Dawn Architect

Chapter 67: Tenjin Kingdom

Hours passed and the train arrived at the station of Tenjin Kingdom. As we got off, I could see that it was a peculiar place, an intriguing mix of ancient and modern. Tall buildings stood majestically, some with elaborate architectural details, curved roofs and gilded ornaments reminiscent of ancient temples. However, as I approached, I could tell that the magical technology supporting them was primitive, barely enough to keep everything in working order.

The station itself was a work of art, with columns carved with scenes of heroic battles and ancient deities, especially highlighting the figure of the god Reijin, whom they devoutly worshipped. The marble floor reflected the light of the magic lamps hanging from the ceiling, emitting a soft bluish glow.

Following all the other mercenaries, we arrived at a building that appeared to be the mercenary guild. Its exterior was decorated with brightly colored banners, each representing different clans and influential families of the kingdom. Inside, the atmosphere was bustling, with people of various appearances and attire gathered around a large board filled with quests.

First, I registered as a mercenary. The formalities were easy and they didn't ask any special questions, which made the process easy. When I was done, I headed to the center of the board, where a recruitment mission was highlighted for the raid into the rift, which began in two weeks that Hera the main mission line. Until then, I was to gain influence and recognition to complete it.

With that done, Lili and I split up to search for clues and information. As I walked through the streets, the atmosphere of the capital became more apparent. The city, although impressive at first glance, had an air of decay. The tall buildings were full of cracks and patches, and the cobblestone streets were weather-worn. The stores seemed to have few goods, and the merchants, with somber expressions, tried to entice the few customers that passed by. I was investigating and understanding the situation further.

I had heard about it on the train, but now I could see that the kingdom of Tenjin strongly followed the religion of the god Reijin, and its temples were imposing structures of white stone and red-tiled roofs, with large golden statues of Reijin guarding the entrances. The church had as much or more influence than the imperial family, and its priests wore elaborate robes, adorned with sacred symbols.

Now I also discovered that the ranking of power was different here. The "sages," those who reached the rank of five stars, were revered as the protectors of the realm and held key positions in both the imperial court and the church. So someone like me, who was at the three-star rank, was considered the elite among the forces, although I knew I would have to prove myself.

I realized that the calendar they used in this realm was different from the one I am aware of so I can't figure out what time and place we are in or if this this scenario actually happened, since it is known that some of the 8 labyrinth were developed in the past of some kingdoms or empires that still exist, so it is assumed that the rest also but there are some that are not recognized either lost in history and there is no record or they were very isolated.

That is why when entering the eight labyrinths it is also useful that you know about history since the scenarios would be easy to decipher.

While I was going through the city, Lili, who was also searching and scanning the surroundings, came back and told me that she had detected a strange energy building up under the city.

I also used a more powerful spell along with my Eyes of Truth and confirmed her discovery. We followed the trail for a while and, after a few hours, we had a clear idea of what was going on. But it was already late, so we decided to continue the next day.

First thing in the morning, I went to the mercenary guild and went through the missions looking for a specific type of mission and I found it, a missing persons mission that stood out for the high reward was to find the whereabouts of the wife and daughter of a very wealthy and influential nobleman.