Kyle raised a mug of fragrant tea to his lips, allowing the pungent flavor to spread across his palate. The perfect start to the day. The perfect continuation of life, for that matter.
He stood by the huge panoramic window of his new office, almost at the top of one of Prime's tallest buildings — the VST Agency tower.
Only the Palace was higher. And the fancy "Spire" restaurant. One of the most expensive and glamorous in the city.
Well, he wasn't aiming for the top spot right away. Too much trouble there. And he'd probably check out the second establishment in the evening.
A non-alcoholic local tea cocktail with an incredible taste and a cozy view of the city lights never hurt anyone. But that would come later.
And here and now... Before the eyes of the happiest young man on the Mainland lay a waking Prime. His beloved city.
The city sprawled below him like a glittering mosaic: windows and stained glass, blinding in the rays of the morning suns, the shining glaze of stone walls, bright spots of festive lanterns, and the greenery of manicured squares. In the evening, the picture would be different, but no less beautiful.
Residential towers of the center, deliberately designed to resemble giant dwarven crystals, soared into the sky.
Between them, ribbons of streets twisted, adorned with multi-colored flags and runic signs, glinting in the first rays of the suns. Aerial bridges connecting the buildings resembled a web spun by the wind itself.
Somewhere in the distance, the endless expanse of the Ocean shimmered, merging on the horizon with the equally boundless sky into one vast purple infinity.
Wonderful.
He didn't have much to compare it to; busy, like all well-off Prime youth, preparing for a successful, and if he was lucky, meaningful adult life, Kyle had never left his native city. But, like many Prime folk, he was justifiably confident that a better place didn't exist.
Besides being attractive in many ways, Prime was simply magnificent in itself; it was the home of science, a concentration of knowledge, discoveries, and cutting-edge research.
A city of endless innovation, whose ever-evolving and complex structures inspired a desire to be here and admiration not just in him alone. They rose above the entire Mainland together.
A smile shone on the face of the recent graduate of the prestigious VST Academy, now a full-fledged agent of the most influential organization in the city-state. His soul was full of happiness not only from the breathtaking view but also from the awareness of his own place in this majestic picture.
He, a scion of an ancient Om, rooted in this mountainous land, having a foothold in it, just like the local buildings stretched from its soil, stood here.
In the heart of his native Prime. At the epicenter of the world's events. Ready to respond keenly to any changes and guide them with the hand of the powerful Agency towards the positive progress of humanity. A worthy occupation for the start of a career for a man from their renowned dynasty.
Not everyone was so lucky in life. His path began at the top of the world. Literally.
Prime was located on the highest mountain of the Mainland, physically towering above all its other… "mundanity"? That was the public opinion.
But was this the typical snobbery of a city elevated not only by a fortunate geographical location but also by the talent of those living here? Or simply the prejudices of ancient families who hadn't descended from the "heavens" to the "earth" in a long time?
Kyle never took rumors and conjectures at face value. Which was undoubtedly a virtue in his profession. And he always considered it necessary to check everything himself. Or, at least, to know how much to trust the source of information.
Not that the Prime native distrusted the established opinion of his hometown… But it was still full of snobbery. Let's be honest. The upper classes looked down on the lower ones. Literally. The towers of the most powerful witches from ancient clans were distinguished by their greater height. As far as the law allowed. And the height of the Palace, which the law did not allow to be exceeded. The lower classes, in turn, looked down on the lowlanders.
Since his youth, he'd heard tales of "wild lowland customs" — of narrow-mindedness, suspicion, primitive ways, and backward, ossified mentalities, coupled with a strange pride in their "simplicity."
"Giftless and proud of it," was how Prime folk characterized the lowlanders.
"Stoneheads," "stale," "hardened blockheads by choice"… there were many epithets. But how much total truth was in that?
And how can you judge an entire people by a template based on rather outdated rumors?
Now that is the pinnacle of stupidity, he thought, watching the clouds drift by below.
A sign of significant intelligence is the lack of need to seek unnecessary reasons to elevate oneself. There's no one to fight. And nothing to prove.
Everyone is equal before the Universe. If it saw fit to create some being, then one is no more important than the other. Everyone has their own goals and purpose in the overall picture of the world.
Everything is worthy of respect and study. Every culture is a unique puzzle piece in the overall picture of the universe, where nothing has to be the same. One must value differences and acknowledge the importance not only of academic works but also of the physical labor that makes those works possible.
It all rests on a pyramid of needs. Hungry Prime folk wouldn't be thinking about sciences.
And therefore, before speaking contemptuously about the people and the labor that feeds them, as declaratively rational beings, they should consider their own hypocrisy. And stop lording it over the "more down-to-earth." They should descend to their "level" with interest.
See how they live. Their sunsets over the fields after a day's work, their hearty meals, straight from the oven. Understand and feel that powerful nourishing force that comes from their land.
That would be honest, worthy research. After which conclusions could be drawn.
Kyle's colleague Niall, an experienced, eternally discontented, and cynical agent who, after long cycles of service, preferred communicating with elves and obtaining information through them, bypassing people, once stated that if it weren't for Kyle's brilliant command of Kantinian, this assignment could be considered a mockery of a rookie.
After all, no one in the lowland city would welcome a Prime native with open arms. Witchery was forbidden there, as was, in his opinion, common sense and healthy curiosity.
Kyle just shrugged. Well, he'd have to show tact and patience. Everything in its own time. And its own place in the market.
Niall just shook his head sadly and gave a sort of half-ominous smile then. Like — you'll see for yourself.
Well, Kyle would see... Perhaps Niall was right.
Or perhaps they had their own system of values, incomprehensible to the "pampered" Prime folk.
Was the ability to grow a harvest that fed the entire Mainland not true Witchery? Was their resilience and connection to the land not power?
This optimism was quite conscious. He saw the world through the lens of endless possibilities.
Undoubtedly, an agent's path would have difficulties. Such was life. And its challenges with endless trials and puzzles.
That's why Kyle and his colleagues had chosen this profession. Out of a thirst for new knowledge and adventure. As an opportunity for exploration and direct acquisition of priceless personal experience.
Encounters in a new city promised to be almost anthropologically interesting. And a chance to make new, enriching acquaintances.
And for all of this, he was ready to leave his splendid new office. Without even having time to get used to it and start missing it. Such a rapid career start.
He'd practically just started his duties and settled in — and already the first serious briefing — and immediately his first business trip... A business trip! To Kantine!
Imagine that... His first trip outside Prime. And right away... to Kantine. Amazing.
But great. Yes, the time for acquiring tasty theoretical knowledge was over. Giving way to the time for practice. To get out of the Archive and see the Mainland.
And, most pleasantly, not alone. On this assignment, he was to go with the people closest to him, with whom he'd gone through so much during their close communication and training — sad, funny, scary... Agents Ingefara and Tobias would be investigating Very Strange and very secret Affairs of the Mainland. Side by side with him!
Together in studies, and now together in work... Just the dream team. In such company, no dangers were frightening. Except, perhaps, for their usual irrepressible high spirits.
What wonderful people he'd ended up with. Lucky again.
Ingenfara's bright red head had been the top of their class.
Her intellect delighted the entire faculty. Malicious minds attributed it to her belonging to an ancient scholarly family, but her brilliant intellect, courage, calmness in critical situations, methodical approach to studying issues, and persistent character couldn't be explained by genetics alone… One could only envy.
Like all noble families of Prime, of course, their Oms were acquainted. And had shared neighboring tables at the Royal Gala a few times.
Kyle knew firsthand how Inga's family was proud of her — no less than his own family was proud of him.
After all, a greedy and tenacious intellect was one of the chief virtues in Prime.
Curiosity was another virtue.
Kyle's mother, a lead arc-engineer, taught him to experiment, systematize results, and not fear mistakes, seeing them as steps towards discoveries. His father, a renowned historian, with a conspiratorial smile, supplied Kyle with the objects of his teenage special interest — copies of maps. And amusing ethnographic documents.
The unspoken message was clear. Look, the whole world awaits. All paths are open.
Their cozy, hospitable home was always full of laughter, intellectual debates, and unconditional support that made a person practically unsinkable.
And this forever-imprinted inner feeling of warmth and support played its important role in shaping Kyle's stable, supportive, and open-to-new-things personality. It also helped him decide on his career choice.
Unbroken by a difficult upbringing, balanced people are usually full of energy, curious, and eager for challenges. And greedy for new discoveries and challenges.
Kyle was no exception. Feeling a pull towards adventure and the world's mysteries, he decided to focus on something serious and large-scale, to illuminate a greater number of this world's secrets with his fresh, enthusiastic gaze.
And to become strong and trained enough to reach the rarest, most complex, and inaccessible of them.
What could be better suited for that than the Semi-Legendary Secret Prime Agency of Very Strange Affairs, dreamed of by many adventure-novel-reading immature personalities across the Mainland.
But book fantasies were one thing, and quite another was to find oneself among the students of a prestigious, secret government institution.
However, he decided to try to enter the practically inaccessible elite Academy at the Main University, despite all the difficulties and some family disapproval regarding the choice of a dangerous profession.
Fortunately, his family was not among the simple ones. Nor among the limited and limiting. And they didn't cross out his plans for his own future because of their fears. For which he was immensely grateful to them.
As he was for his bright, happy youth in general.
To which was organically added gratitude for the help in entering the Academy. For the opportunity to be there, admiring the old architecture of the buildings, with their stories and legends, and the rich design of the well-equipped lecture halls.
To study, often overcoming all sorts of difficulties, after long, exhausting training sessions, trying to arrange his aching legs and hands unwilling to hold documents, just to get a peaceful moment of rest in the magnificent Library with interesting reading, or in the Archive, where dust motes shone in the stained-glass light, and where there was so much fascinating stuff.
And for the chance to meet interesting people. Two of whom became the closest to him. And now they were going to work together. Exciting.
And for the fact that after long, complex, and thorough training, he ended up in the VST after all. Here. In this position. In this large, bright office. With a view of his beautiful city. Could things have turned out any better? Hardly.
The thought made him smile even wider.
"Right. No more procrastination. Skim through the documents. Then — to the briefing. Then to Kantine. We'll uncover all possible secrets there. And then we'll come back. To prepare for the next ones."
Kyle chuckled. This joking thought reflected his investigative zeal.
Yes, he was ready for it. This was the culmination of all his study cycles and a chance to test himself and his investigative skills.
However, the Prime native believed he could figure anything out. Nothing could stop him. Even total failure would just be a new set of data to analyze.
The others were in equally high spirits.
Inga intended to secretly gather information on all the cities.
It would soon become known which city would have the honor of hosting her first. Though they wouldn't know about it. Ingefara would operate unofficially and obtain information through "roundabout ways."
Kyle would work officially and by the book. As the most charismatic and open one. Plus, it was in his creed.
The inconspicuous Tobias would gather information without "showing his face" anywhere. Covert reconnaissance was his specialty. And his lifestyle.
Tibby was quiet. Unless it concerned his interests — then he would unexpectedly explode with fury disproportionate to the event.
This very thing had nearly gotten him expelled from the Academy after a quarrel with a professor.
Tobias came from a simple family, not wealthy, not renowned, and not even native to Prime. They didn't hold onto such ones too tightly here.
Only Inga's patronage helped him stay.
But it didn't save him from sidelong glances afterwards. And it made him withdraw into himself even more… If it weren't for them, for Inga, his close ones, his team.
They always tried to share warmth and support with him. Even despite his rejection and certain prickliness. He was a good fellow. And would become an excellent agent.
Together forever. And they would be the best in the VST. And then the Academy's teachers and administrators would realize their mistakes.
After all, it would be a huge loss for the Agency to write off an agent who wasn't strong in communication. But who excelled at observing, listening, and making brilliant deductions.
Kyle took a sip of his half-cooled tea, which he'd forgotten to reheat in his pensiveness, and turned to his desk made of expensive, light clay, where creative chaos reigned, understandable only to him.
Stacks of tablets with notes, several copies of old maps (his long-unabated passion), a route schematic to Kantine, and a small potted houseplant — a gift from his mother "for maintaining bio-balance at the workplace."
Funny. So like her.
So, Kantine... What to skim through before the briefing?
The agent picked up a few clay tablets with brief information summaries and a couple of transparent holographic witchographs from the desk.
…"Agrarian center of the Mainland," right… "Conservative traditions," that's there... Probably… "Skeptical attitude towards witches and Witchery." Well… sort of.
He knew all this perfectly well from his university course, which, by the way, he'd finished with honors, being one of the few.
One could say that… Kantine appealed to him in a way.
There was something brutish and rebellious about its morals. Something comforting in its disregard for certain confining restrictions, numerous conventions, and the ostentatious politeness that stifled genuine communication in Prime.
Kyle himself also preferred directness and transparent, understandable communication.
So… while other students curled their lips contemptuously, mocking the "mossy-backed hardheads," he studied their culture, language, and traditions, trying to somehow "restore justice."
As a result, he knew the language better than anyone in their class. And probably better than anyone in the VST.
But, for now — in theory. Practice was coming soon.
The Kantinese would surely be surprised by a "high-altitude" type knowing their language and customs. And that could become a new milestone in respectful communication between the cities.
…"Language: Kantinian, close to Prime, with simplified grammar and archaic lexicon"… Uh-huh… Simplified?
Or just more direct and functional, without unnecessary frills? Interesting...
Well. He'd soon find out how much the living language differed from the version in dusty textbooks. And book knowledge from reality in general.
That was the value and essence of any productive research. In correcting assumptions and illusions. And obtaining relevant information. Which is development. Very exciting.
He himself loved and respected this immensely. And one could engage in it endlessly. At least for the entirety of one's allotted life. And the field of activity here was the whole world. Well, or as many locations as this very life would suffice for. That's where one had to be more careful. And not waste the valuable resource in vain and pointlessly, because you wanted to see as much as possible, and the more interesting, the better… And this fascinating adventure was to begin, no less, with Kantine.
Splendid. So be it. Even if some assured him it was… "well, not the best" of starts. Much better and more interesting than no start at all.