"Oh, Kuro, you're here? It's been a while since I last saw you. How have you been?"

  The sound of a cloth wiping against a glass is noticeable, even with the constant loud noise of speakers blasting soundtracks to liven up the bar.

  "Hey there Judivial, I was just in Atlanta. I came here to pass by. Glad to see that you're still working here."

  Low scratching noises can be lightly heard as a wooden chair is moved slightly, followed by the creaking sound of someone sitting down.

  "Of course." Judivial grinned a bit.

  He put the cleaned glass back on its shelf. His movements are slow and elegant, but it's clear that he's a professional when it comes to his work.

  Kuro finds the way he moves fascinating. Judivial is someone with a ton of work experience; Kuro is pretty sure the latter doesn't need to continue working at a bar, but Judivial had told him before that working as a bartender is much more enjoyable than any other work available.

  Judivial probably owns this bar stand at this point, and it would probably never be the same again if he ever lost interest and quit.

  His eyes shift to look around, soft lavender orbs examining every inch of alcohols, glasswares, the nicely made and crafted wood table that feels nice to touch, and the calming light decorated board that makes one wonder if they really are inside a bar.

  "So, tell me, how's Atlanta?" Judivial turned to face him again just to ask a question.

  Sometimes Kuro really does find it weird that most demons would turn to face him even if they're busy just to reply or ask him a question.

  Although it does feel more respectful to do so, the netherworld really isn't a place where others mind how you talk. Except maybe for the sovereigns.

  "Well... Atlanta is really a beautiful nation to visit. The water was crystal clear in a... Um... Quite literal term of crystal clear water..."

  Kuro stops for a bit as Judivial laughs at his words, it made him smile after a long while. He waited for Judivial to finish before he continues.

  "There are a lot of land in Atlanta more than I thought. I was honestly expecting to be in a boat the entire time, I even expected to be swimming for a long time..."

  Kuro closes his eyes, the memory of his time in Atlanta flashing back.

  "The places in Atlanta are really beautiful... Everything is elegantly beautiful and there were a lot of shops as well. I even got to see how the residents there dives back to the water. But, I didn't get to see the palace of the sovereign at all, even from a distance." Kuro sighs disappointingly.

  "Well, that's because the palace is underwater."

  "...”

  "Huh..? The palace is.. underwater?" Kuro tilted his head, confused.

  He had never heard anything about a palace being underwater. Most of the gossip and rumors he'd heard mentioned a beautiful palace in Atlanta, shrouded in shining crystals and pearls.

  Plus, how could a palace be accessible or functional underwater? Unless there was a cave leading in, Kuro doubted it would be worth it to hide a palace deep underwater.

  "Don't look so confused. Atlanta's sovereign is Lord Leviathan, the avatar of envy." Judivial glanced at Kuro before continuing.

  "The palace is underwater because Lord Leviathan doesn't like interacting with others and prefers to be alone. There's also another rumor, which may be true, that he actually enjoys being in water. Hence the palace being underwater."

  Kuro made an "oohh" sound. He completely forgot that Atlanta had a sovereign managing and overseeing the nation.

  Honestly, most people probably would forget that the sovereign of Atlanta exists, considering he never mads any public appearances and is rarely seen even in his own nation.

  Even rumors about his physical appearance are based more on demon guesses than facts.

  "Hm... But I really do wonder what an underwater palace looks like. Is it actually shrouded in shining crystals and pearls?"

  "Who knows? Only Lord Leviathan knows about it." Judivial chuckles.

  Kuro found himself smiling, deciding to end the conversation as customers began to arrive.

  Judivial's attention now focused on assisting the customers' orders. Most of them were ordering alcoholic drinks.

  With nothing else to do, Kuro leaned over the table and watched Judivial work. The way he effortlessly grabbed the glassware and alcohol, the way he shook the mix in an entertaining and handsome way—it was truly amazing.

  Kuro still remembered the time he first met Judivial. It was a low point in his life, but it might have been the first time he felt special.

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  There was nothing to do, but he didn't want to leave yet. It had been a very long time since he last went out, and the amount of soulstones he had accumulated was probably rotting away if it wasn't protected by some sort of magic.

  Come to think of it, he was already here. He might as well spend some soulstones and get a taste of Judivial's amazing drinks.

  Unfortunately, he didn't really drink alcohol. Were there any other options?

  Kuro would have grabbed a menu or even read one by now, if there were one. Bars don't really have menus, and Judivial's bar certainly didn't.

  He would have asked Judivial, but he felt too shy to speak now that there were more customers either sitting down at the bar to order or simply passing by.

  Kuro watched Judivial, his attention flitting between the bartender's focused work and the conversations of nearby customers. Many of these conversations were intriguing, like the one about the Alvisos preparing for an event or festival.

  After a while, Judivial finished assisting his customers. Kuro waved to get his attention, and Judivial approached with a playful grin.

  "Oh? You need something, my lady?" he teased.

  "Ehh, don't call me that, it's embarrassing! And I'm not a lady... Anyway, I was just wondering if you..."

  "I?" Judivial prompted.

  "If you serve non-alcoholic drinks... I don't really like to drink alcohol, so..." Kuro looked away shyly, feeling awkward asking for a non-alcoholic drink in a bar.

  "Don't be shy. I do serve various drinks, you know? I might as well say, I'm the greatest drink maker of all time!" Judivial boasted, making Kuro giggle. He really knew how to make someone smile.

  "Well, we'll see about that! Do you have anything with Gloopernuts?" Kuro asked, adjusting his posture.

  "Well yes, dear customer, I can serve you a Sparkbrew, a brew, or if you like, some fizzle. Your choice!" Judivial offered.

  "Hm..." Kuro pondered. It seemed the bar didn't serve straight-up juice.

  Sparkbrew was a carbonated drink, fizzy and best served cold. Brew was something Kuro had never tried before. It always contained a shot of espresso, a drink recently popularized in the Netherworld due to the Avatar of Pride's interest. Fizzle, on the other hand, was a thick, soft, and cold drink that resembled a cloud.

  He wanted to try the other two drinks, but for now, he wanted...

  "So? What would you like?" Judivial asked.

  "Can I just have a Gloopernuts Sparkbrew?" Kuro requested.

  Judivial gave an "okay" sign with a grin and returned to work. Kuro watched, now enjoying a full view of Judivial as he worked in front of him.

  Soon, his drink was ready. The sound of glass gently sliding across the wooden table caught his attention. His eyes met Judivial's dark ones.

  "Here's your order. Made with special care and love, do enjoy it."

  Judivial's black horns seemed to stand out against his dark eyes, extending upwards before curving down to eye level, the tips pointing outwards.

  "Thank you..." Kuro murmured.

  Judivial gave a small grin before turning to greet new customers. Kuro watched him approach them before focusing on his drink.

  Today, Judivial seemed more handsome than ever.

  ???

  The wind howled mournfully as Kuro walked through the bustling street. He took a deep breath, continuing his journey.

  It was late, though he didn't know the exact time. He knew the evening had passed. He really should buy a watch, or better yet, an astral. It would definitely be helpful.

  Anyway, the Gloopernuts Sparkbrew Kuro had tasted was truly delicious. It was the most flavorful sparkbrew he'd had in a long time. Its lavender color and fuzzy bubbles created a beautiful sight. The swirled cream topped with fresh Gloopernuts made it even more amazing.

  He had stayed there for so long that it was now late. Even though it was very late, the street was definitely more bustling than it had been during the day. Sometimes he forgot that they were nocturnal, well, them. Since Kuro preferred to sleep early and be more active during the day.

  Kuro felt his nerves growing as more and more people appeared. There was a ton of noise coming from both sides, a never-ending stream of conversations that were impossible to focus on with all the other distractions.

  It had been such a long time since he had gone out. A crowded place was not something he wanted to deal with right off the bat. It felt nerve-wracking, and he kept being conscious and worried about being stared at or glanced at. He wished he could just use teleportation magic to go home, but he didn't have the knowledge or the magical strength and ability to do so.

  He just had to deal with it and find a way to get away from the crowd.

  After a long walk, Kuro felt like throwing up from all the feelings that swelled inside him. He wanted to go back home and never go out again.

  But at the same time, locking himself inside his own home felt like being locked inside a prison cell he had put himself in willingly. He didn't want to feel that way again, but the crowd today was just too much.

  He should avoid being out this late at night. For the moment, until he got used to it, that's it.

  Now out of the bustling crowd, Kuro could breathe freely again. His hands were still shaking from the nervousness and panic he had felt internally, but it was slowly disappearing.

  At the moment, he was at a station. Although nations could be walked by if you felt like it, each nation used a gateway, some sort of portals connected to each other. Entering by foot was not really recommended. A demon that tried it said he had a very terrible experience of headache and endless feeling of floating up in the air.

  To prevent future issues, the Stargazer was created. It's a long, connected vehicle that travels through gateways, with only four entrances on both ends. Two on the left side serve as exits, while two on the right are entrances.

  This is the same vehicle Kuro rode when he traveled to Atlanta. It's a pleasant experience, but if you're new to it, you might feel dizzy.

  There are many other vehicles and transportation portals similar to, yet different from, gateways. Some are specifically designed for transporting goods or trading with other nations.

  While the Stargazer might seem like a good experience, it's not entirely free. The cost in soulstones depends on your current location and destination.

  You must pay after entering the entrance, once you receive the payment card from the machine. You can then proceed to take a seat inside.

  It's not worth trying to enter the Stargazer without paying. A barrier will appear, preventing you from continuing. You can't cheat the system by choosing a closer nation for a cheaper price either. If you try to disembark in a different nation, another barrier will appear, blocking your exit.

  The card given to you is likely the reason for this. It completely disintegrates upon the passenger's exit from the Stargazer. If you leave the card behind, even if you pay the fare, the Stargazer won't let you out unless you have the card with you.

  This advanced technology must have taken a long time to develop and implement correctly. It's fascinating to learn more about the Stargazer and other vehicles.

  The sound of horns echoing from the gateway snaps Kuro out of his thoughts as he stands up from his seat. Safety railings appear at the sides of the gateway, ensuring no one jumps as the Stargazer emerges.

  After the third long horn, the Stargazer finally appears from the gateway. Its finely painted red and orange hue is clearly visible as it slowly begins to stop.

  Upon stopping, the sound of wind being released can be heard as the doors of the Stargazer open.