By the time Elia finished getting dressed, half an hour had passed.
Looking at the youthful and charming girl in front of him, Edwyn couldn't help but sigh. Youth really is the best makeup.
At the mission hall, Edwyn spotted the chubby apprentice named Loken again, who seemed to have already found a party.
"So it really is common for low-level apprentices to form teams... But don't they worry about betrayal?" Edwyn thought to himself.
Although the Blackstone Mountains were within the academy's sphere of influence, there were no academy enforcers inside. Once there, the academy's rules no longer applied.
And let's be honest, anyone who made it into the academy probably already had blood on their hands. In the wilderness, if you weren't traveling with someone you deeply trusted, Edwyn wouldn't even dare fall asleep.
At the counter, the clerk quickly approved their application once it was confirmed that Edwyn and Elia were a team.
"Let's go pack up. We'll take the Arcane Airship tonight."
On the way back, Edwyn noticed Elia glancing at him from the corner of her eye. But each time he turned toward her, she quickly looked away.
"Do I have something on my face?" Edwyn asked.
"Hmm… no."
"Then why do you keep looking at me?"
"I wasn't looking at you. Don't flatter yourself. I... I was looking at the street lamps!"
Edwyn shook his head, unable to understand girls at all.
Next time, I'm bringing a recording crystal. Let's see her try to deny it then.
Back at the dorm, Edwyn packed clothes and also geared up fully, greatsword on his back, bracers on his arms, Ice Spike Ring on his finger, a magic dagger at his waist, and finally, he grabbed his Lesser Fireball Staff.
With his gear ready, he and Elia made their way to the Arcane Airship terminal on the outskirts of the academy.
The terminal was crowded. Edwyn even spotted Loken's group again in the crowd.
After boarding the Zeppelin-Class Arcane Arcane Airship, Edwyn showed the clerk his mission permit and was exempted from paying the fare, something that drew jealous stares from the surrounding students.
Arcane Airship tickets weren't cheap, starting at one Mana Stone, with farther destinations costing five or six.
Elia looked at the ticket prices and asked, "Edwyn, how did you know taking academy missions waived the fare?"
If they had paid for tickets, the cost for both of them would've been four Mana Stones, more than the reward for the mission.
And the ticket clerks hadn't mentioned anything about that exemption either.
"Heh... that's a secret."
Unlike the Arcane Airships used for student admissions, these public transport ones didn't have private cabins, just rows of ironwood benches.
Edwyn and Elia's seats were by the window. As soon as they sat down, Elia yawned, leaned on Edwyn's shoulder, and drifted off.
Watching her fall asleep instantly, Edwyn sighed, pulling out a spare shirt from his bag and draping it over her.
The moonlight streamed through the window, casting a soft glow over Elia's face, as if she were wrapped in mist.
"Sleeping like this feels like a waste. Not as efficient as meditating…"
...
The Arcane Airship was fast. The Blackstone Mountains, thousands of kilometers away, were reached in just most of the night.
As morning light streamed into the cabin, Edwyn nudged Elia awake.
"Wake up. We've arrived."
"Huh? Already?"
Elia yawned, stretched lazily, and followed Edwyn off the Arcane Airship, still a little groggy.
The Arcane Airship landed near a small town populated by ordinary humans. Loken's party disembarked with them and headed straight for the Blackstone Mountains, clearly familiar with the area.
As soon as Edwyn and Elia stepped into the town, several people immediately approached them.
"Esteemed mages, need a guide? I know the Blackstone Mountains like the back of my hand."
"Mages, I'm your best choice, just a quarter of a Mana Stone, and I'll help you finish your task quickly and smoothly."
"Mage lords, don't listen to them. I know the terrain best, I-"
As the group of guides clamored around them, Edwyn cleared his throat. "Quiet down. We're here to survey the White Crystal Deer population and to hunt a beast called the Black-Striped Water Python. Anyone familiar with either?"
The crowd immediately fell silent.
White Crystal Deer were manageable, but very few of them had even seen a Black-Striped Water Python, let alone knew where to find one.
Finally, an old man with a full head of white hair but a lively expression stepped forward. No one around him dared to compete.
"Mage lords, I know the White Crystal Deer well. As for the Black-Striped Water Python, I saw one six months ago. Not sure if it's still in the area."
"Alright, we'll take you. How much?" Edwyn asked.
"Half a Mana Stone will do, my lords."
"What's your name?"
"You can just call me Old John."
...
Transaction complete, Old John wasted no time. He immediately led them toward the Blackstone Mountains.
In the early morning, the mountain range was covered in mist. From a distance, the fog made the peaks look like a slumbering black beast.
Old John led them along a narrow trail deeper into the mountains. Along the way, all sorts of strange plants and insects kept catching Edwyn and Elia's eyes.
"This your first time in the Blackstone Mountains, mage lords?" John asked.
As Edwyn tucked away a plant he had just collected, he turned and nodded. "Yes, it is."
"Haha, I could tell from how you two were acting."
With a chuckle, Old John reached into the underbrush and plucked a mushroom.
"Mage lord, forget those little weeds, check this out."
Edwyn took the mushroom and scanned it with his mental energy, there was magic in it.
"What is this?!"
Old John shook his head. "No idea what it's called. But I've seen other mages come into the forest and collect it often."
Reading between the lines, Edwyn pulled out a mostly-used Mana Stone with about one-fifth power left.
"If you know more spots where mages harvest materials like this, show us."
Old John beamed, happily pocketing the stone.
"Of course! I promise to make your trip worthwhile!"
The Blackstone Mountains were massive, spanning thousands of kilometers, even reaching beyond the academy's territory.
By moonrise, after a full day of trekking, the group had settled down and started a campfire in the woods. Edwyn and Elia sat by the fire, watching Old John cook.
Having spent decades as a guide, John was clearly a seasoned pro. Noticing that the pair hadn't prepared well for their first trip to the mountains, he had spent the day gathering wild game for dinner.
As he basted a golden-brown mountain pheasant with a secret sauce, the meat sizzled and burst with a mouth-watering aroma.
"Smells amazing," Elia said, sniffing the air and gazing at the roast longingly.
Edwyn couldn't help but feel hungry too. He had packed rations, but compared to this fragrant roast, who would want dry food?
Just as their mouths began to water, sudden movement echoed from the trees.
Old John's sharp ears twitched. He glanced toward the forest, then quickly stabbed the skewer into the ground.
"Something's coming. Could be a fight. I won't slow you down."
With that, his figure melted into the shadows and vanished.
Seconds later, rustling came from the woods, and a figure, covered in blood, burst out of the undergrowth.