Saroyan by Night

It was fortunate that her shorts were so brief they were completely concealed by the hem of her top, allowing her pale, slender legs to move with unrestrained agility.In mere strides, she caught up to Hecate.Hecate, paying no mind to the breathless Iordera at her side, calmly proceeded to the designated stop.Upon seeing this, Iordera surmised they were embarking on a long journey.As Hecate remained silent, Iordera followed suit, knowing this body could stand motionless for an entire day without tiring.A slight chill, however, crept up her exposed legs.As dusk deepened, the sun rapidly dipped below the horizon, leaving the tram tracks utterly deserted.Iordera, recalling a conversation she had overheard on the previous tram, felt a flicker of doubt. “I heard someone say there are no trams at night,” she ventured, “that the one we just saw was the last…””There are,” Hecate replied with a faint voice. “Just a little longer.”With the sun now entirely vanished, darkness, like a subtle wash of ink, seeped across the city.Then, a faint rumble echoed from the tracks, signaling the arrival of the night’s inaugural tram.”Here it comes!” Iordera exclaimed, rubbing her hands together and then her legs. “That was quite a long wait between trams.”Her exposed, pale thighs had grown quite chilly.Whether it was the dim lighting or something else, the night tram appeared shrouded in gloom, making it impossible to distinguish any figures behind its windows.The ticket seller was no longer a cheerful young woman, but a gloomy-faced man.Noticing his unwavering gaze, Iordera felt a touch of bewilderment.”Do I need to insert a coin?” she asked tentatively.”Nonsense,” the ticket seller retorted. “Who boards a tram without paying? Are you trying to ride for free?””No, no, that’s not what I meant,” Iordera quickly clarified, producing a silver coin. “Here.”It wasn’t that she enjoyed freeloading, but the inconsistent demands for payment—sometimes required, sometimes not—left her feeling utterly disoriented.As they settled into a corner seat at the tram’s rear, the vehicle slowly rumbled to life.The windowpanes were so smudged that the scenery outside was merely an indistinguishable blur.Once seated, Hecate remained utterly silent, her wide-brimmed hat obscuring most of her face, rendering her expression unreadable.Iordera, in turn, maintained her silence, adopting an air of quiet expertise.The tram sped along its designated route; at each subsequent stop, a scattering of passengers boarded, yet none ever alighted.The new passengers were uniformly shabbily dressed; some appeared ragged and worn, while others bore visible grime and even bloodstains.A strange unease settled upon Iordera, though she could not articulate its source.As the carriage grew increasingly crowded, Hecate subtly lifted a finger, and a transparent, gelatinous film shimmered into existence, isolating their space from the throng.The world beyond their bubble instantly muted; their own voices could not escape, nor could the cacophony from outside penetrate their sanctuary.”My dear, you’ve been in Saroyan for a few days now, haven’t you?” Hecate inquired, her tone light and airy. “What are your impressions of this city?””Saroyan? I suppose… it’s quite wonderful,” Iordera answered candidly. “The city is immense, incredibly prosperous, and boasts every conceivable facility. Compared to Juneburg, it’s truly a world apart.”Furthermore, she had gleaned from a tourist brochure that Saroyan’s status as an international metropolis stemmed from its numerous “other friendly intelligent races,” who maintained embassy-like compounds and various joint ventures within the city.In every conceivable aspect, it rivaled the grand modern cities of her former life.”Is that truly all?” Hecate pressed, “What else have you observed?””Hmm… and the city’s inhabitants are all so pleasant,” Iordera mused, reflecting on her recent days. “They are friendly, harmonious, and genuinely good-natured people.”Hecate offered a slight smile. “A glowing assessment, indeed,” she commented, “but do you truly believe such perfection is natural?””…Eh?””It is a consequence of human social dynamics,” Hecate explained. “The pyramid structure remains absolute, its proportions largely unchanging. For a segment of a city’s population to live in such comfort, an exponentially larger number must inevitably pay the price for their idyllic existence.”Iordera blinked, and in that instant, comprehension dawned upon her.Consider, for instance, a person enjoying a leisurely and opulent life; they are, by and large, quite amiable.Yet, those who underpin their beautiful existence—the laborers toiling overtime in their factories, the artisans who meticulously maintain and repair their exquisite furnishings, and the sanitation workers who keep their sewers and refuse bins pristine, ensuring their homes remain immaculate—These individuals endure hardship and exhaustion, harboring a deep well of resentment from their arduous lives, and certainly, not all of them possess a gentle disposition.Even in the technologically advanced metropolises of her previous existence, such disparities were stark.How much more pronounced, then, must they be in a world where magic and alchemy exist, yet automation remains a distant dream, exacerbating these very conditions.Moreover, there were many who ‘licked blood from a knife’s edge’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom referring to those who live a perilous life, often involving violence or crime), as evidenced by the bloodstains adorning the clothes of several individuals in nearby seats.’Why had I not encountered such sights in the days since my arrival?’ she pondered.”Saroyan stands as one of the Empire’s most vital cities,” Hecate murmured, “and once its policies were established, it was designated as one of the Empire’s very faces. It is meant to shine, to flourish, to embody the City of Dawn that all humanity and foreign races yearn for.”Iordera cast a pensive gaze over the tram’s current passengers. “So…” she began.”Therefore, from that point forward, Saroyan established a particular decree.”The tram shuddered to a halt, and even the driver vacated their seat, indicating they had reached the terminus.Within the carriage, all the passengers who had boarded from various points now rose and converged towards the exit.”What belongs to the day, remains with the day; what belongs to the night, remains with the night,” Hecate declared softly, taking Iordera’s hand and drawing her to her feet. “My dear, welcome to Saroyan’s true night.”Beyond the tram, under the languid caress of dim, yellow lamplight, intricate streets were seamlessly connected by a sprawling array of shops and vendor carts, culminating in a colossal market.From a distance, the market swarmed with a teeming multitude, as countless as ants pouring from a subterranean nest.The majority of those who had just disembarked from the tram were absorbed into its depths.”From city sanitation and cheap labor, to the trade and smuggling of illicit goods, even violent retribution and vendettas,” Hecate’s voice floated, light as a feather. “In this entire East District of Saroyan, every dishonorable, unsavory, and clandestine task is posted and claimed.”Iordera’s eyes widened in astonishment, and she instinctively swallowed hard.A pure distillation, indeed.Hecate, without a glance back, strolled casually into the bustling market.Iordera hesitated for a fleeting moment before hurrying to keep pace.Her hesitation was entirely understandable; indeed, both Hecate and she appeared distinctly out of place amidst the market’s rough-and-tumble atmosphere.Within the cramped market, they were surrounded by individuals with menacing gazes and volatile dispositions, their rough attire marking them as figures not to be provoked—akin to the gang members one might encounter in a video game.In such an environment, two youthful and striking beauties strolling through the midst naturally drew an abundance of stares.The younger of the two, in particular, with her exposed, shapely legs, became a focal point.Iordera found herself regretting her attire; she ought to have at least donned a pair of white stockings before venturing out.She cast a glance at Hecate.The Witch, utterly impervious to the surrounding stares, walked with an unwavering, perfectly steady gait.A measure of calm settled over Iordera’s spirit.’Of course,’ she mused. ‘The woman beside me is a Witch, after all, and supposedly over level ninety. What possible fear could she harbor for a mere band of thugs?’