Eijiro PoV
[Kaguya City]
I looked around one of the open air floral shops in the center of the imperial capital. They had flowers from all over the kingdom. Snowbells from Kuroyuki no San, flame roses from Makkuroyama, oasis lotuses from Raiyama, royal delphinium from the southern lands, and Laelia orchids from Kuroichi.
The heavy scent of damp potting soil, cut stems, and water lilies mingled with the sharp tang of motor oil and warm exhaust wafting off the avenue.
Along the paved boulevard just past the market square, the morning traffic of Kaguya City was in full swing. Boxy, steel-bodied sedans and angular station wagons with polished chrome grilles rumbled over the asphalt, their engines humming with a deep, carbureted idle. A square-nosed pickup truck rattled past carrying crates of mountain produce, its tailgate rattling over a manhole cover.
