The Poet's System
Chapter 75: Royal Capital

Chapter 75: Royal Capital

Time felt frozen in a fleeting moment. It was a powerful thing to witness, and Daylan would even go so far as to call it a privilege—a dream anyone in his shoes would pray for.

Still, Daylan had a few things on his mind, despite how quickly time passed. Pry’s promise to speak with him had been delayed—he waited and waited, yet heard nothing from her. Over time, worry crept in, but he still held on to hope, since she had never specified which monastery.

It was a calm morning when Daylan, Medora, and Lieutenant Bruce stood beside a carriage as the driver loaded their luggage.

Their one week was well spent—they completed their training, and Medora took the initiative to bid farewell to her mother.

"You two still aren’t on their level yet. Make sure you don’t provoke any of them—that might be the end of you," Lieutenant Bruce said, his voice laced with seriousness.

Both Daylan and Medora gave her a firm nod in unison and climbed into the carriage. It began rolling toward the western harbor, where merchant ships waited along the docks.

Medora began reminding Daylan of their first time on a ship—and how he had to be stopped from jumping into the sea on multiple occasions.

Daylan’s memories of that occasion were fuzzy. In his previous world, he recalled not liking the sea—he always got seasick and had once been stuck on it for three days.

He masked his nervousness with a fake smile, but the sweat on his face told a different story.

Before long, they arrived at the harbor. There were three bridges: one led to a semi-large ship—clearly not fit for the Royal Capital; another was surrounded by over a dozen fishing boats; and the third led to the biggest ship of all.

It was clad in golden armor—not heavy enough to sink the ship, but light and luxurious—and flew a white flag bearing a red cross, the symbol of the divines. Its gangway was cautiously lowered onto the bridge.

Daylan swallowed nervously as he watched passengers and merchants bustling in and out, while each ship’s crew prepared their vessels for departure.

The driver carried their luggage and told them to follow. He headed straight to the big ship, handed their tickets and luggage to an attendant, and they were shown to their rooms aboard.

Despite the ship’s size, it didn’t hold many passengers—roughly around fifty.

The moment Daylan entered his room, he excused himself. The room was fancy but sparse—just a small bed, a mirror, and a washroom. To make matters worse, there was only a small window near his bed.

He yelled out in frustration before hurling himself onto the bed. Forcing himself to sleep, he hoped at least to kill time before the sea claimed him.

It didn’t take long before he woke up, but he wasn’t ready to give up. The ship was already sailing by then, so he couldn’t afford to take any chances.

Daylan slept on and off until he couldn’t anymore. By then, they were already two days into the journey, and after that, he couldn’t even close his eyes. He stayed awake the whole time—until, unfortunately, the seasickness finally caught up with him.

He vomited until his body turned pale. Even the crew on board were surprised at the severity of his seasickness.

Good for him—they arrived just in time before the sea could finish him off.

Even from the sea, Daylan could tell it was a city of magic. A vast city lay covered in white, like snow. Two others hovered suspended midair, bearing similar structures, but the one on the ground was the largest.

Huge spherical white walls obscured the city from clear view, but they couldn’t deny the beauty they were approaching.

"I’ve heard many stories, but I never thought they were true," Medora said, her eyes wide with shock.

The ship soon docked, and the moment they stepped off, a man dressed in white—with a black tie and boots—approached them.

"Daylan and Medora, right?" The man asked.

They nodded.

"Nice to meet you. I am King Rodger, but call me Rodger—I’m no king in this city. I’ll be taking you to the monastery," he said with a respectful bow.

Daylan’s eyes widened. "Rhea’s captain?"

"You know Rhea?"

"Yes, she’s a friend."

"I never knew she was the type to make friends, but it’s good to know she has some."

Rodger gestured for them to follow as he led the way across the bridge into the city.

The city wall seemed both soft and solid like it was made of white sand—almost an illusion.

The moment they passed through the entrance, its beauty loomed over them. Every house was white and impeccably clean, and each building was crafted in the same Greek style. At least, that’s how it looked from their standpoint.

Right at the entrance, stretching far into the city, stood a large spherical structure draped with the divine flag on all sides. It needed no introduction—it was clearly the city’s church or palace.

Just as they were lost in the view, Rodger snapped them back and gestured toward a white carriage nearby. They quickly hurried over and climbed in.

"Is everything in the city supposed to be white?" Daylan asked, curious.

Rodger smirked. "Not really, but white makes everything look clean and sinless—that’s what the citizens prefer."

Daylan nodded, glancing out the window at the big smiles around him. It seemed peaceful and truly divine.

"This is a city to get lost in. Even people born here sometimes find themselves lost."

They both turned to Rodger, confusion written on their faces.

"The population of the city is around two million. As you can see, it’s almost three times the size of Honor City... so exploring shouldn’t be your priority right now. Honestly, I don’t think you could see it all, especially with your duties as a Divine Arch."

Both Daylan and Medora exchanged glances. "What about the ones up there?" Medora asked.

"Those aren’t cities—they’re houses."

They glanced at Rodger, shocked.

"Ever heard of the Vital Five?"

They nodded.

"They live in one, along with a few selected individuals. The other is for the royal family—the palace."

"Oh. So Asta lived up there."

Rodger’s expression darkened. "Asta? You mean Princess Astara?"

They both gave a firm nod.

He massaged his forehead in disbelief. "Here, you don’t know the princess. She might have been friendly with you in Honor City, but at the Royal Capital? Without influence, even mentioning her name is considered a sin."

Daylan’s expression shifted. He wanted to speak up, but he knew Rodger wasn’t responsible for the harsh standards set for Astara. He was here to meet those standards—and was simply following orders.

Rodger noticed the tension his words had caused, so he quickly changed the subject.

"Do you know why the Vital Five live up there?"

Medora shook her head.

"A single one of their auras is said to be so overwhelming that if they lived down here with us, everyone in the city would suffocate.

So they stay up there, keeping demonic monsters away once they sense the power.

Even then, it’s still a problem—sometimes their presence causes mirror earthquakes."

Medora engaged Rodger in conversation, but Daylan remained silent. His mind spiraled like never before, fixating on Astara. Had she made her decision to protect them? And if so, why become a colonel?

He had no answers, but it wasn’t something he could stop. The thoughts came of their own accord.

Before long, they arrived at the monastery, situated just behind the church, its overwhelming size looming over them.

The monastery gleamed with golden accents, giving it a divine, radiant appearance. Its multiple gold-topped domes and tall spires were reminiscent of Byzantine architecture.

Large windows, ornately trimmed with glowing golden inscriptions, dotted the building. It was multi-leveled, with terraces and balconies overlooking the surroundings.

Daylan and the others stepped out of the carriage, facing a massive staircase that led up to the entrance.

At Rodger’s cue, they began ascending the stairs, while a few guards in red uniforms bowed as they passed—truly a royal treatment.

After climbing the staircase, they entered a long hallway that led to a hall. Upon arrival, they saw a few Divine Arches dressed in white uniforms like Rodger’s, raising their glasses in a toast—clearly part of a celebration.

Their presence was overwhelming, but Daylan and Medora had to hold their ground—they were equals, at least.

However, they walked past without so much as a second glance from the Divine Arches. The others merely glanced at them before returning to their celebration.

Rodger led them to a massive golden door.

He knocked before opening it to reveal a library filled with tall shelves, neatly divided into sections. The shelves lined both sides of the room, leaving a clear middle space furnished with white sofas.

By a golden-framed window stood a desk, and behind it sat a pale young man with long white hair and golden eyes—his face and hair almost blending into the white uniform he wore.

Daylan and Medora exchanged glances as the man, his voice gentle yet commanding, asked Rodger to wait outside. He then gestured for Daylan and Medora to take their seats.

"I can’t feel his presence," Medora murmured to Daylan, who responded with a nod.

The moment they took their seats, the man reached under his desk and pulled out a white cat, handing it to Daylan. Both of them exchanged confused glances—he said nothing.

After that, he cleared his throat. "Daylan Rhys and Medora Isla, correct?"

"Yes, that’s us," Daylan replied, gently brushing his hands over the cat.

"I am Alucard, Captain of the Divine Arches."

Without pause, he continued, "The two of you will embark on a journey starting the day after tomorrow."

He turned to Daylan. "Don’t take longer than necessary."

Daylan felt a flicker of confusion—why was that directed specifically at him?

"You may go now. Take today to rest, and meet your colleagues tomorrow before you set out on your journey."

Daylan tried to place the cat back on the desk, but Alucard’s expression darkened. "It’s yours. You’ll need it."

His tone left no room for questions. Without another word, they left the office.

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.