The package is passed to the group, where Jonas opens some mysterious spells. There are several metal plates inside, made of some composite materials, similar to the flakes of flexible carbon plates. When the healer directs a bit of mana to the card-like object, it projects an illusory energy field that supports his avatar, biometrics, affinity, and level.

When Gwen receives her identification, she discovers that her range of abilities is as underrated as expected.

Gwen Song

Multi-transit passes

1. D: 284059801

Ethnicity: Australian (Eurasia)

Eyes: Hazelnut-green

Skin: Caucasus

Hair: Black (warm)

Height: 180

Somme: Evoke, summon

Stern :: Quasi-elemental - lightning

There is also a small print line, which can be seen in the indentation:

This pass is only valid for transit holders.

Entered into force within the territory of the Union of McGocratics.

There's a very careful balance here. If Gwen's talents appear mundane, her retinue will arouse suspicion, and if she appears unique and precious, her lack of a fuller retinue can cause trouble.

Gwen knew that, in Gunther's opinion, he would rather she hadn't gone in the first place. They can be said to be able to send other people, just as capable as they are. Gwen thinks she is the only one who can negotiate with Sofina and navigate Drade's groin. If they had sent someone else, the tall skewer of wood elves, who had just lost their 30-year companion, might have killed those uninvited guests before they could convince her of their peaceful intentions. Without a guiding hand of empathy, magical creatures favor primitive and uncontrolled instincts over reason.

She wondered if Gunther was trying his best to imitate his late master's methodology. Gwen knew she couldn't grow in a greenhouse, but still hoped to reach the same level of magic as Alesia and Gunther. If Gunther was happy to let her roam as she pleased, then she was happy to take the opportunity.

When Gwen received the Transcarportation Ring from Gunther, an ineffable understanding was passed between siblings in craft. The message is simple – all Gwen has to do is survive.

Gwen must do everything in her power to prove that she is worthy of Gunther's protection, just as Gunther will do everything in her power to make sure Gwen can get up and try again.

Moyer took his ID card and checked its contents.

"Mineral mage," he mused. "Well, I guess it's close enough. ”

The luncheon was completely disrupted by Moyer's mistake, and the others didn't want to continue with the house gathering. They walk through long corridors and split into private gatherings, occasionally exchanging members to build rapport for later days.

Thanks to Don's appearance, Helena is far away from her ex-wife, much to Gwen and Percy's relief. Meanwhile, the teenage kids and the adults huddle separately, made up of Gwen, Percy, and Richard, who is nearly eighteen.

"Richard. Now can you tell me what's wrong with the family?"

Richard was about to move on to another topic, but Gwen's serious look showed that she wouldn't let go of the topic without a scene.

"Well, we're penniless," he frankly admitted.

"What to do?" asked Gwen. Her uncle may have been a charlatan who indulged others and made a disgrace, but his true talent for investment brokerage rarely disappointed the family.

"Of course the merfolk have invaded," Richard replied nonchalantly. "This is a normal phenomenon in the event of a large-scale invasion. It's not something that hasn't happened before, it's just that it hasn't happened in Sydney, and it hasn't happened to us. ”

As a scholarship graduate of Prince University, Richard was offered the opportunity to attend university in London. There, he plans to get enough honor to eventually move his parents to a first-class city, from where they can begin to rise to the upper class.

Unfortunately, even if he has amazing talent, it's not enough to get a full scholarship to the college he wants to attend. Now, with the sudden destruction of the Sydney property market and their family estate, Richard can no longer afford the cost of emigrating, let alone renting and lodging in London's upscale educational district.

"There are also policy issues," Richard continued. "In such a state of emergency, the standard procedure is to transfer all non-essential mages from the border city to the nearest first-tier city willing to take them. From there, rarer talents are 'carved up' by power brokers, because there is no better word. ”

"What about those with ordinary talents?" asked Gwen suspiciously, thinking of their friends in Blackwater.

Richard replied, "I think I can pack it up and go to other second-tier cities." "New life, as advertised, although I think it's a wasteful, not a situation of want. ”

Gwen had a conflicting look in her eyes.

"So you're going to a first-tier city?"

"As refugees, not students. Richard sighed, we can't choose the city assigned to us. As refugees, we will live in quarantine areas, isolated from other first-class residents. I know the people there are snobbish, so I have half the hope that they will see us as nobodies. ”

"Opa could..."

"Nope. "Before Gwen could make a suggestion, Richard stopped her, do you think Guan came first thing? Suya did the right thing here, spending the family's money to help the wildlings and mages who wanted to stay here. The Noem family had to live in rather harsh conditions until the city was cleared and the station was repaired. They may live here for a few years, living in these concrete boxes. In any case, you need more than just money to change the rules. I'll go to some of my alumni and see what they can do. ”

"So what's your prediction?" Gwen asked. She didn't know how many people knew that Richard had dyed his underwear, but it was certain that even if they were forced into some special refugee area of a first-tier city, his genius would be a clear standout.

"Keeping my parents safe. I guess. Then I can focus on the new world. I'm sure we'll be fine wherever we go. In fact, I look forward to welcoming you to our new home. ”

"What about you, Percy?" Gwen turned to her brother. "What's Mommy's plan?"

The young man looked up and looked at Gwen with suspicion. Percy looked as if someone had stolen his lunch. Gwen could understand the boy's feelings. A proper awakening, a rare elemental gift, a bright future - all this is under his control. Before he could enjoy it all, a merfolk tsunami destroyed his dreams and washed his hopes out to sea.

"Dad, I mean stepfather, stay and repair the city. That's what his manufactory does best, manufacturing. I suspect that if Mom had the opportunity to go to a first-class city, even if it was in a special restricted area, she would not stay here. ”

"Does that mean that if you really want to go, you will go too?"

Percy nodded.

"Richard said that with my talent, I could continue to go to school. ”

"It's true. I suspect that a tower will languish someone with Percy's elemental talent. It is likely that he will be picked up during the processing process and sent back to school. Even schools like Prince, which have branch and sister schools in all the major primary centers. ”

"How is the prince?" asked Gwen out of curiosity.

"It's okay," Richard shrugged. "Without shield stations, there are no schools. Everything will be closed until the city is restored. ”

Gwen nodded. She had heard that those influential houses had connections to first-tier cities. For the sake of their particular situation, they were forced to return to the schedule of their main invasion.

Their conversation is interrupted by Paul, who breaks into their clique.

"It's time to go," the translocation expert announced. "We're going to take the conveyor ring to the Tower, then to Brisbane, then to Townsville. There are several inland hops from there before reaching Darwin. I hope you have a light afternoon tea. It won't be gentle on the stomach. ”

Now Gwen is no stranger to teleportation, but this is her first foray into intercontinental travel. She wondered if it would be like the first time on a plane, full of nerve-wracking unknowns.

"Gunther did a great job. Paul smiled kindly. "We were able to travel without interruption until Darwin boarded the freighter. ”

"How long will it take us to get to the island?" Gwen asked.

"Let's say we find a ship in Singapore that is willing to carry us. Paul's gaze fell on Gwen's storage ring, where a hundred military-grade high-density mana crystals were placed in a bag. "All in all, seven to eight days, I think. ”

Gwen almost spat out the glass of water she'd been nursing all along.

"Seven to eight days!" she said disbelievingly. "How long will it take us to get to Darwin?"

"About 10 hours, most of that time waiting for the tuning of the teleportation room. ”

"So?"

"A ship, more specifically, we will board a freighter. People go out every day. ”

"Can't we teleport to Singapore?"

Paul looked before him the inexperienced girl. Sometimes, it's easy to forget that Gwen was a teenager who never stepped out of the ivory tower.

"No, Singapore is not a member of the Council of Ten in Oceania. We have ongoing treaties, but the fortress city has sovereignty within its territory. ”

"The treaty doesn't include teleportation?"

"In what capacity do you suggest we make this suggestion?" Paul frowned. "I don't want to insult the rationale behind our pursuit, Gwen, but you also have to realize how ridiculous it sounds other than us. ”

Gwen found that she had no reason to refute Paul.

They are three high-ranking mages, one an ardent apprentice of the deceased mage, and the other a loafer who doesn't want to be idle and ventures into a dark zone. Why are you going there? An official in Singapore would question. What is the end of so much risk and effort? They will answer, and their dumbfounded viewers will surely demand that they owe undeliverable truths.

After all, Gunther couldn't contact the Singapore Tower and explain to the paladin presiding over the meeting that Gwen needed to use their teleportation room as a personal favor. Even if there is reason to believe that Yue and Huitu were valuable apprentices of powerful men and women, this only complicates political issues.

"Gwen," Richard interjected, and Paul became impatient with Gwen's dissatisfaction with the travel arrangements. He took her cold hand in his own, which was dry and hot. "Your people have done their best in this situation. If you want them to help you, you have to trust them. Don't let your feelings cloud your head. ”

Richard's confident tactile warmth brought her back from the brink of paranoid anxiety. Gwen took a deep breath, calmed down, and gauged their situation.

Will Yue be able to stay for another 9 days? Will the friction last that long? Elvia should be fine, but there are so many unknowns that she can't even guess. At her side, Paul waited for Gwen's promise.

"I'm sorry, guys," Gwen said to the two boys. "I have to go. ”

Paul reminded the two young men: "As soon as we leave Darwin, we lose touch. "If there's an emergency, ask Master Surya to contact Gunther and he'll try to get in touch. ”

Gwen took a deep breath and finally said goodbye.

"Percy, take care of Mommy. Good luck moving, Richard. I hope to be back before it happens, but please keep me updated at all times. ”

"Yes. Hope we'll see you soon. ”

"Goodbye, sister. ”

Gwen and Richard hugged each other. Her hug became fiercer and more maternal as she turned to Percy, and she held the awkward boy tightly to her tiny body before kissing his forehead.

Back on the balcony, the rest of the family waited.

"Opa, I have to go. ”

"I know. Surya walked over and hugged Gwen, his body poking into her ribs as usual. "Be careful, my little Kukuperempan. ”

"I will. ”

"Take care of her. Sullia turned to the others, who saluted the old wizard.

"We will, sir," they replied at once.

Gwen turned to her mother, who had been succinct ever since Moyer blurted out that she was a Void Mage.

"Goodbye, Mom. ”

"Good luck," her mother replied before they embraced, fulfilling the family ritual with responsibility rather than affection.

There's also Tess and Melissa, who tearfully say goodbye to Gwen. Tess handed Gwen a large portion, a kilogram of jerky, and she asked Gwen to promise that she would save it for a rainy day. Melissa, meanwhile, prepared a bottle of eucalyptus oil, 'for the bug,' and she said, 'bugs the size of your face'.

Gwen held the flask closer to her chest.

"Yes. Paul pointed to the path to the workshop, where the teleportation circle was waiting. Soon they will leave. Gwen left Sydney for the first time in her life.

A shout from the crowd hindered their progress.

"Ms. Song, Gwen Song, please, wait a minute!"

The voice came not from their party, but from the refugees who gathered in the property camps. The family turned around and saw a reddish-brown haired woman with amber eyes, middle-aged, well-guarded, waving frantically in their direction.

Gwen had a low feeling, recognizing the woman's face, the shape of her lips, the contour of her chin. She had never seen her before, but she didn't know she was the mother of the late Deborah Jones.

Being a harbinger of bad news has always been one of the most challenging jobs an individual can undertake. It takes a great deal of mental fortitude and incredible compassion for a person to look their mother in the eye and be absolutely sure that their child is dead.

Gwen is a woman of spirit, but that only applies to herself. She can tolerate stomach pain, shame, and mental trauma, but that doesn't mean she has enough stamina to inflict that mental pain on others.

For a person to be kind, he must be cruel. Gwen reminded herself.

"Let her pass," Gwen said at last, remembering that she stared at the woman in horror with wide eyes for a few seconds. Two militiamen who were maintaining order in the camp allowed the woman to pass through.

Deborah's mother was a soil worker. She has only a little talent for magic and elemental affinities, and she worked part-time at a local manufactory, mostly as a housewife. When the evacuation began, a list of the hinterland locations of the makeshift shelter came out, and she saw Surya's estate and moved her family to the hunter's area with what little connection she had.

When she saw Gwen and the homeowner together, she immediately recognized her. She saw the lumen photos her daughter had brought home, especially those in which Deborah was obsessively boasting about becoming friends with a future judge.

"Mrs. Jones," Gwen said as she approached Deborah's mother, holding out a hand.

This etiquette seems to catch Deborah's mother off guard, causing her to hesitate before taking Gwen's hand.

"It's just that Vina is fine. ”

"I'm sorry. Gwen bowed and motioned for Vina to continue the small talk. It makes no sense. No matter how distorted the outcome may be, they are inevitable.

"Why...... Are you sorry?" Vena's face changed to the color of the sheets.

Gwen still bowed, and Vena stammered. Jonas stood up and helped the woman steady herself.

"She was brave until the end, Mrs. Jones. I don't have a better companion than this. ”

As soon as Vina stood up, Gwen began to move.

"That's it? how can you be so ruthless?" she accused Gwen. "Deborah says she's your best friend!

Gwen is visibly disappointed and resentful of Vina's accusations. But that's not true. If she was a friend of Deborah, if she really spent a year with her friend, if her friend did die in her arms, then Gwen would patiently say every detail of her eulogy. But the reality is far from what Vina expected.

But Gwen wasn't Deborah's friend. Aside from childhood friendships and a few unpleasant encounters in high school, Gwen doesn't even know Deborah. In fact, this incident with Deborah led directly to the death of her master, the displacement of her true friends, and the loss of the city.

Gwen may admit to being soft-hearted, but she is not a saint. There's no way she's going to waste another minute here and conferring with this unimportant woman, she'll just accuse her of abandoning her daughter, who knows nothing about!

The Taj Mahal appears between Vina and Gwen, and the anxious mother continues to gush on and out of abuse. Jonas also grabbed the woman, ready to give her a lethargic anesthesia if she became violent. Although they frowned at Gwen's apparent coldness, they were sure there was a story here that they would know on their future journeys.

Gwen felt sympathy for Vina's genuine pain. But she had neither the time nor the effort to comfort a woman who was both superficial and misunderstood about her.

In the end, it was Suliya who took her depressed mother away and said to her gently with kind words.

The Taj Mahal caught up with them after a while at the door of the workshop. Moyer had long since avoided this scene and was waiting for them inside. Paul was preparing to go around in circles. Jonas tapped Gwen on the shoulder to reassure him.

"It's okay if you want to be sad," he advises helpfully.

Gwen shook her head.

"I'm fine," she replied, looking at the silvery glow of the active teleportation chamber inside. "Let's go. Although we can procrastinate, time waits for no one. ”