“I can’t believe it!” Walking on the streets, Himo threw his arms to the sky. “This is absolutely impossible!”

[Is the user seriously angry for that?]

“Yes!” He stomped a foot against the cobblestone. His irate gaze startled even the nobles, who avoided him at first sight. Phylia, meanwhile, walked beside him as if nothing weird was happening.

Himo shot a sharp gaze at the few coins on his hands. Seven! He had only seven gold coins! What kind of baron is that?

[That’s rather wealthy for a baron of this kingdom.]

It’s not! He shook his head and stomped all the way to the royal palace. Once he returned, he found a stack of piled up coffins right beside the entry door. His lips twitched.

-----

After entering the palace and walking through a few rooms, Himo met his father.

“Those coffins contain the rebel force, right?” Mo crossed his arms. “The knights came in a hurry and threw them beside the door…”

Himo scratched his cheek. “I guess I should’ve specified where to put them.”

“Oh, don't worry. I’ll think about what to do with them later.” Mo shrugged.

“Putting that aside, where is the noble now?”

“I’ve tasked the knights to chain him in an empty room of the knights’ barrack. As you suggested, we’ll hold a process in front of the whole nobility to decide a punishment.”

Himo nodded.

“By the way…” Mo raised two fingers. “Choose: tomato sauce or eggs. What do you want on the pasta?”

“Carbonara!”

“C-carbonara? What’s that?”

-----

Later that day, the Shus sat around a table. In front of each, a porcelain plate held mounded heaps of spaghetti adorned by a mellow golden coating and small cubes of meat. Cheese, sliced meat, and a few vegetables dwelled in the center of the table, surrounded by glasses and bottles.

After everyone ate several mouthfuls of pasta, Himo stood up. He opened his arms wide as the light from the window behind shone upon him. "Now then, what's the evaluation of our head judge?" He pointed at his father.

Mo glanced at the dish in front of him and lowered his fork. "It's good! Nice idea!"

The others nodded.

“Well said!” Himo gave him a thumb up and held the fork close to his own mouth like a microphone. “With this said, I have an announcement to make!” Before anyone could reply, he said, “I will be leaving for a while from tomorrow.”

“What?” Both Mo and Ashey stood up. Aria, meanwhile, glared at him.

“I’ve recommended him to an excellent academy,” Eitha cut in. Spinning his fork in the spaghetti, he said, “In there, he can train without worries.”

Mo and Ashey narrowed their eyes. They glanced at each other, and, after several seconds, they sighed. 

“Is it the one where you went?” Ashey sat back on her chair.

Eitha nodded.

“I… see…” Mo looked at Himo and sat down. Then, he turned to Eitha. “How long until he’ll come back?”

“That depends on him. If his results aren’t satisfying to them, he might get sent back quickly. Otherwise, it’s up to his discretion.” Eitha poured some wine on his glass. “I believe that going there is the best for him.”

But while his parents were appeased, Aria wasn’t having any of that. She turned to Himo and used her secret technique: puppy eyes. “You’re really going away?”

Himo smiled. “I’ll be going tomorrow. But I’ll spend the rest of the day with you—let’s visit each angle of the capital together.”

-----

After lunch, Himo, Phylia, and Aria dashed out of the palace. They ran through the streets, chasing each other through the crowd of nobles and commoners alike. They played tag like children. They ran amidst the bustling markets, the commoners’ dwellings, the schools and academies, and the lifeless slums. Using it as a chance, Himo said hello to the arena’s manager, who shivered at the sight of the children.

“If I remember right, there’s the sea in the south.” Himo brought the two to the southern gate.

There, a long line of commoners marched to and from the south. Most commoners had baskets on their backs, while the more rich-looking ones pulled carts. Occasionally, horse-dragged wagons rushed beside the line, but aside from rare exceptions, only low-level cultivators drove them.

Staring at the processed fish that the crowd brought to the capital, Himo, Phylia, and Aria restrained their drool as they followed the line. Soon enough, they reached a majestic land of white sand. The beach.

Many shacks filled the place, each crowded by commoners. In there, some people cut fish into fillets, others dried them, salted them, or smoked them. The fish brought back whole were few, usually limited to wagon-carried ones.

From the beach, Phylia muttered, “Sea.” Seeing the blue that spread farther than the horizon, she remembered how she had mistaken a lake for the sea. With a smile, she ran to the shore and dived in.

Swimming in the limpid water, she found a seabed of rocks and seaweeds. Countless schools of fishes moved amidst the sea vegetation, hiding from the eyes of birds and people alike.

Small boats sailed over the blue. On them, many commoners held fishing rods—they occasionally caught big prey such as sharks, but they mostly caught small fishes. The cultivators, meanwhile, swam amidst the rocks whilst holding spears. Despite their superior strength, they stayed in groups of three and above. When they saw Phylia swimming through the depths undisturbed by the lurking dangers—she played with the monsters as though they were toys—they were baffled.

Meanwhile, Himo and Aria built a sandcastle. They remained on the beach for several hours, and yet, each castle they built died by crumbling before completion. They weren’t happy.

Later on, they walked around the capital and strolled through the nearby forests—they paid a visit even to the one that the knights were rebuilding under Himo’s order. Time passed quickly and soon came the time to return.

-----

The next day, after bidding farewell to his family, Himo and Phylia followed Eitha. They walked in the manor where they formerly lived in.

“What are we doing here?” Himo asked.

“We’re almost there.”

Himo raised an eyebrow, but he didn’t ask further questions. They walked through several doors and soon entered Eitha’s room. As they weren’t living there anymore, it was emptied—all that adorned it was a bed and a bedside table. Both empty.

Before Himo could say something, Eitha poked a wall. And the wall crumbled. Behind it, a spiral staircase led downward. Himo tilted his head.

The three walked down the stairs. They walked, walked, and walked. It kept going for over ten floors’ worth.

Ding!

[Quest Success: Quell the insurgent nobles!]

[Quest Difficulty: A-]

[Quest Reward: 50 BS points.]

[You now have 95 BS points!]

Late as usual. Himo rolled his eyes as the view opened up to a dark room.

[The timing was perfect. The nobles behind the rebellion took their decision a few seconds ago.]

Is that so? Himo shrugged, but his eyes lit up. But still... 50 points!

“We've arrived.” Eitha walked atop a rectangular altar in the middle of the empty room. “Come up here.”

Himo eyed the altar. On it were stuck tens of rods, and a black circle was engraved on it. After a moment of hesitation, he also walked atop it. Phylia stood beside him.

Eitha nodded and took out a purple crystal.

“That is…” Himo widened his eyes.

“Just a mana-filled stone,” Eitha said as he placed it in the center of the altar.

The crystal brightened up. Its light fused with the altar’s black circle, and the surroundings warped out of shape. And darkness fell.

Himo tensed up.

When the light returned, he found that he wasn't in the basement anymore. Behind him, a green prairie extended for tens of meters before falling in the endless void. 

Himo widened his eyes. A flying island! At last, I’m in a real fantasy place!

From beneath the island, four massive chains bound a towering egg-shaped building placed in the center of the island. A sphere was embedded atop that building. From it, tight cables connected a cluster of rooms whose shape varied from huge dodecahedrons to tiny triangles. All those buildings floated in the sky, reflecting the sunlight off their dark metallic gray.

A building in particular caught Himo’s attention. Unlike the others, that one was built on the side of the island, protruding toward the endless fall downward. It was a dock. Could it be that flying ships exist? Himo’s eyes lit up. However, the blanching colors and the rust over the building’s metal didn’t give him much hope.

“That’s the entrance to the academy.” Eitha pointed at the egg-shaped building.

Himo’s lips twitched.

“Well then, good luck.”

“Eh?” Himo turned backward, but he only managed to take a glimpse of the waving Eitha before the latter vanished amid a dark fog. Phylia didn’t seem to care about it. She just stared at the buildings.

An instant later, a commotion erupted from the main building, and tens of beings rushed out. Humans, beast-men, elves, and even angels surrounded the two.

“Who are you?!” An angel held an open book as she flew in front of the child. With a wingspan of two meters, her white wings covered the academy’s buildings from his sight. 

Himo blinked.

A majestic pressure exploded from each being, smashing the two like a waterfall. They were all Nascent Soul realm cultivators.

Himo turned to look at where his brother had vanished. Ooi! Don’t leave like that!