329 One-Hour Ride
When the emperor's convoy was about a kilometer from the first gate, Big Sis and I hopped from the top of the Outer Wall and made an elegant, featherlight landing, so light that the two gatekeepers did not notice us until we landed in front of them. The entry points of the walls were all twenty meters wide and ten meters high. However, they did not have built-in gates. That was why we had to build gatehouses for each entry point with a strong gate coupled with portcullis. Each gate had two partitions that separated four lanes. From the right, outside the city, the first lane was for VIP vehicles to pass; the merged second and third lanes were for common vehicles as well as people; and the last lane was the exit point of a VIP. Actually, there was a dungeon feature that added up to two additional entry points for each wall, just as the Imperial Capital had four gates. But we only add two more entry points on the Outer Wall for particular reasons. "The emperor of the Empire of Dixon is coming by any minute. It's the same as when any noble visits: Use all your manners and brace yourselves. Don't do anything that could offend them." "We understand, Lady Louise!" Hearing Big Sis's serious instructions, the two knights made an energetic reply as they stomped their spears on the ground in unison. "Very well," Big Sis said, turning her back to the gatekeepers. "Now, let's wait." "Good work, Sis." Following her, I stood a few feet next to her and waited for the emperor's convoy. Since there were people and vehicles passing by, we stepped aside. And a few minutes later, we ordered all the vehicles and people near the gatehouse to stay at the edges of the half-kilometer-wide road for a while so that we could greet the approaching convoy. My sister and I stood at attention until the convoy of extremely luxurious carriages arrived. Each carriage was adorned with gold accents and was drawn by four warhorses. But the third vehicle stood out the most; the emperor must have been inside it. Eventually, the door of the front carriage opened, and a messenger approached. "Good evening." The male message spoke with such elegance and manners. "We are representatives from the Empire of Dixon." "I am the heir of the Raevender Marquisate, Louise Raevender, and this is my brother." "I am Raphael Raevender, the heir of the Lavender City." "The marchioness, Mylene Raevender, has ordered us to guide you to the royal palace." "Verily. We accept your guidance." "That would be splendid. Please follow our lead." "You have the empire's gratitude." After our short formal greeting, the messenger returned to the group. At the same time, both my sister and I headed to the parked government carriage in the VIP lane and entered inside. Once we sat ourselves comfortably inside, the armored coachman whipped the reins, and the warehouses started to move their hooves. As soon as we moved, the first carriage then began to roll its wheels, which caused the other carriages behind it to follow our lead. After passing the first gate, the five-hundred-meter-wide road drastically shrank to twenty meters, which was the width of the gate. From here to the next gate, the straight, paved road stretched up to five kilometers. Upon entering the wall, the area between the two walls was almost entirely filled with grass and crops, with a few groves of trees. But along with that verdant vegetation, gigantic bridges could be seen from a distance. I did not know how they would react, but I was certain that they were fascinated by them. It took us half an hour to reach the next gate, and the sun had set at that time and the sky started to turn black. When we passed the Inner Wall, we were greeted by hundreds of fully armored knights lined up at the edges of the main road. Behind them were the cheers of the citizens welcoming the emperor. The time was prime, so the street lamps illuminated the entirety of the road. The main road was supposed to be bustling during this time, but tonight, the road was empty so that the convoy could easily pass through. By the way, our carriages were equipped with a lighting system like that in those modern vehicles. The lights of small magical bulbs of different hues were reflected by silver parabolic reflectors. Of course, it was all "invented" by Rick. The main road was about five kilometers long, so it took another thirty minutes to reach the royal palace. I could just open a Portal for instant transportation, but it would be inappropriate and unmannered. Doing so would also make visitors miss seeing the beauty of our city. Upon passing the third gate, the carriages strolled along the massive parking lot and then the honor courtyard before slowing down and pulling over in front of the honor gate. "Finally, we got home," I immediately said as soon as my sister and I got out of the carriage. "Good evening, Raphael, Louise." "Good evening, my children. Have you safely escorted the convoy?" "Yes, Mother," I replied. Upon getting out of the carriage, Mom, Mother, Gabrielle, and Sophia in gorgeous dresses had been waiting for us in front of the palace. There were knights standing nearby, so only Big Sis approached and hugged them while I pecked kisses on both my fiancee's cheeks. "Good evening, Mom, Mother," my sister greeted. "Sorry to have kept you waiting." "No problem, my dear," Mother tenderly said. "What's more important is that you fulfilled your mission."
After that, my family lined up in a single line to receive our visitors. Soon after, the carriage my sister and I just rode moved again and went to the parking area. The carriages, one by one, stopped and dropped their passengers, who were important figures of the empire, before going to the same parking area. When the door of the third carriage of the convoy opened, the man of the night finally made a noble exit.
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