Chapter 5 - Capital of Virelia

Tiberius realized what was going on after hearing King's words. He wasn't here because he was a guest, but because he moved the sword. Something had not been done before, so everyone, including King, expected him to be divine or possess magical abilities. However, he was not. He was an average office worker who wanted to take a vacation but ended up in this place.

He stood up silently and nodded. “Thank you for your hospitality,” he added with a smile, then followed the servant out of the room. He wasn't happy with the outcome, since he would prefer to go back to New York, but it is undeniably a fact that he was lucky. He was lucky that King did not execute him out of anger and disappointment.

The castle had impressed him a lot, so he wanted to explore it a bit; however, he did not wish death, so he followed the servant to the entrance of the castle, and before he exited, a loud noise came, probably the king's voice. He was furious about something, maybe him or something else. But Tiberius could not hear a word he said, as if he wished to hear them.

At the entrance, the servant asked him to wait so he could speak with the coachman who would take him to his lodgings. He returned after about a minute, holding a few pieces of paper from his pocket.

"Sir, our coachman will take you to your accommodation. It is close to the city center, so you will have everything you might need close by.” Then he handed Tiberius the papers and said, "If your conversations with the King are correct, you are not from here. Guessing from that, you do not have any money at all. This is our money that you can use to make purchases anywhere.”

“You were listening?” Tiberius asked with a smirk.

“This is part of my job, sir. Anyway, this should be enough to keep a man going for a few months, until we can find a way to get you home or you find work."

“I don’t think I can accept this. This is your money—”

“Please take it, sir. It’s the king’s instruction,” the servant interrupted him.

Hearing this, he took the bills from the servant with a smile and looked at them. They had King’s face on them, with some small illustrations next to it. Each bill had a signature, probably the king’s, and a number written on both sides, “100.”

“Thank you, but I do have a question. How much is a loaf of bread?”

The servant frowned when he heard the question. It was an absurd one indeed. Unless he was going to eat bread every single day, it made no sense.

"Sir, it should be 0.5 Velm."

"Oh, great! Thank you!" he replied with a smile, slipping 700 Velm into his pocket.

This was a typical question for Tiberius’s old friend. He used to travel countries and would always check the price of bread. For him, it was the main thing that decided the economy of the country. If it was too high, you're screwed.

“If you need anything or have a question, you can send a letter from the post office in the city center. Make sure to show this so the letter arrives faster than usual.” He said this while handing me a medallion with the image of the king carved into it.

“So you guys don't have phones, huh?” He mumbled to himself.

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing, thanks for everything.”

The servant smiled briefly and moved to the side to clear the way for the carriage.

Tiberius nodded and walked slowly towards it. However, the carriage would not be pulled by a winged horse but rather a regular brown one. It did not upset him too much, but he wished to fly once more.

“Oh, it's you.” Tiberius was surprised to see the same coachman after their trip from Solmir.

“You wanted someone else?” the coachman replied with a monotone tone.

“No, I just thought you were the king’s personal coachman.”

“I am, but not the only one. Anyway, get in before it gets too dark; I will have to go back at nighttime.”

“Can I sit in the front? I never got the chance to ride a carriage in my world, so I would like to take the front seat if possible.”

Coachman frowned at him before calming down.

"That would be better," he agreed as he shifted to the right slightly.

"So you need someone to talk to, I guess," Tiberius said, sitting next to him with a quick smile.

“Well, it is better for you, actually. Not for me," he mumbled, wiping the horse and moving the carriage.

The carriage began to slowly make its way to the entrance gate. The gate was wide enough for four carriages to pass through at the same time, with two stone-carved centaurs on both sides, holding metal doors. They were also detailed statues, probably made by the same person the king mentioned before.

As they passed through the garden, which was maintained by multiple gardeners, he realized that none of them had a smile on their face. They were just doing their job with a tired expression. It seemed strange to him, given how much he wanted to be outside and how much he would enjoy working in the garden. But, as an adult, he understands the responsibilities of the job, so perhaps that is why none of them were happy.

After passing through the gate, he felt an awkward silence and wanted to break it.

"You said something when I jumped in, but I couldn't hear. Is that something I should know about?”

“Well,” the coachman gave a sigh, “usually, only those who are guests of the king and royalty can sit inside this carriage. And as you can guess, not everyone is fond of King’s ruling.”

“But when I sit here, I am just a regular guy visiting the city.” Tiberius finished his words and understood his words.

“Is the city really that dangerous?”

“Not at all. The city is usually a safe place. But for regular people.”

“Am I not regular?” he asked with confusion.

“Are you?” He gave a smirk. “You are taller and a bit bigger in size. You moved the divine sword, and it will be in newspapers tomorrow, and the king has welcomed you as his guest. This is more than enough for people to treat you differently.”

“How different?” Tiberius asked with a slight fear.

“Well, that is something I cannot answer.”

“Why?”

The coachman went silent for a few seconds, looked around as if searching for something, then talked.

“Do you have different type of, erm…” He paused for a few seconds but couldn't find the word he was looking for.

“Type of what?”

“Well, your kind”

“Oh, human. Actually, yes. We have people from different races. Some are different in color, some in looks.”

“Great. How do they treat each other?”

“Well, it depends. In history, it wasn't all great; people would be enslaved just because they were a certain race. However, things are a lot different now. It took us more than six centuries, but we live in harmony nowadays, at least most of the time. There are still some people who discriminates others, but they are getting less and less every day, so…”

“But we never had that.” He interrupted him, “Neither had differences nor time to understand it. We have the same dahas in every nation. No color or race difference has ever been recorded. The only difference is your status, which is enough for some scum to hate others. It took your kind six hundred years to move on, but that time may now begin here, and only for you.

Tiberius was more terrified by his words than he could have anticipated. He has lived a normal life and has never been bullied because of who he is. He never imagined he'd have to face this someday.

“But don't be scared,” he tried to calm him down, since he felt his fear. “You moved the sword, so that is more than enough for people to respect you, at least for a while. During this time, I recommend that you find a way back or try to blend in.

“How do I blend in?” Asked Tiberius curiously.

“Well, you can learn magic. That is the most important thing in this world. Learn to control your mana, and at least you are going to be able to protect yourself and get a job.”

“Does everyone really have magic here?”

Hearing the question, the coachman lifted his hand in the air and moved it forward slightly. As he did, a quick but strong wind blew in the same direction, even startling the horse a bit.

“You did that?” His eyes widened.

“Of course, how do you think I control the flying carriage?”

Tiberius was more surprised by the words than by the magic demonstration. He didn't expect everyone to possess magic. He assumed that only royalty and certain individuals could have it, based on what he had heard in stories.

“Amazing. How can I learn it?”

“Well, there are schools especially for learning magic. They are paid and can be expensive for some.”

“If everyone has it, then why is it not free?”

“So the poor can stay poor. Jobs here, well at least most of them, require you to have mana. You transfer your mana to a machine, and it works. Those jobs pay more than others.”

“Like energy?”

“Yes, like energy.”

“Interesting,” Tiberius muttered. On Earth, most machines run on either oil or electricity. These two are the primary energy sources. But using mana for energy? It was something he had not expected.

…

They traveled for an hour, long enough for night to fall and the moon, or so Tiberius thought, to be visible in the sky.

"Welcome to Velkrath, the capital and heart of Virelia." Coachman introduced the city to him.

Tiberius looked around curiously and noticed people walking around the city, some with their families, others alone, and some simply standing in a corner drinking something. They seemed to be celebrating, judging by the decorations throughout the city. String lights and buntings are strung throughout the city, as are stands where locals can get drinks or snacks, and in the center is a large rock with a sword. This explains what they were celebrating.

“Get a map,” said the coachman suddenly.

“What?”

“Get a map. You will need it. The city is big enough for you to get lost.”

This made sense. In an unfamiliar city, a map could be your best friend, but there was one problem. Tiberius, despite being an adult, was unable to read a map because he relied heavily on online navigators.

“Okay, but I can't read one.”

“You what?”

“I can't read a map. I have always used online maps to get somewhere. It would show me where I am and where I should go. Even what way I should use.” He tried to explain, holding his hand like a phone.

“Then you have to purchase a different one. Follow me,” he said as he stopped the carriage next to a shop and got down. Tiberius followed him into the shop but had to duck to get inside, considering the buildings were made for dahas.

“Hello, how is everything?”

“Oh, Rovshen, welcome back! What brings you he—" The salesman stopped as he realized he was not alone but with someone tall next to him.

“Erm, who is your friend?” He asked with a slight fear.

“Not someone you need to worry about. He is a guest of the king from a different world. You will get detailed news in the morning, so let's not waste time. I have to go back.”

“What did you need?” He tried to gather himself up.

“Map of the city, please. Personal one.”

"Oh, su-sure," the salesman replied as he slowly turned back to take something.

He pulled out a large piece of brown paper and placed it in front of them. The paper covered the entire city, with major buildings and locations marked and named.

Then the salesman took out a small knife. "Would you please show me your hand?”

“Why?” he questioned after seeing the knife.

“Well, for the map, of course.”

A sudden awkward silence fell over the shop. Tiberius was confused about why he needed to see his hand, and even the coachman seemed to be demanding it. Didn't they say the payments would be in money?