The walk to the palace felt different this time.
Mostly because Ariana wouldn't stop staring at Oliver. She walked a half-step behind him, clutching her staff, looking at him like he was a rare specimen in a museum.
"So," she whispered, leaning in. "In your world… do you really have carriages that move without horses?"
Oliver sighed, adjusting his collar. "Yes. They're called cars."
"And… and boxes that let you talk to people across the continent instantly?"
"Smartphones. And yes."
"And… giant metal birds that carry many people"
"Yes. They are called aeroplanes."
"Aeroplanes… Cool. I also want to fly but flight magic is so hard and consumes so much mana."
Ariana gasped softly. "That's incredible. Do you have infinite mana there? Is that how it works?"
"No mana. Just electricity and science."
"Science…" she repeated the word like it was a holy scripture.
