Hunn

"Hey, boy, do you want the tail of a silver lizard? I assure you, they're delicious!" A merchantman called out to Lua, but he simply ignored him. He knew he was being taken advantage of, he looked very out of place in this bustling city. It didn't take a genius to understand Lua was a country bumpkin.

Arc and Lua took in the sights of the wondrous capital city of Dernf, Hunn. Buildings were mostly brick, and quite tall compared to the ones back at home. The women were dressed in elegant dresses, looking quite noble in their own right. The men donned a suit that brought out their charms, accompanied by a gentlemanly coat. People occasionally glanced at them - not to Lua, but to the walking machine next to him. Arc was definitely a sight most people here weren't used to seeing.

Walking along the paved road, designed for automobiles, Lua looked back at Arc. Lua was carrying most of the luggage, as he wanted to show off his new found strength.

"Let me know if you see some place that looks affordable." Lua reminded Arc of their plan, not willing to let him get distracted by the sights of the city.

Arc nodded, not speaking a word. He still wasn't used to speech, and it showed. Lua couldn't help but smile at this.

"That place doesn't look too bad." Arc said, pointing at a tavern that also doubled as an Inn. There was a sign that read 'Inn of the Lady'.

Lua frowned slightly. He knew that the 'Lady' referred to the Lady of War, the Goddess that most of the Kingdom of Dernf believed in fervently. Although he considered himself irreligious when it came to deities, he recognized he may need to act as a firm believer if he wished to blend in with society.

Shaking his head, he creaked open the doors of the tavern, entering the dimly lit space. He was instantly hit with the smell of burning cigarettes and booze. It bothered him quite a bit, but he toughed it out and pretended not to be affected by the heavy smell.

Around the tavern were tables, scattered around the room. It was packed to the brim with men and women alike, looking very much like commoners unlike the gentlepeople outside. It seemed this place was more targeted at the everyday folk - perfect for cheapskates like Lua and Arc.

Lua walked up to the bartender, who was a rather burly man in his mid-40's. He had a handlebar moustache, which was quite a common style to see. "How much for a night?"

The man sized up Lua, as if wondering if he even had the ability to pay. "Four pence. No discounts."

In the Kingdom of Dernf, there were three main currencies. The first, and the largest, were Imperial Ducats. They were roughly equal to a hundred shills, or 5,000 pence. Shills were equal to fifty pence, quite a hefty sum to most commoners. Lua's family spent nearly two shills a month, and they could be considered well off by most standards. Ducats on the other hand were almost exclusively for the rich. Even having one was enough to changes one's life.

Lua took out 2 shills and 20 pence, out of the total five shills in his bag. "I'll be staying for a month."

It's cheaper than I expected.. Lua sighed in relief, not having to waste all his money in a single go.

If he wanted to survive in this city, he needed to find a way to make money, and quick. He believed he couldn't make money fast enough if he started working at a job, and would have to go back to Illusion Castle.

So, he decided to do what he knew best: making gadgets. With Arc's help, he could set up shop somewhere easily and produce gadgets at maximum speed. He would then sell these gadgets at a premium, making serious cash.

At least, that was his idea. In reality, it would be much more difficult getting the trust of people to purchase items that may or may not work, from a seller they had never heard of before, at premium prices.

"Room 14, upstairs." The burly man took the money and grunted.

Taking his suitcases to the room, he creaked open the door to find a small place with two beds. The floor was made out of planks, and it was just about what you would expect from a hotel that that only cost 4 pence per night.

Lua sighed, and rubbed his temples as he sat down on the bed. The beds were surprisingly comfortable compared to the room, and Lua finally felt pleased that he had found some place decent to stay.

Seeing Arc settle on the bed next to him, Lua felt drained after all the walking they had done. It wasn't far from Illusion Castle, but it wasn't close either. It was nearly half a day's journey.

He quickly drew a vertical eye on the floor with a pen, and wrote the name of Vision on it with his blood.

Bwomp! Vision appeared nearly instantly, slightly disgruntled. "What is it this time?"

"I'll be staying here until the next month." Lua said, providing no further details.

Vision looked around the room, nodded, and then disappeared once more, leaving dust hanging in the air.

This is annoying every time he does it.. Lua sighed, mild angered by the dust Vision attracted to himself during his teleportation.

Seeing the sun begin to set, Lua decided to go outside to see how the city looked like at night. He asked Arc if he wanted to join him, but he refused.

Exiting the tavern-hotel, he finally felt a bit of fresh air after the suffocating smell of the tavern. Of course, due to the factories, the outside wasn't too clean either. It was quite honestly a bit dampening on ones mood.

Moving down the street, he saw a magnificent cathedral that was very tall. At the top of the gates of the massive building was the sign of the Church of the Lady - a candle crossing a blade. It represented the Lady's blessing in wars, and for each battle every human partake in that didn't necessarily include bloodshed.

Putting his hands into the pockets of his trenchcoat, he creaked open the doors of the cathedral and entered.