"This has been a blast. Thank you for letting me use all these ingredients I have never seen. Feel free to come back to my kitchen any time you want. We can bounce more ideas of each other" Layla said excitedly before seeing Marcus off.
They had spent several hours until well past midnight in the kitchen exchanging ingredients, and teaching each other unique cooking methods that the other did not know. Though, Marcus had far less to offer in this regard.
Their cooking levels might have been the same, but Layla was a professional chef while for Marcus it was only a hobby. She knew far more about cooking than he did.
"You looked like you were having fun there." Mrazivý said, a wry grin on her face.
She had spent the entire time with them in the kitchen acting as a "taste tester". Whenever he and Layla finished something, she was the first to plop it into her mouth.
"I could say the same for you. Despite my having learned quite a bit and enjoyed cooking with Layla quite a bit, you seem to even more elated than I am." Marcus said, feeling wary.
"Naturally I am extremely happy. Now that you know how to make even more dishes, I can expect different types of delicious food." Mrazivý said, showing her true intentions.
Other than her passion for the sword and adventuring, eating exquisite and rare food was one of the luxuries that Mrazivý enjoyed the most.
"Sure, but I will need an assistant. Those who do not work don't get to eat after all."
Shrugging her shoulders Mrazivý agreed to help Marcus cook whenever he wanted, since it meant she got to eat more.
As they continued to converse, the two of them soon made it back to their room within the grand elder's estate.
Once inside they cleaned themselves up before going to bed.
"Marcus wake up." Mrazivý said, shoving him.
"I'm up!" Marcus said, completely alert and looking around for any signs of danger.
He had shut his mind off and timed it to be six hours before he woke up, but Mrazivý had woken him up around thirty minutes before then. At first, he thought this meant that there was some type of trouble, but in actuality Mrazivý was just excited to go see the city today and gotten up early.
Luckily Marcus was more like a computer and could wake up and fall asleep like pressing a power button, so he was not groggy despite being woken up abruptly and early. He had no real need to sleep in the first place and did as more of a way to pass time.
"You know we cannot leave until everything is ready anyway. What was the point of getting up?" Marcus asked a bit exasperated.
Mrazivý was acting simar to how he had when he was a kid and it was his birthday.
"Come on, where is your sense of excitement. Other than Tralenstein's capital, which we were not visiting under pleasant circumstances, this will be our first time seeing another nations capital city. One even bigger than Borealia's royal capital. How can you not find this exhilarating?" Mrazivý said.
"Don't get me wrong I am looking forward to it as well, but we cannot go until after breakfast anyway." Marcus said, trying to be logical.
Nevertheless, Mrazivý was showing little of the restraint that she normally had while acting as a princess in Borealia and spent the entire morning going over their plans with Marcus.
Eventually time for breakfast came around and they met up with Amira and the grand elder.
"Are you sure that you do not want any guards assigned to you? The city is for the most part orderly, but at this time of year when things are more hectic in the wake of the upcoming festival. incidents such as brawls in the streets and pickpockets are more common." Akeem said, trying to convince Marcus and Mrazivý to take some guards with them.
However, increasing the number of people in their retinue would only make it more difficult for them to move about. Frankly they did not need anyone to protect them and Amira already had her own set of guards that would be accompanying her.
pαпdα-ňᴏνê|·сóМ "Again, we thank you for the offer but it is unnecessary. We can handle ourselves and Amira and her guards can handle any situation we find ourselves in where authority is an issue." Mrazivý responded.
"I understand. If you do get into any trouble feel free to use my name." Akeem said.
After that they finished up breakfast and headed to the estate's amin entrance.
Waiting there was two carriages that would be taking them around the city.
Today they were going to head to the massive lake that sat in the middle of the city and tour some artisan workshops in the area.
"I see that we are taking normal carriages this time. And they do not appear to have any emblems on them denoting that they belong to the Eazim Clan." Marcus said.
He found it a bit weird that the carriages were completely blank and ordinary looking.
"Both of you requested to be able to look around the city without drawing too much attention to yourselves. If we used carriages that had the Eazim Clan's crest on it we would naturally draw people's notice. That is why we will be taking blank carriages." Amira explained.
Nodding his head Marcus did remember requesting not to stand out too much be he never expected that they would be taking carriages without the Eazim Clan's emblem on them.
Quickly they all got onboard the carriages and set off.
Within around ten minutes they had left the grand elder's estate and made it to the private streets that only members of the Eazim Clan could use.
Of course the area they were in was an affluent one and their was no foot traffic around except for patrolling guards keeping the order.
"Oh, looks like we are finally entering a commercial district." Mrazivý said, pulling Marcus closer towards her so that both of them could look out the window.
It had taken them nearly an hour by carriage to leave the residential area where high ranking members of the Eazim clan had their estates.
All around them now were several different types of shops, each one targeted towards a wealthier demographic.
"I see that what we learned on the way here was true. The areas closer to Antim Lake are wealthier." Marcus said.
With the city being located in a desert it made sense that the those with the most money would live near the largest water source in the nation.
Still, Antim Lake itself was about seventy-five percent the size of the Caspian Sea back on Earth, making it far larger than any fresh water source that had existed on Earth.
The capital city circled around the lake and took a shape resembling a doughnut. There were also several rivers going out from the lake that snaked their way through the city and all across the nation. Without Antim Lake, Aezam would be a wasteland with almost no water in it, and not be suitable to support the thriving people that lived there.
"Wow. It looks more like the ocean than a lake." Marcus said when Antim Lake finally came into blue.
For as far as they could see across the horizon the crystal blue water of the lake stretched out.
All around it right up to the banks were buildings and docks that use the lake as their livelihood.
"It truly is something. Antim Lake is the pride and joy of our country. From the grand elders, to the common people, it supplies life to nearly everyone in Aezam." Amira said, a look of pride in her eyes.
"How strong do you think Aezam's founder had to be to make this?" Mrazivý said.
They had heard that this lake was manmade over a thousand years ago, but it was hard to imagine one person having the kind of power necessary to do something like this.
Even if Marcus and Mrazivý attempted to do something similar, it would likely take them several decades, at least.
"I imagine they must have been around as strong as Boreas. If he used his full power, I think it would only take him a day." Marcus said, remembering the immense magical abilities Boreas had displayed while fighting the Doomsday Worm.
Marcus also figured that a max level great spirit could probably accomplish a greater feat without any issue. He had seen the sprawling forest created by the Great Spirit of Nature and it was far vaster than even Antim Lake.
"There is our first shop. It is the best sculpting workshop within this district and among the top ten in the city. At least, according to the information, I gathered beforehand." Amira said, looking every bit as excited as Marcus and Mrazivý.
She had only been in the capital once before and during that time she spent most of it in the area owned by the Eazim Clan. This was her first time truly exploring the city as well.
Soon their carriages had pulled into the workshop and Marcus, Mrazivý, and Amira got out.
When they did a man in exceptionally well-tailored clothing was waiting to meet them with his head slightly bowed.
"It is a pleasure to make your acquaintances. My name is Faaiz, the owner of this workshop. It is an honor to be receiving members and guests of the Eazim Clan."
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