Chapter 168: Mahogany Town
Chapter 168: Mahogany Town
After breakfast, all the exchange students from Hogwarts changed into their everyday clothes and, led by their professors, made their way to the small dock by the river at the foot of Castrobrusso's highlands. Apart from a few pureblood wizards who, out of pride, continued to wear their wizard robes, the other young wizards donned Muggle clothing. After all, outside the School, there was no magic to regulate temperature and humidity, and wearing a robe in the tropical rainforest would be far from comfortable.
Of course, it was possible that those purebloods had some magical way to prevent heatstroke, but judging by their sweaty faces, it didn't seem like they had any temperature-regulating spells. Liam was genuinely worried that they might collapse from heatstroke, especially since even he, with his enhanced physique, found it sweltering in just a t-shirt and jeans. He suspected that if he were wearing a robe, he would likely suffer from heatstroke himself.
Soon, Liam's attention shifted from his attire to the boat that was ready to take them to Mahogany Town. Mahogany Town was located downstream on the river. Since this was the heart of the Amazon Rainforest, and to reduce the strain on the Floo Network, there was no magical transportation between Castrobrusso and Mahogany Town.
However, as both locations were by the river, a boat was the natural means of transportation. And now, a massive dugout canoe was waiting for them at the dock.
The canoe appeared to be made by sawing a tree with a six-meter diameter in half and hollowing it out. It was topped with a sunshade made from woven leaves. However, it was clear that the boat was more than just a simple dugout; runes occasionally flickered to life on its surface, activated by the river's currents.
Liam had initially worried that his casual attire might seem too informal, but seeing the Castrobrusso students on the boat, he realized his concerns were unfounded. The local students were dressed even more casually.
For example, David wore a short-sleeved floral shirt and a pair of beach shorts. His cousin was in a crop top and denim shorts. Even more strikingly, a few local young wizards, who appeared to be indigenous, wore only a loincloth, with their upper bodies bare and a necklace around their necks.
"You're dressed a bit too warmly", David said with a grin as he greeted Liam. "Mahogany Town is surrounded by magic and special magical plants. The forest's venomous insects can't get in, so there's no need to wrap yourself up so tightly."
"I was just worried that dressing too casually might seem impolite", Liam explained quickly.
"You Brits are so strange. This is a time to relax. It would be odd to dress so formally", David pointed out, gesturing toward the pureblood wizards still in their robes.
Liam could only shrug helplessly, as he had nothing to say to those pureblood wizards who insisted on maintaining their dignity at the cost of their comfort.
Soon, with a gentle jolt, the dugout canoe pulled away from the dock and began its journey downstream, following the turbulent, muddy current. Since this was a remote area, the river retained its pristine, natural state, with numerous obstacles in the middle of the channel. However, thanks to magic, the canoe always managed to avoid these hazards. Even when debris occasionally struck the sides of the boat, the protective magic easily deflected them, ensuring no damage to the hull.
Thus, the journey was uneventful, and as the canoe slowed down, everyone arrived at the destination smoothly.
This place is called Mahogany Town because both the town and its surroundings are filled with numerous mahogany trees. The town's buildings, whether in the local temple style or European architecture, are nestled among these towering trees. Although the styles of the houses are not uniform, the buildings harmoniously blend into the forest, giving the town a unique sense of harmony.
Under the influence of magic, this town, like Hogsmeade, does not appear on any known maps. Even satellite images only show a dense primeval forest. Of course, these details were irrelevant to Liam, who was now standing in front of a food stall, waiting for the owner to make him some ice cream.
Upon arriving in town, Professor Sprout announced that everyone should gather at the dock at four in the afternoon. After that, everyone dispersed to explore freely.
Since Liam was unfamiliar with the town, he decided to follow Hermione, who had done her homework in advance.
After visiting a couple of important historical sites, Liam and the others found that the history from the other side of the world did not interest them much. After some thought, they decided to skip the other historical sites, freeing up a lot of time. Hermione took this opportunity to ask Liam some questions about runes.
As Liam answered her questions, they wandered around the town, heading towards areas with more people. Before long, they found themselves in the town's commercial district.
In places with high foot traffic, as long as it's not explicitly forbidden, there are always numerous food stalls taking advantage of the crowd to do business. This is true in both the Muggle and Wizarding worlds. Since the previous conversation had left Liam feeling a bit parched, they immediately chose a food stall to buy some ice cream to soothe their throats.
The street was lined with a variety of food stalls, which attracted many British wizards who were starved for good food. Liam saw several older students sitting at a stall, feasting heartily. Even Professor Kettleburn, who was part of the group, was sitting by the roadside, eating roasted meat with one hand and drinking a cold beer with the other. Upon spotting Liam and Hermione, he happily greeted them.
As they strolled down the bustling commercial streets, discussing questions and sampling local delicacies, Liam noticed that Hermione seemed particularly interested in sweets. Curious, he asked, "Why haven't I noticed you liking sweets so much before?"
Hermione, who was using a spoon to scoop up a floating red jelly, paused. "You know my parents are dentists, and they discourage me from eating sweets. But these magical sweets are all-natural and low in sugar, so they won't damage my teeth."
That made sense, Liam thought as he popped a golden, fried snack into his mouth, not knowing what was inside. His eyes widened as he chewed.
Why were the worms inside the snack still alive after being fried?!
Fortunately, after a few more chews, Liam found the worms to be quite tasty and managed to finish the snack without wasting any food. However, he decided to ask what was in the snacks before buying them next time.
Since they still had to eat lunch, Liam stopped Hermione, who was eager to try more sweets, and they headed to the bookstore they had planned to visit.
(End of Chapter)
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