Bandits

Once the flying boat expanded, it was incredibly massive. Its deck was broad and flat, refracting a brilliant light under the sun.

"Is... is this the legendary large-scale flying magical artifact?!" Torres's eyes widened. Seeing such a gigantic flying machine made him gasp.

"I've only seen records of them in ancient texts! It is said that the value of such a flying boat is comparable to a small territory! Lord Xi Xi, you actually possess such a treasure?"

Moreover, the flying magical artifact Ye Chuan owned seemed even larger than others, didn't it?

How many magic crystals would it take to power this?

Torres glanced at Ye Chuan. "Lord Xi Xi, are you usually so short on money because you have to maintain these things?"

This completely refreshed Torres's understanding of Ye Chuan.

There wasn't a flying machine this enormous in the entire Hill Empire.

As a member of the Reinhardt family, Torres had seen small flying machines used as weapons during the wars of the Hill Empire, but one this massive—it was his first time seeing it.

The shock in his heart was beyond words.

"Alright, hurry up and get on," Ye Chuan said, ignoring how stunned these guys were.

After all, in Ye Chuan's eyes, this flying boat was just a very ordinary model.

It wasn't even as pretty as the cross-dressing Holy Son's flying boat.

Carrying her suitcase, Elara stepped onto the deck cautiously. The material beneath her feet was solid yet resilient.

As the flying boat started up, she ran to the guardrail. Holding onto the cold metal railing, she looked down. She watched the manor's roof grow smaller and smaller, the distant forest spreading out like a green carpet, and the clouds floating close enough to touch.

"Wow—" she exclaimed in awe.

"Teacher! This flying boat is so big! I've never ridden such an amazing flying vehicle before!"

Aurora clutched her staff, pretending to be calm on the surface, but her crimson eyes couldn't help darting around.

She had seen experimental small flying machines at the Imperial Academy; they were not only unbearably bumpy but also pitifully slow. Yet the flying boat before her was as steady as flat ground, and she couldn't even feel a trace of wind resistance.

The arrangement of the runes on the hull was exquisitely ingenious, containing magical principles she had never seen before. It made even a Tier-Five Flame Mage like her burn with curiosity.

"Where on earth did he get this?" she muttered to herself. Walking quietly to the side of the ship, she reached out and touched a glowing rune. A look of disbelief flashed across her face.

"To be able to control the wind element with such precision... This magic must be an ancient legacy, right?"

One after another, they were like curious babies.

Ye Chuan, on the other hand, lay lazily on a seat. "Don't make a fuss. It's just a means of transportation."

The flying boat continued to rise slowly before speeding toward Valoran. Its speed exceeded everyone's expectations.

"So fast!" Elara gripped the guardrail tightly, her face full of excitement. "Teacher, how long until we reach Valoran?"

"A few hours." Ye Chuan's tone was as casual as if he were talking about going out to buy groceries.

Hearing this, Torres was once again shocked speechless.

A half-month journey would only take a few hours?

He looked down at his luggage and suddenly felt a bit ridiculous. He had prepared rations and a tent for the long journey, but now it seemed completely unnecessary.

One couldn't blame Torres. Who could have known that Ye Chuan would whip out a flying boat?

...

Time passed bit by bit. Soon, Ye Chuan noticed a large territory; it seemed to be Valoran.

"Valoran. We actually arrived so quickly." On the flying boat, Torres looked at the distant cluster of buildings from afar, then immediately turned to Ye Chuan and said,

"Lord Xi Xi, we're actually here!"

How long had it been?

Torres felt like it had only been the span of a short nap!

"Yeah, let's head down early." Ye Chuan also knew that his flying boat was quite conspicuous. Since they needed to catch those disguised monsters, it would be better to keep a low profile.

Under the control of Ye Chuan's divine sense, the flying boat slowly began to descend.

The flying boat landed in a dark pine forest on the outskirts of Valoran's main city.

Ye Chuan put away the flying boat, and the massive artifact vanished in an instant. Seeing Ye Chuan's formidable ability to manipulate space, even Aurora couldn't help but marvel.

This was simply not something an ordinary mage could do.

The more she understood Ye Chuan, the more Aurora realized how impossible it was for her to ever be his match.

"Lord Xi Xi, does the flying boat... consume a lot of magic crystals?" Torres asked, feeling a bit embarrassed. After all, operating such a large magical artifact required a massive amount of magic crystals.

A single trip on this flying boat must have cost a fortune.

"It's alright," Ye Chuan said casually. It was powered solely by his own spiritual energy anyway. Using the Holy Grail with its infinite mana on a flying boat was practically overkill.

"Teacher, teacher! Do you have any other fun magical artifacts?" Elara was even more curious about what other entertaining things Ye Chuan had on him. Her blue twin-tails swayed a few times, her eyes brimming with excitement.

"Fun magical artifacts? That depends on what kind of fun you mean." Ye Chuan rubbed Elara's head and then said,

"Let's go. Don't waste time."

"Yes!"

The main road outside the dark pine forest was a compacted dirt path flanked by waist-high weeds. Down the slope, the main city of Valoran was faintly visible in the distance.

Just as the four of them stepped onto the main road, the urgent clash of weapons and a man's cries for help drifted over on the wind.

"Defend the carriage! Don't let these scumbags get close!"

Ye Chuan paused his steps. His divine sense swept over the bend a hundred meters ahead, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Interesting. We just arrived and we're already running into a lively scene."

The group quickly rounded the bend, only to see six bandits in tattered leather armor attacking a luxurious horse-drawn carriage.

The bandits wielded rust-mottled swords and clubs. Each of them had a fierce, fleshy face and a vicious gaze. Their strength was mostly between Tier One and Tier Two, making them the most common type of bandit.

The two guards beside the carriage were already covered in wounds, their longswords full of chips. It was obvious they couldn't hold on much longer. The wooden door of the carriage had several slash marks, and a man's trembling voice could be heard from inside.

"These roving bandits actually dare to commit crimes near Valoran's main city!"

Torres gripped his greatsword and was about to step forward to help, but Ye Chuan raised a hand to stop him.

"Don't rush." Ye Chuan looked at Elara beside him.

"Elara, I'm leaving this to you."

"Me?" Elara froze for a moment, subconsciously tightening her grip on her staff. She looked somewhat nervously at the fierce bandits.

"T-Teacher, they look stronger than goblins..."

"They just have a couple more broken swords than goblins, that's all," Ye Chuan said calmly.

"Does a Tier-Three Mage need me to teach her how to deal with a few Tier-Two bandits? Remember your previous lessons. Use your fastest magic to end the battle."

Aurora stood to the side with her arms crossed and let out a chuckle. "Don't worry, Elara. If you can't handle it, I'll help you finish them off."

Elara took a deep breath and nodded.

"I'm going in!"