Finally finding the motivation to leave my apartment, I shut the heavy door behind me. The crowd outside was still roaring, louder now than when Sabian left over an hour ago.
The hallway creaked underfoot. The glass in the window panes trembled slightly, as if the building was sighing with age. Living here in the Inner Rim wasn't glamorous, but it beat the Outer Rim in terms of living conditions. Small blessings that I didn't take for granted.
Descending the stairs, I glanced into the so-called "lobby" of the apartement buiilding - a counter, a few scattered boxes, and no clerk. Not unusual, but still eerie.
Outside, through frosted windows, figures shifted. The crowd pressed close against the building, and it seemed very tightly packed.
I stepped out the door with difficulty, after having to push through a couple people. I was immediately hit by a wall of sound - cheering, drums, and the distant grinding of machines. Sunlight blasted down, forcing me to lift a hand to my brow.
The sidewalks were packed, bodies crammed into loose formations. I pushed through the mass until I reached the front, where the City Watch kept the crowd at bay.
To my right, one of the officers held a small black sphere in his palm. It shimmered faintly, projecting a transparent blue barrier ten meters wide. The weight of the crowd pressed against it, but the officer barely flinched - the barrier absorbed everything. No recoil. No strain. As if it were weightless.
An impressive piece of tech for something so compact. It ran on a blue crystal the size of a fingernail, embedded centrally in the device. All of it born from the Empire's obsession with progress - ever since the Emperor's time, science had started to eat into the dominion of magic.
I guess all those nights studying weren't for nothing.
Across the street, the buildings mirrored mine - wood-framed, functional, and affordable. This area housed the upper working class. No marble or ornament like the Nobility District. But at least it was stable, and safe from most illegal activity.
Then I heard them.
Deep, rhythmic thuds accompanied by military drum patterns. I turned left, toward the corner. The noise swelled, drowning out the crowd.
And then they appeared.
First came the drummers. Deep blue uniforms, the uniform color of the local garrison. Thick belts. Massive drums hanging from neck straps. Their patterns were sharp, synchronized - pure martial discipline. In rows of four, signaling the start of the march.
Then the infantry.
Marching in rows of twelve, shoulder to shoulder. Light blue-gray uniforms. Bayonets gleaming. Young men, all between 18 and 30, chins high, eyes forward. You could feel their pride from here, fueled by the roar of the people. These were the elite of the younger generation.
Behind them - the officers came.
Four by four, on horseback. Swords on their hips - ceremonial, but beautiful. Sunlight danced on polished steel, casting streaks of pale blue across their uniforms.
I counted twelve.
Their pride wasn't like the recruits'. It wasn't hope or hunger. It was entitlement. Cold, heavy, confident. They didn't smile. They didn't wave. They just looked down - literally and otherwise.
I almost joined the crowd in cheering. Almost. The atmosphere was infectious.
Personally, I thought the blue was a little flashy for military wear, but I had to admit - they looked cool.
Then the ground began to tremble.
The crowd roared again, even louder now, as the drums dimmed.
Around the corner came something far less human.
A titan.
Twelve to fifteen meters tall, faceless, shaped like a man - if you squinted. Its frame was plated in deep blue steel, almost black, its limbs jointed like an armored puppet.
It moved slowly. Precisely. Each step rumbled the earth, but somehow the pavement didn't crack beneath its weight.
These relics came from a time before human divinity. War machines from the Eldritch Wars, failed relics from a past civilization. Only now, they marched as symbols, a placebo effect almost. They definitely sent a message of power and militaristic capability.
Holy shit.
That was cooler than anything Earth could show, from what I can remember.
After two of the titans passed, a floating podium drifted into view, flanked by another pair of titans. On it stood a man in a cloak and a mirrored mask, holding a boxy device to his mouth.
His voice echoed above the crowd, rebounding off the walls. Yet, the loud sound wasn't unpleasant, it felt like he was transmitting straight to my brain.
"Citizens of the Taciturna Deus Imperium. Today we celebrate the founding of our nation by our eternal Emperor Baldwin. And the liberation of this glorious city. Let today remind us of our divine heritage - our duty to walk the path of iron and flame, as our Lord commands-"
Ah. Right. Founding Day and Liberation Day fall on the same time.
No wonder Arthur summoned me.
Has it really been a year already?
I rubbed my eyes. My memory was still trash, even in a body and mind this young. Pushing past the edge of the crowd, I made my way toward the station.
The train was the fastest route from here to the Noble District. Safer, too. Plus, I was still a bit lazy, so I really couldn't have been bothered.
I just hoped Arthur didn't plan to make this event public. I really wasn't in the mood for another parade.
As I walked, I let my mind wander. If someone from Earth had seen all this - the marching titans, the crystal barriers, the floating speakers - would they be as fascinated as I was?
Or would they be afraid?
I had been.
Still was, in some ways.
It was a lonely thought. So I shut it out, and started admiring the scenery around me.
This place sure is beautiful sometimes.
I smiled faintly and kept walking.
---
While I was struggling through the crowd, another man was preparing for the day in his own way.
In a quiet room lit by a single candle, a young man sat in prayer. Blonde hair glowed in the flame's soft light. His face, not a day over twenty-five, remained serene.
After several minutes of prayer, he lifted his head.
Aquamarine eyes. Sharp. Focused.
With a simple wave of his hand, the candle snuffed out. Curtains lifted. The skyline revealed itself - wide, brilliant, dominated by a marble-white mansion in the Victorian style.
This was not the Inner Rim.
This was was somewhere far more luxurious.
He stood from his seat, gazing out the third-story window. His expression carried both anticipation and calculation. A soft knock on the door drew him back, as he slowly gazed towards the noise.
"Sir, the message has been delivered. Should we expect his presence this time?"
The man smiled, just faintly.
"Yes. He knows the importance of today. And he knows today's the best time for what needs doing. Make sure he's fully accommodated for tonight."
"Yes, Lord Arthur."
Footsteps faded.
Arthur returned to the window. His eyes locked on the distant clock tower, hands ticking closer to midday. A faint sigh escaped his lips, as he contemplated the day.
"So it begins," he whispered. "As long as he plays his role, nothing should spiral too far out of control."
He reached for the glass on his desk - a crystal goblet filled with deep red wine - and took a sip. A bad habit for a noble, some told him. He didn't care.
Then, softly, he spoke to himself.
"I expect much from you, my friend."