Chapter 6
Two days later.
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"Bye, Dad! Farewell, Ros! Adieu, Steve! Bye, everyone!" Liliya waved joyfully out of the carriage window as it traveled toward the Magic Tower.
"Careful, Lili. You're going to fall," Lucas warned while sitting next to her.
"I won't fall!" She retorted, continuing to wave at their family. Seeing that she wouldn't listen to him, Lucas turned to his mother and begged her to stop his younger sister from doing something dangerous. Unfortunately, his mother merely chuckled and allowed his little sister to persist. Perhaps she wasn't concerned because she could just catch her before falling out of the window.
"Mother, how long will it take for us to get there?" He asked.
"Four days at most, that's if we are taking the normal route without utilizing the teleportation gate," his mother answered.
Teleportation gates were the optimal means of travel, providing near-instantaneous transportation between locations. However, its use required a substantial amount of mana and came with limitations on the number of people or objects that could be teleported. The teleportation gate was heavily guarded and exclusively controlled by mages affiliated with the Magic Tower and Royal Mages in order to not let anyone use the gate for the wrong purpose.
"So, will we use the gate or through normal travel?" Using the gate incurred significant costs, but the expense was justified for those who wished to avoid an extended journey.
"We will use the gate," his mother replied while leaning back. "There's no need for an extended journey, right?"
Lucas shook his head. If he wasn't in a hurry, he might be interested in traveling slowly just to see the scenery, but he couldn't afford such luxury at the moment.
"Eeeh, so we won't be sightseeing?" Liliya complained while plopping down into her seat. It seemed she had finished endangering herself.
"Eh, Lili can go sightseeing by herself. Meanwhile, we will head out first," Lucas replied with a grin.
"Meanie!" Liliya punched his arm, giving him a cute glare.
"What? But you said you wanted to go sightseeing, didn't you?"
"Together! Not alone!" She punched his arm once more.
"Ah? What? You want to be left here?" Lucas widened his grin, pretending not to hear properly due to something covering his ears.
"Mom! Brother Lucas is a meanie!" As expected, she deployed the ultimate weapon of a child, invoking a parent's scolding. Unfortunately for her, their mother simply giggled, finding their banter amusing.
Feeling betrayed, Liliya folded her arms in a pout and flopped herself back, her face frowning in displeasure.
"No~ this won't do. Our little princess is angry." Lucas approached her, and she looked at him warily.
"What are—"
"Tickle time!"
"Ah! Wait! Hahahaha! Stop!"
He tickled her mercilessly until their mother decided to grant her daughter mercy. As for Liliya, she was exhausted from the relentless tickling and had no energy left to berate him, but she mustered enough to give him a glaring look.
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******
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Mertall City, Gate Zone.
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Mertall City was in close proximity to the Harren Family's residence, situated at Wyvern's Peak. The city was bustling with people, but that was because it was one of the safest places on the border. While other villages and towns had their own defenses, they paled in comparison to the city's security. This led people to decide to come to the city, ensuring they could live without the constant fear of monster attacks.
The Gate Zone served as a dedicated area for those intending to use the teleportation gate. Usually, individuals had to undergo extensive screening for safety reasons. However, given the Harren family's status, the screening process wasn't done that extensively, and they received VIP treatment, allowing them to enter the gate promptly.
'The gate…. Let's check it.' Lucas activated his EoO.
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<Name: Mertall's Teleportation Gate
Type: Magic Artifact
Description: a complex magical artifact designed to teleport passengers to other designated artifacts. Crafted by Tier 7 mages, Archmage Poldansius, and Archmage Ertiga.>
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'The information is quite limited…. I suppose that's expected, considering I still lack a deep understanding of how this gate was constructed,' Lucas pondered. In the books he had read, teleportation wasn't a feat commonly achieved by mages. It wasn't that they couldn't do it, but manipulating time and space came with a hefty cost. There was still no precise formula for it, as even Archmage Poldansius said the intricate magic system in the teleportation gate wasn't flawless and required a substantial amount of mana and time for repeated use.
They passed through the gate, and their vision was momentarily blinded by a brilliant white light. After a brief period, the light dissipated, and they could finally discern their surroundings.
"Wow!" Liliya exclaimed as she glued to the window, her eyes fixed on the outside scenery. Their surroundings had transformed. They were no longer in Mertall but in Lousiva City.
"Welcome to Lousiva, children, the heart of the magic of Maguza Kingdom," their mother said with a warm smile. Lousiva City, home to the Magic Tower situated at its center, was renowned as a magical hub. Lousiva was known as a magic city because most of the activity in the city was related to magic, and many mages lived there. Not far from the south of the city, Maguza Academy was situated, and it would take a few hours to get there by carriage.
"Where will we be staying, Mom?" Liliya asked curiously. "At the tower?"
"If you prefer, but the tower doesn't necessarily provide a luxury room. So, perhaps we will stay in the hotel," their mother replied.
"So we'll head there first?"
"Yes, we need to put our belongings after all."
The hotel they chose exuded luxury, clearly frequented by rich people and nobility. They rented a lavish room with two beds in a private area to avoid disturbance. Once they packed their belongings, Isabelle led her children to the Magic Tower.
The Magic Tower stood proudly at the city's center, heavily guarded, not only by guards but also by magical barriers. Upon entering the tower, they were welcomed by a spacious area where mages gathered for conversation or resting. In the center of the space, the receptionist's table beckoned, and they were heading there.
"Lady Harren, welcome back," the receptionist greeted with a respectful bow.
"Thank you. I'm here because my son wishes to read the archives. If you require details, please retrieve file LCSH - 001. For that reason, he intends to conduct research to help him with his magic," their mother explained.
The receptionist nodded and retrieved the mentioned file. A suspicion formed in Lucas that it likely contained information about himself and his circumstances. It wasn't surprising. His case was unique, and the mystery surrounding it prompted the creation of a file.
The receptionist nodded after she finished reading his file and proceeded to work on something before presenting him with an ID card designed to be hung around his neck.
"This is the permission card custom restriction. With this, you have unrestricted access to the magic tower, the cafeteria, and only the archive. The rest are restricted. Inside the archive, you can access every section except prohibited sections. Failure to comply will result in the revocation of your permission card, and you may not enter the tower until further notice," the receptionist explained with a smile.
Lucas nodded, took the card, hung it around his neck, and said, "Thank you, Miss."
"What about you, Lili? Do you wish to go to the archive?" Their mother asked.
Liliya shook her head and replied eagerly, "No, I wish to explore the city!"
Then, their mother turned to Lucas. "Will you be fine alone? Or do you need me to guide you first?"
Lucas shook his head. "I'll be fine, Mother. I can just ask for directions."
"Very well, then, I shall return in the afternoon. Don't forget to have lunch, okay?"
"Yes, Mother."
"Good. Now, be careful, okay?" She kissed his temple and lovingly rubbed his head.
"I-I will, and stop that! It's embarrassing!" Lucas backed away with a blushing face due to embarrassment. It caused his younger sister to giggle while their mother smiled widely.
"I won't stop and never will," their mother looked amused. "Now, we'll be going, okay?"
She and Liliya then left the Magic Tower, leaving Lucas alone. He turned to the receptionist and asked, "May I ask for a guide to the archive?"
"Yes, please wait a minute. A guard will guide you there."
"Thank you, Miss."