Chapter 223: Gratitude, Guidance, and Encounter

Having just returned from the battlefield, he heard this news. "First release." With that, he saluted Shaoke and thanked him. All of this left Shaoke feeling very confused; he didn't understand why the other person was thanking him. But as the Bald Officer quickly departed, this question remained buried in Shaoke's heart until many years later, when he finally learned the reason for that Bald Officer's gratitude that day.

The Bald Officer didn't stay long in this city—only about four or five days. Then, under orders from the military command and the general, he once again led some troops into the fierce battle. The Blizzard Warriors, who had been resting, under the command of the Sleazy Officer and other leaders, gathered thousands of frenzied Blizzard Warriors and also joined the front-line combat. But at this time, the large group of mages gathered here continued to rest in the city. As the front line shifted westward, the top-tier practitioners who had been flying in the sky all day disappeared. The mages who had enjoyed watching spell fireworks and sensing magical fluctuations from the city walls also stopped their habit of braving the wind on the city walls.

Just over a month after the Blizzard Legion left this city, large groups of mages returned from various places and gathered here again. The Eighth-order Practitioners, who had been absent for nearly a month, once again appeared in significant numbers within the city. Of course, the Blue-robed Female Mage, who had been commanding Shaoke's team, also appeared here. She found Shaoke's residence and had a conversation with him.

"Mage Xueye, it's a pleasure to see you again," said the Blue-robed Female Mage, reaching out to touch Shaoke's forehead in her way of blessing him. Then she pointed to Mage Roman beside him and asked, "Is this your friend? There's something I'd like to discuss with you. Is this okay?"

"Honorable Mage, you don't need to worry about her at all," Shaoke replied, glancing at the slightly nervous Mage Roman and quickly answering the question. Of course, his response helped relax the tense Mage Roman.

"Barring any surprises, you'll be joining the battle again in a month," the Eighth Rank Blue Robe Female Mage calmly stated the purpose of her visit. "This time, you'll fight alongside the army, and there may be casualties on the battlefield. I hope you'll prepare yourself early." With that, she took out two thin books and handed them to Shaoke.

"Some powerful spells and techniques for writing Ancient Magic Script," she said, gently rotating her staff. "If you want to master Ancient Magic Script sooner, I suggest you speak these words often—practice is the fastest way to improve."

Shaoke thanked the Blue-robed Mage for her sound advice. Although he had already been practicing this way since advancing to Fifth Tier Mage, he still expressed his gratitude. After all, the care of an Eighth Tier Mage wasn't something every Low-rank Mage could expect, especially since she was a specialized class mage who had already undergone a class change.

Seizing the opportunity, Shaoke asked her some questions about spells, and she answered them one by one. Of course, she only addressed some of Mage Roman's questions, as she hadn't specialized in Alchemist matters. Even so, Mage Roman was very excited and thanked her. In the logistics department, high-ranking alchemists rarely paid attention to Low-rank Mages like them.

After the Eighth Tier Mage left, Mage Yisier sought out Shaoke again. She was currently learning Ancient Magic Language from him. Fortunately, Mage Roman understood the situation, so she left Shaoke's room early.

As the days passed, fewer and fewer troops passed through this city. Some mage teams received new assignments and left, while a few returned for brief rest or to carry out tasks here. But Shaoke's team hadn't received any missions for a long time, which made the necromancer, eager for mage heads, somewhat irritable. After all, his staff's power increased based on the number of mage heads, and he also needed other corpses for his experiments.

"Mage Xueye?" An uncertain female voice interrupted Shaoke, who was standing on the city wall sensing the intense magical fluctuations from the front line. "Is that you?"

Withdrawing his released mental energy, Shaoke focused on the woman before him. She was a female mage in a light blue robe adorned with many intricate patterns, clutching a small silver staff tightly. Her long blue hair made her look quite beautiful.

"Mage Woton!" Recognizing the female mage's face, Shaoke quickly identified her. It was Female Mage Woton, whom he hadn't seen in decades. This discovery excited him. He had searched for her in the capital for a long time without success, and now he encountered her on the battlefield—how could he not be thrilled?

Slightly excited, Shaoke stepped closer to Female Mage Woton and studied her for a long time. "It's really good to see you again," he said after a long silence, breaking the quiet between them. The female mage nodded but didn't answer his question.

"I looked for you in the capital back then, but the mages at the Mage Guild said they didn't know you," Shaoke said, struggling to find a topic. He hoped this would help bridge the unfamiliarity between them. "Can you tell me about your life these past years?" Looking at the Fourth Tier Mage insignia on her robe, the male mage tried to recall old memories, seeking to revive their former familiarity.

"I'm sorry, Mage Xueye," the female mage said with an apologetic smile. "I changed my name back then, but I forgot to tell you." She added, "Now I go by my mother's surname. You can call me Francis Payton from now on." She then studied the male mage closely, but since his cloak covered his robe, she couldn't identify his rank from the insignia. However, the faint purple pentagram array in his eyes revealed his level.

"You've advanced to Fifth Tier Mage?" the female mage asked, not mentioning her own situation but expressing surprise at Shaoke's progress.

"Yes," Shaoke replied, looking at the female mage who had changed her name. He felt very uncomfortable. He didn't know why she hadn't mentioned this in her letters back then.

The mages fell silent again. Finally, Peyton pushed back her wind-tousled hair and asked softly, "Have you been with the military all this time? When did you join this war?"

"Mm-hmm." As their conversation continued, Shaoke once again felt the familiar sense from years ago, which excited him. He briefly recounted what had happened to him recently, then stopped and stared intently at her. If not for his years of spell practice and enhanced self-control, he might have already embraced her.

"You seem more talkative than before," Francis Payton Mage said with a soft laugh, feeling that this mage had changed a lot. But she only hinted at it, unaware that her guess was mistaken.

"Can we find a place to rest?" After one topic ended, Shaoke finally made his suggestion. "We could have some drinks—there are taverns here." He stepped closer again, still remembering their journey back to the capital and what had happened between them.

"No," Francis Payton Mage gently shook her head, her face suddenly reddening. "I'm waiting for someone here. I can't leave right now." She gave Shaoke an apologetic look, opened her mouth as if to say something, but stopped. Just as Shaoke was about to ask what was wrong, some unfamiliar mages interrupted their exchange.

"Mage Payton, let's go now!" Seven or eight male and female mages ascended the city wall nearby and approached them, cutting off their conversation. "This mage, we are Mage Payton's companions," said a Fourth Tier Mage in an aristocratic robe, performing a formal salute before introducing himself and the others to Shaoke. Shaoke returned the salute and gave them his name. The pentagram array in Shaoke's eyes didn't surprise these mages, as mages' eccentricities were hard to predict.

A female mage quietly asked the slightly nervous Mage Payton about her relationship with this male mage, but Female Mage Peyton didn't know how to answer. Seeing her furrowed brow, Shaoke calmly answered for her: "An old friend."

This answer visibly relieved the nervous Mage Payton, and the other mages also relaxed a bit. The leading male mage in the aristocratic robe politely invited Shaoke to join them at a tavern for a chat, but Shaoke declined with an excuse.

He didn't want to talk to these unfamiliar mages—a habit he had maintained for a long time. Of course, his refusal didn't upset them, but they said they needed to discuss something with Female Mage Peyton at the tavern, so they left the city wall first.

First release.