Chapter 80: Fortress Matters

The forward fortress finally appeared before the mages. Situated between two unending mountain ranges, the wall facing the empire stretched for dozens of miles along the ridges. Shaoke felt as if the Great Wall of the ancient kingdom had been enlarged several times and placed here.

The arrival of the mages quickly drew the notice of the soldiers guarding the fortress. Dozens of cavalrymen swiftly rode over, while one rider from the escorting cavalry of Shaoke and the others galloped forward to meet them. "We are from the Blizzard Legion, escorting mages to the front line. Where is your commander?"

The dozens of cavalrymen reined in their horses not far ahead of the convoy. "Where are the travel documents? We need credentials to verify your identities." As they spoke, they raised a hand to signal the convoy to halt temporarily and dispatched one rider back to notify a higher-ranking officer to handle the matter.

The cavalry leader of the Blizzard Legion retrieved a scroll from his side and flourished it. "When will your commander arrive? We still have other matters to attend to."

The cavalry from the fortress quickly responded, stating that their commander was on his way and assuring them that it would not delay them for long.

Like the other mages, Shaoke suddenly felt nervous before the fortress. None of them knew what lay ahead. Shaoke also noticed that there were very few merchants here, far fewer than in the cities they had passed earlier. However, the merchants who did make it here were part of large caravans. He observed that many of the mercenaries and guards of these caravans possessed Third Rank Aura, and he even sensed the presence of mages in some of the caravans.

The mages' convoy waited at the foot of the wall for about half a magic hour before hundreds of cavalrymen surged out of the wide-open city gates. Leading them were ten young officers. Cautiously, they sent a soldier to receive the scroll provided by the escort. After carefully examining it, the soldier retrieved a seal from his pocket, stamped the scroll, and handed it to a figure behind him wrapped in a black cloak. That person cast an identification spell on the scroll. Seeing the military department's seal and the Blizzard Legion's seal appear above it, he nodded in satisfaction and returned it to the officer. "They may enter. Everything is in order."

At that moment, the mages, including Shaoke, who were watching through the carriage windows, were taken aback. They had never imagined a mage riding a horse, and judging by the speed earlier, it was not slow.

Shaoke touched his own frail body and glanced at the cloaked mage, feeling the immense gap between them.

After verification, the mages' convoy was quickly escorted into the fortress by the soldiers stationed there. The Blizzard Legion cavalry then abandoned their escort duty. After resupplying in the fortress, they needed to depart at once.

Through the carriage window, Shaoke noticed that the number of residents in the fortress was no less than in the cities they had passed earlier. He also observed that there were a considerable number of soldiers here, often seen in groups of three or five, dressed in military uniforms, loitering in the streets. Merchants occasionally approached them to peddle goods.

When the mages arrived at the military camp, they were all rather dumbfounded. This was clearly a military camp. Shortly after getting off the carriage, Shaoke heard agonized groans coming from the tents around them. From time to time, blood-soaked corpses were carried out of the tents and thrown onto carts at the entrance. The cart drivers, with their wagons filled with bodies, would then move to the next tent to check.

The mages felt uneasy seeing this. Mage Roland quickened his pace to catch up with Shaoke. "Mage Xueye, is the fighting here too brutal? Why are there so many wounded? Could it be that they deliberately brought us here?" He glanced back at the other mages, signaling them not to mind the surroundings and to follow the guiding officer while maintaining the composure expected of mages.

"Mage Roland, war has always been brutal. You must have served in the Misty Forest as well. Multiply the casualties there by thousands, and this is the scene you get. There's no difference." Shaoke adjusted his cloak as he spoke. In truth, he also felt a chill, but having seen corpses left by magical beasts, he was not frightened to the point of trembling.

After passing through a low stone enclosure, the mages entered a large courtyard filled with countless stone houses. Shaoke noticed that everyone moving about in this courtyard wore black robes—mages. Judging by the markings on their collars, almost all were Second Rank mages, though one or two Third Rank Mages hurried past.

The mages walking in the courtyard fell silent and stared as dozens of Black-robed Mages suddenly entered from outside. A Third Rank Mage sized up the group, stepped forward to stop the officer, and said, "Are these mages new arrivals? You may leave. I will take them to complete the necessary procedures." He waved his hand, signaling the officer to depart.

The officer seemed accustomed to such situations. After saluting, he told Shaoke and the others to follow the mage before them to complete the procedures and assured them there was no need to worry.

After the officer left, the surrounding mages gathered around, their gazes fixed on the newcomers. Although Shaoke did not know how the other mages felt, he himself felt extremely uncomfortable under their scrutiny. "Respected mage, where should we go to complete the procedures?" He performed a courteous gesture toward the Third Rank Mage, hoping the mage would lead them through the formalities so they could quickly escape the onlookers' stares.

"Respected mages, please forgive our rudeness. We did not expect a new batch of mages to arrive so soon. Usually, they only arrive by the end of the year. Hmm! Please follow me." He gestured for the newcomers to follow him. "It seems quite a few mages have arrived this time. I hope the mages from other places are as numerous as you." He waved his hand, signaling the onlookers to disperse temporarily. "You all, get things ready. We will have a gathering tonight. Tell the soldiers to prepare the meals properly this time. The consequences of neglecting our new companions are not something they can bear."

The onlookers scattered in an instant. Some went to inform their companions of the news, while others hurried to urge the soldiers to prepare everything needed for the banquet. In no time, the once lively courtyard was left with only Shaoke and the other newly arrived Second Rank Mages, along with the guiding Third Rank Mage.

Led by the Third Rank Mage, Shaoke and the others passed several more walls before arriving at a spacious stone house. The Third Rank Mage stepped forward and placed his Mental Imprint on the door. Turning to the other mages, he said, "You should also leave your mental imprints here. After this, you won't need anyone else to guide you here." He stepped aside, signaling the mages to begin.

The mages hesitated briefly. Seeing Shaoke start to chant a spell and release his imprint, they set aside their concerns and followed suit. In an instant, dozens of silver streams of light sank into the magically pulsating door, creating a rather beautiful sight.

Not long after the imprints were placed, Shaoke noticed the door emit a wave of magical energy before slowly sliding open on both sides.

"Come in, Young Mages. Welcome." An aged voice from the dimly lit room invited the mages inside.

The somewhat dark room gradually brightened as several magic lamps lit up. Led by the Third Rank Mage, Shaoke and the others filed in. In the center of the room stood a long table, with an Elder Mage seated at the head. He waved, indicating for the mages to take seats on the surrounding chairs.

"Welcome, young mages. May you find greater opportunities for advancement here." The elder mage leaned forward slightly and turned to the Third Rank Mage. "You may leave now. Prepare for tonight's banquet. We must celebrate the wise choice these young mages have made."

Shaoke sat not far from the elder mage and noticed that the emblem on his robe indicated Seventh Rank. This left him momentarily confused. "Honorable Mage, I thought only mages below the third rank were stationed here. How..."

The elder mage chuckled. "Young man, what you know is merely what circulates outside. Few outsiders understand the specifics of the military department. Hmm! Let's first discuss the spells you have mastered. That way, I can assign you suitable positions." He distributed a stack of papers on the table to the mages. "Use your own pens. I haven't prepared enough for all of you."

Shaoke took the paper and quickly wrote down the spells he had mastered using his own quill. If his estimation was correct, the spells they already knew were likely already recorded here, so there was no need to conceal anything.

The mages quickly filled out the papers with the spells they had mastered. The elder mage glanced around, rubbed his head, and signaled Shaoke to help collect the documents. "Tomorrow, I will assign your future positions. I believe you will be quite satisfied with my decisions." He scanned the surrounding mages. "From now on, you will not need to follow the orders of military officers. Third Rank Mages will act as your superiors. You only need to follow their commands. I trust they will not issue incorrect orders."

The mages nodded in acknowledgment. The elder mage was pleased with the young mages' attitude. "Learn from the other mages about matters on the battlefield. This is very important for you. I hope to see most of you successfully advance to Third Rank Mage within five years." He waved his hand. "I have other matters to attend to. You may leave now. After enjoying the banquet tonight, your main task for today is to rest well."

Shaoke nodded, tightened his cloak, and along with the other mages, performed a courteous gesture toward the elder mage before slowly exiting the room.