Sora Yatagami was a completely average human, and possessed a strong-willed, kind-hearted, humble and generous personality. However, when one of his classmates betrayed him, he fell into the abyss, where his journey to become the strongest began.
Sora and the others approached the city gates, which were enshrouded in the same veil of light. It stood to reason that even the gates would need to be ensorcelled if they wanted to be sure of keeping sand out of the city. The gate guards had been mildly surprised to see Brise, but their reactions had been far more subdued than most people who saw it for the first time.
Ankaji's plight was likely occupying most of their attention. They were barely focusing on their job. When they saw their lord sitting in Brise's backseat, however, they instantly snapped to attention.
Ankaji's gate stood at a higher elevation than the rest of the city. Apparently that had been done on purpose so that the first thing visitors would see was the entire city in all its splendor.
The great oasis lay to the east, sparkling in the early afternoon sun. Great big palm trees grew all around it. They were the first bit of green Hajime had seen since entering the desert. Small canals branched out from the oasis, crisscrossing the rest of the city. Though it lay in the middle of the desert, it seemed most people traveled by boat. More trees dotted the streets, and there were entire squares that had been converted into gardens.
To the north was the city's agricultural district. Hajime had read before that many fruit species thrived in Ankaji's warm climate. And it seemed that had been no exaggeration. The fruit groves stretched on past the horizon, further even than Hajime could see with his Farsight. To the west was the royal palace. Unlike the milky-white stone that seemed to be favored in the rest of the city, the palace was made of pure white marble. It set it apart from the rest of the city, which likely had been the intention of the architect. However, the effect was ruined somewhat by the crude rectangular buildings that surrounded it on all sides. Hajime assumed they were other administrative buildings.
Despite being in the middle of a desert, there was more water here than Sora had seen in any other city.
Sora: It looks... amazing.
Aishia: Yeah... It's a beautiful city.
Sora and Aishia muttered, stunned. The others all exclaimed in awe as well.
Myu: But... it feels empty.
Myu said quietly. She was right. Despite its magnificent appearance, an air of gloom hung over the city. Normally, the city squares would be bustling with traders haggling over fruit and fish prices and tourists exploring the city's marvels. Right now, however, the streets were practically empty. Everyone was hiding in their houses, as if waiting out a storm. An eerie silence filled the streets.
Bize: I would loved to show you the dukedom in its most lively state, but there's no time. I promise I'll show you around the city once this crisis has been averted. For now, we must go see my father...
Sora nodded, and the party headed toward the palace.
(Timeskip)
Bize: Father!
???: Bize?! Did you get help...? No, wait, did you get sick, too?!
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