Over the next few days, taking 46 Sea Breeze Street as their center point, He Xi and Zoya accepted several low-paying commissions nearby.
The work included helping a general store recover goods swiped by street thugs, finding a worried grandmother's grandson who always played in the abandoned warehouse district by the docks until he forgot to go home, and clearing out the troublesome goblins that had suddenly multiplied in the alleys.
The rewards combined amounted to less than one Gold Shield, but earning money had never been the point.
Through these trivial tasks, the two humans and one dog familiarized themselves with the crisscrossing streets of the Dragon Throat Dock District as though exploring a new map: several well-reviewed taverns, the public carriage routes to other districts, and a few places where information gathered and flowed.
The days passed in quiet adjustment, and soon it was March 12—the day of Fernandez Magic Academy's unified entrance test for new students.
Early that morning, as he walked toward the Tower District, He Xi could clearly feel that the streets were far more crowded than they had been the week before.
The air carried the last trace of spring's chill, along with a restless agitation poised to burst forth.
That agitation came especially from the fellow at his feet.
"So many glowing long legs!" Bruce squeezed out excitedly from his throat.
He Xi followed its gaze with a glance.
On both sides of the street, especially closer to the academy, there were many young faces who were clearly not local residents.
Most of them were smartly dressed, attended by servants or family members, their faces carrying both the excitement of arriving in a great city for the first time and the determination to succeed.
The girls wore all manner of light spring dresses,