Damn The Author

The capital of the Pendragon Empire was exactly what I expected.

Big and Loud, overflowing with people. It smelled like fresh bread, old blood, and way too much perfume.

But more than anything, it was pride dressed up as beauty.

It had already been a month since I came into this world. And it was finally the time of the entrance exam.

After taking many hitch hikes were finally at the capital of the empire, where the academy was.

The capital of the empire was called Nest and was built like a giant staircase carved into a mountain. 

There were seven levels to the city, each carved around Mount Olympus. It looked like the city had been handcrafted by bored angels with too much time and a flair for the dramatic.

Each tier was made from a different kind of stone. The lowest level, where the commoners lived, was dark with black stone that soaked up the heat. 

The middle layers, home to nobles, royal squads, and military officers, were made from polished silver granite that gleamed in the sun. 

And at the top of the mountain, pure white marble shone like snow, where the Imperial Palace was located.

The whole city didn't just look rich. It looked smug.

Every building was lined with real gold. Not paint, but the actual thing. It traced windows, curled around door frames, and ran like veins through statues and columns. 

Artificial dragon wings stretched along archways, and statues of lions roared silently from rooftops.

Even the gutters were decorated. I didn't know whether to be impressed or concerned.

The message was clear:

This city rules the world. And you're lucky just to see it.

And then there were the people.

Knights in polished armor walked through the streets. Nobles wore cloaks made of feathers and silk, strutting around like they'd invented walking. 

You could tell these people had never heard the word "no" in their lives.

The rest of the city was a mess of travelers, merchants, mercenaries, street kids, and poor souls trying not to get stepped on by a noble's entourage. 

I counted at least twelve tiny dogs in jeweled leashes being carried around on cushions.

At the center of it all stood the Dragonfang Plaza, the city's main square. 

It had everything from fountains, bulletin boards, food stalls, to a raised platform that I was pretty sure was used for public executions and awkward political speeches.

The plaza pulsed with life.

Nyx sat on my shoulder, wearing sunglasses he had definitely stolen from a nearby souvenir stall. Another wrong habit he picked up from me…

I guess this is why people say children learn from their parents.

Sigh~

I sighed as I looked at him. With his narrowed eyes and swishing tail, he looked like some mafia prince inspecting his territory.

"You know what this place needs?" he muttered.

"A bath?" I answered.

He snorted. "An explosion."

"I'll write that down in my list of 'horrifying things my cat says in public.'"

We walked under a massive stone arch, carved with the names of Pendragon's greatest emperors. Guys who crushed rebellions, invaded countries, and probably couldn't go five minutes without bragging about their bloodline.

"AAAA!"

That's when it happened. We heard a sound. Then the sound of people running for their lives.

I turned and saw him. A man riding a runaway armored boar.

His shirt was half unbuttoned. His red cape flapped behind him like a flag surrendering to gravity. And for reasons only the gods could explain, his giant sword wasn't on his back but strapped to the boar itself.

The beast was frothing at the mouth as he tried to free himself.

They charged straight through a fruit stall. Or rather, through the idea of a fruit stall. 

Because what was left behind was just juice and debris.

A flock of pigeons exploded into the sky, and a noblewoman screamed so hard she fainted mid-spin. Her guards didn't even try to catch her.

A smirk formed on my lips. There he was, the biggest troublemaker in all of [Ascension of The Arcane King].

His name was Redmane Varian, a fallen noble and also the protagonist's biggest rival, whom the protagonist could never overcome, no matter how much he tried. 

And now the same guy stood before me.

He yelled, pulling me out of my daze as the boar charged towards us:

"I'M NOT DRUNK!"

Nyx and I stood frozen.

I blinked. "That… is a war criminal on a pig."

Nyx narrowed his eyes. "Is this a dream? Did I eat bad fish?"

"No," I said, stepping aside. "That's very real."

Unfortunately, Nyx didn't move.

"GET OUT OF THE WAY, YOU PSYCHOPATH!" he screamed and launched himself off my shoulder like a furry missile and slammed directly into Redmane's face mid-charge. 

The two of them went flying off the boar into a glorious tumble.

The boar? It didn't stop.

It crashed into a bakery.

A moment later, a flour barrel exploded like a white bomb, and the whole street vanished under a cloud of powder and flying bread rolls.

I ducked as a cinnamon bun sailed past my head.

Nearby, a guard threw up. Someone yelled about "terrorism," and horns started blaring.

And in the middle of the chaos, Nyx and Redmane argued—

"MFFH—GET OFF ME, YOU FLUFF CAT!"

"WHO RIDES A BOAR INTO CIVILIZATION, YOU UNCOOKED STEAK?!"

Eventually, both of them turned and pointed at me as if asking me whose fault it was.

I raised both hands. "I'm just here for the entrance exam."

Redmane squinted at me. "You look familiar…"

I shook my head. "Nope. I'm far too charming to be memorable."

That's when the guards arrived. Twelve of them in obsidian-black armor trimmed with gold marched towards us.

One of them pointed at us and barked, "You three! You are under investigation for: destruction of property, endangering nobles, as well as bringing a boar here."

And thus we were promptly arrested.

Well, not arrested. Just detained. 

We were stuck in a holding cell for three hours. A junior bureaucrat named Terrence was lecturing us about "civil codes and civic duty."

In the end, we were let off with a warning and a detailed bill.

Two fruit stalls.

Six scarecrows.

One bakery explosion.

And emotional trauma to a visiting royal dog.

Redmane took one look at the bill and then set it on fire with a grin.

As smoke curled up from the ashes, I looked out at the chaos we'd left behind.

Yep.

This city was going to be a nightmare.