◇◇◇

 

Chirp. Chirp.

 

The morning air was so fresh, flowing in through the gaps and the wide-open window.

 

Birds perched on branches competed with one another, as if showing off whose song was the sweetest.

 

Beyond the window.

 

Inside a medium-sized, two-story house, someone was sitting with her seat facing outward.

 

Part of her face was touched by the rays of the morning sun.

 

They say it’s good for one’s health, so this had become part of her daily routine.

 

Iron fences, as tall as a single floor, lined and divided the houses in that residential complex.

 

Her long, wavy hair was left loose. When tied up, its length wasn’t obvious, but when released, it trailed past the backrest of the chair she was sitting on.

 

When standing, her hair nearly reached her hips.

 

The fragrance of tea mingled with the thin stream of steam rising from the white cup on the table beside her.

 

“A warm drink in the morning truly is the best!”

 

She sipped from the cup, the taste of tea spreading inside her mouth.

 

Evelyn was enjoying her weekend morning, relaxing at her official residence in the capital.

 

Drinking tea in between reading a book, like now.

 

This time, Evelyn’s book contained all sorts of information about plants, their properties, and their meanings.

 

Its contents were quite useful, and each page was even accompanied by illustrations of the plants described.

 

Next to the teacup, now half-empty, sat a small stack of letters.

 

Her eyes darted toward them.

 

Some, she was certain, were from her youngest brother, others from her workplace, and one letter whose origin she didn’t recognize.

 

“Doesn’t seem to be the wrong address, either.”

 

Closing the book she had been halfway through, she set it aside in its proper place. Evelyn’s collection of books filled every shelf available.

 

She froze for a moment, then tapped her forehead as though she had just remembered something.

 

“Ah! That one.”

 

Her memory returned to some time ago, during her journey to the imperial capital, when she had stopped by the eastern region.

 

There had been an event underway.

 

The centennial commemoration of the Imperial Postal Service.

 

It had been quite festive, and, of course, not only held there.

 

Even when she arrived at the capital four days later, the bustle still lingered in several places, especially around the site of the Imperial Central Post Office of Astarion.

 

“Heh… poor soul, whoever ends up with that letter.”

 

Evelyn scratched her head absentmindedly.

 

She hadn’t expected that hastily written, half-hearted letter, scribbled quickly because she wanted to resume her journey, would actually receive a reply.

 

Her eyes flicked once more to the table where the reply now lay, helpless and unopened.

 

She swallowed, moistening her throat that suddenly felt dry.

 

The letter was clearly no threat, but her heart still grew nervous.

 

After all, aside from her family and colleagues, she had never exchanged letters with anyone else…

 

Not even with acquaintances or friends from the academy.

 

On the rare occasions she had, it was only ever out of necessity, something extremely rare.

 

Because Evelyn preferred to handle things on her own, for as long as she was able.

 

Her hand moved swiftly, gathering all the letters.

 

It would be better to read them in her room, she thought.

 

◇◇◇

 

Some time ago, in Greathollow.

 

Ding!

 

The chime above the door jingled as Kael pushed it open.

 

He stepped inside.

 

“Whoa… pretty crowded.”

 

His eyes swept the room. Up ahead, many people were queuing at the counter, while others sat waiting for their numbers to be called.

 

On a long bench by the window, several people were writing something.

 

The post office that day was filled mostly with youths.

 

It seemed many of them were interested in the event being held.

 

Kael himself also thought it would be fun to exchange letters under a pseudonym.

 

“Welcome to the Greathollow Post Branch! May I help you?”

 

An attendant stood near the entrance, greeting Kael with a polite bow and a warm smile.

 

“This, how do I go about this?”

 

Kael extended a hand holding a pamphlet.

 

The attendant nodded in understanding, then politely asked Kael to follow him, toward the area where people were busy writing.

 

Looking more closely, Kael realized there was a special counter set up just for the commemoration event.

 

While waiting, the attendant explained more about it.

 

Participants could choose to either be a sender or a recipient of a letter.

 

And this event also served as a trial for a teleportation device being developed by the Mage Tower.

 

For now, it was only being tested with small, lightweight items.

 

After repeated confirmation, the Mage Tower had declared their device capable of delivering letters to any region across the empire.

 

The emperor had welcomed the news and immediately dispatched envoys to negotiate terms.

 

If one day the device could be advanced enough to transport people, animals, or large carriages, Astarion would offer discounted sales of magic stones to the tower.

 

Not only that, the emperor had also pledged financial aid if their invention was deemed beneficial to the people, especially the citizens of Astarion.

 

It was an enticing offer. Cheaper magic stones alone were already a great boon, and with the emperor’s backing, the tower stood to gain even more.

 

Thus, an agreement was secured between both parties.

 

Kael nodded repeatedly, listening intently.

 

He knew mages were remarkable, but he hadn’t expected they could invent something like this.

 

If teleportation could be used on humans… it would be incredible.

 

Traveling to different places would become so much easier.

 

In his heart, Kael prayed and wished the best for the mages.

 

“Please choose, you may be the sender or the recipient.”

 

“Oh, I can do it now?”

 

“Yes. With the tower’s device, we only need to register your pseudonym, real name, citizen number, address, and the number of your home’s mailbox.”

 

The attendant added.

 

“By registering all that, replies or other letters can be delivered directly into your mailbox. Of course, you must still bring them first to the nearest branch post office, as the devices are only available at each branch within the empire.”

 

“Oooh, that’s cool!”

 

The attendant nodded as though agreeing it was indeed extraordinary.

 

After registering his details, Kael glanced again at the crowd of people still writing. They hadn’t lessened at all. His gaze shifted to the window.

 

The sky had already turned orange.

 

Soon the sun would be swallowed by night.

 

“Uh… I don’t think I’ll have time to write a letter now…” 

 

Kael muttered.

 

Soon, he would also have to pick up Porshe and continue his journey toward his cottage, his final destination.

 

“You may choose to be a recipient only, sir. Please take one letter from the box over there.”

 

The attendant pointed to a box in the far corner of the post office.

 

“Ah! In that case, I’ll do that.”

 

“Very well.”

 

The attendant led Kael to the corner, unlocking the padlock that secured the box.

 

“Please.”

 

He bowed slightly, allowing Kael to reach in and draw a letter at random.

 

“I’ll just take this one. Doesn’t make a difference anyway.”

 

“Understood, sir.”

 

The attendant nodded, giving Kael the freedom to choose.

 

“When sending your reply, please remember to write the mailbox number of the recipient.”

 

“How will I know that?”

 

“Ah, you can find it here. Excuse me.”

 

The attendant briefly asked for the letter Kael held, turned the envelope face-up, and pointed to a number printed at the bottom right corner.

 

[001-348-12]

 

He also added that the recipient’s mailbox number should be written in that section to make sorting easier before it was sent to the destination mailbox.

 

“So that’s it.”

 

“For your mailbox number, please write it above your pseudonym, so the recipient can do the same.”

 

“Alright, I understand. Thank you. Well then, until next time.”

 

“My pleasure, sir. Safe travels.”

 

Ding!

 

The chime rang again.

 

This time as Kael pulled the door open and stepped outside.

 

His footsteps carried him away lightly.

 

Leaving behind the lively building still buzzing with activity inside…