A Distant Reverie

Chapter 9

Marine grimaced. She was walking with Suisei along the sandy roads of Prosperia, accompanied by two guards, as they were being escorted to meet with one of the town's leaders.

Ugh.

Marine groaned at the heat. The golden afternoon sun relentlessly blazed down upon them. Sweat crawled down the side of her neck. For a moment, she began to miss the woods. She realized now that they had been spoiled by the shades of the towering trees. The small dent on the side of her forehead reminded her, however, of how close she had been to death. She quickly revised her thought—as cool as the temperate forest were, she rather be safe away from a horde of massive monsters.

The disagreeable temperature aside, I wonder what a town from another world looks like.

She looked around, taking in the visuals of the town while trying her best not to stand out. At a glance, Prosperia was not dissimilar to a small rural town that one would find on the outskirts of a country. Small buildings, constructed out of bricks and stone, were spread across the town. The roads, unpaved and seldom maintained, were covered in sand and dirt. If it's one thing that was unusual, it was the layout of the town. The buildings were neatly organized, laid out at even intervals, along the wide linear roads. After every ten buildings, there was a cross road. The town seemed to be built in a grid-like design.

How strange.

Marine found the symmetrical layout of the town pleasing to the eyes. She admired the visuals, but she doubted the town's design was motived by aesthetics. From her experience, towns and cities usually sprawled out in unpredictable ways as its populace grew. Having a roof above your head came first, and urban planning was usually an afterthought. On the other hand, there was a clear intent in the construction of Prosperia.

This probably isn't just a regular rural town.

Her thought was further reinforced by the unusual demographic. The residents of Prosperia seemed to be predominately male. On the streets, there were mostly able-bodied men roaming around with a scowl plastered on their faces. There was the occasional merchant, with modest shops set among the side of the road, trying get eyes on their wares. Aside from that, Marine didn't see any children. Women were rare. Her and Suisei must have stood out like sore thumbs.

The realization began to unnerve her. As the novelty of the town began to wear off, she started to notice a palatable tension in the air. The residents of this town seemed abnormally tense and on edge. Marine frowned. The uneasy feeling was suffocating, it reminded her of her times spent in the slums, trying to survive amongst miscreants and criminals hiding from the law. The realization made her sensitive to glances that flew her way. Marine didn't sense much ill-intent, but there were a couple of eyes that seemed to harbor hostility.

What is this place—

Her thoughts were cut short when the ground suddenly began to rumble. Marine's hands instinctively reached for her sword, right as a creature resembling the monsters from the woods turned the corner.

"Wow!" Suisei enthusiastically pointed at the beast. It was a massive quadrupedal creature, lumbering down the sandy road. Its head was proportionally small compared to the rest of its body and its skin was covered in reflective scales. Marine would have instantly attacked, if not for the person sitting on the carriage behind it. Herded by its owner, the massive creature pulled around several wagons filled the brim with goods.

Are they using that massive beast...as a horse?

Marine couldn't believe her eyes.

"Wow, wow, wow! That's amazing!" Suisei shouted excitedly as she bounced around, her eyes sparkling as she stared at the creature.