A few hours later, the vast outline of a grand city came into view—the Empire.
"Wow... it’s so big," Nolan said, staring wide-eyed from atop his wyvern.
"You’ll need to tell the wyvern to descend," Lyra reminded him. "If we land directly at the gates, we can pass through the knights without any issues."
"You’re right," Nolan nodded. He commanded the wyvern to go down. The creatures circled once, then descended gracefully. As soon as they touched the ground, the wyverns shimmered with a glowing circle beneath them, sinking into the earth as if vanishing.
The group began walking toward the towering gates of the Empire’s capital. Two knights armed with ornate spears blocked their path, crossing their weapons in front of them.
"Stop! Who are you, and why are you entering? Show me your ID," one knight demanded.
Nolan calmly pulled out his adventurer’s card and handed it over. The knight studied it. "Adventurer... rank E? Hm." He looked Nolan up and down before nodding. "Alright. Go in."
They were waved through.
The moment Nolan stepped inside, his eyes widened in awe. "Wow... this is massive! The market here is even bigger than Sindra’s. Look at the streets—there must be dozens of food stalls! And those apples... they look fresher than anything back home. This place is incredible."
Lyra gave him a small smile. "Yes, this is the Empire. It’s called that because of the vast power it holds. The king here is stronger than any ruler in the surrounding kingdoms—even stronger than Sindra’s king. The city thrives with trade, blacksmiths, and businesses of every kind. It’s at least three times the size of Sindra."
"I can see that," Nolan said, still looking around in amazement. "So this is where the tournament will be held."
"Exactly," Lyra replied. "And be prepared. There are powerful people here, even beyond rank S."
Nolan smirked. "It won’t be a problem. I’ll handle it."
Lyra chuckled. "Careful—don’t underestimate them. Some of them really are strong."
The four of them continued walking through the bustling streets until they arrived at a grand stone building. A large sign above the entrance read: Adventurer’s Guild.
"So this is the guild here..." Nolan muttered. "It’s twice the size of the one in Sindra."
As they stepped inside, the hum of conversation quieted. Dozens of adventurers turned their heads, eyes narrowing as they studied the group.
"Foreigners," someone muttered.
"Look at them—outsiders," another voice whispered.
"Look at the guy," someone said from a nearby table. "The ladies with him are gorgeous. Maybe he’s trying to form a harem or something."
Another scoffed. "Or maybe he’s just some big shot from a wealthy family, here to show off."
Their voices carried easily through the guild, and though Nolan caught every word, he kept his expression calm. A harem? Why would I even want that? he thought, shaking his head slightly.
The tension in the room shifted when they approached the receptionist’s counter. The woman behind the desk smiled warmly, her professional cheer breaking the heavy atmosphere.
"Hello, welcome! Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild," she said brightly. Her eyes studied Nolan for a moment, then flicked to Celia, Linda, and Lyra. "Is this your first time here? Yes, I can tell right away."
"Yes, it’s our first time," Nolan replied, his tone polite but steady.
"And who are these ladies beside you?" the receptionist asked, glancing curiously at Celia, Linda, and Lyra.
"They’re my companions," Nolan replied without hesitation.
"Oh, I see. For a moment, I thought maybe they were your wives," she said with a teasing smile.
"W–wives? Why would you think that?" Nolan stammered, his face flushing red. Celia and Linda immediately turned their faces away, their cheeks burning as well. Even Lyra, trying to keep a straight face, looked embarrassed.
The receptionist blinked, then laughed nervously. "Oh, sorry, my bad. I didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just... you all look so good together."
"Okay... anyway," Nolan muttered, trying to shake it off. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a sealed envelope. "Take this. A friend of mine asked me to deliver it to the Guild Master here."
The receptionist accepted it politely, broke the seal, and scanned the contents. Her eyes widened slightly.
"Oh... so you’re the ones. The Guild Master in Sindra already sent us a message about your arrival," she said, looking back at Nolan with a mix of respect and curiosity.
"What? He already planned that I’d come to the Empire even before telling me himself?" Nolan thought, his hand unconsciously curling into a fist.
The receptionist nodded briskly. "Please wait here. I’ll go and call the Guild Master of the Empire." With that, she turned and slipped into a side room, leaving Nolan and the others standing in the guild hall under the curious gazes of the adventurers around them.
As they waited, the receptionist returned—this time with a towering man walking beside her. His presence alone drew attention. Broad-shouldered, dressed in black armor reinforced with steel, and a permanent scowl carved across his face, he looked every bit like someone who commanded authority.
"Could he be the Guild Master?" Nolan muttered under his breath, narrowing his eyes.
The man’s sharp gaze locked on him, and for a long moment neither spoke. Then, to Nolan’s surprise, the man’s lips curved into a grin.
"Hey! I’m Damien," he said in a deep voice, extending a massive hand forward. "So you’re the ones I’ve been waiting for. Lucan already told me about you. Thank you for coming."
Nolan shook his hand firmly. "Yeah, it’s our pleasure to be here."
Damien’s eyes flicked to the women beside Nolan. "Wow... I see you’ve got some fine ladies with you," he said with a half-smirk.
Nolan didn’t answer, simply keeping his expression neutral.
"Anyway," Damien continued, "Lucan mentioned you’d be participating in the tournament. It’s happening in two days. I wanted to confirm that."
"Yes," Nolan replied calmly. "We’ll be participating."
As Damien studied him more closely, his eyes narrowed at Nolan’s attire. That suit... a battle suit like that isn’t something an ordinary adventurer could wear, let alone a Rank E.