Somehow we were still able to leave early the next morning. The Valtres was sent back to Greytree with our reply. Pina and the carriage were loaded for the journey. The two rooms had been remodelled since we had arrived in Axel. One as the main bedroom with a double bed and the other for guests. Taylor insisted we sleep in the same room, something I had been trying to refrain from. The walls of the carriage had already been soundproofed, something that Taylor told me she had tested beforehand. In the end however I couldn't do anything especially with Earnest so close by.
We left Axel with some teary goodbyes and took the two day journey towards Waltersea Port. Along the way we passed by the Queen's Villa. It was quite far but I could just make out the figure of Aunt Nera waving to us from the balcony. She really was taking some liberties to say goodbye to us. Along the way to the port nothing much happened. If anything it was incredibly quiet with only Earnest and Taylor. Earnest wasn't one to talk all too much to begin with and kept to his own hobbies. He had picked up sewing while he was in Axel and now instead of sleeping slowly worked at knitting a scarf. A strange sight to see for the composed swordsman.
Waltersea Port marked the old border of the Kingdom before their invasion to the demon lands and was named after the explorer who first settled there. It was a decent sized place with a population of several thousands and upon arriving we quickly found the ship the Queen had prepared for us. It was a sleek vessel made more for speed than comfort and as soon as we were on board with Pina and the carriage, the ship left the port.
I looked at the map the Captain had given me. We were travelling not far from the southern edge of the continent in open seas. This would cross to the Empire's territory and from their head upriver to the Empire's capital. In total it was a week long journey, much faster than what it would have taken us by carriage.
Earnest leaned on the rail next to me, "You and Taylor are certainly having a lot of fun these days."
I closed the map and turned to him red faced, "I'm just going to say this but we haven't gone that far."
He stifled a laugh, "That is not what I meant Rain… I was simply observing your smiling faces."
"Oh…," well now I was even more embarrassed. I changed the subject forcefully, "Have you been to the Empire?"
He nodded, "On my way to the Kingdom I passed through. It is a place of… differences. The rich and poor, the strong and weak. I did not stay long."
"I see…."
"Though the women there were quite fine," he smirked slovenly.
"Once we're done in the Empire what are you going to do?" I had to ask.
"Hmm," he looked at me. "I haven't quite finished training you but perhaps I'll take to the west."
"You're not going home?"
He laughed spitefully, "I don't have that right. Not yet at least."
"You ever going to tell me why?"
I expected him to wave it off but he faced me seriously, "I was banished Rain."
"Huh?" I internally slapped myself, "Ah- Um, I'm sure that you have your own circumstances. It's fine you don't need to-."
He continued, "I killed my Master, the other students and stole his sword."
For a moment I could only stare at him blankly wondering if this was a joke. Unfortunately Earnest was not one to joke much and his expression held no mirth. "And you were only banished?" I mean for that amount of work, usually you'd be put in jail or killed.
"There were circumstances why he had to be put down. For one he was planning to assassinate the other Masters and take over the country."
"Then shouldn't you be praised as a Hero?"
He looked to the East, "There were some complications. Like the Kingdom and Empire has its flaws so does my own home."
"You must have seen a lot since going on your journey," I said simply and looked towards the water.
"Indeed, though the biggest mystery so far has been you," his eyes penetrated my skull.
"Well I'm a mystery to myself as well," I laughed it off.
"Then perhaps once you finish your training we shall see the truth together."
"Maybe," I smiled at him. "By the way thanks for coming. Having you here is reassuring."
"The invitation was also extended to me. If the Empire does anything well, it is knowing how to have a good time. I'm sure I can entertain myself."
"Just don't get us kicked out."
He laughed, "I'll hold myself back." His eyes turned away from me and to the sword he held in his hands, "Your company has been enjoyable as well Rain. You, Taylor and the others."
"It's not over yet," I punched his shoulder lightly and stretched back. "I'm going to check up on Pina." Earnest let me leave, watching the waves in the distance.
*
There wasn't much to do on the ship and with our current supplies there was no need to stop at any of the ports along the coast. Three days passed before the ship turned into the river heading towards the Imperial City. A large gate blocked our path above the water. It was heavily defended and all traffic was forced to pass through. It was only after showing our invitation were we allowed to enter. Though we had passed into the Empire's territory before, this now was where it truly began.
A group of soldiers boarded the ship as we left the gate. They wore thick armour and held tall halberds. I could feel the distinct sensation of mana refined into their equipment. For what looked like run of the mill soldiers it was quite an expense. Then again the Empire was the leading military on the continent.
The head of the group saluted to Earnest, Taylor and I, "Greetings companions of the Hero Lara. We have been informed of your coming and will be guiding you to the Imperial Palace where your friends are waiting." His language was stiff, but more than that, despite calling us companions of the Hero there was a derogatory grate in his voice. The way his eyes looked down on me was annoying enough but he even had the gall to stare at Taylor. The intent of which was obvious.
I stared straight back at him, "Thank you. I hope we'll get along."
"Of course sir," he dropped the salute.
The sailors that had been with us from the Kingdom eyed them with a hidden disdain and continued to sail the ship. We hadn't even been here for half an hour and yet there was a palpable tension even more than when we were talking to the demons.
Earnest stepped beside me, "This doesn't seem quite right. They are pretentious even for the Empire's standard."
"Yeah… not what you'd send on a diplomatic mission."
"Should we leave?" Taylor asked. "I know the backways we can sneak through."
I shook my head, "This is the fastest way to the Imperial Capital. More than anything I'm concerned for the others. Let's just hope this is in our heads."
"If you say so." Taylor leaned against me and whispered, "Don't worry about how they're staring at me. The Empire's soldiers are all like that. Besides I'm yours not theirs."
I lightly pushed her away, "You're not 'mine'. Don't make it sound like you're an object to be passed around." While I could understand the desirable tone of it, I didn't like the implication of the words.
Taylor blinked at me, her cheeks red. She smiled softly, "I really do love you."
Now my cheeks were beginning to burn, "Okay, not in front of Earnest."
He waved it off, "Don't mind me. I'm used to it now."
That really wasn't the point…. One thing I knew however was that I'd be stopping my morning ritual. If I died, I'd need to go back to a point I could make the most difference, especially now when I didn't know what would happen.
*
The next few days on the ship were strained. The soldiers were responsible for guiding us and it was clear that's all they'd be doing. They sat together lazily drinking and taking our supplies, even gambling amongst themselves. At the beginning they had messed with one of the sailors to which Earnest made clear how we felt about. Since then they refrained but it didn't stop them from causing a fuss whenever possible. It was almost like a bad joke. Sure we weren't the Hero or as important as Ronalt and Ardent, but we still took down the Demon Lord.
The Imperial City came into sight the morning after our seventh day on the ship. The scope of the city made the Kingdom's Capital seem small. Past the first checkpoint there were still many others as the ship continued through the river that split the city. There was probably twice the amount of districts here than the Kingdom had. Warehouses lined the banks of the river, with trade coming to and fro. As we progressed, the warehouses decreased opening up to markets and fisheries. Past the fifth checkpoint and beautiful mansions lined the coast. Men and women in refined clothing stared at his with haughty eyes.
Taylor pointed to a particularly big building not far off, "See that, I stole treasure from there. Also that one over there. Oh and that smaller looking place too. The people here had a lot of good stuff."
"Must have been fun," I replied.
"It had its moments. If you want we can always take a peek."
"Let's leave that for later," I laughed at what I was suspiciously suspecting wasn't a joke, or at least not entirely. A dark mass of buildings caught my eye quite far from the city. From here it could be barely seen but unlike the city's regulated streets, it looked like a pile of haphazardly placed shacks. "That's the slums isn't it?" I pointed in the direction. The space it occupied wasn't small.
"Bingo," Taylor nodded. "It's both not as bad and worse than it seems. I was born there, or at least I think so."
I pulled her in closer as her voice grew quiet, "You're here with me now."
After one final checkpoint we were taken to the heart of the Imperial City. Even from outside we could see it, the white metallic towers that rose into the sky marking the Palace. Now we were inside its grandeur wasn't lacking. Perfectly trimmed grass lawns that stretched smoothly across the ground, paths made of paved stone that were polished enough to reflect like mirrors and each tree looked like a meticulously made work of art. Even more so the buildings and structures fit together perfectly rounding out what looked like the pinnacle representation of power and wealth melded with tranquillity. The sheer amount of work put into it and the effort to maintain it sent a shiver down my spine. Yes, it truly was a beautiful sight but also caused a pit opened in my stomach. You couldn't reach wealth like that in ordinary ways.
We landed at the private pier of the Palace. A procession of uniformed men and armoured knights waited for us on shore. The soldiers who had been guiding us were dismissed quickly, much to their disappointment.