The King's Charge

At Marquis Guilford's suggestion, the group left the docks at once and climbed into waiting carriages. A long procession rolled toward the city.

Victor sat in his carriage, wondering what would happen next, when Brando suddenly cried, "Godfather, look outside! This city is so strange. There's water everywhere. It feels like we've been crossing bridges the whole time."

Victor's interest stirred, and he turned to look out the window.

Sure enough, broad canals ran along both sides of the road. The water flowed gently, clear enough to see the bottom.

Countless little boats moved across the canals, some gliding lightly over the water, others drifting along.

All kinds of buildings stood on the banks, each with its own style. Built beside the water, they blended into their surroundings and gave the city a distinctive charm.

More striking still, the crisscrossing canals seemed to divide the city's streets, yet roads and graceful little bridges linked them all together.

Even at a glance, Victor could tell that canals and waterways spread across the city like a web, joining and crossing one another.

And compared with the roads, the boats were crowded with people and full of activity.

Those boats served not only as everyday transport but also as floating shops.

Many were piled with fruit, vegetables, and all manner of goods. Their boatmen rowed hard while calling out to attract customers.

Now and then, another boat pulled alongside to bargain and make a deal. Sometimes residents even leaned out of buildings on the banks and called down, bringing a boat over to trade.

The architecture and atmosphere reminded Victor of Venice from his previous life. The difference was that this city was enormous.

By Victor's reckoning, they had been traveling for twenty minutes since leaving the docks. The carriages were moving at