We were approaching the borders of Leran. Ahead lay the vast desert, and I wasn't sure if all our girls were prepared to cross it.
"Vina, what's our plan?" asked someone.
"Hmm. We have a little over two weeks left until the festival ends. Of course, we need to consider the time it takes for Ragni to haul all the trophies to the guild, not to mention Leran's main problem – the extensive desert. The key is not to get lost," Vina replied.
"And what about the dungeons you've chosen?"
"There are plenty of dungeons here, but most of them are inhabited by local creatures that aren't very strong, and their rewards are accordingly low. We could spend time on them, but I don't think it's worth it."
"And, of course, that's not all?"
A sly smile flashed across the trader's face.
"Of course not, otherwise, the whole journey wouldn't make sense. There are a couple of dungeons here that hold immeasurable treasures – precious jewels, ancient works of art. But, naturally, they are well-guarded."
"Are there any powerful monsters there?"
"I can't say for sure," said Vina, taking out her notebook, "based on my information, two dungeons have been discovered this year. One is the Golden Pyramid near the capital, Iringar. They say it has a labyrinth inside, where people sometimes get separated, and at the end, there's a monster with a lion's body, a human head, and falcon wings."
"What?" I couldn't recall such monsters from the book, and Kurone merely shrugged in response to my question. "Such monsters don't exist, right?"
"I know, I know. That's the catch – I haven't found any creatures like that in any encyclopedia, but everyone who's been there tells the same tale."
Seleria listened attentively to our conversation.
"Perhaps it's a golem?" she suggested.
"I thought golems were created in the form of armored soldiers," I replied.
"Not necessarily. It's just easier to make them that way. They imbue them with a fraction of a human soul, and naturally, it's easier to control a body similar to the one you had in life. But I've heard that the experienced mages of our kingdom could create real monsters from stone and metal. They could give them any form and spend many days perfecting their movements. My uncle was the best master at it."
Seleria fell silent quickly, remembering some sad events.
"Could it be a golem then?" Katrina became wary. "I've heard they are dangerous opponents because magic might not work against them."
"Huh? No, don't worry, Kat. It all depends on the material. And if the creature is that big, I doubt they could have made it entirely from antimagic materials, like orichalcum."
"According to the data I received, it's five meters tall and eight meters long. I doubt they could find so much orichalcum in Leran, unless they raided the Belenora mountains."
"We would have never gone to those inquisitors!" Seleria got angry upon hearing about the city of inquisitors.
"Sorry, it was just a joke. By the way, since we'll be there, why don't we pay a visit to your father?" Vina took out her makeup bag and checked her supplies.
"We can visit, but he won't be there. He's currently in Varengard."
"Are you sure? I was hoping he'd be there."
"I'm sure. He waved to me on the street. And what were you hoping for?!?!"
Vina grinned mischievously. "Well, what if the wise and wealthy king sees in me not only a pretty girl but also a talented trader? And perhaps he might even choose me as his wife," she dreamily clasped her hands together and pretended to flutter her eyelids.
"Well, you know! My father isn't that foolish! He might appreciate your talents and offer you a place in his business, but certainly not as his wife. Besides, he already has a wife! My mother!!"
They all exchanged glances.
"Is it true?" someone asked.
Seleria fell silent, realizing she had said too much.
"I, too, haven't heard anything about your mother. Everyone knows about your father, and you are quite popular among the people for your beauty, but there's no information about your mother. There are only rumors that she's a runaway daughter from some noble clan, maybe not even from Leran!"
"Uh... well... She just doesn't like crowds, and she didn't run away; it was a mutual agreement. There's nothing to make up here," Seleria explained.
"Well, if we stay at your palace, we'll find out everything anyway. Let's go!"
"Oh no, what have I done..."
Two days later, we reached the capital. It was a magnificent city. In size, it couldn't compete with Varengard, but it was far richer in its decorations. Tall white walls separated the city from the desert, to the south, it turned into the largest port on the continent, and to the west, a beautiful white palace stood tall.
"Is that your palace?" Vina couldn't take her eyes off the palace dreamily.
"It might not be that simple; I have responsibilities as well. Let's head into the city; we'll have to leave the carriages here," the princess said.
The princess walked towards the main entrance and stood before the guards. Today, two young and one more experienced guards were on duty. The newly recruited one, full of his own importance, blocked the princess's way and asked in a serious tone, "The purpose of your visit to the city and your names?" He didn't even recognize her. Meanwhile, the face of the more experienced soldier standing beside him began to change colors from red to violet out of embarrassment.
"Kind sir guard, my friends and I have traveled a long way. Please, let us inside. We're so tired," judging by Seleria's innocent and playful tone, she found the young soldier's behavior amusing. At the same time, she managed to wink at the senior officer, asking him to play along. And we anxiously waited for the continuation of the performance.
"Of course, you can rest in the city, but first, you must fill out important documents: your names, imported goods, and your place of arrival," the rookie continued with an important tone, reciting the documents he had memorized before the shift. It was evident that the beauty and assertiveness of the mysterious stranger had deeply confused him, and the more experienced soldier behind him was nervously shaking.
"You can speed up the registration process if you have acquaintances in the city, provided they're not involved in anything illegal."
"What luck! I happen to have a couple of acquaintances; they live over there," Seleria flirtatiously pointed her finger towards the white palace towering over the city and put on her most radiant smile she was capable of.
Smelling something fishy, the guard nervously swallowed and asked with a trembling voice, "May I know your name and who among your acquaintances lives in the city?"
"Of course, of course. My name is Seleria Eileran, and in that little house over there, my dad and mom live. Oh, I mean, my dad is currently away on a business trip to Varengard."
The dazzling smile of the princess made the poor guard more and more uneasy, as he heard the familiar surname.
"S-s-s-sorry, I must have misheard. Probably caught a cold with a draft. Could you please repeat your name?" Suddenly, all the pretentiousness and importance in the guard's voice vanished into thin air.
Finally, the veteran guard couldn't take it anymore and hit the rookie on the head.
"Idiot!! You were supposed to remember at least the members of the royal family. Their portraits are hanging in our captain's office. Princess, please forgive him; he's only been on duty for a month."
"Sorry, sorry," the guard fell to his knees and began banging his head against the dry soil of Leran, "Sorry, sorry, sorry."
"Oh, come on, you were so amusing that I couldn't resist."
The charming laughter of Seleria only embarrassed the guard.
"I apologize, my lady. I will certainly punish him properly," the guard said.
"Hmm, how about marching around the city in full armor?" Oh, what talent to come up with cruel punishments with such a radiant smile.
"Yes, yes," the rookie agreed obediently, ready to march around the city.
"What? Idiot! Who will guard the gates then?" The older guard hung his head, resigned. "Lady Seleria, why do you enjoy teasing the guards so much?"
"It's amusing, don't worry, I'll ask the captain to send you some help."
"You distracted me. OPEN THE GATES!! ROYAL FAMILY IN THE CITY!!" the guard yelled toward the fortress wall.
To the sounds of fanfare, the massive gilded city gates opened before the travelers. All available guards lined up along the main road.
"To the post! Long life and prosperity to Princess Seleria."
We passed under an alley of raised swords as guards, and above the city gates and the white palace, the coat of arms of the royal family began to rise.
"That's how I understand it. This is how a princess should be welcomed," Vina remarked with admiration, and then immediately looked frightened at Katrina. "Sorry."
"It's okay, not many people know about my existence anyway. But perhaps, deep down, I'd like to be welcomed in the capital as well."
Seleria noticed Katrina's awkwardness and whispered something to the captain of the guards.
"We welcome the guests of the royal family. Lady Katrina, the Princess of Verania, and Lady Ragnalia, the Princess of the Black Dragons."
The unexpected greeting bewildered the princesses. In addition to the guards, people from nearby houses also came out onto the streets, joyfully welcoming their beloved princess.
"Hello, everyone. I'm glad to be back home," Seleria smiled and greeted the people. "Kat and Ragni, you should also say hello; they greeted you too."
The girls stepped forward awkwardly.
"Um... Hello, I'm Ragni," the dragoness was clearly not used to such a warm welcome and shyly waved her hand to the people.
"Hello, I'm Katrina Del'Serano," Katrina performed an elegant curtsy and bowed to the welcoming crowd.
"Ahem, Princess, I will assign an escort group to you," the captain tried to intervene, but Seleria stopped him with a gesture.
"No need to worry. This is my city; nobody would harm me here."
Seleria dismissed the city guards and walked straight through the crowd, gesturing for us to follow her.
The people gladly surrounded Seleria, but they still kept some distance. They inquired about her well-being, how life was at the Academy, and if she found fashionable clothes in other countries.
It seemed the princess was somewhat of a celebrity here; the people loved her and knew about all her journeys. A few children even came out from the crowd and hugged the princess.
"Thank you, Princess, for our sanctuary."
"I'm glad to see you all too. Good people of Iringar, my friends and I are participating in an important trial, and we would like to rest. Will you allow us to pass to the palace?"
Surprisingly, the crowd obediently made way for their beloved princess and opened a path for us.
"Now run after me, quickly!" Seleria whispered to us in a hushed voice and dashed towards the nearest alley.
"Eh? Run!"
We obediently followed the princess, and I noticed that her fans showed no sign of dispersing.
"Up here," Seleria peeked out from the roof of a house, "there's a ladder, climb up quickly."
We hurried up, some using the ladder, others jumping from roof to roof. Thank goodness, the whole crowd didn't follow us.
"This is my favorite way in the city. On the rooftops!" Seleria joyfully ran ahead, jumping from one rooftop to another.
Between the houses, there was barely a meter of space, and the stroll was not that challenging. Often, wide streets were adorned with arches or specially laid planks.
"Seleria, did someone take care of your escape route in advance?"
"Oh, that? These are just the paths of the Thieves' Guild, the city's most ancient 'trade' routes."
Surprisingly agile, Seleria jumped from rooftop to rooftop. We tried not to lag behind, and the most timid among the guild members had to be carried on our arms.
"My beloved city!! Do you know why?" Seleria shouted to us while running.
I surveyed the city from above; it looked like an ordinary city, but it differed from Varengard in some ways.
"There are no inner walls here?"
"Exactly! Rich merchants, common fishermen, and even kings live side by side here. We've managed to erase differences between people, at least visually. Ah, and here is my favorite street."
Seleria ran up to the edge of a large square, checked the surroundings, and jumped down. Using a cloth awning to push off, she landed skillfully on both feet.
"Come here, the awning will hold you!"
Without much thought, I leaped after the princess, pushing off the awning and landing gracefully next to her. Some chose the same method to descend from the roof, while others searched for a safer path using the stairs. Ultimately, we found ourselves on a large circular square, elevated above the southern part of the city, offering a beautiful view of the sea. From the square to the castle, a wide alley lined with beautiful mansions stretched.
"I call this place the Vanity Circle, quite an amusing spot."
I took another glance at the mansions. Each one was adorned with every possible way – beautiful stained-glass windows, exquisite architecture, statues, and even gilded roofs. It seemed as if these houses were designed to pour all the money they could into them.
"There are exactly 25 houses on each side, and all of them are only limited by the strictly marked boundaries of their plots."
"If memory serves me right, Leran is ruled by a trade council consisting of representatives from the fifty wealthiest houses of Leran and the king himself."
"Well done, Krito, you earned a treat. You're right; these are the residences of the fifty ruling houses. Of course, they have their main estates, lands, and even entire towns, but these small houses serve as a symbol of quality for them. Each family strives to adorn their house to the maximum extent, even if it means covering it with gold bars. After all, all the families compete with each other, and the wealthier their house looks in the capital, the higher the prosperity of the entire family."
"Hehe, are you sure about that, Princess? Of course, if a family is having financial problems, it would make sense to sell a few extra decorations for money," Vina said, raising her index finger thoughtfully. "But, for example, if a family is looking for urgent credit, they may spend money on new decorations for their residence to appear more prosperous to their creditors than they actually are."
"Vina, as always, you're right. This alley serves both to satisfy vanity and as a political and trade game," Seleria playfully tapped Vina's head. "You have a great intriguer living inside you."
"Mmm, Seleria, don't treat me like a child; I'm not younger than you."
"Let's go to the palace. Mother will be glad to see you. There shouldn't be many people here now. Most of the nobles have gone to the Academy to expand their collections, and without father, they have nothing to do here."