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"What do you know?" Cain retorted, his brow furrowed.
"The frame of this model is made from ferrone alloy—you can tell from the dull green metallic sheen," he began, launching into a detailed explanation.
He lifted his arm off the steering wheel and pointed toward the glass ahead.
"Even the glass you're looking at is refined clearstone. Your magic wouldn't even leave a scratch on this!" There was a trace of mockery in his tone.
Arion held back a smile and cut in.
"Clearstone? I thought glintglass was the usual material because of its durability," he said, recalling something Cain had told him once.
"Ah, Sir Arion, I knew you'd be interested! As the saying goes, great minds think alike," he replied, tossing a glance toward the brownish-red-haired woman.
Evelyn, the snake-eyed woman, scoffed and looked away, clearly uninterested in the childish exchange.
"Glintglass is made in alchemical vats—clear, flexible, and more importantly, it can be reshaped with heat. It's very durable, but its mana resistance is practically nonexistent."
"Clearstone, on the other hand, is crystalline. When it's mined, it can't replace glass right away. But once it's polished, it gets a finish very similar to glass. It's weaker than glintglass and can fracture under heavy force, but its mana conductivity is amazing," he continued, diving deep into the explanation.
"Thanks to that conductivity, it can be enchanted for reinforcement, elemental resistance, even treated for glare resistance and tint if you custom order it," he laughed, caught up in his own excitement.
At this point, anyone could tell—Cain was a carriage enthusiast. He kept up with the latest trends and did his own research on carriages in his spare time.
Outside the window, houses of different sizes and shapes lined both sides of the road. The vehicle was now moving in a straight line down a wide stone road, broad enough to fit three such carriages side by side.
In the distance, the outer gate of the Dawnblades' wall came into view. This wasn't the same gate Kael had passed through when entering from the forest—it was on the complete opposite side.
The difference was obvious from the surrounding structures. The houses here were larger and more extravagant than the ones near the forest. After all, why invest in something that had a high chance of being destroyed?
Most of the buildings were built with sharp edges and could be broken down into simple squares and rectangles—designed for maximum stability.
However, in the distance, a few taller buildings with bizarre shapes stood out. These kinds of structures usually relied on artifacts to maintain stability and served very specific purposes.
They weren't cheap to build or maintain.
The color palette of the houses ranged from dull yellow to light blue, but none were especially bright or eye-catching.
The roofs also varied in style—some were gabled, others had layered hip designs, and a few mixed dormer and Dutch gable elements, among others.
The carriage sped along the main road, moving speeding up further when the road was straight.
This was how most cities and kingdoms were designed—a main road where carriages—recently a growing trend—could travel freely without the risk of collisions, along with many smaller roads where vehicles weren't allowed.
Cain spoke again. "We're about to exit the territory of the Dawnblades," he said with a smirk.
"Once we hit the gravel road, even you, Evelyn, will understand why this model is so great." His eyes stayed fixed on the road ahead.
The woman couldn't help but glance over, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
Throughout the conversation, Kael had been sitting quietly on Arion's left. There was a bit of space between them—just enough to squeeze in one more person. The reason was Arion's size; his broad frame took up more room than usual, and while three people could typically sit there, now only two could fit comfortably.
The High Commander glanced over and saw Kael with his eyes closed and head slightly lowered. His arms were folded beneath his loose sleeves, resting in front of his chest. He looked like he was resting, but since he was still sitting upright, it was clear he wasn't asleep.
Just as Cain had said, within seconds the carriage passed the guards stationed at the gate.
There was no need to stop the carriage for inspections. This was for two reasons.
First, the guards had already been notified—there was no doubt the carriage had been mobilized according to the rules.
Second, the carriage could only operate with a specific token.
Much like the esteemed guest token Kael kept tucked in his clothing, there were many others of similar nature.
The token Yselda had presented when passing through the walls was one such example—an elder token. Each rank had a slightly different design, and they were both difficult and costly to forge.
Even if someone had the means to create a fake, each clan and kingdom kept detailed records of who had been issued a token, and a few other methods were in place to spot counterfeits.
As the group exited the territory, the road gradually shifted from stone to gravel.
Evelyn wore her usual calm expression, but after a while, her eyes widened just a little.
There was no shaking. None at all.
It might seem like a minor detail, but the group held high status and they had ridden in more than a few different carriages. They knew the difference.
"Surprised?" Cain chimed in at just the right moment.
"I noticed before we entered—this carriage has tires made of veylresin!"
"Veyltrees?" Evelyn murmured, a hint of intrigue in her tone.
"Correct," Cain nodded, then launched into a more detailed explanation.
"Veylresin is the dense extract from veyltrees. So far, it's mostly been used as a sealant or for waterproofing. But when it's processed into a tough, flexible ring and heat-treated, it takes on a rubber-like consistency. It's incredibly durable, shock-absorbent, and has great grip."
The woman gave a small nod.
"I've worked with veylresin when making medicine. It has adhesive effects on mana and helps blend different elements more easily," Evelyn added, sharing her own knowledge.
"Hmm, then let me tell you about the seats next. The leather used comes from—" Cain continued, but Arion had already tuned him out, just as Evelyn let out an exaggerated sigh and closed her eyes.
... About an hour later, the dirt path began turning back into gravel, and a small village came into view.
A short stone wall-overgrown with a purple flowered vine-enclosed the entire settlement, with two leather-clad watchmen in metal helmets stationed at the gate.
As the carriage approached, their expressions became clearer. Both guards had tired eyes, dark circles shadowing beneath them.
One of them raised his spear horizontally, signaling the carriage to stop by blocking the path ahead.
The guards stepped up to either side of the carriage, and Cain was the first to open the door.
"Greetings, esteemed guests. May I see your token?" one of the guards asked, his voice slow and cautious. He had already spotted the Dawnblade insignia from a distance, which made him visibly tense.
Cain didn't respond right away. Instead, he reached into the inner pocket near his chest, beneath his robe, and pulled out a royal token.
After channeling a sliver of mana into it, the token gave off a soft milky-white glow.
At the sight of it, the guard bowed before he could even register his own surprise.
"Great mage, it's an honor! Welcome to Talon Village!" his voice suddenly filled with energy.
Talon Village was the closest settlement to the Dawnblades in the direction of the Astrea Kingdom. The two had frequent interactions, along with other nearby clans.
However, it was extremely rare for imperial forces to pass through here.
With a simple nod from Cain, the group entered the village smoothly.
"Since it's still early, we can continue all the way to the Threetide. Any objections?" Arion asked as they passed the scattered houses.
"Sounds good," Cain replied first.
"No problems here," Evellyn added in a flat tone.
"I agree as well," Kael said, opening his eyes and lifting his head to look out the front window.
There was no reason to stop, and with a long trip ahead, the less time wasted, the better.
The carriage continued its slow pace through the village, Cain keeping his eyes focused on the road.
Unlike the large cities and kingdoms with main streets designed for vehicles, the roads here—made from a mix of gravel and stone—were much narrower, only slightly wider than the carriage itself.
However, because the houses were spaced far apart, the area still felt open and relaxed. But that openness posed a problem.
It was around noon, the time when young children usually came outside to play after eating. Combined with the fact that the carriage moved almost silently, it could easily lead to an accident.
As they made their way through, the group passed by a few children playing football and chasing each other, along with a few women carrying heavy-looking buckets of water or hanging laundry.
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The carriage kept moving swiftly through forests and small clearings, even passing by a lake known for its clean water. At times they slowed due to rough terrain, while in flatter areas, they sped up noticeably.
They stopped a few times when the group sensed stronger presences in the area, which Evellyn swiftly dealt with. Most of the surrounding land was wilderness, and the nearby villages were home to ordinary people.
For the two mages in the carriage, the local beasts were laughably weak—but for villagers, they would pose a serious threat.
Arion was always the first to notice these presences, but he never took action.
Many hours passed this way, and the sun gradually began to set.
"Sigh, just talking about him is giving me a headache. Always making things complicated—Oh, we're here!" Cain cut himself off when he noticed lights in the distance.
Throughout the ride, there had been moments of silence, heated discussions, and meaningful exchanges of information.
As the carriage emerged from the forest thick with trees and ferns, it stood out clearly in the dark. It radiated a soft white glow—dim enough not to blind anyone looking directly at it, but bright enough to light up an area about six meters in all directions.
Kael opened his eyes. He hadn't moved throughout the entire ride, sitting back silently.
Occasionally, during the first few discussions, a question had been directed at him, but his short answers made it clear he didn't want to be disturbed.
"This place looks like it hasn't changed one bit," Evelyn remarked with a bored expression.
"Hmm?" Arion made a soft noise. He turned to his left, staring at the green metallic door as if seeing through it far into the distance.
"Sir?" Cain noticed immediately. "Is something wrong?"
A moment of silence followed.
"...Nothing. Will we stay at the Amber Tiger Inn this time as well?"
Cain and Evelyn exchanged a glance, confirming unspoken thoughts.
"It is, after all, recognized as the best inn in the Threetide," Cain replied.
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