The first map seems closer from here. I think it’s somewhere here in the Slavia kingdom. I need to find it fast.

I use flight magic and lift from the ground before soaring through the sky. After a few days, I arrive at the location, or so I thought.

“Ray, we have been searching for two days now. Why haven’t we found it yet?”

I don’t know, kid. I mean it has been over ten thousand years after all.

And then it hit me. It’s been over ten thousand years. Of course, the landscape has changed due to natural disasters or something. Right now, I have been using the map in the Draconic book to navigate but I’m sure that there were no kingdoms ten thousand years ago.

That means I must find a map of this area and try to pinpoint the exact location with the help of the map in the Draconic book.

Sigh, of course it wouldn’t be easy.

“Ariel. Find me the nearest city to where I am.”

My magic sense activates without my control and after a few seconds, Ariel's voice rings in my ear.

Searching nearest city. Nearest city found. The city of Waham located east from here.

I fly towards the coordinates. After a few hours’ journey I reach the city of Waham. I land outside the city gates as to not catch attention.

At the gate of the city.

There is a line of people entering the city. Some are travelling merchants who have wagons and carriages filled with products and some are paddlers pulling simple carts or with bags and sacks on their shoulders. There are also ordinary people entering the city.

It seems it’s a check point. I don’t have any form of identification on me. Should I just sneak in? I can just use invisibility magic and waltz right through or teleportation.

No, I shouldn’t be doing that. I feel like I depend too much on my magic lately.

I notice a man in the front giving out a bag of money to the guard. He is then let in without any questioning.

I guess bribes work.

I arrive and it is now my turn. The guards of this town are wearing shabby armour and their weapons look average. Some are wearing leather armour while the others are wearing full plate armour that are full of dents, rust, and scratches. I couldn’t even sense a speck of magic on their armour and weapons.

Is that even protection?

“Identification.” Says the guard in front of me with a stern look.

“Sorry but I don’t have one. Will this be enough?” I say as I take out a gold coin from my storage space.

The guard looks at me with a stiff face.

Is this not enough? Well, come to think about it. I don’t really know much about the currency of this world. Yes, I know that it is divided into copper, silver, and gold coins. I heard there exist even a coin that is above gold called a platinum coin. But I don’t really know how much a copper coin or even a gold coin is worth in terms of products.

A silver coin is equivalent to ten copper coins. A gold coin is equal to ten silvers or one hundred copper coins.

I should probably add more.

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I take out another gold coin. The guard’s face seems to stiffen up more.

Does he need another one?

“Is this going to be enough?” I ask again as I add two more gold coins.

Hey, kid. I think you freaked out the guard by the gold coins. Gold coins are considered to only be carried by either a noble or a rich commoner. Coupled that with your hair and eye colour and we have a fucking rainbow.

Ah, I see. Wait what?

“I-I’m sorry sir but I can’t except such kindness. Please forgive me for my insolence.” Says the guard as he makes way for me.

I guess that was easier than I thought.

I enter the city.

It is average at best. There are a lot of people and street markets near the buildings. It is bustling with crowds of people, but the infrastructure isn’t that good. The buildings are dull and lifeless. The windows are made from wood and no single glass window is in sight. The stench of urine and waste engulfs the alleyways as I pass them. There are even baggers in those alleyways stalking people.

The roads aren’t paved and there are a lot of potholes and rocks lying around.

The people are wearing ragged clothing. Only a few are actually wearing decent clothes.

I had a lot of expectations about how this world’s towns would be but I guess my expectations were too high, huh.

Another thing that I find here that makes my blood boil are slaves. Especially that of beastmen. Some people are walking around dragging the beastmen using collars. Nothing sickens me more than that.

I should calm down. I should first find myself a place to stay in.

Hey, kid. Seems like we’ve got some rats observing us.

Yeah. They have been following us ever since we entered the city. Should I kill them?

As I am walking around, pondering as to how I should kill the people following me, a girl appears in front of me.

“Excuse me mister. Are you looking for a place to stay?”

Mister? Am I that old?

You’re considered an adult in this world when you’re fifteen years of age. You’re sixteen now so you are an adult.

Huh, I didn’t know that. I guess that makes sense since Light and the others joined the guards at fifteen.

“Yes. Do you know a place?”

“Yes. My aunt owns an inn. Follow me.” The girl says enthusiastically as she turns around and starts running.

Kids have a lot of energy, huh?

I follow the girl until we arrive at a rusty old building.

It’s quite big. Is it the only inn in town or what?

I enter the inn.

The interior is almost the same as granny Alma’s inn. It has a bar section where a dozen tables are. The place is packed as many people drink and chat. The moment I walk in; the place falls silent. Everyone stares at me with cold eyes.

I already feel irritated. Should I just kill them? I mean, who stares at someone they don’t even know like that? Argh, I hate it when people stare at me.

I walk to the front of the bar. The people then go back to what they were doing.

Huu, I’m glad that they just ignored me. I was getting anxious.

“Hello there, peculiar boy. What can I do for you?” says the lady at the counter.

Argh, I get it. My hair and eyes aren’t common, okay. I should have changed my hair and eye colour with magic when I entered this city.

“I would like a place to stay.”

This lady has a brown skin tone. Her hair is a beautiful black colour and is trimmed short. She has a thin smoking pipe that is beautifully crafted with silver and an earring that is hooked at the corner of her mouth.

She rests her bare arms on the counter.

“I see. We have a lot of rooms so what kind do you want?”

“Before you give me the room, I assume you know a lot of information about certain things.”

The noise inside the inn turns dead silent as everyone stares at me with the corners of their eyes.

“And what gave you that impression?”

“Well, it’s simple. The moment I entered the city, people started following me. Those same people are now sitting at the table over there.” I say pointing at a table at the corner of the room. “You also sent that girl who called me in here. The reason is simple. It’s because of my hair and eyes and the fact that I tried to bribe the guard with gold coins. Having me stay in your inn will allow you to gather every bit of info about me, isn’t that right?”

She narrows her eyes as everyone in the inn brings their hands to the hilts of their swords.

“Okay, wonder boy. Now tell me, what would I want to know about you?” she asks with a seductive smile on her face.

“No reason really. It’s just your job as an information guild to know everything.” I answer as everyone in the inn stands up getting ready to attack.

“Stop!” says the woman to her people. “You really are a wonder, aren’t you? Name’s Naomi. What about you, kid?”

“Allen.”

“Allen. That’s a nice name. Okay, wonder boy. Why don’t you follow me? We can’t discuss business here.”

I follow Naomi to the back room. We go down a staircase that leads to the basement area.

There is a barrier covering the door to the basement. Naomi is able to walk through without any trouble.

I wonder what type of barrier is this?

I follow her and walk through it too.

In the basement.

Its structure is made of rocks and in those rocks are magic circles curved in them. There are cabinets all around the room filled with scrolls, parchments, and books. There is also a table in the centre of the room where Naomi sits down.

“Now. Tell me what you need.”