The magic train arrives at the designated entrance to the magical nation of Noareiz.
How long would it have taken to get here by land from the Empire? Even rushing with horses, it wouldn’t be a matter of just a few days. With four people, we’d have to use a carriage… I stopped that train of thought. There’s no point in dwelling on hypotheticals.
The conductor opens the door, guiding the passengers outside.
Even the beastman bartender came to see us off. He looked a bit sleepy, trying to stifle a yawn without being seen.
We follow along and step outside.
The air smells different from that of the Empire.
It seems like we’ve disembarked inside a building.
The immigration process takes place at the exit of the structure. Very efficient.
I noticed the noble who had been pestering us earlier in the back. With just one glare from me, he hurriedly hid behind one of his subordinates.
It’s surprising that such a noble, even in economy class, could board the magic train.
The higher-class passengers are processed first for immigration.
A wealthy couple, likely merchants, ahead of us completed their procedure and gave us a polite nod.
I returned the gesture.
It was likely a signal of “Sorry for making you wait.”
There’s much to learn from merchants’ subtle manners.
We approach the immigration officer.
The officer, a woman with glasses, gave off an intellectual vibe.
We exchanged brief pleasantries and moved straight to the main topic.
“What is the purpose of your entry?”
“We’re enrolling in the Magic Academy.”
“Are the three young ladies with you?”
“No, I’m included too.”
“I see…”
She seemed to be trying to hold back some thoughts. I get it, but there’s no need to worry. I may not be as young as the students, but I’m still relatively youthful.
“I wish you a very productive time here.”
“Thank you. I appreciate it.”
Simply being on the magic train serves as a form of identification.
The process was quick.
Once outside the building, we saw structures built in a completely different architectural style from the Empire.
It felt distinctly foreign.
The kingdom, being closer to the Empire, has similar architectural styles. Of course, there are differences based on the geography.
But the buildings of the magical nation of Noareiz were quite different.
Although many buildings were old, there was no sense of disarray in their layout.
There was an underlying sense of order.
I couldn’t help but glance around.
It’s just the adventurer’s instinct—seeing something new sparks curiosity.
Mastema seemed to feel the same way.
Noel had already bought a map and was discussing nearby shops and locations with Arnella.
The magic train saved us a lot of time.
We still had some time before the Magic Academy’s enrollment.
Now then, what should we do?
We’ve already eaten, so instead of sightseeing… let’s find a base of operations.
The academy primarily offers dormitory living, but Mastema would never handle dorm life, and I’m not fond of it either.
Noel and Arnella could probably adapt, but still…
Nobles and wealthy merchants’ children often refuse dorm life and instead purchase homes to use as villas.
Quite a luxurious situation. Let’s do the same.
It would be best if it were close to the Magic Academy.
I left the navigation to Noel and the others, who had already memorized the map of Noareiz.
However, I noticed we were attracting a lot of attention along the way.
It’s no surprise. After all, the three girls, though slightly young-looking, are beautiful and dressed in fine gowns.
They couldn’t help but stand out.
We found a clothing shop nearby and entered.
There were no customers inside, and a young woman was minding the shop.
She looked bored out of her mind.
“Looking for something?” she asked without any greeting.
She didn’t seem particularly friendly, but it’s not like you expect warm service from a clothing store.
“I’m looking for clothes for the Magic Academy.”
“Ah, so you’re hoping to enroll, huh? Good luck with the entrance exams. The academy outfits are over here.”
Her words lacked sincerity as she led us to the typical academy attire.
A black cloak with red lining.
A pointed hat and a cheap robe—things that even mages in the Empire commonly wear.
That was the selection.
But on the high-end shelf, I noticed better-designed women’s clothing.
“Get me those clothes,” I said.
“Oh, sure. No problem.”
She gave me a puzzled look but pulled out the clothes from the high-end shelf.
“These clothes have automatic adjustment magic built into them, so they’ll fit immediately. Want to try them on?”
I had the two slaves try on the clothes first.
When they stepped out of the fitting room, they were wearing sleeveless dresses with decorative embellishments, paired with luxurious cloaks adorned with fur.
Apparently, these were still considered mage outfits.
They were far better than the clunky clothes on the cheaper shelf.
I chose ones that matched their hair colors: Noel’s was a shade of flax, Arnella’s was silver, and Mastema’s was black.
“I’ll take these. Have them change into them now. Oh, and for her too.”
“I don’t like those frilly ones.”
“You liked the dress earlier. Don’t be so picky. You can wear those short pants underneath; it’ll be fine.”
“Well, if that’s the case…”
It would help reduce exposure. I might as well have Noel and the others wear them outside too.
As I swiftly made my clothing selections, the shopkeeper began to panic.
She looked at me as if questioning if I was serious.
“Um, sir, those clothes are quite expensive…”
I casually placed some Imperial gold coins on the counter.
Imperial gold coins contain 92% pure gold and are highly trusted.
Moreover, counterfeiters are caught and executed, so I heard they can be used in this country without issue.
“Oh, you’re a wealthy customer! My apologies.”
She quickly put on a sycophantic smile.
“We also have staffs available.”
“No need. I have my own.”
“Ah, I see.”
I showed her one of the staffs from the Empire’s storage. There were exactly four of them, so I brought one out.
“Wait, isn’t this an Eraser Rod? How do you have such a rare staff?”
“I don’t know. It was in the storage.”
“What kind of place do you come from…? This staff is for highly skilled mages.”
“I’m planning to be a new student at the Magic Academy.”
“That makes no sense… But seriously, you’ll stand out with this. I’ll give you a beginner’s staff for free. You should use that first.”
“Is that so? Thanks.”
“It’s just leftover stock anyway. I don’t even want to see more staffs… Just go, I’m exhausted.”
After buying clothes for myself and getting changed, we were practically thrown out of the shop.
Did I do something wrong?
But at least we won’t stand out anymore.
“How is it?”
Mastema twirled around, her skirt fluttering. Since she wore pants underneath, it wasn’t an issue.
“Yes, yes, it looks great on you.”
“You look cute, Mastema.”
“Yeah, totally.”
Noel and the others were doing their best to cheer her up.
“If you say so, then it’s fine.”
Mastema seemed to be in a rather good mood.
We regrouped and headed toward the Magic Academy.
