Later the next day, Logan found himself in the elevator with Silas and Edric, holding a black briefcase tightly.
As they stepped out on the rooftop, the engines on the rcer Centerpiece had already started up, blowing wind in all directions.
"Ready?" Edric asked, glancing at him.
"Yup," Logan nodded, smiling slightly.
His heart pounded as he thought about the trip.
’There’s no doubt that this will be an amazing trip... and I’ll even get to et Livia again.’
He’d asked her if she would be there, to which she imdiately answered with a yes.
Besides her answer, she’d also told him sothing that made him raise his eyebrows.
’She ntioned so kind of blessing unlike anything seen in the years before,’ he thought, the hatch slowly lifting him into the ship. ’I wonder what exactly will happen.’
He wasn’t particularly worried about his safety at the event since the Imperial Church would provide so of their own guards.
’And who would be stupid enough to kill inside Vatican City?’ He shook his head. ’That’s an instant death sentence plus whatever punishnt the Church would add on top.’
Stepping out in the lounge area, Logan imdiately excused himself from Edric and Silas, heading to his room to get so sleep instead.
If he didn’t sleep now, he wouldn’t have any other chance later thanks to the large ti difference.
’It’ll be eight AM there once we arrive,’ he thought, the door shifting shut behind him. ’Giving two hours to explore before the official ceremony starts.’
After putting the briefcase on the couch, Logan quickly laid down to get so sleep.
Hours later, he was woken up by the shuttle’s beeping alarm, alerting him that there were only a few minutes left before they would arrive.
Logan yawned as he sat up on his bed. The sun had just barely risen above the horizon, shining softly into his room.
"It’s ti already?" he muttered, rubbing his eyes.
He jumped out of bed, stretched, and walked over to the briefcase containing both the invite and the ceremonial clothes.
Flicking open the strap, Logan stared at the clothes, completely lost.
"How am I supposed to wear all these robes..." he muttered, shaking his head.
After a minute of blankly staring, Logan let out a sigh and sent a ssage to Edric.
When Edric arrived, it didn’t take more than a few minutes to figure out where everything was supposed to go.
"That should be it," Edric said, nodding approvingly.
Logan narrowed his eyes slightly as he glanced at the mirror.
The white and golden robe fit him perfectly, the crimson sash holding everything in place while being covered in luxurious jewels.
’They even gave rings and a necklace,’ he thought, raising his hand.
Four of his fingers now wore rings, each set with a massive gemstone. And finally, the necklace with seven interlinked rings made out of pure gold.
"They aren’t ssing around for this event," Logan said, looking back at Edric.
Edric chuckled. "They’re broadcasting it to the entire world. It would reflect poorly on their reputation if soone arrived dressed like a beggar."
As Logan glanced at himself in the mirror once more, the shuttle landed just outside Vatican City.
"Suits you well," Silas said, raising a thumb as he stepped into the room. "The shuttle’s landed, the Imperial Church guards will be here any minute."
"Right," Logan nodded, smiling as he walked towards the hatch.
"We can’t go with you," Silas said as he walked beside him. "So watch yourself out there."
Logan gave a small nod, stopping at the hatch. "I’ll see you all later."
"Have fun," Edric smiled, giving a small wave.
As the hatch lowered, Logan imdiately spotted four figures dressed in white armor with golden rings on it. He could tell each of them was a strong knight by the pressure they radiated as they stared at him.
Standing between them was a veiled girl he knew all too well. However, instead of her usual robes, she wore a pristine white dress.
Logan’s smile widened as he stepped off the hatch and walked towards them.
Livia took a step forward. "Welco to Vatican City, Mr. rcer," she said, her tone polite but warm.
"Good to see you again," Logan replied, stopping in front of her.
She smiled under her veil, her gaze scanning his attire. "They dressed you up well."
Logan grinned. "Of course. Can’t co to such a prestigious event dressed like a beggar."
Livia tilted her head slightly. "There’s still ti before the ceremony. Want to walk around the city with ?"
Logan raised an eyebrow. "You’re not busy with preparations?"
"The Church has more than enough people to handle that," she said, a soft smile under her veil. "Besides, it’s rare for to get free ti like this."
Logan’s smile widened as he gave a small nod. "Alright, let’s go then."
The two of them walked towards the city side by side, catching up as the four knights silently followed them.
As they walked through the busy streets, Logan heard the chis from bells and the excited chatter from tourists all around him.
Mixed in with the chatter were faint whispers, spoken in accents from all over the world. A few people paused mid-step to watch him, their expressions unreadable behind polite smiles.
"A lot of people here," he remarked, scanning the crowds.
Livia giggled. "While the important people get to watch the ceremony up close, hundreds of thousands of people gather in the back courtyard in hopes to get blessed."
Logan glanced at the massive courtyard at the end of the street. The open space was packed shoulder to shoulder, the crowd stretching so far it blurred into the horizon.
Near the end stood lines of white-robed knights, each in charge of maintaining the peace and preventing people from sneaking in.
Beyond the courtyard stood the enormous Church, its tall towers holding massive golden bells inside.
As he got distracted, Livia pulled on his arm, dragging him into a smaller side street.
"We don’t have to go to the courtyard," she said, shaking her head. "The smaller streets are way more fun."
Logan was caught off guard but smiled.
Everywhere he looked were street vendors, each trying to shout louder than the last, selling anything from special Church charms to regular beast at.
The sll of hot bread drifted through the street, and Logan noticed tourists staring as they stepped aside to let them pass.
Suddenly, the golden bells he’d seen earlier started to toll, making Livia’s pace slow down.
"That’s the call for honored guests to get seated," she said, turning back to look at him. "ans there’s only an hour left before the ceremony starts."
Logan smiled slightly. "We shouldn’t keep them waiting then."
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