บท 16: 16 - A Tour To The City
Fun was about right. Liam had delivered on his promise and provided the duo with new, more culturally appropriate clothing. That included a long grey pleated skirt and a loose white crop top for Aurelia. For Karl, the ensemble had consisted of a light blue shirt and plain black pants. He had been expecting something like a coat, but keeping in line with the theme was soundly more appropriate.
The young mage in training had informed the duo of the name of the city. Not that it was needed, with Karl having been briefed on by Cinis. The little fairy hadn't stopped prattling about the aesthetics and the culture of this world once she started. It had required him completely ignoring her before she was able to figure out his lack of interest.
Hearing about things was vastly different from experiencing them himself. Liam had proposed they take a walk along the boardwalk to the park that was a few blocks down. Karl had agreed, and Aurelia had been too excited to voice any complaints on walking to said park.
As the trio marched down the road, with the sun lighting the world under its brilliant glory and a rush of pedestrians to provide the backdrop of hustle and bustle, covert and overt glances were sent their way. Aurelia received much attention from the men and women alike. For all they were vampires, it would seem the physiological difference between themselves and humans wasn't that obvious. More so under the effects of the glamour.
"The air isn't as clean here on the ground as it was in that tall building." Aurelia voiced. "Not to mention the unnecessary attention our appearance seems to be drawing."
It was understandable, really. Even though much less than his cousin, Karl could feel eyes roam over his visage far longer than was appropriate. Despite what their clothing might suggest, the people here reacted with the attitude of a peasant. He had to wonder if it was just the difference in culture or whether their appearance was really that striking.
"Pay it no mind, please," Liam said. "The people of this world are less conservative than you would see from our societies. Though that boldness certainly contributes to developing a charming personality. Of course, moderation is always favoured."
"I can see that." Karl nodded. Usually in the Night Realm, the process of courtship was unnecessarily complicated. That wasn't the case here. If what Cinis was informing him was correct, then he would have to commend them on their boldness. Of course the pros came with cons, also. The commitment in their relationship was as fickle as their general change of interest.
"New York mostly comes under the jurisdiction of the Guild." Liam informed. "Mostly our Golden Leaf Emporium commands the resources and distribution."
That was certainly impressive. From what he heard about this world, not every place was as developed as this America Country. Once more the concept of democracy baffled him, but he chose not to go down that memory lane.
"I don't suppose Archmage Elsher personally oversees this branch?" Aurelia asked.
Liam smiled, moving closer to the duo instead of being on the forefront. "You would be correct." He spoke. "Our branches are usually overseen by the direct descendants of Lord Elsher. This branch in particular is managed by High Mage Hope. Granddaughter to the Archmage."
Karl raised a brow at that. As was mandatory in any noble household, children from the age of two would be taught everything from proper etiquette to knowledge about territories and their regional lords. Mages were a topic of interest in Night Realm, so they were taught about the guild, its branches, and their heads. Of course, it was only recently they had learnt about Earth, so his lack of knowledge was understandable.
Still a direct descendant of an Archmage, a grandchild at that, was certainly a topic of interest.
"I think we are diverging from our goals here." Aurelia spoke. "Since we are to have fun, let's not talk about politics here."
"I apologise for broaching the subject at such an inappropriate time." Liam offered.
"It's not a problem." Karl replied. Though the young man's attitude was suspicious to say the least. He seemed all too subservient toward them, which roused his distrust. People weren't supposed to be this polite toward themselves. Not the young, immature, and cowardly Count of Crimson Vale. This made him feel something was amiss.
He breathed out and chose a particular structure to point at. "What's that?" He asked.
"That's a hospital," Liam replied. "Using the conventional procedure and medicine, people of this world offer treatment to a variety of ailments. Which mostly boils down to removing the cause and letting the natural healing take care of the rest. Of course, it's more complicated than that, but you should understand."
"I do." Karl nodded. Once more, Cinis had started to chant everything there was to know about this hospital. It was fascinating to know that there were healers in this world who could undertake such serious tasks without the use of magic. Once more, science reared its head to smack their common sense.
The rest of the walk to the park was more relaxing now that they were more focused on enjoying the scenery rather than the mechanics running it behind the scenes. There was one thing that attracted Aurelia like nothing else, though.
"What is that?" She asked, her eyes glued on a rectangular-shaped thin box, similar to the one in the hotel, except scaled down to a palm-sized version. What drew their attention, though, was the play enfolding on the screen.
"It's a smartphone." The young mage informed. "Basically a compact computer running on what's known as software by interfacing with the hardware to provide a diverse range of functionality. From watching something to reading or even just searching for relevant information, it can be used to provide all that."
"How does it work?" Karl blurted without thinking. As the words left his mouth, realisation also arrived. 'Science,' he thought. Once more amazed at this marvel of creation that seemed to work somewhat similarly to a communication crystal. With added functionality, of course.
"You would be surprised to discover our own specialised products that have even broader functionality." Liam spoke with a smug expression.
"I'm sure we would." Karl replied, though there was a hint of contempt lacing his tone. Even Liam understood the underlying meaning and kept quiet while they meandered through the streets. The fact that Mages had kept this place hidden for so long violated the joint agreements put in place by the Vampires, Mages, and Werewolves.
As the park came into view, the duo admired the greenery while Liam went off somewhere after assuring them that he would be back in half an hour.
"Do you think he left us so that we would lose our way back home?" Aurelia asked in jest.
Karl laughed a little. "The idea that they mask the aura of the portal from us is laughable, and I'm sure they are already aware of that. Not to mention they would have to deal with two angry vampires."
The two shared a laugh and found a bench to sit on. It was more likely that Liam had left to give them some space. How awfully considerate, though Karl did appreciate the effort.
"The air here is fresher." She commented.
"Yeah." He nodded. "Likely due to all these trees. I have only seen such colour from the books and paintings. Truly fascinating."
Night Realm was usually shrouded in gloom, and many attributed that to the fact that it was a false Realm. Legend had it that the Night King created the realm himself, unlike other naturally forming realms. The twisted vegetation and mutated abominations being attributed to that fact.
By comparison, Earth seemed like heaven. A cool breeze, pleasant weather, and clean roads. The only thing he found unsettling was the heat, which the locals seemed to find pleasing.
"If everything goes well, I wish to visit this place once more in the future." Aurelia asserted. "Maybe after..." Her last words were a quiet mumble that even Karl's enhanced hearing found hard to pick up.
"Don't worry," he assured. "I will make sure everything goes well."
She smiled at him, her radiant beauty outshining the ball of fire up above. A number of people stopped in their places, their efforts at covert glances futile. Seeing that beauty directed at him, Karl found himself lucky and leaned in to kiss her lips.
The exchange lasted shorter than usual, but it left many hearts broken and listless. Not that the duo cared about the fantasies of common people.
They chose to walk around the place a bit, gaze upon the clear lake, and stroll through the woods. The shade provided by the canopy offered much relief, and the duo took to leaning against the thick bark.
Sometime later, Liam came back and took them to a cafe, where the two vampires finally had the taste of an exotic beverage called coffee. No one knew how that scene played out.
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