Vol 3 Chapter 1: Crater

Aier's capital was located in a particular, strange area. It was built in a massive crater and consisted of two layers. The outer layer of the town was made up of thousands of buildings of different sizes. Most of which were made of either stone or wood.

And in the centre, there was a slightly different area. The shape of the crater revealed a ball-like structure. As a result, the very centre of the two was somewhat lower than the rest. Still, that is where a massive castle had been erected. The castle was built in a distinct style.

The castle was built around a garden area, almost as if masking that garden from the outside world. The castle itself was massive and towering. It was by far the largest structure in the city; even the massive trees outside of the crater were shorter than the castle. Its purpose was to let Aier oversee the surrounding area.

Although the base of the castle was spacious, going up, it grew thinner and thinner until only four peaks were remarked at the top, which were connected for easier access.

The crater was surrounded by a well-fortified wall. There were four main gates on it, each leading to other important cities of Aier's region. Another unique aspect of this city was its protective barrier. A massive transparent but slightly purplish membrane layer was protecting it from the freezing weather in the winter and from the heat during the summer season.

As the winter arrived, the barrier had been activated, and Aier settled in her castle. She was sitting in one of the rooms located at one of the towers of her castle. The room was nothing particularly interesting; it was just a study.

The room had a chandelier with tiny yellow crystals instead of candles. Though they were not candles, they produced a considerable amount of light; even in daylight, the light produced by those crystals was visible.

Aier herself was sitting on a chair and looking at a large number of sheets of paper filled with some writings. She was covered by a few extra pelts, and on the table, there was a head-sized red crystal which provided some sort of heat.

"Such coldness already... The winter had just begun, yet the barrier could no longer keep out most of the heat... Not even this crystal is capable of keeping up with the cold..."

She sighed as she pulled off the top sheet of paper, crumbled it, and then finally dropped it onto the ground. She was reading complaints and reports from her people. It was mostly due to the cold weather.

She just kept reading these papers, and she discarded most of them until she found one in particular. One which was not a complaint but an urgent report. It stated that due to the increase in population, the hunters were unable to gather enough food. As a result, starvation by the end of the winter was inevitable.

As she read that, her stomach grumbled, and all she could do was sigh. She had already eaten her breakfast, and her launch was still a few hours away.

"Where could my iron-willed daughter be?! I knew that she was stupid enough not to ask for directions, but she was taking way too long..."

She mumbled as she turned around. Behind her was a massive window through which she could see the great portion of her town. She was so high up that each house was just about as big as the nail on her pinkie.

She could see the different houses down below her tower. Those houses which were made of stone all had at least a single chance, and they were smoking. She knew they were using up a considerable amount of firewood they had stored up.

"At least in the underground prison, the slaves have a better, warmer environment... Maybe I should have them work extra hard for that... After all, we are running low on minerals..."

She muttered under her breath as she gently touched the glass, and a smirk appeared on her face. Her previously bothered expression instantly vanished as soon as she thought of the slaves; her eyes even gained a stronger purple glow for a brief second, but then she sat back and kept reading the documents.

The stack of paper slowly sorted into two piles: the important, which stayed on the desk but was put to a different part of the desk, and the trash, which she threw onto the ground. She was about halfway finished with the massive stack when she heard a knock on the door.

"Enter!"

Her voice was different from before. It was strong and even slightly lowered, full of authority and confidence.

"Yes, my lady!"

An even deeper and slightly parched voice replied, and the door opened. An individual whose body was covered with scales and a long, mobile, and flexible tail stepped in. This individual seemed like a lizard; it had glowing yellow eyes and was wearing a maid outfit.

As soon as she stepped in, three more of the same species wearing the exact same size outfit stepped in. All but one brought a dish covered by a large lid. The one who answered and opened the door stepped out and brought in a larger desk all by herself. They used that additional furniture to put the dishes on top of it.

"My lady, as you have always requested, your usual meal has been prepared. Please enjoy it!"

The first lizardman said, and the maids bowed simultaneously. They were about to leave, but Aier raised her hand.

"Wait! Is there still no news regarding Linyer?"

"No, lady Aier! But as you have requested, we always have a set of well-trained maids or butlers ready by the teleportation area to welcome her arrival!"

"I see... Also, send word to the mines! Have the production increased... We will have a troublesome winter ahead of us!"

"Certainly!"

"That is all; you may leave!"

"Yes! Once again, please enjoy your meal, lady Aier!"

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