Without warning, the seemingly impenetrable wall began to glow.
At first, it was only a faint shimmer.
Then countless ancient runes surfaced from beneath the stone like molten veins awakening after centuries of slumber. They spread across the wall in intricate circles, one formation overlapping another until the entire section before the fleet radiated with blinding golden light.
The air itself trembled.
A deep humming sound echoed through the mountains, growing louder with every passing second.
Ethan instinctively narrowed his eyes.
The mana in the surroundings had become so dense that even breathing felt different.
"It isn’t opening the wall..." he murmured.
"It’s rewriting space."
No one answered.
Because that was exactly what it was doing.
The enormous defensive formation that protected the capital did not simply create a gate.
It folded space itself.
The stone before them gradually distorted as though reality had become liquid. Ripples spread across its surface before a perfectly circular opening slowly emerged, revealing not the city beyond the wall, but a tunnel of swirling blue and silver light.
It resembled a wound carved directly into the world.
"Proceed."
A calm voice echoed from the communication crystal.
Without hesitation, the three battleships increased their speed.
The lead vessel entered first.
The remaining two followed close behind.
For a brief instant, Ethan felt his stomach lurch.
The sensation reminded him of falling and floating simultaneously. The outside world disappeared completely, replaced by endless streaks of distorted light rushing past the hull.
The journey lasted only a few seconds.
Then...
The world stabilized once more.
Sunlight flooded the deck.
Fresh air rushed against everyone’s faces.
When Ethan looked ahead, he frowned.
"...This isn’t the Dracontis Estate."
Before them stood a palace unlike anything he had ever imagined.
The royal palace rose proudly upon a massive elevated platform overlooking the entire capital.
Its towering white walls gleamed beneath the afternoon sun, while enormous pillars carved from flawless marble supported grand balconies lined with banners bearing the royal crest of Bark.
Golden domes crowned several of the palace’s tallest towers, reflecting sunlight so brilliantly they almost appeared to burn.
Water flowed gracefully from elevated terraces, cascading into crystal-clear canals that wound through carefully maintained gardens filled with exotic flowers and ancient spirit trees.
Everything about the place radiated authority.
Not extravagance.
Authority.
Every stone had been placed to remind visitors exactly where the center of humanity’s power resided.
Beyond the palace grounds, Ethan finally caught his first glimpse of the royal capital itself.
His breathing unconsciously slowed.
It was enormous.
Roads wide enough for dozens of carriages stretched endlessly between districts separated by towering walls of their own.
Merchant quarters buzzed with activity despite being kilometers away.
Training grounds echoed with the sounds of clashing steel.
Mage towers pierced the skyline like giant spears.
Hundreds of floating platforms drifted between buildings, transporting both people and cargo.
Above everything else stood the colossal World Tree of Bark.
Although far smaller than the mountain range surrounding the city, it still dwarfed every structure beneath it. Its emerald leaves shimmered with mana, bathing portions of the capital in a soft green glow.
"This..."
Even Ethan struggled to find the words.
Windgrave had felt prosperous.
This place felt eternal.
Before anyone could admire the scenery any longer, a commanding voice thundered across the landing grounds.
"Deactivate all offensive armaments."
"Lower your mana reactors."
"Prepare for inspection."
The words carried absolute authority.
Everyone immediately looked upward.
Dozens of flying beasts circled above the three battleships.
Griffins.
Wyverns.
Giant eagles.
Creatures Ethan couldn’t even identify.
Each carried fully armored royal knights.
Their silver armor reflected the sunlight brilliantly while crimson cloaks fluttered behind them.
Every rider held an enchanted spear glowing with compressed mana.
At their center hovered a man mounted upon an enormous black griffin whose wingspan nearly matched the length of the battleship itself.
His helmet concealed most of his face, yet the pressure radiating from him caused even seasoned soldiers aboard the ship to straighten instinctively.
His gaze swept across the fleet.
Cold.
Sharp.
Professional.
"Failure to comply," he continued, "will be interpreted as hostile intent toward the Crown."
There wasn’t the slightest hint of threat in his voice.
Only fact.
Kang immediately nodded.
"Deactivate everything."
The order spread throughout the fleet.
One after another, the gigantic cannons lining the decks rotated downward before retracting into armored compartments.
The glow surrounding the mana reactors gradually faded.
Barrier formations dispersed.
Even the anti-air arrays were shut down.
Within moments, the three battleships had transformed from floating fortresses into little more than oversized transport vessels.
Only then did the royal knight give a single nod.
"You may land."
The vessels slowly descended onto enormous stone platforms constructed specifically for military airships.
The instant the hull touched the ground, hundreds of palace guards moved into position with flawless coordination.
Not one movement was wasted.
Not one soldier appeared nervous.
Their discipline alone surpassed entire armies Ethan had previously encountered.
As the boarding ramps lowered, another realization dawned on him.
Every single guard present...
Was at least Tier Seven.
His pupils narrowed.
Back in Windgrave, a Tier Seven expert could command respect anywhere they went.
Here...
They were simply palace guards.
The difference in military strength between the royal capital and the frontier cities was almost frightening.
Kang quietly stepped onto the platform first before presenting a crystal badge bearing the insignia of the Punishment Hall.
A palace official accepted it without a word before examining several floating documents that appeared from a magical formation.
After nearly a minute of silence, the official finally spoke.
"The permit has been confirmed."
"One vessel."
"Temporary military access."
His eyes shifted toward the people standing behind Kang.
"They will remain under royal supervision until further notice."
Kang nodded calmly.
"We understand."
The official raised one hand.
Immediately, the soldiers surrounding the ships relaxed ever so slightly.
Only then did Ethan notice something else.
The palace wasn’t preparing to escort them toward the Dracontis Estate.
Nor toward the Punishment Hall.
Instead...
The palace doors themselves slowly began to open.
Kang looked up in surprise.
Even he hadn’t expected this.
"The king..."
he muttered quietly.
"...is receiving us personally."
Those simple words caused everyone standing nearby to stiffen.
An audience with the King of Bark was not something granted lightly.
Whatever message had reached the palace before their arrival...
It had clearly convinced the highest authority in humanity that this matter could no longer be left in the hands of ordinary officials alone.
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