Chapter 181: Leaving Kesheng Town.

When Shu Li saw Ace beginning to undress, he moved farther into the bed to leave the outer side free.

Ace hung his robe and trousers on a rack in the wardrobe, then got into bed wearing a shirt and knee-length shorts.

This was a remote town, after all. However good the accommodations were, the bed came with only one blanket and one pillow.

Shu Li thought they were enough for two.

Ace reached over to turn off the magical stone lamp and lay down beside him. Their shoulders touched.

Shu Li yawned, settled into a comfortable position, and gave Ace’s chest an absentminded, reassuring pat. “Sleep well. Good night.”

Ace paused. “...Good night.”

The exhausted Little Fairy soon fell asleep without a care. Within a minute, he was breathing softly and evenly.

The blond “human classmate” beside him listened to that steady breathing, wide awake.

Meanwhile, the forgotten Falm crept onto the foot of the bed and curled up in a corner.

At some point, a faint sigh sounded in the dark room.

Shu Li slept soundly and dreamed of nothing. When he woke, his human classmate was already gone. He rubbed his eyes and sat up in confusion. He was alone in the room; even Falm had disappeared.

The place beside him had grown cool. Ace must have risen quite early.

Shu Li hurried out of bed and drew back the curtains. The sun was high in the sky. It had to be eight or nine o’clock.

Oh no, he had overslept!

Why hadn’t Ace woken him?

He rushed through washing and getting ready, then pulled the magic robe he had cleaned last night from the wardrobe and put it on.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Sperien, are you awake?” Angel called from outside.

“I am, I am!” Shu Li answered as he opened the door. Seeing Angel fully dressed, he asked, “Is everyone else up?”

Was he the last one out of bed? Had even Budno, who loved sleeping in, risen before him?

“Budno’s still in bed. I sent Kumandi to wake him.” Angel grinned. “I saw Ace talking to Henry with Falm earlier. Henry was fascinated by Falm. He kept saying how beautiful he was and even gave him a piece of dried meat.”

Knowing Budno was still asleep eased Shu Li’s embarrassment a little. “I slept so deeply that I didn’t even notice Ace leave.”

“That’s all right. We were exhausted yesterday, and we worked until the early hours. Come on, let’s have breakfast.”

“Aren’t we waiting for the others?” Shu Li took his key and shut the door.

“I’ve told everyone.” Seeing Shu Li’s puzzled expression, Angel explained, “I don’t know what Ace said to Henry, but we get a free breakfast in the Magic Association’s dining hall this morning!”

“Wow! That’s wonderful!” Shu Li’s eyes lit up.

“Isn’t it? I thought so too.” Angel chuckled.

Since leaving the Faerie Forest and seeing how humans lived, he had begun to realize how extravagantly he used to live. If he wanted to fit into the human world, he ought to live more like a human: keep things simple and save where he could.

“Let’s go eat, then!” Shu Li said eagerly. After all their work last night and a long sleep, dinner had been thoroughly digested. His stomach was growling.

The two Little Fairies set off happily for the dining hall. On the way, they met a bleary-eyed Budno and a stern-faced Kumandi. After exchanging greetings, the four went in together.

Though it was mealtime, few magicians were in the dining hall. The statue found at Ram’s house had kept many of them working until three or four in the morning. Some had even gone to a larger city overnight to report the matter to their superiors.

“Over here!” Dicio waved enthusiastically.

Ace and Amanda were already seated at a rectangular table. Even Falm had his own place. A plate of meat stood before him, and he was eating with obvious pleasure.

Shu Li saw his short, plump tail swaying and felt the corner of his mouth twitch.

That old magical beast was pretending to be a baby, charming people into feeding him, and enjoying every moment of it.

“Good morning.” Shu Li sat opposite Ace and asked sheepishly, “Um... I didn’t crowd you in bed, did I?”

He was used to sleeping alone and tended to sprawl, stretching out his arms and legs or hugging the blanket. He hoped Ace had not risen so early because Shu Li’s sleeping habits had driven him away.

“No.” Ace smiled. “You slept very quietly.”

“Huh?” Shu Li blinked.

Quietly? Really? Then he hadn’t pushed Ace out of bed.

What a relief!

He relaxed and smiled. “What time did you get up? Why didn’t you wake me?”

“A little after six. I’m used to rising early,” Ace said. “You were sleeping so soundly that I couldn’t bring myself to disturb you.”

Shu Li rubbed his nose, embarrassed.

Ace finished the last of his oatmeal. “I ran into Henry after leaving the room. We talked for a while, and he said the Association would provide us with breakfast for free to thank us for discovering the danger posed by the Dark God’s statue.”

“I see!” Shu Li was impressed. His human classmate really could talk to anyone. They could learn a great deal from him.

The Team of Light enjoyed a hearty breakfast in the Magic Association’s dining hall.

Afterward, they returned to their rooms, packed their belongings, collected their staffs, said goodbye to Henry, and left.

Shu Li firmly sent the well-fed Falm back into the Fire God’s mark. It would be better for a magical beast not to wander about on the next leg of their journey. He might frighten ordinary humans—or attract thieves.

Kosheng held a morning market, and its streets were bustling. Villagers had come in great numbers, some to buy and others to sell. Stalls filled every available corner.

The Team of Light was eager to reach the next city and had no time to browse. They bought a few necessities for the journey, found a carriage rental stand, and chose a coachman who looked honest and dependable.

According to their newly purchased map, traveling by water would be fastest.

They would take a carriage to Baya City, then find a boat at the docks and follow the Itongli River to the Royal City of Adilan.

After a short rest there, they would hire another carriage into the small country of Prunse. From there, they could reach the central court in a matter of days.

The route was straightforward. If nothing unexpected happened, they might even arrive at Saint Velia Magic Academy ahead of schedule.

With their route settled, they spent one gold coin to hire a ten-seat carriage. The coachman urged his two strong horses forward, cracked his whip, and drove them out of Kosheng.

The road just outside town was smooth, and the carriage barely jolted. The Team of Light chatted happily. After a little more than an hour, however, the road grew increasingly uneven, and the carriage began to sway from side to side.

The Little Fairies and the young dragon all had wings and were accustomed to flying about. The motion did not bother them.

Ace, supposedly human, sat perfectly steady too. He held a newly bought copy of The Complete Book of Elementary Magic Spells and read with complete concentration.

“Ace, doesn’t the bouncing bother you?” Shu Li asked curiously.

Ace looked up and smiled. “Not much. I travel by carriage often, so I’m used to it.”

“Oh. Reading in a moving carriage is bad for your eyes, though. Why not wait until we stop?”

“All right.” Ace obediently closed the book and put it in his new pack.

Now that he had received his share of the payment, he had bought himself a pack, spare clothes, washing supplies, books, and writing materials.

Prices in Kosheng were low. One gold coin could buy quite a lot.

“Ah, I’m so bored!” Budno leaned against Angel and groaned.

The rocking carriage was making him sleepy. He had not slept enough that morning, thanks to Kumandi waking him without mercy, and he still wanted to doze.

He cast Kumandi a resentful glance. Kumandi immediately looked back, his gaze sharp.

“Something wrong?”

“Uh, no. Nothing.” Budno waved his hands awkwardly.

Kumandi took two decks of cards from his bag and unfolded a table attached to the carriage wall, setting it in the middle.

“Want to play?”

“Yes!” The Little Fairies perked up at once.

The shopkeeper had told Kumandi that cards were the most popular game on the continent. He had recommended them so persuasively and explained the rules so well that Kumandi had bought two decks.

Seeing them brought back memories for Shu Li.

He had never imagined that the cards he once taught the young master of the Hobner family to play would become the boy’s livelihood. The young master had developed all kinds of ways to play, and cards had swept across the continent. Nobles and commoners alike played with delight.

Still, Shu Li had to admit they were an excellent cure for boredom.

Before long, everyone in the Team of Light was absorbed in the game. The hours slipped past. The sun began to set, night approached, and Baya City came into view.

The hired carriage had served them well. The coachman had driven diligently, and his two horses were strong enough to get them to their destination before dark.

After a full day of cards, the team was reluctant to stop. If the coachman had not announced that they had reached the city gate, they would still have been fiercely competing.

Their magic badges made entering the city much easier.

The gate guards had been barking orders at ordinary citizens. But when they saw seven magic apprentices inside the carriage, their manner changed completely. They checked the badges and promptly waved the carriage through.

Baya had grown from a small riverside settlement into a sizable city centered on its docks. Trade flourished there, and its streets and buildings were far more developed than those of Kosheng.

Broad, level roads were paved with tiles and lined with magical stone streetlamps. Carriages came and went without pause. The commercial district bustled, its shops displaying so many goods that there was scarcely time to look at them all.

The city was full of life.

The Little Fairies and the young dragon crowded around the carriage windows, marveling at everything like visitors from the countryside.

Shu Li had seen the far grander Daoto City and the Royal City of Adilan, so he was not particularly surprised. Ace was calmer still. After a few glances, he lost interest.

The carriage stopped at the rental station. The team climbed down one by one, twisting at the waist and stretching their limbs to ease the stiffness of the long ride.

“Should we go straight to the docks?” Dicio asked.

“Don’t you want to look around?” Budno gazed about curiously. When he spotted a food stall, his interest grew. “Let’s find somewhere to eat first!”

They had only gnawed on a few coarse oat cakes at noon. They deserved a proper dinner.

A city built up so well must have better cooks than Kosheng, surely?

Amanda, whose appetite was enormous, raised both hands in support.

Shu Li saw the two of them clutching their stomachs and sighed helplessly. He turned to Ace and Kumandi. “What do you think?”

Ace knew the human world, while Kumandi was steady and sensible. Together, they were the team’s advisers.

“We’re close to the docks,” Ace said. “We should go there first and find out when the passenger boats for the royal city depart. If we can catch the last one, we’ll buy tickets and have dinner aboard. That saves us the cost of an inn. If we’ve missed it, we’ll have to stay in Baya tonight.”

“That makes sense,” Kumandi agreed.

Shu Li clapped his hands. “Then that’s what we’ll do. To the docks!”

Budno pressed his lips together.

Angel gave his ear a gentle pinch. “You’ve grown so much, yet you still can’t stop thinking about food.”

Budno stuck out his tongue.

The seven handsome young magic apprentices attracted plenty of attention as they walked down the street. Men and women alike looked at them appreciatively.

The Team of Light took it in stride. They politely asked for directions when needed. Passing a bakery, they stopped and each bought a fresh, warm roll to tide them over.

“Five silver coins for one roll? That’s expensive!” Budno complained as he ate, pained by the price.

“That’s what things cost in a city,” Shu Li said. “When we reach the royal city, you’ll find that five silver coins buy almost nothing.”

Nobles and wealthy merchants gathered there. Everything was expensive; anyone without substantial means would struggle to live in the royal city.

“I still prefer home,” Dicio said wistfully. “We had everything we needed and never worried about getting by.”

They had been in the human world for only two days, and already he had seen how unfair it could be. Some people were desperately poor while others were rich; people were ranked by status, and the gulf between them was vast.

“Which is why we should save what we can and avoid wasting money,” Angel said solemnly.

They had stacks of gold coins in their storage rings, but they were posing as magic apprentices from a mountain village. The ten gold coins each had earned yesterday were the only money they could openly claim.

Budno’s roll suddenly seemed less tasty. “I should’ve waited and bought nothing.”

“Me too,” Amanda agreed.

One roll was barely a mouthful for him. He began to worry whether his enormous appetite could be satisfied in the human world at all.

Shu Li reassured them. They did not have to be quite so gloomy. This journey was meant to be a trial, but if they truly ran out of money for food, they were hardly going to starve while their storage rings held gold. They could use it when they needed to.

“We can improve our living conditions by taking more commissions,” Kumandi said.

“Perhaps we’ll find one at the docks,” Ace suggested with a smile.

Shu Li’s eyes lit up. “Really?”

Budno and Amanda instantly brightened too, staring at Ace.

“Travel by river is fast,” Ace said, “but boats often run into river bandits.”

“River bandits?” The Little Fairies and the young dragon widened their eyes.

“Yes. They’re strong swimmers with plenty of tricks. They like robbing passing boats, especially merchant vessels. Every time a boat crosses a stretch of river they’ve claimed, it has to pay a large protection fee.”

“What if it doesn’t?” Dicio asked innocently.

Ace lowered his voice. “Then they kill everyone, take the cargo, and get rid of the bodies.”

His companions drew sharp breaths.

Dicio clenched a fist in outrage. “Some... are truly awful!”

He had forced himself to swallow the word humans.

Shu Li had seen river bandits in historical dramas, but he had not expected merchant ships in another world to suffer the same problem.

“Doesn’t anyone stop them?” he asked.

The Dalia Empire was one of the four great empires of the Austin Continent. How could its king allow bandits to attack people freely on one of its most important rivers?

Ace shook his head. “Each lord manages only the stretch of river within his own territory. Anything beyond it is someone else’s problem.”

Shu Li clicked his tongue.

Everyone swept their own doorstep and ignored the rest. At this rate, the Dalia Empire might not remain an empire for long.

As they talked, they arrived at the docks.

They were busy even at dusk. Cargo stood in piles everywhere, and boat haulers, porters, merchants, and passengers hurried back and forth.

Boats of every size packed the river, nearly overwhelming the docks.

The seven apprentices looked around and found the passenger ticket office.

A long line of travelers bound for other cities stretched in front of its little booth. Shu Li saw no information desk. To find out whether a boat still sailed to the royal city, they would have to ask the ticket seller—but he did not want to cut in front of everyone.

“Excuse me,” he said politely to a middle-aged man in the queue whose clothes looked fairly fine. “Do you know whether there’s another passenger boat for the royal city today?”

Hearing the pleasant voice, the man turned in puzzlement. He saw a handsome black-haired boy. Once he noticed the boy’s magic robe and staff, his cool expression softened.

“Are you asking me?”

“Yes.” Shu Li gave him a charming smile.

The man glanced at Shu Li’s magician companions and shook his head regretfully. “You’re too late. The last passenger boat for the royal city left half an hour ago.”

“I see. Thank you.” Shu Li made an elegant gesture. “May the Light God bless you.”

“Oh! Thank you for your blessing!” the man exclaimed.

To receive a magician’s blessing was a great honor.

Shu Li and his companions left the ticket booth and stopped in a relatively open spot.

“It looks as though we’ll need an inn in Baya tonight.”

Four rooms for seven people would cost a fair amount.

Or perhaps... two rooms?

The Little Fairies could shrink and squeeze in with Amanda, leaving Ace a room of his own.

It would save money, but six people in one room would look rather strange. Shu Li quickly discarded the idea.

“If the boat to the royal city has gone, what about boats to other cities?” Kumandi took out the map and pointed to the Itongli River.

They did not have to reach the royal city on a single boat. Changing boats along the way was an option.

“You’re right! We shouldn’t fixate on one route.” Angel pointed toward the line at the booth. “People are still waiting to buy tickets, so other boats must be departing.”

“Then shall we get in line?” Dicio rubbed his hands together.

Whatever city a boat was bound for, they ought to secure tickets before they sold out.

“I’ll line up!” Budno and Amanda volunteered eagerly.

“Wouldn’t that make the fare more expensive?” Shu Li asked.

Tickets cost different amounts depending on the distance. Changing boats along the way might add extra expense.

Their shared fund held nineteen gold coins and sixty-five silver coins. The seven rolls had cost thirty-five silver coins.

Would the money left cover the trip?

You never understood the price of everyday necessities until you had to manage a budget yourself. Back in the Faerie Forest, he had never counted out money like this.

In his former world, his parents and brothers had given him more spending money each month than he could use.

“It would certainly cost more,” Ace said unhurriedly. “But don’t rush. There’s always a solution. We might even make money instead of spending it.”

“Make money?” Shu Li’s ears pricked up.

The rest of the team perked up too.

“Ace, tell us how!” Dicio urged. His eyes, turned brown by the disguise potion, seemed to sparkle with the prospect of gold.

The Little Fairy had become a little miser.

Ace raised a hand and pointed. “Do you see that large blue ship?”

Shu Li followed his finger. A sizable cargo vessel was moored along one side of the docks.

It was about twenty meters long and twelve meters high, with a row of oars along each side. Its sails were still furled, and porters were carrying cargo aboard.

“What’s unusual about it?” Shu Li asked.

A faint smile touched Ace’s lips. “If I remember correctly, the black panther painted on its bow is the Graves family crest.”

Kumandi understood at once. “You mean the Graves family is based in the royal city?”

“Yes.”

“Um... how do you know so much about them?” Shu Li asked hesitantly.

Ace was from the Izerafa Empire, yet he knew the families of Dalia’s royal city.

“The Graves family is a very old merchant house with businesses throughout the continent,” Ace explained patiently. “I’ve seen their black panther crest before, so I recognized it.”

“Oh, I see!” Shu Li said.

His human classmate was a walking encyclopedia, and remarkably observant besides.

“But what does that have to do with us?” Dicio asked.

Angel’s eyes brightened, and he grinned. “We can ask whether they need guards.”

With seven capable “magic apprentices” escorting them, the merchants could travel safely. River bandits would have to think twice.

If the team was lucky, they might even take something back from the bandits.

Human money was hard to earn, but with a little thought and effort, perhaps they could earn a great deal.