A colossal industrial building loomed behind the solitary figure, the golden pin on his attire signifying his elite status. "Welcome to the Hall of Paulva, your Grace," the majestic furry bowed as the two materialised. "This way, please, your Grace and Mr. Cori."
As they passed through the mechanical door, Cori could not help but marvel at the opulent gilded symbols and emerald floorings, tastefully accented with black, masculine, and metallic elements.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Andre Noelle the third," said the white tiger furry by the entrance.
"You have grown since the last I saw you. I see you have taken after the guardian of the west," remarked the duchess.
"That is indeed so," the furry replied bashfully, a faint pink hue visible underneath his white furry cheeks.
"I will entrust Cori into your care and see both of you at the lounge later," the duchess requested.
"Yes, your Grace. Mr Cori, please follow me," the white furry directed Cori onto a black metallic track. With a push of the knob, the tracks began to move. "Isn't this a travellator?" Cori thought as the black metallic plates guided them to the next destination. Noticing Cori's curiosity, Andre attempted to promote his hall, "As you can see, if you join our hall - Paulva, you will be able to enjoy state-of-the-art technologies that have never been released before to the public. This mechanism is but a small glimpsed of the future. Just imagine the time and effort you save."
Cori, tempted by the idea of convenience as a modern man, remained focused on his concerns. "Who is Lord Paulva?" he asked.
The noble furry casted a quick glance at him, contemplating if it was normal for peasants to be lowly educated. "Lord Paulva stands as one of the Seven Lords on this continent, celebrated as the Lord of Knowledge. His brilliant ideas and inventions have shaped the technologies we enjoy today, and our esteemed hall aspires to continue his legacy by passing on his ambitions and knowledge through the ages." He stood in front of a black, space-like door and scanned his iris through a glass orb. The door slid open, revealing a sleeping pod, simulation pod, and gaming desk. "Oh wow, isn't this every guy's dream dorm?" Cori looked with envy.
"Mr. Cori, this is a reference to the typical sleeping quarter for the trainees here. A table for mechanical and written work, a simulation pod for training, and the fabled sleeping pod that reduces fatigue within an hour of sleep," Andre explained.
"Fatigue gone in just an hour?" Cori was astonished. "So what do you do with the rest of the free time?" he asked.
"Work and train, of course," Andre said plainly.
"Can I try the sleeping pod for 5 minutes?" Cori asked.
"Sure. Let me set the timer for you." Andre set the time on the touch panel of the pod. "There, please enter and enjoy," he smiled.
Cori enthusiatically hopped into the sleeping pod, abandoning his backpack on the floor. Within 5 seconds, he was deeply asleep. Andre, with 5 minutes to spare, bit his nails to calm his nerves, pacing around the room in search of focus until he noticed intricate carvings on Cori's backpack. He had never seen such complex spell engraving on a monogram. Soon, he was entranced by the backpack.
After 5 minutes passed, Cori woke to find the white tiger squatting before his backpack. "Erhem, what is the matter?" Cori asked.
The senior recomposed himself and resumed his dignified form, "Nothing, Mr. Cori. Shall we continue?"
Feeling refreshed, Cori happily agreed. Yet he could not help feeling protective of his backpack. "What have you done Alice? Why is everyone so obsessed with this backpack?" he wondered. Unbeknownst to him, Alice observed everything, cried to herself, "I only did my best to serve you master! I'm innocent!"
The travellator brought them to a green metallic door, which the guide promptly introduced as a cafeteria. The door slid open, revealing a setting similar to a Kaitenzushi. "Our predecessor had the foresight to eliminate wasted movements and increase efficiencies, giving us more time to focus on things that matter more. The conveyor belt delivers food to us, and once we're done, we summon a golem to clean our table with a touch of a button," the noble senior explained.
"It is very convenient. So what do you guys do to relax?" Cori asked.
"We go to the lounge."
"The lounge? What is so special at the lounge?" Cori asked.
"It will be easier to show you," Andre replied as he stepped back onto the travellator. Soon, they reached a glass elevator. Cori was no longer surprised; after all, they even had a simulation pod for training. Their technologies seemed far more advanced than those on Earth.
Upon reaching the highest floor, Andre touched the sculpture of 3-metre tall black feathery wings on the wall. The wings opened, revealing the head of a black lion. Andre stared into the lion's eyes, which promptly recognised him as a trainee of the hall. The lion roared to life, its mouth unleashing an explosion of electro beats and a shatter of disco lights that stretched beyond the wall. "As you can see, not everyone is privileged to enter. Please come in, Mr. Cori," Andre signaled with a large smile fixated on his face, his arms outstretched in proud proclamation. "And This... is where we relax."
Cori's eyes widened as he took in the grandeur of the lounge, captivated by its sheer size. His gaze swept across the space, discovering the duchess gracefully sipping a cocktail by the bar. The ambiance was electrifying, with an Olympic-size pool glistening on the balcony, beyond the sleek glass walls.
"Mr. Cori, we have a different musician playing each night with unique themes. Tonight, the melodies are from the Halls of Raijin, accompanied by our hall's dancers. If you had arrived a day earlier, our resident musician would have been the highlight," Andre shouted, trying to draw Cori's attention away from the mesmerising scene. "Shall we rejoin the duchess?" he asked, recognising Cori's distraction.
Cori nodded with his whole woobly body.
The duchess, delighted to see Cori, expressed her gratitude to Andre before gracefully teleporting to the next hall, leaving the echoes of vibrant music and dancing lights behind.