American Isekai - Chapter 88 (Patreon)

Myself and the rest of the Talerrias exited from the teleporter, entering the City proper.

The Whetted City was the home of the Raven Family. It was basically their ancestral land, and they owned close to everything within its territory.

Apparently they owned a few precious mines nearby, ones that had been supplying them with rare minerals and metals for as long as they had existed. They were founded upon such mining and grew through their ever increasing skill in the field of smithing.

So not only were they a martial powerhouse, but they also dominated their own weapons industry and had an unstoppable source of materials. They even had fertile land around them, allowing them to farm and supply the city with food from many nearby villages.

In any other case, The Whetted City would be the perfect isolated society. They were almost entirely self sufficient and nobody was capable of stunting the Raven Family’s development whether economically, socially, or otherwise.

And all that wasn’t even mentioning the support the Talerria family gave them as allies. It really seemed like the Raven Family and its city was the perfect place to live in.

It was beautiful as well. Upon stepping out of the Teleporter Nexus, we were greeted with a huge palace that looked rather similar to a pagoda. It had many layers, over 50 from a cursory count, and was made of white marble.

Each layer had a different piece of art across its surface. Depictions of battlefields, ferocious beasts, portraits of great men and women of the past.

Each piece was inlaid with some gold, and I couldn’t help but compare it to some Roman architecture despite having the resemblance of asian pagodas. Especially the sculptures, of which there were a few massive ones.

From the Nexus we walked into the central plaza before the palace, the center of the entire city where hundreds of people walked all around. Some were simply passing through while others were admiring or paying respects to the five humongous statues in the center.

The five statues were of five different people, each of them standing a little over 100 meters tall. One of them stood in front of the four others, a plaque at its foundation bearing the erratic Crest of the founding ancestor of the Raven Family.

That ancestor was dressed in primal gear, hoisting a spear up in victory while gazing menacingly into the horizon, as if warning anybody who might show his family hostility that his deceased spirit might just come back once again to destroy them if they dared to attack. It was clear that, back then, he had fought long and hard to carve out a place in the world for him and his descendants.

To his side was his wife who held a bow, reminding me of the Greek goddess Artemis. She stood slightly behind him, her left hand on the bow and her right resting on the low arm of her husband up front.

The next statue to the other side of the ancestor wasn’t of the same background. In fact, from the plaque, I learned that it was actually the founding ancestor of the Talerria Family.

It was a woman who held a staff, on top of which was a massive crystal resembling a beastly heart. She was dressed in thick robes that obscured most of her figure, but her face was gentle, her eyes closed and undisturbed.

As for the final two, who stood behind the two women, they were both men and prior Chiefs of the family who preserved the Family and City through two catastrophic battles. Once against the Scourge, once against other families of the Kingdom.

Those two Chiefs, or Generals, flanked the two women and faced the East and West, two Guardians against all that might threaten the Raven Family, a symbol of their perseverance.

It was a majestic display that instilled pride into the hearts of all who looked upon it. It seemed these people were artists as well, because I’d never seen more masterfully carved sculptures in my life.

Even I found myself feeling a wave of valor rising up into my chest as I stared at those five statues. And all around us, children and their parents would come up to gaze at the figures depicted, some of them gawking, most of them enamored.

“Are you alright?”

I felt Umara tug my arm from the side, causing me to tear my gaze away and look down at her.

“Yea, I’m fine.”

“Come on then.”

“Right.”

She pulled me along, the rest of the family already walking off.

From the Plaza we got a carriage which brought us to another area of the city. And it was during the drive that I couldn’t help but sigh.

Umara nudged me, making me glance at her, her face giving me a look of concern.

I glanced at the others inside the carriage before suddenly asking Umara a question, breaking the silence.

“What did you think of those statues?”

“Me? Well I’ve seen them several times before. This isn’t my first visit.”

“I mean conceptually. What do you think when you see something like that?”

“Hmm…”

She pondered for a second, everyone looking forward to her answer, despite the topic coming out of nowhere.

“...I suppose I think about how amazing the artists were to create such a thing. Same with the Palace. It’s no wonder that the Raven family is famous for their artistic skill as well. Why? What do you think?”

She shot back, everyone turning to me for my answer, wondering why I had asked something like this in the first place.

I gazed out the window, avoiding eye contact as I formulated my words.

“Well, I think about the Raven Family itself. When I hear about their sheer dominance, like their hold over precious mines, their skill in art and weapons production, their mastery in martial arts, and then the legends surrounding all of their historical figures, I can’t help but feel that it must be an incredible privilege to be a part of that family.”

“...Elaborate.”

Umara probed further, not completely understanding.

I rubbed my chin.

“It’s a matter of prestige and pride. Could you tell me that, after gazing upon those statues, you don’t feel any sense of glory? You can practically see the Aura of valor radiating from that stone. It’s a symbol of conquest, of triumph against all odds and a sign that everything those ancestors fought for bore fruit. I mean, just look at them now. Look around and tell me that this isn’t exalted by all of its children? And if you were a part of that family, how could you not feel endless pride in it? Just think about how good it would feel to have that kind of pride in something, anything.”

“...”

Everyone was silent as I finished, pondering my words.

Then, it was the Duchess who responded.

“Who's to say that the Talerria family doesn’t carry the same pride? Our founding ancestor is up there as well.”

“And yet you don’t have the same statue in your own city.”

“...”

She went silent for a second, perhaps a bit caught off guard by my blunt rebuttal.

I continued before she could take it the wrong way through.

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m not questioning your pride or your respect for your ancestors. I’m just saying that there’s a clear difference in how the two families carry themselves. As soon as we stepped out of that teleporter, I could clearly feel that everything around me fell under the jurisdiction and influence of the Raven Family. As far as I’m concerned, this place is its own society independent from the Kingdom itself. They don’t have statues of the King. They only have statues of their famous warriors, generals, and Chiefs. When you’re here, it feels like this family would go to war against anyone who dared to threaten them, even if it was the Kingdom. No other city has made me feel that way.”

“...That’s true.”

The Duchess nodded slowly, mulling over my words a bit longer.

What the Raven Family had done by putting up all of the statues, monuments, and art, was distinguish itself from everyone beyond them. So unlike them, every other noble family were mere leaders of a city beneath them. They didn’t feel like a part of the city itself.

If the Talerria Family were to suddenly be kicked out of the City of Joffrun and get replaced by another noble family, there would be close to nothing that changed. Perhaps some economic laws might shift, but otherwise, everything would proceed as normal.

But removing the Raven Family from the Whetted City was impossible unless you razed it to the ground, completely erasing every trace of them even if they themselves weren’t present. Such a thing would be necessary because their image was quite literally plastered everywhere through their art and culture.

The difference was striking.

And when looking at it while considering all these things, who really owned their city?

Duchess Talerria was the City Lord of Joffrun. But did her city reflect that? Did her city tell its inhabitants that her family was the one who had developed it from the ground up? Did her city know of her family’s sacrifices and battles that had led them to attaining the power they had today?

No. All they had was a little ancestral hall behind their estate. And who cared about that?

Who would really care if they were replaced one day? Other than their own family, who truly cared about the Talerria name?

And I was almost certain that everybody we passed by on the carriage had at least one or two stories about the Raven Family legends.

I knew the Duchess understood all of this as she frowned while pondering.

Then, it was Duke Ikhor who spoke.

“I suppose then, the only question a family such as ours would need to ask would be whether we feel it's necessary to do something like the Ravens.”

“That’s true. Maybe you don’t. I had just been thinking about it because seeing those statues was rather inspiring. It’s amazing what art like that can do for a city or nation’s pride. And it’s amazing what that kind of pride can do for its people.”

“Mm, indeed. I’d actually never thought of such things before, at least like that. You’re quite the thinker, eh? Then again, you are a Summoner. I’m not sure you can help it.”

“Hm.”

I just hummed in response, the conversation fading as we arrived at our destination.

I could hear the cheers as soon as we disembarked. The stadium before us was as grand as all the other monuments in this city, called the Golden Bowl. It looked like it was built from the shattered chunks of marble boulders and then fused together in a single construction by pouring liquid gold between the gaps. However it was made, it looked as rich as it was creatively envisioned.

Primarily used as an arena for battles and tournaments, the Golden Bowl was in close proximity to and owned by the Martial League, the Raven Family’s famous martial arts college. Only now, because their vacation was ongoing, it was repurposed into a venue for races.

I walked beside Umara as we entered the Bowl, a butler under the Raven Chief meeting us at the entrance.

He was sharp, looking more like a guardian than a butler, and carried a huge battleaxe on his back. It was with a bow that he greeted us.

“A pleasure to have you with us, Duchess Talerria. The Chief awaits you in the host’s suite. Allow me to guide you all.”

“Thank you.”

She nodded, the butler turning on his heel and taking us inside.

We were met with the roars of thousands of people as we rose beyond the confines of the structure halls, emerging onto a large set of stairs hat led up and down the seating tiers.

At the topmost tier was the suite, which we headed straight into in order to meet with the Raven Family Chief.

I felt a bit of expectation. From everything I’d seen, my standards for the leader of this city were sky high.

My Aura responded to my curiosity and anticipation, reaching out in a probing manner, opening itself, trying to pick up any shred of the powerful presence that should reside within the suite.

And once we entered, I immediately spotted an anomaly.

“Ah, Talexia, Ikhor. It’s good to see you again.”

“Likewise, Ironheart.”

The Duchess smiled as she went to shake the Chief’s hand.

To his sides, I saw two individuals, one woman and one man.

The woman was a head shorter than the others nearby. In general, the men were around as tall as me, though not as tall as someone like Vetsmon or his family.

But the woman carried a prickly presence. It was like she could cut me with her gaze. Her very Aura was as sharp as her blade, and she didn’t do very much to conceal it.

As for the man, I could feel atrocious strength within him. It was like his muscles exerted power upon gravity itself. He seemed heavy, like a mobile fortress compressed into the size of a man.

As for the Chief himself…

I felt nothing.

He was a black hole, exerting no force upon his surroundings or making me feel any particular way. He seemed powerless, completely ordinary.

But it was precisely because my Aura could pick up nothing that I felt a significant level of apprehension. I almost hesitated to approach, my mind instinctively going into overdrive in an attempt to either get a read on the slightest bit of his power or figure out a way to flee, which I knew was impossible.

I ended up freezing up behind the group, my fear evident as even Umara turned back toward me in concern.

I felt her Aura reach out toward mine, opening up the connection for my Telepathy, letting my mind into hers.

(What’s wrong?)

(...Can’t you feel it? The Chief’s Aura.)

(No, I can’t feel anything.)

(Exactly…)

I struggled for a few seconds, scratching my head as if to stimulate my fading senses. Yet it felt like I was getting sucked into his Aura. It felt like I didn’t want to look away, yet I knew that feeling was unnatural somehow.

Umara looked back at the Chief, but feeling my stress, she looked back and took my hand in comfort.

I muttered inwardly as I finally turned my gaze.

(What a fucking monster. He might be worse than Apocryon.)

(Who’s Apocryon?)

(The most dangerous individual I’ve ever encountered. He has the most powerful Aura I know of, yet this man feels to be at least on his level, if not higher. I guess the differences would only be in how they wielded it, not necessarily their power. I at least don’t feel like I’m going to die in front of this guy.)

I took some subtle deep breaths. It felt like my ears were ringing, and even though my vision was fine, I had a hard time concentrating on anything. That Aura seemed to scramble the senses, an incredibly advantageous tool for any knight to have, yet I was sure that only scratched the surface of its abilities.

(He’s coming.)

“Hm?”

I almost panicked, raising my head at the alarm of her words, yet I couldn’t actually seem to see him coming.

Until his hand touched my shoulder, all my senses returning to me in full clarity.

“Sorry about that. Are you okay now?”

The man smiled in front of me. He was only a bit taller than me, but his build was far stronger.

He wore a nice set of casual clothing, his vest wrapping around his torso as if binding him and his medium length gray hair flowing freely around his shoulders.

Umara had told me that the Raven family, contrary to their namesake, had predominantly white and gray hair. There were several people within the suite who had the same hair as him, obviously from the family. It was almost like their indicator of royal blood.

I quickly composed myself, realizing that several people were staring. I must’ve been acting weird. I could barely even remember much while my senses were being scattered.

“Yes. Sorry.”

“Heh, there’s no reason to apologize for having such a keen Aura. I normally don’t have to reign it in because those who can sense it in the first place are also at such a high level that their senses can withstand it. So I suppose you’re the outlier here.”

“I guess…”

I gave him a wry smile as he chuckled, returning to his seat.

At the front of the suite behind the glass window, there were several rows of seats that people used to clearly view the field down below.

His seat was in the middle of those rows, a smooth path carved out before him for his exclusive viewing pleasure.

“I’ll be sure to control myself. You have my apologies. Please, come relax. The Races are just getting started.”

He motioned to the whole family, the Talexia and Ikhor taking up a seat beside him while Umara, myself, and her sister sat beside them. We had our own row to ourselves.

From there I was able to calm myself and look out the window, finally seeing what these races were all about.

On the ground at the starting line was a row of slim winged creatures. Their hardened leather almost looked like a carapace at first glance, giving me the impression that it was some insectoid creature.

But they were definitely regular animals, just that their body structures seemed incredibly streamlined for quick flight.

Their riders looked like a bunch of knights, and their gear was designed in order to flush against the creatures they rode, like a professional sport bike racer.

They lay across the backs of their creatures, Gliders as Umara eventually informed me. Their heads were positioned directly behind the Glider’s own and their legs fell just on top of the base of their long tail. Curiously, their tails had an interesting flap on them, almost like a sharp rudder. Their pointed snouts were also rather ferocious.

“Riders to your marks.”

An official stepped atop a stand, raising a small staff into the air.

All the riders moved their Gliders just before the starting line. There were only 5 lanes on this track and each lane had a staggered line.

Once ready, the official’s staff glowed.

“Get set.”

The Gliders stilled as their riders lowered, their wings unfurling, tensing with explosive strength.

It was a couple seconds before the official brought the staff down.

*Bang!*

With a sharp explosion, all the Gliders shot forward with shocking speed, the wind being kicked up all around them, leaving behind a plume of dust.

I watched as their bodies shot down the 200 yard long straightaway. Slight gaps began to appear between each one. Then they hit the curve, and the difference in speed started becoming apparent.

Their bodies tilted, their heads only a foot or two above the ground, and yet they didn’t touch it with their taloned feet.

The tips of their talons only came down between each stroke of their wings, stabilizing them before they shot off with another burst of speed. Each did their best to retain their momentum, but at least along the curve, it took far more agility in order to turn while maintaining such a high speed.

Wings flapped as they made their sharp turn before landing on the next straightaway. The first one to hit the straightaway was able to put an even larger gap between them and the others. It was clear that clearing the turns the fastest was the key to victory.

And so first place gradually widened the gap until they completed the lap, shooting across the finish line, the rider rising from the Glider with a cheer.

“Winner! Number 49, Gabal!”

“Whoo!!”

The audience screamed in cheer, making me smile while looking down on the tens of thousands in the stadium.

It was bigger than a football stadium, and with magical engineering, it was able to be built just as tall as the professional stadiums I knew from Earth. So it could easily hold just as much, perhaps pushing 100 thousand.

Every city needed a great source of entertainment, and it seemed rather clear that this place, despite being owned and utilized by the Martial League, was the greatest venue for this city’s citizens to find some excitement. Whether it was races like these, or battles in the arena put on by the knights during tournaments.

I settled into my chair, smiling as I watched the next race go off.