Chapter 394 Resolving Some Trivial Matters

After less than half a magic hour, Shaoke's team finally arrived at the center, where envoys from other empires had already assembled. With the help of the leader from the Maple Leaf Empire, Shaoke and his companions quickly found their designated places, where they would witness the opening ceremony and take part in the proceedings.

When the scheduled time arrived, a large number of magical fireworks burst into light, as hundreds of Ninth-order Practitioners hovered in the air, keeping watch. This was followed by some performances, which were brief, and then the envoys from various nations came to offer blessings and present gifts to the infant prince. The Maple Leaf Empire, according to custom, either gave return gifts or offered nothing. This went on for many days until all the envoys had presented their gifts. Those who had already given gifts later attended a grand banquet arranged by the Maple Leaf Empire. After some trivial matters were concluded, everyone finally departed.

Precious magic materials, books, and scrolls were carelessly strewn across the square, all gifts from the empires. Shaoke watched the gifts from the viewing platform, sighed, and whispered to the Blue-robed Female Mage, "I think if these materials were ours, we wouldn't have to worry about running out for at least a thousand years." As he said this, he didn't notice his own faint jealousy.

The female mage shook her head, closed her eyes, and said nothing. Shaoke then carefully identified the magical materials and books, many of which he had never seen before, and now he was truly seeing them for the first time. This made him marvel at the many advantages an empire's power could bring.

Seven or eight days passed quickly, and the number of people in the square had significantly decreased. Finally, the emperor, whom Shaoke had only glimpsed, and his child left the square for a time. Most of the hundreds of Ninth-order Practitioners who had been on guard in the sky also vanished. Only then did it become the turn of small empires like Shaoke's to present their gifts. Of course, the emperor would still come out with his child at intervals, as they needed to rest every day at this time. However, the foreign envoys did not have that privilege; otherwise, the gift-giving process would have been prolonged even further.

"Perhaps we shouldn't have come here," Shaoke said calmly to the Blue-robed Female Mage. "I think even if we hadn't come, the Maple Leaf Empire wouldn't care." He pointed to an envoy from a small empire who was receiving a gift from the Maple Leaf Empire and said, "We can only be like them, being received by a Maple Leaf envoy."

The female mage shot him a glance and said, "If we don't do this, the Maple Leaf Empire will definitely hold it against us." She continued, "We don't have the right to enter the inner area. I've heard that some Legendary Masters are there to bless the young child. That's where the emperor's true attention lies."

"The Blue Feather Empire's envoy," Shaoke said, pointing to a group of about three or four hundred black-robed mages who had just passed. Only the lead noble mage was familiar to Shaoke. "Rona Orpheus," Shaoke murmured, fixing his gaze on the Eighth‑Tier noble mage. "Perhaps I should find time to talk with him and clear up past misunderstandings." As he spoke, he spun his black staff rapidly, barely restraining his anger.

"You should rest. Perhaps it's best to relax with me at the banquet," the female mage said, looking around and asking the Ninth‑Tier knight who was leading them. She added, "We won't present our gifts until tomorrow morning. We have time to rest." She took Shaoke's arm and led him toward the banquet hall.

Shaoke didn't refuse; he just tightened his cloak and followed her. The banquet was held in a massive palace that could accommodate tens of thousands of guests. Many young maids carried exquisite pastries to every guest who wanted them. Soft music echoed through the hall by magical means. People from other empires were already resting there. Some were dancing, but Shaoke and his companion had no interest; they simply sat aside, quietly enjoying the pastries of the Maple Leaf Empire.

As usual, the male mage asked for plain water, but no one criticized him for it; every mage had different habits. The Blue-robed Female Mage drank some wine and, seeing Shaoke's gloomy mood, said, "If you're in a bad mood, you could go over there and listen to the musicians up close. It might cheer you up." She pointed to a crowd surrounding a musician, said to be the best in the Maple Leaf Empire.

Shaoke paid her no attention, just quietly sipped his water. The grand nobles and various high‑order practitioners passing before his eyes appeared to him as silent black‑and‑white images. After a long time, Shaoke threw down his cup and walked in the direction the Blue‑robed Female Mage had indicated.

Shaoke paid no heed to anyone and pushed through the dense crowd. A young woman was playing a beautiful harp. The music merely sounded pleasant to Shaoke, evoking no deeper emotion. However, he noticed that the woman's eyes were blind.

"Perhaps those people should heal this woman's eyes. I don't think it would be difficult," Shaoke said to the Blue-robed Female Mage when he returned to his original seat. "Then she could see this beautiful world." He picked up the cup the maid had refilled and leaned casually in his chair, looking at the female mage. How were his daughters now? The mage suddenly thought of this, then shook his head to dismiss the thought.

"If they did that, I think she would never play such beautiful music again," the female mage said, then added, "I have never seen those beautiful sights." "Maybe it's a difference in perspective, or perhaps it's a matter of mood." Saying this, she leaned back in her chair like Shaoke and said nothing more. At that moment, the two seemed to forget about blessing the prince. But this didn't last long; about a magic hour later, new guests arrived, many of whom were familiar to Shaoke.

Suddenly feeling a familiar sensation, Shaoke opened his eyes and looked over, and the two purple Nine‑pointed Star Magic Arrays in his eyes began to spin rapidly. His gaze fell on the newly arrived group.

"Mage Xueye, I really didn't expect to run into you here," said the lead noble mage, Rona Orpheus. Shaoke's mental fluctuation caught his attention, and he recognized him. "I think we should have a proper talk to clear up those past misunderstandings." He gave a salute and walked over to Shaoke. The other Death Mages each found seats, though they didn't speak, the maids still warmly entertained them. However, one Black-robed Mage followed Rona Orpheus to Shaoke.

Rona Orpheus glanced at that mage, frowned, but said nothing. He had no right to command an Eighth Tier Death Mage, nor any lower-ranked Death Mage. This Death Mage came up to Shaoke and directly asked, "Are you Mage Xueye? Shaoke Ye?" The female mage's clear voice felt very familiar to Shaoke, and he nodded, gesturing for her to sit down. The woman's presence was overwhelmingly familiar.

It was similar to the feeling Moyu'er gave him, though he didn't say so. He just gestured for the maid to pour her wine, then closed his eyes again.

"What happened in the empire back then might have been a misunderstanding," said Mage Orpheus, sitting directly opposite Shaoke. "Are you interested in joining our family? In the Orpheus Family, you'll get everything, and the best."

"Leave here," said the Blue-robed Female Mage, waving her hand to dismiss him. She truly hated such hypocritical conversations. Shaoke didn't respond; he just spun his staff rapidly, lost in thought. Mage Orpheus hesitated, nodded elegantly, and left. His target wasn't Shaoke but the powerful nobles of the Maple Leaf Empire. That was the task assigned to him by his family and empire.

"You once stayed in the Death Garrison at the Bloody Fortress, right?" the female Death Mage asked uncertainly. "There was a maid there who served the young mages." She removed her cloak, and her face stirred memories of Shaoke's youth—an era of recklessness, fearlessness, and mad slaughter.

The male mage nodded and asked, "What about you?" He felt restless and couldn't find a topic. "What relation was that maid to you?"

"Anling. Xueye," the female Death Mage suddenly hugged Shaoke. "She was my mother." She kissed his forehead, calmed her emotions, and then told him in detail about events from years ago, which happened after the mage left the Death Garrison.

It turned out that after the mage's last time with that maid, she became pregnant. This raised her status in the Death Garrison. After giving birth, the child was found to have spellcasting talent, so the Death Mage Corps trained her. Now she had become an Eight-rank Spellcaster. The maid herself had passed away many years ago.

As she spoke, the Blue-robed Female Mage listened carefully, then sighed and said to the female Death Mage, "Leave the Death Mage Corps and come with us. It's not the right place for you."

Shaoke gently touched his newly discovered daughter's face. Now he understood why he had felt so familiar with her years ago—she was his daughter. Of course, a bloodline verification would be done when they returned to the garrison, even though he was already certain. He had to be cautious, as he had now established a family and was no longer alone.

The two spoke naturally from the start, surprisingly without awkwardness. Anling told the mage that her mother had no regrets at death. "She was just an ordinary woman. She only wanted to live peacefully and raise her children," Anling said, crying. "She never had contact with other men. Until the day she died, she never did."

Thus, the three stayed in the hall for a long time until the Blue-robed Mage reminded them that it was almost time for their empire to present gifts and give blessings. This time, Shaoke's daughter Anling also went with them. The other Death Mages didn't interfere, and Mage Orpheus was busy with necessary socializing, trying to build connections with the great nobles of the Maple Leaf Empire.

When Shaoke and his companions arrived at the square, only a few people remained—about three or five empires waiting. The Maple Leaf Emperor and his child were there, receiving them with the proper etiquette. Yes, it was proper etiquette.

The appearance of this unfamiliar mage with Shaoke surprised the other alliances, but they didn't ask questions. They just had Shaoke present the female mage's identity documents to the guards, and after that, they didn't care. If something went wrong, the Maple Leaf Empire wouldn't blame them. Better not to cause trouble.

Soon it was Shaoke's turn. They walked forward to the gift area. The gifts were already prepared in hand and placed in order. A Scribe recorded everything. These gifts would belong to the young prince.

Just as Shaoke placed his gift and was about to leave, he heard a childish voice from the high platform: "Father, I want that crown. I want to give it to little Blue'er. She'll love it when she grows up." Shaoke stopped immediately and turned to look at the voice's owner. It was the prince, covered in magical items. Beside him was the Maple Leaf Emperor. Shaoke sensed that this emperor was also a practitioner, at least an Eighth-order Practitioner.

"Father, I want that crown," the little prince pointed behind at the Blue-robed Female Mage. He had taken a liking to the small blue crown on her head.

The atmosphere grew awkward. Finally, an official beside the emperor said, "Your Majesty, I think the prince's wish is not unreasonable. We can exchange other items with this female mage. I believe she would be willing." He glanced nervously at his emperor; the prince's sudden request shocked him. He feared the emperor would blame them for not teaching the prince properly.

"Your Majesty, I will grant the prince's request." Without hesitation, the Blue-robed Mage behind Shaoke removed the light blue crown from her head and placed it on the gifts in front. Shaoke noticed that the female mage's face instantly turned extremely pale, and she could no longer control her mental fluctuations. This worried him greatly.

He quickly crushed several gems crafted by the White-robed Cleric. A dozen golden beams fell on the female mage, rapidly merging into her body. Shaoke turned to look at the Maple Leaf Emperor and said in a low voice, "Your Majesty, I think my companion is unwell. I will take her to leave." He supported the female mage, intending to depart. At this moment, other alliance members who were about to present gifts stopped and surrounded the Blue-robed Female Mage.

The ruler of the Hebrews Alliance took out dozens of precious fruits for the female mage to consume, and the only Ninth Rank Cleric in the group performed consecutive healing spells. The other empire members who hadn't left gathered to watch.

"Your Majesty, I think you should teach your child some basic manners. What your officials did today also displeases us greatly," said the Hebrew woman, staring coldly at the silent emperor. She then signaled for everyone to leave. Shaoke glared fiercely at the young prince, who was already playing with the blue crown.

"Everyone, I apologize for what just happened. You may name your compensation, and I will fully agree. This is my apology," said the middle-aged emperor, frowning slightly. He didn't understand why his usually clever son would do this today. Could it be... He stopped that thought and ordered the official and some guards to take the prince away.

"Your Majesty, our Barbarian Empire has just been established and has few precious items for the prince. Since the prince likes this crown, let him have it," said the Blue-robed Female Mage, frowning. Her face had improved a bit, but her mental fluctuations were still intense. Fortunately, the emperor also sent over a dozen Ninth-rank Clerics to treat her, preventing serious consequences.

Shaoke nervously watched the Blue-robed Mage receiving treatment. His anger almost made him forget where he was. Thankfully, a summoner nearby noticed his unstable emotions and stopped him to avoid a conflict that could cost them their lives. It would be utterly unworthy.

After the prince left with the blue crown, the emperor apologized again for the rudeness and added a large number of magical books to the return gifts as compensation for the Blue-robed Female Mage's injury. These books were extremely precious; according to the official preparing them, only super-empires possessed such books, rarely seen in large or medium empires. All these books belonged solely to the Blue-robed Female Mage.

Shaoke, the Blue-robed Mage, and his newly recognized daughter did not stay for the subsequent grand banquets. They used a teleportation array to depart the Maple Leaf Empire, returning to their garrison with the books.

It's worth mentioning that to free his daughter from the Death Mage Corps, Shaoke had to hand over most of his ancient manuscripts as compensation for the years of training his daughter had received and to lift her wards. This negotiation took place in the Maple Leaf Empire with the Death Mage Corps leader, and the transaction would be completed when they returned to the Blue Feather Empire.

After briefly introducing Anling to Mage Roman and the others, Shaoke took the White-robed Cleric to the Blue-robed Female Mage's garrison. There, along with several other Ninth-order beings, he worked hard to treat the Blue-robed Mage. The White-robed Cleric contributed the most. It took a full year for the Blue-robed Female Mage's condition to stabilize. By then, those who had gone to the Maple Leaf Empire returned. Shaoke and his companions didn't ask about what happened there; they just relaxed their minds and rested.

Over the year, Anling had become very familiar with Mage Roman and Lan Wei'er, but not with the White-robed Cleric, because the cleric had spent the entire year in the Blue-robed Mage's mage tower treating her.

After the Blue-robed Female Mage stabilized, Shaoke invited the other Ninth-order beings to witness the bloodline verification between him and Anling. The Blue-robed Female Mage also participated to show respect.

Once everything was ready, Shaoke and Anling each took a drop of blood according to the Arcane Secret, placing them in a jade bowl filled with medicine. After the two drops merged, a Ninth‑Rank Mage nearby began to chant a spell. This spell was very simple; even a Third‑Rank Spellcaster could cast it. As the chant progressed, the merged blood began to spin rapidly, radiating a faint silver light. The light grew denser and condensed into a bead the size of an infant's thumb. Soon it burst and dissolved into the air.