The carriage rumbled through the heavy iron gates of the inner wall, winding through the Imperial Castle.
And just like that, the world changed.
As they emerged on the other side, the sounds of the shouting merchants and the chaotic blend of people and street food vanished instantly.
It was as if they had crossed an invisible barrier into a different century.
The air here was crisp and cool, carrying the scent of pine and old incense.
Peko, who had been quietly suffering against the assault of the market smells, finally relaxed her hand and took a deep breath.
"Better?" Nico asked.
Peko gave a small, almost imperceptible nod. "Much."
Nico turned back to the window, almost instantly lost in the stunning beauty of Old Shinkotsu
If the South was a chaotic explosion of the future, Old Shinkotsu was a preserved painting of the past.
They had entered a wide, impeccably paved road that stretched out like a scene from an Edo period drama.
