Chapter 121: Entry

Although Jelin had only recently met Hughes, he found the man rather intriguing. He had always been curious about the world beyond the Lost Realm, and now that he had the opportunity, he could finally learn a little about it.

“This... might not be very convenient, might it?” Hughes said, pretending to look troubled.

“Not at all, not at all. Don’t worry!” Jelin assured him with complete confidence.

The two of them eventually reached the gates of Holy Circle City at a leisurely pace.

Several long lines stretched out before the gates, with countless people waiting to enter the city.

“Come with me. We wizards have our own passage!” Seeing the dense crowds, Jelin took Hughes by the arm and led him aside.

“There are so many people here. Why not open all the passages? Wouldn’t that be more convenient?” Hughes asked as he followed Jelin, noticing the many unopened passages nearby.

“Those? They aren’t opened under ordinary circumstances. They serve special purposes. You’ll find out eventually!” Jelin said mysteriously.

Seeing that Jelin had no intention of explaining further, Hughes did not press him.

“All right, we’re here. This is the passage reserved for wizards!” Jelin brought Hughes to a relatively quiet entrance.

The appearance of Jelin and Hughes immediately attracted the attention of several guards stationed there. Hughes sensed them briefly and found that they were all second- or third-level wizard apprentices.

As the guards approached, Hughes clearly saw flashes of light pass over their bodies. It was probably some sort of identity verification.

“Are you two gentlemen new to Holy Circle City? Do you intend to stay here for a long time, or only briefly...?” The guards hurried over and bowed to the two of them.

Jelin did not answer. Instead, he simply extended his right hand. A golden ring upon it gave off a faint glow, and a strange symbol appeared above it.

“So you are a gentleman who has already established residence here. This way, please!” Seeing that there was no problem with Jelin’s identity, the guards quickly stood aside and made way for him.

“And this gentleman...?” After checking Jelin’s information, one of the guards turned to Hughes and asked politely.

“This is my first time in Holy Circle City. Do I need to complete any formalities? Or pay magic stones?” Hughes asked.

“That is correct, sir. Anyone entering Holy Circle City for the first time must complete a simple registration. You may pay five hundred magic stones to obtain permanent residency, or fifty magic stones to stay in the city for one month,” the guard explained courteously.

“Arrange permanent residency for him.” Before Hughes could say anything, Jelin tossed him five high-grade magic stones. Jelin knew Hughes’s circumstances very well.

“Of course. Please wait a moment!” The guard gave Hughes a surprised glance, evidently wondering how a formal wizard could lack even five hundred magic stones.

“Sir, your name?” The guard took out a sheet of parchment and began writing rapidly with a quill.

“Hughes Bruch.” Since entering the Lost Realm, Hughes had never intended to conceal his identity. He had no idea how far this place was from Alcre or the Far Northern Realm, and there was even less chance that anyone here would know anything about him.

“This is your token, and it also serves as your proof of entry. Please keep it safe.” The formalities were completed quickly, and the guard’s movements were practiced. Clearly, he had handled many such cases before.

As he spoke, he handed Hughes a ring identical to the one Jelin had just displayed.

“If you wish to choose a place to live, you may look in the central district of Holy Circle City. Alternatively, you can simply have your friend show you around,” the guard kindly reminded him.

Hughes nodded without saying much.

“Does Holy Circle City have different districts?” Hughes asked Jelin, recalling the guard’s words.

“There’s no official division. But ordinary people and wizards are ultimately different, so the separation formed naturally.”

“The outermost district is occupied mostly by ordinary people, though some apprentices live there as well. The central district they mentioned is where the wizards live, and it also includes the trading areas. The innermost district belongs to various noble factions. Unless you’ve joined one of them, you can’t enter. Everywhere else is open as long as you have the ring you just received.”

“I see. But how do you remove the energy radiation from the bodies of ordinary people?” Hughes had always been curious about that.

“Oh, that? Look over there.” Jelin pointed in a certain direction.

“Those structures are purification towers. With them, ordinary people won’t suffer from energy corrosion.”

“Purification towers...?” Hughes followed Jelin’s gesture and looked at the several towering structures rising within Holy Circle City.

“Come on. I’ll take you to choose an apartment first. If you don’t mind, we can become neighbors!” Jelin extended the invitation with genuine warmth.

“Of course. It would be an honor!” Hughes answered happily.

By now, Hughes had more or less figured out that Jelin had probably never traveled outside the city. The man had absolutely no sense of caution. If he had been out in the wider world, he would likely have died long ago.

Just as Jelin had said, Holy Circle City had no clearly defined districts. The arrangement was merely an informal rule formed and maintained by the residents themselves.

It took the two of them a long time to reach the central district. Knowing that Hughes was curious about the city, Jelin deliberately slowed his pace along the way.

Before long, a colossal building appeared before Hughes. It resembled an enormous octopus, with each tentacle forming a separate passage. At its center stood an oval structure coated in some unknown substance that glittered brilliantly beneath the sunlight.

“This is Holy Circle City’s public center. Many matters concerning wizards are handled here.”

“Renting apartments, applying for shops, posting missions... All sorts of affairs can be taken care of here!” As he spoke, Jelin led Hughes into the main hall.

“Let’s go this way and get you settled first. We’ll have plenty of time to explore the other places later.” To save time, Jelin took Hughes directly toward the passage for apartment rentals.

“I’m very familiar with the people here. If it’s your first time, you’ll probably get cheated by them!”

Once they entered the passage, they found it packed with people. The entire hall was filled with a deafening commotion.

“Cheated? You mean the people who work here?” Hughes asked curiously. Could the employees of this public center really be so brazen?

“Of course not. I mean the brokers. They make the apartments they’re selling sound unbelievably wonderful, boasting about how complete the facilities are and so on. In reality, most of the furnishings are outdated rejects!” Jelin seemed well acquainted with their tricks.

“Hey, sir over there! Looking to rent an apartment? Come have a look! A half-elf included at no extra cost!”

“Come to the Rose Cottage! We can satisfy all your needs. Whatever kind you want, we have it!”

“...”

All kinds of shouts rose and fell throughout the hall. For a moment, Hughes felt as though his brain were throbbing.

“Come on. The service counters are upstairs.” Jelin did not much care for places like this either. It was simply too noisy.

After they reached the second-floor hall, the world around them was indeed much quieter. Many wizards sat peacefully in their seats.

Several half-elf women moved constantly through the hall, serving tea and refreshments to the assembled wizards.

“It looks like we came at just the right time. There aren’t many people here, so let’s hurry and choose a place!”

“What are these?” Hughes asked, staring at a luminous screen on which information was continually refreshing.

“229 Rosebush Avenue, small apartment. Price: six thousand magic stones!”

“991 Moonlight Rose Avenue, medium apartment. Price: nine thousand five hundred magic stones!”

“Oh, those? They’re apartments that are difficult to deal with. Many of the facilities inside no longer work, but renovating them wouldn’t be worthwhile, so they’ve decided to sell them at reduced prices.” Seeing Hughes’s curiosity, Jelin explained.

“Hello! How may I assist you?” A half-elf stood behind the window, smiling at the two of them.

As Hughes made his way through the building, he noticed that many of the service workers were half-elves, along with a few beastfolk. They possessed a distinctive charm of their own.