"No! Today, I won't eat anything other than roast beef," Vanay protested, standing up and making Sonata burst into laughter.
Alto remained calm and quickly took the aerosol can-like device from Vanay's grasp. "A5 Wagyu Rib-Eye Steak, cooked to medium-rare," he set the device.
He then sprayed the gas food into Vanay's mouth, causing her to cry out, "What are you doing?"
Suddenly, Vanay was overcome with shock.
...The taste of the gas food was incredible. The aroma and sensation spread throughout Vanay's tongue…
An image of delicate meat appeared in her mind. The meat's aroma and fat made her feel euphoric, and the taste's rhythm was like a finely tuned instrument. Her tongue savored the rich meat flavor.
"It's a pity that you can't feel the texture, but it's still delicious and can provide your body with the necessary nutrients," Sonata explained.
"I would never accept this way of eating," Vanay said, tears streaming down her face. The gas food was so delicious that she almost stopped breathing, but the idea of eating this way was too sad, no matter how great it tasted. Vanay vowed to herself that she would force Sonata and Alto to eat like ordinary people later.
The sensation of tasting food through chewing could not be overlooked.
***--------------------------------------------------------------------***
As they made their way from the Prewood forest to the capital of Atezia, Sonata, Alto, and Vanay passed through many towns and villages of varying sizes. Vanay was keen on avoiding any unforeseen problems that might slow their journey to their destination, so she urged the two men to stay on the main route without stopping anywhere.
Sonata found the trip to be quite dull and craved more adventure.
"Are we not going to stop anywhere?" he asked, turning to look at the entrance to a village they had just passed by. He noticed some villagers dressed in attire reminiscent of the Middle Ages in his world. It made Sonata think that this world was like something out of a fantasy movie or game. The more he saw of this world, the more interested he became in learning and experiencing it.
"Meeting too many people could potentially bring more problems," Vanay said, refusing to compromise. Even though she had only known them for a short time, she sensed that they tended to get themselves into trouble. They might see the villagers in distress and offer their help, not out of kindness but more out of curiosity.
There were certain things in this world that Vanay did not want them to witness or experience.
This kingdom harbored many dark secrets. Despite being known as the Holy Country, Atezia had a long history of class inequality. The wealthy held the majority of power, while the poor suffered and died in poverty. The ruling class trampled on the sweat and blood of the lower classes.
In truth, Vanay was not considered a citizen of Atezia. She was one of the hermits who lived freely in the forest, independent of anyone's power. She felt ashamed to let the two young men see the harsh reality that lay beneath the beautiful facade of this world.
Here, some people were treated like angels, while others were regarded as mere rubble or lower than dirt.
The stark contrast in treatment between the different classes was something Vanay found difficult to accept.
Vanay had always loved adventure, even as a little girl. She had grown up feeling stifled by the hermit society, which forbade her from doing many things. Eventually, she had escaped from the forest to explore the world without any fear, having learned some of the Hermit Magic.
No one would have thought that a little girl like Vanay at that time would have traveled alone so far from the forest, passing through many villages to reach the city.
During her adventure, she eventually arrived in Atezia, a place she had only heard of in tales. She remembered how, as a hungry little girl, she had met two new friends. The first was Genevieve, who walked around selling bread, and the other was Norma, a flower seller in dirty clothes.
Genevieve would share with her the unsold bread every day, while Norma allowed her to stay in an old wooden hut built outside the capital. Vanay later learned that Norma had been alone for half a year after her mother's death. She did not want to live with her abusive aunt, so she endured living alone in the same house and sustained herself by collecting flowers to sell in the city.
***--------------------------------------------------------------------***
It was such a brief time that Vanay had with both of them. She had been content until the day she lost one of them.
Norma had gone to the city that day to sell her flowers, but she never returned.
Genevieve was an eyewitness to the incident. She ran to Vanay in tears. It was Prince Briden's horse that went into a rampage. Unfortunately, Norma happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. The horse kicked her hard, causing her to lose consciousness and bleed to death. The most terrible thing about it was that the prince acted as if nothing had occurred. An orphaned girl's life was no different from the petals of flowers strewn across the street. It was crushed underfoot because the nobleman did not even bother to glance at it.
Genevieve embraced Norma's lifeless body and cried out for help. She shook her friend and called out her name repeatedly, but there was no response. With the assistance of people nearby and Genevieve's grandmother, they hurried Norma to see a doctor, but it was already too late.
Losing Norma was the first great tragedy of Vanay's life. She did her utmost not to harbor hatred towards the city that claimed her friend's life and reminded herself not to grieve for a life that could never be brought back. All she could do from that day on was smile, laugh, and find joy, not just for herself but also for Norma, whose opportunity had been stolen away forever.
"Is that Atezia up ahead?" Alto asked.
Vanay was taken aback. She looked around at the vast fields and recalled that there had been a small wooden hut over there before, but now it was gone. Someone must have demolished it.
"Atezia is the only continent left. Aside from Prewood, the rest of the kingdom only includes Revarent and Zodaria. The last one is a small island nation located to the north."
Vanay's description surprised Sonata. She pondered the hermits' belief that the Ziene had shrunk several times in size after a significant event almost three thousand years ago, leaving only this continent. Their belief made no sense because Sonata saw more than just one continent of land when Sector One fell.
It is possible that no hermits had not ventured far enough to see the remaining continents.
"So many mysteries in this world," Sonata scratched his chin thoughtfully. The existence of another continent was not the matter he was currently concerned about. His task was to collect the keys and unlock that enormous gate.
***--------------------------------------------------------------------***
Sonata's group arrived at their destination. Compared to the forests and villages they had previously encountered, the grand city at the peak of the continent seemed like it belonged to another world. The entire city was decorated with white, gold, and sparkling triangular flags, making it look like it was in the midst of a celebration.
"We need to head to the White Castle located in the center of the city," Vanay whispered. "The key should be there."
Sonata was not fond of the word "should be," but their information was limited, so they could not be certain of the key's exact location.
They did not want Vanay to participate in exploring the castle. She was instructed to find a safe place to rest and wait for their return to the Prewood Forest together.
"I want to assist," Vanay insisted. "I can use magic, and I have an army of fairies."
"It's not that we don't trust you," Sonata attempted to persuade her not to follow them. "It's just more convenient if only the two of us handle the mission independently. We only need to check if the key is there. If we require assistance later, we'll notify you for certain."
"But..." Vanay started to say.
"Stop pestering us like a child," Alto snapped.
Instead of feeling sad, Vanay was offended that even his superior had not scolded her yet. He couldn't understand why Alto had intervened, or why he hadn't tried to be more friendly.
"Where are you headed? We'll accompany you before heading to the castle," Sonata interjected, ignoring the unpleasant exchange tension between Alto and Vanay.
"I'm planning on visiting my friend and perhaps staying there until you finish your tasks."
Vanay's friends resided in the slum area of the city. Despite the beautiful capital, there were still dark corners that were invisible to outsiders. This slum was intended for the impoverished individuals who needed to live in the city but could not afford to reside in a wealthy neighborhood.
Vanay's friend was Genevieve Swans, a girl of the same age as Vanay. She possessed dark black eyes and hair, fair skin, and a delicate figure, with energetic movements.
Vanay whispered to Sonata that ordinary villagers usually only had a first name. Genevieve's surname implied that her ancestry might be aristocratic or connected in some way.
...Aristocratic…
Sonata pondered as he gazed at the girl who warmly welcomed Vanay. The state of Genevieve's attire did not suggest that she came from an aristocratic background. She was dressed as a baker, with patches all over her dress. The patches shone in such a manner that they resembled cloth patterns.
Genevieve stared at Sonata, barely blinking an eye. At first, he assumed it was due to his outfit, but it was probably not the case since she did not regard Alto with the same reaction.
"Are you tourists?" Genevieve greeted them.
"Something like that," Sonata chuckled under his breath. He surmised that Vanay had told her that to divert attention from their true objective for being there.
They went on to discuss numerous other topics. Sonata was curious about how different this world was from the one he came from.
The information provided by the "city girl" like Genevieve proved to be quite helpful. When comparing his knowledge with that of this world, it was peculiar that they shared a common language, and certain names for things were used in the same manner.
Genevieve was aware of baguette or French toast, despite mispronouncing the word and not comprehending what "French" meant.
In the world where Sonata came from, although the country names were less recognizable after the Dragonian took over the world thousands of years ago, and all nations collapsed, individuals still referred to foods or objects by names based on traditional culture.
The people in this world knew the names of things in his world, but they did not understand their significance. This led Sonata to postulate that someone or something who was knowledgeable about the civilizations and languages of his world had created this world.