Outside a small town, Hilia looked at the magical light screen projected by her bracelet, displaying a map to confirm she was near her destination.
"This should be Xue Shan Town, but… it seems we haven't reached the destination yet."
Hilia saw the specific destination on the screen, about 24 kilometers from Xue Shan Town, just within its jurisdiction.
According to the information on the Star Spirit Network, the area is mostly filled with towering mountains and sparse population.
The unique and harsh environment, coupled with the lack of magical resources, means that this region is unclaimed and still under the jurisdiction of the Holy Court.
"I'd better report to the Mercenary Guild first."
Hilia retracted the light screen, jumped off her Flying Broom, and walked into Xue Shan Town.
This town is located in the northwestern area of Huijin City, yet it hasn't benefited from the shadow of Huijin City, with scarce resources, a sparse population, and an area of less than 2 square kilometers, it can only be considered a small town.
Even the Mercenary Guild here has very few people, unlike the bustle of Huijin City.
The Mercenary Guild here is almost like a tavern, with a few scattered people sitting at tables drinking wine.
Their voices were not loud, maybe because it's not quite the time to be lively yet, after all, it's only the afternoon.
When Hilia entered, they lifted their heads, but because Hilia was wearing a simple mage robe with a hat covering her face, they couldn't see clearly, so they lost interest after a glance and went back to drinking.
"Hello, I received a commission for Snow Mountain Town, here to report, is the commissioner in the guild?"
Hilia went to the tavern counter and asked the receptionist behind it.
"Please show your mercenary badge."
The receptionist spoke habitually, with a lazy attitude, even a bit impatient, until Hilia presented her badge in front of her, making her sit upright, and after processing Hilia's commission, she was slightly taken aback.
She looked up at Hilia with surprise, "Are you sure you want to take this commission?"
Hilia was puzzled: "Is there a problem?"
"No, no problem." The receptionist looked around and suddenly leaned in to whisper, "You might not know this coming from the big city, but the commissioner for this assignment is mysteriously poor. Despite being a powerful mage, she dresses like a peasant and has a peculiar temper, always saying weird things…"
"This commission has been up for half a month. The danger level has increased from Tier One to Tier Two, yet the reward remains 10 silver coins, and the area is still a deserted mountain. People have taken it out of curiosity, but all abandoned due to unreasonable demands, and this has affected my performance. I'm beginning to suspect she might be an alien… I suggest you drop this commission."
"Thanks for the reminder, but it's not the job of a qualified receptionist to slander the commissioner. Plus, you mentioned she is a powerful mage." Hilia looked at her with a sly smile.
"Sorry, my mistake, please don't report me to the guild." The receptionist quickly straightened up, "I've reported you in. The region is not covered by the Star Spirit Network. We have sent you the area's location. Please proceed according to the guidance to avoid getting lost."
"Has the commissioner been to Xue Shan Town recently?" Hilia asked.
"She came last week and raised the danger level to Tier Two, but hasn't been back since." The receptionist shook her head.
"Do you have an image memory of the commissioner?"
"Yes, it's been sent to your magic bracelet."
"Thanks a lot."
Hilia prepared to leave the Mercenary Guild and noticed people inside were secretly observing her.
Some were even whispering and mocking.
"Another outsider."
"Outsiders don't know the ins and outs, it's normal, but they're in for a wasted trip."
"That crazy woman's gold coins aren't easy to earn."
"What gold coins, those are silver coins."
"..."
The speakers were quite far away, and Hilia was puzzled at how she could hear the whispers from such a distance.
"I made it so you could hear them."
Rose's voice came through.
Hilia suddenly understood.
No wonder.
After leaving Xue Shan Town, a projected arrow appeared on her bracelet, pointing towards the commission's location.
Many commission areas are not covered by the Star Spirit Network, so the Mercenary Guild developed a special Guiding Skill for guiding mercenaries to reach commission areas in places where the network is unavailable.
This spell can be activated through the bracelet, projecting its effect on the magical light screen.
"Flying is allowed in the wild. At full speed, I should arrive in half an hour… It's not far, just not sure if there are any dangerous magical beasts on the way."
"Fly freely, if you encounter magical beasts, just consider them a bonus meal." Rose advised.
Since Lord Evil God has said so, let's fly.
Hilia mounted her Flying Broom, which had been set free of speed limits after being approved for use outside of school.
Thus, Hilia flew at full speed.
41 km/h!
"Such a fast speed!" Hilia cheered.
"... The speed has increased by 2.5% from before, it's excellent." Rose affirmed.
About an hour later, Hilia arrived at the designated commission area.
The prolonged time was due to her unconsciously slowing down after experiencing "over-speed" flight, with rests to recover magic power to prepare for any unexpected events, thus doubling the estimated time.
This was in the midst of mountains. Comparing the projected guidance with the area, Hilia confirmed the commission area was the small patch of flat land surrounded by mountains below.
The patch of land was very small, enclosed by mountains, with a small river meandering through the mountains.
On that small flat land, Hilia noticed some cleared fields, upon closer look, she saw faint hints of man-made structures between the woods.
"There are actually people living here?"
Hilia was shocked.
This place was more than twenty kilometers from the nearest town, not a problem for a mage, suggesting a preference for seclusion.
But it wasn't just a single house, there could be dozens of households, forming a ladder-like shape on the gentle flat land.
It couldn't all be mages, could it?
If they were ordinary people, how long would it take them to reach town?
You need to realize these are surrounded by mountains, and the mountain roads are not easy to traverse, and they can't fly like mages.
With doubts, Hilia descended and stopped in front of the village entrance.
She looked at the village before her, somewhat hesitant.
"Don't be afraid, go in, there's only one mage in this village, and their power is only Tier One, not yet Tier Two, no need to worry." Rose's voice echoed.
"I see."
Hilia eased her concerns and entered the village.
Since they're all ordinary people… there's nothing to be afraid of.