It had been nearly two weeks since Kian and Landon had discussed their plans to venture to Celestia city, and that day had finally arrived.
When they first had the conversation Kian saw this as the perfect opportunity to expand his knowledge of the world beyond what he had learned from Landon.
After all; he couldn't just ask Landon basic questions that every citizen should know, it would bring up too many red flags.
And there were many, many things he had no clue about.
Such as who this kingdom's ruler was, how nobility played a role in society, the history of this land, how the currency system worked, and almost everything about magic was new to him.
So he had to find another way to get this knowledge.
He planned to maybe find a library in the city where he could soak up as much information as he could.
Well, that was just the goal anyways. Kian didn't know what would happen as plenty of things could limit him from doing what he desired.
Like he had to get to the city first.
When Kian proposed his idea of going to the city Martin had said he and Luna were more than welcome to tag along.
Luna was just as on board, she knew they needed information and this was a golden opportunity.
So with the plan already being confirmed all they had to do was wait until Martin went, which was every two weeks.
Within those two weeks were some pretty joyous days. With the Winslow family taking them in with open arms their relationship grew, it wasn't awkward but genuine.
Kian would help Landon in the fields while Luna would entertain Lillian while assisting Natalie around the house.
Kian could tell they liked the company.
His relationship with Landon had grown exponentially as well.
Them working together allowed them to talk more which strengthened their bond.
Landon was tagging along on this trip as well.
The distance to the city was only about two hours but they were going to stay for a good amount of time so they decided to go pretty early.
The 'real' purpose of this trip was to sell the various farm products which they had built up over the past two weeks.
So as Kian and Landon loaded the last of the goods onto the back of a two-horse-led carriage they climbed in and sat next to Luna, who was already seated.
"All good to go?"
Martin said from the driver seat with two steeds in front of him.
"Yep all set"
Landon responded before the horses began to walk, starting their Journey to the city.
"So how many times have you been to Celestia, Landon?"
Landon looked over at him before shrugging.
"I don't have the total count but I've been there countless times."
Luna, who was silent so far, looked over at Landon before asking another question.
"Really? Celestia city must be beautiful, if you don't mind could you tell me what it's like?"
Luna appeared to be genuinely interested in the city, and so was Kian, who wouldn't be?
It was nicknamed "The city that ran on magic" it was bound to be enchanting.
"Well for starters it's a giant city with large walls surrounding it, it has tons of houses, shops, and everything you could want."
He thought a little more before continuing.
"In the center lies the king's castle, which is a stunning landmark in and of itself. Different proportions of the city are owned by many diverse powerful noble families but there are all types of people."
Landon proceeded with his story, a lot of it catching Kian's ear.
He had wondered about the king and the nobles, were they power and money-hungry tyrants like how rulers had been during ancient times in the Kians world or did they truly care about the average citizen?
It's not like Kian could do anything anyways but he still wanted to study the land and its people.
In the end, he decided to send some of his thoughts Landon's way.
"So about the nobles of the land, how are they usually?"
Landon sat back for a second before replying.
"Well it depends, some families care and use their influence well, they raise nice children who become important in society, while some are the opposite."
This was kinda what Kian expected, he knew some were bound to be plagued.
"People who come from exponentially richer families and clans usually dump tons of money into nurturing their kids into powerful Mystics, that's why academies such as Silverwind are not-dominated, of course, this isn't going to stop me from getting in though."
Landon added on with his usual sparkle in his eyes showing.
To Kian, it made perfect sense why big schools like Silverwind were dominated by nobles.
Since everyone has a Mystic brand it wasn't uncommon for a non-elite to have one.
It wasn't a genetic power; the lowliest of commoners could have a stronger brand than the richest nobleman.
But what set them apart was everything else.
A rich family could dump money into teaching their offspring various combat techniques which would make them stronger while potentially letting them unlock their mystic brand at a younger age.
On the other hand, let's take Landon for example; even though his family is way better off than most, he still has to spend his time working, whilst a noble could just be training.
After figuring out what he wanted to learn about the upper class of the kingdom he switched the topic.
"So how much is all of this going to sell for?"
Kian asked while pointing to the vast boxes of goods stacked in the back of the carriage.
"Well since you showed up this is the biggest batch we've had in forever!"
Martin, who was quietly leading the horses, spoke up happily.
"I'd say we got about a Goldpiece worth of equipment back there!"
He said in an excited voice while swaying side to side.
After hearing this Luna looked over at the products.
"And how much do you usually sell?"
She asked, hoping to get more information about this world's currency.
"We usually get around 60 Silvermark give or take"
Hearing this Luna and Kian looked at each other.
'So a hundred silvermark equals a Goldpiece'
He didn't know if there was another form of payment below or above, or how they gave these any value.
After this, the conversations turned into more small, fun chatter.
It stayed like this for another hour and a half before the city entrance was finally in sight.
"Wow"
He and Luna both said in unison.
What was in front of them was a giant gated entrance.
The city itself looked massive, of course, they'd been in bigger cities on earth but given the almost medieval structures in front of them, it was like they were in a movie.
The walls appeared to be made out of stone and right by the entrance they were decorated with huge flags.
"Is that the Kingdom's symbol?"
Kian said while pointing toward the banner.
The emblem on the banner had a shield as its central image, It was outlined in a dark, metallic color, with a bright, shining gold filling the interior.
At the center of the shield was a circular emblem featuring a symbol. The symbol was composed of interlocking shapes and lines, forming a complex design. The symbol glowed with a soft, blue light.
Above the shield read "Mythoria" in bold, golden, elegant, flowing letters.
Landon looked at him and then up at the stunning emblem
"Yes, the shield represents the kingdom's strength and protection while that symbol inside of it signifies the kingdom's affinity for magic and mystics. Overall, it is what defines a balance of strength, magic, and loyalty, it truly captures the essence of the kingdom's identity strikingly and memorably."
Landon seemed very passionate about his nation's identity and Kian respected that.
As they grew closer to the entrance, a soldier standing beside the gate signaled us to come through.
So with that, they passed through the gates and officially entered Celestia.
And honestly, it was breathtaking.
Kian had never seen anything like it before, the antique yet modern style of the city was mesmerizing.
And in the middle of the city, on an elevated point, stood a castle.
The way it was overhead everything seemed like it was intently built so it looked as if it were watched over the city.
Kian looked around the streets and saw an abundance of people going on with their daily lives.
He saw people rushing off to work, and kids running around playing diverse games, if it wasn't for everything being uniquely designed it was almost like he was on earth once again.
After they entered the city Martin stopped the horses before flexing his shoulders from the long ride.
When he was done with that he turned around and faced Kian and Luna.
"Welcome to Celestia, the city that runs on magic."