The Murky Mountains was a stretch of land that separated the Southern Federation from the rest of the Ulier Continent. The mountain range was full of dangers, so much so that even a Rank 3 Magus would prefer to avoid it if they could.
Flying dirigibles was the only mode of transport for people who wished to cross the Murky Mountains. Well, that and flying fantastical beasts.
On this day, a majestic creature gracefully flew over the Murky Mountains. Its body was covered in pristine white feathers that reflected the glow of the morning sun. It had a pair of wings on its back with a wingspan of over 15 meters, and its two pairs of limbs ended in sharp claws.
The creature's tail was long and slender, comprising almost half its body. The head of the creature was that of an owl, with piercing yellow pupils and a black beak gleaming with sharpness.
This was the famous Ithikari, a famous inhabitant of the Baja High Forest!
On its back, sat three elves. The one sitting at the front was a middle-aged man with handsome and refined features. He had a head full of silver hair that cascaded down his back.
His ocean-blue eyes gazed at the silhouette of a city in the far distance, bringing a faint smile across on face. "We've almost reached."
A pair of twins—a boy and a girl—who seemed to be in their teenage years, were sitting behind the man. They looked ahead but couldn't see anything other than mountains covered in fog.
The girl asked curiously, "Teacher, how far until we've reached Moon City?"
"Hmm, it should take us another ten minutes or so." The man smiled warmly.
The young elf girl's eyes shone brightly. "I've read that the founder of Nightingale Kingdom emulated the elven city of Feypore and built a city that welcomed people of all races. I'm very excited to see it!"
"Yeah right! As if someone could make a city like Feypore." The elven boy rolled his eyes.
The girl pouted. "How do you know? You've never visited Moon City."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64ce79d606107d003c23ea27", id: "pf-5140-1"})"Enough, you two." The elven man chuckled. "We're going to increase speed. Hold on tight."
"Yes, Teacher!" The twins replied in unison.
The next moment, the man sent a mental transmission to the Ithikari. Following that, a sonic boom was heard as the creature tore through the air and increased its speed.
…
After they landed on the outskirts of the city, the Ithikari had already transformed into a regular owl. It sat on the shoulders of the elven man, gracefully picking its feather with its beak.
The trio then walked toward the city gates and waited behind the long line of people who were trying to enter the city.
"Outsiders must pay an entry fee." An armored city guard stopped them at the gates.
"You!" The elven boy was furious. "First, you make us wait in line and now you're even asking us to pay? Do you even know who we are?!"
The guard simply stood there with a bored expression. He'd seen a lot of young masters such as this elf. By now he was used to it. "Please leave if you won't pay."
"Don't mind him." The Elven man shook his head with a helpless smile. "5 silver pieces per person, was it? Here you go."
The guard took the money from the elf and made way for them.
The elven boy glared at the guard, but her sister simply dragged him inside. "Ugh, stop making a scene everywhere!"
"But, Atiel, how dare a human treat our Teacher that way?!" The boy was furious. He couldn't understand just how her sister could remain so calm despite what happened.
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "64cc9e79c7059f003e4ad4b0", id: "pf-5109-1"})Atiel simply rolled her eyes. "If Teacher isn't bothered by it, why are you?"
"T-That…" the boy couldn't think of a retort.
Seeing this, Atiel scoffed. "Hmph! Daneli, I know you too well. Now, let's follow after Teacher. I remember him mentioning that he had a friend in Moon City."
The young twins hurriedly followed after their teacher while curiously glancing at the inhabitants of the city.
They were only used to being in the company of elves, this was the first time they'd left the Baja High Forest to broaden their horizons.
Although merchants of various races did come to their forest from time to time, it wasn't anything like what they were witnessing now. In Moon City, people from all kinds of races could be seen harmoniously interacting with each other.
This greatly surprised them. However, their teacher was used to such scenes. Moreover, this wasn't the first time he had visited Moon City.
"As expected of the Jewel of the South." The elven man smiled. He then looked at his students and asked, "So what do you think? Does it come close to the legends you've heard about Feypore?"
Daneli looked away, his face flushed with embarrassment. He crossed his hands and harrumphed. "I guess so…"
Atiel, on the other hand, was very generous with her praises, "Teacher, this city is amazing! I thought the Southern Federation was a backward place, but I was wrong."
Suddenly, she looked at her teacher and asked with bright and curious eyes, "Teacher, Teacher, are the cities in the Acadian Empire also this great?"
The man dotingly rubbed Atiel's head and replied, "Well, the Southern Federation is indeed underdeveloped compared to the lands north of the Murky Mountains. However, Moon City can be considered an outlier here.
"Because of the existence of Clover Academy as well as the capable rule of the Nightingale Royal Family, this place is comparable to even some of the mid-tier cities in the Acadian Empire."
window.pubfuturetag = window.pubfuturetag || [];window.pubfuturetag.push({unit: "663633fa8ebf7442f0652b33", id: "pf-8817-1"})"H-Hmph! As expected of the city that copied the legendary Feypolis." Daneli smirked, although his lips were twitching.
Listening to him, both his sister and his teacher rolled their eyes.
"Anyway, let's go visit my friend." The man guided them through the market district along the harbor. A reminiscent smile spread across his lips as he muttered, "It's been so many years since I've last seen him."
After making their way through the crowded cobblestoned streets of the market, about ten minutes later, the trio finally reached their destination. Atiel looked at the wooden signboard adorned with wines and flowers and muttered, "Herbs & More..."
She then glanced at her teacher and asked, "Teacher, is your friend a Herbalist?"
The man said with pride, "Not just any Herbalist. He is one of the best Herbalists I know. He's also a very close friend of mine, so make sure you're respectful when you meet him."
The kids straightened their clothes and tidied their appearances as they followed behind their teacher. As soon as they entered the store, their nostrils were assaulted with a pleasant medicinal aroma, making them involuntarily close their eyes and relax.
But suddenly…
SNORE!
The trio were jolted out of their trance-like state by the obnoxious snoring of a wild beast. They looked around, trying to discern where the sound came from.
SNNOORREEE!
They simultaneously turned their heads toward the seating area and found a black-haired youth sprawled on the couch while a tiny puddle had formed underneath him from his non-
stop drooling.
The youth's appearance was haggard, his clothes had burnt marks, and there was soot all over his face.
When the trio laid eyes on him, they were speechless. They thought the same thing.
Why is a homeless man sleeping here?!
