After waiting for hours, it was finally their turn to enter the checkpoint. The guards, wearing heavy plate armor, eyed them critically as they approached. The guards' eyes momentarily paused on their weapons — Zeke's spear and Leo's saber. But after a quick glance, they averted their gazes.
Zeke wasn't surprised, as he could feel the aura of the guards. Their mana fluctuations made them out to be Grand Mages. Even after they noticed their weapons and Cores, they still ignored them, confident they wouldn't pose a real threat.
"Next!" a man yelled.
After exchanging a glance with his brother, Zeke approached first. The clerk's eyes fell on him and Zeke felt the surrounding Mana move, making it clear that the man was casting some kind of spell. With his [Perfect Spatial Awareness] he observed the Spellform being used. It was a Mind Magic spell Zeke had never encountered before, piquing his interest immediately.
"What are you doing?" Zeke asked, taking a step back.
"Relax, boy," the man said. "It's just an identification spell."
Zeke tensed upon hearing that. Identification spell? What was that? Didn't that mean his identity would be exposed? Zeke's eyes narrowed, as he secretly clenched his fist behind his back, ready to strike.
Still, his voice remained calm and cordial as he spoke. "I'm not familiar with such a spell. What does it do?"
"It must be your first time entering our country then?"
Zeke nodded.
"Then you have nothing to worry about. The spell is merely used to determine if you are on our wanted list. If you have never entered the country, there is no way it would find a match."
Zeke's body relaxed slightly and after a moment, the man's words came true. "All clear. You are free to proceed."
"I'll wait for my brother if that's ok?"
The clerk shrugged, clearly disinterested, as he motioned for Leo to approach. Zeke watched as the man used the same spell again on Leo. This time, Zeke focused intently on the procedure. He really wanted to know how this spell worked.
From the Spellform alone, the magic seemed too simple to have such a profound effect. He could probably master such a straightforward spell in a couple of minutes. But as it often was with Mind spells, casting the Magic was only opening the door — the true challenge came after.
Having studied a vast collection of Spellforms, Zeke had the ability to somewhat guess what a spell might do. However, what he found made no sense. From what he understood, the aim of this spell was merely to… compare things?
This seemed to be in line with what the man had said, as he had claimed to do exactly that. But how did it work exactly? There seemed to be no portraits or anything else to compare the people to.
With a confused frown, Zeke turned to the only person who might be able to figure this out. "Do you have any ideas, Akasha?"
[Answer] Affirmative. The spell most likely does exactly what Host expects. It compares optical data with a list of individuals.
Zeke nodded slowly, but his brows were furrowed in confusion. "I'm glad you see it the same way, but what list is he comparing it to?"
[Answer] The Spell seems to be interacting with the amulet the man is wearing. My speculation is that it is some sort of artifact capable of storing information.
Zeke's eyes lit up. The idea of coming across an Enchantment he didn't know was exciting. He focused his attention wholly on the large black amulet adorning the man's neck. As expected, it was made from Void Iron, shielding it from any form of Mana probing. This increased the likelihood of it being an artifact even more.
Just as Akasha said, now that he focused on it, he felt a faint trickle of Mana interacting with the amulet. From this, it was easily discernable how the spell worked. The man merely needed to compare the person in front of him with the data stored in this artifact. Thinking about his own spell [Perfect Sensory Recall], Zeke wasn't surprised that something like this existed.
Upon finding out this much, his interest waned slightly. The spell was a lot less useful than he had initially expected — at least for him. With Akasha by his side, he had no need for something like that. She could easily identify anybody even without using any Magic.
Still, the fact that the Korrovan kingdom used such sophisticated spells was intriguing. It was very likely he would be able to learn a few new tricks here.
After Leo was done, the two of them continued down the hall. However, their path was soon blocked by a guard with a stern expression, who pointed to a room on the side. Zeke was confused, as he watched the rows of people being let through in front of them.
His brows furrowed. Apparently, the entry procedure wasn't such a straightforward process. In the next room, they saw several desks. Some of the people who had been in line before them were sitting there, being questioned.
As they entered, a clerk waved them over. The two obediently approached and sat down at his urging. Zeke tensed for a brief moment as he noticed that this man wasn't simple, he was a Grand Mage as well.
"Names?"
"Pete and Keo," Zeke said right away, pointing at himself and Leo.
"Last names?"
Zeke shook his head.
The man eyed him for a brief moment, before asking his next question. "Where are you two from?"
"Tradespire, born and raised."
"And what is your purpose in entering Korrovan?"
"We are both silver-ranked adventurers, seeking our fortune."
The man scoffed, his gaze turning sharp. "Then you better turn back. Our country has no need for your kind."
Zeke was taken aback, but despite his shock, his expression remained calm. "Is that so? Would you be willing to enlighten us on the reason, sir?"
The man's expression softened slightly upon hearing Zeke's respectful address. Instead of hostility, his voice took on a lecturing tone. "In this country, we do not rely on Adventurers to take care of monsters. We have our own ways of dealing with such matters."
Zeke inclined his head, showing his appreciation for the man's guidance. "I completely understand. But you need not worry about us. Me and my brother specialize not in monster hunting, but in… other tasks."
The man raised a single brow. "And what are those tasks? It better not be Assassination missions…"
Zeke vehemently shook his head. "Nothing so crude, sir. We specialize in information gathering. We plan to offer our services to one of the great houses."
The man didn't seem convinced as he stared intently. "And what house were you thinking of approaching?"
Without a moment's delay, Zeke replied smoothly. "We were thinking of offering our services to house Raja. I managed to make a slight connection with Master Malik during his stay in Tradespire. He offered to find work for me, should we ever find ourselves in Korrovan."
The man's eyes widened. The Raja family was the foremost power in Korrovan. If the young man in front of him truly had such connections, he couldn't afford to offend him recklessly. Malik Raja, as a diplomat, traveled to Tradespire regularly, so the story held up. Still, he didn't look fully convinced yet. "Do you have any way to prove your claims?"
Zeke thought about it for a moment, before slowly shaking his head. "I didn't think it would be so difficult to enter the country, otherwise I would have asked Master Malik for a token."
The man nodded. "It is not difficult to enter the country for regular folk, but Mages are a different matter. Even though you are still rather weak, you still pose a significant danger. A weak Mage can kill hundreds if they have malicious intentions."
Zeke had to agree. In a rural town without any Mages, somebody like him or Leo would be unstoppable. It was quite a good decision to check the identity of any Mage carefully. Still, he needed to find a way to convince the man in front of him. Zeke decided to take a slight gamble.
Hesitantly, he spoke up. "I don't have any concrete proof, but this might be able to convince sir of the honesty of my words." After saying that, Zeke looked around conspiratorially before showing the man in front of him a handful of gold coins before hiding them again.
The man glanced at the coins, before returning his attention back to Zeke. "Was that the reward Master Raja gave you for your assistance?"
Zeke nodded, glad the man understood his intentions. As True Mages, it was highly unlikely the two could earn that much gold doing regular quests, giving weight to his claims. And even if the man didn't completely believe in his words, it at least proved that they were competent, being able to amass such a fortune.
Furthermore, Zeke was confident that a Grand Mage wouldn't get greedy over a few gold coins. At least not when it meant potentially offending a member of House Raja. After a moment of silence, he was proven right as the man nodded slowly. "Very well, you two may proceed."
Zeke bowed deeply, hiding the triumphant grin that had spread across his face. But when he straightened his back, his expression had returned to one of deep gratitude. "You have my thanks." After that, Zeke offered his hand for a shake, sliding a single gold coin into the man's palm.
The man, noticing what Zeke had done, returned his smile. "Welcome to Korrovan."
Zeke and Leo were escorted back to the tunnel, now free to proceed. After emerging on the other side, they noticed that the sun wasn't as bright anymore, slowly giving way to the approaching evening. In front of them lay a sprawling town, much larger than it had appeared from the outside. Despite the hour, the atmosphere was still lively, with scores of people bustling about.
This wasn't surprising, as Kanion was the main trade hub between Invocatia and Korrovan. Even though a lot of trade was done via Space Magic, that wasn't always a choice. Especially heavy loads or enchanted goods couldn't easily be moved through Magic, so caravans were still profitable.
Zeke and Leo stood at the entrance of Kanion for a while, their eyes wide with wonder as they took in the sights and sounds of the bustling trade city. Tall, ornate gates adorned with intricate carvings of mythical creatures marked the entrance to the main road.
The first thing that struck him was the architecture, so different from anything he knew. The buildings in Kanion rose high into the sky, their walls adorned with vibrant, colorful murals that depicted scenes of legends. Towers and minarets reached for the heavens, their spires adorned with gold and precious gemstones that shimmered in the sunlight. The buildings seemed to defy gravity, with balconies and terraces jutting out at odd angles, creating a sense of both grandeur and whimsy.
The streets of Kanion were a bustling maze of activity. Vendors hawked their wares from brightly colored stalls, their voices blending into a cacophony of shouts and proposals. Zeke could smell the tantalizing aroma of exotic spices wafting through the air, and his mouth watered as he passed by a stall selling savory samosas and spicy curries. Street performers in elaborate costumes danced and sang, their movements so fluid it was as if they were part of the very air itself.
As Zeke continued to explore the city, he noticed that the people were just as diverse as its architecture. Traders from all corners of the world bustled about, wearing vibrant clothing adorned with intricate embroidery. The women wore brightly colored dresses and delicate jewelry that tinkled with every step, while the men donned turbans and flowing robes.
Zeke's head was on a swivel as he took in the sights around him. As he wandered deeper into its labyrinthine streets, for the first time, he felt how vast this world truly was. Unlike Tradespire, this city had nothing in common with the empire. From the people to the architecture to the food, everything seemed new and foreign.
He immediately noticed the remarkable diversity of races that populated this city. From humans and elves to dwarves and even demihumans, a multitude of people coexisted here. This was precisely the multicultural blend he had envisioned Tradespire to be, but his expectations had been dashed. In the third layer of Tradespire, where he resided, almost everyone was human. He barely had any chance to interact with members of the other races.
Zeke was brought out of his reverie as Leo elbowed him lightly. "How about that?"
Following his brother's gaze, he found what Leo was looking at. At the end of the street was a luxurious building. The sign in front of it read: 'Silkroad Serenity Inn'. Judging by the opulent decorations, it was clearly a hotel targeting rich merchants.
He looked at his brother, raising a single brow. "Seems a bit pricey."
Leo shrugged his shoulders. "After sleeping outside for so long, a bit of comfort wouldn't hurt."
Zeke considered that for a moment. Leo's words weren't wrong, as he too craved the opportunity to take a bath. Also, he might be able to obtain more valuable information in such a place rather than a cheap inn.
Thinking this far, a smile emerged on his face. "Let's go."