The moment the group passed through the city gates, after an agonizing inspection involving four different guards, two forms, and Rika lying to at least three of them, they were swallowed by noise.
Bright banners rippled overhead. Confetti drifted through the air. Horns blared. Drums thundered.
And then,
Kaito nearly shouted, "NO. WAY."
Because the parade wasn't just floats.
It was monsters.
Massive, terrifying, heavily restrained monsters being dragged, marched, or hauled down Studen's main boulevard for the entire town to admire.
Dante stared. "That's… not safe."
Nanami's ears went stiff. "That is statistically not safe."
Rika jumped onto the cart seat. "That is SO COOL."
Toni leaned in close to Kaito. "Y'all sure this place ain't run by psychos?"
The First Beast: The Ironback Tortoise
A rumble shook the stone beneath their feet as a colossal tortoise lumbered forward.
Its shell, a mass of jagged, metallic ridges, looked less like bone and more like blackened forge iron. Chains as thick as Rika's torso wrapped around its legs.
Nanami breathed, "An Ironback Tortoise… those are supposed to live only in deep volcanic zones. Its shell alone can withstand."
Kaito slapped both hands against her cheeks to stop her rambling.
"Nanami. I need you to understand something."
She blinked. "What?"
"That's the coolest thing I've ever seen."
She squinted at him but didn't disagree.
The crowd roared as handlers whacked the beast with sparking prods, coaxing it forward. The tortoise growled—low, thunderous, ancient.
Dante shivered. "If that thing got loose,"
"Even if it did, they could re-enable the barrier, that would handle it."
The Second Beast: A Strider of the Deep Marsh
Up next came a towering creature with long, stilt-like legs, thin as spears but strong enough to hold a building.
Its body was narrow and eel-like, bending in ways that made Nanami's spine hurt just to watch. Sickly green membranes stretched between its joints, fluttering like curtains.
Rika wrinkled her nose. "It looks like a daddy long legs mated with a swamp."
"Please don't say those words again," Dante muttered.
Nanami adjusted her glasses. "Deep Marsh Strider. Venomous. Extremely aggressive. Known for stalking prey for days."
Toni tilted his head. "They stalk prey?"
"No." Nanami gulped. "Just one. The rest ambush."
The creature hissed as a cage-wagon rolled behind it, dripping with swamp water. Spectators cheered like it was a celebrity.
Kaito whispered, "This is the best parade ever."
The Third Beast: A Thunderhorn Basilok
A sudden crackle of electricity buzzed through the air.
Then it stepped into view.
A massive quadruped, broad as a boulder, plated with dark bluish scales. Two curved horns jutted from its skull, glowing with static electricity that arced in snapping white lines.
Its muscles bulged like knotted rope, and a muzzle made of reinforced crystia hummed faintly.
Dante exhaled. "That thing could tear a house in half…"
Nanami nodded. "Thunderhorn Basilok. They generate electrical charges through muscular friction. Very dangerous. Highly territorial."
Rika whistled. "Man, imagine how much that horn is worth."
Toni gave her a look. "Are you TRYING to die, girl?"
"It's a parade, Toni. Everything's collectible."
The beast stomped, sending a ripple of sparks across the ground. The crowd roared again, some cheering, some definitely stepping back in fear.
The Final Showcase: The King-Crusher Golem
The air changed.
Even the handlers looked uneasy.
And then it rolled forth, a towering construct made from stone slabs, ore chunks, and rusted metal plates all fused together by a glowing crystia core lodged deep in its chest.
The thing had no face, just a chiseled indent where one might have been.
But every step made the earth quiver.
"King-Crusher Golem…" Nanami whispered in awe. "Those are… they're supposed to be extinct. Built during the Old Empire as siege weapons. That's..."
"It's HUGE," Kaito said, eyes sparkling.
Dante swallowed hard. "Why is Studen showing off something like that?"
Nanami hugged her notes to her chest. "If this city has that kind of artifact… we're dealing with a political powerhouse."
Rika shrugged. "Eh. Looks slow."
Nanami stared at her.
"You say that now, until it decides physics is optional."
Toni wiped sweat from his forehead. "Okay, remind me… y'all came here to return a crown, right? Not die?"
"No promises!" Kaito said cheerfully.
The parade marched on, leaving the group staring after the beasts with a mixture of awe, dread, and fascination.
Studen was big.
And they were here to hand-deliver a stolen necromancy crown.
Toni whispered, "We're doomed, ain't we?"
Dante rubbed his forehead. "Probably."
Nanami sighed. "Statistically…"
Rika grinned. "Nah. We always survive."
Kaito beamed. "Yeah! Let's go figure out who to talk to!"
Nanami buried her face in her hands.
Rika gets distracted on their mission. "Guys!" She shouts, before quickly jogging off.
The others follow as she runs through the crowd of people. "An ice cream stand?" Dante questions as he sees Rika taking a seat.
She kicks her feet happily in the chair. "I haven't had ice cream in months!"
Dante thinks. "I don't know, we're supposed to be doing something important here."
"Relax Dante, we have plenty of time, also..." Kaito trailed off. "I'm curious baout what this ice cream stuff taste like."
Toni laughs, patting Kaito on his back, "You've never had ice cream before?" He asks.
Kaito shakes his head, so Toni decides he'll buy some for everyone. Everyone enjoys the nice cold treat, Dante especially, anything cold and he's all for it. Kaito on the other hands over does it and eats three tubs of it, learning the hard way what a brain freeze it.
"I've never had anything taste like this!" He shouts.
"Like sweet?" Rika asks.
Kaito nods. "Yeah, it's all new."
This made the group question him, how could someone go through their entire life, without ever having sweets. It was weird, but Kaito was weird.
Nanami pushed up her glasses, "If we wish to find them, I suppose we split up."
Rika coughs up something she wasn't even drinking. "Have you seen any movie ever?!" She shouts.
Toni quickly nodding agreeing. "Yeah friend, that's like the fastest way to die ever."
Kaito shrugs. "What's the worse that could happen?" He says grabbing Nanami and sprinting away with her.
Rika, Dante, and Toni look at eachother, they were not splitting up.
Then, Dante had begun to look nervous. Rika took note of it, before noticing the red haired boy, though this time he had two other men with him.
Riika quickly casts an illusion blending herself in.
"Let's just get to the magistrates place already." The black haired young man says.
"We will, I was getting hungry!" The larger man said.
"We gotta not be too late, he needs to know we're still on go for the plan, crown or not." The red haired one says.
The conversation continues as normal, Toni and Dante hiding within the crowd as they listen. "Bingo friend, we found our guys!" He said.
The large man heard, and looks over at them Dante gets nervous, wondering if he should reach for his sword or not."
The black haired young man nudges him, "come on, you got your food we've gotta go." He says. The large man looked back for Dante and Toni, they took that chance to remove themselves from the crowd.
Dante sighs a breath of relief as they walk away.
"This is just unbelievable." The man handling the stall says. "Our magistrate used to be so caring until those adventures came into the picture." He says.
Dante decides to get info from the man as he shops.
Nanami and Kaito walk with each other around town, they both hear a child crying. Nanami initially ignores him. "We can't ignore the kid." Kaito says and Nanami nods.
They go over and Nanami kneels down to him. "What's wrong young man?" Nanami asks. The boy ignores her then continues crying. She wonders why he won't respond.
As Kaito walks over he over exaggerates a fall. The boy looks at him and his crying slows down a bit. Kaito stands up slowly before falling down again. The boys cries slowly turns into smiling.
Kaito smiles at the young boy and then he smiles. "What's up, where you crying?" Kaito asks.
"My daddy went to the magistrates mansion a few days ago and he never came back." The boy says in between sniffles. He points towards a grand palace over a bridge.
Kaito gives the boy a gentle smile. "I'll go find your dad for you." Kaito says to him making the boy smile.
He walks away and Nanami follows. "We should be careful here." Nanami says. Kaito nods. "Don't worry, i'm always careful." Kaito says. Nanami not believing a word.
They walk over to the magistrates grand palace and Kaito whistles at it. The water below is crystal blue along with statues of the man. "Quite the ego." Nanami whispers.
A large gate blocks their path and Kaito just goes to walk in. The two guards in front hold spears out to him. "And where do you think you're going?" One of the guards questions.
Kaito points to the building. "Do you have an appointment?" They question. "No but-"
"Then you have no business here." The guard cuts him off. Kaito begins to roll up his sleeves but Nanami pulls him. "We should regroup with everyone first." Nanami says. Kaito agrees.
Eventually they regroup with everyone, they all inform eachother of what they have heard and learned, "cool so we just break into that guys house, and give them the crown!" Kaito happily declares.
Rika nods, "I'm an expert thief lets wait for night." She says.
Dante gets a bad feeling about all of this, the more he hears, the more it's like they're walking into something they have no business being apart of.