Chapter 86: Entering the Noble District

Silvy continued watching with sparkling eyes.

Elinox leaned closer. ’It also doesn’t matter because he’s asleep. No one will know except for little Silvy.’

Zishan felt movement beside him. Then, warmth touched his cheek. Soft lips pressed against his skin.

His thoughts went completely blank in a heartbeat. ’Oh...’

Elinox’s lips remained there only briefly, but it felt ethereal for some reason.

’Is this heaven...?’ he thought.

She pulled away.

Zishan kept his eyes shut with heroic determination. ’Fuck... so soft...’

A green panel appeared across the darkness behind his closed eyelids.

[Elinox is unaware of the gravity of what she did, Host.]

’Shut up! Just let me enjoy this!’

He wanted to remember the feeling properly before the System ruined it.

Silvy made a pleased little sound, nodding her head aggressively.

Zishan’s mouth almost curved upward, but he stopped himself. ’Sleeping people don’t smile after getting kissed. Don’t expose yourself!’

His face remained relaxed for another second before he let out a low groan and shifted his body as though he were moving in his sleep.

That part should have been harmless, but it wasn’t.

He turned toward Elinox.

She had not moved far enough away yet, so their faces stopped frighteningly close together.

Elinox froze.

Zishan kept his eyes closed, unaware of exactly how close they had become.

Her violet eyes remained on his face.

She could see the loose strands of white hair resting near his forehead, the relaxed line of his mouth, and the small movement of his breathing.

The strange sensation returned to her chest. Her heart somehow missed a beat.

Elinox’s eyes widened slightly. ’Again?’

She held her breath without realizing it.

The same thing had happened before, and she still did not understand why.

Zishan shifted only a fraction closer.

Elinox quickly pulled herself back. Her hand came to rest against the sofa as she created more distance between them.

She turned toward Silvy.

The baby dragon had already fallen asleep.

Silvy was curled inside Ollie’s arms with her eyes closed and the faintest pleased expression across her little face, as though she had completed some important responsibility before allowing herself to rest.

Ollie was also keeping his eyes closed.

Elinox stared at both children.

Then, she looked toward Zishan again. ’What did I just do?’

She touched her own lips for a moment before lowering her hand.

Zishan, meanwhile, had noticed something else.

Elinox had been close enough that he felt the warmth of her breath brush across his face when she finally exhaled.

’What the hell just happened?’

His heartbeat had started beating much faster than any sleeping man’s should.

’Did I really fall asleep for real?’

He remembered the kiss. Then, the warmth near his face. His thoughts became increasingly confused. ’Ah! Fuck it. Let’s just think I’m dreaming...’

He remained asleep. Or... continued pretending to be asleep.

At some point, even Zishan was no longer completely sure which one happened first.

The Skyforge Vessel entered the airspace surrounding the capital several hours later.

The vessel had returned to full speed after the Wyvern attack, carrying them across distances that would have taken an ordinary military convoy days to cover.

Zishan woke up when Ollie shook his shoulder. "Big Brother."

He slowly opened one eye.

Ollie pointed toward the window. "We’re here."

Zishan sat up, rubbing one eye and yawning. ’Fuck! How come I wasn’t able to sleep at all! Anyone pretending to sleep for that long would have already fallen asleep!’

Elinox was already standing near the front of the cabin.

For a brief moment, his eyes moved toward her.

His cheek remembered something his brain was trying very hard to classify as a dream.

Elinox looked toward him.

Zishan looked away first. ’Dream.’

[Incorrect.]

His expression tightened. ’Shut the fuck up.’

He moved toward the window, and the capital filled his vision.

Zishan had truly expected walls in a large kingdom like Olmost. He just had not expected walls that looked large enough to separate countries.

The outer fortifications stretched across the land below, built from pale stone reinforced with enormous metallic structures running through different sections. Towers rose along the walls at regular distances, each one carrying formations and embedded Magic Stones that Zishan could sense even from inside Skyforge.

Beyond them stood the city.

Roads spread outward in organized lines before branching into enormous districts filled with buildings unlike anything he had seen around the military stations. Stone houses stood beside taller structures reinforced with Mana channels, while markets, plazas, gardens, military compounds, noble estates, and towers stretched farther into the distance.

Aether Crafts moved through designated sections of the sky.

Some were small enough to carry only several people.

Others were much larger.

Zishan leaned closer to the glass as he uttered, "Whoa..."

He could see several enormous gates below. Soldiers stationed along the upper walls looked toward the vessel. No one signaled for the Skyforge to stop.

The crest displayed across the vessel was enough.

One military barrier opened before them without delay, followed by another farther inside.

Zishan watched the capital draw closer. "This is Olmost?"

"Yes," Elinox answered.

He stared outside again.

The city looked far richer than he had expected from everything he had seen near the battlefield.

Buildings spread across several elevations, while wide waterways passed through parts of the capital beneath bridges decorated with statues and glowing Mana lamps. Large estates occupied the higher districts, separated by gardens and walls that made Zishan wonder how many people could possibly live inside them.

Farther toward the center rose several massive structures.

One of them needed no explanation.

The Royal Palace.

Zishan could tell from the ridiculous size alone.

He rested both hands against the window. "I have a complaint."

Elinox glanced at him.

"Its name is Olmost, but its name doesn’t live up to how it’s designed," he continued.

Ollie looked confused, but Zishan just continued looking outside. "I mean, if someone tells me a city is called Olmost, I’m expecting something that looks almost finished."

Elinox’s expression remained unreadable.

Zishan gestured toward the capital. "This one looks very finished."

Ollie covered his mouth.

Zishan looked at him. "You understand me."

"I don’t, Big Brother."

"Traitor."

The Skyforge Vessel passed deeper into the noble district.

The buildings below became larger and farther apart. Private gardens surrounded estates that could have housed entire villages, and several families possessed their own landing platforms for Aether Crafts.

Then, Zishan saw the Holmes’ estate.

His mouth opened slightly.

The main Ducal House stood behind high walls covering an enormous section of land. Several buildings surrounded the central residence, connected through paved walkways, gardens, courtyards, and private training grounds.

However, their vessel did not descend directly toward the main structure.

Instead, it moved toward another residence built near the Ducal House.

It was smaller. Well, only by comparison.

Zishan stared at it. ’This is smaller?’

The private residence alone was larger than several military compounds he had already seen. Then, the Skyforge Vessel descended toward a landing area behind it.

Elinox turned toward them. "We’re stopping here first."

Silvy climbed onto Zishan’s shoulder. "Papa!"

He supported her with one hand. "Yeah, yeah. I’m here."

The hatchling looked toward Elinox. "Mama!"

Elinox’s steps paused.

Zishan pretended he had heard absolutely no such thing.