Chapter 194: Return Home
The journey from Port Velmira to the capital took five days of hard riding. Grim had purchased a sturdy horse from the port’s stables, choosing speed over comfort for his return trip.
The road was busy with merchants and travelers making their way to and from the empire’s heart. Grim kept his hood up and avoided unnecessary conversation, though he couldn’t help overhearing snippets of news from passing groups. Talk of the upcoming social season, trade disputes between noble houses, and speculation about a grand party to take place soon in the capital.
As he rode, Grim found himself thinking about the changes he’d undergone in the dragon realm. More than once, he caught himself unconsciously reaching for Lin’s crystal, the cold surface somehow comforting despite the complex emotions it represented.
The capital’s massive walls came into view. The white stone gleamed in the sunlight. The city sprawled before him like a living organism, smoke rising from countless chimneys, and the sounds of urban life carried on the wind.
It felt strange to return to, this purely human environment after experiencing the otherworldly beauty of the dragon realms.
As Grim approached the main gates, he noticed an unusually high level of activity. Guards were stopping every person entering the city, checking papers, and conducting searches that seemed more thorough than normal. A long line of merchants, farmers, and other travelers waited impatiently as the inspections proceeded.
Rather than join the queue, Grim guided his horse toward the Noble’s Gate—a smaller entrance reserved for members of the aristocracy and high-ranking officials.
A single guard stood at the Noble’s Gate, a young man with the bearing of someone new to his position. As Grim approached, the guard stepped forward with an officious expression.
"Hold there," the guard called out. "State your name and business."
"Lord Ambrose, Imperial Defender of the Southern Shores," Grim replied, dismounting from his horse. "I’m returning from my duties in Port Velmira."
The guard’s eyes narrowed as he looked Grim up and down, taking in his travel-stained clothes and the sword at his side. "Lord Ambrose? You look much too young to be Lord Ambrose. And you don’t look much like nobility to me."