Chapter 73: Desire to Meet

Upon hearing Shao Ke's final decision, the two mages fell silent. Finally, as Shao Ke was leaving, Fei Yi said, "Mage Xueye, most mages who go to the battlefield actually go with this idea in mind. You can't be certain what exactly will happen on the battlefield." He tugged at his somewhat disheveled robe and continued, "I hope to hear good news from the front." With that, he hurriedly pulled Mage Loki along and left. He truly didn't want to watch his former companion slowly walk into danger.

Shao Ke watched the two departing mages and suddenly shouted, "I will definitely return, to see you again as a Third Rank mage."

After leaving Mist Academy, Shao Ke did not immediately return to the manor. He wanted to take this opportunity to visit the female mage Wodun Francis, because he knew that once he left the capital, he could only return after being promoted or after completing his ten-year service term. He didn't want to wait that long to see the female mage again.

The Mage Guild was located near the center of the capital. When the carriage was still hundreds of meters away, it could no longer advance due to the throng of people. Shao Ke had no choice but to slowly work his way through the packed crowd.

This street was almost entirely filled with mages and nobles. The shops along the sides sold goods prepared for mages' studies: spellbooks, low-level magic scrolls, high-grade crystals, paper, various medicinal herbs, and precious magic materials. In the crowd, Shao Ke spotted many Third Rank and Fourth Rank mages, and even some Fifth Rank mages. They were all unable to maintain their usual composure due to the crowded conditions.

After much effort, Shao Ke finally squeezed onto the steps of the guild. Here, the crowd was much thinner. Mages would tidy their disheveled robes here before elegantly proceeding toward the main entrance, staffs in hand. Shao Ke tightened his cloak and looked at the building, which was several times more magnificent than the military library, especially the tall entrance, which made him truly feel his own insignificance as he passed by. When the twenty-meter-tall doors opened, Shao Ke felt it wasn't a door but a city wall. Countless magic arrays were carved on the unknown material, emitting pulses of magical energy. Remembering his experience in the library, he immediately averted his gaze and followed the crowd into the guild's interior.

Many mages here wore the standard blue robes of the Mage Guild. However, with just a glance, Shao Ke noticed many gray-robed mages constantly moving about. There were also some mages who didn't wear robes representing their status, just huddled in their cloaks as they conversed with others or handled necessary procedures.

Although Shao Ke saw several mages in black robes, he knew from their insignias that they weren't from the military. Therefore, he pulled his cloak tighter again to conceal the military insignia. He didn't want the mages here to gossip.

After inquiring with the female mages serving as reception attendants, Shao Ke learned that ordinary mages were not allowed to enter the area where Mage Francis resided, as she lived in a small courtyard belonging to a Seventh Rank Mage. However, after Shao Ke paid the price of one common gold coin, one of the mage attendants accepted it and said, "Wait here. I'll go ask for you. If she refuses to see you, there's nothing I can do."

Shao Ke nodded and said, "Alright. Please tell her that Mage Xueye hopes to see her." After giving a formal mage salute, he waited to the side. The female attendant smiled and said, "No need for such formalities. None of the mages here salute." With a wave of her hand, she headed inside.

The other attendants went to receive other mages, leaving Shao Ke alone to wait. After about a magic hour, the female attendant returned. "Mage, the owner there does not permit you to see her because she is currently studying a spell. Please come back tomorrow."

Shao Ke felt a pang of disappointment. "Do you have paper? I'd like to write her a letter. Could you deliver it to her?" Shao Ke felt that now he could only explain his departure by writing a letter. It was already late outside, and he still needed to return to pack some things.

"Are you a wandering mage? The Mage Guild has everything, from the most ordinary parchment to precious medicines for Nine-rank Mages. Even if some items are temporarily unavailable here, we can quickly transfer them from other Mage Guilds." The female attendant proudly recounted what every mage knew, as if mocking the wandering mage she assumed him to be. "Don't you want to join the Mage Guild? We welcome you here anytime. Here! This is my token. If you wish to join the Mage Guild, you can come back here and find me." With that, the mage attendant handed Shao Ke a small jade token similar to those used by the attendants in the library and explained how to use it to find her when he returned.

The female attendant quickly found a sheet of high-quality white paper from a long reception desk and handed it over. "Use this paper! Nowadays, mages all use this as a medium for letters. Even if you don't infuse it with spiritual or magical energy, it won't fade." After a brief pause, she prepared magic ink for him. "You could buy some appropriately. It will come in handy later. You won't find this in outside shops."

Shao Ke shook his head, declining her suggestion. He felt the mage attendant had forgotten that she was originally a mage herself, reminding him of high-level salespeople from his previous life.

The letter was quickly written. In it, Shao Ke mentioned his strong desire to see her again and informed the female mage that he would be leaving the capital for the front lines tomorrow. He hoped the female mage would continue to correspond with him. Finally, Shao Ke not only signed his name but also, upon learning from the female attendant that imprints could be left here, stamped his mental imprint on the letter to signify that he still remained here.

After paying another common gold coin as a reward and enduring another long wait, the female attendant returned to inform Shao Ke that the letter had been delivered. Only then did Shao Ke feel relieved and leave the Mage Guild.

Although it was very late, the crystal lamps around the Mage Guild were already lit, illuminating the surroundings as if it were still daytime. Moreover, there seemed to be even more mages and nobles outside. From time to time, a noble or mage would pull a female mage serving as an attendant, laughing and joking as they left toward the inner restrooms.

Only when Shao Ke reached a place where he could hire a carriage did he look back at the bustling and lively Mage Guild. He felt this might be one of the most prosperous places in the capital. With a soft sigh, he boarded a four-wheeled carriage and left the sleepless Mage Guild.

Upon returning to the manor, the officer at the gate saw Shao Ke alight from the carriage, and his initial worry immediately vanished. He had initially thought Shao Ke had left due to the upcoming expedition tomorrow. Seeing Shao Ke return, he stepped forward shamefully to salute. However, Shao Ke, lost in his disappointment, didn't notice the officer's expression and merely asked him to prepare dinner before heading back to his room first.

After dinner, Shao Ke began organizing the items he needed to bring for tomorrow's departure. He placed some essential books in a large chest, separated them with a partition, and stored some of his clothes. As for spell records and spellbooks, he placed them in a pouch he carried with him for easy access. He also decided to bring along the various magic powders and some more precious materials he had accumulated over time. He couldn't be sure if he would be able to afford these potentially useful materials in the future due to financial constraints.

After several rounds of sorting, Shao Ke finally managed to fit everything into one large chest. He meticulously recorded the details of his previous low-level books and some low-level spellcasting materials on the paper given by the senior officer and simply left them piled in the room. He knew someone would come to store them in a safe place after he left.

That night, disappointed at not seeing the female mage, Shao Ke found himself unable to calm his mind for meditation several times. In the end, he gave up on meditation and simply leaned back in the chair by the fireplace, repeatedly flipping through the letters the female mage had sent him these past few days, immersing himself in them until dawn.

Shao Ke was awakened by the servants delivering his meal, only then realizing he hadn't rested properly all night and was now somewhat mentally fatigued. After hastily eating a few bites of breakfast and taking his medicine, he began to restore his mental state. He didn't want to report to the senior officer in a fatigued state, as that could easily be misinterpreted as fear.

After washing up, Shao Ke was invited in by the officer at the door. The previously somewhat empty room now felt lively, filled with dozens of people. The long table was still surrounded by those officers sitting bolt upright, but now there were many high-backed chairs with cushions placed around them, occupied by dozens of black-robed mages.

With a quick glance, Shao Ke noticed these mages were also quite young, and their insignias indicated they were Second Rank mages, just like him.

As Shao Ke was surveying the situation, the other mages also looked at this newly arrived, black-cloaked mage. The officers, abandoning their usual stern expressions, watched Shao Ke with relaxed, teasing looks.

"Mage Xueye, can you tell me why you are so late? Didn't I tell you that you must come here after breakfast today? Were your meals delivered very late by the servants?" The senior officer's face, more serious than usual, twitched a few times as a series of questions left Shao Ke, who hadn't yet adjusted, feeling somewhat panicked.

Shao Ke uncomfortably tightened his cloak, noticing the senior officer staring at him, waiting for an answer. Calming himself, he said, "Sir, breakfast was delivered promptly. I never forgot your reminder from yesterday. It's mainly because I was organizing my items late last night, and I had to write letters to friends, which delayed me." Shao Ke swallowed hard, finding it difficult to bear the senior officer's piercing gaze, which gave him the feeling of being stared at intently by tens of thousands of people.