Chapter 214: Sudden Orders (Apologies for the previous two incorrect titles!)

The command interrupted Shaoke's subsequent work. Donning his cloak, he headed to the spot the soldier had pointed out. Along the way, mages occasionally joined Shaoke's ranks. The highest among them were Seventh Tier Mages, while the lowest were Fourth Tier Mages like Shaoke. In the corridor, Shaoke also encountered Mage Roman, whom he hadn't seen in days, and the White-robed Cleric, who had recently married, along with other female practitioners. They walked and chatted in hushed tones.

At the destination, the guards were the Sleazy Officer, whom Shaoke hadn't seen in nearly half a year, and the heavily armored Blizzard Warriors. This time, Shaoke noticed that the number of Blizzard Warriors had increased significantly, totaling at least three hundred. Two young officers who appeared normal were quietly conversing with the Sleazy Officer. However, this time, the Sleazy Officer refrained from spitting that disgusting saliva to gross people out—at least not now.

In front of a passage wide enough for three people to walk side by side, a large crowd of mages in various colored robes had gathered, though black was the most common. The Blizzard Warriors kept a close watch on these mages, their sabers already drawn, ready to attack at any second.

After Shaoke, Mage Roman, and the others entered the passage, they felt the fluctuations of numerous magical arrays. The walls on both sides were carved with numerous arrays and inscriptions. This time, Shaoke had the ability to observe them for a longer period. The inscriptions that had once appeared blurry were now recognizable to him. Most of them were Ancient Magic Script, though some in key positions remained indistinct. Shaoke speculated that these were either too complex or written in an even older script than the Ancient Magic Script. Prolonged observation soon caused turbulence in his Meditation space, forcing him to stop looking.

After descending diagonally for nearly a thousand meters, a massive space opened up before Shaoke and the others. Dozens of enormous stone pillars, protected by spells, supported the entire space. Strange Arcane Fire coiled around these pillars, exchanging flames among themselves. With no other lighting, the scene was pretty creepy. Fortunately, the mages were accustomed to darkness, so they weren't overly frightened. Shaoke, however, looked at the scene with enjoyment, feeling a familiar sensation, as if he had returned to a mage training ground in the death garrison.

Mage Roman gently grasped Shaoke's arm, while Mage Yisier also grabbed his other arm. The other female mages held onto each other's limbs, finding comfort in the touch. However, the White-robed Female Cleric, unaccustomed to the darkness, released a golden flame and let it hover in the air to illuminate the surrounding space.

Her action caught the attention of many mages, causing the White-robed Cleric to awkwardly extinguish the flame to avoid their stares.

Luckily, the flame on top of Shaoke's staff kept burning steadily. Though its color was unsettling in this setting, the female mages chose to gather around Shaoke beneath the leaping Arcane Fire, trusting that the flame constantly burning at the tip of his staff wouldn't suddenly fall and harm them. Of course, the Arcane Fire coiling around the pillars wouldn't fall either—this was just a pointless worry among the female practitioners. Unfamiliar environments could unsettle some mages, sometimes severely.

As time passed, the female mages gradually calmed down, but Mage Roman still clung to Shaoke's arm, a habit she'd picked up in the Bloody Fortress.

After nearly half a magic hour, no more mages entered from the rear passage. Several Legion Commanders standing at the center signaled a nearby mage to seal the passage, cutting off the magical fluctuations there.

"Fellow mages, the empire once again needs you to join the war," the commander of the Blizzard 33rd Corps declared as his opening statement. "I think some of you already know this news. The Esuoer Empire has begun a large-scale attack on us. Along the lengthy border, certain areas require your presence—you powerful mages." With that, the commander of the 33rd Corps stepped back, and another officer, appearing middle-aged, took over to explain the situation further.

After several Legion Commanders took turns explaining, the mages gained a clear understanding. Finally, an elderly-looking commander said, "If I were to say this is to protect the empire's interests, I know some of you might not like hearing it. But what I tell you is this: during the war, high-grade potions will be freely available to you. Moreover, each of you will be issued a magic bag. As long as you believe you can fully utilize the potions' effects and your Meditation space can withstand it, you may take as many high-grade potions as you wish." After speaking, the elderly officer paused to catch his breath before continuing.

He elaborated on how the empire's strength could aid mages in their training, how the empire had always treated mages well, even mentioning that some mages were raised and discovered for their magical talent by the military department. He also touched on the difficult survival of mages outside the military's protection, urging them to wholeheartedly participate in the war to maintain the empire's territory and power. Of course, all this persuasion was meant to secure the mages' loyalty. Finally, the commander of the Blizzard 33rd Corps reminded the mages once more.

"Fellow mages, for this war, all mages within the Blue Feather Empire's territory, from Fourth Rank and above up to and including Seventh Rank—whether belonging to the Mage Guild or wandering mages—who have been recorded by the imperial capital will be required to participate in battle. Even if you refuse this request now, you cannot refuse the combined demands of the imperial family, the Mage Guild, and the military department later." The commander added, "By then, the rewards you receive will be dozens of times less than what we're offering now."

Several hundred mages listened quietly to the commanders' explanations, weighing their options. Finally, the commanders promised that if mages wished to change professions after the war, all costs would be borne by the military department alone. They also pledged generous access to copying precious books. These last two promises convinced most mages to agree. Some would have agreed even without these promises.

After all, you couldn't force low-rank mages, whose families had continuously served in various military positions since the empire's founding, to easily shake off the invisible influence their ancestors had left them—the duty to protect the empire.

After the mobilization, not a single mage refused to participate in the battle. This was especially true for the female support spellcasters. Though they had lost most of their offensive capabilities, the invisible imprint of their ancestors' influence made it hard for them to break free. Moreover, with substantial material rewards, these female mages were quite willing to join the fight, provided there was no great danger.

After a long hesitation, Shaoke ultimately agreed to join the battle. Though he knew his presence as a low-rank mage wouldn't matter much in this war, he wanted to do his part to maintain the empire's interests. More importantly, he sought to accelerate his advancement through intense combat. He didn't believe the Esuoer Empire's mages could easily hunt him down. In truth, all these reasons were just excuses for his love of killing. After his experiences in the Bloody Fortress and death garrison missions, Shaoke had become deeply addicted to the sensation of blasting human bodies with spells. Many mages who practiced with him had noticed this and advised him to take a long rest.

This reminded him of what a Seventh Tier Mage had once said in the death garrison: "When you come to enjoy killing, you qualify to stay long-term in the death garrison. When you can't live without killing, you have hope of permanently maintaining your sanity there. When you can control the thrill of killing, I think by then you'll have advanced to an Eighth Tier Mage. As long as you don't provoke some abnormal beings, you'll have a place wherever you go."

"Xueye, let's leave here," Mage Roman said softly, tugging at Shaoke's arm. The mage procession had already begun to withdraw according to their original positions. "Were you thinking about something?" The female mage gripped his arm tightly, causing some pain, but he didn't refuse her gesture.

"Yes, remembering some past events," Shaoke replied vaguely before falling silent.

Mage Roman didn't return to her room with the others but followed Shaoke to his. "You're wondering why you joined the battle, aren't you?" She spun her golden staff, gripping it tightly with both hands.

"Hmm. Can you tell me why you joined this battle?" Shaoke rubbed her small hands, signaling her to relax.

"My father and mother both died at the hands of Esuoer Empire mages," the female mage sighed softly. "The same goes for other ancestors. Since the Blue Feather Empire was founded, members of the Roman Family have continuously joined the military to fight against hostile nations, and this tradition has never changed." She leaned against Shaoke, quietly feeling his tenderness. "I want a child, Xueye," she suddenly said.

—The internet café is too chaotic, ah! Please forgive me.