Today is a good day.

I'm finally able to get out of the school. I almost feel like a teenager before holydays again.

I get up from my bed, take some water from a jar and wash up my face. I look at myself in the mirror.

" - Mmmmh, I have some beard, but the only way to shave myself here is almost only with magic instruments, so, too bad."

I change my clothes to the adventurer outfit they have given me yesterday ; well, it's almost the same as the civilian clothes from two days ago, but with a more robust pair of boots, a leather pant, and a dark brown mantle. I've already put my old "earthian" clothing in my bag, to change back if needed, and some spare undeawears. I take the almost ten kilogram fucking purse with all the money given to me when i helped - damn it, it seems so easy to be ultra rich when you can use their fucking bottomless bag - , put it on my belt, and go with a "tingling tingling" to the door, waiting for the people to escort me.

Ok, this sound make me sound like i have some jester bells with me. I put the purse in my backpack.

I will have to transport this all the way, since we can't pay the escort before the end of the mission. I foresee walking with all this money will be hard in more ways than one. Well. I don't care, i will not be pessimist today, i'm in a good mood. The hope for going back is here ! I'm ready to go !

As i open the door - who was not really closed to begin with -, i'm greeted by Lisa, Book girl and another young man, who i vaguely remember having encountered one time in Lisa's laboratory, who were waiting for me.

" - Hi Kyle ! I'm here to bid you farewell and to introduce you to the two people who will come to help you.

You already know our defense teacher, you can call her Nina, she will be in charge of protecting you directly if a need arise. She's a master in barrier and defensive magic. For obvious reasons, if she were to put up a shield, dont touch it !

" - Of course. Hi again B- Nina."

She nods back at me. Haaa, so, book girl is called Nina ? Alias huh ? Well, all the name i've heard since coming in this world are only things i would be able to say right when sneezing hard. It's good they're considerate on this.

" - And this is the one who will translate for you. He's my assistant teacher, he's young but you dont have to worry about is capabilities. Travelling with you will also help him improve, so i hope you will lend him your help."

" - It's a PLeAsure to mEAT you, you Can cAll me CARL"

" - Haaaa, likewise."

I smile at the 20-years-something old boy. He has a funny way of speaking, like a tourist who have learned only from books : his diction go anywhere randomly. It's something i dont dislike, it always amused me back on earth.

Appearence speaking, he's a rather good looking guy with short brown curly hairs, yellow-brown eyes and thins glasses, only that he's 2 meters tall... Well, at least it's not the other scumlator. And this one seems a nice smiling young guy. A good young one.

Hey, i sounded like an old geezer just now !

" - Well, Kyle, i sincerely hope i will not see you again, because it will mean you have been able to go back home."

Or because i have been slaughtered in some shit hole on the way.

" - Thank you. I hope too, in a good way. And whatever happens, know that i will never forget your kindness."

Lisa made a complicated expression for an instant, but smile again and start to warn me about precautionnary rules while travelling outside. Don't wander out of the road, dont be distanced by the escort, dont wander around, always obey the others instructions, dont eat something you dont know, be wary of strangers... Huuuh, Lisa, you know, i'm not a five years toddler... She keep saying nonsensical things like this until we reach the gate. I didn't respond "yes mommy", but it was close.

After escorting us all the way down the moutain, she hug me and say goodbye. She almost start crying before turning back to the castle, saying she has an appointement with the headmaster now. What a nice girl she is !

I sincerely hope she will stay well. It was short, but i will miss her, despite her antics.

I throw a last look at hogwarts-cinderella-castle. The founder of these academy really must have crossed some wires in her memories. It's a perfect mismatch.

Well then.

Here we go !

With the company of my two new fellows travellers, i was expecting to go by the yellow road directly to the town, but Carl told me the meeting point was in another location. So now i'm following him and Book girl along a little path in another district of the city.

It seem this part of the city is the craftsman and industrial part of the city.

The road enlarge a lot and the constructions are a lot more bigger and older-looking than the center and residential parts i have been before.

All around us are sturdy looking, grey buildings, with almost only two floor each, all neatly aligned and somewhat grouped with each other by the raw materiel they processed. For example, Blacksmiths and smelters are in front of each other, and at another corner, leatherworkers, butchers and tailors are banded together. It's a rather great insight since it can efficiently cut the cost and time needed for the process of the differents elements of an animal body for example... As i was thinking this and looking at a sword a blacksmith was almost finishing forging, i almost ran into Carl who stopped for no reason. Ouch.

" - S'il te plAISE, attends un peu iCI."

" - Huuuh, wrong language."

" - Haaaa, sorrY, i sAD pLEASE wait for a moMENT hire."

As he say that, i can see Book girl entering a shop. HAaa, we seem to be in the magic corner. Strange looking object are on display on each trade batiment. It also seem to be some sort of jeweler corner, since a display with a thick glass let me see some shining gems and glowing crystals. Not really shops but not craftmens workshops either, huh ? Well, the stone are absolutely beautifuls. As i was approching another shop to have a better view, the shopkeeper who was at the door pointed at me and jabbered something with a displeasant looking face.

Carl who was just behind me responded in the same way and pulled me back to the other side of the road.

" - Excuse me, what did he say ?"

" - He sAD country PUMPkins have NOThing to DO in his SHop."

Haaa ? How the hell do i look like a country bumpkin ? Hey fucker, my world is way more advanced in technology than yours. It's like a savage from amazonia saying what you're too primitive to understand how to use a bow when you have a gun to hunt. Ok, not like i can display the glorious technology of my world right now, but even then. I must be unlucky with stones anyways.

I snort to the shopkeeper and go back waiting Book girl. We dont have to wait at all, since she was already going out of the shop as we were coming back. She has now a thick, long wood rod with no ornaments on it. Really. Just a big piece of stick. I was expecting some mystic cristal on one end, but after looking closely, nothing at all.

Perhaps a magic wand or something ? Well, stop, i dont need to try to find a reason, I doesn't concern me after all. Not like i can use it.

She say something to Carl and we go on our way again.

After another ten minute walking, as we enter the stonemason area, Carl point in the direction of a group of people in a little plaza in front of us.

" - They ARe the Guy We will TRavel WIth".

Ho. It's five people. Three males humans, a striped ginger feline-type beastman, and ho my god again, a wonderful female elf. Are the breasts a racial feature coming along with the pointy ears ? She dont have back problem ? She kill opponents by smashing them with her knockers ? At least i hope she's not like the last elf i encountered.

The Beastman was accompanied by a huge black mastiff dog, and the humans of the group are waiting near horses with one open wagon tied to another horse behind them.

YESSSSS, i will not have to walk like a madman all the way. If two weak scholar can already make me so pathetic, what about strong adventurers...

As i was thinking nonsense again, Carl and Book girl exchange a word with them, then Carl call me.

" - LET me dO the presentAtion. This pErson Is from the SAND cat tribe and wIll BE the trAcker for our PartY. You can Call it MIKE. Ho, and the DOggy is CAlled PEte.

I slowly nods to say hello. He's a muscular looking guy with the characteristics ears and slitted eyes of a cat, a long tail going back and forth coming from his back, and a short stripped fur in place of visible skin. His hands seems to be coming with soft buschings. Ha-ha, it's really a humanized cat. I also wave my hand at the dog who approach to sniff on me. But for some reason he back off immediately. Why ? I'm pretty loved by animals back home... I'm almost hurt here, you know.

" - This pERson here is an Elf you Can call Leera. She's Good at a spatiAl NATural magIC used by elves."

HO MY GOD SHE BOW WHILE SAYING HELLO THEY ARE THE SIZE OF HER HEAD. How can she not trip on the ground ! No seriously, i'm a lambda male, i love them big too, but i would be drowning on them with thiiiiis size.

As i was looking wide eyed at the sight, the elf straighten herself. I suddenly change the location of my gaze to the guy next to her. I dont want to make a bad vibes for a first contact, and i myself wouldn't like to be looked like that after all. I need to be polite.

Beside, if his husband is in the party, i would die for sure with a light knock.

" - Ha yes, this is an honor to meet her. Hum, and these persons are ?"

" - This is the chIEF of the grouP. You CAn refEr to hIM as JOE. He's a Warrior. Behind hIm is his brothEr JOHN, he's the HEALer of thie partY. And LAst, JIM is another warrioR."

Joe, Jim and John ? You lack imagination for their names or they were all born in the year of J ?

The two brothers look too similars to not be twins. Each one is a 30 years old guy with black, messy hairs and blue eyes. They are a little shorter than me, but with muscles cut for heavy works. They also fucking look handsome, i have to admit.

The third one was younger, a 2 meters tall 20-old guy, and looking at his equipment, he was more of a damage dealer type of warrior, with two one handed swords on his waist and a bigger one on his back.

Ho shit, the one on his back look really heavy, at least 20 kilogram. He fight with that ?! No, more like, he always travel with that on his back ? Looking at a guy of this caliber, he effectively would have easily played in the movie 300 withouth requiring any makeup, but even then, it must be uselessly tiring.

Do magic really strenghten them to THIS point ?

Besides, what's the problem with the ADN here ? Even Carl look almost like a model. Since we came from Hogwarts, what i am in this party ? Dobby the house-elf ?

They start discussing among themselves and Book girl. After some time, they call to me and urge me to get in the wagon. This wagon is convertible and have one solid locker on the back doing the job of back wall. He has two bench, and i'm asked to settle down on the second one. Carl, Book girl and the healer.. Jim ? Jack ? Jhealer go to the front one. Hey, it's tight, what the fuck are you doing guys. Why no one go with me ? You like being pressed like lemons ?

" - It's to Baiter prOtect yoU !"

Why not. After all, i have more space for myself like this. I put my backpack at my feet as we slowly depart.

I'm pleasantly surprised by the fact this wagon have shock absorbers, and good ones at that. i'm experiencing almost none of the movements induced by the metal wheels on the paved road or from the horse gait.

I have all the leisure to look at the passing scenery. The crafting area slowly give way to a more modest residential area, with old looking buildings and childrens playing on the road. It's the old city with a poorer part of his inhabitants, but they dont look unhappy or famished. The childrens are smiling, the womens speak among themselve. It remind me of some old italian village of earth.

You can definitely see it's a nice city. After all is said and done, i'm somewhat lucky to have been thrown here.

I look pleasantly at the bluey old stones and the streets vendors scattered along the road. I stole a glimpse at Leena on her horse too. They move. It's hypnotic. I cannot look away. Good job, horse.

After fourty minutes or so, we approach a big wall where guards interrogate the people wanting to leave the city.

When it's our turn, they ask what i understand to be our papers, and after a short check on the wagon, we continue withouth any problem, passing on a drawbridge above some river, who was probably something coming from the academy lake.

After that, as far as the eye can see, it was a succession of fields and farms. The air conveyed the nice scent of fresh earth and plants. I smile as i didn't realized how much i missed this before.

This is almost the same scent from home. Even on another world, earth smell always the same...

While contemplating, i start to wonder how much time we need to attain our objective, to meet the guy who can help me. MMMh, come to think of it, i didn't ask before who and where we are going. It can be pretty far away. I've made a copy of this continent map yesterday, so if he give me the name of the destination, i can have a rough evaluation of the time needed, maybe ?

" - Hey Carl, i forgotten to ask, but who is the person we need to see ? And where she is exactly ?

" - Wir werden heute Abend während des Abendessens darüber reden"

" - Huuu... Dude... Its the wrong language again."

Perhaps this trip will be a little more tiring than expected.