To anyone looking at the garden for the first time... it looked like a kaleidoscope of alien colors spilled onto a canvas of white stone.
The towering trees that seemed to be made up of blue glass shimmered brightly as the light fell on them. Even the large tree at the center that seemed like a large Weeping Silver Willow, was actually a different plant.
It reflected the sunlight into dazzling prisms all around the garden, making the grass shimmer under the golden glow.
And it was hot... a little too much.
Actually, the secondary ring as a whole was hotter than the outer ring... because of the fact that it was much closer to the sun than the outer ring.
To that, the Sun burning in the sky above Aethelburg wasn’t real. It was not a celestial body orbiting in the vacuum of space, but rather a massive, incandescent construct that stood in the hands of a statue that was situated directly over the center of the Inner Ring.
It was an artificial star.
Ishiki looked at the skies above and sneered. ’I bet they aren’t real as well.’
The people of Aethelburg worshipped the Angel of Charity or Hope as their savior deity. The tales say that after the real sun was devoured by a Corrupted God, the Angel offered herself/himself to save this Empire.
The statue at the center is actually the Angel’s body and the artificial sun is her heart, that would burn bright as long as the people worshiped her/him.
Ishiki grimaced at the thought... he had learned that after living for so long in this place, and seen the impossible too. But he was still reluctant in believing in all this crap.
Because of all these circumstances, the temperature gradient in the city was inverted. The Outer Ring, shrouded in the shadows of the massive walls, was often cooler.
But here in the Secondary Ring, the heat was palpable.
Ishiki wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead as he walked along the path.
’It feels like standing next to an open oven,’ he thought, loosening his collar. ’How do people in the Inner Ring survive this? Bet they just boil alive in their houses.’
Around him, hundreds of couples strolled hand-in-hand around the garden, their laughter was tinkling like wind chimes.
They were beautiful, wealthy, and seemingly oblivious to the oppressive heat.
Among them, one pair stood out—mostly because they looked like they were marching to a funeral rather than enjoying a date.
Ishiki was walking beside Yuki, feeling a distinct and unfamiliar awkwardness.
He cast a nervous, sideways glance at her. ’Is she... taller?’
The last time they had met face-to-face, around three months ago... they had been eye-to-eye. Now, the top of his head barely cleared her ear.
He glanced down at her feet. She was wearing white sandals with a modest heel.
’It’s the heels,’ he told himself firmly. ’Definitely the heels, or maybe she had a growth spurt. Can System stats increase height? Is that a thing?’
He shoved his hands deeper into his pockets, trying to slouch less. But... that didn’t help.
Beside her regal and upright posture, he felt like a scruffy stray dog walking next to a prize-winning show pony.
They walked in silence for a few minutes, Ishiki just followed along as Yuki navigated away from the main promenade towards a secluded grove of strange purple leaves, that felt like roots growing out of branches.
That... made Ishiki’s eyes twitch involuntarily. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, he was afraid of the trees... and these strange one’s specifically.
Suddenly, Yuki stopped and her hand shot out, grabbing his wrist with a grip that was surprisingly strong.
She pulled him toward a marble bench hidden behind the cascading translucent branches of large tree.
"Sit here." she murmured.
Ishiki stumbled, his heart doing a traitorous little flip at the contact. "Whoa, okay. Easy on this fragile little thing."
They settled down quickly. The bench was cool against his legs and the tree casted a large shadow... it was a welcome relief from the heat.
They both sat on the bench... with a little distance between them.
Ishiki stared at his knees, his face feeling uncomfortably warm. It was his first time sitting on a bench with a girl who looked like she stepped out of a fairy tale.
He had been more closer to her before, but that was demanded by circumstances.
He cleared his throat...
"So," he started. "So... nice weather we’re having. If you like being slow-roasted."
’uh... the hell am i saying.’ He winced, at the stupidity of his thoughts.
Yuki meanwhile looked at him and blinked a couple of times, then tilted her head. "What... was that for?"
Then without changing her tone or anything... she slowly added. "Act normal Ishiki. We’re being watched."
Hearing that, the awkwardness vanished instantly. Ishiki’s spine straightened and he let out a long, controlled exhale, forcing his heart rate to slow.
"Understood," he said, his voice dropping to a low, serious register. "Did you see the changes in the rewards?"
Yuki gave a faint hum of affirmation followed by a tiny nod. "The rewards have been doubled," She confirmed. "And a new Skill Card. That’s... substantial."
Ishiki nodded before questioning back. "Do you think it will motivate more players to try, clearing the Scenario now?"
Yuki turned her head slowly, looking at him straight with her sharp, pink eyes.
"That depends," she said softly. "Have you finally finished your census? How many Players are there in the Outer Ring?"
Ishiki paused, thinking about his results. He had spent the last three weeks doing exactly that, using his [Ghost Blade] to count heads of players who were living there among the citizens.
"702," he replied. "Give or take a few who are really good at hiding. To me, it seemed that most have given up on the objective. They’re just trying live their good life here."
"There are 127 in the Secondary Ring," she said. "Most are working as private security for the nobility or have actually made it to the higher ranks of the military. They’re comfortable in their little lives... they won’t risk their lives unless forced."
She paused, her gaze drifting toward the center of the city—toward the blinding light of the artificial sun and the massive golden walls of the Inner Ring.
"As for the Inner Ring... that is the main reason I called you here."
Ishiki’s attention sharpened. The Inner Ring and the heart of the capital. The place where the Emperor lived, and the place no Player had managed to infiltrate. It was the biggest mystery and the hurdle between them and the objective.
"The gates to the Inner Ring were opened yesterday," Yuki said, her voice barely a whisper. "For the first time since we arrived in this city."