Above the mage

Chapter 343 Similar People

The total straight-line distance from Dorn to Lagos is 361 kilometers.

For an airship, this is not a very long journey.

So the airship quickly reached its destination and landed smoothly at the airship base in Lagos.

Compared to Dorne, Lagos's landscape appears far less impressive.

Not only are the buildings, streets, and scenery dilapidated, but the number of airships flying overhead is also extremely small, less than one-fifth of that in Dorne, and most of them are old-fashioned airships.

Gao De casually carried his luggage in one hand and held Anna in the other as he stepped off the airship.

There are corresponding checks when boarding the airship, but there is no such procedure when disembarking.

He followed the passage and left the airship base.

Gao De also wanted to ask Anna about her family's specific situation, but Anna couldn't give any specific details. It was unclear whether she was intentionally hiding something or genuinely couldn't tell him.

He also considered handing Anna over to the airship crew so they could send her back.

But every time he had this thought, Anna would look at him pitifully, tears welling up in her eyes.

Although there was some element of showmanship involved, the feelings of being wronged and sad were indeed present.

The key point is that only these two emotions are present, and negative emotions such as "resentment" or "anger" are not generated.

This makes it difficult for Gaode to be ruthless.

"What's your sister's name? What's she good at?" At the entrance of the airship base, Gao De hesitated for a long time before finally asking.

Anna was slightly taken aback, but then she cleverly understood the meaning behind Gao De's question. She smiled happily, her big eyes narrowing together like a crescent moon.

"My sister's name is Elsa, and she can do everything!" Anna exclaimed loudly and proudly.

"That's the same as saying nothing at all."

"That's all Anna knows."

Gao De was even more helpless, but he was always a decisive person, and once he made a decision, he wouldn't easily change his mind.

And to be fair, the little girl's complete trust did indeed please him.

"However, I'm here on a mission, so I need to finish it first before I can help you find your sister. Until then, you need to stay put and not wander off, okay?"

"Of course, brother, your own affairs are important. I'll be very good." Anna acted very "well-behaved."

She's really well-behaved; she wouldn't sneak out by herself.

Despite the complaints, Gaode Maps still maintained a gentle smile.

Anna was very talkative, and seemingly knowing that "acting" was useless at Gaode, she quickly revealed her "bratty nature".

To be fair, a kid who dares to sneak onto an airship alone must be a bit rebellious and a real tough nut to crack.

Through Anna's chattering, bird-like ramblings, Gao De gradually learned some information about Anna.

The little girl, like him, was not a native of the Plantagenet dynasty; she came from another country.

She must have been born into a wealthy family, but for some reason, the family fell into decline and her parents died. She was then taken by her older sister to flee to the Golden Flower Dynasty and seek refuge with a good friend of her father who lived there.

However, because she still owed a large debt, and creditors could come knocking at any time to collect, Anna's sister immediately went to Lagos to make a living after settling down.

According to Anna, her sister is good at everything and can do anything, so she could work in any industry in Lagos.

She was only good at drawing and playing with toys.

Yes, the little girl called drawing runes "drawing" and alchemy machines "toys."

However, a family that has access to a large number of alchemy machines may not be simply described as "wealthy".

Of course, that doesn't matter. No matter how wealthy Anna's family was in the past, it has now fallen into decline.

When a Sea Sentinel Apprentice goes out on a mission, his daily accommodation allowance is 3 silver dragons, in addition to a meal allowance of 1 silver dragon and a city transportation allowance of 1 silver dragon.

If it exceeds this standard, you'll have to pay for it yourself.

Under normal circumstances, this subsidy standard is sufficient.

After all, even in Dorne, where prices are highest, 3 silver dragon coins can get you a decent hotel room.

In Lagos, where the economy is already in a deep recession, 3 silver dragon coins can even buy you a hotel room in the city center for one night.

However, it can only be the lowest-class single room.

Walking on the streets of Lagos, there were far fewer pedestrians than in Dorne, and their clothing was noticeably a level below.

The damp sea breeze, carrying a foul odor, rushed towards us, proving that the sanitation in Lagos was also far from satisfactory.

The setting sun cuts the clock tower, a landmark building standing in the heart of Lagos, in two, while homeless people huddle among the peeling walls of the pillars.

Barefoot children with dark skin run through the street.

As Gaode drove along the street toward the city square, he saw that all the hotels he saw had metal signs that read "Available" and "Today's Special".

The hotels in Lagos, which had enjoyed a brief period of prosperity during the Fiery Crossing, are now in a more deserted phase.

Gaode counted the rooms until he stopped in front of the eighth hotel with a "vacant" sign.

The faded brass signboard displays the hotel's name:

Palm Tree Hotel.

A few clumps of ferns peeked out from the gaps in the porch pillars. Stepping through the door, the proprietress behind the counter was applying palm oil to her curly hair for conditioning, and an old handwritten parchment sat on the table.

The parchment contained hand-drawn information and brief portraits of wanted criminals by the Lagos city authorities.

Although the portraits were simple in line, they clearly depicted the characteristics of the wanted criminals, and next to them were detailed information such as the criminals' names, places of origin, crimes committed, and the amount of the reward.

The last page of the parchment would also contain important news, such as the dynasty's laws and policies, as well as news of major wars.

However, the key point is still the information on wanted criminals, which makes it easier for hotel owners and customers to report suspicious individuals in a timely manner.

The hotel room price list was hung high above the counter, written in black ink on a wooden board, making the prices clear at a glance.

Gao De glanced at it and said, "Book me a single room facing the street for three nights, and I need a receipt."

There is no such thing as an "invoice" in this world, but most legitimate hotels will provide handwritten receipts.

Receipts are usually printed on hotel-issued stationery with the hotel's logo. They also include the dates of stay, room number, and details of the charges. Finally, hotel staff will sign and stamp the receipt.

Upon hearing Gaode's request, the proprietress made a muffled, pigeon-like murmur in her throat, but her purplish-red fingertips quickly took out a blank receipt from the drawer and began to write on it.

While waiting for the landlady to write the receipt, Gao De casually picked up the handwritten parchment on the table.

"The Principality of Ovoga and the Principality of Xidian went to war, and the Principality of Xidian was destroyed." Finally, his gaze fell on a short briefing on the last page.

The Principality of Ruvoga and the Principality of Xidian have long harbored resentment over territorial disputes and resource allocation issues, and this conflict has now escalated to a full-blown point.

The Principality of Rufuga assembled its elite troops and cleverly used a stratagem to outflank the Principality of Xidian and launch a surprise attack on its supply lines, causing the Xidian army to suffer from shortages of supplies and widespread panic.

Later, in the crucial battle on the plains, the alchemical weapons of the Principality of Ovoga proved extremely powerful, causing the defenses of the Principality of Xidian to collapse completely.

Ultimately, the capital of the Principality of Westin was captured by the army of the Principality of Ovoga, marking its demise, and the royal family was completely beheaded.

The reason Gao De noticed this briefing was that these two duchies, just like the Duchy of Sien, were located between the Plantagenet Dynasty and the Holy Empire, standing in that land full of duchies.

The Principality of Ruvoga even shares a small border with the Principality of Sien.

But that's all.

Now, he is a true citizen of the Golden Flower Dynasty, a Sea Sentinel Mage.

"Single room facing the street, hot water available 24/7, free breakfast provided, 3 silver dragons per night, 9 silver dragons for three days in total," the landlady said while writing the receipt.

Gao De put down the parchment, took out a shiny brocade coin, and pushed it over.

The proprietress skillfully swept the gold coin into the drawer with her fingertips, returned a silver dragon coin to Gao De, and wrote out a receipt, which she then handed to him.

"Sir, here's your receipt."

—Apart from government officials who need reimbursement, generally no one will ask for a receipt.

She couldn't help but glance a few more times at Anna, whom Gao De was holding in his left arm, feeling somewhat puzzled.

The officer in front of me looks too young. He doesn't seem like someone who has a child this big. So why did he bring his child along when he went out on official business?

It's rare.

In the chaotic shack, dim light struggled to seep in through the cracks in the dilapidated wooden planks, casting crooked shadows of the men inside.

They were sitting together, with several glasses of ale on the table in front of them. Each of them had a bored expression on their face and took a sip every now and then.

Da da da.

The sound of hurried footsteps approached.

The men immediately put down their glasses and looked warily toward the door.

The door to the shed was pushed open, and a gust of wind carrying a putrid smell rushed in.

"We've received word that the mission to expel the water monsters from Lagos City has been issued by the Sea Sentinels. According to the message, the mission was issued yesterday, and the people should be here in the next couple of days. Everyone, please take a break for the next few days," the person who came in said loudly.

"Close the door first," shouted the man inside, who was already covering his nose.

"It's been so long, and you're still being so dramatic." The man who came in later cursed as he quickly closed the door behind him.

"It's the same old story. The higher-ups want to force these lowly people to leave, but they don't dare to take drastic measures, so they keep making us do these little tricks, releasing bugs and octopuses to disgust people," one of the men muttered discontentedly, his face full of annoyance.

"How dare the higher-ups take drastic measures? If there are large-scale casualties, the Sea Sentinels won't just send a mage to drive away the water beasts; they'll come down to investigate thoroughly. Harming civilians is a serious crime!" Another man chimed in, waving his hand as he spoke, seemingly emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

"So they just leave us stuck in this place all day. Damn it, if we stay any longer, I'll be pickled up. This place is so smelly. How can these lowly people live here?" another man complained.

"If they had a choice, why would they choose to stay here?"

"Just bear with it. Once this is over, the reward will be substantial."

"Sigh, what can we do even if we don't want to endure it? It's good that the sea sentries are coming; at least they can give us a few days of rest."

"Take a few days off, then come back and keep going. It's not just the stench; if you accidentally get bitten by these bugs, you'll be in for a world of hurt." One of them said, his gaze involuntarily falling on a huge bucket in the shed.

Inside the bucket, swarms of larvae were swimming freely.

These larvae are bizarrely shaped, with slender bodies about the thickness of an adult's finger. They are a disgusting dark green color and covered with a sticky, putrid mucus.

Their heads are extremely small, with a pair of almost invisible black eyes on them. Their tails are wide and flat, swaying in the water and creating murky ripples in the surrounding sewage. They emit a terrible stench similar to that of a rotting corpse.

"We'll release these larvae tonight, and then we'll leave."

Finally, the man inside the house, who appeared to be the leader, made the final decision.

Opening the slightly mottled wooden door with the key, a musty smell wafted out.

Gao De carried Anna into the room, quickly put away their luggage, then put the little girl down and left the Palm Tree Hotel holding Anna's hand.

After traveling for a long time, it was already lunchtime.

Anna, needless to say, is even more prone to hunger as a child.

It's time to try some local specialties.

It's not hard to find; any small restaurant will do.

Anna tore off a piece of fish with her hand, put it in her mouth and chewed it hard, making hissing noises, clearly not used to the food in front of her.

Before them was a peculiar grilled fish, its entire body covered in red spices.

This is a giant catfish grilled in banana leaves, a local specialty of Lagos, wrapped in a special heat-resistant banana leaf, sprinkled with a special dipping sauce, and then grilled over a fire.

There were also five or six smoked fish attached to each other, like squid rings.

Looking at the serious expression on Anna's face, Gao De couldn't help but laugh and said, "If you don't like it, don't force yourself. Just order another dish."

"My sister said things are different now than before, and we can't be as picky about food as we used to be," Anna sighed, shaking her head like a worried little adult.

Gao De chuckled as he took a bite of fish. The taste was indeed strange, but he had been taught to cherish food, so he generally wouldn't waste food unless it was truly unpalatable.

They also stuffed in two more pieces of smoked fish, which were shaped like squid rings. These tasted much better than the grilled catfish.

"I'll take you out for something nice another time; I'm not familiar with this area."

"Thank you, brother." Anna nodded her little head seriously. Although she had tasted almost every kind of delicious food when her father and mother were still alive, and didn't have much of a desire for food anymore, she was still happy about Gao De's casual promise and thought that he was a really good person.

After enjoying the local specialty meal, Gao De took Anna back to the hotel.

It's getting late today, and he's not exactly a workaholic, so he'll naturally get some rest for the night and set off on his mission tomorrow.

However, before taking a break, daily training and rune practice cannot be neglected.

This is a basic skill.

Gao De didn't shy away from Anna. After casting a [Divine Guidance+] spell on himself, he took out the Jade Paper and Rune Pen and began to practice intently.

Anna sat obediently on the bed, quietly watching Gao De's every move.

After a long while, Gao De snapped out of his reverie, looked up, and found that Anna was still staring at him intently, just as she had at the beginning.

This seems like an incredible thing to a small child.

"Brother, are you alright?"

"Alright." Gao De put down the rune pen in his hand.

"Brother, are you a rune constructor?" Anna asked again.

"I guess so, although I haven't made a single rune construct yet." Gao De suddenly realized, looking at Anna in surprise: "How did you know?"

“I’ve seen my teacher practice this,” Anna said, pointing to the lacquered jade paper that God had just drawn runes on. “He said he would teach me this too, after I become a full-fledged mage.”

At this point, Anna scratched her head cutely and said in a childish voice, "I already know everything that the teacher can teach me. The rest can only be taught after I become a formal mage, so I can only play with those big toys."

"However," the little girl tilted her head, looking at Gao De with innocent confusion, "Brother, your rune system level has reached the second tier, but you haven't made a single rune construct yet?"

Gao De looked at Anna's big, questioning eyes and was filled with surprise.

He never expected that a five-year-old girl would know so much.

From this perspective, her family background must have been much more affluent than she had previously imagined.

(End of this chapter)