Chapter 142: The Nonsense Court

Marek’s mind suddenly wandered somewhere when he heard that single word from Rhovan. "Home, huh?"

Rhovan paid no more attention and looked around inside the train.

They stopped at a commercial district near Goldwake House before continuing toward their destination.

Rhovan explained that they needed personal communication devices compatible with the networks operating throughout the Libran Concord. Their phones from Earth were still useful for storing information, but they couldn’t expect ordinary telecommunications services to work across Worlds without the appropriate arrangements.

Marek had already discovered that problem when he checked his phone earlier.

There was absolutely no signal.

He hadn’t been particularly surprised. Though he would have preferred keeping his existing device rather than spending money on another one.

Well, Rhovan assured him that he could keep both.

Their first stop was a large technology store selling personal communicators, computers, and several other products that Marek couldn’t immediately identify. Some devices projected images into the air, while others used ordinary physical screens similar to the ones he remembered from Earth.

The prices were completely incomprehensible, but Rhovan seemed perfectly comfortable purchasing seven personal communicators without spending much time comparing the available models.

Eren looked less comfortable.

He asked about the prices before allowing Rhovan to complete the transaction, then requested an explanation of the different specifications. As though misfortune was upon them, the clerk misunderstood one of Rhovan’s translations and started demonstrating a considerably more expensive device.

It took several minutes to resolve the situation.

Marek found the whole thing rather entertaining.

Afterward, Rhovan helped them configure their temporary accounts using their First Entry Writs. The devices could already access ordinary communication and navigation services. With that said, some specific functions required permanent registration.

Rafe was particularly interested in the navigation system, which could display enormous sections of the city in three dimensions. Within minutes, he had already discovered how to examine different transportation routes and estimate the time required to reach various destinations.

Marek tried doing the same thing. But in his case, he accidentally opened a shopping application instead. He stared at the unfamiliar writing for several seconds before giving up and handing the device to Rhovan.

The man laughed.

They purchased several other supplies afterward, including clothes, toiletries, and a few things they hadn’t bothered bringing from Earth. Marek was particularly interested in the stores selling ordinary household goods, because most of the products were surprisingly similar to what he was accustomed to.

There were refrigerators, washing machines, kitchen appliances, and countless other things he recognized.

Some of the more expensive models were more advanced. However, as to what made them special, he couldn’t understand their advertisements well enough to determine those.

Eventually, Dario complained that he was hungry. Kellan’s stomach was also grumbling.

Rhovan took one look at the two of them. He decided that they should probably eat before continuing toward Goldwake House.

Marek had no objections as well, so Rhovan was up for it.

Their first meal in the House of Libra couldn’t be more ordinary than Marek expected.

Rhovan brought them to a restaurant serving local dishes, most of which consisted of spiced grains, roasted meats, vegetables, clear broths, and various kinds of pastries. There were also several dishes from other Houses, and Marek couldn’t distinguish them without Rhovan’s assistance.

He eventually ordered something resembling a rice meal accompanied by roasted meat and a dark sauce. The grains were firmer than ordinary rice, and he couldn’t identify most of the spices, but the food was surprisingly good.

Dario agreed with him.

He ordered another portion before Marek had even finished his first. Kellan followed his example, but Nadia immediately reminded him that Rhovan was paying for everything.

Marek was beginning to suspect that their food expenses would become a problem if everyone continued eating like this. Eren thought the same.

At least, Rhovan appeared to find the situation amusing.

Afterward, they purchased several additional meals to bring home, since nobody seemed particularly interested in cooking after their journey. Rhovan assured them that the house already had everything they needed.

Marek wasn’t entirely convinced that the man had actually checked its condition recently.

Considering his personality, there was a possibility that he had simply assumed everything would be fine.

They would find out soon enough.

Goldwake House was situated along a quieter residential street in the northwestern inner Crown Residential Rings.

The surrounding neighborhood consisted primarily of apartment buildings, restaurants, clinics, and several smaller commercial establishments. There was also a metro station within walking distance, which Marek thought would be convenient.

Their destination was a large four-story townhouse constructed from pale stone and dark structural metal.

It had several balconies, broad windows, and a small garden extending behind the property. Goldwake House was shorter than the surrounding buildings, but its spacious grounds kept it from feeling crowded.

Marek stopped outside the entrance. "How much did this cost?"

Rhovan glanced at him. "Quite a lot."

Marek shook his head and followed him toward the entrance.

Rhovan placed his hand against a small panel beside the door. The entrance unlocked almost instantly, recognizing its owner despite his lengthy absence.

The interior was more spacious than Marek expected. A large sitting room occupied most of the ground floor, accompanied by a dining area, kitchen, and several other rooms whose purposes he couldn’t immediately determine. There were also numerous bookshelves containing what appeared to be an extraordinary collection of documents and literature.

Every book he examined, however, was written in a language he couldn’t understand.

"All right!" Rhovan announced as everyone gathered inside. "You may choose whichever bedrooms you prefer. Just don’t touch mine."

Kellan immediately headed upstairs. Nadia followed him, clearly determined to obtain a better room.

"Let’s go!" They could hear Nadia shouting after heading upstairs.

Marek couldn’t be bothered joining their competition. He had spent enough time traveling throughout the day, and all he wanted was somewhere comfortable to put his belongings.

He eventually selected a bedroom on the third floor, situated along a quieter section of the house.

The room contained a large bed, a desk, several cabinets, a private bathroom, and a balcony overlooking the surrounding neighborhood. It wasn’t particularly extravagant compared to some of the other rooms he’d passed, but it was comfortable enough.

He placed his backpack beside the bed and examined the room for a while before heading toward the balcony.

From there, he could see several residential towers and an elevated railway passing through the neighboring district. Courtspire’s central skyline remained visible in the distance, but the surrounding buildings blocked most of the Seat of Measure.

Marek spent several minutes observing the city.

It was still difficult to believe that he had finally reached the Prime Continuum. It was the "a dream come true"-kind of thing, but something else entirely he couldn’t explain.

He had spent so much time trying to understand what happened to his father that arriving here had almost become an objective in itself. Now that he’d actually accomplished it, however, he was beginning to realize just how little he knew about the place.

He knew nothing of their language. He had no permanent identification, and he didn’t even know which government institution would be responsible for keeping the records he wanted to investigate. From these alone, he knew trying to trace his father’s whereabouts was more than complicated that it seemed.

Marek sighed and returned inside.

He supposed he’d have to be patient for another day or two.

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By evening, everyone had finished choosing their bedrooms and unpacking their belongings.

Kellan and Nadia had argued over one of the larger rooms before Rhovan intervened. Dario had chosen a room near the rear staircase, while Rafe seemed particularly satisfied with one of the bedrooms overlooking the surrounding streets.

Silas selected a quieter room near the study. On the other hand, Eren was more interested in whether the house had a suitable workspace. Marek suspected that he would eventually discover Eren examining their expenses at three in the morning. In no time, at that.

Dinner was served in the dining area, where Rhovan had arranged the meals they purchased earlier alongside several additional dishes delivered from a nearby restaurant.

While everyone ate, he activated the enormous display in the sitting room.

Several local programs appeared, including sporting events, advertisements, and what seemed to be a comedy show featuring an enormous mechanical scale.

Rhovan said it was a show called the Nonsense Court.

Marek watched the program for several minutes without understanding anything that was happening. A man was arguing passionately before an audience, while another person appeared to be presenting evidence of some sort.

The enormous scale moved whenever someone said something particularly important. The audience then started laughing.

Marek looked toward Rhovan. "What’s so funny about a moving scale and a talking man?"

"Oh, it’s a rather famous program here. The people of Libra enjoy taking ridiculous disputes very seriously."

"Have you ever been on it?"

Rhovan quickly changed the channel.

Marek narrowed his eyes. ’Interesting.’

But before he could ask another question, a news broadcast appeared on the screen.

The footage showed a crowded public square where several hundred people had gathered with banners and signs. Uniformed officers stood along the surrounding streets, while several reporters were interviewing people participating in the demonstration.