Chapter Three: The Journey

Thunderstorms raged through the night, their roar smothering countless stains and secrets beneath their noise. When Liu Tian awoke at dawn, a new day had begun.

He sprang his eyes open, retrieved the prism-shaped object from his underwear, and, while dressing, slipped it into his left sock. After a quick wash, he toasted some bread in the kitchen, boiled five eggs, and poured himself a large glass of milk.

Since his mother had left for the Chiyun Empire to rest and prepare for childbirth, Liu Tian had handled his mornings this way. Occasionally, when the mood struck, he would change things up—perhaps stir-fried pork with peppers, or the reverse—but today, pressed for time, he kept it simple.

After a modest breakfast, he dressed in his black military-style school uniform, pinned on the Rose Academy badge, shouldered his backpack, and stepped out the door.

Rose Academy was once a classic institution for the nobility, insisting that at least one parent of each student be aristocratic—a rule that had quietly faded away over time. The only remaining proof of its noble roots was the high tuition.

Fortunately, Liu Tian’s worries never extended to fees. His father, Liu Yun, an exceptional captain and whaler, went to sea three times a year, each voyage earning more than an ordinary family’s five-year income. Thanks to this, Liu Tian’s place at the academy was secure.

Naturally, such expensive tuition had its reasons. He waited only a short while at the neighborhood’s gate before the academy’s exclusive student bus arrived with a blare of its horn.

Joining the crowd, Liu Tian found the bus already half full. Rose Academy required all students, barring a privileged few, to take the bus. Of nearly a thousand students, only a handful were exceptions—those with special status or power. The most famous of these was Lilia von Ein, known as the Rose Princess.

Yet Liu Tian’s path had scarcely ever crossed hers. As outsiders from the Chiyun Empire, the Liu family preferred to keep a low profile and avoid entanglements with the local elite—especially with figures who stirred such powerful undercurrents.

Previously, Liu Tian had been so absorbed in martial arts that affairs of the heart held no interest for him. Though he had crossed paths with the Rose Princess, his only impression was her hair—long and crimson as blood.

On the bus, Liu Tian kept to himself, speaking to no one, joining no groups. He made his way to the back and sat by the window, resting his head and organizing his thoughts about this world.

It was a world reminiscent of Earth on the eve of the Second World War, dotted with small nations under the dominance of three great powers: the Chiyun Empire, with the widest lands and largest population; the Dawnstar Alliance, rulers of countless islands and the world’s mightiest navy; and the Aurora League, a New World nation, newly independent after the First World War, possessing strange and advanced technologies unearthed by archaeology.

The Liu family had lived in the Chiyun Empire. Liu Yun, with a taste for adventure and a refusal to follow family expectations into bureaucracy, set out alone to sea at fifteen. After years of wandering, he met Liu Tian’s mother, Sophie Lowis, in the Kingdom of Flowers at thirty. They fell in love at first sight, settled there, and have lived together for nearly twenty years.

Liu Tian inherited his father’s black hair and yellow skin, and from Sophie, eyes as red as fresh blood. As a child he was endearing, but ten years ago, after apprenticing himself to a wandering martial artist, he grew more solitary and unruly. This was why, even approaching fifty, Liu Yun and Sophie decided to have another child. Liu Yun, having traveled the world, knew the martial path was perilous and often fatal. If Liu Tian’s goal was to be the strongest—and with that master as his teacher—it would be futile to force him into another mold, just as Liu Yun himself had refused the path set by his own family.

Fortunately, Liu Tian had few close friends, sparing himself many troubles.

From last night until now, he had spent considerable time sorting through all the information he needed to know. At last, with his mind clear, he turned his attention to his surroundings, observing the scenery he had never before witnessed in reality.

You could tell these were children of wealth—almost everyone on the bus was attractive, especially the girls, each with her own beauty. Their bodies, well-nourished and elegantly curved, were accentuated by their uniforms: crisp white shirts above, black pleated skirts below—a vision of youthful charm.

By contrast, Liu Tian’s face could only be called ordinary, and, amid such beauty, even appeared plain. Yet he possessed a unique air—a quiet, resolute strength.

Had he not been solitary and so devoted to martial arts, perhaps he would have had his share of admirers. In this age that revered true men, Liu Tian certainly fit the tastes of many girls.

To avoid misunderstanding, he cast only a brief glance around before turning to watch the world outside the window.

Trees flashed by. Thick black smoke poured from factory chimneys. Mansions lay hidden among the greenery. Pedestrians hurried past; beggars, yellow-faced and thin, slumped by the roadside; workers were thrown out of factories with their luggage; policemen in green uniforms, pistols at their waists, patrolled; newsboys with newspapers tied around their waists ran along the street; and gangsters in uniform, tattooed and glaring, sized each other up.

Though he knew all this from memory, seeing it with his own eyes was fresh and striking. Such scenes he’d only ever glimpsed on television—now he could witness firsthand the iron fist of capitalism.

He felt a surge of gratitude. Had he not been reborn into a well-off family, surviving in this era would have been excruciating, no matter how hard he tried.

Yet, wasn’t the friction between gangs more intense than before?

Counting silently, Liu Tian noticed that in this one journey alone he’d witnessed five fights—far more frequent than usual. The bus route was fixed, and though there were not many protectors along the way, the gangs had always kept their distance from these privileged students. Usually, seeing even one or two scuffles was rare, but now the conflicts came thick and fast. No doubt, trouble was brewing.

It seemed that last night’s typhoon and thunderstorm had sparked many incidents. But, Liu Tian thought to himself, such matters had nothing to do with him.

With this sense of detachment, he heard the bus horn sound—the Rose Academy had arrived.