Kian Goldmaul POV

  It had been over five years since I was adopted, and I am currently eleven years old. My eleventh birthday had happened around five months ago—it was at my parents' house.

  I had just finished training with Helmut and was planning to return to my parents' home for dinner.

  I am hungry. Today's training had been more intense than usual, and coupled with me being eleven years old, the training was really hard—harder than what Nicolas went through when he was my age. I think to myself.

  After Niko dropped me off at the house, I entered and spotted Thaddeus right after entering, not far from the entrance—seems to be waiting for me.

  He stopped me and motioned for me to come to him with his hand.

  I walked over to him, curious, as he had never waited for me right after I finished afternoon training.

  He cleared his throat before talking. "There's an event coming soon which you will participate in, of course if you want to."

  "It's a kids' tournament. It was planned by the parents, mostly to showcase their kids." He said the last part laughing. "A pillar in the central region proposed it, and we agreed with it since there's nothing to do."

  "Ahem. Either way, it will be between semi-pillars and pillars' kids, from ages ten to sixteen. Any older and it would include kids that are already in the military from Godspire Academy. So we decided against it, limiting it to sixteen years old."

  "Well, just like I said—you will participate in it if you wish to. So, what's your answer?" He finished.

  "Yes, I don't mind," I said before asking, "But where and when will it be held?"

  He nodded slightly at my question. "It will be held a week from today, and it's going to be in the Imperial capital city in the central region."

  "Oh right," he said, remembering something. "Your parents will be going there and watching, although they would obviously not watch with the others."

  I looked slightly surprised.

  My parents are coming? They didn't tell me.

  "They didn't say anything when I was home studying today?" I asked Thaddeus.

  "Oh, that. Well, it was just decided while you were training, and I informed your parents just ten minutes ago. They said they will be watching."

  I nodded at his explanation.

  "You can decide something like that just within the time I was training?"

  "Hahaha, yes—we're that idle. There's literally nothing to do recently. He just suggested it, and we went along with it," he said while laughing.

  "Oh right, I almost forgot. You will be meeting your grandpa as well. He will be watching, as he has less things to do during the tournament days."

  I have a grandpa? Never heard my parents mention any of them.

  "I have a grandpa?"

  "Yes. Now that I think about it, you probably never met them. You will be meeting Ronan's parents. As for your mother's parents, they live in the western region."

  "To go there, we will be taking a portal to a city ten kilometers away from the capital and finish the remaining distance using a metro. Same reason as military bases, but with a smaller prohibition zone."

  As I nodded, I asked, "What would the tournament be about?"

  "It's a fighting tournament between you kids. We thought about a studying tournament, but it was too boring and no one agreed, so we settled on fighting."

  "I did mention there will be kids from ten to sixteen, but you will only fight kids your age, so there's no need to worry about that."

  "The tournament will be held digitally to ensure no injuries and to reduce the pain felt from being hit."

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  "And also to equalize physical and height differences. Although I will warn you in advance—it will be annoying to fight using it."

  "Digitally?" I asked.

  "Yes. They're going to use a Virtual Reality machine. It's a bit like the ones used in computers for games, but this one is issued for schools and the like."

  I nodded.

  …

  …

  …

  It had been a week since then.

  We were just exiting the metro, walking up the stairs as we'd arrived in the capital.

  I could already tell it was different from the cities I'd been in, just from the metro station.

  But even with that, it still caught me off guard when we arrived at the surface, causing me to get a little stunned by the sight.

  It was a city with countless tall buildings—even more than the city Thaddeus's house was in.

  But unlike other cities, this one focused heavily on a sci-fi feeling, with many buildings easily passing four kilometers in height, and even floating buildings with roads connecting to them from the ground, floating statues…

  Even with the futuristic buildings, there was still nature adding to its already stunning looks.

  Even though it was futuristic, there wasn't a single city structure glowing or giving out light like I'd seen in movies from my past life. And they cast no shadows, as there seemed to be light installed in a way that made it impossible to see where it was coming from.

  As for the road we were on, it was long, leading to multiple intersections with no car roads.

  Thaddeus noticed my surprised expression and smiled teasingly.

  "Surprised?" he said as we started walking. "The capital leans more toward the looks and feelings of high technology. Of course, it isn't only the capital—as there are many other cities that are the same."

  "Although you would never see the same type of city being close to each other. It's done like that on purpose so people don't get bored from the same sight."

  "Anyways, let's go meet up with Nicolas and your grandpa first. Your parents will not arrive yet. We will wait for them in a restaurant we agreed to meet in."

  We continued walking as he led the way, and not long after, we arrived at what seemed to be a tramway station—but there was something obviously different, as there were no railways.

  "Why isn't there any railway?" I asked Thaddeus.

  "You will see," was all he said.

  And only a few seconds later, I understood why.

  It was a train shaped like a monorail but floating with nothing connected to it.

  It arrived at the station, floating just a few centimeters from the ground.

  We got inside and took seats.

  As it floated, I looked outside the window at the city.

  I can't even see where the city ends from this height…

  After twenty minutes, we arrived at our destination.

  It was close to a massive building with at least what seemed to be ten floors.

  The building stood on the ground with no buildings around it for at least thirty meters.

  An academy? I thought to myself after seeing its shape.

  Noticing me staring, Thaddeus talked. "This is Godspire Academy. It's where Nicolas is currently studying and where your grandpa works. You too will be studying there soon."

  "Your parents and we too studied there. Not sure if I ever told you that."

  We started walking, entering the academy as the front door guards recognized Thaddeus and his wife.

  After walking for a while, we saw Nicolas sitting on a bench next to a man around his fifties with horns on his head.

  They noticed us as well and stood up.

  "You're finally here. Took you too long. And that kid Ronan seems to not have arrived yet," the old guy said.

  After saying that, he looked at me and shoved Thaddeus out of the way.

  "You're Kian? You seem quite well-built. Tsk, at least Ronan did something right this time," he said with a smile as I started floating toward him before being settled in his arms.

  "Well then, kiddo," he said while pinching my cheek, unable to hide his smile. "I'm your grandpa. I'm Lorcan—Ronan's father."

  He continued talking to me for five minutes, asking me many questions.

  Although he sounded rough, the way he talked was quite gentle—just like my past-life grandfather before he passed away.

  "Anyway, where did Ronan say we will meet up?" my grandpa said to Thaddeus.

  "At the restaurant we used to eat at during our academy days," he replied.

  We started walking toward the restaurant and entered it. We sat at random table in the corner.

  "The restaurant's former owner's son seems to have taken over." Ophira said as Thaddeus nodded.

  They started ordering some food while waiting for my parents to arrive.

  As they chatted, eating some soft things for half an hour, my parents arrived.

  "Oh, Dad, you're already here?" Father said to my grandpa before sitting next to him and Thaddeus.

  "Why wouldn't I be? I'm not as slow as you two."

  After they started eating the main meal while talking and catching up, we finished and started exploring the capital.

  "It hasn't changed in the slightest—the same buildings," my mom said as they all nodded.

  She looked at the academy as we could see it from our location.

  "Same with the academy."

  Chapter End