Stepping out of the castle gates, Jericho halted mid-stride.
Parked before him was a carriage unlike anything he had ever seen—sleek, angular, and forged from a material that was neither wood nor any metal he recognized. It gleamed faintly under the late afternoon light, its surface smooth as polished stone yet humming with a quiet, restrained power.
What struck him most was its independence.
No horses.
No reins.
Yet the carriage shifted slightly on its own, as though breathing.
Jericho narrowed his eyes, a spark of curiosity tugging at him. Whatever this machine was, it moved without beasts or anything visible… and that unsettled him more than he cared to admit.
Jericho turned to Alice, his escort for the day, his brows drawn tight with skepticism.
"What… is that thing?" he asked quietly. "And is it safe?"
Alice scratched the back of her head, clearly relieved he'd asked but equally unsure of her own understanding.
"Well… it's a vehicle, Jericho. A very advanced one. I've been told it's safe—very safe, actually—and fast too. Nobles use it when traveling between cities or nations. It keeps bandits and thieves at bay." She gave a reassuring nod, though even she looked slightly intimidated by the machine.
Jericho stepped closer, circling the strange carriage with cautious awe. No beasts. No reins. Just… a hum, faint and steady. "How does it move?" he murmured.
Alice followed him, gesturing vaguely. "From what I was told, it runs on something called electrical currents. They control its speed by adjusting the amount of power sent through it. Don't ask me how that works—I barely understand half of it myself." She laughed nervously. "But the engineers swear by it."
Jericho stared at the smooth metal surface, feeling a low vibration through his fingertips. Whatever powered this strange creation, it wasn't soul energy. And that made it feel even stranger.
"It's a helpful invention," Alice continued, "one developed by the second Princess of Warmark herself, the Golden Mind—Princess Clover von Warmark." She lifted a finger for emphasis. "But she doesn't allow everyone to have one. Not even all the nobles."
Jericho glanced at her, intrigued. "Why not?"
"Because," Alice said softly, "the power source… isn't healthy for the world. Dangerous, if it's not handled or maintained properly." Her expression grew serious. "Princess Clover only produces a few of these for the highest nobles until she discovers a safer, more sustainable power source. Once she does, she plans to release them to everyone."
Alice then smiled faintly. "Don't worry—you'll see the more common carriages soon enough. Those still use horses. Much less terrifying than this thing."
Jericho exhaled slowly, still examining the vehicle. Awe, curiosity, and a faint unease twisted together in his chest as he imagined a world where machines like this roamed freely.
Jericho folded his arms, still eyeing the machine with lingering doubt. "If it's that rare… that special… are we even allowed to use it?"
Alice blinked, then let out a small laugh. "Jericho, you keep forgetting—you're royalty." She gave him a playful but respectful look, her lips curling into a smile.
In her thoughts, though, she sighed at him softly. {"He really doesn't act like a prince at all…"}
Her cheeks warmed, faint pink rising across them…. {"that humility… is one of the things I truly like about him".}
She quickly cleared her throat and straightened up. "It's perfectly fine," she assured him. "King Gustavious himself gave permission. If the king says it's allowed, then it's allowed."
Jericho nodded slowly, letting the reassurance settle, though the strange machine still filled him with more questions than answers.
Jericho's gaze drifted back to the machine, and suddenly the pieces fit together... {"Clover… of course it would be her, she truly kept her promise.}
A proud smile tugged at the corner of his lips… {"I should have known. Only Clover would build something this bold—something that looked like it belonged to a different age entirely. She is amazing".}
With that newfound pride warming his chest, he stepped inside the vehicle beside Alice. The interior was surprisingly comfortable, padded with soft dark leather and lined with faintly glowing inscriptions—functional, built to help monitor its "electrical flow," as Alice had called it.
At the front sat a man in uniform, already waiting for them. He wore thin gloves and sat behind a curved panel filled with levers, small glass displays, and a round wheel gripped firmly in his hands.
Jericho watched him closely.
The driver pressed a small crystal-like button, and the entire carriage gave a gentle hum, the floor vibrating beneath their feet. Then he placed one hand on the wheel and the other on a slender metal lever beside him.
With a calm, practiced motion, he pushed the lever forward.
The humming deepened.
The machine responded like a living creature waking from sleep. It was loud.
The wheel in front of him turned left and right with subtle adjustments, guiding the machine smoothly along the stone path. Small lights blinked on the panel, reacting each time he altered the current flowing inside.
To Jericho, it looked like the man was steering a river of power with nothing but his hands.
Alice leaned toward him slightly. "He's one of the trained operators. Princess Clover only trusts a handful of people to control these."
Jericho nodded, impressed despite himself, as the world outside slowly began to move.
Outside, the capital of the Holy Kingdom of Righteous unfurled before Jericho like a dream.
The moment the vehicle rolled through the city gates, his breath caught. Through the clear window, the world beyond looked nothing like the land he remembered. The streets were paved so flawlessly they almost shone, stretching in clean, even lines across the bustling district. At every corner stood tall, elegant poles—quiet now, but clearly built to illuminate the city when darkness fell.
Buildings towered high and proud on either side, crafted in designs Jericho had never encountered. Smooth walls painted in vibrant, unmarred colors. Sharp angles blending with gentle curves. Tiny trees planted neatly along a raised pavement that separated two vast roads flowing in opposite directions like controlled rivers of life.
People walked with purpose and confidence—dressed in refined fabrics, modern styles, and colors Jericho didn't even know were fashionable. And the strangest thing of all… nobles and commoners were almost indistinguishable. The old lines between them had blurred, softened, even vanished in some cases.
To Jericho, everything looked impossibly foreign.
Beautiful, but foreign.
He leaned closer to the window, wide-mouthed, speechless. "This… all of this… what happened to the world?"
Alice giggled softly beside him. "Ah. Right. I almost forgot—you were off-world for four whole years." She brushed a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "This is the result of the peace and alliance treaty we signed after the war…"
Her expression shifted, growing gentler, almost proud. "All three great powers agreed to rebuild everything. To make life better for everyone—commoner or noble. Warmark, especially… Princess Clover took the lead on a lot of these designs. The roads, the street-lights, the new buildings, even the public transport system—you're seeing her influence everywhere."
Jericho blinked, taking in a group of merchants laughing while leaning against a shimmering metal railing. His heart tightened with a strange mixture of nostalgia and admiration.
"But…" Alice's voice softened, trailing into a sad note. "Not every nation joined the treaty. Some still hate the three powers. Deeply. They want nothing to do with us, even if it hurts their own people." She sighed. "Peace can't reach everywhere… not yet."
She straightened again and continued explaining—how the new road system worked, how the poles produced light without fire, how new trade routes had opened, how Warmark engineers had shared ideas that reshaped city after city. Everything Jericho saw, she tried to describe in simple terms he could grasp.
But to him, the entire city felt like a glimpse into a world that had grown while he was gone… and now he was a stranger walking back into it.
Alice kept talking as the carriage hummed smoothly beneath them, doing her best to explain what even she barely understood.
"And this self-moving carriage…" she continued, gesturing around them, "it's something Warmark has been developing for decades. They tried and failed so many times—until Princess Clover finally solved the core problem about five years ago." Her voice dipped into an unsure tone, as though she were repeating lessons she only half-remembered. "I… don't really get how she solved it," she admitted with a light laugh, "but apparently it had to do with controlling these electrical currents in a stable way."
She lifted her hands defensively, smiling. "Don't ask me to explain more—I'll embarrass myself. But the plan is to make these available to everyone one day. Even the continents of the other races — Drakziel and Demonoid, if negotiations go well." Her eyes brightened. "And if that happens, it could boost the world's economy more than anything we've ever seen."
Jericho barely heard the last part.
He was leaning forward, practically glued to the window, staring at the city with the pure, unfiltered wonder of a child receiving the one birthday gift he had always dreamed of. Every light, every building, every new invention painted across his face a stunned joy he couldn't hide.
Alice watched him quietly.
Her heart tightened in the most pleasant way as she took in his expression—the awe, the softness, the spark of curiosity. She liked this side of him. Far too much… {"This cuteness is too much to handle"}, she thought, cheeks turning pink.
She snapped out of it quickly before she drifted too deep into her own thoughts.
"It's all fascinating, I know," she said, nudging him gently with her elbow, "but don't worry—you haven't missed as much as you think." She grinned. "Most people don't even understand half of this stuff yet. Everyone's still adjusting to it."
She let out a soft laugh, the kind that warmed the small space between them.
Jericho finally pulled his eyes from the window, shaking his head in amazement—and Alice felt her heart skip again.
Jericho finally pulled himself from the window, still wearing that stunned, boyish smile. He looked at Alice, eyes bright with wonder.
"The world is moving so fast…" he murmured, almost to himself. Then, with a soft laugh, he added under his breath, "Four years, huh…"
"Alice," he called gently.
She straightened. "Yes?"
Jericho's expression softened into something deeper—something warm and quietly proud. "The world and mankind… they're evolving." His gaze drifted back to the streets for a moment.
"The fact that they're even considering working with the other continents…the Drakziel, the Demonoids… that was once unthinkable." He shook his head in disbelief. "People used to get imprisoned—or executed—just for suggesting cooperation."
He leaned back slightly, letting the reality sink in. "But now? They're finally trying. Even if it's difficult. Even if it's risky. And I'm… truly pleased."
His voice dropped to a determined, almost solemn tone. "I want to see where the world goes from here, Alice. I want to witness its next chapter. And I'll do everything in my power to protect its future."
He turned to her, sincerity radiating from him. "And I'll need your help."
For a heartbeat, Alice just stared at him—his conviction, his hope, his trust in her.
Then she smiled. A soft, radiant smile she couldn't hide even if she tried.
Jericho's question softened the air around them, shifting the mood with quiet ease.
"Alice… what made you join the Holy Knights?"
She exhaled slowly, her shoulders dropping. For the first time during their ride, she looked away from the window and down at her hands.
"It's… a long story," she murmured. "Not a pleasant one."
Jericho waited patiently.
Alice gathered herself, then spoke.
"I was betrothed to Prince Tazz two years ago. Against my will." Her voice tightened as she said it. "My family wanted to strengthen our bond with the royal household. The queen—Her Highness Rachel—is actually my aunt. Our families have been close for decades."
She lifted her eyes, offering a small, proper bow of her head. "I should properly introduce myself again. My name is Alice Will Hidenham. Daughter of the Prime Minister of the Holy Kingdom of Righteous — and Duke."
Jericho blinked, surprised—but he didn't interrupt.
"My family expected me to… continue the tradition," she said bitterly. "To marry into the royal line, whether I liked it or not. As the only child, it had to be me. And when I resisted, things… became difficult at home."
She swallowed.
"So I rebelled. I joined the Holy Knights. It gave me a way to escape my suffocating house for days at a time. Out on missions, they couldn't force the topic on me. They couldn't lock me in with expectations... somethings I did on a wimp, as just a means to escape, became something I truly loved doing in the end."
A faint smile touched her lips.
"And then… my fortune changed. I met Princess Erica. She wasn't commander yet, but even then—her swordsmanship was legendary. Mythical. I'd never seen anyone wield a blade like that. She rose through the ranks almost effortlessly."
Alice paused, breath catching slightly as old memories resurfaced.
"Then the war with Jace began. Our unit was sent to help a small allied nation under attack. We expected human soldiers…" She shook her head. "But instead, we met them—those creatures you saved I, William, and Princess Erica from in the Great Forest of Dawn. That was the first time we encountered them."
Her voice grew hollow.
"We lost our previous commander that day. And many others. Erica saved the rest of us. Her skill was… blinding. If not for her, I wouldn't be sitting here."
Alice straightened a bit, her tone strengthening with pride.
"After that, she became commander. And later, heir to the throne. It was thanks to her I was freed from the engagement. She spoke against it herself—and my family couldn't oppose a royal heir confirming it was what I wanted."
She let out a breathy, relieved laugh. "That was it. I was finally free."
But the smile didn't last.
"Prince Tazz… was not pleased," she admitted quietly. "his relationship with his sister was already strained, but after Erica intervened in his business, it only grew worse."
She looked down again, a sad smile settling on her lips.
"He hasn't given up, you know. But it's already sealed. I'm no longer his fiancée." She exhaled, softer this time, as if loosening years of pressure. "Whether he accepts it or not."
Jericho set his gaze ahead, letting silence hang for a moment before he finally spoke. "Uh… I see."
Then, almost unexpectedly, he turned to her. "You're brave… and strong."
Alice froze, cheeks flushing violently. "W-what do you mean? Why are you saying that?"
Jericho smiled gently, undeterred by her reaction. "I mean exactly what I said. You fought for what you wanted—for your happiness. Your life… only you have the right to choose its path. And I… I truly admire that about you."
His eyes drifted for a moment, thoughtful. Then, as if remembering an old lesson, he continued, "My father used to tell me… 'the things most worth fighting for, are always the hardest to defend. But if you're brave enough to see the fight through to the end, no matter the outcome, you will always be rewarded'."
He chuckled softly. "And now, seeing you… I finally understand what he meant. You fought. You didn't give up. And you were rewarded for it."
Gently, he reached over and patted her head. "That… makes you a truly strong woman. Someone I admire." His warm smile made the words feel like sunlight.
For what seemed like an eternity, they stared at each other. Alice was frozen with happiness, a bright, radiant glow across her face, tears glimmering in her eyes as he patted her head. Even the guard controlling the self-moving carriage couldn't help but smile, quietly listening.
Finally, Alice spoke, her voice shining with gratitude. "Thank you…"
Jericho winked at her.
And in her thoughts, she admitted the truth she could no longer deny… "{I give up. I can't fight these feelings anymore. I can't keep ignoring it… I'm in love with Jericho"}... Her smile never faltered as the realization settled in.
After a few more minutes, the carriage glided smoothly to a stop. The towering spires of the Holy Church of the Six Crowns came into view, and their journey for the day ended.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
(This was one of my favorite chapters, it wasn't easy to slowly invite technology into my world, but I saw this as the perfect point to do it. I had weeks of writers block while creating this particular chapter 😄
my book is a slow burner, cause I like going into more details, i hope you will be patient with it, cause I promise that patience will be rewarded.
i truly hope you enjoy it.
thank you for reading.)