Insect Tamer's Ascension-Chapter 431. Into the real world
When Theo finally saw the royal capital’s entrance, he sighed in relief. The journey had been long, and his legs had started to cramp.
The carriage stopped at the gate. After identifying them as the Merricks, they were allowed inside.
Theo noticed the same noble crowd everywhere, watching them with mild interest. Most paid them no attention; they were just one carriage out of the many moving forward, but a few who recognized the crest glanced inside to see a young boy with sharp features calmly looking back at them.
Theo didn’t realize it, but he carried himself with a kind of confidence only adults would develop later in their lives.
After a few more minutes of the travel, Theo and the group passed the familiar fountain and knew that the castle was close.
Soon, they reached another gate, this one belonging to the castle itself. Theo smiled as he watched the entrance again. The size of the structure was truly enormous, no matter how many times he would look at it.
At that moment, his gaze drifted to the side, to the same spot where a group of young ladies had stood when they arrived before, but this time, the crowd was smaller.
Some of the girls glanced at Theo, then shifted their attention to the taller figure inside the carriage. They tried desperately to catch Lucien’s eyes. Theo watched one young lady’s expression transform in an instant from casual to pristine, ready to impress him if Lucien so much as glanced her way.
’So this is what they were talking aboout...’ Theo spoke, shaking his head.
His gaze lingered a little longer before settling on one girl at the back. She stood awkwardly, clearly out of place.
Theo couldn’t help but think she had been forced to be in this group. According to the baroness, these younger girls were often sent by their families, hoping to catch the attention of a high noble one day and change their family’s life forever by elevating their household.
Theo couldn’t help but feel a twinge of pity for that girl. And at the same time, she seemed like one of the many, those that were the bottom dwellers of the noble hierarchy, the kind who still held their title in name, but that was all they had.
The gates opened, revealing a vast courtyard as they entered.
When the carriage finally stopped, Theo tried his best to remain composed, but he still hopped out of the carriage to stretch his legs.
"Taking no breaks is such a bad idea," Theo complained.
Lucien smiled as he stepped out as well and began stretching his legs.
"Nobody takes a break for such a small distance, Theo. If it were two or three-day journey, then we would have taken some breaks along the way."
As he spoke, a group of tamers in robes approached them.
Lucien pulled out the Merrick crest and presented it before they could approach properly.
"His Majesty the Emperor has summoned us for the gate training," Lucien said in a confident voice.
The tamers examined the crest from all angles with practiced professionalism before they nodded and made way for them.
Theo watched as the massive gates opened, welcoming him into the castle for the second time.
The same butler appeared almost immediately, showing skills Theo had already grown used to thanks to Alfred, their head butler.
"Good evening, young heirs of the Merrick Barony," the butler said respectfully, without bowing.
"His Majesty will not be able to meet you today, but your accommodations have been arranged at the finest inn of the royal capital," the butler said, a polite smile in his eyes.
He then took out two platinum-colored badges from his coat and handed them to Clara at the back.
"You may rest for today. From tomorrow, training for the gate shall begin at the earliest time of the morning. Kindly return inside the castle gates by then so that you can start on time."
The butler bowed this time, and before Theo or the others could even respond, he turned and started walking back toward the narrow corridor, retracing his steps through the massive hall.
Theo moved closer to Clara to see what had been handed her and noticed the name of the inn written on it.
He glanced at his brother and found him staring at the distance.
"Everything okay? We’ve got the inn’s name on this badge," Theo said, prompting Lucien to shake his head.
"We will change the way they treat us one day, Theo. That day will come soon."
With that, they entered the carriage once again and passed through the entrance, and thus started their search for the inn.
They didn’t have to search for long since the inn was quite a respectable one, located right beside the road where the main market began.
For the first time, Theo stepped out of the carriage and beyond the castle gates. He looked around and found people just walking about normally as they would in a metropolitan city.
A noble brushed past him without even a glance; the guy’s indifference made Theo stare at him.
Lucien handed a few gold coins to the carriage driver, instructing him to park the carriage somewhere close to them before they headed into the inn.
Theo was curious about the bustling market ahead, but accommodations came first. As they entered, he felt the temperature of the room drop noticeably.
Looking around, he spotted vents along the walls, which made him wonder whether they worked the same as the HVAC systems from his previous world.
’This isn’t even in our castle... I guess there are luxuries in this world that are beyond just bigger castles and grander rooms,’ Theo thought.
They walked past the lavish sofas where nobles lounged, heading toward the staff who had been waiting for them and greeted their group with a smile.
Lucien handled most of the conversation while the attendants prepared and handed over the room keys.
Theo felt pleased knowing that even their attendants were given individual rooms, and good ones at that.
If they hadn’t been, he had already decided he would pay for better accommodations for them by himself. But there was no need now.
As he moved further inside, for the first time ever, Theo’s attention was caught by a man covered in scars and a sword resting at his side. His curiosity was immediately piqued as he watched the man walk by.
