Travel

The implication from Slav was, of course, understood by Lizer. After a moment's thought, he stated bluntly:

"If the preferential policy application is successful, I will donate 1 gold coin to you, Director."

Slav thought for a moment and said tactfully:

"You are Jackson's good friend, so there's no need to consider that for me.

But this matter requires the help of the other two bureau directors. I intend to use that 1 gold to thank the Planning Bureau Director, but the Commerce Bureau Director will also need some... consideration."

Lizer secretly reflected that dealing with these old foxes required being both direct and indirect.

Being direct meant getting straight to the point, not dithering and being looked down upon. Being indirect meant not foolishly being overly generous; one should test the waters when necessary.

He nodded:

"That was an oversight on my part.

Friendship aside, Director Slav is helping, and the rules shouldn't be broken.

Once the matter is settled, 3 gold coins will be handed over for you to arrange."

Both parties happily settled this mutually beneficial deal, everyone was satisfied, and they turned their attention back to the map to select a site for the warehouse.

Following Slav's advice, the land couldn't be applied for separately later. Instead, it should be declared together with the factory's warehouse, R&D base, and laboratory to enjoy the preferential policies collectively.

Lizer looked at the map, thought for a moment, and changed his mind again, wanting to adhere to the principle of proximity near the factory area.

Combined with the previous requirements, this new request also put Slav in a bit of a spot. After thinking for a long time and pacing back and forth over the map, he finally found a place about 7 kilometers slightly northeast of the factory's vacant land:

"This plot is basically suitable. It backs onto the Grey Mist Mountains, covers two hectares, and comes with an additional roughly one hectare of mountain forest land nearby. It used to be an iron mine, but it's been exhausted and abandoned. There are just some... unfavorable rumors.

But it's very cheap. Designated as inefficient land, the town government lowered its listing price last year to 1 copper coin per square meter. With the cumulative preferential policies, it would be only 0.3 copper coins per square meter!

Lizer looked. If he wanted to be close to the factory, this really was the only option, and it included a hectare of mountain forest land which might prove useful later. As for the unfavorable rumors, he decided to hear them out:

"Oh? What rumors?"

Slav thought for a moment and said:

"Well, it's not just rumors anymore. The police station confirmed it last year. For unknown reasons, some undead monsters and specters have formed there.

Since the undead haven't left the area to cause harm, and without necessity, the police haven't risked casualties to deal with it, merely sealing off the land temporarily.

The reason the land price is so low is also that the purchaser needs to organize the force to clear out the monsters themselves."

This was something Lizer knew about. Due to the mutagenic energy particles ubiquitous in the air, monsters often spawned in many remote, sparsely populated areas of the world.

However, due to certain bizarre rules, such monsters generally didn't appear near long-term, densely populated human settlements.

Maintaining the operation of major municipal infrastructure and social order stability was their primary task, so the limited official forces usually didn't proactively clear such places. This gave many gold-rushing adventurers opportunities.

There was always that one-in-ten-thousand lucky individual who gained something from these rumored monster-infested places...

Lizer thought about it. Felina was a necromancy wizard, so she wouldn't fear these undead monsters.

Moreover, having devoured a specter bound by her contract, this was a chance to compensate her with a new one. But without knowing the specifics, he dared not make a rash decision:

"Hmm. I'll go with Mentor Felina to investigate the site first. If there are no major issues, we'll finalize the warehouse location here.

I'll trouble you with the preliminary matters first, Director Slav. I'll take my leave now."

Watching Lizer's departing figure, Slav pondered to himself:

'This kid is indeed as my son said, on very good terms with the academy mentor.

I must go all out on this deal; being able to establish some connection with a wizard apprentice from the Wizard Academy is beneficial and harmless for both me and my son.'

It was very late by the time he returned to the academy with Jackson. Their conversation on the way had improved Lizer's impression of Jackson considerably.

The duel was just a game after all. Jackson intended to be friendly, and Lizer certainly had no reason to make an enemy deliberately. Coming from the same junior academy, they might even help each other out in society later.

It was too late. Although Lizer lusted after her beauty, he knew it wasn't appropriate to disturb Felina again. Did she miss him? Probably. Should he go now?

Tomorrow was the weekly rest day. The land matter was settled. Why not take Felina to Gele City for a trip together...

Amidst these thoughts, Lizer fell into a sweet sleep...

The next day, Lizer asked Jackson to find someone to send a message to Patiff about the land and the trip to Gele City.

He had already promised his father. Plus, although he had accepted his existence, Lizer still wanted to use this chance to buffer a bit more. Also, why bother his grumpy old man when there was a beautiful woman?

Right in the heat of their passionate affair, Felina agreed to Lizer's invitation without a second thought.

Gele City was about a hundred kilometers from Grey Mist Mountain Town. Riding bicycles was definitely not feasible; they were too slow, although both Lizer and Felina were quite tempted.

In the end, Felina, using her status as a mentor, rented a bright pink Witchbox from the academy.

The standard Witchbox was a six-seater with a small trunk, suitable for family trips. It was actually quite similar to a car.

Demand determines product form; this was dictated by the requirements of human ergonomics, as humans in both worlds were the same.

The main differences were the control and energy systems. The energy source in the Wizard World was the energy particles in the air, a renewable clean energy. The control system was a levitating, responsive crystal ball.

Some minor differences included the Wizard World's greater emphasis on practicality, so there were no entertainment facilities.

Additionally, the Witchbox's safety features and speed surpassed those of cars, with an average speed of 200-300 km/h.

According to Felina, inter-city travel also had 'Arcane Trains,' which could reach speeds of 500 km/h.

For air travel, there were "Arcane Airships," capable of 1000 km/h. She heard that the Fatin Federation had made breakthroughs in airship technology, already popularizing supersonic airships that could break the sound barrier, reaching speeds over 1500 km/h.

The Duchy's air force was slightly inferior, which was one of the factors behind the Scarlet Soul Duchy's restraint in the face of repeated border provocations from the Fatin Federation.

The road connecting Gele City and Grey Mist Mountain Town was a municipal arterial road, with three lanes in each direction. Other Witchboxes occasionally sped past on the lanes, along with larger Witchboxes used for transporting goods.

By the roadside, soldiers on bicycle patrols could sometimes be seen, wearing a slightly different shade of dark red compared to police uniforms—military uniforms with a red base adorned with golden flames, looking quite imposing.

These were the local troops of Gele City, Monte Province: the "Blaze Army," subordinate to Viscount Weissman of Gele City.

Their purpose was to clear out the abnormal intruders disrupting the city's markets. Monte operated under a feudal monarchical system, where territorial nobles, according to aristocratic law, maintained their own military forces but also bore many responsibilities within their domains. Maintaining the operation of transportation infrastructure was one such duty.

A grand tapestry of civilization unfolded in the conversation between Lizer and Felina, further fueling the longing of Lizer, who had crossed over from Blue Star.