150 Chapter 150: The Sky City! The First Prince and Second Prince! The Princess’s Quarters!
By the time Luca arrived in Dawn City. Five days had passed.
Over these days, aside from crafting magic runes. Luca had spent most of his time dealing with Susie’s constant troublemaking.
Truth be told, he knew he was in the wrong.
In the end, the only thing Luca could do was promise Susie that as soon as they arrived in Dawn City, he would figure out a way to bring her here.
This was the only thing that barely managed to calm her anger.
Luca stepped out of the flying ship’s cabin.
The weather was sunny and bright.
Standing on the flying ship’s gangway, Luca gazed at the distant skyline.
“So, this is Dawn City?”
Under the vast blue sky, a colossal structure, reminiscent of a mountain range, floated in mid-air.
It was covered in towering skyscrapers, with flying ships coming and going like busy bees.
Around it, smaller floating islands orbited, forming a pattern that resembled a blooming lotus flower.
From a distance, one could already see the blue crystal tower at the heart of the city, a straight spire piercing the clouds.
“That’s right, it’s also known as the Sky City!” Fratis said with a smile, his voice filled with a subtle pride.
After all, this was his home.
“After days of traveling by flying ship, we’ve finally arrived!” Lucia stretched her body dramatically, revealing her devilishly toned figure.
“Once we get to Dawn City, let me show you the city’s splendor!” She put her soft white arm around Luca’s shoulder, batting her eyes and laughing mischievously.
Sophia shot her a cold look and said, “Shouldn’t the teacher take me along too?”
Lucia quickly retracted her arm, laughing awkwardly. “What are you thinking? The teacher is just going to stroll around the food streets. How could I possibly take my own student to a nightclub or the red-light district? Those kinds of places…”
The others rolled their eyes.
As the flying ship drew closer to Dawn City, the overwhelming presence of the giant city pressed in on them.
In front of this massive structure, the hundred-meter-long flying ship seemed like a tiny dot.
Only now could they truly appreciate the sheer size of the Sky City.
Naturally, a city like Dawn City had its own docks.
The flying ship, familiar with the route, headed toward the central district of Dawn City.
Luca had already asked Fratis and the others about the city.
Dawn City wasn’t just one single city—it had its own central district, but there were also eight satellite districts. These were nine floating islands surrounding the main city, each named after one of the eight cardinal directions.
Each of these satellite islands was governed by a grand duke of the empire, who was required to report to King Alfred Clinton in the central royal palace every day about the state of the empire.
Only in rare cases would the king summon all eight grand dukes to the palace to discuss important matters.
The flying ship sailed through the passageway, entering the outer docks of the main district.
It passed through a dim tunnel and finally came to a smooth, steady stop at the platform.
A group of people disembarked from the flying ship.
Luca scanned the surroundings.
He saw many guards in uniforms, checking the baggage and identities of pedestrians.
The line stretched for quite a while, consisting of ordinary people as well as wealthy individuals dressed in extravagant clothing, all in an orderly fashion.
In the dock, someone had been waiting for them.
It was a young man wearing golden armor with short hair.
From the divine aura emanating from him, it was clear that he was a high-ranking Holy Knight.
Upon seeing them, he immediately walked over and respectfully said, “Your Highness, Lady Lucia, Lord Luca, it’s been a long journey. His Highness the First Prince has arranged accommodations and a banquet. He wishes to invite you all over to meet and get acquainted.”
The First Prince? Luca’s eyes shifted slightly.
In the Clinton Empire, the only person who could be called the First Prince was King Alfred’s eldest son, Leonie.
He was the son of King Alfred and Queen Matilda Constantine, and the legitimate heir to the throne.
Luca hadn’t expected him to send someone to greet them.
Before he could respond, a harsh voice suddenly rang out.
“Heh, it seems the First Prince is truly desperate for talented individuals, going so far as to send his strongest knight to welcome a small noble from the countryside.” Another group of people approached.
The man was dressed in a noble’s long robe, with a tall, sharp nose and a handlebar mustache. His face twisted into a sneer, and he was followed by a retinue of guards. His tone was dripping with contempt, and it was clear he had no respect whatsoever for the so-called legitimate heir to the throne.
“This man is Beck Thomas, a count and a dog of the Second Prince and the noble faction,” Lucia whispered from the side. It was clear from her voice that she had little love for the Second Prince or the noble faction.
“Beck! You should show the royal family the respect they deserve!” Knight Ed, his face turning alternately green and white with anger, clenched his fists. If it weren’t for the circumstances, he might have attacked right there and then.
Beck sneered dismissively, clearly uninterested in further conversation.
He then turned to Fratis and Finn, whose expression was calm, and bent slightly at the waist, speaking with exaggerated deference. “Your Highness, Lord Finn, the Second Prince has sent me to invite you both to a banquet. ”
“He specially ordered fresh spirit fish and seafood from the Western Sea to prepare a lavish feast, which I’m sure you and Your Highness will enjoy.”
Luca watched the exchange with great interest.
Neither side was even pretending to be polite. It seemed the power struggles within the Clinton royal family were already quite intense. No wonder the king was in such a rush to arrange a marriage with the Phillips family…
“Luca…” Fratis tugged gently at his sleeve.
Luca turned and made eye contact with her, clearly seeing the helplessness in her eyes.
Fratis’ biological mother was not Matilda Constantine, but the late former queen.
She had no affection for either the First or Second Prince, as both were merely trying to win the favor of Finn and the Phillips family. In fact, the only one in the royal family who truly cared for her was the third princess…
Luca gave a slight nod, then calmly addressed Knight Ed and Count Beck, “Sorry, we’ve already made arrangements at a hotel, so there’s no need for the princes to trouble themselves. I thank you both on behalf of Her Highness, and as for Finn… well, he can make his own decision.”
“Hmm?” Both men’s gazes shifted to Luca, their expressions confused.
“What gives you the right to make decisions for the princess?” Finn’s cold voice asked, voicing their unspoken thoughts.
He hasn’t even spoken yet, and you, a mere viscount, who do you think you are to make decisions?
“Luca is right,” Fratis suddenly raised her head, speaking firmly. “We’ve already made hotel arrangements. Please thank my older brother and second brother on my behalf.”
Ed and Beck exchanged a glance, completely confused about what was happening.
“You!” Finn felt his blood pressure spike, his chest tightening in anger. He gritted his teeth and looked at Fratis, as if he wanted to say something. But in the end, he swallowed his fury and snarled at Ed and Beck, “Get out of here!”
Both men flinched, quickly realizing that the Duke’s son was clearly enraged and that this wasn’t the time to press the issue. They hastily excused themselves, eager to leave before Finn took out his frustration on them.
At the same time, Ed felt a pang of regret for Luca. He had done such a great job in Southwind City, and he was so young—if things had gone differently, he would’ve definitely been a rising star in the noble world. But now, he’d crossed Finn…
He shook his head.
Once the two men had left. Finn shot Luca a long, cold stare and sneered. “Enjoy the next few days, because after that, your life will get a lot more difficult.”
With a wave of his hand, he barked, “Let’s go.”
The group watched as Finn stormed off. Luna frowned and said, “You’ve earned a lot of credit, and for the next few days, they probably won’t dare to do anything to you. But once the king’s rewards are settled, Finn definitely won’t let this slide.”
“Sorry…” Fratis’s face showed a mix of worry and guilt. In the end, it was because of her that all this had happened.
Luca shook his head. “It’s fine. Let’s just go.”
At this point, there was no point in saying more.
“Let’s head to my palace. It’s big enough, and I’ll be able to host everyone there,” Fratis suggested.
No one disagreed.
Then, under the curious gaze of the crowd, the group walked out of the dock.
Outside, several luxurious carriages were waiting. They had been prepared by Lucia, and the creatures pulling the carriages were similar to scaled horses, but much larger and gentler in nature.
The group climbed into the carriage and headed toward the royal palace deep within the city.
During the ride, Luca took the opportunity to observe the bustling city of Clinton Empire, the most prosperous in the entire empire.
On the streets, vehicles powered by magic energy crystals slowly made their way through the roads. They weren’t particularly fast, their bulky, unwieldy forms resembling large metal worms. Two iron chimneys belched thick clouds of smoke from their tops.
These machines resembled modern buses, albeit with rougher craftsmanship. Many of the mechanical structures, along with brass gears, were exposed and visible to anyone passing by.
In addition to these curious vehicles, there were also uniquely designed buildings and strange-looking races walking the streets—Elves, Tigerfolk, Lizardmen, and more.
These humanoid races were dressed in formal clothing, walking down the neat, clean streets while chatting and laughing. To any casual observer, they appeared no different from regular people.
Among the several guilds they passed, Luca noticed a few players. Compared to other cities, the number of players here seemed much lower. However, those present were generally at higher levels, with most of them above level 20.
But the most striking feature of the city was undoubtedly the massive royal palace situated at the very center of Dawn City. Even from a distance, the grandiose building gleamed with golden hues. The closer they got, the more one could feel the sheer scale and magnificence of the structure.
As the carriage continued on its way, it didn’t take long before they arrived at the palace gates.
Soldiers stood guard at the entrance, checking the identities of those entering. Upon seeing Fratis, a few soldiers were momentarily confused, unsure of what was going on.
Only one older soldier, a veteran, paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up in recognition. “Your Highness, the Sixth Princess! When did you return?”
“Captain Charlie, long time no see!” Fratis smiled warmly, waving at the soldier as she greeted him.
She showed no airs of superiority typical of nobility or royalty, and in fact, she seemed just like any ordinary person, casual and approachable.