Chapter 197: The Developed Atrium.

Vihish City was a small border city of the Central Court near Prunse, with a history stretching back more than two thousand years.

Originally, there had been nothing here but a poor, backward village.

After the current God Mage, Danlov Girard, became master of the Magic Tower, he began developing the Central Court on a massive scale, placing particular emphasis on the regions bordering other countries.

The impoverished village was completely transformed.

In its place rose a magnificent border city.

The Magic Tower dispatched high-ranking mages to oversee the border cities, eradicate the bandits who had long terrorized the region, open new roads, and ensure that travelers coming to the Central Court could enter safely.

Danlov, who had still been a Saint Mage at the time, spent nearly a hundred years transforming the chaotic, impoverished, backward Central Court into a safe, wealthy, prosperous holy land of magic.

Today, Vihish City was an ancient city with a long history.

Its distinctive architecture reflected its rich cultural heritage, while the passage of time had also brought countless new and unusual elements.

Magical devices, for instance, could be seen everywhere.

The Team of Light walked along the broad, smooth streets like true country bumpkins visiting a city for the first time, looking around at everything with wide-eyed curiosity.

Magic-stone streetlamps stood neatly in rows.

Public carriages ran along tracks.

There were unusual overpasses, towering spires, shops with glowing signs reminiscent of LED displays, four-wheeled vehicles powered by magic stones, and even hot-air balloons floating high above the city.

Shu Li clicked his tongue in amazement.

The moment they passed through the city gate, it felt as though they had gone straight from the age of cold weapons into the age of steam.

Magic had brought extraordinary convenience into people’s daily lives.

Mages could be seen everywhere along the streets, as well as burly swordsmen, dwarves, beastmen, goblins, and even Dark Elves walking around openly without any attempt to hide themselves.

The Central Court really was incredibly tolerant.

"Wow, is this really just a border city?" Dio exclaimed. "It looks even more prosperous than the royal capital of Yadilan!"

"I want to ride that public carriage that runs on tracks," Angel said, pointing ahead.

"Big meal, big meal! I want a big meal!"

Budno kept looking left and right, searching for a suitable restaurant.

"Can people ride those balloons?" Nasha asked, tilting her head back to look at the sky.

Kumandi said seriously, "First, we buy the latest map of the Central Court. Then we find out which means of transportation is the most convenient for reaching Iggia City."

Ace smiled.

"Maybe we can ask a local."

Shu Li looked at the Team of Light’s two strategists and felt incredibly reassured.

It really was good to have dependable people around.

"Hello there. Have you gentlemen just arrived in the Central Court?"

A deep voice suddenly sounded nearby.

The members of the Team of Light stopped in surprise and turned toward a man who had removed his hat and was bowing politely to them.

"Uh, hello..."

Shu Li maintained a safe distance while studying him suspiciously.

The man looked to be in his twenties.

He had a head of curly hair, regular features, and a pair of slightly comical handlebar mustaches above his upper lip.

The others gripped their magic staffs and stared warily at this complete stranger who had suddenly blocked their path.

"No need to be nervous, gentlemen. My name is Yori. I’m a guide here in Vihish City."

The man introduced himself with a pleasant smile.

"A guide?"

The members of the Team of Light exchanged looks.

That was unexpected.

There was actually such a profession in a border city of the Central Court.

"That’s right. For just one gold coin, I can take you anywhere in Vihish City and guarantee you won’t get lost."

Yori put his hat back on and twitched his mustache.

"I can also tell you about the customs and character of every city in the Central Court."

Shu Li did not agree immediately.

Instead, he discussed it with his companions.

It was obvious that the moment they entered the city gate, this guide named Yori had noticed them.

He had waited for the perfect moment to approach and enthusiastically recommend his own services.

They had only just arrived in an unfamiliar city and knew absolutely nothing about the area.

Hiring a local guide really would save them a great deal of time and effort.

The Central Court was so strictly regulated that even street fighting was forbidden.

Surely no swindler would dare openly cheat outsiders here.

After discussing it, the Team of Light agreed to spend one gold coin and hire Yori as their guide.

Shu Li took one gold coin from their shared funds and handed it to him.

"We’ll be troubling you, then."

Yori accepted the coin and said respectfully, "Rest assured, gentlemen. Just tell me where you want to go and I’ll take you there immediately."

Kumandi said, "I want to buy the newest map of the Central Court."

Yori smiled.

"Of course. Please follow me."

Before long, Yori skillfully led them to a shop specializing in maps and travel journals.

The owner seemed very familiar with him and greeted them warmly, enthusiastically attending to the eight young Mage Apprentices.

Kumandi successfully purchased the newest version of the Central Court map.

He quickly scanned it once and noticed many strange diamond-shaped symbols.

"Excuse me, sir. What do these symbols mean?"

He pointed to one of the diamond marks.

"Oh, those?"

The shopkeeper pushed the glasses up the bridge of his nose and leaned closer.

"They’re teleportation arrays."

"Huh? Teleportation arrays?"

Shu Li let out a startled sound.

"Sir, did you just say teleportation arrays?"

The shopkeeper gave him a puzzled look.

"That’s right. I said teleportation arrays. Is there a problem?"

Shu Li hurriedly shook his head.

"No, no problem. Could you just tell me more about them?"

Yori laughed and slapped his chest.

"You should ask me about that!"

"All right. Then I’ll trouble you, Mr. Yori," Shu Li said politely.

"Hey, I’m your guide. It’s my duty to answer whatever questions you have."

Yori stroked his mustache.

"The teleportation array is a magnificent invention. At the moment, only the Central Court has them. You won’t find them in any other country or region!"

"Two years ago, after Danlov Girard advanced to God Mage, he gathered more than ten Saint Mages and spent two years researching an advanced magic array capable of spatial teleportation."

"After another six months of testing and modification, the teleportation array finally became a success."

"Now every city in the Central Court has one. As long as you have the money, you can travel freely between them."

Yori winked.

"Of course, teleporting once isn’t cheap."

Angel could not help asking, "How much does it cost?"

Yori held up one finger.

Dio guessed, "One gold coin?"

Yori wagged the finger.

"Far too cheap."

Budno asked, "Ten gold coins?"

Yori wagged his finger again.

"Still not enough."

Shu Li hesitated.

"Don’t tell me it’s a hundred gold coins?"

Yori snapped his fingers.

"Correct."

"A hundred gold coins?! Is that robbery?"

Dio’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Ace placed one slender finger on the map and compared the distance between Vihish City and Iggia City.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "If we spend a hundred gold coins and teleport directly to Iggia City, it would at least save us a great deal of time and effort."

Yori shook his head.

"Teleportation arrays have a distance limit. From Vihish City to Iggia City, you’d have to transfer through at least two other cities."

Kumandi frowned.

"You mean... if we use the teleportation arrays, it could cost four hundred gold coins?"

"That’s right," Yori said.

The members of the Team of Light instinctively clutched their storage pouches.

From the Dalia Empire to Vihish City, their travel expenses, lodging, and meals had all been paid out of their shared funds.

They had already spent more than a hundred gold coins.

The little over two hundred remaining was nowhere near enough to cover the teleportation fees.

Individually, each of them had total assets of a little over five hundred gold coins.

If they used the teleportation arrays, four hundred of those gold coins would disappear in one go.

The money they had worked so hard to earn would vanish instantly.

Just thinking about it hurt.

Shu Li sighed inwardly.

No wonder Danlov had managed to become the ruler of the Magic Tower.

With that kind of drive and talent for making money, he was truly unprecedented.

Two years ago, when Danlov was still a Saint Mage, he had visited the Elven Kingdom.

At the time, Shu Li, Dio, Angel, and Budno had been tricked by Ilio, leaving Danlov to teach them a lesson.

During class, Danlov had mentioned his past.

Shu Li had listened with great interest and occasionally added a comment of his own.

At one point, he had brought up the concept of teleportation arrays.

Danlov had been extremely interested and said that once he returned to the Central Court, he would study the idea together with the other mages.

Shu Li had forgotten about the matter almost immediately.

Never in his wildest dreams had he expected Danlov to actually create a teleportation array in only two years.

Was this what a genius was like?

Seriously, that was incredible!

Besides, teleportation arrays were essentially a form of spatial jumping.

They naturally required top-tier magical materials to operate.

Charging an enormous teleportation fee was perfectly reasonable.

Once wealthy people experienced the convenience of teleportation, they would become addicted to it.

A hundred gold coins would mean nothing to them.

Poorer people could only stare longingly from afar.

The Little Fairies and the little dragon were technically rich.

Setting aside the five hundred-plus gold coins in each of their storage pouches, their storage rings still contained piles of gold coins.

However, unless absolutely necessary, none of them wanted to touch those reserves.

Ace had previously been robbed by mountain bandits and currently had only the five hundred-plus gold coins he had earned from missions.

Nasha might be the princess of a fallen kingdom, but Queen Helati had never treated her poorly.

Every month, she had received a generous allowance.

Over eight years, she had accumulated more than ten thousand gold coins.

Before Nasha left for the magic academy, the queen had given her another five thousand.

She could easily afford the teleportation array.

After spending this much time together, however, she had seen Amo and the others economizing wherever they could.

Even at inns, they would rather squeeze two or three people into one room than pay for another.

She assumed they were not particularly wealthy.

If the teleportation arrays cost four hundred gold coins, they probably could not afford them.

Biting her lip, she said, "I have money. I can pay the teleportation fees for all of you."

Shu Li looked at her in surprise.

"Thank you, but there’s no need for now."

They had money too.

They simply did not want to waste it unnecessarily.

"Why?"

Nasha did not understand.

Hadn’t they said they would take care of each other?

Why was he refusing her money?

Shu Li explained tactfully, "Money is hard to earn. It’s better to spend carefully. Besides, we don’t know how expensive studying at the magic academy will be."

Being a mage was an incredibly expensive profession.

Learning magic consumed enormous quantities of materials.

As mages advanced, they constantly had to replace their magic robes and staffs.

The higher their rank, the greater the expense.

It was practically a bottomless pit.

Shu Li was immensely grateful that he had been born in the Faerie Forest, where resources were virtually inexhaustible.

After hearing his explanation, Nasha’s tightly knitted brows finally relaxed.

Kumandi pointed to the Bakat River on the map.

"If we’re not in a hurry, we can travel by water."

Taking a ship would be vastly cheaper than using the teleportation arrays.

Budno nodded repeatedly.

"Exactly! Exactly! We should save the money for delicious food!"

Amanda rubbed his stomach.

"I’m so hungry~~~"

Angel said, "If we’ve decided to travel by water, should we go to the docks and find a ship?"

Shu Li looked at Yori.

"Does Vihish City have a port?"

Yori, who had listened to their discussion for quite some time, stroked his little mustache.

"Gentlemen, is your destination Saint Vilia Magic Academy?"

Shu Li nodded.

"Yes. We all have recommendation letters and need to report to the academy."

"In that case..."

Yori’s expression became meaningful.

"You should get to Iggia City as quickly as possible."

Kumandi asked, "Why?"

Yori smiled.

"Saint Vilia Magic Academy has a rule. Once spring is over, they stop accepting new students. Even if you already have a recommendation letter, you’ll have to wait until the following year to register."

The shopkeeper added cheerfully, "You only have two days left. If you travel by water, you probably won’t make it in time."