Finally, after hours of travel, they caught sight of the gates of the magnificent white palace.
Kaisen leaned out of the window to get a better view, only to realize that despite its grandeur, they were still quite a distance away from the actual palace.
"We've still got half an hour to go, adventurer. You'll be impressed by the architecture Lady Second has put into this place."
The knight chuckled, twirling his mustache as he noticed Kaisen's amused expression.
'Lady Second? Who's that? And half an hour? Dammit!'
Before him stood a massive, towering battlement, manned by thousands of knights and soldiers.
Despite still being half an hour away, the palace above it seemed even grander, casting a shadow over the already impressive structure.
Metal pillars lined the gate, with several long pathways leading out from the battlement.
Carriages, foot soldiers, and patrolling knights bustled around as they passed through the gate, adding to the lively atmosphere of the scene.
As they approached, the knight leading them veered off onto a less crowded path, their carriage following behind without any interference from the soldiers.
Meanwhile, a diverse array of races, including elves and beastmen, formed a long line behind the gate, waiting impatiently for their turn to enter.
All eyes seemed to fixate on their white carriage as it smoothly passed through the gate without any hindrance.
Their eyes bore into the white carriage as it effortlessly made its way inside, a stark contrast to their own experience of waiting in line for hours.
...
With each passing minute, the white palace loomed larger and larger before them, fueling their growing sense of wonder.
Alice's mouth hung open in astonishment, while Lloyd's eyes widened so much it seemed they might pop out of their sockets.
"I wonder what the population of this palace is. It must be higher than our city of Lykos."
Wondered Kaisen, referring to their hometown.
Lykos was a backward, crooked world where technology was often misused for all sorts of nefarious purposes.
"That's true. The population of Lykos could probably live here comfortably."
Lloyd agreed, his gaze distant as he thought of home.
Alice remained silent, feeling a pang of guilt.
Unlike Kaisen and Lloyd, she wasn't from Lykos and hadn't experienced the same hardships.
She felt it wasn't her place to interject in their conversation, so she stayed quiet, letting them reminisce about their hometown in peace.
...
The white palace was colossal, its grandeur reminiscent of the ancient temple of Artemis from Kaisen's world.
With towering white pillars and a massive rectangular structure stretching across several floors, it was truly a sight to behold.
"It's magnificent."
Alice breathed, her voice filled with reverence.
"Yeah."
Lloyd agreed, his eyes fixed on the breathtaking palace.
As they approached, they noticed the several hundred steps leading up to the palace entrance.
Dozens of knights lined the sides of the stairs, their armor gleaming in the sunlight, weapons at the ready, creating an imposing yet awe-inspiring sight.
The white carriage came to a halt near the steps, and they were escorted outside.
"You want us to climb these stairs? Wow. The queen must love exercising, huh?"
Kaisen remarked sarcastically.
"The queen has other ways around. Come on, let's go in."
The knight replied, leading the way.
...
By the time they reached the top, the trio was gasping for breath, their hands on their knees as they bent over, trying to catch their breath.
"Th-this must be a defense mechanism to tire down any potential assassins. There's no way someone designed these steps with good intentions."
Kaisen panted heavily, wiping the sweat off his brow.
"This isn't the end. We still have the long corridor left."
The knight laughed heartily before striding ahead.
Kaisen shot a glare at the retreating figure and muttered curses against the Queen.
'I'll have to pound your ass for all the bull crap you're making us endure just to see you.'
...
Walking through the long corridors adorned with large paintings and bustling with knights, maids, and guards, Kaisen couldn't help but sense the opulence of the palace.
The knight, introducing himself as Maximus, pointed out the paintings adorning the walls, providing insights into their depictions as they made their way through the grand halls.
Listening to Maximus recount the tale of the First Lightbearer and the first War of Eclipse was captivating.
He described the heroic journey of the Lightbearer and the significance of the sword Radiance, which played a pivotal role in lighting the world when it was shrouded in darkness during the War of Eclipse.
As Maximus spoke, Kaisen found himself engrossed in the lore, hanging onto every word.
Hearing the story firsthand from an NPC's mouth was fascinating, and Kaisen had no complaints about it whatsoever.
They halted in front of a magnificent set of golden double doors adorned with intricate patterns and mystical runes.
"That's Lady Second."
Sir Maximus declared, gesturing toward a large painting on the wall left to the double door.
Kaisen's gaze followed Maximus's finger to the painting of a striking woman with the gentlest and kindest blue eyes he had ever seen.
She wore a flowing gown the color of the ocean, complemented by a tiara and a pendant adorning her neck, her dark hair cascading down from her shoulders.
"Wow."
Alice whispered in awe, her eyes fixed on the painting.
"Yeah. Lady Second, known as Moon's Embrace, was so kind and godlike that they built a church for her. Ah, that will be a topic for another day. Now, then, it's time to meet the Queen."
Maximus placed his hand on the door, and a small light followed the trace of his hand before the double doors clicked open just wide enough for them to pass through.
Leading the way, Maximus entered the room first, followed by Lyyod, Alice, and finally Kaisen.
The room was vast, dominated by a towering throne at its center. It was so massive that it seemed as though it were built for a giant—certainly not sized for a human to occupy.
"This way."
Sir Maximus beckoned, leading the way.
To their right, another door unlocked with a click, similar to before, revealing an open corridor with rooms lining each side.
At the end of the corridor stood a set of double doors, not as grand as the previous ones but still larger than the doors along the corridor.
Sir Maximus strode confidently towards the large doors, and the trio followed closely behind him.
All the doors along the corridor were closed except for the second-to-last door on the right side.
It was slightly ajar, emitting a bright light from within.
Unable to resist his curiosity, Kaisen couldn't help but want a peek inside, ensuring that Maximus was still ahead of him.
'Just a little peek. Nobody's gonna know. And besides, what if someone's changing there? I don't wanna miss that at all.'
Alice, noticing Kaisen's impulsive move, was taken aback.
'What the fuck is he doing?!'
She hurriedly followed him, determined to drag him back before they got into trouble.
Inside the room was the epitome of luxury: a large canopy bed, plush sofas, ornate cabinets, and more.
But what caught his attention most was the person currently occupying the room.
And she wished she didn't follow Kaisen at all.