POV: Letta Sinclare.
***
From Hill Base to the Epethian coast. It was the second time I traveled by caravan. Though the first was nowhere near as long.
Still, the second was far more luxurious. Our wagons, slender and long coffin-like structures on wheels, used Ed's modular designs to make the most use of the limited space as possible. With one mostly to myself, it may as well have been a castle.
I spent my savings on it to have it as nice as I wanted and filled with everything I needed while on the road. A fireplace and chair to drink tea in and a nice window to look through while we traveled. A loft bed, like Amun's. And, most importantly, a workspace for my craft.
While it was beautiful and worked perfectly, the blasted thing had wheels that bounced as they ran over sticks and lurched as they trudged through the mud. Making for a far less graceful ride than skis on snow.
It made working impossible. But still, the ride was luxurious. If not the most boring thing I had yet to experience.
Besides reading, my only source of entertainment was bothering Giorno or Ryban, my 'guard,' whenever I could and doing some exploring while our horses rested. But eventually, Silas and Yaramin led us through the Drorian checkpoint without issue and we arrived at our destination.
It was by no right more impressive than the Twin Cities. Though, it was different enough to give me and Giorno the wide eyes seen in all impressed tourists.
Castles. Fortresses. Towers. Villas. And docks. So many docks were spread across the horizon to an endless distance ahead of us. Each structure was massive in size and grew colossal in scale as we approached. And then we became truly impressed.
Ships that could dwarf the base floor of Corvus tower were seen in droves in various parts of their construction. Some were skeletons of wood and steel while others were nearly completed towers meant to float atop the water. All were being worked on by an array of folk that included humans, halflings, and dwarves. It was… enchanting to watch.
It made it far too easy to get lost in awe. And getting lost in awe made it easy for passersby to realize we were from outside the empire. But two out of dozens of foreigners wasn't enough to raise any brows, thankfully enough.
While the sights continued to pass me by, Silas brought us further away from the central market and towards the posh hills of Mirfield before we eventually stopped at a massive square building with a domed glass roof. Stationed all around it were caravans much like ours, being inspected by individuals wearing flashy suits and weird cylindrical hats.*
"Finally! We're here." Ryban pried himself from his chair with a groan. "Now things get difficult."
"What is this place?" I asked, then immediately knew the answer.
But he said it anyway. "An auction house."