Embracing Magic - E.M Chapter 77 (Part 2)
After a short rest, their meal was brought in. The lavish spread consisted of nine different dishes.
“Wow!”
“It looks delicious.”
It was more luxurious than any meal they had ever eaten. It almost felt wrong to take the first bite.
But Rodin, driven by hunger, took a bite. The taste was astonishingly good. It was the most exquisite food he had ever tasted.
“Let’s eat.”
“Thank you for the meal!”
“Thank you for the meal… Yum!”
Though the meal was enough for six, they finished it all. Larry and Bianca each ate about a single portion, and Rodin ate the rest.
“Big Brother Rodin! I love you.”
“Only when I give you delicious food?”
“Hehe.”
After finishing the meal, Rodin signaled to the staff outside. One of them promptly came in to clear the plates and even wiped the floor, making sure no food scraps were left behind.
“This was worth the money.”
He couldn’t help but feel that he’d want to eat more fine food at places like this in the future.
“Ah, this is nice.”
“I’m sleepy.”
“Go to bed, it’s late.”
After wandering around for so long, the kids were exhausted. It was well past their bedtime.
Rodin sent Larry and Bianca to their rooms. While Larry was still alert, Bianca was already half-asleep, her eyes drooping.
Rodin entered his room, printed a mana-accumulating magic circle, and closed his eyes to listen to Professor Frouval’s illusion class.
—
Lanse was a vast city. It took two to three hours on foot to reach the docks from the inn, and three to four hours from the northern gate to the docks.
As a result, many people in Lanse were in the business of providing horse-drawn carriage services. The fare varied depending on the distance traveled.
The next morning, after having breakfast, Rodin, Larry, and Bianca got into a carriage waiting in front of the inn.
It was Larry and Bianca’s first time in a carriage, and they excitedly watched the scenery pass by.
Rodin found the carriage service fascinating. He had wondered if there would be guards protecting the carriage, but it seemed that it was purely a business of transporting people for money.
Lanse had well-paved roads suitable for carriages, and the ride was smooth and much faster than walking.
The carriage Rodin and the children were in reached the ticket office in just 30 minutes. A journey that would have taken over two hours on foot.
“Excuse me, I’m looking to travel to the central continent. When’s the next ship?”
“Where exactly are you headed? The closest ship to the Kingdom of Tebia departs in ten days, but if you’re going to the Kingdom of Lennox, you’ll have to wait a month.”
The central continent’s nations were all roughly equal in power, but the Kingdom of Lennox stood out as one of the stronger countries.
With most of its territory consisting of fertile plains, Lennox had an exceptional agricultural output. The grains produced here were sold throughout the central continent.
Additionally, its strategic location made it a hub for trade. Cities in Lennox were active in the mana stone and artifact trade, as well as other manufacturing industries.
“Tebia is fine. You said the ship departs in ten days?”
“Yes, it departs precisely on the morning of the eleventh day. You’ll need to board before that.”
“There are three of us. These two are my younger siblings, aged 12 and 10.”
“Age doesn’t matter. Unless you’re carrying a baby, everyone counts as a full passenger.”
Since the ship was massive, weight wasn’t a concern. They charged the fare based on the number of passengers, according to the capacity of each cabin.
“Will we be in a three-person cabin?”
“No, there are no three-person cabins. You’ll likely be sharing a four-person cabin with another passenger who’s traveling alone.”
“Can we pay for four spots and have the room to ourselves?”
“If you pay for four spots, yes, you can have the room to yourselves.”
Rodin paid for four spots without any hesitation, even though there was no discount.
After paying, he received the ship tickets, which were essentially a set of documents for four passengers.
“How long does it take to reach the central continent?”
“It takes about four months to reach the Kingdom of Tebia from here. It might be a bit shorter if the winds are favorable.”
“Is it a direct trip to the central continent?”
“Not at all. We’ll stop at several ports on the eastern route. It would be exhausting to go nonstop.”
The ticket seller spoke the common language but with a slightly different accent, likely from the central continent.
“Thank you. We’ll make sure not to be late.”
“Oh, by the way, there might be random identity checks. If your siblings don’t have identity badges, it would be good to get them now.”
“Is that so?”
“This is one of the easiest places to get identity badges. It doesn’t matter if someone committed crimes outside the city or has an unclear origin.”
However, for anyone who committed crimes within Lanse, there was no leniency. Those who committed serious crimes had their identity badges confiscated and were never reissued.
“Identity badges, huh…”
“We’re not the ones who check. Once you’re on the central continent, the navy might conduct random checks. We comply because we don’t want trouble with the military.”
“Thank you. We’ll make sure to be prepared.”
With the tickets in hand, Rodin had completed the most important task of the day.
“Hmm, since we’re out, let’s get you two some new clothes.”
“Big Brother Rodin, do you have money?”
“You’re worried about me? Don’t worry, I have enough to buy you some clothes. Let’s go.”
They took the carriage back to the commercial district.
After a similar ride, they were dropped off near the inn. The area was bustling with thriving shops.
“Wow, it’s big.”
“The buildings are so tall. They’re enormous.”
“The inn we’re staying at is probably bigger.”
Rodin took the children on a tour around the commercial district.
He bought three sets of clothes and shoes each for them. He also bought five sets of undergarments for each of them and requested that the purchases be delivered to the annex. From a street vendor, he bought hairpins and headbands that suited Bianca, and hats for both of them.
“Big Brother Rodin, I’m hungry.”
“It’s almost lunchtime. Let’s stop by one last place and head back.”
Rodin took the children into a bookstore. The pleasant smell of books filled the air.
“The smell… it’s weird.”
“I’d like to teach them the common language. Do you have a dictionary?”
“Yes, this way.”
The bookstore owner brought out ten books from the back. Each book was thinner than the dictionary Rodin had seen at the military academy, but together, they formed a complete set.
“I’ll take this. Do you have any storybooks? Something fun for the kids?”
“Uh… can you read the common language?”
“I can.”
“Ah, I see. Then please look over here. You can choose based on the titles.”
The bookstore owner guided Rodin to a section with several bookshelves, each packed with what appeared to be children’s stories.
“Hmm, what would be good?”
Rodin picked a few titles based on their names. He chose some hero tales that Larry might like and a few cute, whimsical stories that Bianca would enjoy.
“I’ll take these.”
“Can you carry all of them? We don’t offer delivery services.”
“I’ll manage.”
Since all the children’s clothes, except for what they were wearing, were being delivered to the inn, Rodin had no luggage other than his money-filled backpack.
The bookstore owner stacked the books and tied them with a string. Rodin grabbed the string and tested the weight.
‘I can make it back to the inn.’
The bundle was heavy, but fortunately, the inn wasn’t far away.