Chapter 445 - Meeting Lady Sphinx.
In a short while, the gates of the elevator had been closed. Everyone inside had been alerted of the experience they would go through and how to handle it properly.
After this routine message had ended, Felix tightened his grip on his seatbelt and took a deep breath.
The moment he finished, the space elevator began descending rapidly, giving him a sudden feeling of tightness in his c.h.e.s.t, like he was riding on a rollercoaster.
But Felix just controlled his breathing until he got slightly accustomed to it. Then, he glanced outside of the window and started admiring the pink sky and white clouds.
In only a couple of seconds, the elevator had penetrated the clouds and emerged from the other side, exposing an enthralling sight of cities floating in the sky above gigantic pieces of land!
All those cities were connected with long bridges, appearing like a honeycomb grid! Beneath those cities was a peaceful pink ocean.
'Vamdarohm, I am here at last.' Felix smiled faintly as he gazed at those cities that appeared to be somewhat modern but keeping a traditional appearance of ancientness.
There were no metallic skyscr.a.p.ers but there were castles and towers, resembling somewhat the buildings in the Victorian Era of Earth.
Felix knew that the witches preferred this architecture design as they have kept it for a long time without bothering to upgrade it to a more modern design.
However, the transportation system and the technologies used in those cities were top-notch only below the Metal Race due to the booming economy of potions.
Felix withdrew his head back after he noticed that the elevator was about to reach the ocean.
It had already surpassed those floating cities since the space elevator base was built deep underwater.
Only with such a base could the space elevator survive environmental hazards.
Thud!
After the elevator stopped, an announcement resounded inside of it, entailing that doors would open up in a couple of seconds and everyone should exit in an orderly manner.
When it finished, the gates opened up slowly while their seatbelts were removing themselves.
Obviously, there was a long queue in the ground station for passengers willing to leave the planet.
When Felix had distanced himself from the crowd, he started looking around, searching for his guide.
The station's terminal was rowdy and crowded, making it a quite difficult process.
Just as Felix wanted to send a message to Lady Sphinx's student, informing her of his arrival, he sensed that someone was right behind him.
When he turned around, he was surprised to find a pretty witch wearing a black robe and a pointy hat staring at him indifferently.
Standing 1.75m tall with tan skin, this witch had a very worldly feel about her. She had distrustful azure eyes that appeared like she was judging Felix by just staring at him.
But her eyes did match perfectly with her flowing long azure hair that was reaching her waist.
When Felix wanted to greet her, a long blue furry tail had emerged from behind her and started judging Felix as well from above.
Just like Madam Hala's tail, there was also a giant flower-like azure eye that appeared exactly like the pretty witch's eyes.
Lady Sphinx took a glance at the witch and said casually, 'That's Lara, one of my student's students.'
Before Felix could react to her claim, Lara gestured with her head for Felix to follow her and started walking through the busy pedestrians.
Not wanting to lose her, Felix caught up and walked beside her towards an unknown destination.
Since she didn't seem like the chatty type, Felix didn't bother starting a conversation either.
Before long, they reached one of the station's parking lots.
Felix was surprised by how smooth their journey went since he understood that he was supposed to be taken to the planet's custom administration.
Then, he needed to be checked upclose in person and also to sign either a tourist or a business contract.
Both of them were limiting and strict to the signer to avoid causing problems in the capital, like escaping after his visa ended or harmed a witch in any way possible.
Yet, Felix had stepped outside of the station without signing anything.
Felix wasn't worried about the carriage not flying since he understood that the horses were more for looks while the true flight system was the same anti-gravitational system used in hovercars.
Hence, he completely got comfortable in his seat even though he was still being stared at by three azure eyes.
Instead of avoiding eye contact with her, Felix kept staring back with a faint smile, nodding his head lightly as greeting.
This awkward silence lasted for a minute or two before the witch asked calmly, "Who are you?"
"Lady, how can you pick me up without knowing anything about me?" Felix looked at her speechlessly.
"I know that your name is Felix Maxwell and the trendy news about you in your galaxy." The witch leaned closer and asked again with her eyes narrowed, "But who are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why is my teacher caring so much about you?" The witch tilted her head in confusion and said, "I doubt it got to do with the news about you."
'Hmm, it seems like she doesn't know the reason why I am here.' Felix mused, 'Might as well tease her a bit.'
"Transfer student program?" The witch arched her eyebrows and said, "I didn't know we had that for our elementary school."
"Elementary school?" Felix smiled while shaking his head. "I am transferring to the Royal Acadamy."
The moment his words resounded in the carriage, all of the witch's eyes widened in bewilderment at the start then to amus.e.m.e.nt.
A faint smile was finally cracked on her face, making Felix sigh in dejection at how pretty she appeared with an expression like that. 'How am I supposed to survive in the Academy when every witch is prettier than the last one? This is going to be a tough three years to live.'
"Good joke." The witch said, smiling mildly.
"I am not joking though." Felix asserted with an honest tone.
"Yes, you are."
"No, I am not."
"You can drop it now."
Seeing that he wasn't going to budge from his joke, the witch didn't want to continue bickering with him since they were about to arrive at their destination.
Hence, she dropped the subject with a simple mocking request, "Let's meet at the Academy then."
"Sure." Felix extended his wrist forward and said casually, "Let's exchange our IDs."
The witch glanced at his honest expression then at his extended wrist. She did so a couple of times until she laughed a little and touched his AP bracelet.
"I am Lara." The witch said with a charming smile, "Your commitment to a joke is quite astonishing."
"Thank you?" Felix shrugged his shoulders, not wanting to enter the same subject.
He has already gotten her info and that was a win for him since he needed someone on the campus to introduce him to how things were run.
"Follow me, we are already quite late." Lara opened up the carriage door and went out first.
Felix jumped down on the street that was completely paved with star-like blocks.
While Lara was walking to a guarded gate of a towering grey castle that appeared like it came straight out of a fantasy book, Felix was checking the city that was left behind.
It turned out, the castle was built at the highest point of the city, making Felix feel like he was standing on a mountain.
Nine slim round towers were surrounding the castle. They reached twice the height of the walls and were connected by lower, narrow walls made of dark grey stone.
Stylish windows were scattered thinly around the walls in seemingly perfect symmetry.
Well-kept gardens with fragrant flowers, gorgeous trees, and many bushes decorate the outside of the castle.
This castle had clearly stood the test of time and its inhabitants were intended on making sure it stays that way for ages to come.
'This is a nice castle though.' Felix praised sincerely.
Based on some information Felix gathered about witches, he understood that castles like those were given to only Sage Potioners who could concoct rank 5 potions.
'Elder, are you in the castle?' Felix asked while entering the gate after Lara.
'No, a clone of mine is here.' Lady Sphinx said casually while still reading the same book.
'I see.'
Felix already expected that he would be meeting Lady Sphinx's clone since there was honestly no point for her to meet him with her real body.
Her perfect copy ability reached a point when Felix wouldn't even realize that he was dealing with a clone.
After walking through the castle's long corridor that had many artistic paintings hang on its walls, Lara and Felix finally reached a red gate that was left unguarded.
Lara stepped forth and knocked twice on the gate before pushing it slowly.
She stuck her tail's eye first and said from behind the door, "I have brought him, teacher."
"Come in."
Lara opened the gate widely after hearing her teacher's tranquil voice.
The moment the gate was open, Felix raised an eyebrow in surprise after seeing two m.a.t.u.r.e gorgeous witches, drinking tea at a small table meant to host only four.
"Lara, you can go now." The gorgeous witch on the left side smiled faintly while gesturing with her hand for Felix to take a seat with them. "Little thief, don't stand there."
Upon looking at her golden eyes and the way she carried herself, Felix instantly realized that Lady Sphinx was the one talking to him!
But she was a witch! At least she appeared 100% like one!
"I will get going." Lara bowed her head to the two witches and glanced at Felix one last time before closing the door behind her.
'Thief? Was he sent here to be punished for stealing something important to the teacher and her friend?' Lara mused while walking away, 'Meet me at the Acadamy? As expected, he was full of crap.'
After Lara exited the castle, the conversation carried inside the room was entirely different than her expectations.