Under The Divine Veil 【bxb】

CHAPTER X

♱
TEN

                                      Despite it not being the capital, the grandiose city of Solaris was not to be underestimated.

Solaris was the complete opposite of the capital city. Grand, looming temples made of sandstone, and a sandy, desert-like atmosphere played a sharp contrast to the capital's oceanic landscape and limestone buildings.

Local merchants shouted out, encouraging customers to come to their stalls. Holographic projections of their menus lined the stalls, and passerby occasionally stopped to bargain.

In the empire, the more further north you went, the more snowier it would become, while the more south you went, the more desert-like it would become.

Since the city of Solaris was situated in the far south, the city was located in the middle of a desert. Irrigation was used to supply its residents with freshwater and agricultural land, with the Saintess Faction reigning supreme and governing.

Up to eighty percent of the local residents in Solaris were devoted believers of Saintess Calli and her faction. Thus, the dozens of temples built here were dedicated to her.

I glance at Atlas through the corner of my eye. Since he said his family resided here, it was very likely that his relatives were also supporters of the Saintess Faction.

However, it was unlikely that he would be able to properly greet his family here. After all, we are both in disguises for our mission.

Slowly, the suspension car begins to grind to a halt, and Atlas shuts off the engine.

Once we both get off the car, Atlas scrunches his face in annoyance. "I forgot how intense the heat is in Solaris," he rubs the space between his eyebrows.

"If you had remembered sooner, I could've brought my parasol here," I sigh, complaining. "Whatever. Where should we go first?"

Atlas takes a glance around, his sapphire-blue eyes gleaming as he scans his surroundings. "There," he finally says, pointing to a gradually growing crowd around a venue.

Curious, I agree. "Let's go. What're they crowding around there for?" I ask.

We approach the growing crowd, who have gathered around a grand stage in the middle of the sand-and-dust packed streets. Several holographic screens are set up around the venue, all projecting a different view of the speaker.

Saintess Calli stands on the stage, her white dress fluttering around her heels, long blonde hair casted down her shoulders. She looks at the crowd with a benevolent gaze, but I can't help the uneasiness I feel from her presence.

I had already felt that something was off about her during the emperor's spring banquet, but seeing her in person confirmed my suspicions even more. There was a deeply sinister light in her eyes, her kind persona a mere facade.

The locals of Solaris crowded beneath her stage, swarming her like a bunch of ants.

"—and the faction will continue to prosper. The royal family has since agreed to pay compensation for the damages they caused to us, and so, we shall rise once again..." her voice fades in and out of my ear, a manipulative and bewitching quality lying underneath.