Above the mage

Chapter 342 The Little Girl on the Airship

After receiving the dumplings, Gaode took out all the tree species he had collected during this period.

He was already planning to take advantage of this mission to teleport back to the North via the Astral Sphere, bring over a new batch of extraordinary materials, and make a move directly in Lagos City.

He categorized the tree species and placed them in small cloth bags, then packed them into a large bundle and carried it all on his back.

Most of the collected tree species are common tree species, with a very small portion being low-level magical tree species.

The emphasis is on variety.

Therefore, it didn't cost Gaode too much money; in total, it was only about 10 gold coins.

Gaode's plan is very clear: first, use different types of tree species to accelerate the growth of Yugathishira, and then consider the quantity and quality of the stacking.

Then, bring along [North Wind].

If [Frozen Blade+] is his trump card, then [North Wind] is his last resort, something that can truly save his life in critical moments, and there's no reason not to bring it along.

With everything ready, Gaode officially set off.

Thanks to the Plantagenet dynasty's well-developed transportation network, there are multiple modes of transport available from Dorne to Lagos.

It can be done by land, sea, or air.

Water is by boat, land is by special long-distance horse-drawn carriage, and air is naturally by airship.

The fastest way is, of course, the airship, but it's also the most expensive.

However, for Gaode Maps, there is only one option.

airship!

It wasn't that he was so enthusiastic about the task, nor was it because he was rich; it was because he could get reimbursed.

Since it's reimbursable, why not take the airship instead of enduring the hardships of boating and long-distance carriages? Wouldn't that be foolish?

The air route from Dorne to Lagos is 361 kilometers.

I bought a zeppelin ticket from Dorne to Lagos for 2 gold, 1 silver, and 60 bronze coins.

Of course, this is the price for economy class.

Deluxe cabins are not reimbursed for sea guards unless they reach the rank of lieutenant or above, in which case they can enjoy this high-level treatment.

As expected, when boarding the airship, the airship staff in charge of "security checks" stopped Gao De.

"According to regulations, it is generally not allowed to bring other living beings onto the airship." The staff member pointed to the capybara bag that Gao De was carrying on his back.

Gao De took out the "registration certificate" of the dumpling and handed it to the other party.

The staff took the registration certificate, checked the magic seal of the Sea Sentinel on top, and then asked Gao De to open the capybara bag. After confirming that it contained capybaras, they returned the registration certificate to Gao De.

Then, he bowed to Gao De and said, "Master, I wish you a successful mission."

Given his identity as a Sea Sentinel Mage, and the fact that he brought capybaras with him on this long trip, he was definitely not going on vacation, but rather on a mission.

Gao De smiled and thanked him, then put the capybara bag back on his back, carefully put away the airship ticket which he would later use as a reimbursement voucher, and then boarded the airship through the passage.

For some reason, the occupancy rate of this airship was unusually low.

As soon as Gao De stepped into the civilian cabin, a casual glance revealed that more than half of the seats were empty, making it seem exceptionally deserted, a stark contrast to the airship he had taken from Holder Town to Dorne City.

But upon closer reflection, it seems reasonable.

As the spiritual marrow resources dwindled, Lagos gradually returned to its original state.

Because of the craze for spiritual marrow during that period, people were focused on the wealth and opportunities brought by spiritual marrow, and a large amount of labor and wealth poured into spiritual marrow-related industries.

Lagos' original two traditional industries, agriculture and fishing, have been pushed to the margins, resulting in farmland being left uncultivated and fishing boats being abandoned on the shore.

In fact, these two industries are the pillars supporting Lagos City's economy.

Therefore, with the end of the Spirit Essence craze, the prosperity of Lagos City vanished as quickly as a bubble.

However, unlike before, the once-thriving agriculture and fishing industries have struggled to regain their former vitality.

In other words, Lagos is now even more desolate than it was before the discovery of the Spirit Essence; it is now considered a "rural" area of ​​the Byro County.

With that thought in mind, Gao De had already sat down in his rather cramped spot with his package, closed his eyes, and entered a state of focused concentration.

He continued to try to build a spell model for the [Disguise] technique.

This is a spell that will be used soon, so Gao De doesn't want to waste any time and wants to master it as quickly as possible so that it will be easier to carry out his next actions.

The airship that Gaode was riding was a special passenger ship. Its starting point was Dorn and its destination was Lagos. Along the way, it would land at airship bases in several small towns to pick up and drop off passengers.

The airship itself is relatively stable, but there is still some turbulence during each takeoff and landing.

However, this will not have a significant impact on Gaode Maps.

The blessing of the "Body of the Ninja" allows him to ignore most external interference if he so chooses.

Until, Gao De noticed that there seemed to be some strange creature "wriggling" nearby.

He opened his eyes with a start, looked down at his feet, and then his mouth dropped open involuntarily.

Because Gaode saw a little girl dressed in linen clothes, crawling at his feet in a peculiar posture.

The little girl looked only five or six years old. She had very big, bright eyes, but her face was a bit dusty.

At this moment, she was staring at Gao De with her big, clear blue eyes, which revealed a feeling of tension and pleading, just like a pitiful stray cat.

"Help."

She opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out; instead, she shouted at Gao Dexu.

Little friend, when asking someone for help, you should add the word "please" to make it polite. Gao De looked up and saw that the airship staff in the corridor were looking around, as if they were looking for something.

It's obvious they're looking for her, given the little girl hiding at their feet.

Without a doubt, revealing the little girl's identity directly is the wisest choice, because Gaode has no idea who the little girl is or why she is hiding from the staff.

If you blindly do good deeds, you are very likely to get involved in unnecessary trouble.

Gaode Maps is also planning to do the same.

However, just as he was about to speak to the staff, the little girl seemed to sense something and tugged at his trouser leg weakly.

Those innocent eyes were now filled with tears, making them appear incredibly fragile.

As Gao De watched this scene, for some reason, his heart softened.

He wouldn't have softened so easily if it were anyone else, but this was just a child.

It's hard for someone as educated as Gao De to be "cruel" to children.

"Help me." The little girl lowered her head slightly, two tears already sliding down her long, upturned eyelashes, looking incredibly pitiful, and pleaded in a childish and barely audible voice.

Gao De clenched his fist, then helplessly relaxed it.

He spread his legs apart and placed the package on his lap.

The little girl was very clever. She immediately understood what Gaode meant and nimbly crawled between Gaode's legs.

Then, Gao De closed his legs, and the wrapping completely covered the little girl.

Just then, the staff member arrived at Gaode's seat.

"Sir, I'm sorry to bother you, but have you seen a little girl, about this tall, wearing..." the staff member described to Gao De while gesturing.

He could clearly feel his trouser leg being gripped tightly as the staff described the little girl's appearance; the little girl was obviously very nervous.

"I didn't see it," Gao De shook his head, then asked "curiously," "What's wrong?"

The staff member didn't seem to be in the mood for chatting with the passengers. When Gaode shook his head, he squatted down, seemingly preparing to conduct further checks.

However, Gaode has already subtly and opportunely opened its cloak.

Because the sea sentry uniform was too conspicuous, in order to keep a low profile and avoid attracting attention, Gao De put on a common knee-length thick woolen cloak with a hood to cover the uniform.

With this one movement, the sea sentry uniform inside was immediately revealed.

The staff member, who had been somewhat "indifferent" a moment ago, changed his expression slightly and immediately became enthusiastic, "Master, someone has tried to evade the ticket."

"Fare-dodging?" Gao De frowned. "A little girl?"

"Yes," the staff member said helplessly, "I don't know if the machine was broken or what, but she got through the boarding gate's security check and sneaked into the airship. Children her age only get half-price airship rides, so it's not about the money. The main problem is that she wasn't with an adult, and we were worried something might happen."

"I see," Gao De nodded, then said, "If I discover anything, I will let you know immediately."

"Thank you, Venerable Master," the staff member said politely, placing one hand on his chest.

The original inspection procedures were not continued.

Within the territory of Byron County, the Sea Sentinel Mage naturally carries a certain degree of credibility and prestige.

After watching the staff member check the entire economy class cabin, Gao De placed his package on a seat and then spread his legs.

The little girl then used her hands to support herself on Gao De's legs and squatted down, raising her head and looking at Gao De intently with her big eyes.

Gao De looked at the little girl's small, somewhat dusty but still exquisitely beautiful face and said expressionlessly, "Tell me, what happened?"

The little girl immediately lowered her head in grievance, as if she had endless grievances, and large tears were about to roll down her cheeks again.

"Stop acting, I know you're secretly very happy right now," Gao De said helplessly.

Although he softened at the little girl's pitiful state, he had been in this world for more than two years. Perhaps his kind nature was still there, but Gao De was no longer the "clear-headed and foolish" college student he once was.

In a world with extraordinary powers, who can guarantee that the little girl is really just an ordinary, harmless child?

Therefore, he immediately cast [Perception of Emotions+] on the little girl.

Among the emotions received by Gaode Maps, there was a hint of tension, a hint of anticipation, and a hint of worry, but no malice.

Only under such circumstances would he choose to step in and help.

After the staff left, Gaode noticed that the little girl's emotions had changed to happiness, pride, cunning, and anticipation.

She was definitely not as "pitiful" as she appeared at the moment.

No wonder they say women are born actresses.

This little girl is so young, yet her acting skills are already so natural. If it weren't for [Emotion Perception+], he would have been completely fooled.

"Fine." The little girl pouted helplessly and muttered, "You mages just use your magic to act like scoundrels."

【Wronged】.

Sensing the little girl's distress, Gao De nodded.

Hmm, very well, this time the grievance is real.

"I want to go to Lagos to find my sister, but I don't have any money, so this is all I can do."

"Looking for your sister? Where are the rest of your family?"

"My sister is the only one left in my family. She entrusted me to an old friend of my father's and went to Lagos to make a living, but I just want to be with my sister."

Do you know where your sister works in Lagos?

"I don't know," the little girl blinked her big eyes.

Gao De sighed in exasperation.

This little girl is somewhat precocious, but at heart she is still a child.

"What's your name?" Gao De pursed his lips and asked again.

"My name is Anna, and I'm five years old." The little girl raised her head, stretched out her right hand, spread her five tiny fingers, and looked directly at Gao De.

"Anna, how did you get on the airship? There are machines checking passengers at the boarding gate," Gao De asked again.

"This is what I'm talking about." Anna pulled something that looked like a card from her pocket.

Gao De took a look and discovered that it was decorated with several simple basic runes.

"What is this?" He frowned instinctively.

"It's a little gadget. Just plug it into the slot of that big machine, and it'll temporarily disable it." Perhaps because Gao De's help had earned Anna's trust, she frankly revealed her method of "fare evasion."

"This thing..." Gao De examined the small card for a while, confirming that it only depicted a few simple runes, and was slightly surprised. "Who gave it to you?"

"I drew it myself."

"You drew this yourself?" Gao De asked in surprise.

"Yes!" The little girl named Anna opened her big eyes, puzzled by Gao De's astonishment, and tilted her head to ask, "Is it that difficult?"

Drawing a line is not difficult; what is difficult is knowing where to draw that line. Gao De suddenly recalled a very famous Yi Lin short story from his previous life.

"Uncle, thank you," Anna said again.

【sly】.

"Call me brother." Gao De lightly flicked Anna's forehead.

It's obvious that Anna did it on purpose.

"You don't even know where your sister works in Lagos, how are you going to find her?"

"Oh right. How do I find my sister?" Anna looked up, blinking her eyes. "Brother, you'll help me, right?"

【sly】.

How can I help you?

"Brother, you're a Sea Sentinel Mage, you must have a way," Anna whispered, tugging at God's Sea Sentinel uniform.

Gao De looked at her expressionlessly.

Although there weren't many passengers in economy class, he wasn't the only one.

But Anna chose him, which was clearly no coincidence.

Gao De reasonably suspects that Anna approached him after discovering that he was wearing a Marine Sentinel uniform.

This little girl may be young, but she's very clever.

(End of this chapter)