness was a criminal offense.
Shui wasn't naive enough to come here only knowing the pretty side of the city, but for the time being, he ignored what was not in sight.
A couple hours later, the sky was lit ablaze as businesses began shifting into night mode. The mecha-car had finally reached their destination, so Shui's group left the vehicle and headed towards the several story high building that had the appearance of a turquoise glass box. If it was the size of an adult's forearm, it would look like a valuable art piece due to the intricately and thoughtfully designed shapes and symbols that were carved into it, but it became a kind of monument once it was this big.
The guests that entered showed off either their strength or their wealth, so the twins felt a bit pressured while following behind Shui. He had a couple gowns in his inventory that fit them, so neither looked out of place in their ice blue attire, but they lacked confidence.
As the group approached the transparent doors, the doors slid apart in response to their presence, giving them access to a classy atmosphere. Shui sensed that there was a reaction from his crystal card, but he didn't take it out. While following the lead of a member of the staff, Shui went towards the front desk with the twins anxiously sticking to his back. After a quick exchange of greetings with the woman who served as the receptionist, Shui turned to the twins before making his room request.
"Would you two like to be in single rooms or a double?"
"No, we're already burdens so we'll be fine with whichever is the cheapest option."
"Don't worry about it. Even the cheapest option here will likely be more expensive than you think. Besides, it's too late to be trying to cut costs."
"Then, a double room."
"Okay," Shui returned to face the receptionist, "We'd like a single room and a double room, as close as possible. As for the duration, let's settle with two weeks for now."
According to his information, the next airship for Heavenly Territory should be ready by then, but there could always be complications.
"Understood. Please give me a moment, dear customer."