Chapter 59: About to Begin

The uniformed brutes were quite satisfied with Shaoke's compromise. The leading bald brute stepped forward, respectfully saluted, and said, "Honorable Mage, your mother instructed us to take you directly to the Mage Guild for rest. I believe you are already aware of this." After speaking, he slightly raised his head to gaze at the female mage, hoping she wouldn't refuse him, as he was merely following orders. If refused, he wouldn't be able to answer to his superiors.

The female mage gently twirled the small staff in her hand, glanced at Shaoke, and sighed softly, "Hmm! Alright, where is the vehicle you prepared?"

A hint of joy flickered across the bald brute's stern face but quickly vanished. "Honorable Mage, please wait a moment. I'll have the driver bring the carriage over." With that, a soldier behind him ran into the inn and began driving out the carriage that had been waiting for some time.

Due to the female mage's many belongings, they ended up using another carriage from the inn before finally being ready to depart.

Throughout this, Shaoke kept his eyes fixed on the female mage. Just as she was about to board the carriage, she suddenly pulled off her hood and smiled, "Xueye, can't you say something to me?"

Shaoke tightened his hood and touched the 'spellbook' exchanged with the female mage at his waist. "Francis, this cloak on me was given by your father. I paid a gold coin for it." He paused briefly before continuing, "I hope the most beautiful Miss Woton in my eyes finds happiness."

A blush spread across the female mage's face as she covered herself with her hood. "Xueye, I won't forget what you said now. But if you cover your hood, aren't you afraid I'll forget what you look like? Hehe! See you tomorrow at the military reporting office." After performing a formal Mage Etiquette, she boarded the carriage and left the inn entrance.

Shaoke watched until the ornate carriage carrying the female mage disappeared around the next corner before turning back to pack his belongings. He didn't know that just as the carriage turned the corner, the female mage lifted the carriage curtain to look back. Seeing Shaoke turn and leave, she kicked the carriage wall in frustration and muttered, "Couldn't even stay a little longer."

Shaoke did not rest at the inn. Instead, he paid the drivers another silver coin to take him to the place where mages reported. He didn't want to stay at the inn because, after all, this was the imperial capital, and the inn was hardly suitable for a lowly Second Tier Mage like him to reside in.

By the time the carriage reached the mages' reporting location, it was already dark. Shaoke dismissed the drivers and, with the help of the soldiers on duty, carried his luggage inside.

The mages' reporting place was a rather large estate, with all buildings made of stone. Dozens of tall, pointed houses stood against the walls, and through the windows above, shadowy figures could occasionally be seen moving about.

The soldiers on duty quickly reported the arrival of a mage to their officer. Shaoke smoothly had the officer stamp the documents. Then, the officer picked up a lantern, called a few soldiers to carry the not-so-heavy luggage, and, guided by the lanterns along the road, led Shaoke deeper into the estate. "Honorable Mage, I am a minor official here, mainly responsible for receiving newly arrived mages. You can call me Ulfat." Seeing Shaoke nod, he happily began introducing the situation to this newly arrived mage.

"Honorable Mage, if you plan to stay here during this time, please avoid those pointed towers near the walls. Those are where the military's High-rank Mages reside. I hear they are all Seventh Rank mages, each with a stranger temper than the last." The officer then pointed to the stone houses along the road. "Honorable Mage, many mages who have just been promoted also live here. If you're interested, you can chat with them. At mealtimes, you can ring the bell in your room, and some servants will bring meals to everyone. If you prefer liveliness, you can follow this road straight ahead. There's a large tavern there where many mages like to go for a few drinks."

Shaoke was somewhat puzzled. He hadn't expected so many mages to be living here. So he asked, "Ulfat, are all the mages living here those who have just been promoted? Do they have to stay here for a long time?"

The officer responsible for receiving mages looked slightly uncomfortable. "Honorable Mage, actually, you are the only mage who has been promoted and returned recently. The other mages have been here for nearly half a year. Generally, mages who have just been promoted stay here for about three months before leaving. At that time, the capital assigns them to a new location." As he spoke, they arrived at the accommodation he had prepared for the mage and stopped there.

Although Shaoke knew they had reached the residence, he wanted to learn more from this officer. So he didn't enter immediately but stood at the door and continued asking, "Why are those mages staying here without leaving? Hasn't the military assigned them positions?"

The officer looked around, somewhat uneasily rubbing his cold hands. "Honorable Mage, it's mainly because those mages are dissatisfied with the positions the military assigned them. So they stay here hoping to get a better assignment."

Shaoke was satisfied with the officer's answer. He took out a gold coin and handed it to him. "Thank you! What you said is very helpful to me. Where should I report tomorrow?"

The officer hurriedly pushed the mage's hand away and bowed his head. "Honorable Mage, I cannot accept your money. You'll learn about these things after staying here for a few days." Even as he said this, he secretly glanced at the shiny gold coin out of the corner of his eye, licked his lips, and added, "I will come to take you to report tomorrow morning. Please don't worry."

Shaoke offered the gold coin again. "Take it. You've earned it. I'll rest now." The officer could no longer refuse. He accepted the gold coin, ordered the soldiers to carry the mage's luggage into the room, arranged it neatly, and even helped tidy up inside before leaving with them.

After the soldiers left, Shaoke entered the room, intending to get a good night's rest. He initially thought the stone house was just an ordinary room, but upon entering, he found it quite well decorated. The cold stone walls were lined with thick birch wood panels, and the floor was covered with a thick crimson wool carpet. Against the wall stood a wide wooden bed piled with several cotton quilts. Not far from the bed was a blazing fireplace with a small copper kettle hanging over it, clearly boiling water. Several thick, smokeless candles as thick as an arm burned on the walls, making the room very bright.

After checking his luggage, Shaoke sat in an armchair in front of the fireplace, quietly gazing at the flames, lost in thought.

He thought again of the female mage he had just parted from, wondering how she was now, whether she had seen her mother, and if she was having dinner with her mother at this moment.

Just then, a knock on the door interrupted Shaoke's reverie. "Who is it?"

A voice from outside said, "Honorable Mage, it's me, Ulfat, the one who guided you earlier."

Shaoke got up and opened the door. "What is it? Come in and speak."

The officer shook his head. "Honorable Mage, may I ask what you would like for dinner? I'll have the servants bring it to you."

Shaoke shook his head. "Thank you for your kindness, but I don't plan to eat anything now. If I need anything, I'll find you. You may go back now. I want to rest early." He then waited quietly for the officer to leave.

The officer looked somewhat disappointed. "Alright, Honorable Mage. Good night." After giving Shaoke a military salute, he picked up his lantern and left again.

After the water boiled, Shaoke poured himself a cup and sat by the fireplace, slowly passing the time. His mind was in turmoil, unable to calm down at all. Scenes from his journey with the female mage kept flashing through his mind. Smiling, he spent his first night in the imperial capital lying in the chair.

In the early morning, Shaoke, snapping out of his memories, felt somewhat weary. Although his mind was still restless, he sat on the bed and slowly began to calm down for Meditation. He didn't want to leave a bad impression on the senior officials here when he first met them.

After reciting some Spell knowledge for a while, Shaoke was about to practice hand seals when the wooden door was knocked again. "Honorable Mage, sorry to disturb you. Breakfast is here."

Shaoke immediately recognized the voice of the officer who had received him. After tidying himself up, he opened the door to let him in. Behind the officer was a young man dressed as a servant, carrying a lacquered wooden tray covered with a wooden lid—clearly the breakfast.

The servant set down the breakfast and turned to leave. The officer lifted the lid from the tray for the mage. "Honorable Mage, I'll wait outside, and then we can go together to meet the real person in charge of this estate."

Shaoke shook his head and pointed to a nearby chair. "Wait here. It's too cold outside." He then sat at the dining table and began his breakfast. Although he felt somewhat hungry, he lost his appetite after a few bites. Wiping his mouth with a napkin, he gathered his necessary items and followed the officer to report.

Walking along the estate's paths, Shaoke saw many mages hurrying about outside, some conversing with each other. After carefully observing the robes these mages wore, Shaoke noticed that most mages here were Second Rank, though some Third Rank mages also appeared. Although puzzled, he knew now wasn't the right time to ask, so he temporarily set the question aside and followed the guiding officer.

Along the way, mages who encountered the two often looked at Shaoke with strange gazes. Occasionally, some mages whispered, "Look! Another new Second Tier Mage has arrived. Hehe! Lately, almost none of the mages who come here have had good luck. Hope this one gets a decent position!"

Shaoke carefully observed the surroundings along the way. After turning a few corridors, a wide stone building with a towering spire appeared ahead. The guiding officer pointed at it. "Honorable Mage, this is where the mages of this estate report. The officials are waiting inside." He then looked at the stone building enviously and added, "Honorable Mage, I cannot approach this stone building. You need to go alone."

Shaoke nodded. "Alright, thank you." The officer suddenly became somewhat emotional. "Honorable Mage, if you need anything, have the servants find me. Ulfat will do his best to help you." With that, he reluctantly left the area, as he was not allowed to linger there for long.