Reika and everyone arrived in the middle of the city as the warp stone transported them.
Some of my classmates were nauseous, a few even throwing up from dizziness, while others stood there, taking in the sight of this beautiful city we'd never seen before.
This was the Holy Empire of Syr—the second strongest kingdom on the continent, the one I chose alongside everyone else.
They were dumbfounded by this place. The streets buzzed with people dressed in clothes unlike anything back in Earth.
Reika noticed people flying on brooms—something straight out of fiction, and pointed it out to the group.
"Look at that!"
Akira's jaw dropped.
"What the hell? Is such a thing even possible?"
Ren burst into laughter, thrilled by what he was seeing. The rest of them stood there, speechless.
I just observed the city of Syr. This was only a part of the Holy Empire, not the whole thing. In the distance, I could see a massive wall towering over everything—it was unbelievably big.
As I looked at the view, the magic knights lined up and greeted them, bowing to those who came from the warp stone.
Suddenly, a platinum-haired woman with ocean-blue eyes appeared before them.
She wore a white military uniform adorned with the insignia of a white dragon. A sword hung at her waist, and gloves covered her hands.
Reika and the others were taken aback by her striking presence. Some boys admired her beauty while the girls looked on in surprise.
"So, you're the ones foretold in the prophecy. Welcome to Syr. My name is Ezra Solstice."
"Ah, I apologize for my late introduction. I'm Kagami Reika."
"Nakamura Akira. What's up with this place?"
"Tachibana Hikari. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Sakamoto Ryo."
"Tch. Shibata Hanzo. This place isn't half bad."
"Nakano Ren! This is amazing!"
"Mizuki Kana! I'm so excited to be here, desu!"
"I'm Kurosawa Tatsuya. Nice to meet you."
Ezra gave us a calm smile.
"This place is a bit crowded. Let's continue our conversation somewhere more fitting."
We didn't argue and got into the carriage.
As it started moving, we felt it lift off the ground—it wasn't pulled by horses but by griffins, and we were actually flying over the city.
Akira clutched his seat tightly, his eyes wide.
"Are you kidding me? This thing is flying? I never signed up for this!"
Some of the others looked tense, while Ren was grinning.
"These are griffins! I read about them before—this is incredible!"
Ezra smiled, and said.
"Relax. These griffins are well-trained and know these skies well. You're safe with them."
Her words calmed us down, and we focused on the view below.
The city of Syr spread out beneath us, with wide streets, huge buildings, and in the middle of it all, an obsidian tower that reached up into the sky, casting a shadow over the city.
Farther north, we could see the Imperial Palace—a massive fortress with high walls and spires that looked even more impressive from above.
As we landed smoothly outside the palace, guards in silver armor lined the path, saluting us as we stepped out.
"We're here. Welcome to the Imperial Palace. The Emperor and Empress are waiting for you."
After they entered the palace, maids and butlers bustled around, and knights stood guard in the hallways.
A large portrait caught their attention. It depicted a man with blond hair and green eyes alongside a woman with blond hair and gray eyes. In the middle, their daughter held a teddy bear, her innocent smile captivating everyone.
While they stared at the portrait, Ezra cleared her throat.
"Ahem," she said.
Everyone snapped back to reality.
"That picture is from fourteen years ago. The woman was the Emperor's first wife. She was the kindest and most beautiful person I know. I truly respect and admire her… like my big sister."
Reika tilted her head, curiosity in her eyes.
"Where is she now? I want to meet her!"
Akira frowned slightly.
"If she was that important, where is she now?"
Kana nodded.
"Yeah, it would be lovely to meet her, desu."
Ryo crossed his arms, thoughtful.
"She sounds like she was someone special."
Ezra sighed, her expression turning somber.
"One day, a tragedy struck. She was assassinated by one of the Emperor's subordinates. Cecilia gave her life to save her daughter, and by the time the Emperor arrived, it was already too late."
Silence followed. No one knew what to say.
Reika looked down, her excitement fading. The palace felt colder, and the silence weighed on all of us.
After walking for a while, they reached the main hall. Ezra opened the large doors easily.
Inside, the hall was more impressive than they had expected.
A throne stood at the center, and the Emperor sat there with four women beside him.
Reika and the others were surprised; they thought the Emperor's wife was dead.
The Emperor looked at them with a cold expression.
"So, these are your guests, Ezra?"
Reika felt scared. The Emperor's presence was strong and intimidating.
After a moment of silence, Ezra stepped forward.
"Don't intimidate them, old man. They're just here to visit."
The Emperor smirked.
"Still as bold as ever, huh? I almost forgot that you're Cecilia's little sister."
Ezra glared at him.
"I'm serious. If you cross the line, even as the Emperor, I won't hold back."
The Emperor leaned forward, his eyes shining with interest.
"Should I teach you a lesson for being so disrespectful? It's been a while since I've had some fun."
Ezra's aura turned crimson as she stood her ground.
"You want to test me? Go ahead. I'll show you what I can do, you geezer!."
Reika and everyone felt the tension between them. The air felt heavy as the two auras clashed together.
The Emperor's golden aura mixed with Ezra's crimson energy, creating a powerful presence that made their knees feel weak.
As they continued to argue, Reika and everyone remained silent, realizing they were caught in a situation that was more than they could handle.
I calmly looked at the Emperor, assessing the situation.
This woman in front of us had a close relationship with him and held a high position. The aura in the room tingled at my senses, reminding me that I had felt something like this before.
I clenched my fist and smirked.
Beside the Emperor, the Queen's expression turned angry.
"Dear, if you don't stop right now, you'll sleep outside the room. You're scaring our guests." Her eyes smiled, but there was a sharpness to them.
The Emperor felt a chill run down his spine. He cleared his throat and said,
"Dear, I was just kidding. No need to be serious. I was just curious about what kind of people they are... and it looks like some of them piqued my interest."
The Empress pinched his knee and replied,
"Of course! What do you think? If you don't reflect on your actions…"
She cracked her knuckles, causing the Emperor to gulp and realize he should keep quiet.
Reika and everyone else were speechless at what had just happened.
"I'm sorry about my husband. He can act like a child sometimes, but he is reliable when the time comes. Welcome to Syr."
"My name is Christine De Leonhart. I'm the second wife and the Empress."