The capital of the Kingdom of Posen.
Palieu, the City of Flowers.
On this fog-shrouded night, pale moonlight hung over the city, illuminating the ancient and beautiful City of Flowers below.
The silhouettes of building complexes drifted in and out of view in the dark, with spires and spiral stone towers casting long shadows under the moon.
A line of carriages made its way along the cobblestone street with curtains drawn tight, faint silhouettes stirring within. On either side of the road, the shuttered storefronts and firmly closed windows lent an uneasy stillness to the air.
Just then, accompanied by a rush of air currents, a colossal shadow approached like a canopy descending from the heavens.
A mammoth brown airship cruised a thousand meters above the City of Flowers, Palieu. Metal plating encased its hull, with steam and the glow of mana faintly visible through the seams.
Elliptical as a whole, the airship resembled a courtyard-style hanging garden. Its bow tapered to a sharp point while its stern spread wide. Huge thrusters and propellers flanking the vessel served like the pectoral fins of a whale, allowing the entire craft to glide through the sky with exceptional smoothness.
Inside, the mana airship looked like a palace, adorned throughout with exquisite wood paneling and brass ornamentation. Blinking lights intertwined with the faint hum of machinery.
"Attention, passengers. The supergiant mana airship *Floating Castle* has entered the municipal airspace and begun decelerating. We will arrive at our destination, Palieu North Station, in thirty minutes."
A flower-shaped metal loudspeaker broadcast the transit announcement.
Dressed in casual or formal attire, the passengers went about their own activities—some deep in conversation, others quietly admiring the view outside.
In this resplendent passenger salon, at a booth by the window, a young girl lay lazily against the tabletop.
Her name was Lisanci, and she had lost count of how many times she had been to the City of Flowers, Palieu.
Because part of the land in the City of Flowers was occupied by the Posen Demon Realm, the vast barrier made it difficult for mana rail trains to pass through the northern half of the city. Consequently, the rail station sat further south. For anyone wishing to travel directly to the north from a neighboring city, taking an airship was far more convenient; at least they would not have to spend dozens of kilometers transferring after getting off.
Of course, many travelers who wished to sightsee also preferred mana airships.
The urban regulations of many countries across the Southern Continent prohibited large levitating vehicles from flying above their cities. The Kingdom of Posen, however, possessed supreme confidence in its cutting-edge technology and aerial defensive barriers, making airships a signature attraction of the City of Flowers.
Normally, every trip to Palieu was utterly mundane.
Except this time.
The young man sitting across from her was quite peculiar. He was clearly alone, yet he had bought three tickets, leaving even the ticket inspector momentarily stunned.
As a result, this table intended for four people was occupied by only the two of them.
Even so, she stayed strictly on her half of the booth, making no move to take up the vacant seats on the other side.
Right then, as the airship pierced through a dense bank of clouds outside, the vista of the entire city opened up in crystal clarity—
A blaze of lights suddenly appeared beyond the glass.
Golden fireflies, like points of light mirrored on the surface of the city.
And this vantage point overlooking the City of Flowers by night felt like the eye of a typhoon.
Exclamations of wonder instantly rippled across the cabin, filled with the cheerful, lively chatter of tourists.
Even the young man across from Lisanci briefly set down the *Code of the Kingdom of Posen* in his hands and gazed out into the distance.
After a short while,
"Is this your first time in Palieu?"
Lisanci let out a breath and finally mustered the courage to strike up a conversation.
The young man had often looked out the window, as though every piece of scenery held immense charm for him, as if he wanted to commit everything to memory with his eyes and preserve it like a masterwork painting.
Both of them were traveling alone, unlike the groups and families occupying the other seats.
That was also how she had ended up at the same table with someone who bought three tickets.
The next half hour would be quite long, and she always found this part painfully dull.
She was very curious about why this person had bought three tickets—a question she hoped to figure out over the next thirty minutes.
"Yes. More precisely, this is my first time visiting the Kingdom of Posen."
The black-haired, green-eyed young man closed the book in his hands and offered Lisanci a gentle smile as he answered.
The nighttime temperature in Palieu was chilly. He wore a simple black vest over which hung a beige knitted cardigan.
He carried the relaxed demeanor of an artist taking a leisurely rest.
"So you're from abroad! Palieu actually has quite a few grand events in August, like the City of Flowers Holy Grail Familiar Tournament, the Platinum-rank Card Maker Examination, the Skyfire Festival, National Day, and so on," Lisanci counted off.
She had assumed he was from another city in Posen, especially since international travelers across the Southern Continent had dropped off sharply this year.
After all, rumors surrounding the Creti Empire to the south had made people reluctant to leave the safety of their countries' defensive barriers and embark on long journeys into the unknown.
Of course, there had also been some rather unsettling rumors within the Kingdom of Posen itself lately, leaving people on edge.
"We should be about the same age, so no need for formalities,"
the black-haired, green-eyed youth said warmly.
"Are you here to sightsee as well?"
Unlike what Lisanci had imagined, he was not the aloof aristocratic type at all. Instead, he was remarkably talkative and approachable; once the conversation started, he even took the initiative to chat.
"No, I'm here to look for work and make some money in the big city. I just graduated from a school in a small town in Posen, and I'm hoping to find a job as a pastry chef in Palieu. Though I'll probably be learning on the job while working..."
Lisanci said somewhat bashfully.
Although she had been studying magic, her actual coursework had leaned heavily toward freezing and baking spells used in pastry-making.
Even in the best-case scenario of landing a spot at a decent patisserie in the City of Flowers, she would likely have to start as an apprentice.
"High-tier magic cooks earn quite a bit, you know. After all, there are foods capable of boosting attributes for a short period."
Lanqi recalled the Demon King's Bestowed Restaurant back at Purgatory Corridor Academy. The chefs there were truly impressive.
If he took *that* woman there, Lanqi had a feeling his school might go bankrupt and shut down.
Pity Boss Cat was just an ordinary cook with zero understanding of magic engineering, incapable of making dishes with even a shred of magical effect.
Then again, maybe that was for the best. If the mana in the food was too concentrated and Tata ate too much to digest, she might actually develop a little tummy.
Just as the thought crossed his mind, he felt an invisible hand clamp down around his neck.
*My fault, my fault, my fault! Big Sis Tata!*
Lanqi frantically apologized in his heart.
Chapter 657