Chapter 12: A Nation United Under Peace

Arthrada, or officially more well known with the title of Principality of Arthrada Dynasty, was the starting nation for the MC I've written in. Formerly known as the Union of Arthrada, every region was once a nation who now united under a dual-monarchy, which a clear divide of east and west of the nation.

At the east, it was the nation economy heartland, where market, store and trading centers were spread out evenly throughout the nation. With even the most tightest alleyway were converted into market and stores. This was also where the school for nobles, which mostly concentrated within the area of the capital city, Atarnas.

With great economy, also needs a strong and capable military that needed to protect the nation's wealth, there fore, where the west part of the kingdom comes in at play. Securing all the land for only military purposes, where every research and experiment spans from testing military doctrines to new weapon invention, making Arthrada the most formidable nation in terms of defense.

Surrounded by walls from all side and a great economy and also one of the most strongest nation that's ever existed in the eastern part of the continent. The only thing that was less of this thriving nation was a port city to expand their economy more. Thus, in recent years, Arthrada has been searching for reasons to war against Ignarion and has now been the closest to reach that goal since the forced abdication of the king.

With the only thing closing that opportunity is the Phontolux Empire that was keeping tabs on the region, tense relations developed between both nation but as the lower of the two, for now Arthrada has to stick it and let Phontolux monopolized the whole region for a while, readying themselves to strike at opportunity they could to unbalance the power and take themselves the crown of the king.

***

For the first time since we were reincarnated into this world, we could finally see buzzing city, as children plays on the street, taverns are open for adventurer and shop keeper advertising their shops, we felt alive once again.

"Whooh, finally we could refresh ourselves to what a normal town looks like." My sister said excitedly as she looks at every shop that she could see upon. 

"We're still far from our destination, sis." I sighed to myself after seeing her reaction. "Sis!...Oh well, I suppose a little rest were probably fine."

"Brother! Everyone here is using magic!" My sister shouted, while she goes around the city finding stuff like a lost child. "This is great! This is what a fantasy city should look like!"

"Sister, wait! Don't shout out loud that you're not from this world!" I shouted back while also chasing her.

"Shut up as well then, brother!"

We then ran through streets of shops, taverns, inns and markets as I try to catch my sister. After I caught her, we then return back to the town as we see every shop and market that we came onto, checking if there's some stuff that we could buy.

From potions, drinks, weapons and armors. To food, accessories, storage even appliances. It was all you could think for a starter town as I myself was impressed by my own creation. There're times that I almost tear up by the things that came into reality in this world, that my sister needs me to set my sight on different things just to get me back into my usual mood, with that, we kept exploring and exploring, looking at different market and trying to guess what's different from one market with the other.

...

"Huh, a good inn?" An adventurer asked us back while he was enjoying his beer. His muscle were a bit ripped with scars visible on his face...To be honest, we're a bit scared asking him

How'd we even ended up here just to ask an adventurer, I suppose that's a whole 'nother question we didn't even know the answer of.

"For you brats, I recommend that inn there, just straight and then right from that alleyway and got out to the main street again, from there on your right you'll find an inn that's a lot more friendly to brat your age." The other adventurer that has a built of a thief answered us.

"You heard him, right?" 

We then quickly thanked our gratitude and gotten out from the tavern, going to the direction where the adventurer pointed at us where the inn is.

"I'm surprised that they know the inn that was friendly to 'brat our age'. To be honest, that's uncannily specific." My sister whispered, while I kept following the instruction of the adventurer in the inn, ignoring her comment.

After a little walk through the alleyway just as the adventurer pointed out. We then unexpectedly see the inn where the adventurer told us placed, perfectly at on the entrance to the main street, to which the right side of it. 

"This is the inn?" My sister muttered, skeptical towards the really convenient placement of the inn. 

Without any hesitant nor doubt, I then entered it.

"Brother, wait! What if it's a a trap?" My sister panicked, trying to grabbed my hand but she was dragged in instead.

As we open our eyes inside the inn, we found ourselves in a nice and cozy atmosphere, with an inviting lighting and comforting some sort feeling, my sister then loosen her guard as she sighed.

"Looks like you're thinking a little too much, sis." I smirked while I turned my head to my sister. "'Oh no, that adventurer will trap us', that's what you're thinking, right?" 

"Shut up..." My sister mumbled, her cheeks are totally redden from embarrassment. 

After that, to not look strange, we promptly order a room for us to rest for to night. A lot of convincing and back forth negotiations later, we receives a room that was more than enough for both of us to sleep on.

Nothing meaningful happened there as we didn't really say anything towards each other that night because our minds are occupied with the stuff that we need to do tomorrow. 

All we could see from the inn's window was the town slowly goes to sleep, with less and less people goes out during the night. One or two lights could be seen from the street down, but except the guards, no one has the bravery to came out of the knight other than adventurers that's not afraid to get robbed.

"Had you thought about our parents lately?" My sister asked out of nowhere, catching me off guard.

The candles beside our two beds flickered from the wind that got in from the window. Unsettled by it, I got up from the bed and just sat on it for a couple seconds...Thinking about what Aurel just said.

"No, not really" I replied with my usual stern face.

"How about, Constancia?" My sister asked again, this time with a more solemn expression. 

The silence was deafening with the candle between us flickered more and more from the wind outside the window. Taking the initiative, I look at her in the eyes to see...

"Sis, are you crying...?"

"Huh?" She said awhile wiping her eyes before continuing with a hoarse voice, "No, I'm fine, the wind, it just made my eyes irritated, that's all"

"Let's just not think about that for a while. Ignore it, we don't want to waste energy for tomorrow." I stated, with my body already back on the bed, trying to get some sleep while I slowly close my eyes.

Without uttering a single word, my sister followed and we went to sleep almost at the same time, both of our backs against each other, trying not to see each other as we both tried to hide our feelings, in one way or another.

Before long, with the sun already risen up from the horizon, we prepared our stuff, trying to get ready for our journey to the capital city, where our school were located.

Diving into the streets once more, now more accustomed to it, my sister bought some loaves of bread for our breakfast whilst I searching for the carriage that's ordered to be going to the capital. 

Each one of us then checked the stuff that we need to be carrying while ate our breakfast. Wooden staff, check. Grimoire, check. Even though the stuff that I pointed at wasn't really all the useful just because we could automatically chant our magic using our hands. To blend in more, I think those are perfect necessities so we could have more time relaxing with the side of learning magic, rather than worrying and suppressing annoying rumors that's ninety-nine percent unsuppresable.

With our preparations completed, we then went to where the our carriage scheduled. After some technical difficulties with the horses as it didn't want to move before we gave our excess bread and wheat, we're eventually headed towards Atarnas, eight days or a week before the school even started. 

Through the forest and fields where we look upon and heard the sounds of birds and wind grazing the plants. For the first time in four months since the new king has ascended to power, where we felt ever so slightly peace.

"It's beautiful..." She stated while looking at the field of wheat. Golden and ripe as it sways with the wind. In Arthrada, sights like this were common for people to see as they were scattered everywhere throughout the kingdom. But for us that came from Ignarion...

It really is, a special sight to behold.