CH 14

It takes three days to get from the village to the kingdom by carriage. Walking, however, takes twice as long. But it's much easier now that Lucius has mastered the art of Qigong to improve his physical ability. Although this generates a lot of stress on the individual's body, resulting in extreme bodily and muscle pain. It is a natural side effect of forcing your muscles to go past their limits using magic.

However, there is no need to worry because the Qigong technique he was using strengthens the body itself.

"Qigong Art... Flying Legs!"

This technique concentrates Ki in the legs, causing the body to move lightly as if it had wings.

Using this technique, Lucius ran all over the road as if he was flying.

(Wow! The scenery around me passes by in an instant just by running lightly! Until now, I had only used this skill in the infinite prison, so there was nothing to see, but it's really nice to use it outdoors!!!)

Trees, lakes, animals, mountains, and colorful scenes of nature appear and disappear before Lucius' eyes as he runs around the place.

"Yaaaaaaaaahoooooooooooo!!!!"

The birds and animals watch in amazement as Lucius runs at great speed while screaming loudly.

He didn't know running could be so much fun since he would always get exhausted after a short run before his training. Lucius forgot about the time as he was running, jumping and rolling over and over again.

After several hours, he had reached the kingdom, and it was still daylight.

"Hahaha, I think I got a little carried away."

I had planned to camp in the middle of the field for the night, but surprisingly, I arrived before dark. There are still two hours before the sun goes down.

However, if I arrived earlier, I had no choice but to enter the kingdom, even if it was sooner than planned.

Lucius decides to do so and heads for the large gate in the wall surrounding the kingdom. That is probably the entrance.

As I approached, I saw that there were about ten people lined up in a row.

Some are dressed in leather armor with swords at their waists, while others carry carts full of goods.

From their appearance, I assumed they were adventurers and merchants. It seems that a variety of people come and go to the kingdom.

"Next!"

A middle-aged man wearing metal armor and holding a spear calls out to the people in line. It seems that this man is the kingdom's gatekeeper, and it appears that each person must undergo a proper immigration inspection to enter.

"Please show me your papers."

When the gatekeeper says that, a person who appears to be an adventurer pulls out a paper from his pocket and hands it to you. After confirming the information on said paper, he tells him he can come in, and the next person steps forward.

When Lucius sees that, he gets impatient.

"Uh, am I supposed to submit an identification paper to enter the kingdom? No one told me that! Tess Onee-chan didn't tell me that either!"

Perhaps that rule was established while Testarossa was sealed away. If so, then no wonder she hadn't informed Lucius.

"Next!"

While I was thinking about what to do, the line continued to move forward.

I wonder what will happen if they find out I don't have the necessary papers. Maybe they will catch me and throw me in jail. I could force my way out if I want to, but if I do that, I might become a criminal.

I don't want to be a criminal, especially not at such a young age.

"Maybe I should steal someone else's immigration papers... No, I can't do that."

"Next!"

"Oh, yes!"

Lucius' turn had finally come, and he was very nervous about what was about to happen.

What am I going to do, I still haven't thought of anything!

When I approached the guard, I became very nervous... For some reason, the guard started looking at me.

Lucius was very nervous about the situation, and stiffened his body in case something troublesome was about to happen. At that moment, the little boy heard something that left him shocked.

"Hm!? Aren't you a candidate for the Academy of Magic's entrance exams!?"

"....Eh?"

Academy of Magic? I've never heard of it before. But I guess this is my chance to get past the gate without any papers.

"Uh, yeah."

"Then what are you still doing here!? The test is about to begin!!! Hurry up and get moving!!!"

The guard at the gate says those words as he carefully pushes Lucius through the gates.

"Wait, so I can go in now!?"

"Of course! Go to the testing center, quickly! The examination room is right out front once you get inside!"

Not knowing what was going on, Lucius is led through the gate and left alone inside.

"Do your best kid! I hope you pass!"

The guardian smiled at Lucius and gave him a thumbs up. Lucius didn't know what was going on, but he was happy that he was able to enter the kingdom.