I rented a car and found a fantastic villa on the Riviera. During dinner, I announced, “To celebrate your new class, we’re going on vacation to the French Riviera. I found and rented a luxurious villa for us.” I couldn’t hide my excitement as I grinned from ear to ear.

Lis and Mahya looked hesitant, exchanging uncertain glances, so I asked, “What’s the problem? Why the faces?” I asked, trying to read their expressions.

“Thank you, John,” Lis said, his voice softening as he glanced at Mahya. “We just thought that after I get the class, we could start visiting Gates to advance our Gate count.”

“No arguments,” I said firmly, leaning forward with determination. “I’ve already paid for it, despite its high cost. You can do your blueprint thing anywhere, and I really want to celebrate your new class, Lis. You deserve it, my friend.” I gestured towards Lis with a reassuring smile. “And we can Gate-hop after the vacation; two weeks won’t change anything,” I insisted, crossing my arms confidently.

They both nodded, so I said, “I think we should leave tonight to escape the worst traffic.” I tapped the table for emphasis, eager to get started.

They agreed, so we stored everything and drove to the Riviera.

The villa I rented looked good in pictures, but it looked even better in reality. It was two stories, with a large living room, a fully equipped kitchen, four bedrooms with balconies, a wooden deck around a pool, and a sea view.

When we arrived, I took out my purifying aluminum lump and threw it into the pool. Lis and Mahya looked at me strangely, eyebrows raised in curiosity. Lis stepped closer, peering into the water, and asked, “What are you doing?”

“This is the purifying blob I created in Shimoor. I hate chlorine,” I explained, dismissively waving a hand at the pool. “I think purified water is much better than chlorinated water.”

The lump rose from the water and flew to Lis’s hand, and he inspected the blob closely.

I blinked and asked, “You have the Telekinesis spell?” My voice carried a note of admiration.

“Of course,” Lis said with a grin, turning the lump over in his hand. “It’s too useful to pass up.”

He looked at it intently, tracing the surface with his fingers, and asked, “How did you make it?”

“I read in the Archive that in low-mana worlds, they don’t use runes but instead melt the metal and cast spells on it while it’s in liquid form to embed the spell inside,” I said, recalling the process. “I tried it, and it worked.”

Lis nodded thoughtfully, a slight frown forming. “I think the spell will wear off with time.”

“Yes,” I agreed, nodding. “I read that, but I can always melt the metal and cast the spells again.”

“True,” Lis said, handing the lump back to me.

After choosing rooms, we went down to the beach and were shocked. The beach was teeming with people, making it difficult to walk down the street. We quickly returned to the villa and decided that our pool was a much better place to enjoy the sun. That’s how we spent the first week, mainly by the pool in the sun or in the pool, with Lis’s magical Mini Radio playing music. I was still in awe that he had made it.

I didn’t feel like cooking, and the villa had an extensive collection of takeaway menus, so we just ordered in. Rue spent the days in the pool or on one of the lounge chairs. It kept surprising me he loved the sun despite all that fur.

After a week of inactivity, Lis and I started getting bored, so we took out books and continued studying. I kept learning about mana constructs for spells, and Lis studied a phonebook-thick textbook on schematics. Mahya braved the beach.

At dinner, Mahya told us, “I met a new friend.” She paused, glancing between us with a small smile. “She’s also a Traveler; I’ll introduce you in a few days.”

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Lis leaned back in his chair, folding his arms with a concerned look. “Be careful,” he said, his tone serious.

Mahya waved a hand dismissively, a confident grin spreading across her face. “Don’t worry, I know how to be careful; I’ve been traveling for over a hundred years.” She looked directly at Lis, her eyes firm. “Lyura isn’t dangerous; this is the first world she’s really traveled.”

After three days, in the evening, we felt two Travelers coming our way. I knew right away it was Mahya, but there was someone else with her—a younger girl. Not young like Lis or Mahya, who just look younger than they are, but actually young. She was a blonde with glowing orange eyes, and she had this shy vibe about her.

“Hello, my name is Lyura Saman,” she said, her voice soft and shy. She looked at each of us with her glowing orange eyes. “I come from an archaic, unintegrated world three Gates from here.”

We introduced ourselves with friendly smiles and invited her for dinner.

Mahya leaned forward, a thoughtful expression on her face. “We plan to travel between Gates to increase our Gate count. What do you think of Lyura joining us?” She glanced at Lyura, then back at us. “She plans to find a low-mana world to go and sell things in because she’s starting to run low on money.”

“You can go to Shimoor,” I suggested, nodding encouragingly. “The mana level is 17, and I made a lot of money there. Just say you’re from the southern islands. I know two Gates that lead there.”

“Is it the place you told me about where you healed and met Lis?” Mahya asked, leaning back in her chair.

“Yes,” I confirmed with a nod.

Lyura’s eyes lit up with interest, and Mahya said, “I might join you. I need some mental healing after Tír na nÓg, and I need to make some money.”

“Buy linen, towels, fabric, metal cookware, soaps, and shampoos. Those are the bestsellers in the area,” I advised, leaning in conspiratorially. “Also, order a big batch of gaming copper coins online and exchange them for gold.”

They both seemed very enthusiastic about the idea and started talking among themselves about planning their trip to Shimoor. Lis looked at me questioningly, but I could understand what he wanted. I motioned toward the pool with my eyes, and he nodded.

After dinner, Lis and I went out by the pool, and the cool night air was refreshing. I leaned against the railing, looking at the water, and asked him, “What?”

He looked thoughtful, gazing at the pool’s shimmering surface. “What do you think of her joining us on the trip between Gates?”

I shrugged, considering it. “I don’t have a problem with that. She seems nice, and my Luck and Perception are quiet, so I don’t think she’s dangerous.” I looked back at him, my voice steady. “I also feel like she’s the weakest of the four of us.”

Lis nodded, but his brow furrowed slightly. “I don’t mean in terms of danger, but there will be five of us now. We’ll need a much bigger vehicle.”

“I don’t intend to drive all over Europe,” I said, shaking my head. “It would make the most sense to fly or take the train and rent a van only if necessary.”

“You know,” said Lis, a small smile playing on his lips, “it would be much simpler if you bought Telepathy; that way, we could talk without having to relocate every time.”

“Hmm,” I said, rubbing my chin thoughtfully. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

He laughed, the sound light and teasing. “My mistake. As your sensei, I should have said something. Anyway, I recommend you buy the spell; it’s useful in many situations.” He leaned closer, emphasizing his point. “Just remember that if the person you want to talk to doesn’t have the spell, you can’t talk with them. But enough mages and other classes in medium or high mana have the ability, so it’s worth it.”

I bought the Telepathy spell and Telekinesis. If Lis found them helpful, I was sure I would, too.

We invited Lyura to stay with us—we had a spare bedroom—and she accepted graciously.

We sat down with a printed map of Europe and our Traveler’s Map open to plan our route between the Gates.

The distribution of Gates across Europe was peculiar:

* One Gate in Portugal

* Two Gates in Spain

* Two in France

* Two in Italy

* Two in Germany (Shimoor)

* Two in Romania

* Three in Russia

* One in Finland

* And two in Sweden

I asked Lis, “Doesn’t this Gate distribution seem odd to you? There are a lot of empty areas.”

“There might be Gates there; there might be fifty Gates in Europe or even a hundred,” Lis said as he traced a route on the map with his finger. “But if a Traveler didn’t pass through a Gate, it doesn’t appear on the map.”

I furrowed my brow, trying to wrap my head around it. “I thought Gates automatically appeared on the map.”

Lis shook his head. “No, only land masses.” He pointed at a blank spot on the map for emphasis. “Travelers have to add everything else, including Gates.”

Huh.

After some deliberation, we decided to start with the Gates in Russia because they were the northernmost Gates, and we didn’t want to reach them at the height of winter. From there, we would fly to Finland and take a train to Sweden. From Sweden, we would fly to Romania, and from Romania, we would fly to Portugal and proceed north through the Gates by train, with Germany being the last stop to drop off the girls.

On our last three days on the Riviera, we braved the crowds and walked around a bit to see the place. I can’t say it was fun, but at least we saw the place, not just the pool.

It turned out that August was not the best time to visit a seaside vacation site.