Magic Pottery

The journey to the Kingdom of Rus is finally nearing its end.

The northernmost city in Neo-Mesopotamia, Karmishli, borders Turkey to the north, and once we cross the plains farther north in Turkey, we'll arrive in the Kingdom of Rus.

In a straight line, we have about 1,600 kilometers left. That's about the length of crossing Honshu from south to north. We've crossed several great countries large enough to contain the entire Japanese archipelago several times over, and somehow made it all the way here.

Karmishli is a trade nexus linking the Caspian region to the east, the former Russian territories to the north, and the Mediterranean region to the west. Railways run east, west, and south, though not north, and the shops are lined with all kinds of exotic goods. The people buying and selling them have all sorts of different faces, too.

There are Asians, Latinos, Nordics, and all kinds of other people.

There are blue-haired people, one-eyed monsters, and even headless, dullahan-like people earnestly haggling over pots. Hiyori isn't on guard, so maybe that one isn't a Transcendent, but a second-generation demonkin descended from one? You see demonkin here and there whenever you're walking around a reasonably large city.

After checking into the stylish suite of a luxury brick-built hotel, we went out for some light sightseeing before dinner.

"Do you know any good places you recommend?"

"No. This is my first time in this city, too."

"What? There are cities you've never been to?"...