The Cycle of Fate

Chapter 59: Fashion Capital

Because it was so common, various retro outfits kept appearing.

Austat Truehl was clearly cautious, frequently turning back to see if anyone was suspiciously following him, but Lumière kept a distance—so far that neither was within the other's line of sight.

Relying on the lingering, very faint scent of cheap perfume, Lumière followed Austat through one street after another.

As the gas lamps on both sides of the streets lit up one after another, Austat turned into a street covered by a glass dome and supported by steel frames.

The street was brightly lit, lined with high-end shops, with smooth marble paving the ground, and bustling pedestrians passing by—forming a stark contrast to the shabby alleys of the Honest People Market District.

Is this the arcade Aurél mentioned?

Lumière noticed Austat stopping in front of a store, admiring the items in the window, so he slowed his pace, taking in the surroundings.

He quickly noticed some people behaving "strangely": They were men and women dressed in formal attire, each holding the leash of a turtle of varying sizes.

The turtles crawled slowly ahead, while those holding the leashes strolled leisurely behind them. Seeing a man dressed in a black suit and silk top hat walking past with his turtle, Lumière couldn't help but ask, "My friend, what are you doing?"

The man turned his head, revealing a powdered face.

He smiled and replied, "Outlander, I'm taking a stroll, walking my turtle."

"Why a turtle?" Lumière did not hide his confusion.

"Most Trierians love to stroll, but they don't understand the meaning of leisure or the essence of elegance—they always walk fast, in a rush. True leisure should be slower than a turtle, so we walk our turtles, letting them lead the way to highlight our leisure.

"It's a measure of walking speed, and also a gauge of elegance."

"Truly Trierian!" Lumière sarcastically clapped his hands.

Unfortunately, the gentleman didn't catch the true meaning behind his words, humbly smiling before continuing to slowly follow his turtle.

Soon after, Austat headed to the other end of the arcade.

Lumière waited for a while before leisurely trailing behind.

Upon exiting the arcade, Austat stood by a nearby public carriage stop.

Within minutes, a large carriage drawn by two horses arrived.

The carriage was two-storied, with its yellow-painted body inscribed with the words "Line 7" in Intisian. The coachman wore a green short coat and a wide-brimmed rain hat.

As the carriage stopped, a ticket seller appeared at the open door, wearing a small cap, a striped shirt, and ugly trousers, scrutinizing every passenger trying to board the public carriage with a gaze akin to a prison warden.

Austat was the third to board, sitting by the window, observing the pedestrians outside and the men and women gradually taking their seats. Lumière watched from afar, without approaching.

Once the Line 7 carriage was out of sight, Lumière quickened his pace, nearly jogging to keep up.

With the relatively slow speed of this public transportation and the rule of stopping at every station, Lumière wasn't afraid of being left behind.

Along the way, some pedestrians curiously eyed this runner, and a few even joined in, as if assuming this was the latest trend.

Are you guys out of your minds? Lumière found the situation both amusing and ridiculous.