Stargazer Lagoon

Upon getting off the train and leaving the station, the first thing that Theodore's eyes were drawn to was the huge palace in the distance. It was the imperial palace of Nix, where the throne of the Nixian Emperor resided. With the first of its bricks laid two hundred years ago, upon the formation of the empire, it had yet to fall.

Then, from the far-off distance, there was a pillar that rose from the horizon and into the clouds. Faded against the blue of the sky, it divided the heavens in twain. Though far away, the presence of the tower could assuredly be felt.

"Let's go before we draw the attention of the guards," said Annaliese. "Our presence tends to attract undue trouble within cities."

They took a carriage out of the city. While on their way out, Theodore watched the sights through the windows. The city was filled with tall buildings and a large populace to fill them with. The tallest of the buildings he had seen, aside from the palace, had to be at least five stories tall. The thing that impressed upon Theodore the most, however, was how vibrant the city was. Perhaps it was the colors they painted the streets and building with, perhaps it was the people coming to and fro, but the city was lively, a huge contrast from the time the incarnation of the previous Demon Lord, Nero, was here.

(How things have changed.)

The roads around Nix were well paved and easy to travel. Thanks to this, the carriage was able to cover a great distance with ease. In merely half a day's time, the gargantuan spire, so grand that it pierced the heavens above, could be seen clearly in all of its ivory glory.

"There it is," said Annaliese from the driver's seat. "That's the Mage Tower. Does it bring back any memories?"

"I'm not sure. It does feel somewhat familiar though," said Theodore, giving a vague answer.

Before the Mage Tower, there laid a town. Here, mages were a common sight and the townsfolk were quite used to their presence. Here, mages were looked upon with less suspicion, though the townsfolk were still wary to an extent.

Past the town, one would find a lagoon nearly circular in shape, in the middle of which an isle could be seen. The Stargazer Lagoon, the people called it, for it looked like an eye gazing upon the sky, and the reflection of the stars at night was a beauty to behold.

Upon the Stargazer Lagoon was the Stargazer Isle, where the foundation of the great spire, the Mage Tower, was laid down. Extending from the town towards the isle, there was a great bridge built from enchanted bricks.

At each end of the bridge, a checkpoint could be found. None may enter or leave without a permit. As Annaliese had explained on the way here, it wasn't just to keep the commoners out, but also to keep the mages in. As per the empire's mandate, only a limited number of mages may be outside of the city at once.

It could be said that the Mage Tower also served as the prison for the mages, but at the same time, it was also the place that held the largest collection of magical knowledge on the continent. For mages, knowledge was power and as such, many willingly come here in search of the knowledge being those walls.

As they cross the bridge, none stopped them. Just one look at Annaliese's masked face caused the guards to open the way for her. On that isle, those with the title of 'master' held high authority, second only to the 'elders'.

At the end of the bridge, a large gate greeted them. Once again, the guards quickly opened the way without delay.

In contrast to the beautiful lagoon, on the isle, surrounding the great spire was a fortress, drab and gloomy in appearance. However, upon entering it, Theodore found the inside to be more akin to a city than a fortress.

"We're here, finally," said Annaliese from the driver's seat." The Fortress City, Lancea. This will be your home from now on."

"Lancea..."

Once upon a time, the late Demon Lord had a scheme for infiltrating this place. In the end, it never came to pass. It seemed that Theodore was able to fulfill that ploy in their stead, albeit unintentionally. Not to mention, though the Demon Lord had a plan for infiltration, they had none for exfiltration, which was the reason why it was never done in the first place. Till the very end, the late Demon Lord never did figure out an exit strategy. Theodore was going to have to complete that plan on his predecessor's behalf if he ever wanted to leave.

While Theodore was in thought, the carriage he rode on gradually made its way towards the center of the fortress city, eventually stopping before the base of the massive spire that was the Mage Tower.

Though huge from afar, when looked upon from up close, the tower exuded an overwhelming presence, enough to make Theodore feel like falling onto his knees when gazing up along the rising structure. Though he knew from the memories how immense the building was, knowing from memory and being there in person was a much, much different experience, one that no mere inherited memory could prepare him for.

"!!!"

Unable to fight against the sense of dizziness caused by looking at the tower, Theodore's legs gave way and he let loose a silent scream before landing on his backside.

"Theodore!?" Surprised by him suddenly falling over, Annaliese rushed to his side. "I didn't realize you were afraid of heights."

"Neither did I. This is the first time I've seen something so tall in person. It's way taller and scarier than in my dreams."

"Well, you'll have much time to adjust. You'll be seeing it a whole lot after all."

"I guess."

"Come now. The elders are waiting for your arrival. Let's not delay."

Annaliese extended a hand to Theodore, who promptly took it. His knees still felt weak and as such, he avoided looking up at the tower. Instead, he faced forward, towards the tower's entrance.

Perhaps fearing that Theodore might fall over again, Annaliese continued to hold his hand even after he had gotten to his feet. Like so, the two proceeded onwards.

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End of Chapter 20

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