The wind carried a faint hum of machinery.

On the wide platform before The Wall, a large crowd had gathered—merchants, travelers, mercenaries, and curious wanderers—each pair of eyes fixed on the towering steel gate ahead. The air was thick with anticipation and dust.

High above them, Alec stood on the parapet, his cloak whipping lightly in the wind. His gaze swept over the restless sea of faces below, then he turned to his subordinates and said calmly,

"Open the gate."

"Yes, sir."

A low metallic groan followed, echoing between the walls.

Pincha—crack—creak...!

Under the pull of hydraulic chains and gears, the massive gate of Black Tortoise City began to rise. Shafts of golden light spilled through the opening, illuminating Alec and the guards lined neatly behind him.

He stepped forward to the very threshold and called out in a clear, commanding voice:

"Welcome, everyone—to Black Tortoise City!"

A murmur spread through the crowd. Someone shouted impatiently, "Can we go in now?"

"Of course," Alec replied with a faint smile, stepping aside as he signaled the guards to form a line along the gate. "Please enter in order. Don't rush."

The crowd surged forward like a tide finally released.

But before the first few could pass through, one of the guards raised a stack of small, square booklets and shouted:

"We have brochures of Black Tortoise Commercial Street! Only one low-grade and one mid-grade beast spar per copy! Save yourself the trouble of asking for directions!"

The words struck like flint on dry leaves.

"Give me one!"

"I'll take ten!"

"The introduction looks pretty detailed."

Almost instantly, people crowded around the guard. Beast spars exchanged hands in a glittering flurry.

Those who had already paid the hefty entry cost didn't hesitate—what was another spar or two, if it made navigating this new city easier?

A burly trader snorted, flipping through his newly bought brochure. "Hmph, Black Tortoise really knows how to make money. Even a few words on paper can be sold for profit."

Another beside him chuckled. "You don't get it. For merchants, saving time is saving money. A guide like this pays for itself."

"He's right," someone added. "Those intelligence hunters will probably buy in bulk just to resell them outside."

Indeed, those who didn't buy were either illiterate or too stingy to part with another spar.

---

"Should we buy one too?" Carmilla asked, glancing at Mia with wide, questioning eyes.

"You can if you want," Mia said coolly, already noticing the glimmer of excitement on the blonde girl's face.

That was all the permission she needed.

"Then I'll go!" Carmilla's eyes sparkled. The little vampire princess darted off with quick, eager steps, her golden hair bouncing behind her.

Moments later, she returned, clutching a thin booklet like a treasure. "Wow, Mia, come look! There are pictures in it!"

"Pictures?" Mia's ears twitched.

Carmilla opened the booklet with pride. Inside were cleanly engraved illustrations—each page showing a simple drawing of a building or street, paired with short lines of explanation.

The sketches were done in minimal strokes but carried a charm that drew the eye. In this era, where books were rare and pictorials even rarer, such craftsmanship was practically a wonder.

For small tribes, Mia realized, such a booklet could even serve as a teaching tool.

"I love it," Carmilla said dreamily. "Once I learn to draw like this, I can design my own house—two or three stories tall!"

Her enthusiasm made Mia smile faintly. But her attention wasn't on the drawings—it was on the texture of the paper.

"This isn't animal skin," she murmured.

"What do you mean?" Carmilla tilted her head.

Mia took the booklet gently, rubbed the surface between her fingers, then brought it to her nose. She frowned thoughtfully, tore off a small corner—

—and put it in her mouth.

"Hey! Don't eat it!" Carmilla yelped, pouting. "You're ruining it!"

She snatched the booklet back and stared sadly at the torn edge. With a little huff, she spun around and hurried to buy another copy.

As she left, Mia chewed thoughtfully, her expression changing from curiosity to astonishment.

"This paper… is made from plants."

"What?" Carmilla blinked, returning just in time to hear her.

"I can taste it," Mia said softly. "There's a hint of fiber and root—just like the dried grasses from the oasis."

Her mind raced. If Black Tortoise could produce plant-based paper, it meant they had already discovered large-scale cultivation—or at least, an advanced processing method for vegetation.

"Quickly, let's buy more!" she said suddenly.

Carmilla looked around helplessly. "Too late. They're sold out. This one's my last copy." She waved the booklet with a pout.

"Gone?" Mia frowned.

"Yeah. Those people over there bought everything." Carmilla pointed toward a group at the edge of the square. "They're intelligence hunters—they plan to resell them outside."

Mia's eyes narrowed. "They don't even know what they're holding."

"Exactly! They just want to make money."

Carmilla crossed her arms and huffed, clearly irritated. "If they knew this paper was made from plants, they'd be selling it for ten times the price."

Mia exhaled slowly, half amused, half resigned. "At least you bought one."

"Of course." Carmilla tucked the booklet securely into her pocket. "And no, you can't have it," she added quickly, catching the gleam in Mia's eyes.

The cat-eared girl gave a small smirk and turned away. "Black Tortoise City really is wealthy," she said quietly. "To use plants for paper... it's no small feat."

"Come on. Let's head inside."

Carmilla nodded, clutching her booklet protectively as they stepped through the gate.

---

Beyond the wall stretched a bustling commercial street, alive with color and sound. The air was thick with the scent of roasted food and freshly baked bread. Shouts and laughter echoed between the tall, uniform buildings of pale stone and wood.

"Wow!" Carmilla's eyes widened. "It's so lively!"

Merchants stood before their stalls waving ladles, calling to customers.

"This roasted redfish! So fragrant—two more servings here!"

"We've got seeds! Real seeds! Don't miss your chance!"

"What? Purchase limit? I'll pay double!"

The entire street was a storm of movement—people shouting, trading, waving pouches heavy with beast spars. The frenzy was almost contagious.

Carmilla blinked in confusion. "Are they... fighting over vegetables?"

Mia's tail flicked once. "It seems so."

She paused, thoughtful. "Open your brochure. See what it says."

"Oh—right." Carmilla flipped through the pages eagerly. "Here! 'Worried about the lack of green vegetables? Visit the Gourmet Hall, where our set meals will make you eat until you can't walk.'"

"Green vegetable set meals..." Mia repeated softly, her tone deepening.

It wasn't the food that interested her—it was the implication behind it. Black Tortoise could supply large quantities of fresh produce. That meant someone here had already solved what her organization, Oasis, had been struggling with for years: how to cultivate plants in barren lands.

If she could uncover that secret, it could revive forests long dead.

"Should we go eat then?" Carmilla asked, licking her lips.

Mia looked at her sidelong. "You? Eating vegetables?"

Carmilla puffed out her cheeks. "Why not? I haven't tasted blood yet, so I'm not addicted. That means I can enjoy normal food!"

Mia chuckled faintly. "Most vampires would gag at the thought."

Carmilla grinned, revealing her tiny fangs. "That's their problem. I'm not most vampires."

It was true—vampires of Orleans City were notorious for their dependence on blood, feeding daily until all other tastes faded into nothingness. To them, ordinary food was dull, even revolting. But Carmilla, still young and untainted, was an exception—a little spark of innocence among predators.

"Check the rest of the brochure," Mia said, changing the subject.

"Aww, can't we eat first?" Carmilla's stomach growled in protest.

"Too many people," Mia replied, glancing toward the Gourmet Hall, where the line now stretched into the next street.

The blonde girl sighed and flipped another page. "Fine... 'Guests are welcome to stay overnight at the Three-Star Pavilion, offering food and lodging for travelers of the commercial district.'"

"That's where we're going," Mia said.

"Huh? Not the food stalls?"

"We'll eat later, when the crowds thin out. For now, we need a place to stay—and remember, the orcs are still waiting outside the city."

That last reminder silenced Carmilla's protest.

"Right," she said quietly. "It's safer here."

"And at night," Mia added, eyes narrowing slightly, "I can move more freely—search for information about my sister, and investigate the farms."

Carmilla nodded slowly. "Makes sense. I don't like waiting in lines anyway."

Her grin returned as they started walking toward the Three-Star Pavilion, weaving through the throngs of shouting merchants and customers.

Behind them, the noise of the marketplace roared like a living sea—smoke, laughter, the smell of spice and oil, the glitter of beast spars changing hands.

Black Tortoise City was alive in every sense of the word.

And for Mia and Carmilla, it was only the beginning.

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