Chapter 75: Within the Camp

The sight of dozens of Black-robed Mages standing together was quite impressive, at least in Shaoke's opinion.

Since the mages had not been assigned a leader, most stood there, at a loss for words. Shaoke paid no attention to this, instead observing the officers. Unable to sense any Aura from them, he immediately realized they were all warriors with Fifth Tier or higher Aura.

The leader was a middle-aged officer with short hair. After adjusting his straight uniform, he stepped forward. "Welcome to your temporary attachment to our unit. From here to Ur City, we'll be protecting you on the journey. We hope you can start getting accustomed to military life." He glanced at the mages. "I assume you've all slept in a tent before, so tonight you won't stay in the carriages. The air in there really isn't that fresh. Alright. Later, you may move around near your assigned tents. All other areas are off-limits. We expect you to follow all the rules here."

The officer gestured for them to follow him into the camp. "We must head to your tents first. Only there can you enjoy a decent dinner and get a good night's sleep."

The mages hesitated. At that moment, Shaoke adjusted his cloak and asked softly, "Will the dinner include auxiliary drugs?" With that, he followed the officer. Seeing this, the other mages stopped hesitating and quickly followed.

The officer leading didn't turn, instead touching the saber at his waist. "You folks are lucky this time. If our unit wasn't heading to Ur City for garrison duty, you'd be stuck with those rough characters who specialize in escorting mages." He paused briefly. "Not one of them can cook. They'd just use rank strips of meat as food. As for medicine, can you expect guys who eat raw meat to brew it? But our commander is in a good mood, so he's prepared ample herbs for you. Heh! Those are all free drugs normally only for Third Tier Mages."

Hearing this, Shaoke felt slightly relieved. The officer walked quickly, so he had to jog a few steps to keep up.

"Are there mages here too?" a voice, slightly out of breath, called from behind. "Could we slow down? We can't keep this pace. If it's too far, we could take the carriages."

The officer kept up his pace. "Young mage, this isn't a northern border camp. The Soldiers here won't pay you much mind either, unless you reach Third Tier Mage. They've seen too many High-rank Mages." He glanced back at the sparse line, frowned, and slowed a tiny bit. "We are an army of a hundred thousand. I think you can figure out if there are mages here. Don't you agree?"

The mage who had asked, forgoing etiquette, jogged to catch up with Shaoke, smiled at him, then answered. "Oh! No wonder the camp is so large. Hmm! At least a hundred Third Rank mages, at least ten Fourth Rank. I'd guess no more than three Fifth Rank, right? Could your unit have Sixth or Seventh Rank mages? But that's not allowed."

Shaoke felt this mage was impolite. He didn't think the officer would tolerate criticism from a Second Rank mage.

Sure enough, the officer looked displeased. "Do you see any Sixth or Seventh Rank mages around here? Our mage numbers aren't even over quota! Hmm! Those are High-rank ones. But so what if we were over? It's because those guys have been good at tricking people lately." He chuckled. "Heh. I hope once you make Third Tier, you'll consider serving here. The benefits are quite good, three times higher than the Mage Guild's."

Shaoke nodded. He felt that after military service, one would never choose the Mage Guild. The gap in benefits and support was significant, and the military's Spell knowledge wasn't much worse. There were even powerful spells the Guild didn't have.

The mages' tents were located near the center of the camp. The long distance made many complain about the lack of carriages. Shaoke didn't mind, being accustomed to it from the Misty Forest. Though his constitution had declined, he still quickened his pace to keep up.

The tent wasn't large, and its conditions were far less comfortable than the border tents. Shaoke was again assigned a tent alone, which pleased him as he preferred quiet.

After resting on the bed briefly, a soldier came to summon him for dinner.

Shaoke emerged to see many fellow mages being led toward a large tent nearby. He waved the soldier away and followed.

The dining tent held dozens of long tables pushed together, their white cloths laden with food. In the center sat three Black-robed Mages, waiting quietly.

Once seated, one nodded with satisfaction. "Welcome, young mages. We hope this journey will be satisfactory." He gestured for everyone to raise their glasses for a drink.

As the meal began, the same mage glanced at those eating with their heads down. "Alright, no need for those cumbersome mage protocols here. We should talk. The most important thing now is for you to choose a temporary representative for negotiations." He quickly got to the point.

The mages put down their utensils, pondering this. Shaoke glanced at the mage opposite him and continued his assault on his plate. He had zero interest in that proposal. It was better to eat first.

Some mages shared Shaoke's sentiment, or simply weren't enthusiastic, and like him, focused on the food.

After lengthy discussion, they finally selected a temporary representative. Shaoke looked and recognized him as the one who had spoken with the officer on the way.

The mage felt Shaoke's gaze and nodded. Shaoke didn't know the others had considered him first, but seeing him still busy eating, they wisely chose someone else.

Dinner, after the mages abandoned etiquette, lasted longer than usual. The newly met mages began asking names and striking up conversations. Only Shaoke and a few other silent ones were left out. After learning names, others talked elsewhere.

The hungry mages soon reduced the food on the tables to scraps. The central Black-robed Mages, seeing the young mages conversing happily, quietly informed their two companions and left, as camp security required their attention.

The lively atmosphere didn't last long—especially among mages. As everyone prepared to leave, a Third Tier Mage in black robes entered with soldiers. "Everyone, during this escort period, we will provide your daily auxiliary drugs. These are much better than the military's standard issue." He gestured for the soldiers to deliver the prepared drugs to each mage.

Shaoke gently opened the snowwood box. A faint fragrance wafted out, but vanished when he tried to smell it again. These pills were larger and looked better than the military's. Their effectiveness remained to be seen.

"Respected mage! Are these the drugs the military supplies to Third Tier Mages? How do we distinguish which are for assisting mental cultivation and which are for magical power cultivation?" Shaoke was worried they might lack the effects he needed.

The Third Tier Mage smiled, stepping closer. "The drugs issued this time are all for tempering spiritual and magical power. None are for accelerating gathering effects. You should understand why." He glanced at Shaoke, and two silver Three-pointed Star Magic Arrays flashed in his eyes before vanishing. "You've only just been promoted. It's best to smoothly control your surged mental and magical energies. After all, I've been through it before you."

When the mage's gaze swept over him, Shaoke felt as if stared at by a Third Tier Snow Tiger. Those silver arrays made his heartbeat accelerate, sending chills through him. He was puzzled. It was his first time seeing the arrays in a Third Tier Mage's eyes, and he hadn't expected them to be entirely silver. His previous mentors and books had never mentioned this.