After seeing only a small part of the Port City of Undine, we rushed towards the outskirts. The enormous amount of people making a big line was indeed something many people around the city noticed, and guards were coming constantly to check if we were something like illegal immigrants or something. However, with Aunt Aina here and my own mother, the guards quickly stepped back and had to apologize their rudeness, although some said she would need to give an explanation to the King about this later. Well, they were planning to do that from the beginning anyways.
We reached the outskirts of the beautiful city while skipping most of what we wanted to visit and see around, quickly settling down outside, near a large forest named Fiere Forest. It is a safe forest where only small animals wander around, or very weak monsters. Mother said there are dungeons here as well, but we are not visiting them either, as much as I would had wanted to.
After everyone began making their camps and over a hundred tents were set over the plains, mother gathered us all for lunch and also to talk about what we were going to do. Aunt has been accompanying us all this time as well.
"We decided that it would be better to go to the capital ourselves to quickly get things done with father. I'll request him a piece of land. Once that's decided, we'll move to that piece of land from here. It would be too inefficient to move to the capital with everyone here and then to that piece of land, the travel would be too exhausting for everyone. Also Aina said that once that territory is decided, she will bring us there through the airship, which is actually her private vessel." Mother made things clear for everyone.
"I see! So we are not staying at the capital, huh?" I wondered.
"No, we'll take a small trip there of… no longer than a day at most." My mother said.
"If possible, a territory far away from the capital would be ideal so we can be at ease." Sighed my father.
"Yeah, that's right." My mother nodded.
"How big is this country?" I wondered.
"How big?" My mother quickly took out a map of the entire continent.
The continent was interestingly shaped like a slice of pizza, and the entire Country, the Elven Kingdom of Naturia, occupied 60% of the whole continent as its territory. The other parts were smaller countries, one of them included the country where grandmother originated from, which was actually the second biggest and where the "Yggdrasil Tree" was located, which was named the Country of Yggdra. Unlike Naturia Kingdom, Yggdra is very tight with their borders and don't let just anybody get inside, except those from Naturia.
They were able to tie both countries together by marrying the king, grandpa, with my grandmother, a princess of the queen of Yggdra. That country is mostly governed by elves as well, but there are also the "Higher" race of Fairies, which are even more connected with nature and spirits and are regarded as superior to elves. It is said that they originated from the Yggdrasil Tree, being born from its flowers.
I don't even know if that's even true, but I guess we might as well believe their folklore for now. Though it feels like they made that up just to glorify themselves even more. Nonetheless, Naturia and Yggdra have a good relationship and are strong allies, most likely pressuring all other small countries below their authority and command. The entire continent also has, aside from the church of the gods, has the Religion of Yggdrasil, which is said to be more ancient.
They praise the World Tree, the biggest tree in the entire world, Yggdrasil, as a goddess, and made a whole religion around her. It is mostly a religion that can live together with the Gods Religion, but it has begun to expand more, and is most of the time the religion the Elitists and Traditionalist believe on. Because of this, most nobles don't see heroes as special due to not thinking that the gods that blessed them are that special either, compared to their glorious big tree.
I don't know what to even think myself to be honest. I also would prefer the religion of the tree in place of these dumbass gods, but if they use it as an excuse to not respect what my parents had done for this country and the other places then I'm going to inevitable get angry… although it is not as if I can do even a thing about it either.
"The Capital City is called Luminous after the Spirit of Light. The richest nobles live here, alongside a vast majority of the royal family." Said my mother. "It is an Elite City, but there's around three million commoners there as well, so there are of all classes in there, not just nobles."
"Huh, the academy's there? Can't we go to another academy with less… nobles?" I asked.
"The Academy there is the one I studied and then taught other people as a teacher, Sylphy, so no, we are going there. There might be other academies out there, but this one is certified by the royal family for its excellency, if you want to become someone great in the future you must go there." My mother reiterated.
"There are transfer students of many other countries going to that Academy, with different customs. They're not always the same children of annoying nobles from the capital. I am sure you can make friends there." Said my mother. "Also you'll have all your friends there as well, right? Come on…"
"Sure, sure…" I sighed.
"Your daughter really doesn't want to go, huh?" She laughed a bit. "I still remember my days there… It was rather hellish."
If even someone like her remembers it as "hellish" I don't really want to imagine what it would be for me… or us, I guess. I hope that I find nice people.
Well, not like we are going any time soon, it'll be in a few more years.