Sir Golosh looked curiously at the Dragon Seal Witch beside him, whose expression had suddenly changed, and could not help asking, "Ms. Asalina, is something wrong?"
The red-haired Asalina frowned slightly, snapping out of her brief daze before speaking in a low voice. "No... I must have seen wrong. I thought I saw someone I knew, but how could that be... And she didn't look the same, either..."
As she spoke, she shook her head. "Never mind. Let's continue."
"This new Cecil Empire truly is somewhat different from 'Ansu'..." Sir Golosh showed no suspicion. Instead, he raised his head and looked at the strange metal-glinting equipment on the distant walls, the crystals floating above certain mechanical devices, and the deep blue banners hanging from the walls all the way to the ground—the Cecil Empire's emblem was depicted upon them, gleaming brilliantly in the sunlight. All of it carried an air entirely unlike that of the old, stagnant Ansu. "Human kingdoms change so quickly."
"Everything about them is changing," Asalina said casually. "Unlike Dragon's Landing Fortress—nothing but stones unchanged for thousands of years, and old fools even more stubborn than those stones."
The dragonborn entered the city.
These visitors from the far northern lands rode grayish-white beasts taller than warhorses, wore armor and outer garments unlike anything found in the human world, and carried white flags bearing the image of a dragon in profile. They stepped into the human city amid a solemn, dignified atmosphere, while the soldiers of the Cecil Empire stood upon the towering walls, watching with equal gravity as the northern guests approached Duchess Victoria and General Byron.
Following the agreed-upon etiquette, the dragonborn delegation stopped at the edge of the square. The ambassador and advisers then dismounted and, under the guidance of attendants, came before their hosts.