Chapter 81 - The Underground Transport (Part 1)
We were in the center of the Royal Capital on our way back home. The ladies had spent the entire morning shopping since the previous days had been closed due to the prince's birthday holiday.
Spending time with the tigers was more fun…
To keep them at peace, I had decided to stay at the Evenhart property we owned in the capital. During the festival days, we stayed there, and on the fourth day, we moved to the property where that private event with the nobles took place.
Fortunately, I had Hugo and Martha for company; they had come with us to the capital along with their daughters. My aunt managed to convince them to enroll the twins in the Apsalon Magic Academy. She insisted they should be taught at the best magical institution in the three kingdoms, and the Duchy would cover their education costs. When I saw the tuition fees for that Magic Academy, I almost fell over. It's a small fortune to study there, and the fees are paid in gold, unlike common currency, which could be bronze coins or, when something is very expensive, silver coins. However, the education at that academy is the best available.
The high cost is not just due to the excellent education but also because we will live at the academy, meaning we'll have a private room, daily meals, people to care for our clothes, and all the materials we'll need for our classes. The academy even has a magical campus built on top of a dungeon, and we can bring domesticated magical animals if we have them, with their food included.
My aunt was adamant about wanting Natty and Catty in the best magical institution, and she put a pause on their training—not that they needed it, as they had already been considered the best torturer maids in recent years.
Hugo was sad to be away from his daughters but understood it was the best choice for their future as mages. The twins would return during the holidays to our duchy, which comforted him a little. Although our family possesses vast knowledge of magical spells and teaches us magic for combat, at Apsalon, we would have a broader range of growth opportunities. My aunt wanted the next generation of legacies to receive the best magical education possible, and for that, it was necessary to dedicate oneself fully while still a child to improve the formation of one's Gem as they grew, in addition to expanding their arsenal of spells. This is why great mages usually come from noble families; it's rare for a commoner to have the luxury of studying for years without working, even if they are born a mage.
At least in our Duchy, we ensure scholarships for magical academies within our territory for commoner mages, but I've heard that some standout commoner students in the entrance exams receive scholarships and financial support to study at Apsalon Academy.
Hugo and his family were in the Royal Capital for the twins to take the entrance exam for the Academy. Everyone had to take that exam, even the high-ranking nobles who were 'required' to attend the Academy. This exam would assess the student's theoretical and magical knowledge.
"We're almost there; you don't need to look so bored," my mother said.
We were in line for our transport. In the kingdom, there was something called Underground Transport that connected the Royal Capital to the other eight Duchies. It was like a massive network of tunnels, large enough to fit several ships. These eight tunnels were flooded, forming a sort of river through which people could travel more quickly to the Royal Capital and from there to another Duchy, avoiding weeks of carriage travel, though it still took a few days.
The Underground Transport was a ship that sailed within these tunnels, aided by water mages who controlled the surrounding water to speed up the ship, and wind mages who created wind currents in the sails to accelerate it even further. This mode of transport had existed since the Empire was founded, and these tunnels were constructed by the Founding Emperor and his mages to facilitate communication and cooperation with the duchies.
The tunnels remain untouched to this day, preserved as they are since their construction, as they are considered historical landmarks. The only thing done is to utilize the transport within them. I found the structure incredible when I first saw it, and it made me realize how everything truly relied on mages and how disastrous the loss of some of them in the war had been for our territory.
Those tunnels were illuminated by light crystals, making it feel as if we were outside due to the brightness. If not for being able to see the ceiling, I might have believed we were outdoors.
The journey that would have taken four weeks by carriage was reduced to three days thanks to the underground transport.
"Lady Margaery? Lady Katherine?" called a voice.
We turned to see who had called us, and there was a man with a woman and a girl.
"Martin?" My aunt smiled and greeted him.
"We didn't get a chance to speak at the party yesterday. Just as I was about to greet you, that storm incident happened, and we lost track of each other," the man explained.
I was at a loss trying to figure out who these people were, but my mother and Aunt Margie seemed to know him.
Aunt Margie looked at us.
"This is Nathan, my nephew, and this is my daughter, Chloe. This sweet little girl is Kinue; we've adopted her," she introduced us. "Children, this is the Norfolk family. They're important figures in Apsalon, managing the production of Red Crystal Liquid for generations."
That expensive liquid?
The man extended his hand to us, and I shook it.
"Pleasure to meet you, sir," I said to him.
"Pleasure," Chloe said shyly.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Kinue said, making a curtsey by touching the sides of her dress.
"You're all very polite," he said, smiling. "This is my family, my wife Clara and my daughter Nora."
We greeted them.
"It's a pleasure to meet you," Clara said, smiling, and Nora followed suit.
They seemed to be well-regarded figures, judging by the way my aunt spoke of them, so I observed them closely. The man had black hair with hints of brown, the woman was beautiful with chestnut hair that was almost reddish, and their daughter inherited her mother's hair color.
"I think you took the wrong route to Apsalon," my aunt joked.
The family laughed at her comment.
Ah, the underground transport doesn't go to Apsalon. I got the joke.
"We're heading to another Duchy at the request of a friend. It seems the Duke of the region is a bit desperate for potions as he's sending men to deal with a swarm of monstrous crickets in a cave, and we need to assess the situation before we send a report to a Grand Duke. I took advantage of the trip to bring the girls along for a little outing," he said, laughing.
"I pity the paperwork you'll have to sign," Aunt Margie said.
"Don't remind me…" he said, a bit disheartened.
My aunt continued chatting with Martin while my mother spoke with Clara. I didn't know how to interact with Nora, but luckily, Chloe and Kinue, despite being shy, were good at making friends once they warmed up.
We eventually had to say our goodbyes.
"I think we'll see each other again in Apsalon, Katherine," Clara said.
"Though I don't like being far from home, I'll be glad to have your company."
The two laughed, and Martin approached us.
"It looks like my dear Nora will have friends when it's her turn to go to the Academy. She's a mage as well, and I'll be counting on you to keep an eye on the girls and make sure no one gets too close," Martin said, winking at me.
"Father!" Nora shouted, embarrassed.
"Don't worry, sir. If anyone tries something, I'll kill them," I replied.
Martin burst into laughter, and we said our goodbyes. We waited until they had walked a little farther away.
"Ahem!" my aunt cleared her throat to get the people in line to look forward again.
"They were just old acquaintances," she said to the people in the line.
We were surrounded by civilians going about their business, but in reality, there were at least 80 disguised soldiers, along with the maids. They were responsible for our security. To an outsider, it would never seem like we were a family of Dukes.
I'm still not used to this sort of thing.
Some of them continued playing their roles, but I noticed they formed a protective circle around us while pretending to read or discuss random topics.
"No staring at them, dear. Follow the rules," my aunt said.