The boat stopped in front of an old, yet well-maintained port with a guard post located nearby. As they disembarked, they saw a pair of rugged Sky Realm level fighters emerge from inside. Scars covered their body, and one of them was missing an eye.
"Your identification," one of them asked in a gruff voice with his hand outstretched.
From the way they behaved, they weren't the type to bother with pleasantries.
The old butler stepped forward and produced a small card with a symbol made of gold foil on it. Under the dim moonlight, the symbol seemed to radiate its own golden glow.
One went back to the guard post and walked out a few seconds after.
"My apologies… This is genuine. The signature position indicates they are from the Romanov family."
"You may enter!"
The two guards stepped aside, and they passed simple, small houses made of wood and rough stones.
Viktor saw what seemed like ruins were actually various buildings from before the apocalypse. Though they may be lacking in paint job, the buildings' structure looked stable, and he could see that some high-quality metal was used to reinforce the basic shape, ensuring the buildings could withstand anything short of a massive ambush of a horde.
From the port, he was led to a rather impressive-looking wall with a lot of defensive structures such as a pair of turrets near the gates, along with a thick encirclement for long-ranged attackers to rain down shots from above.
Along the way to the walls, there were a lot of mass-built houses in various states of disrepair. It seemed to be only partially reinforced, just enough to give the guards some time to repel attacks.
From the windows, Viktor could see that most of the inhabitants seemed to have spent a lot of time under the sun.
When he saw some people were busy hammering on something, he realized the houses were for workers or laborers.
As he walked past the gates, he felt like he had stepped into another world.
Unlike the dilapidated houses just a few steps away from the wall, the place was so well-maintained, and if he were raised here to never look outside his entire life, he would have believed if he was told that the apocalypse simply never happened.
He passed a well-maintained garden and took a second to look at the majestic stone statue depicting a famous statue of a woman raising a massive blade.
It was a statue called "The Motherland Calls", the statue was preserved before the apocalypse started.
However, contrary to the size, the place was not bustling with people. He passed a cafe, a swimming pool, and even a well-stocked bar, yet not too many people were there, and all were dressed in luxurious, well-ironed clothes. From the way they kept laughing, talking, playing various games and enjoying life, they seem to not even care about the outside world at all.
Every so often, he would see a small squad of guards. But even counting them, the population of the city still seemed too small compared to the massive territory it covers..
As if he was reading Viktor's mind, the old butler explained that the city houses the most important government personnel from the Rus Imperial faction along with their families. This zone was maintained to be as close to the situation before the apocalypse, but there was no way to adequately house everyone, and thus only the high-ranking people and their families were allowed within the protection of the wall, while the middle-class workers had to stay outside.
"There was no way to house everyone, but we ensure that everyone in this city still has enough food and water to stay alive and do their best in their jobs. They were all chosen for their skills, after all. It would be a waste if they roll over and die without being able to contribute."
They headed to a government building that stood next to a decently-sized mansion. The building was made of white marble, and the flag of Russia waved in the wind alongside a flag containing the symbol of Rus Imperial. Outside of the building, a lot of armored cars were parked, a sign that a meeting was going on.
"Ah, the weekly Rus Imperial government meeting must have started."
That reminded Viktor of something, and he decided to ask.
"Oh, when can I see my father?"
"I will try to ask about his availability, please wait."
The old butler led him into a luxurious waiting room. Cold refreshments, various drinks, and many kinds of fruits and sweets were served on a table, while the TV was playing what seemed to be a looped video taken from various films. There was even a free billiard table nearby.
One hour, two hours passed, and Viktor started to notice that something was strange. The old butler hadn't come back yet, and every time he asked, he would be dismissed with a simple request to wait even more.
Even more waiting, and the butler finally came back after what felt like an eternity. The old man wore an apologetic expression on his face and said, "My apologies, young master. Your father seems to be unavailable right now. Perhaps you could see him tomorrow."
Of course, Viktor was disappointed, and he felt like he had wasted his time here waiting.
With nothing better to do, he decided to ask whether he could see his sister.
"Your sister has taken over as the governor. Well, in a sense, she is the prime minister now. Do see for yourself, young master Viktor."
He was led in front of a conference room, and he peeked inside through the transparent glass door, careful not to seem too conspicuous.
She was sitting on a swivel chair in front of a group of politicians, a few of which Viktor managed to recognize as part of the old government before the apocalypse. Although his elder sister was 15 years older than he is, she still looked as composed and beautiful as she was before the apocalypse. If anything, her expression looked downright ruthless, even as she glared and steered the politicians to get her way.
It felt like watching a doll master play with their wooden dolls. With her words, she set the stage and watched everything unfold from her throne.
"The problem is, we need more weapons… if we plan to take over Moscow..."
"Some food sources were no longer accessible from lack of…"
"Thanks to the sudden attack a few months ago, the eastern side of the city is not too well-defended…"
They kept on discussing, seemingly unaware of his presence.
When they were finally finished, he was careful to get out of the way so as to not be seen.
"Viktor."
He was almost startled out of his wits when he heard his sister's voice call for him.
Her name is Sheila Romanov, and she is Viktor's elder sister who is 15 years older than him. Just like Garron, she was born from a political marriage and harbored ambitions as lofty as Garron's. However, she preferred a more subtle method than the pure might Garron had always strived to see in his subordinates.
Both saw the other as a threat, and even though they couldn't kill the other directly, they had always opposed each other in a more subtle way. In a way, they were like a pair of snakes, always on alert for each other and ready to retaliate.
"So, Viktor," the woman sat cross-legged on her swivel chair, a calculating glint in her gaze, "what do you want by coming here? A position in the government?"
"No, no, of course not. You know me well, sister, I don't want to bother with such a thing."
"Money and facilities, then? Do remember that you will have to work for these. It may have been different before, but now, nothing is free."
"Hahaha… Of course not, I am just here to see father, nothing more."
"Heh," the woman half-sighed, half laughed in a dark amusement, "Even with all this, you still have no ambitions? Everyone has their uses, but just look at you… I see that the reputation didn't lie. Well, that aside, find me after you're done with the father. Now, off with you, I have much to deal with."
A part of him was confused as to why he was just left to go away like that, but he decided to take it in stride. When he walked outside the building, the old butler was already waiting for him.
"Young Master, your room has been prepared. Let me escort you,"
Viktor was suddenly reminded other than wasting time doing nothing, he still have the new technique he acquired at the tower, and he decided to ask.
"Forget about that, I really need room to train? Which one can I use?"
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Written by Avans, Published exclusively by W.e.b.n.o.v.e.l,
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