Chapter 171: Encountering a Magician.

As the carriages traveled along the pothole-riddled road, they jolted violently.

After riding for little more than ten minutes, the six young adventurers all began to look miserable.

Ouch, their poor bottoms hurt from all the jolting. Ouch, the swaying was making the contents of their stomachs churn.

Still, this was the method they had chosen, so they had no choice but to endure it.

They had refrained from using magic and relied solely on their wits and hands to free the carriage wheels, all so they could move the humans with their sincerity and successfully hitch a ride.

As it turned out, riding in a carriage was nowhere near as pleasant as they had imagined.

The members of Team Light looked at one another and saw the same word written across every face: regret.

Getting off halfway did not seem right, either, especially since the drivers were so friendly and kept trying to chat with them.

The youths answered cautiously and vaguely, saying only that they were traveling to the Central Court to visit relatives.

The moment the driver heard “Central Court,” he became animated. He spoke endlessly of how much he yearned to visit it and lamented that his children had no talent for magic. Otherwise, he would have sent them to study at a magic academy in the Central Court so they could improve their living conditions.

Only after listening to the driver did Shu Li learn that students admitted to Saint Velia Magic Academy not only paid no tuition but also received a monthly allowance.

Wealthy families might look down on that allowance, but to commoners, it was a considerable fortune. It could both improve their living conditions and bring honor to the family.

Every March and April, Saint Velia Magic Academy dispatched numerous teachers to magic academies throughout the countries of the continent to select outstanding students. This encouraged commoners to send magically gifted children to school.

This beneficial cycle not only increased the number of mages but also raised the Central Court’s reputation across the continent.

Even an ordinary carriage driver could speak knowledgeably about the Central Court and its magic academy.

At that moment, Shu Li’s admiration for the God of Magic, Danlov, reached new heights.

During the more than two thousand years since Danlov had left the Elven Kingdom and entered the Human World, he had accomplished many extraordinary things.

Given the opportunity, Shu Li would love to hear Danlov tell more stories.

After the carriages had traveled for over an hour, the road gradually became smoother. The youths sitting atop the timber breathed sighs of relief and began enjoying the scenery in comfort.

The land on either side of the road was no longer barren. Vast fields had appeared, and since it was spring, they were filled with lush green wheat seedlings, vibrant with life.

Farmers in drab gray clothing worked in the fields—men, women, and children alike. Every one of them looked sallow and thin, clearly malnourished.

The young Fairies, who had entered the Human World for the first time, were deeply puzzled. With so many wheat fields, why were the humans working them so thin?

Shu Li quietly explained it to them.

All these wheat fields belonged to the lord. The commoners did the hardest, most exhausting work but received very little in return. They never had enough food or warm clothing, and their lives were exceptionally difficult.

His companions were even more confused.

If the rewards were so meager, why did they not find different work?

Shu Li sighed as he looked at his innocent companions.

The lord possessed noble status and commanded tremendous power and wealth. All the commoners in his territory belonged to him and could do nothing but create wealth for him.

If they encountered a benevolent lord, they might live happy lives with ample food and clothing. Otherwise, they could only become victims of exploitation and oppression, enslaved for their entire lives. As long as people did not die in large numbers, neither the lord nor the nobles who followed him would care whether the commoners at the bottom lived or died.

Despite the Dalia Empire’s great renown, corruption and oppression pervaded it. This ancient nation had existed for over two thousand years, but it was already in decline and showing signs of decay.

When Shu Li had delivered a letter to the queen, she had known full well that the Kingdom of Pedam was suffering the ravages of war, yet she had been powerless to help.

A king who possessed no real authority and was constrained at every turn was no different from a puppet.

More people gradually appeared along the road. Most were commoners heading to work, though there were also merchants traveling into town and a handful of weary, dust-covered travelers.

“Is that person a mage?”

Hearing Angel’s voice, Shu Li looked in the direction he was pointing.

A hooded figure clutching a crude magic staff was stumbling along the roadside. His body swayed with every step, as though he might collapse at any moment.

“He should be a mage.” Shu Li studied the figure curiously.

The two carriages passed him in succession, making quite a racket, but the man showed no reaction and merely continued walking with his head bowed.

Once the carriages had traveled a little over two meters past him, the man stumbled and pitched forward.

“Oh! He fell!” Disio exclaimed softly.

Shu Li frowned and waited for the man to get up by himself. However, even after the carriages had traveled another four or five meters, the man remained motionless on the ground.

“Why isn’t he getting up?” Angel asked in confusion.

“Could he be ill?” Disio suggested.

Shu Li pursed his lips, then could not resist calling to the driver seated at the front. “Sir, could you stop the carriage for a moment?”

Barry immediately pulled on the reins, bringing the carriage to a halt. The other carriage stopped behind it.

“What is it, young man?” Barry asked, looking up.

“I’m going to help someone,” Shu Li replied. With an agile leap, he jumped down and landed steadily on the road before running toward the fallen mage.

“A-Amo!”

Seeing this, his companions jumped down from the carriages and followed him.

Shu Li reached the mage’s side, crouched beside him, and asked, “Friend, are you all right?”

The mage lay facedown, his large hood completely covering his head. He did not respond to Shu Li’s question.

Had he fainted from the fall?

After a moment’s hesitation, Shu Li carefully lifted the man’s hood with his right hand. Brilliant hair as radiant as gold instantly came into view.

“Wow—” His companions crowded around and exclaimed in amazement.

Shu Li was equally astonished.

Golden hair was common among Fairies and Elves, but very few possessed hair of the same pure gold as his and the Elven King’s. When he had previously accompanied Ilio into the Human World, he had encountered only a handful of blond humans. Even then, their hair had been either duller or paler.

The mage before him had smooth, lustrous hair that gleamed like gold. Such dazzling hair was exceedingly rare among humans.

Returning to his senses, Shu Li tore his gaze away from the golden hair and looked at the mage’s profile.

It was a very young face, with striking contours, delicate brows, smooth skin, thick lashes curling like two little fans, and a tall, elegantly shaped nose. Yet his lips were pale and bloodless, even slightly cracked, lending him a fragile, almost damaged appearance.

Shu Li could not help touching a finger to his cheek. Finding it warm, he quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

“Friend, wake up. You can’t lie here.”

If they left him alone, his life might be in danger.

Because of Danlov, Shu Li had a favorable impression of white mages. There had been one in the desert adventuring party, for instance, who had been forced to join forces with Dark Elves in search of a Blazing Sun Crystal.

After Shu Li found the fire elemental, he had deliberately left a Blazing Sun Crystal at the bottom of the lake as a token of gratitude.

Now that he had encountered a white mage unconscious by the roadside, he simply could not turn a blind eye.

Perhaps Shu Li’s calls finally reached him, because the white mage at last showed a reaction. He groaned softly, his lips moving as a feeble sound escaped them.

“What?” Shu Li lowered his head as far as he could and brought his ear close to the man’s mouth.

“...Water... water...”

Once Shu Li finally understood him, he hurriedly motioned for Kumandi to help him lift the mage.

Moving gently, Kumandi turned the mage onto his back and rested the man’s head against his thigh.

Shu Li removed the waterskin from his waist, unscrewed the cap, and held it to the mage’s lips.

The moment the mage tasted water, he swallowed eagerly.

“Slowly. Be careful not to choke.” Shu Li moved the waterskin back slightly to keep him from drinking too quickly and inhaling the water.

Hearing his warning, the mage slowed down.

After drinking half the waterskin, he was no longer thirsty and had regained consciousness. The mage slowly opened his tightly closed eyes.

At the sight of those clear, emerald-green eyes, Shu Li fell into a daze. For an instant, he thought he was looking into the Elven King’s eyes.

He instinctively shook his head and looked at the mage again. The sense of familiarity vanished.

Of course this person was not the Elven King.

Aside from their similarly golden hair and emerald eyes, their appearances were completely different.

The mage was young and handsome, with an unmistakably aristocratic air. Beneath his dusty cloak, he wore an exquisite and costly magic robe.

He was clearly of extraordinary birth.

“Wow, he’s awake!” Budno looked him over from head to toe with undisguised curiosity.

“This person... is really handsome.” Amanda bit his tongue. He had almost said “human,” but fortunately corrected himself in time.

Returning to his senses, Shu Li offered the man a friendly smile. “I saw you suddenly collapse, so I came over to check on you. I didn’t expect to find you unconscious.”

The young mage propped himself up and sat, examining the youths surrounding him. He coughed several times and raised a hand to cover his mouth. His broad sleeve slipped down, revealing rope burns around his wrist.

“Th-Thank you for saving me,” he said hoarsely.

“It was nothing. There’s no need to thank us.” Shu Li pointed at the marks around his wrist and asked in confusion, “What... happened there?”

No normal person would bind his own wrists tightly enough to leave bloody marks.

The mage glanced down and replied awkwardly, “Bandits!”

“Bandits?” the members of Team Light exclaimed in unison.

“You actually encountered bandits!” Shu Li looked at him with immense sympathy.

“Yes... It’s a long story...” The mage heaved a weary sigh.

Shu Li was about to ask for the details when the driver called from behind them, “Young men, are you still going to Kesheng Town?”

“Oh! I’m sorry, sir!” Shu Li called apologetically. “We’re coming right now!”

They had worked so hard to hitch this ride. Of course they intended to ride it all the way.

“You’re going to Kesheng Town?” the mage asked. “Could you... take me with you?”

Shu Li blinked.

Five minutes later, Team Light was once again seated atop the timber, and the carriage carrying Shu Li now had one additional passenger: the handsome young mage.

The kindhearted young Fairies shared their provisions with him—the roasted wheat cakes left over from breakfast.

After thanking them again, the mage accepted a wheat cake and ate with refined movements. Despite his hunger, he did not wolf it down.

It was clear that he had been raised with excellent manners.

The carriages continued onward, their turning wheels creaking rhythmically.

After eating and drinking his fill, the mage recovered most of his strength and began recounting his experience in a pleasant baritone voice.

“My name is Es... tel...” No sooner had he introduced himself than the three young Fairies riding in the same carriage stared at him with wide eyes.

“Wait. What did you say your name was?” Shu Li wondered if he had misheard. “Es... tel?”

“Yes.” The mage smiled. “Is there something wrong with my name?”

Shu Li and Kumandi exchanged a glance.

The Elven King’s full name was Freyus Estel, yet the young mage before them—with his golden hair and green eyes—had just said that his name was Estel.

How could they possibly not be astonished?