Radiant in her choice, Rachel selected an outfit that suited her. Leaving a set consisting of a white sleeveless shirt and dark blue wide trousers on the bed, she headed to the bathroom. Deciding it was better to freshen up before departure, especially after spending a couple of hours reviewing and checking the quality of her jumping bow.
At 12:20, Rachel was already seated at the table, with a plate of delicious Bolognese she had prepared the day before in front of her. After eating and enjoying an hour, she glanced at the clock.
12:50.
With the help of spells, she quickly tidied up the kitchen. 7 minutes left until departure. Rachel took the ticket/port key on the windowsill and sat down to tie her shoelaces at the entrance. After finishing, she opened the door, grabbed a small bag hanging to the right of the door, and stepped out with the ticket in her hand. Locking the door, she began to wait.
"If everything is correct, the port key should activate in a minute."
Rachel calmly waited as the ticket would transport her to the exhibition. The wait wasn't long; within a couple of minutes, she was already standing in the teleportation hall #6 of the Hogs Head Inn, with only a short dizziness as a consequence. Coming to her senses, Rachel looked around and headed towards the exit. Passing through several halls of departure, reception, and waiting, she reached the front desk of the Hogs Head Inn.
"Good day, could you please tell me where the entrance to the exhibition is?"
"Good day, you need to head to the north entrance of the hotel, and you'll find your way from there. But the exhibition opens at 14:00; you're early. Other visitors haven't even arrived yet..."
"Oh, I think that explains it."
Rachel placed the exhibition ticket on the table. When the girl behind the counter saw the ticket, she immediately picked it up.
"Ah, so you're the regional head! Here's your room key, room 112. Now, I need to record your ticket number... Done. You can check in; all expenses and the minibar are covered by the Wizards' Council. The buffet is available from 10:00 to 15:00 and 19:00 to 23:00. But don't worry, the restaurant operates 24/7; you just have to order. Have a great day! Oh, wait, I almost forgot; I received this information just an hour ago. All region heads can enter at 13:30, half an hour earlier than other visitors."
"Thank you for letting me know. Goodbye."
Rachel didn't bother putting her things in the hotel room; there was no need. She had her bag and ticket, nothing more.
In the bag, of course, were a few spare outfits, but why bother taking them out when she had a magically expanded bag?
In short, Rachel headed straight for the entrance called the "North Gates." Passing through several bars and meeting rooms, Rachel saw the large exhibition center. There was already a queue at the entrance to the exhibition. Interestingly, the line was divided into two lanes.
Approaching the Auror responsible for maintaining order, Rachel asked while showing her ticket,
"Excuse me, which of the two lines is designated for visitors from the regions?"
"The right one. You're just in time; they'll start letting you in in 10 minutes."
"Thank you."
Rachel thanked Auror and joined the right queue. As Auror had mentioned, approximately 10 minutes later, the guards began letting people in from the right line, checking their tickets.
Once Rachel entered the hall, representatives from nearby booths immediately surrounded her.
"Good day, miss! Would you like to see our latest soil cultivator adapted for two types of traction? It can be powered either by magic or a Thestral. Special reins are included! Our company also breeds Thestrals."
"Madam, I think you'd be interested in our seed planter! Through alchemy, seeds receive their first dose of water immediately upon planting!"
"Ma'am, take a look at this irrigation system. It utilizes miniaturized portals! Just leave one portal gate in the nearest river, and it will continuously supply water to your crops."
"Automatic axes! No need to use magic on them anymore; just flip the switch. Zero mana consumption for the wizard – fully powered by external Mana!"
"Alchemical birthing doll, assists domestic animals during childbirth! Works for everything from regular cows to pegasi!"
"Organic root remover potion! No harm to the soil! Turns annoying roots from the previous plant into fertilizer! No need for heavy machinery! Just mix 100 grams of the potion with 10 liters of water and spray it over the area where you need to get rid of roots!"
"We offer pest control services, a new company founded by garden gnomes! We'll quickly and efficiently eliminate moles and May beetle larvae!"
"Potion of accelerated growth, a new generation. 10% more effective!"
"A French company offers a new Alchemical air blower! Be cautious with the modes! There are three of them! From the standard level to one that not only blows leaves but also your entire house! Stabilization is achieved through immobilus magic; you simply direct and fix the air blower in space, gradually moving it!"
"Alchemical lawnmower! No need to clear the remains of grass on your plot; in the collection compartment for mowed grass, there's an activated portal that sends the grass you've mowed directly to the hangar for drying!"
Rachel constantly heard names of various items but couldn't decide what to look at first; she stood in confusion at the crossroads.
Noticing that a few people seemed lost or unsure where to go, a girl with brochures approached Rachel and two others who seemed just as lost.
"Good day, I noticed you look lost. Here, this is the exhibition map. Input your magical energy, and it will guide you to the selected booth. If you have any more questions, please contact the information desk in the center of the exhibition; it's marked on the map with an 'i' sign."
The girl handed each of them a brochure and left.
Rachel looked at the thin, folded brochure and, unfolding it, saw the map of the exhibition hall. It had numbers for each booth and the products they offer. Somewhere on the map, a red dot had shifted; that was her current location.
Reading the map, Rachel identified two booths that interested her. Having decided where to go, she promptly headed in that direction.