Chapter 38: Farewell

Time waits for no one, not even for the powerful and mysterious mages. Immersed in his magical studies, Shaoke had long forgotten the letters he had sent out, and he didn't even know when Mage Yija and the others would carry out their missions. Fortunately, whenever his food ran low, he could still remember to replenish it in the small town.

After a long period of familiarizing himself with his new status after promotion, Shaoke had successfully learned to control the two diamond arrays in his eyes, though they would still appear when he was emotionally agitated or casting spells.

One day, while Shaoke was practicing spells at his usual spot, he heard a distant shout: "Lord Mage Xueye, are you here?"

Shaoke was puzzled. Who would come looking for him now? Thankfully, his focus was strong; if he had been slightly distracted, who knows what might have happened?

The person quickly ran over—it was a soldier. Only when he was close did Shaoke recognize him: it was the soldier who had been injured by the Snow Deer during their last mission. "What's the matter? Are your injuries healed?" Shaoke eased his tension slightly. He truly couldn't think of anything that would require the soldiers to notify him now. After all, it wasn't time for patrol duty yet.

The soldier stepped forward a few paces, not bothering to observe Shaoke's unusual attire, knelt in the snow, placed his left hand over his chest, and said, "Lord Mage Xueye, a letter—a letter from the Imperial Capital has arrived. The battalion commander sent me to deliver it to you and see if you need any help."

"Really? Let me see. There's nothing else here. Tell the battalion commander I'll go to the town to see them tomorrow." Only now did Shaoke recall whether there might be a reply to his letter. Why was it so quick this time? Though he had some doubts, he decided not to dwell on it, adhering to the idea that small matters shouldn't consume too much brainpower.

After dismissing the soldier, Shaoke opened the letter from the box right where he had been practicing spells. The letter roughly conveyed the following: "Mage Xueye, congratulations on becoming a formal mage. Given that you studied magic with the support of the Empire's orphanage, according to the initial agreement, you must either train three Novice Mages for the Empire or join the military for a five-year term." It concluded by listing some benefits of serving in the military, expressing hope that Shaoke would choose to join, and informing him that the mage dispatched to this location was a Novice Mage who had failed his promotion, so Shaoke no longer needed to guide him in familiarizing himself with the Misty Forest. All he needed to do now was report to the military headquarters in the capital.

Holding the letter, Shaoke slowly made his way back to his small cabin. Although he had previously considered his options after promotion, he still felt hesitant when faced with the decision. After all, he didn't know how his choice would affect his future development. While he wanted to become a free Wandering Mage, copying high-level spells was not something a Second-Rank mage like him could afford. Moreover, much of the spell knowledge couldn't be learned in academies. Only by joining the Mage Guild or entering the Military Mage Corps could he advance his strength more quickly.

Lost in his repeated deliberations, Shaoke unknowingly reached the next day. Now, he had to make a decision. Donning his cloak and activating its spell, he decided to go to the military camp in the town to inform them of these matters and bid them farewell. After all, he didn't want to stay here any longer, not even for another day.

When Shaoke arrived at the designated meeting room in the military camp, the long oak table laden with refreshments was surrounded by people: a battalion commander, three squad leaders, Mage Yija and Mage Kiya, the young physician and his father, even the blacksmith who usually stayed in his shop had come, along with the deputy squad leaders. Iron Tower stood at the door, waiting for Shaoke's arrival.

"Mage Xueye, you... you're leaving? Can you take me with you? I still need to protect you!" The honest and straightforward Iron Tower quietly expressed his wish to Shaoke as soon as he entered. Though his "quiet" voice was no different from an ordinary person's loud speech, the silent meeting room made Iron Tower unconsciously lower his booming voice.

"Let me think about it first," Shaoke declined the soldier's service and sat down on a high-backed, cushioned armchair, still cloaked in the misty fog.

The room fell silent, with only the occasional crackle from the fireplace breaking the stillness. Finally, the senior captain broke the silence: "Lord Mage Xueye, to your promotion, cheers!" Everyone raised the goblets on the table, toasting Shaoke in unison.

After setting down his glass, the captain scratched his graying head and gestured for the nearby soldiers to refill everyone's drinks. "Lord Mage Xueye, have you decided to return to the military? I truly wonder when we'll see you again."

"Battalion Commander, I believe the military is my destination. I also hope to see you again," Shaoke slowly announced his decision amid the tense expressions of the others.

Most people let out a sigh of relief, having already inferred Shaoke's final choice from his earlier words. Only Iron Tower, who stood beside the armchair because it couldn't accommodate him, scratched his bald head in confusion. He opened his mouth to speak but refrained at the squad leader's signal.

However, Mage Kiya, who was seated nearby, expressed dissatisfaction: "Lord Mage Xueye, why choose the military? The Mage Guild is much better than the Military Mage Corps! At the very least, it offers more freedom." Though everyone was displeased with Kiya's words, aside from the other two mages present, no one had the authority to reprimand him, even if he was still a Novice Mage.

Shaoke swirled the wine in his glass and then offered a toast to everyone: "To the glory of the Empire, the safety of the people, and the healthy growth of the children, cheers!"

Mage Kiya drank his wine resentfully. "Mage Xueye, why reject the Mage Guild? I don't see what's so great about the military. What if they assign you to some desolate place like this? Wouldn't that be miserable?"

Shaoke still didn't address him directly. After the soldiers refilled the glasses, he said, "To the peace of the Empire, the honor of the soldiers, and the well-being of everyone, cheers!"

Everyone brushed aside the displeasure caused by Kiya's earlier remarks, cheerfully raising their glasses and drinking in one go. Kiya only took a small sip, placed his glass on the table, and said with a grim expression, "Lord Mage Xueye, I won't disturb your busy schedule any longer. Kiya takes his leave." With that, ignoring Mage Yija's attempts to stop him, he grabbed his staff and hurriedly departed.

After a brief awkward silence, Mage Yija frowned but didn't chase after his companion, feeling that Kiya had acted too excessively.

Shaoke secretly curled his lip in disdain, but thanks to the white mist concealing his face, no one noticed the gesture, or his image would have been ruined. "To the prosperity of the Empire, the resilience of the soldiers, and the blood shed by the soldiers, cheers!"

Shaoke offered three consecutive toasts, which puzzled everyone somewhat, but through his words, they understood his determination. The atmosphere gradually warmed up, and the captain had the soldiers bring out some exquisite pastries.

"Lord Mage Xueye, when will you leave? If I go to the capital, how should I find you? After my service ends, I plan to open a pharmacy in the capital and focus on healing people," the young Physician Ino took a small sip of wine and began contemplating his future.

"Haha! Physician Ino, I've heard that the capital doesn't need low-tier physicians. What the nobles there need most are high-tier Clerics! You'd better stay here and help us with your father," the captain laughed heartily, not wanting this cheerful young man to leave the border so soon, especially since their medical skills were quite good. Moreover, few physicians came to the border due to its hardships and dangers.

"Tomorrow. I'll leave tomorrow. After all, there's nothing to keep me here any longer. It's better to head to the capital early," Shaoke had already decided on his departure time.

Upon learning Shaoke's decision, everyone knew they couldn't change it. One by one, they offered toasts to Shaoke, forgetting the differences in their statuses. Even the usually rigid and strict squad leader, after consulting the captain, had the soldiers bring out a barrel of high-quality, strong snow wine for everyone to taste. This time, he didn't mind the mages drinking such potent liquor.

Mage Yija, emotionally stirred, raised his glass: "To Mage Xueye's promotion, to Mage Xueye's future, and to Mage Xueye's progress in magic, cheers!" With that, he downed a glass of snow wine himself. Fortunately, the squad leader still had some sense and didn't serve rum or oat wine, or else Mage Yija would have been bedridden with a headache for days.

The gathering unknowingly lasted until the afternoon. During this time, everyone seemed to have forgotten about the departed Mage Kiya, but Shaoke knew that no one had truly forgotten. After all, they would have to interact with him for a long time to come; it was just temporarily suppressed due to Shaoke's departure.

Golden roasted suckling pig, thinly sliced venison, braised snow birds, bone broth, delicate small bread rings, premium snow honey, small jars of spiced butter... crimson red wine, fine snow wine, pine nut wine—all sorts of luxuries for the border region were brought out in order by the soldiers. Shaoke suddenly recalled the scene when Mage Feiyi and the others had left. Back then, they had departed quietly without any formal farewell gathering. He didn't know the exact reason. Now, as he prepared to leave, this gathering, which clearly required much effort from everyone, deeply moved Shaoke. He couldn't quite understand why there was such a difference between the two departures.