Petra brought us to a few other places after viewing the dungeon and we topped it off with a quick lunch in a restaurant that — surprise, surprise — holds Lady Artanis in high regard. The food was... passable? I mean, I can't exactly say it was delicious, but it wasn't bad either. Maybe I've just been spoiled by the two meals I've eaten in Lady Artanis' estate. Yeah, that's probably it.
We arrived at the station around thirty minutes early because Petra wanted to be rid of us — or so, I assume. Or maybe it was because we had no where else to go? I really couldn't tell what she was thinking at all.
Just as the man from earlier told us, someone greeted us right as we entered. He led us straight into one of the fancy cars near the front of the train. Curtains made of velvet hung across the walls of the car and a thin sheet colored the light orange as it entered through the windows.
The rug that encompassed the whole car was soft enough for one to lay down on and the sofas was softer still. The lilac and lavender colored cushions accented the dark red sofas perfectly. Our luggage was already placed in the luggage compartment along with one other luggage that we didn't recognize. It was probably owned by someone who would be with us in this fancy car.
It made sense that we wouldn't be the only passengers here. There was still tons of space in the car for people to come in.
I sank down into the sofa together with Vera. God, was it comfortable in here. If this was how it is when you travel by train, the empire really should look to overturn the public perception on riding a train. If they can do that, they would be able to place train tracks everywhere; and then, we could just ride a train to Forostar. It would be way faster and more comfortable.
There were various confectionaries on the table that we were free to partake. I picked up a chocolate macaron and popped it into my mouth.
Petra sat down across us and pulled out a book. I squinted my eyes at her actions.
"Miss Petra, aren't you getting off?"
She gave me a glance and immediately went back to reading.
"Is... that a no?"
"Petraa! Did Miss Artanis tell you to come with us?"
"Yes."
"For how long?"
"Until you graduate."
"Oh! Will you stay with me and Dina?"
"We will be staying in Lady Artanis' house in Vier."
Yup. I knew that was coming. "Is it anything like her house here?"
She shook her head.
"Wait! So that luggage is yours?
"Yes."
"Does that mean we're the only ones in this car?
"Yes. This is a private car."
Vera did a little jump for joy as she moved to another sofa, kicked off her shoes, and lied down. "This is the best. Why aren't trains more widespread?"
"Lady Artanis is lobbying for it."
"But everyone else is stopping her?"
She nodded. The conversation died out some time after that and Petra went back to busy herself with her book. I followed Vera's lead and let myself relax deep into the sofa as the train started to move.
The rest of the train ride was largely uneventful, but the scenery that passed us by as the train moved forwards was definitely beautiful.
It was enchanting seeing the snowy hills and plains gradually transforming into grass, mud, and farmlands. It marked our entry into the region of Vier. The distance from the cities of Lumisade to Vier was about 460 kilometers. This would have taken us nearly thirteen days of constant travel, whereas the train ride only took us around 5 hours to get there. Imagine that! Thirteen days reduced to mere hours! This really hammered down the advantage of making trains the future of transport just like how it is outside the Northern World.
We got off the train, this time carrying our own luggage. The same snow elf that greeted us earlier offered to have our luggage delivered, but Petra refused. We followed Petra's lead as she walked out of the station.
"Miss Petra, why did you refuse?"
"Secret."
...does she mean that it's a secret or is the location of Lady Artanis' house in Vier a secret? She skips too many things whenever she talked. It was a little frustrating.
A lot of coaches, waiting for passengers, were present outside the station. It made sense since there was some distance between the station and the city itself. Plenty of people would probably opt for the coach instead of just walking into the city onto their destinations.
Yet, even with the distance between the station and the city, I could clearly see the awe-inspiring massive marbled palace on the horizon that symbolized the empire's power and might. Spires on each corner of the castle towered over the city.
Petra unhesitatingly got on to an indistinguishable run-of-the-mill carriage and we followed her inside. As soon as we closed the door, the horses started trotting forward. There was no sign of communications at all between Petra and the coachman.
"Is the driver one of Lady Artanis'?"
"Yes."
Our travel to the house took about an hour, just in time for us to prepare dinner as soon as we arrived. We bid the coachman goodbye as we entered the quaint little house. It was a two-story building made of wood surrounded by trees. There was a little balcony out front — a perfect place for reading, as expected of Lady Artanis — with chairs and an awning to give shade against sunlight.
Plenty of vines snaked around the columns and supports of the balcony giving it an atmosphere befitting an elf.
The place looked tidy so there was no need for us to clean up before we could start living inside the house. Petra immediately claimed a room for her own in the second floor. Following her lead, I chose the room at the far end, while Vera chose the room beside mine. There was only one bathroom for the entire second floor, unlike Lady Artanis' house in Lumisade where each bedroom had their own bathroom.
We still had a week of free time before the entrance exams for Vier Academy so Vera and I planned to use that week productively by studying for the written exam.
We could also have Petra try to awaken our mana, but, from what Lady Artanis told us, we didn't really need to be able to use mana for the entrance exam. In the first place, even if it's an academy, it is still a Mana Institute where people can learn to use mana.
We also still have that book that Lady Artanis gave us to prepare for the exam. As long as we get at least 70% of the questions right, we would have a sure shot of getting into the academy. From the stories that Lady Artanis shared, the academy wasn't really that special in terms of knowledge. But it was the best place to form connections with upcoming influential people while they were still young.
Lady Artanis even boasted that the students of the Mana Institute in Forostar could beat Vier Academy in terms of knowledge alone. Though considering how Lady Artanis was pretty much the sole teacher of the institute and there was only one student or two per year, it probably wasn't saying something. The Mana Institute in Forostar was more like a community-driven learning institution than an actual Mana Institute. Still, it remains to be seen on whether or not what she was saying was true.
In comparison, Vier Academy accepted thousands of students per year. To accommodate the high demand and promote itself as the highest learning institution in the empire, the academy offered living arrangements within its premises for those who come from far away.
These thousands of students came from varied backgrounds ranging from the working class, to the gentry, and even the royalty. There was an idealistic notion in the academy that professed every student as equal, but I find it hard to believe that that idea would actually be observed and followed. It especially doesn't seem like things would turn out alright if you treated the royalty the same as the commoners. I'm sure it would invite criticisms from the nobles and they would probably put pressure on the academy to, at the very least, uphold and observe the dignity of the aristocrats.
Finished with unpacking my things from my luggage, I made my way to the kitchen, picking up Vera from her room along the way.
We had dinner; and Vera and I relaxed in the living room, enjoying the heat emitted by the fireplace. This would be the last of our easy-going days since the next few days would be spent studying. We had to catch up to people who have been preparing for the academy entrance exam for the longest time. It seemed like a hard prospect at first, but Lady Artanis did assure us that we'd be able to do it handily. I'd like to meet — no, surpass — her expectations.