Reincarnated as an Elf Prince-Chapter 80: Outing (1)

Lindarion followed Cassian through the Academy's courtyard, his pace steady but reluctant. The towering spires of the Academy cast long shadows in the late afternoon light, a stark contrast to the bustling city that lay just beyond the gates.

Cassian, walking ahead, radiated the kind of confidence only a man with absolutely no responsibilities could possess.

"You're unusually insistent about this," Lindarion remarked.

Cassian grinned, not even glancing back. "Because you never leave the Academy."

"I'm training."

"And yet you're still getting hit."

Lindarion sighed through his nose. "…Do you have another point?"

Cassian slung an arm around his shoulder like they were old war buddies. "You need to get out more. Clear your head. See the city. Maybe even enjoy yourself."

Lindarion frowned. "I don't—"

"You're coming." Cassian patted his shoulder before continuing forward, speaking like the matter had already been settled.

Ahead, near the main gates, Luneth stood perfectly still, silver hair swaying slightly in the breeze.

She wasn't leaning. She wasn't pacing. She wasn't doing anything except waiting.

Cassian waved a hand in front of her face. "Hey. You alive?"

Luneth blinked once, black eyes settling on him. "Yes."

Cassian glanced at Lindarion. "See? She's thrilled."

Lindarion ignored him.

The gates of Academy loomed ahead, separating them from the sprawling city beyond. Beyond those gates, Eldenholm pulsed with life—magic lanterns glowing overhead, merchants shouting over one another, the smell of fresh bread and charred spell residue mixing in the air.

'I can already tell this is going to be troublesome..'

Lindarion exhaled.

He had a bad feeling about this.

But he followed them through the gates anyway.

—

Eldenholm was nothing like the Academy.

The streets were alive, packed with students, merchants, and wandering mages. Stalls overflowed with enchanted trinkets, glowing potions, and spell-forged weapons, each one more overpriced than the last.

Floating runes hovered in the air, marking shops with names like The Arcane Bazaar or Madam Yveris' Discount Divinations (Results Not Guaranteed).

Cassian stretched. "Now this is civilization."

'These are just scam artists.'

Lindarion eyed a nearby vendor aggressively shoving a supposedly rare artifact into a noble's hands. "That's a strong word for this place."

Cassian shrugged. "Semantics."

Luneth, meanwhile, had done what Luneth always did—disappeared without a word.

'Where the hell did she go?'

Lindarion scanned the crowd, eventually spotting her standing near a street performer who was summoning tiny glowing wraiths from their fingertips.

The performer met Luneth's empty stare.

Their magic immediately fizzled out.

Luneth just kept watching.

The performer coughed awkwardly. "…Uh. Donation?"

Lindarion sighed and grabbed Luneth's hand, pulling her away. "Stop scaring people."

Luneth blinked as she looked away. "I was watching."

Cassian chuckled. "We've been here five minutes, and she's already haunting the locals."

Luneth tilted her head slightly. "Unintentional."

"Yeah, no kidding."

Lindarion exhaled.

'God it's only been minutes.'

They were barely into the city, and things were already going wrong.

—

Navigating Eldenholm's streets was like trying to dodge a series of invisible spells—traps laid out in broad daylight, waiting for unsuspecting victims.

Cassian, naturally, walked right into them.

"Oy! You there, with the fancy coat!"

Lindarion turned just in time to see a street merchant shove something suspiciously shiny into Cassian's hands.

"A fine choice, sir! This pendant is infused with the essence of an elder dragon's breath. One-of-a-kind artifact!"

Cassian whistled, turning the pendant over in his palm. "Elder dragon, huh?"

The merchant nodded vigorously. "Yes! Only two exist in the world!"

'You can't be serious.'

Lindarion rubbed his temple. "Then why are you selling it from a cart?"

The merchant hesitated. "…Limited-time offer."

'Limited time offer my ass.'

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Lindarion grabbed Cassian by the collar and pulled him back before he could actually consider buying it. "Let's go."

Cassian chuckled, tossing the pendant back. "Alright, alright."

They moved on, weaving through the crowd.

Luneth, as expected, had no issue navigating the chaos. She didn't get bumped, didn't get stopped, didn't even get noticed. She simply walked, untouched by the world around her.

Lindarion was certain if he let her, she'd probably drift into the void itself.

Cassian, on the other hand, was the chaos.

"Oooh, a game!"

Lindarion turned to see Cassian standing in front of a makeshift spell ring. A grinning vendor gestured to a row of floating elemental orbs, each one swirling with unstable magic.

"Knock down three, win a prize!"

Cassian cracked his knuckles. "Easy."

Lindarion immediately sensed disaster.

He grabbed Cassian's wrist. "Don't."

Cassian smirked. "Come on, you think I can't win?"

"I think you shouldn't try."

Cassian ignored him, flipping a coin to the vendor. He stepped up, summoning a small orb of compressed wind magic.

The moment he threw it—

Boom.

A sudden crystal detonated against the orbs, sending them flying everywhere. One nearly took out a passing noble. Another shattered a window.

The vendor's smile twitched.

Cassian turned to Lindarion. "So… does that count as three?"

'…'

Lindarion grabbed Cassian's sleeve and dragged him away before the vendor could start shouting.

Behind them, Luneth followed without comment.

—

After successfully not getting arrested, they stopped at a small café tucked away in a quieter part of the city.

Cassian leaned back in his chair, arms behind his head. "See? That was fun."

'So that's fun for you..'

Lindarion stirred his tea, unimpressed. "You destroyed a game stall."

Cassian waved a hand. "Barely."

Luneth, sipping something faintly glowing, chimed in. "The noble nearly lost an eye."

Cassian grinned. "But he didn't."

Lindarion resisted the urge to sigh.

The city wasn't bad. Loud, overwhelming, filled with scams and reckless spellcraft—sure.

But it wasn't that bad.

As Cassian launched into another story about some ridiculous bet he once made, Lindarion glanced out the window.

Eldenholm stretched beyond the streets, its towers standing tall against the setting sun.

Maybe there was something worthwhile here after all.

—

For once, the three of them managed to walk through Eldenholm without getting involved in potential crimes, financial scams, or explosive property damage.

'Finally.'

Lindarion considered this a personal victory.

The cafés and merchant stalls thinned out as they moved toward the older part of the city. Here, the roads were paved with ancient stone, and the buildings had an undeniable weight to them—evidence of Eldenholm's long history.

It was quieter here, less crowded.

Cassian stretched his arms behind his head. "You know, it's kinda nice walking around without needing to dodge flying spells."

Luneth, floating a few steps behind, tilted her head. "You're the reason we usually do."

Cassian grinned. "And yet, here we are, unharmed. Which means I was right to try."

'What the hell is he talking about.'

Lindarion pinched the bridge of his nose. "That's not how logic works."

Cassian patted his shoulder. "It is if you don't think about it."

Luneth gave an almost imperceptible nod. "That explains a lot."

Before Lindarion could contemplate violence, something caught his attention.

A small market square stretched before them, but unlike the more chaotic streets they had passed earlier, this one was calm.

The stalls here sold artifacts, books, and enchanted trinkets instead of cheap spell-gimmicks. The people browsing weren't casual shoppers but scholars, mages, and collectors.

Cassian immediately headed toward the most expensive-looking stall.

'He's seriously acting like a normal kid…'

Lindarion let out a slow breath. "We're about to get scammed again."

Luneth simply followed without comment.

—

Cassian, to no one's surprise, hadn't learned anything.

"Oy, this one looks legit." He held up a silver ring embedded with a dark gemstone. "What do you think?"

The merchant smiled. "Ah, an excellent choice! This ring is imbued with ancient protective enchantments."

Lindarion, glancing at the barely visible runes, immediately knew it was a lie.

"Cassian, don't."

Cassian ignored him. "How much?"

The merchant rubbed his hands together. "For you? Only two hundred crowns. A rare bargain!"

Lindarion grabbed the ring from Cassian's hand and held it up to the light.

The rune markings were faint—as if they had been partially erased.

Luneth, observing over his shoulder, spoke softly. "The enchantment is incomplete."

Lindarion nodded. "This was part of a larger set. It won't function on its own."

The merchant's smile faltered. "N-Now, hold on—"

Cassian clicked his tongue, setting the ring down. "Tsk. Almost got me."

Lindarion narrowed his eyes. "He did get you. Twice already."

Cassian pretended not to hear.

—

They wandered further into the market, passing stalls filled with old tomes, enchanted scrolls, and intricate artifacts that looked far more promising than the earlier scam.

Cassian, surprisingly, kept his hands to himself this time.

Luneth, meanwhile, paused at a small antique bookshop, running her fingers along the spines of ancient texts.

Lindarion leaned in slightly. "You see something interesting?"

Luneth's black eyes flickered toward him. "Many things."

Lindarion waited.

Luneth, as usual, did not elaborate.

Cassian, bored, stretched dramatically. "Alright, we've been good. No explosions, no arrests, no cursed objects. I think we deserve food."

Lindarion considered pointing out that not causing destruction wasn't exactly an achievement, but—

His stomach grumbled.

Cassian smirked. "See? Even you agree."

Lindarion sighed. "Fine."

Luneth, still looking at the books, spoke absently. "You two have strange priorities."

Cassian grinned. "And yet, you follow us."

She didn't deny it..