Hours had passed since Muruıre was left behind; the mountain road was unusually quiet.
Kaahn was leaning back inside the carriage, his feet stretched out onto the opposite seat. He laced his fingers behind his head and closed his eyes.
Akça grumbled as she organized the notes in her hand. "When the roads are this quiet, it makes a person feel uneasy. After that noisy environment of the academy, this silence is piercing my ears."
Without opening his eyes, Kaahn smiled faintly. "Enjoy it. When we arrive at the palace, you'll deeply miss this silence. Those piles of paperwork and never-ending protocols over there are already giving me a headache."
"Piles of paperwork would be the lesser evil," Akça said, looking out the window. "Dealing with those nobles who take advantage of his father's condition is going to be much harder."
Kaahn opened his eyes, looked at Akça, and smiled. Then, shifting his tone slightly, he murmured with a half-joking seriousness:
"Well then... why don't we... Since these nobles talk too much, seize control of the government along with the people? We dissolve the parliament or something and set up a nice, firm dictatorship, eh? Everyone shuts up, and there's no paperwork left to do."
Startled, Akça turned her head to stare at Kaahn. Seeing her deadpan expression, Kaahn couldn't help but chuckle softly. "I'm joking, of course. But rather than listening to the selfish demands of those nobles, I'm not above considering radical solutions."
"Don't even say such things," Akça said with a sigh. "Watch your tone at the palace. If someone takes these fantasies of yours seriously, they'll throw us into the dungeon for plotting a coup before you even take the throne."
"Alright, alright, you win," Kaahn conceded, breaking the playful mood as he turned his gaze back outside.
Kaahn's main purpose in going to Sihera was to stop by the logistics warehouse of Mayard, which had grown rapidly after drawing massive attention during its initial opening in Muruıre. Here, he was going to inspect the special order he had commissioned piecemeal from the blacksmith guild that possessed the most advanced ironworking skills in the country. Expanding across the empire through franchising[1], the brand had hit the jackpot by establishing its own logistics company. The company partnered with local producers to manufacture raw materials right in the cities where the branches were located, and then managed a massive commercial network by distributing these goods directly to the shops.
As the carriage moved forward, the scent of the air and the surroundings began to change. The clean, dry breeze of the mountain road was gradually replaced by the smell of burning coal, stone ovens, and pack animals. The dirt path beneath the wheels ended, giving way to the rhythmic jolts of unevenly laid cobblestones.
When the carriage hit a sharp bump and shook violently, Kaahn straightened up completely, pulled his feet back from the opposite seat, and adjusted his cloak.
Looking out the window, the steep-roofed stone houses of the town of Sihera, built like stairs on the rugged slope of the valley, began to appear below, along with servants rushing through the streets and small, smoking blacksmith workshops. Upon seeing the carriage belonging to Mayard's logistics network, the guards at the town entrance quickly raised the wooden barriers.
The carriage slowed down as it drove through the streets of Sihera, which were designed to fit the modest yet authentic texture of a provincial town, and pulled up at the most eye-catching corner of the square. This was the Sihera branch of the Mayard brand. Unlike the ostentatious luxury found in the big cities, this was an elite restaurant blended with the warmth of stone and wood, perfectly matching the town's atmosphere.
As soon as the carriage door opened, Kaahn stepped down. Gently shaking out his cloak, he looked up at the elegant banner proudly fluttering above the entrance, bearing the Mayard logo.
"Let's have a cup of coffee to shake off our fatigue before heading to the logistics warehouse," he said, turning to Akça. "Besides, we'll get to see with our own eyes how the kids inside are running things."
Tucking her notes under her arm, Akça followed him as Kaahn pushed open the shop's heavy wooden door. The small brass bell above the door chimed with a familiar, high-pitched ring.
[1] Franchising is a business partnership in which a successful and registered brand (the franchisor) grants entrepreneurs (the franchisee) the right to use its products, services, and business model under certain conditions.