Chapter 47: Sudden Wind

At daybreak, Shaoke packed up his belongings. The Female Mage was also ready with some items for the journey ahead. With the help of the inn attendants, they loaded these things onto the carriages brought by the coachmen. This time, the coachmen had brought two carriages—one for the mages to ride and sleep in, and another for their own use. Combined with the carriage Shaoke and the mage already had, that made a total of three carriages, setting off alongside groups of merchants toward the city near the imperial capital.

Having learned of their payment this time, the coachmen prepared a four-wheeled, wide-canopied carriage for the mages. In Shaoke’s view, its facilities were just as good as those provided by the merchants, and it even felt somewhat larger.

“At least we haven’t been delayed too long. I just hope these coachmen can prepare dinner; otherwise, Francis will have to do it,” Shaoke muttered.

“What did you say, Mage Xueye? I thought I heard you mention my name,” Francis, busy nearby, fixed her large blue eyes on Shaoke, hoping to detect something.

“Francis, what are you making? These papers look quite expensive! Do you need my help?” Shaoke explained carefully, unsure whether the mage before him could cook. Based on typical mages, none of them can cook.

The Female Mage lowered her head and continued with her task. “That’s none of your concern. Do what you need to do. I suggest you meditate, preferably until lunchtime, so you won’t disturb me.”

Shaoke opened his mouth to speak but, seeing her engrossed in her work, thought for a moment and decided not to follow her suggestion to meditate. After all, meditating in a bumpy carriage was quite a difficult endeavor.

Now officially a mage, Shaoke needed to consider creating a “spellbook”—a book that belonged solely to him. This book would meticulously record all the spells, spellcasting techniques, and unique spells a mage knew, making it one of the most important possessions in a mage’s life.

As far as Shaoke understood, once a mage reached the rank of Grand Mage, the “spellbook” could be crafted into a special magic item by its owner. However, he wasn’t yet clear on the specifics. Regardless, a “spellbook” was one of the most significant things for any official mage.

Wrapped in a thick quilt, Shaoke leaned against the carriage wall, closed his eyes, and silently recalled the books he had read about “spellbooks,” reviewing them once more. He wanted to craft his own “spellbook” by hand and had already prepared sufficient materials, which were stored in the other carriage.

Seeing Shaoke leaning against the carriage wall as if dozing off, the Female Mage was about to wake him but reconsidered and held back. Instead of disturbing him, she temporarily set aside her own work, carefully tucked the quilt around Shaoke, and gently pushed the stove a bit closer to him.

Though Shaoke sensed her actions, he felt too awkward to open his eyes immediately, so he continued pondering as before.

Along the way, the conversations between the two dropped off significantly, but Shaoke didn’t feel any coldness between them. Instead, there was a subtle sense of tacit understanding. At least during lunch, when she hesitated about preparing the meal herself, the coachmen promptly delivered lunch, sparing the mages from having to provide for themselves. Though the food prepared by the coachmen wasn’t particularly tasty, it was still better than what mages—who likely had never cooked—could have managed.

In the afternoon, snowflakes began to drift from the sky again. For the Blue Feather Empire, situated on the known continent, this was quite normal, as snow fell for nearly half the year. In Shaoke’s view, the empire might as well be renamed the Blizzard Empire, which would better suit its environment.

Though the snow wasn’t heavy, the coachmen cautiously slowed their pace. The roads were difficult to navigate, visibility was somewhat poor, and there were many merchants on the route. The mages had no reason to complain about the coachmen’s decision, even if they were in a hurry to travel.

In the evening, the three carriages with Shaoke and the others stopped near a merchant caravan's camp not far away. Under the coachmen's guidance, they slowly formed a triangular makeshift defensive circle, which put them a bit more at ease.

Shaoke and the Female Mage, as usual, ate some food in the carriage. When it was time to rest, both were somewhat dumbfounded. It turned out that when Shaoke went down intending to sleep in his own tent, the coachmen earnestly told him, "Honorable Mage, we apologize. We thought you were together! So please forgive us; we didn't expect it to be like this."

Although Shaoke scolded them a bit, he still tossed each of them a silver coin as payment. After all, this was exactly what he'd been hoping for. During the previous journey, because the caravan had prepared enough tents, he had to leave the carriage every night. This time, the coachmen's carelessness made Shaoke quite happy.

After hearing the news Shaoke brought back, the Female Mage was momentarily at a loss. Finally, Shaoke gritted his teeth and, not wanting to miss the chance to get closer to the Female Mage, mustered his courage and suggested, "Francis, how about... how about we both sleep here? There's enough space for both of us to sleep, and it's relatively safer." After saying this, Shaoke for the first time felt like lowering his head and avoiding her gaze. However, buoyed by a stubborn resolve, he forced himself to look up and observe the Female Mage's reaction.

Upon hearing Shaoke's suggestion, the Female Mage's face flushed bright red. Under Shaoke's gaze, she slightly turned her head away and whispered, "I think... I think we should meditate first! After all, it's not yet time to sleep."

With Shaoke feeling delighted and the Female Mage feeling both shy and panicked, the two carefully set up sufficient Alert Wards inside the carriage. This was enough to wake them from rest and prepare for battle if enemies approached within twenty meters of the carriage.

The matter of going to sleep dragged on much longer than usual due to the Female Mage's delays. Finally, Shaoke had to interrupt her, "Francis, are you planning to sleep during the day tomorrow? Although going without sleep for several days isn't a big deal for us, we're on the road now. We must maintain peak condition—who knows what we might encounter tomorrow? Besides, our mental state..."

After Shaoke explained in detail to the Female Mage, she had no choice but to stop meditating and start using sleep to ensure sufficient physical strength and energy for the next day. After all, being jolted around in a carriage all day was quite hard on the body.

As if by mutual agreement, the two each slept against their respective sides of the carriage. Fortunately, there were enough blankets in the carriage, so covering themselves wasn't a problem. The Female Mage carefully placed the clay basin containing the stove between them and then slipped into her own blanket fully clothed.

Shaoke closed his eyes, lost in thought. He couldn't sleep at all, but he still adjusted his breathing according to the unique sleeping method he had learned as a mage. Based on his past life's experience, he estimated that now wasn't the right time to engage in more intimate behavior with the Female Mage. But then he thought that cultural differences might mean the situation was different. With these thoughts swirling in his mind, he gradually drifted off to sleep.

The next day, just after dawn, the two mages woke up earlier than usual. The Female Mage discreetly checked the distance between them and her own bedding, then let out a soft sigh of relief. When she saw Shaoke's teasing smile, she glared at him fiercely and suggested that she needed to tidy up, hoping Shaoke could temporarily step out. Seizing the opportunity, Shaoke went outside to breathe some fresh air and brought back a simple breakfast from the coachmen for the two of them.

The journey ahead became somewhat monotonous. During the day, both mages busied themselves with their own tasks. The Female Mage continuously glued various papers together using special potions, then chanted spells to fuse them. Finally, she carefully stored the fused paper in a large green jade box. Shaoke sometimes wrote about the day's events, or flipped through books borrowed from the Female Mage, constantly jotting down reading insights in his journal. When he felt somewhat tired, he would lean against the carriage wall, close his eyes, and ponder the creation of his spellbook.

Perhaps due to the large number of merchant caravans along the way, no bandits appeared to rob them. This allowed Shaoke's convoy of three carriages to safely reach the predetermined city. The coachmen, familiar with the route, took the mages to a large inn and skillfully explained the local situation. It turned out these coachmen often transported passengers between these two cities, and the inn here was owned by the same proprietor as the one they had stayed at before. Thus, Shaoke and his companion were brought here, where the innkeeper prepared rooms for the mages and promised to find them more coachmen the next day to take them to another city.

After several days of interaction, Shaoke had become quite familiar with the Female Mage. However, she still insisted on addressing him as Mage Xueye, which, aside from making Shaoke feel somewhat helpless, had no other impact.

After resting for the night, the innkeeper once again found five coachmen for the mages. After paying the same amount of silver as before, the coachmen set off with the carriages. Once inside the carriage, the two looked at the interior arrangement and couldn't help but exchange a smile. It turned out this was the same carriage that had brought them here—apparently, the innkeeper must have been quite wealthy!

The closer they got to the imperial capital, the more merchants they encountered along the way, and the roads were much better than up north, a lot less bumpy. The female mage took off her long leather boots, revealing her small feet in long white silk stockings. She casually hugged a cushion as she leaned against the carriage wall, which was padded with thick velvet, her blue eyes meeting his gaze now and then.

"Mage Xueye, what are you looking at? Have you managed to control the two magic arrays in your eyes yet?" The female mage noticed Shaoke staring at her and couldn't help but blush, hoping to distract him with conversation.

"Oh, it's nothing. I can control them now. What are you making? Why have you been so busy with those papers lately? Are you preparing to create a 'spellbook'?" Shaoke retorted, shifting his gaze to the female mage's flushed lips. He wondered when he'd finally get a taste of them!

The female mage wasn't satisfied with Shaoke's explanation. "Do I have to tell you what I'm making? Heh!"

"I knew it—you're making a 'spellbook.' Why is your method so complicated? I only know the common way. I must finish my 'spellbook' before reaching the imperial capital, or I'll be laughed at by the mages there." Shaoke casually pulled a thick quilt over the female mage, only to earn a glare and a sudden kick from her.

Shaoke grabbed the small foot she kicked at him and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Such soft feet, how could they possibly hurt anyone?"

"Let go." The female mage tried to pull her foot back from his grasp, but after a few attempts, she gave up, her face flushed as she let Shaoke continue squeezing.

After a while, Shaoke reluctantly let go, but the female mage didn't withdraw her foot, leaving it resting on his leg. Seeing this, Shaoke didn't hesitate to lean over and grab her other foot from under the quilt, placing it on his lap as well. The female mage didn't resist, merely closing her big blue eyes slightly, letting him have his way.

Unable to resist, Shaoke squeezed both small feet for a while longer before covering them with the quilt. "Francis, shouldn't I put my feet on your lap too? This isn't fair."

The female mage suddenly opened her eyes and glared at him, giving his leg a light kick with her foot. "Your feet are too smelly. I don't want them! If you think it's unfair, then move them away!"

"Heh heh!" Shaoke chuckled, pulling a book from the pouch hanging on the carriage wall and placing it on his lap. He stretched his leg as far as possible toward her, tucking it under the female mage's legs, carefully feeling the coolness coming from her. His other hand remained under the quilt, holding her small foot without letting go, slowly playing with it and squeezing it.

The female mage couldn't do much about Shaoke's actions but allowed him to do as he pleased, as long as he didn't go too far. Recalling the nights they'd slept in the same carriage recently, she felt her face grow hot. Several times, she had somehow pushed the stove between them aside and ended up snuggling into his embrace.

After a few more days of travel, there were no more large cities along the way, only small towns. However, due to the passage of numerous merchant caravans, these towns had also become prosperous, and the roads were maintained by the residents of these small towns.

During the nights that followed, the female mage no longer proactively placed the stove between them. Shaoke would always put the stove behind her, while he held the female mage in his arms each time. When she resisted, he had a ready excuse: "Francis, you always end up leaning this way anyway. Might as well come over sooner! What if one night you forget to move the stove and climb onto it? That would be a problem!"

Shaoke's shamelessness earned him a few light punches on his chest from her. Fortunately, the female mage wasn't very strong, otherwise, given his weakened state, he might've been in pain for a while.

The female mage gradually grew accustomed to Shaoke's embrace, but she would still resist fiercely if he went too far. For instance, this time, while holding her, Shaoke's hands wandered restlessly over her back through her clothes. In response, she covered his mouth with her hand, ignoring his attempts to kiss her palm, and didn't let go until he behaved, then put her head down and slept. After a moment of frustration, Shaoke buried his face in her blue hair and slowly drifted off as well.

Although the mages slept every day, they only slept for three or four magic hours at a stretch, mainly to recover from physical fatigue. The rest of their time was spent either meditating, reading books, reciting spells, or practicing hand-seal speed. Shaoke had considered exchanging first-level spells with her several times, but given their current relationship, he decided against it. Fortunately, Shaoke hadn't yet fully mastered the spells mailed to him by his former companions in the imperial capital, so he wasn't in a hurry about it.

That day, shortly after noon, the mages had just replenished their supplies in a small town. Not long after leaving the town, while discussing spells with the female mage in the carriage, Shaoke heard chaotic shouts from ahead, and the carriage came to a halt.

The coachman reported what he had seen ahead to Shaoke. Shaoke and the female mage slightly lifted the front curtain to observe the situation.

Ahead, a dense crowd had gathered on the road, and numerous carriages had been driven to the outer circle by their coachmen, forming a simple defensive perimeter. Seeing this, Shaoke knew that bandits had appeared. He hadn't expected the bandits this time to be so bold as to intercept such a large number of merchant caravans. Although the nearest small town only had a dozen or so soldiers maintaining order, the bandits shouldn't be this audacious! At least in Shaoke's mind, bandits should choose remote, desolate places or wild mountains to carry out their robberies. This was the first time he had encountered such a situation, and it left him puzzled.

The arrival of their small caravan still caught the attention of the crowd ahead. Soon, a warrior on horseback galloped over. "Friends, there are bandits ahead. You should join us and face the threat of the bandits together!"

After discussing with the female mage inside the carriage, Shaoke instructed the coachman to ask for more details so the mages could make a more informed decision.

The newcomer hesitated, glancing at the caravan without a single guard. "The bandits ahead have come from elsewhere. They demand payment from passing caravans—one gold coin per person, ten gold coins per carriage, with goods calculated separately. I think it's best to face the threat together with us. You don't have any guards, and large-scale armies won't be mobilized for these bandits."

Shaoke hesitated for a moment before shouting through the curtain, "Go back for now. We'll think about it." The warrior muttered something under his breath before turning his horse around and riding back.

Shaoke tossed three silver coins to the coachman. "Drive the carriage forward a bit more. I want to see how many bandits there are."

The carriage skirted the merchants' defensive circle and moved forward. Shaoke lifted the curtain and saw—whoa!—a dense formation of cavalry ahead. Even from a distance, he could see the glint of their weapons reflecting light. The cavalry stood perfectly still, with only a few riders galloping back and forth at the front, negotiating with the merchant caravans.

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