"Let's go, Little Ica." Though currently in her 'Big Ica' form, Hyacine still preferred calling her 'Little Ica,' finding the nickname more endearing.
At Hyacine's words, Little Ica let out a soft "dududu" in response before taking flight. Within the Arcane Federation, a Wizard wearing a monocle gazed up at the departing white Pegasus, murmuring, "A Pegasus? What's it doing in a place like this?"
By the time the Wizard blinked, Little Ica had vanished. In that fleeting moment, she had already flown beyond the Arcane Federation's borders, passed through the Century Gate, and returned to Okhema.
Thud-thud~
Little Ica landed smoothly, and Hyacine climbed down from her back, hopping to the ground. Her black, round-toed leather shoes made a crisp sound as they met the ground.
Having made up her mind, Hyacine had already memorized the precise coordinates. Now all that remained was to pack her belongings, contact the spies within the Arcane Federation to prepare in advance, and infiltrate the Federation.
However, the situation with the Arcane Federation was quite different from that of the All Nations Alliance. The Arcane Federation had far fewer spies, primarily due to the extremely high cost of infiltration.
The All Nations Alliance, with its vast territory and large population, lacked comprehensive population policies, making it easy for spies to slip in undetected. But the Arcane Federation was different; it was less a nation-state and more a colossal academic organization.
To put it bluntly, the Arcane Federation's land area was only one-tenth that of the All Nations Alliance, and its population was a mere three million—smaller even than Okhema.
Yet at least seventy percent of the Federation's population were spellcasters. Moreover, vast numbers of Magic Puppets performed essential labor, such as construction, agriculture, and logistics. This meant that an ordinary person arriving in the Federation would find virtually no employment opportunities.
Why would these wizards hire anyone else when they could command tireless, food-independent Magic Puppets to do the work?
Therefore, there were essentially only two paths to entering the Arcane Federation: First, as a wizard, whether seeking education, teaching positions, or magical research opportunities. The Federation perpetually welcomed such individuals.
The second desirable identity was that of a merchant specializing in high-end magical materials, such as dragon scales, dragon blood, ancient magical artifacts, and various rare and extraordinary items. These traders were highly valued within the Arcane Federation.
As for Hyacine, she naturally planned to adopt the first identity, as Anaxa's original purpose for coming to the Arcane Federation was to study. Though strictly speaking, neither Hyacine nor Anaxa truly qualified as wizards.
Hyacine, cradling the now-shrunken Little Ica in her arms, returned to her apartment on the outskirts of Okhema. After slipping off her small leather shoes and changing into adorable pink slippers, she hurried back to her room.
However, after searching high and low, she realized she had barely any luggage to pack. A phone, a few books, some changes of clothes—that was all.
Her wardrobe consisted almost entirely of adorable dresses and white stockings, leaving little room for selection. She could easily pack a few items at random.
On the other hand, Anaxa's situation was similar. A phone, a change of clothes, a custom-made Magitech Pistol, and two wristbands—that was it.
The Magitech Pistol was, needless to say, a weapon. The wristband, however, was one of Anaxa's recent inventions, roughly equivalent to a converter. Its function was to convert divine power into Magic Power at a fixed ratio.
After all, neither Anaxa nor Hyacine possessed any Magic Power in their bodies. How could they masquerade as wizards without it?
Within moments, Hyacine and Anaxa were ready. Tribios, meanwhile, had issued orders, contacting a spy within the Arcane Federation.
This spy was a prominent merchant, a human male over forty, renowned throughout the Arcane Federation. Everyone considered him unfathomable, as he could procure vast quantities of rare and bizarre magical materials. Even if he didn't have something on hand, a request accompanied by a generous tip would guarantee its acquisition within a reasonable timeframe—a testament to his exceptional capabilities.
In reality, all it took was for the Merchant to make a phone call to Okhema's contact person.
After some time, once the esteemed merchant had taken his place, a Century Gate materialized in a secluded alley deep within the Arcane Federation's capital. Anaxa and Hyacine emerged, greeted by a slightly plump man leaning on a cane, impeccably dressed in a black suit—the very image of success—who had been waiting patiently.
The great merchant, Robert, adopted a respectful demeanor, bowing slightly as he said, "My lords, everything is prepared. Please follow me."
Unlike their previous mission, where Grey was immediately informed that Aglaea was a Demigod (after all, it was a short-term assignment, and Aglaea was there merely as a precaution), this was a long-term operation. The primary objective was for Anaxa to "learn" (or rather, sneak a peek at) the Arcane Federation's magical knowledge. They were expected to stay for an extended period, and as a "covert" mission, the fewer people who knew about it, the better.
Robert's orders were to cooperate with Anaxa and Hyacine, assisting them in enrolling at the Arcane Federation's magic academy.
For Robert, this was no difficult task. As he led the way, he produced two thin, small cards from his pocket and handed one each to Anaxa and Hyacine, explaining, "These serve as proof of identity within the Arcane Federation. They bear unique magical anti-counterfeiting marks. Mine were obtained through official channels, so they're authentic. Even the Tower Master himself couldn't find fault with them."
"Your cover stories are that you're wizards from remote cities seeking education in the capital. You'll enroll as freshmen in two weeks, when the new semester begins."
"As for accommodations and such, I've already arranged everything. And here," Robert said, producing a pouch of gold coins and handing them to the pair, "Okhema's currency isn't accepted here; you'll need to use gold coins. It's a bit inconvenient, but it can't be helped."
Okhema had long adopted a paper currency system, so most Okhemans would likely find these heavy coins quite unfamiliar upon first encountering them. Robert seemed to be treating Anaxa and Hyacine as if this were their first time leaving Okhema, hence the extra reminder.