The Gamer's POV

Far below the floating vessel was the outskirts of the Imperial City. Truth be told, just as Cedric had mentioned, the view was an absolute eyesore.

First, the moment the gaze passed the high walls of the city, the air turned into a thick, choking smog. It was a wonder how people even managed to breathe down there. That explained why most humans who lived as outsiders did not live very long.

As Cedric looked around, he could see that most of the houses were made of cheap, rotting wood, or zinc and rusted sheets of corrugated iron patched together with scrap metal. Most of the only good buildings were either inns or old, smoke-stained manufactories and brick workshops.

The worst part was that there were large heaps of refuse, tall as houses, scattered carelessly between the streets, and dirty black water sludged through the shallow ditches, overflowing onto the muddy pathways.

However, the main reason Cedric had said that the view wasn’t lovely were the people.

Even now, through the eyes of a few ravens flying low, he could see the grim reality of the daily survival of those who were called outsiders.

...He could see that really lean children in oversized, threadbare rags were scavenging through the massive mounds of filth, desperately searching for anything salvageable.

...He could see that a bit further down the alley, a pregnant woman, looking pale and completely worn out, leaned heavily against a damp brick wall, cradling her stomach while waiting in a long, stagnant line for a single bucket of murky well water.

...He could see a young girl, no older than ten, carefully patching the holes of an old, worn-out pair of boots with scraps of discarded zinc.

...He could see an elderly man with a severe, hacking cough trying to drag a heavy bundle of wet firewood toward his shack.

...He could see three children ganging up to beat a smaller girl in a dark corner, striking her repeatedly while she curled into a tight ball, desperately trying to protect the meager scrap of food she was holding.

Everywhere the birds flew, the picture was the same.

To Cedric, it felt as though he was looking down into an entirely different world. A world far bleaker and more miserable than the one inside the walls.

Of course, it was the dream of many outsiders to one day become insiders. But the reality was a harsh, uphill battle.

There were only so few ways to cross the divide. One of those few ways was to pray that your child would manifest a bond. Everyone with a bond gets an automatic ticket to becoming an insider. And they could extend that ticket to their immediate family.

But then so few outsiders manifested bonds. So people didn’t really hope on this pathway.

Instead, many outsiders worked day and night in the dirt and grime, saving every scrap of coin just so they could send their kids to one of the domestic training centers where they could learn basic etiquette, cleaning, and service.

After which they could then look for jobs as maids or footmen, which granted them a coveted ticket into the world of the insiders if they were lucky to get one.

Apart from that, there were a few days when outsiders were allowed to enter the city gates under strict supervision. Days like the Carnal Festival and other grand state celebrations.

During this time, an outsider could pray for a stroke of luck, such as catching the eye of a wealthy patron who might take them on as a slave, or, in rare cases, catching the heart of an insider willing to take them as a spouse.

Anyways...

The point is, the gap between the two worlds was an abyss that required a miracle, a lifetime of grinding labor, or total subjugation to cross. And so, as Cedric watched the scene, he was once again reminded of just how incredibly fortunate he was to not just be a wealthy insider, but a noble.

"I think I understand what you mean," Arlo muttered quietly before looking back to the slums below.

Not long after, the world began to slowly look like it was darkening despite not even being noon.

This caused Cedric to look ahead.

Far in the distance, he could see a colossal wall of absolute darkness stretching from the ground up into the sky. It looked like a massive expanse of churning, pitch-black fog that completely swallowed everything in its path.

Even from this distance, Cedric could see streaks of lightning flickering violently within the dark depths. The sheer scale of the storm was enough to terrify anyone seeing it for the first time.

At that moment, the voice of the captain sounded through the brass speakers installed along the deck.

"Dear honored guests. In less than twenty minutes, we shall approach the Sea of Clouds. Do not forget to draw a veil over your face."

The Sea of Clouds was a kind of barrier which surrounded the entirety of the outskirts and the Imperial City of the Lumierian Empire. Anyone passing through the Sea of Clouds was expected to tap their forehead then, as if drawing a veil, bring their hands down to touch their lips. If a person entered the sea without doing that, there was a high chance they would lose their lives.

Cedric narrowed his eyes as he stared into the approaching dark.

’This feels similar to the sign one does before entering the inner sanctuary of a monarch,’ he mused. ’Hm... I recall reading in the library that those in grade seven can permanently layer their domain over a part of the real world. Which probably means the Sea of Clouds is likely just the domain of one of the monarchs, though I’m not sure which of them.’

The Il Fulgore grew closer and closer to the massive storm wall, and after almost twenty minutes, the voice of the captain chimed over the speakers again.

"We shall be entering the Sea of Clouds in twenty seconds. Please draw a veil over your face."

Hearing that, Cedric raised his fingers to his forehead, drawing them down across his face until they brushed his lips.

He didn’t need to worry about his ravens flying around the airship because they were a part of him, and as long as he did the sign, they would likely be alright.

So he just stared at the churning black fog ahead, and after the final seconds ticked away, the Il Fulgore plunged into the darkness.

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