CHAPTER 324: CHAPTER 185: A TRIP FOR TWO IS BASICALLY A DATE, RIGHT?_2

"It’s already August, time flies so fast!"

"Indeed, from an Elf Race’s perspective, a month does pass quickly. But it’s enough time for you to prepare well. This month, I’ll allow you to leave school after classes to spend time with your family."

"Why does it sound like I’m going off to die!"

"Because you’ll be staying in the human world for a year. If you’re not used to it, it could feel like a torturous eternity."

Nico spoke slowly, handing relevant documents to Lureya.

"By the way, let me tell you, you’ve been selected as the representative exchange student for this exchange program and will be going to study at Saint Karno, the most prestigious academy in the human world, for a year."

Lureya slightly furrowed her willow-like eyebrows.

It seemed this place felt somewhat familiar.

"Isn’t this where the Sanctum is situated?"

"Yes~ The academy is right near the Sanctum~"

"Do your best~ Don’t embarrass our Elf Race~"

Nico left these words as the class bell rang and left the classroom.

Lureya sat at her desk, lost in thought.

"Heading to Saili’s home field? No, no, without Shami, there’s no such thing as home or away fields."

The elf maiden shook her head.

The bright sunlight of the Elf Forest shone through the large windows of the classroom, falling on the elf maiden’s golden long hair.

The Elf Forest in August, nine parts warmth, one part coolness.

——

Late night.

The sound of hooves echoed in the forest.

This was a convoy heading to Eden City.

In the last carriage piled with goods, two people quietly sat amidst the cargo.

The night sky was clear, and the bright moonlight fell in, landing on purple hair.

The purple-haired girl looked puzzled at the black-haired boy beside her.

"Why are we going to Saint Karno this way? Isn’t there a teleportation gate, Shami?"

The two were Shami and Elze, who set off from Yili Village at dusk and are now heading to Eden City.

Shami calmly opened his eyes, looking at the purple-haired girl beside him.

In strict terms, the previous beach trip with three Demon Envoys wasn’t really traveling far since Shami used a teleportation gate to directly reach Senmai.

Now, he had arranged to meet the magical girl at the Sanctum in mid-August.

It’s just the beginning of August now, with about ten days of spare time.

This time, Shami didn’t plan to use a teleportation gate to reach Saint Karno directly.

Instead, he intended to travel, sightseeing the continent’s culture and scenery, expanding his knowledge as he headed towards the Sanctum.

"Are you in a hurry, Elze?"

"Not really."

The dragon race maiden brought her knees together, hugging her legs.

"Or do you feel confined sitting with the boss?"

Shami considerately started to get up.

"In that case, I’ll sit on top of the carriage."

The dragon race maiden quickly pulled Shami back, speaking the truth.

"None of that. I just feel like, going slowly like this, it feels like a trip for two..."

"It is a trip, Elze."

The purple-haired girl slowly buried her head in her legs, saying no more.

This kind of trip is really no different from a date, geez...

——

Around five in the morning.

The two arrived at Eden City.

After leaving the convoy, both Shami and Elze were in good spirits, walking along the main road of Eden City to its center.

This was a round, broad platform, with guards stationed in three layers, inside and outside.

Around the platform were nine crystals the size of heads, shining beams of light that shot to the platform’s center, where there was a giant stone gate, about ten meters high and four meters wide, made of special material. The light gathered on the gate, forming a swirling energy curtain.

This was the giant teleportation gate of Eden City.

Shami hadn’t visited many major cities, and this was his first time seeing such a public teleportation gate.

It looked grand, but Shami recognized that the giant teleportation gate required constant energy supply to maintain, and the energy fluctuations within the gate had a certain probability of incorrect teleportation.

Even at dawn, people were queuing to use the teleportation gate.

"In comparison, smaller ones are really more practical."

While queuing, Shami looked towards Elze beside him.

Elze looked up at the teleportation gate.

"But surely a bigger one is more comfortable..."

"How could that be? A bigger one would just waste extra energy."

Shami shook his head in refutation.

"And see, so many people have used it, it’s turned black."

Shami pointed to the surface of the stone gate, which had been stained with black dust.

The queue ended.

The two paid a fee to teleport from Eden City in the east of the Fess Kingdom to the Royal Capital Rikamai City in the west of the Fess Kingdom, costing 100 gold coins per person.

Though expensive, Shami gritted his teeth and paid to experience a public teleportation gate once.

Rikamai City was the Royal Capital of the Fess Kingdom and the most prosperous city, nestled in a valley.

Rikamai City had four large teleportation gates, one located at each corner of the city.

After Shami and Elze emerged from the east gate, Shami felt dizzy, leaning against a nearby city wall, seemingly about to be sick.

"This guy gets teleportation gate sickness?!"

The dragon race maiden showed an entirely surprised face.

"So dizzy, I feel sick, should have swapped places with you."

"Swapping places wouldn’t solve the physiological issue!"

Shami wiped the corner of his mouth, his eyes twitching.

Being accustomed to the Demon Lord’s teleportation gate, Shami thought all teleportation gates were as steady.

The energy fluctuations inside the public teleportation gate were stronger than anticipated, even though they had only passed through a single layer. Yet in the brief ten seconds from entry to exit, Shami felt as if all his internal organs had been shaken up.

"Let’s go, find an inn to rest for a while, then we’ll continue our journey."

The two found a lodging area in Rikamai City and checked into an inn.

On the second floor, two adjoining single rooms.

The dragon race maiden entered a single room, took off her shoes, and sprawled out on the bed, her small feet bare, dangling over the bed’s edge.

She didn’t expect it to be two single rooms.

She thought Shami would choose a double bed room or a large bed room instead.

It now seemed that as a leader, Shami was upright in his ways.

While the dragon race maiden was pondering, a teleportation gate appeared on the wall in front of her bed. Shami walked through from the adjacent single room, as if at home, and took a tissue from the table in the dragon race maiden’s room to wipe his mouth.

"My own arbitrary door is still better. That teleportation gate just made me want to vomit."

The dragon race maiden hurriedly sat up.

"No need to repeat it! Don’t use the teleportation gate as if you’re strolling into my room!"

"Sorry."

Shami knocked on the wall.

"Adding a knock doesn’t help!"

The dragon race maiden sat up on the bed, folding her legs with a troubled expression.

"Now’s not the time to be delicate about it."

Shami found a chair and sat next to the dragon race maiden’s bed.

To go to Saint Karno, Shami needed a few self-protection measures.

A teleportation gate was one, but if it couldn’t be used, he needed to add another means of protection.

Shami thought of the dragon race maiden.

"Elze, having spent so much time together, can you completely transform into my likeness now?"

That’s right, a stand-in!

Having a stand-in would greatly enhance Shami’s safety factor.

"Last time you could already morph my face, can you transform completely into me now?"

Shami looked directly at the dragon race maiden.

Elze hesitantly shook her head.

"Probably. I can achieve about a 90% similarity."

"Why only 90%?"

Shami was puzzled.

"Because there are things I haven’t seen."

The dragon race maiden explained.

"Things I haven’t seen, while transforming, I can only supplement body structure using imagination. If I’ve seen it, transforming becomes relatively easier. But, 90% should suffice for most people."

Shami shook his head.

"No, that’s far from enough. A magic lord’s stand-in mustn’t show any flaws."

"Being meticulous is good, but—why are you suddenly stripping, Shami!"