Chapter 252 Border Inspection Station
Magic Kingdom, Runnore Border Inspection Station.
This is the inevitable destination when people pass through the gate and enter the country. It is also the starting point of every traveler's journey to the country. Therefore, the country has set up this agency here as the final check on those who come.
Of course, after going through the national special train and the double screening by the border gate guards, there are only a few criminals who can actually arrive here, so another function of the border checkpoint is to provide guidance to travelers who are entering the country for the first time, so that they don't get lost when they get here.
Standing here, Lin Xiaolu felt at a loss.
Tall and magnificent porches, magnificent halls, luxurious and elegant decorations, and magnificent curtain walls.
The overly gorgeous interior furnishings made her afraid to even take a step, for fear that she would take the wrong road and break some rules, so she could only stand motionless at the entrance of the boundary gate.
Moreover, judging from the time they arrived, Delphinium should be coming out of the gate soon.
"It's so slow." She looked at the time on her phone and couldn't help but murmur, "It's been almost ten minutes. Did it take us that long to get here? Did we encounter any accidents?"
"That shouldn't be the case, right? According to Xiaoxuan, didn't the guards let the young senior pass?"
Xia Liang, who was standing by, also had a puzzled look on his face: "Could there be something wrong in the middle passage?"
However, no one could give them an answer.
"I, I'll go take a look on the other side of the door." After a while, seeing that no one came out of the gate, Bai Jingxuan suggested this.
After saying this, she took a step forward, but was soon grabbed by the arm by Xia Liang next to her.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute, this door is not your room door, you can't just go in and out casually."
Laughing dryly and waving his hands, Xia Liang tried his best to dissuade him: "It's too dangerous, it's better not to do anything rash."
"But, the teacher..." Bai Jingxuan turned around and opened her mouth, but changed her words halfway: "Maybe it's because of my problem..."
"Even if that's the case, you can't just run into the boundary gate like this."
Xia Liang sighed: "Wait a little longer, wait a little longer, if it doesn't work, ask someone else."
They waited there for another five minutes.
Fortunately, the unexpected situation did not continue, because soon the gate in front of them suddenly flashed, and then a figure appeared at the door.
After confirming that the person who emerged from the door was Delphinium, several juniors finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Teacher!" Bai Jingxuan, who had been staring at the door, was the first to rush up.
"Are you okay?" Lin Xiaolu's reaction was a little slow, but she followed closely.
"It took longer than expected to get here. Did you encounter any problems?" Xia Liang didn't react as obviously as the other two, but he also asked with a little concern: "Xiao Xuan said that she was stopped by the guards at the door. Was it because of those guards?"
"…Nothing. It has nothing to do with the guards at the boundary gate. I just encountered some problems when I passed the boundary bridge. I have solved it."
Delphinium gave a half-truthful explanation and then stepped forward: "Sorry to have kept you waiting. Now that everyone is here, let's go through the immigration procedures."
"Is this really okay?"
But Lin Xiaolu still looked worried: "You look a little pale..."
"Because it consumed a lot of magic power."
Delphinium pretended to be a little tired and exhaled: "I encountered a spatial connection fluctuation on the boundary bridge. Although I could have stood there and waited for a while, I wanted to come here quickly, so I used my magic to solve it myself."
The "space connection fluctuation" she mentioned was an unexpected situation that only occurred in rare cases on the boundary bridge. The specific manifestation was that the connection between the other end of the boundary bridge and the country was lost, and the door to the country could not be pushed open. However, because the country had a solution for this unexpected situation, there had been no casualties so far.
There is no doubt that this was not the real reason why she stayed on the boundary bridge for ten more minutes, but it was the perfect excuse.
"Space connection fluctuations?" Lin Xiaolu blinked and showed a confused expression when she heard it.
As expected, the new concept proposed by Delphinium quickly attracted the attention of several juniors.
As she explained the phenomenon corresponding to this term and described her own experience in a realistic manner, the others no longer doubted her and soon believed what she said.
However, as this doubt was resolved, another question that lingered in everyone's mind was raised by Xia Liang: "Well... although it is a good thing that it has nothing to do with the guards at the border gate, but, what about those words you said to us on the way here, young senior?"
"What did you say on the way?" Delphinium was a little confused.
"It's about those two guards. They told us not to ask too many questions and not to look too much. It sounds like a ghost story."
After relaxing, Lin Xiaolu also had the leisure to ask Xia Liang questions: "Also, although I only took a quick look, there seemed to be something like wings behind the two guards... and tentacles on their heads? What is that? Who are they?"
This time, Delphinium actually paused.
Unlike her experience on Jie Bridge, where she could just find some excuse to get away with it, this question, although she also didn't want to tell the truth, seemed like she had no choice but to answer it truthfully.
So, is it necessary to tell them now?
After a brief thought and weighing the pros and cons, Delphinium spoke again, but answered in very concise language: "That is a fairy."
After saying this, she raised her hand as if she had foreseen it, raised her index finger, and made a silencing gesture in front of her mouth.
——“Hey!”
"ha?"
"real?"
After a while, the exclamations of the younger generations came one after another just as she had expected.
Fortunately, Delphinium's gesture was given very early, so the girls quickly realized that they were in a public place, and they stopped talking after a short exclamation, which did not attract too much attention from passers-by. But keeping their mouths shut did not mean that their curiosity would be satisfied.
Delphinium also knew this, so she continued to selectively give out some information:
"As you can see, there are indeed fairies in the kingdom that are similar in form to humans, but there are very few of them, and their whereabouts are mysterious. Under normal circumstances, you will not see fairies in human form, even in the kingdom."
Lin Xiaolu was even more confused after hearing this: "Can't see it? The guard at the gate..."
"The boundary gate is an exception, a very rare exception. It is important enough that it needs a fairy like that to guard it."
Delphinium lowered her voice as much as possible: "Except for the boundary gate, generally only the royal court will have such human-shaped fairies, so there is no need to worry too much, just know that they exist."
"A fairy that looks like a human...is it very powerful?" Bai Jingxuan recalled the scene when she was stopped by the guards before, and asked a question that perhaps only she would want to know.
"This question..."
Delphinium pondered for a moment and said, "If I must give an evaluation, it's very impressive."
So the girls fell silent, and had to digest this conclusion first. After all, most of the fairies they had encountered before, except for Semi from Claw Scar, were not strong enough to fight. Compared with the description of "powerful", words like "cute" and "lovable" are more suitable for ordinary fairies.
During this process, they had already passed through the long corridor and arrived at the checkpoint responsible for the final entry inspection.
Compared with the previous inspections in front of the train and at the gate, the atmosphere here is quite relaxed. Passengers only need to hand in their ID, chat with the inspector at the checkpoint, and briefly explain their own situation. If the verification is passed, they will be released. If the passenger is confused about his next trip, the inspector will also provide a certain degree of help.
"name?"
"Codename: Gentian."
"Magical girl?"
"yes."
"What are you going to do when you return to your country this time?"
“Qualification certification.”
“Any violation record?”
"No."
“…”
The examiner and Delphinium chatted casually. While Delphinium was answering, the examiner, who looked quite old, wrote and drew on the form in front of him. After a while, he stopped asking questions, threw the recorded form aside, and returned Delphinium's ID.
"Okay, you're accepted. Welcome back to the magic kingdom, Miss Longdan. And please allow me to remind you that if you are going to enter the magic-free area next, please wear this bracelet."
The examiner said this and slightly moved the document in his hand, revealing a silver bracelet behind it.
Delphinium nodded, took the bracelet and certificate expressionlessly, stared at the bracelet for a moment, raised it up again, and asked the examiner in front of him:
"What does this do?"
The question here was just playing the role of "Longdan". In fact, she had known it for a long time, because this was something that had existed twenty years ago - the magic indicator bracelet.
According to Runnore's regulations, when magical girls and magicians enter the magic-free zone in the city, they must wear this bracelet. The bracelet will help the wearer to suppress the flow of their own magic power to a certain extent, and at the same time block the release of magic power. Once it detects someone using a spell, or not wearing the bracelet in the magic-free zone, the bracelet will sound an alarm and call the city's guards.
Of course, if someone feels that such a bracelet intrudes on their personal privacy, then they can choose not to go to the magic-free zone. As long as they stay outside the magic-free zone, they do not need to wear this bracelet.
As for what the concept of "magic-free zone" is, to put it bluntly, it is an administrative division of Runnore.
As one of the core cities of the magic kingdom and the location of the research institute of the five major power institutions, Runnore attracts a large number of people all year round.
There are schools here that rely on the faculty of the research institute; there are scholars who conduct research based on the local academic environment; there are magical girls and magicians who come here to study; there are ordinary people who rely on this series of huge industries to make a living and work; there are also a steady stream of tourists from all over the country and even from the material world... People of all kinds gather here, making Runore a huge city with a permanent population of millions and a floating population of tens of millions.
In order to accommodate a population of tens of millions, Runore's urban structure is divided into four major areas: the magic-free area, the college area, the emerald area, and the emerald gallery.
The first district, which is also the largest area in the entire city, is the magic-free district. As the name suggests, most spells are prohibited here, and the magic power of those entering and leaving is strictly restricted. Regardless of whether the visitor is a magical girl or a magician, they are required to follow the laws of ordinary people and cannot use force without authorization.
The reason for such restrictions is that this is also the living and commercial area for many ordinary people, including the residences, markets, large shops, hotels, taverns... Most of the people of Runorai live and travel here. Only by restricting magic power can the safety of these ordinary people be protected to the greatest extent.
The second largest area is the academy area, which is separated from the others. There are many schools that provide basic magic education, providing a platform for people with talent who want to become magicians to receive formal education. According to data from some unknown statistical agencies, magicians who have received formal education in Runnore are more than twice as efficient in using spells as those who are self-taught.
Of course, these basic education institutions are not necessarily the reason for Runnore to set up a separate college district. The reason why it can occupy a district in a city is mainly because there are two world-famous schools here: one is the largest research school in the entire magical kingdom - Tigalol. This school has been supplying the most outstanding ritual scholars and magic engineers to the whole country and even the material world all year round. The best among them will even enter the institute as non-magical girls and become official members of the institute.
The second is the Magical Girl Training School - Silver Corridor, whose main teaching target is those children who were born in the country and have been detected as magical girls before the age of 10. These children will be sent here before becoming magical girls, and will receive three years of teaching and training before officially opening to ensure that these children can adapt to the identity and abilities of magical girls.
These two schools are the real core of the college district and the basis for its independent status.
The third largest area is the Emerald District. The name of the jeweled scepter is enough to show its intention. The entire area is built on a floating island, and it is truly a living area for magical girls, fairies and magicians. Although the overall area is not as large as the non-magic area, it has unique scenery, outstanding natural scenery, and is comfortable enough, making it very suitable for leisure and vacation.
The fourth area, the Emerald Book Gallery. There is almost no public information about this area. The public only knows that this is the location of the National Research Institute, and they only need to know that this is the location of the institute. All those who tried to sneak in to "discover national secrets" have not returned, or they have returned when no one noticed - they went there five years ago, and this year they are five years old.
Even if they are magical girls, unless their certification card level is higher than that of a flower card, or they are directly affiliated with the National Research Institute, they do not have the right to enter and leave the institute on their own. Generally, magical girls will be persuaded to return if they approach the institute, and if they try to force their way in, they will be arrested and sent to the Investigation Institute for interrogation. If they are found to have signs of collusion with external forces, they are likely to face a felony. Therefore, apart from a few troublemakers, few people would take this risk.
At this point, these four regions constitute the main body of the city of Lunorre, while education, scientific research, shopping and vacation are the keywords of the city and constitute the main theme of urban life.
——"I see. So we should go to the Emerald District and find a place to live next?"
"Should we report to the college first and prepare for the assessment?"
"I'm hungry..."
As the sky gradually darkened in the magic-free zone, near the border checkpoint, in front of a map drawn on a wooden board, Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang and others were engaged in a heated discussion.
After spending several minutes to understand what was written on the map, and several more minutes to figure out their destination, the three people still had disagreements about the next itinerary.
Since the discussion was fruitless, the next step was to seek out an authority, so Lin Xiaolu soon approached Delphinium: "Delphinium... um, Gentian! Where should we go next?"
These words immediately brought Delphinium, who had been distracted, back to reality.
Blinking and shaking her head, she threw away the messy thoughts that remained in her mind, and said calmly, "Let's go to the residence first. It's getting late, and it's not convenient to move around with so much luggage. You can wait a few days for reporting in."
"yeah!"
After getting the answer, Lin Xiaolu jumped up from the spot and looked back at Xia Liang with some pride: "What are you looking at? Why don't you set off? Don't you want to see what the country you have been dreaming of is like? Is it fairy tales and castles, or steam and towers, or cake carpets and chocolate rivers...ah, the magic country, my hometown that I have never seen..."
Lin Xiaolu was immersed in her own pursuit, but Xia Liang completely ignored her and continued to fiddle with something in front of the wooden map.
Feeling ignored, Lin Xiaolu was a little discouraged, but with Cuiqiao beside her, she felt embarrassed to act unreasonably. She could only move closer to the two people with a gloomy face and look at the map together: "Is there anything else on it?"
“Scan the code to view the complete map content.”
Xia Liang didn't look at her, but just pointed to a small icon on the edge of the wooden board.
"Sweep... huh? What?"
Lin Xiaolu was stunned, and then said in disbelief: "Are you kidding? Is there still a network connection here?"
"…I just tried it and it's connected."
Xia Liang smiled dryly and turned back, shaking his phone screen at the same time: "The phone signal is full."
Lin Xiaolu was speechless.
She took out her cell phone and turned on the lock screen, the flashing signal bar above the screen reflected in her eyes.
After a while, she raised her head blankly and looked back at Delphinium again.
"There must be a signal."
Delphinium was puzzled by the two people's fussing attitude: "This is a magical kingdom, not a wasteland."
"But, but isn't this a 'magic' kingdom? Logically, everyone should use more fantastical things to communicate, such as messenger owls, talking snail telephones, etc...."
Lin Xiaolu spoke hesitantly, and gestured weakly with her hand: "And I remember that magical girls can use magic mirrors to communicate with each other?"
"Using a magic mirror requires magic, but a phone doesn't."
Cuique pointed at the phone in Lin Xiaolu's hand and said, "Besides, the communication network of the material world was originally built by relying on the technology provided by the country. No matter how you think about it, there is absolutely no reason for the country not to use it."
“Ah, it’s true.”
Xia Liang, who was standing by, had already quickly accepted the reality and readily opened the map application on his phone: "This is amazing. You can open it directly using an application from the physical world? Not only can the map be zoomed in and out, you can also check the traffic route map..."
Lin Xiaolu covered her ears silently.
However, Xia Liang did not stop, but continued to look through his phone with interest: "Oh? This map can actually be zoomed to the entire magic kingdom? Not only Runnore, but also Domlia which is a little further away..."
"Stop talking like that and stop ruining my imagination of the magic kingdom!"
Lin Xiaolu squatted down: "This is completely different from what is shown on TV. The magic kingdom I imagined is not like this!"
"Don't be so old-fashioned. Look, there's an advertisement here. It's for the Fairy Ancient Forest that we discussed visiting a few days ago. There's a 10% discount on tickets for group purchases online for the scenic spot..." Seeing Lin Xiaolu's resistance, Xia Liang immediately showed a cunning look on his face, holding his phone and taking two steps towards Lin Xiaolu.
"Take it away, take it away quickly, don't put the phone close to my face!" Lin Xiaolu stepped back repeatedly.
"And this, the internet celebrity fairy hand-grown pure fruit tea, the offline flagship store is open for check-in, take a photo and upload it to get a second cup at half price, it's only 300 meters away from us..."
"I don't want to hear it, I don't want to hear it, shut up!"
The two of them moved forward and backward, one persuading and the other refusing, and in the end it was Xia Liang who was chasing Lin Xiaolu. Fortunately, Cuiqiao spoke up in time and called back the two people who were about to run away.
"Okay, let's go after confirming everything is OK."
Holding Bai Jingxuan, who was so hungry that she was frowning, on one hand, Cuiqiao said to them, "The car we booked online has arrived. The driver is waiting for us outside. He said that if we exceed the time limit, we will have to pay extra... Um, what's wrong with Baimei?"
"nothing."
Xia Liang supported Lin Xiaolu, who had collapsed to the ground after hearing the words "arranged car" and "extra charge for overtime": "Maybe you are too excited and exhausted?"
"Is it like this?"
Cuique tilted her head slightly, but didn't think much about it: "Then let's help her get in the car, but Baimei, you should also be careful. It's okay to be excited when you go out to play, but you have to plan your physical strength well."
"……yes."
Lin Xiaolu's response was as stiff as a frozen fish dug out from an ancient iceberg.
(End of this chapter)
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