Chapter 92: War News

After leaving the tavern, Shaoke hired a carriage to take him to a shop selling magic materials. After paying a price three times higher than in the imperial capital and other cities, he finally purchased enough magic materials.

Shaoke had no interest in touring the fortress and quickly returned to the military camp by carriage. Without checking whether Mage Roland had returned, he immediately retreated into his small room to begin his magical experiments.

It wasn't until the mages gathered for dinner that Mage Roland, looking somewhat pale, found Shaoke. "Mage Xueye, how are you feeling today? Later, I heard from the maids that you went inside and hit it off with a Third Rank female mage." Mage Roland said with a hint of envy, "I've heard that the female mages here are quite arrogant! They don't care much for ordinary mages. Even if they have targets, it's usually only High-rank Mages. I didn't expect you to be so lucky today."

Shaoke shook his head, not wanting to explain what had happened between him and Mage Roman. "Mage Roland, chasing after women all the time isn't a good choice. At least, we're not in a position to do that yet, though it's fine to rest there for a while."

Mage Roland laughed awkwardly. "I'll keep that in mind. So, how did you find the place? Proper relaxation can be good for our pent-up stress. You could give it a try."

"No, I won't act on that idea for now, at least not until I reach the Third Tier," Shaoke said, suddenly adopting a serious tone with Mage Roland. "Mage Roland, we'll only be truly safe after becoming Third Tier Mages. The sooner we advance to the Third Tier, the sooner we can enjoy everything that comes with being a mage. Don't you think so?"

Mage Roland nodded. "Mage Xueye, it's been almost a year since we arrived here, right?"

Shaoke was puzzled. "Yes, what's the issue?" He didn't understand why Mage Roland brought up their time here. After a moment's thought, Shaoke suddenly remembered the choice a single-target specialist mage faced after a year. "Mage Roland, is this because of me?"

"Yes, Mage Xueye. I think you've already figured it out." Seeing Shaoke's suddenly uneasy expression, Mage Roland immediately knew he understood. "It's been so long, and no mages have left the protection of the walls to go on missions outside. I think this issue can actually be set aside now. What do you think?" Mage Roland said, trying to comfort him, though he sounded unsure himself.

"No matter how worried we are, we can't change the decisions of those giving the orders." Shaoke felt conflicted. Part of him wanted to leave the protection of the walls and fight alongside the soldiers, while another part wanted to stay safely within the walls, advance to the Third Tier, and then leave. For a moment, Shaoke felt that the goals he had set earlier were fading in the face of the brutal battlefield.

After discussing a bit more, Mage Roland and Shaoke parted ways.

Time passed. Every few days, Shaoke would walk to the tavern with Mage Roland and stay for a while. Shaoke would just drink and eat pastries quietly by himself or carefully observe the mages there, listening to the gossip and news they let slip. After failing several times to strike up conversations with the female mages, Mage Roland stopped following Shaoke into the inner rooms. Instead, he flirted with the maids outside and, like other mages, often took one of them around the corner to sneak off to other courtyards.

Mage Roman was somewhat surprised by Shaoke's frequent visits. However, every time she saw him, she would come over to chat. Although the conversations weren't long, Shaoke felt he was no longer just an outsider among these mages but was slowly integrating into a real community.

Over time, the mages who frequented the place learned the basics on Shaoke. They had a soft spot for this mage who would later join the Blizzard Legion because he never raised his voice loudly like the others, never abruptly interrupted conversations, and always readily took out a few common gold coins to buy a small drink for familiar mages.

"Hmm! Mage Xueye, it seems you've been obedient! I notice your body isn't deteriorating anymore." The female mage would sit in front of Shaoke and say this every time he visited. Then she would call a maid for a drink, of course, paid for by Shaoke. After all, he almost always broke the unwritten rule by buying drinks for somewhat familiar mages whenever he came. This habit, neither particularly good nor bad, eventually influenced all the mages there to change their habit of not buying drinks for others.

But facing Mage Roman's teasing, Shaoke retorted defensively: "That's not because of me. It's just that these mages don't want to be outdone by a Second Rank mage like me."

"Mage Xueye, how about I introduce you to a female mage? I see you secretly watching them every time you're here! Why not go find some maids?" Mage Roman said, blithely ignoring Shaoke's embarrassment or the possibility of other female mages overhearing. "Look! There are many Second Tier Mages here just like you. I'm sure you're worthy of them."

Looking at Mage Roman, who had let her guard down after becoming familiar with him, Shaoke awkwardly refused, "I'm not considering such things right now." To change the embarrassing topic, Shaoke asked a question that concerned him greatly. "Mage Roman, are mages still going outside the city on missions?"

"Hmm! Yes, almost every day." The female mage blinked, staring at Shaoke and asking in return, "Why ask that? Oh! Are you worried you'll be sent on a mission soon?"

"No, I'm not worried about that. I just heard from a companion that he hasn't seen mages going out on missions for a long time." Shaoke blushed, denying the female mage's assumption. "I'm just confused about why our defenders don't attack the enemies outside the city. Uh... I think we have the capability."

Mage Roman laughed. "Mage Xueye, these are things you can't understand yet. Hmm! Once you reach the Third Tier, you'll gradually learn about some matters in this fortress, hehe!" Mage Roman propped her chin on her hand, gazing absently at the wine glass in front of her.

"Don't worry! When I first heard about missions outside the city, I was scared too, not knowing what to expect. But it's a process we must go through. Since we have to face it, why not prepare early?" Mage Roman looked into Shaoke's eyes. "For now, hmm... at least for the next five years, no Second Tier Mages will be sent on missions outside the city. Don't ask why; it's not something you need to know."

"I know, I'll understand after reaching the Third Tier," Shaoke replied with a hint of a pout, his desire to advance to the Third Tier stronger than ever.

"Hehe! Even if you become a Third Tier Mage, you might not learn about these things. Hmm! Let's not talk about this." Mage Roman elegantly picked up a small pastry and put it in her mouth, then wiped her hands on a napkin before continuing, "Large-scale warfare will begin soon. Hmm! You should be prepared. This time, there still won't be any Third Tier Mages appearing." Suddenly, Mage Roman noticed two purple diamond arrays appear in Shaoke's eyes upon hearing this news. 'Death Gaze'—she immediately thought of the only Spell that could cause such a visual effect for mages below the Third Tier. Knowing this spell, she felt somewhat reassured about Shaoke's safety on the battlefield.

After hearing Mage Roman's news about the impending large-scale battle, Shaoke's previously calm spirit was thrown into turmoil. Having not experienced war for nearly two months, he had almost forgotten its horrors. "Large-scale warfare? How much larger than before?"

Mage Roman frowned. "Come with me. This isn't the place to talk." She stood up and led Shaoke outside.

Without hesitation, Shaoke paid the maid enough money, picked up his staff, and followed Mage Roman out.

Mage Roman didn't stop outside, leading Shaoke out of the small castle and waiting for him at a distance from the soldiers.

"Mage Xueye, I'll head back first. We'll meet again when we have time." The female mage smiled at the somewhat dazed Shaoke. "This large-scale warfare will be many times larger than previous battles. Ah, unceasing war! It will last a long time. Hehe! If you survive this war, I'll definitely tell you more comprehensive information!" With that, she boarded a carriage and headed back to the military camp ahead of him.

After watching Mage Roman leave, Shaoke kicked himself. He should have asked when the war would start. But then he thought, how would she know such military secrets? Perhaps they had only detected signs of a large-scale enemy offensive.

Returning to the military camp, Shaoke realized he hadn't gotten any concrete information from Mage Roman—just vague, uncertain, or unanswered hints. Thinking this, he couldn't help but admire her skill.

After much hesitation, Shaoke decided to tell Mage Roland the last piece of information he got from Mage Roman, as the latter had often shared news with him and shown care and concern.

Mage Roland had returned earlier than Shaoke this time. He had actually gone to Shaoke's room looking for him but, seeing him chatting happily with a white-haired female mage, returned first with the wrong idea.

"Mage Roland, I heard large-scale warfare is about to happen," Shaoke announced as soon as he entered the room.

Roland smiled. "Alright! Large-scale warfare is about to happen. Who was that female mage? You two seemed to be having a pleasant conversation. Hmm! The maids said you talk with her for a while every time you go there."

Shaoke frowned seriously. "Mage Roland, there really is going to be large-scale warfare, right here at our fortress. You need to take this seriously. I think it's very important for both of us."

Without answering Mage Roland's question, Shaoke quickly recounted what Mage Roman had told him verbatim. "We should prepare early," Shaoke emphasized, stating the only way to face war.

"But Mage Xueye, I heard the maids mention this news today too. It's just like the previous battles! As long as we hold out for a few days, the Desasi Empire's army will retreat again." Mage Roland said somewhat dismissively. Having received news of every previous war from the maids, he wasn't concerned about the upcoming battle.

Shaoke shook his head. He actually agreed with Mage Roland's view, but Mage Roman's parting words—'Ah, unceasing war! It will last a long time.'—made him feel there was deeper meaning. He didn't think the female mage was referring to the overall war between the Blue Feather Empire and other empires.