The speed the Iron Lizards were reaching was impressive, and with the assistance of the coachman’s own magic, it could easily match that of a modern car, even on worse roads.

  It wasn’t so much that the methods used were primitive. Earth mages could easily terraform a stretch of land that would have taken a construction crew weeks in a single day, and the end result was possibly even more durable, but there was one factor that made the process less smooth.

  There was a significant amount of Cyril that was completely wild, and not just ordinary wild, but magically wild. Forests grew rapidly over a week to cover new roads, monsters roamed and settled along secondary paths, and sometimes freak weather events occurred so suddenly and violently that it was impossible to find any paved road.

  That was the source of the howling and pounding on the carriage. A sudden and fierce storm had struck less than two hours after they left the Belt’s banks and started heading for the northern fishing village, where a boat would take them to Last Thaw. However, given the current situation, they had to change their plans.

  “The carriage is fully secure, my lady. No amount of rain will penetrate its enchantments, and the Iron Lizards can withstand even harsher conditions with little difficulty,” the hostess explained.

  Asteria hummed, gazing out of the window at the dark sky. “That might be true, but I doubt we’ll find sturdy enough boats in a regular fishing village. At this point, we might have to head for the Suspended Bridge if we want to reach Last Thaw before nightfall.”

  “Ah,” the coachman cleared his throat, looking close to wringing his hands as everyone’s attention turned to him. He was a professional and hadn’t flinched at anything so far, but it was clear he didn’t enjoy delivering bad news to someone as powerful and influential as Asteria. “I’m afraid it might take us longer in these conditions, my lady. We advertise a two-day trip to Silverpeak, but that’s only if the Iron Lizards are allowed to go at full speed.”

  “What’s the new timeline, then?” Asteria pressed.

  “I believe we might reach the base of the Suspended Bridge by tonight, but crossing it in these conditions is not wise, especially since word of unusual aquatic monsters has been relayed from all over the Belt,” he answered, before falling silent and waiting for her judgment.

  There were some physical limits to what he could demand of his lizards, that much was clear to everyone. But it was just as true that if a Magistra of the Lunar Sanctum ordered him to keep pushing them, he wouldn’t have much choice in the matter, even if he knew it would lead to disaster.

  Fortunately for him, Asteria knew better than to push. “Very well, we shall head for the bridge and decide from there. If the storm still rages and shows no signs of easing, we will cross it the next day, stopping as often as needed for the lizards to stay in top shape.”

  The coachman appeared incredibly relieved and bowed deeply before disappearing back outside, protected from the howling storm by the carriage’s wards and clearly preferring the company of his beasts over that of other humans.

  The hostess promptly bowed as well. “I apologize, my lady. I understand this journey is urgent, and we will do our best to get you to Silverpeak as quickly as possible.”

  She kept her head down until Asteria dismissed her to get lunch ready, as time had flown by and it was already midday.

  It was a shame that the weather was so bad. Orion would have loved to take in the sights of the countryside, especially since during the first trip, he had been too busy working on the CC or running for his life from Ophelia’s pursuers.

  Hopefully, the second part of the trip wouldn’t be that bad, but considering how things have been going so far, he couldn’t ignore the possibility that they might get worse.

  “I’ve never seen the Suspended Bridge,” Pauline murmured, speaking in more than just pensive hums for the first time since her rank up.

  Nobody had bothered her, as the transition from one tier to the next was quite jarring, especially at higher levels, and she was given the time she needed to adjust to her new status.

  “It is quite the sight,” Asteria told her, and Orion turned to give her his attention. He knew there was a bridge connecting the Sanctum’s lands to the Collegium’s, and that it was considered one of Cyril’s great magical wonders, but they hadn’t been able to see it last time, since that would have been far too good a location to set up an ambush.

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  Few things were worse than being stranded on a bridge floating hundreds of feet above a vast body of water. Even teleportation might not have been enough to save them in that situation, especially since the Belt was a very magical river and, at the time, Asteria had been limited in what she could accomplish.

  That reminds me, I should ask her to teach me about spatial magic. Her method might not work perfectly for me, but I need something to work with if I want to craft my own version. Earth had been nowhere near close to reliable teleportation, and I’m worried I might mess things up if I use those experimental concepts to craft a spell. Studying her methods with [Hypotheticism] should be safer than putting my loose ideas into practice.

  That wasn’t to say he couldn’t get there on his own, but he was curious to learn how the Sanctum’s tradition handled such a delicate task. His current ideas were a bit too reckless, even for his own tastes.

  “Three hundred mages and witches worked together to build it, and High Priestess Seraphina and Archmage Mallon cast the levitation spells. It remains, to this day, the greatest symbol of cooperation between two major factions in all of Cyril, and it has withstood everything from monster attacks to bandits, as well as a few attempts by dangerous organizations to destroy it over the decades it has been standing.” Asteria explained.

  It was nothing that wasn’t taught in the Sanctum, but the emphasis she placed on the threats the bridge had faced made Orion take notice.

  “Why would so many try to destroy it?” He asked.

  She turned to him with a raised eyebrow, and he hurried to clarify. “I’m not saying I don’t understand why monsters would attack, or why people who would benefit from chaos would try to bring it down, but two of the most powerful casters in Cyril’s history were among the key contributors, along with hundreds more. Surely it would take a tremendous amount of force to even damage it, much less destroy it.”

  Pauline laughed, shaking her head. “Only you would immediately start calculating how feasible its destruction is.”

  Before she could start teasing him seriously, Asteria stepped in to answer. “Some of it is stupidity,” she explained. “Never underestimate people’s capacity for idiocy. But some of it is pure ignorance. So many cannot hope to understand the wonders that the truly powerful can bring into reality. Destruction is easy to grasp, but creation? No, they look at something like that and think they can tear it down, not realizing that such a Work is beyond their reach.”

  Orion hummed, recalling the moment he looked at Valderun’s wards and realized he couldn't oppose them, only to have that quickly confirmed when they were turned against him.

  But maybe that was the key insight. He had understood enough to realize he couldn’t hope to comprehend them in their entirety, while many others never even got that far.

  The next time Orion looked out the window, the carriage was already rushing ahead through the storm. The protective spells handled most of the dangers, preventing the wheels from getting stuck in the mud or weakening under the water's stress, which a normal wooden coach couldn’t have survived. But the Iron Lizards weren’t something to scoff at either; undaunted by the howling wind and muddy terrain, they pressed on for hours upon hours. They moved more slowly than at first, but still at a perfectly respectable pace.

  By nightfall, the storm had yet to subside, and they were approaching the upper Belt and the Suspended Bridge. Lights appeared on the horizon, even through the rain, and were clearly magical in origin, given their steady glow. Soon, they neared what looked to be a modest-sized town.

  There was only one problem. The lights were coming from several hundred feet in the sky, while on the ground, there was nothing to hint at such foundations.

  “Welcome to Floating Town,” Asteria smiled, watching the realization cross his face as they drew closer and the truth of things was revealed.

  The Suspended Bridge was not just a simple feat of engineering, as he had thought, but a truly magical wonder. There were no pillars or massive foundations; instead, the entire structure was supported purely by magic.

  A marble and sapphire station, representing the colors of the Collegium, was the sole structure directly on the ground. It was surrounded by an empty coastline, while the bridge spanned above it.

  Wide enough for six carriages to pass side by side, and made of a material so transparent it was difficult to see in the storm's darkness, the bridge’s base was broad enough to support several buildings around it, and that was the entire town he’d seen from afar.

  To be fair, it was a bit of a stretch to call it a proper town. Made up of only a dozen buildings, it was more of a village—though one designed and built for, and by, extremely wealthy individuals, considering their size and appearance.

  They, like the station, were built from the same white and blue stone he had become so familiar with after his time in Valderun, and at first glance, he could tell none of them was meant for permanent residents.

  The carriage stopped next to the station, and they had to wait several minutes before someone stepped out and braved the storm.

  Orion, however, didn’t really care because he was still lost in his observation of the bridge.

  [Hypotheticism] demonstrated why it was worth calling a B-rank Trait, as it allowed him to identify hundreds of spells overlaid on the floating construct, although many were just rough sketches because their mechanics were too advanced for even his Trait to grasp.

  Still, even that much was enough to send his mind spinning. Many of the magics, he recognized at least the basics of, ranging from the Sanctum’s levitation spells used for brooms to metamagics designed to increase the scope and power of everything else.

  The more he stared, the more he realized that while the Floating Bridge was a marvel to look at, it was even more wondrous to behold if one understood how insanely complicated its magical design was. Different schools of magic worked together in perfect harmony, with no discord, creating the seamless levitation and formidable defense of the end product.

  The carriage shifted slightly, more than it had during the entire trip, even through the worst of the storm, and Orion looked around and realized they were floating upward.

  “We have been provided with two suites for our dear guests, and a meal has also been arranged. We apologize again for the delay, and will take the night to ensure we’ll be able to cover as much ground as possible in the morrow,” the coachman told them from behind the hatch.

  “That would be wonderful,” Asteria said casually, not looking particularly surprised by the display of magic they were witnessing. But then again, she’d traveled through Cyril for years with Antares. She’d probably seen far more impressive things.

  Soon, they were led to a landing platform beside one of the buildings, where the storm's noise faded as the bridge's protective magic surrounded them.

  “Welcome to the Floating Bridge,” a woman greeted as they stepped out. “A guest has been waiting for you.”

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