Opening his eyes, Zhang Ye slowly stretched.
He had slept soundly. Upon waking up, even his motion sickness was gone.
“Gujiu~” Sensing that Zhang Ye was awake, Gujiu woke up as well and let out a cute chirp.
Zhang Ye smiled, picking it up and rubbing his cheek against it.
Turning his head, he saw Leona still controlling the skiff.
“Awake?” Leona turned around and smiled. “Just in time. The royal city is right ahead.”
“The royal city?” Zhang Ye immediately scrambled up and looked out the window.
He saw that the forest below had vanished, replaced by a vast plain. There were many fertile fields and houses on the flat ground; they had clearly entered human territory.
“The Lionheart Empire, Lionheart Royal City—it’s also where the Salomon family is located,” Leona said slowly.
Zhang Ye asked excitedly, “Is All Souls Magic Academy in the Lionheart Empire too?”
Leona shook her head. “All Souls Magic Academy is in the All Souls Empire. The top-tier magic academy in the Lionheart Empire is called Lionheart Academy, but they only recruit humans.”
Zhang Ye asked curiously, “If they’re both top-tier magic academies, why not go to Lionheart Academy? Wouldn't that be closer to the Salomon family?”
Leona smiled and shook her head. “Although they’re both top-tier magic academies, their natures are different.
“Lionheart Academy mainly screens and cultivates talent for the empire. Most graduates are forced to join the Lionheart Imperial Army or family legions. It’s essentially a high-level training ground.
“All Souls Magic Academy, on the other hand, aims to cultivate powerhouses. Compared to Lionheart Academy, it’s purer, more free, and has a better atmosphere.
“Besides, if a kid like you went to Lionheart Academy, you’d definitely be expelled.”
“Why?” Zhang Ye asked.
Leona laughed. “With your personality, it’d be a miracle if you got along with those guys.
“Lionheart Academy is mostly filled with royal children, each more serious than the last. If an unserious guy like you went in, the slightest friction would turn into a massive incident. I wouldn't feel at ease.”
Zhang Ye protested, “How am I unserious?”
“Does a serious person have spitting matches with a bug?” Leona countered.
Zhang Ye argued, “What bug? That’s my Tei Tei. I’ll win it over sooner or later!”
Leona was somewhat speechless, but her gaze toward Zhang Ye softened slightly.
She could tell Zhang Ye wasn't joking.
This past month, he had frequently released Tei Tei for ‘heart-to-heart talks.’
Well... though it usually ended with the man and the bug spitting at each other.
The key was that Zhang Ye couldn't even out-spit it~
“And sending you to All Souls Magic Academy isn't just because I’m a guest instructor there, but also because its heritage is deeper than Lionheart Academy’s,” Leona continued.
“The Lionheart Empire has only been established for a few thousand years, but All Souls Magic Academy has a history of ten thousand years. Its foundation is far beyond what Lionheart Academy can compare to, which will benefit you more.
“Furthermore, All Souls Magic Academy includes all races. As a newcomer, being able to interact with more races there will make it easier for you to integrate into this world.”
Zhang Ye finally nodded.
Leona was naturally doing this for his own good.
And between an academy for humans only and one that included all races, Zhang Ye would certainly choose the latter without hesitation.
For no other reason than his sheer curiosity about this world.
He wondered if there would be legendary elves? Dwarves? Beastgirls... in the academy.
Hehe!
“We’re here,” Leona suddenly said, heading outside. Zhang Ye immediately followed.
Coming onto the skiff’s deck, he saw the vessel slowly descending, and the scenery below rapidly grew larger.
The towering walls were dozens of meters high, topped with many massive city defense machinery. One look at the magic lines on them told him these were magic-powered machines.
“Big Nana, what are those? Treasures?” Zhang Ye asked.
Leona shook her head. “No, they’re magic devices.”
“Magic devices? Is there a difference?” Zhang Ye inquired.
Leona explained, “A Treasure requires a rank limit to exert its maximum effect and power, but a magic device only needs mana to be used. In other words, as long as enough mana is provided, even a commoner can wield a magic device with Saint-tier power.”
Zhang Ye nodded, slightly surprised.
Magic devices—the magic technology of this world? Impressive!
Zhang Ye then turned his gaze toward the city. Inside the walls were countless Western-style houses and buildings. Further away, he could see many tall structures like manors, cathedrals, and giant statues in plazas.
And in the center of Lionheart Royal City sat a majestic castle.
“That is the Lionheart Imperial Palace, where the Lionheart King lives.”
“The Lionheart King?” Zhang Ye asked. “Is his name Arthur?”
Leona said, “The Lionheart King is named Oscar Venis... why would you think he’d be called Arthur?”
Zhang Ye gave a sheepish smile. “No reason...”
The skiff descended and parked in an aerial mooring area. There were countless other skiffs in the area of various styles and sizes. Zhang Ye even saw one that was over three hundred meters long—it was absolutely massive!
“Unregistered skiffs, please park in the temporary mooring area, wait for registration, and state your purpose...” Several soldiers rose into the air and announced.
Upon reaching Tier Five, one could use mana to support themselves for short periods of levitation, and at Tier Seven, one could fly through the air.
Leona didn't speak. Instead, she flicked out a token. The token hovered in the air, and a magic pattern emerged from it.
Seeing this, the soldiers' expressions immediately became respectful.
“Welcome back, Your Grace.”
Leona nodded. “Go about your business.”
“Yes.”
Zhang Ye looked at the soldiers and asked, “You’re a Duke?”
Leona nodded. “The Salomon family is also known as the Salomon Royal Family. We have close ties with the imperial family. Every direct descendant has a title, and reaching Saint-tier makes one a Duke.”
She then smiled. “I also have a domain in the Schukaton Volcano Area to the west of the royal city. The hot springs there are my favorite; I’ll take you to try them later.”
Zhang Ye nodded excitedly. “Okay!”
Descending into the city district, Leona tossed Zhang Ye another ring. “There are 500,000 gold coins inside. Go wander around on your own first. I need to head back to the family; I’ll come find you later.”
Zhang Ye suddenly felt the small ring become incredibly heavy. He nodded. “Alright.”
Then Leona flew off, leaving Zhang Ye holding the ring with a look of disbelief. “Am I being kept?”
Gujiu: “Gujiu~”
He rubbed Gujiu’s head and then walked toward the bustling city center.
Man, so this was Lionheart Royal City!
As expected of the imperial capital, it was incredibly prosperous as far as the eye could see. Both sides of the main roads were lined with various shops, and the Western style was very pronounced. Zhang Ye looked around excitedly, his eyes unable to take it all in.
The crowd also cast strange glances at Zhang Ye.
This guy had black hair and black eyes—was he an Easterner?
In their eyes, Easterners were mysterious and powerful.
Moreover, they had heard that Easterners liked to wear skirts.
For instance, look at Zhang Ye—he was even wearing a skirt, and that little hem was swaying back and forth, showing off his style!
Zhang Ye was completely oblivious; he was already immersed in the wonders of this other world and couldn't pull himself out.
There really was everything here.
Food stalls, taverns, clothing shops, weapon shops, magic tool shops... Whoa, there was even an old lady selling delicious-looking but diarrhea-inducing roasted venomous lizard tails!
This other world was too great!
Wait!
Zhang Ye wandered around with Gujiu and suddenly saw a large crowd gathered in front of a tavern.
With a mind for joining the fun, Zhang Ye squeezed his way over.
“Step right up and take a look! Cloud Tavern is newly opened, and all friends who come to support us can participate in the lottery!”
“Third Prize: 20% off drinks!”
“Second Prize: All-you-can-drink for beverages under twenty gold!”
“First Prize: A bottle of Cloud Wine worth three hundred gold!”
“Special Prize: A permanent 50% discount at Cloud Tavern, plus a bottle of Cloud Wine and two hundred gold coins!”
“Even if you don't win, you’ll get a cup of chilled ale~”
“Come, come, friends participating in the lottery, please line up here.”
Seeing this, Zhang Ye immediately ran over to join the line.
Joining the fun and getting to enter a lottery—how interesting!
Zhang Ye didn't even care about winning; he just wanted to participate.
Soon, it was his turn.
The lottery device was a wooden barrel with a crank. When the crank was turned, the barrel would spin. There were many beads inside, and the prize was determined by the color of the bead that fell out.
The shopkeeper cheerfully turned the wooden handle and then stopped. A small golden bead fell out.
The shopkeeper froze for a moment, then excitedly held up the golden bead. “Look, everyone! A lucky winner has emerged! This young brother has drawn the only Special Prize in our shop! Everyone, give him a round of applause!”
The crowd was stunned, then gave him a supportive round of applause, their faces filled with envy and jealousy.
“Eh?” Zhang Ye was a bit dazed.
Wait...
He actually won?
Zhang Ye then entered the shop to collect his reward. When he came out, he was still in a daze, looking at the bottle of exquisitely packaged wine in his arms, along with a bag of gold coins and a permanent half-price card.
He hadn't quite processed it yet.
Was he really this lucky?
He just won the grand prize?
Could this be the protagonist aura?
Before Zhang Ye could figure it out, a flash of light appeared, and a figure materialized out of thin air at the tavern’s entrance.
“Shopkeeper, give me two bottles of Cloud Wine!” The man was tall and sturdy, with a robust build. As soon as he appeared, he shouted to the shopkeeper.
The shopkeeper couldn't sense the man’s cultivation and knew he was a powerhouse. He hurried out and said, “I’m sorry, my lord. We only got twenty bottles of Cloud Wine today, and they’ve all been snatched up. You can make a reservation...”
“Sold out?!” The man looked surprised.
He had just heard that Cloud Tavern had opened in the royal city. He had gone through a lot of trouble to send Erich away just now so he could rush over to buy Cloud Wine, only to find it was already sold out after being just a bit late?!
Suddenly, his brow twitched, and he looked at Zhang Ye nearby.
To be precise, he was looking at the Cloud Wine in Zhang Ye’s arms.
He then instantly appeared in front of Zhang Ye and said excitedly, “Little brother, can you sell me that wine? Name your price!”
Zhang Ye was already shocked, staring blankly at the analysis.
【Oscar Venis: Six-star Saint-tier. Possesses powerful light-attribute mana and a powerful physique!】
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Rate on N.U.
