Chapter 142 - Arriving At The Southern Imperial Capital (1/2)

The ship finally arrived at the port. It docked in one of the spaces designated for the ships along one of the many piers. There was an incredible amount of boats of all different sizes. The smaller ones weren't so different from the war galleons used by Ho Ri-Na, while the larger ones were like giant horizontal buildings that traveled in water.

As soon as the ship lined up on the pier, the ship's crew began mooring, tying the ship to the dock with robust ropes. In this way, they wouldn't run the risk that the ship would be carried away by the current or crashed with the other ships moored nearby.

Meanwhile, a group of officials working at the port came to the ship and started talking to the captain. They had a duty to check the ship's travel documents and information on the type of cargo and passengers carried on board. When the captain mentioned the officials of Hei and Lian, the port officials were incredibly surprised. They never expected that a martial artist from the islands would come to the Continent legally, not to mention a couple of young youths, clearly belonging to the younger generation.

When the officials finished checking that everything was in order, Hei and Lian were finally allowed to go ashore. Instinctively, they began to stretch their bodies as soon as they touched the ground after weeks of sailing.

”Well, my job is done. It's a cover letter signed by the commander of the outpost on Dream Island. Don't miss it. I remind you that flying in the city is forbidden. If you follow the directions of passersby, though, you should be able to find the Royal War Academy with ease. I would accompany you, but I have various things to do, and I am already late.” The captain of the ship turned to Hei and Lian while delivering a letter with a scarlet seal.

”No, that's okay. We thank you again, captain, for bringing us this far.” Hei said goodbye to the captain, and with Lian and his little sisters, he left the pier heading for the central area of ​​the port. At first glance, what immediately entered the eye was the number of people and the careful disposition with which the city had been built.

Being an oceanfront city and one of the imperial capitals, the Southern Imperial Capital was undoubtedly one of the most important cities in the entire empire. It was the center of the economic activities of the whole Southern Region and therefore attracted all kinds of people interested in doing business or looking for rare objects.

The port of this city, therefore, assumed priority importance since almost half of the travelers used the Oceanic Road Network of the Sun Empire to reach the Southern Imperial Capital safely. Full tides of people came and went from all sides. Yet despite all those people, although the port activity was lively, it wasn't chaotic.

The Sun Empire had built the Southern Imperial Capital conscious of all the implications that the increase in citizens would bring with time. The buildings had therefore been arranged according to a block grid, alternating neatly with a simple but elegant geometry. The various blocks were separated by an intricate system of roads that intersected precisely and were divided into secondary and primary roads.

All the buildings featured an architecture designed for the functionality rather than appearing gorgeous and intriguing to the eye. After all, the empire's policy was more focused on maximizing the efficiency of all its resources to avoid any waste, whether they were buildings and cities or human beings.

”Incredible!” Hei exclaimed, amazed at that sight.

'Big brother, look over there!' Ye said as she pulled a lock of his hair using her slender tail.

In addition to humans, there were also quite a large number of spirit beasts walking along the streets. They were used as a means of transportation for goods and people. The incredible thing was that the weakest of them were second-level spirit beasts. But it wasn't only the spirit beasts that encountered this phenomenon. Looking closely, Hei realized that even the simplest of the imperial officials was a martial artist.

The peak of society in the Forgotten Ocean Islands, the spirit soldiers, made up the largest portion of the number of people in the port. There were also spirit apprentices and people without spirit power, but they were a minority. In addition to them, there were a lot of martial artists of the higher ranks.

Hei and Lian were genuinely impressed by this. Once again, the strength of the Empire had shocked them. In the Forgotten Ocean, they could be said to be sovereigns in the martial artist's society, so much so that they could even found their own sect. But here, they were on the same level as a mere paperwork official. How could this not leave them speechless?

'A martial artist can understand even without using his spirit sense, the rank reached by a person but without knowing their precise stage. Obviously, that was true only if the person being examined wasn't actively using a concealment technique and is weaker. As for those stronger, it isn't possible to understand that. I was already surprised by the strength of the ship's crew, but I thought it was normal since they were traveling in dangerous waters. But what I have before me is on a whole other scale.' Hei meditated to himself as he clenched his fists.

He had promised his mother that he would protect his family, and a part of him, after the successes in the Forgotten Ocean, believed that he was going better than expected. However, seeing all this led him to downsize the ratings on himself and the strength achieved.

”It is not enough. I have to work harder. Even harder and more intensely.” He murmured as he took a deep breath. His tumulting heart calmed down, and he returned to his usual calm.

”Everything will be fine. Together we will go ahead step by step. You don't have to hurry at all costs.” At his side, Lian laid her hands on his tight fists. She also had a surprised expression because of the strength of the empire's inhabitants, but she took courage like Hei and reassured him.

'Yes, don't worry, big brother. You will see that in no time we will become stronger and beat everyone.' (Ye)

'Lian is right. Mother would also tell us to proceed with calm and do things right. The important thing is always to stay together and face things a little at a time.' (Xing)

Listening to the reassuring words full of love from the three 'women' of his life, Hei smiled. Caressing their heads one by one, Hei reassured them in turn. ”You are right. I lost my clarity for a moment. One step at a time then. What is most important is the journey between the starting point and the destination - how you deal with life's difficulties.”

Ye, Xing, Lian smiled at Hei's words. They were glad that they had been able to reassure him and ease his worries. Together, all four began to follow the road that led from the port to the heart of the city. Fortunately, in anticipation of the large number of foreign visitors, the city was equipped with various signs indicating the precise point where one was located and the map of the city. Also, each street had its name written in a sign hanging on the walls. So, even without asking passersby, Hei could find his way around that intricate road system.

Regarding the Southern Royal War Academy, although it was one of the crown jewels of the Southern Imperial Capital, it wasn't located in the middle of the city. Instead, it was located on the outskirts, far from the daily frenzy that dwelled in the streets. The reason for this was that in that way, the various students could concentrate undisturbed on their studies as martial artists.