Surprisingly we were not ambushed on the second day and arrived at the capital in the evening. I looked out of the window and admired the sight.

The Jinso river flowed all the way from Neth to the ocean, passing through Lupos on the way. It originated from a large lake, which had just come into view. Neth had been built next to the lake. It provided water, had a river big enough for some ships and it was surrounded by fertile land. You could see plenty of farms in the area around the capital.

Neth itself was protected by a massive stone wall. Only a few buildings were tall enough to be seen from outside. One of which was a large white tower.

"Oh, is that the palace?" I asked, while pointing.

"No, that's the Academy of Neth. They have the highest tower inside the city. I have also heard that an archmage could use it to launch spells beyond the wall, not sure if that is true." Helena added.

The gatehouse was decorated with flags of the kingdom and two guards inspected incoming travellers. Because it was getting late there was not too much traffic. As we approached Kaito slowed the carriage and a third soldier approached.

"Evening, sir. I have to talk to your passengers." The man said.

"Certainly." Kaito replied.

Hatsumi opened the door. "Greetings."

"Good evening, ladies. I saw the undead, who of you is the necromancer?" He asked.

"I am, sir." I replied.

"I need to see your licence for those undead ma'am." He said, politely.

Thankfully I had my paperwork with me and handed him the licence.

He studied it. "You are from the Royal Military Academy?"

"Yes, sir." I replied.

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"In town for the conference?" He asked.

"Yes, is the conference this popular?" I asked, wondering why a guard knew about it.

"Popular might be the wrong word but we have been warned about an influx of necromancers. While you see the occasional undead in Neth they are not that common. We would have been more nervous about your driver and those horses if we had not been prepared." He replied, while returning the licence.

"Do you need directions?" He asked.

"It would be appreciated. " Kaito said.

We closed the door again while the man directed Kaito to our hotel. Soon the carriage rolled on. I watched the streets with interest. Neth's architecture was similar to Lupos, although their main street was wider. We rolled past a market district and towards the giant tower.

We did not go all the way to the academy, instead we took a left towards our hotel. The area was clearly inhabited by wealthier people. There were bigger houses, some even with their own place to park a carriage. A few had a garden as well.

Our hotel had a large parking lot. This time there was no screaming as we arrived, instead a well dressed stable boy rushed towards us and bowed.

"I can stable your horses…" He said, while eyeing the undead. He seemed a bit uncertain but stayed polite.

"Good evening. We do have one living horse, the undead won't need any special care. They can stay with the carriage." Kaito said.

The stable boy nodded and went towards Coffee, meanwhile we left the carriage. Hatsumi and Kaito grabbed our bags and we entered the building.

The hotel itself was three stories tall. It had been built with granite bricks and featured quite a few windows. The entrance had a small roof, propped up by two pillars. A sign hung above: Golden Chalice. The sign was made from dark wood but the letters seemed to be made from gold.

Unlike most inns, we did not step into an area that served food. There were a few plush couches and chairs for you to sit down, in case you had to wait. The interior featured a lot of beautifully carved wood, crystal chandeliers provided light and the walls were decorated with paintings. There was a counter with a friendly man in a suit, he smiled as we entered.

"Greetings! Are you here for the conference?" He asked, while looking at Kaito.

"Indeed. You should have a booking for Koyuki." Kaito replied.

The man opened a book and scanned it, then nodded. "Yes, that would be two adjacent rooms with a connecting door. Your servants get a small chamber on the same floor, however, you are also free to use our own maid and butler service. Further, we offer a secure room if you have merchandise to store."

He started filling out some forms while he continued: "Your stay will be one week and has been paid for. Breakfast is included and served in our restaurant. Since we have great weather I can recommend the outdoor dining in our garden. The restaurant is just behind me."

He finished writing, then placed two keys on the table. "You have rooms 3 and 4, they are on the second floor. The stairs are that way." He pointed towards a hallway on the left. "Do you need any help with your luggage?"

"No, we are fine." Kaito replied.

The man rang a bell and a maid rushed towards us from a room to his right. "Christa can show you to your rooms and help your servants find their quarters."

Christa… I stared at the young woman in shock. She had long blond hair, a round face and some cute freckles. Around her neck was a familiar collar. Her green eyes widened as she saw me.

"Koyuki?"

"This place uses slaves?" Skadi asked, while I was trying to find out what to say.

The man behind the counter nodded and somehow looked proud. "Only the best, she has been trained at Rossalyn Academy."

"Oh…" Helena said, looking at me.

I did not know Christa that well. Friendships had been discouraged and had been a weakness the trainers had used against us. Also, she was a year older than me. But I did remember her. She had always been quiet, kind and dutiful. And she most certainly did not deserve that collar around her neck.

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