Chapter 60: Difficult Choice

After the officer who had led him there departed, Shaoke tidied his clothes slightly, drew back the hood of his cloak, walked to the stone house door, gently knocked on the heavy door, and waited quietly outside.

After a while, footsteps came from inside, and then one of the doors slowly opened. An officer emerged, looked at the mage before him, and said, "You are Mage Xueye, right?" Shaoke nodded. "Yes, I am Mage Xueye." The officer saluted. "Please follow me. The officers are waiting inside." He then stepped aside, signaling Shaoke to enter, before closing the door again.

The room inside was spacious. A long table covered with a white cloth was placed in the center, with dozens of uniformed men sitting upright on both sides. At the head sat a senior officer with graying hair, holding a document and reading it carefully. The rest of the area was empty, with no servants in sight.

As soon as Shaoke entered, everyone in the room turned their gaze toward him. The senior officer at the head of the table also put down the document in his hand and looked at the incoming mage.

The officers' stares made Shaoke even more uncomfortable than the Fifth Tier warriors who had escorted the Female Mage. He dug his nails hard into his palm, raised his head, moved to the front of the table, and performed a formal mage's salute. "Mage Shaoke Xueye presents himself to the officers."

After the officer who had opened the door took his seat, the senior officer with graying hair nodded. "Welcome, Mage Xueye. Please sit."

Shaoke sat bolt upright in the only high-backed chair, set his staff down beside him, and quietly waited for the officers' questions.

"Mage Xueye, you already know the reason for being here, so we need not elaborate. You still have three months of leave. During this time, you can go to the military's specialized library to transcribe some spells. After three months, you must report to your assigned position. Is that understood?" The senior officer carefully examined Shaoke before succinctly explaining the situation he would face.

Shaoke replied, "Sir, when is my posting finalized? May I decline it?" He then nervously stared at the officer across the table, awaiting a response.

"Haha!" A booming laugh echoed in the spacious room. "Young mage, you've heard, no doubt, that many mages here are waiting for the military to change their positions, which is why you have this idea, right?" The senior officer picked up the document he had just placed on the table, flipped through a few pages, and continued, "Your file is right here. Actually, due to some reasons, after consulting the two mages who arrived before you, we sent you the summons in advance. Your comrades' predictions were spot-on—you were promoted shortly thereafter. Heh!"

Shaoke blushed, unsure of what to say. The officers seated rigidly nearby allowed their stern expressions to twitch slightly. Fortunately, the senior officer's words saved him from further embarrassment. "Mage Xueye, according to regulations, you have the right to choose one of several positions we provide. If you do so, you will receive a stipend of only one hundred common gold coins per month, with no additional benefits. The other option is to follow the military's assignment, in which case you will receive three hundred common gold coins per month, along with some free auxiliary drugs—though they are only low-grade." The senior officer flipped through a few more pages of the document, observed the mage's expression, and added, "When transcribing spells, you can transcribe two spells of the same tier for free. For the rest, you only need to pay half the price, and the transcription room is free to use."

Shaoke was stunned. "But... I thought all mages in the military could transcribe spells for free? And weren't auxiliary materials provided free of charge?"

No sooner had he spoken than the officers, the senior officer included, burst out laughing. "Haha! That was in the past. This rule was actually changed hundreds of years ago. It's just that the mages administering these things never bothered to amend the contracts, so it remains this way."

Shaoke flushed crimson with embarrassment. Fortunately, he assumed every mage had asked this question, so he wasn't angry. Besides, these were all officers. As long as he was in the army, they were his superiors—not that they could make *any* demand, of course.

"Can I first know what positions are available for me to choose from?" Shaoke asked after everyone's laughter subsided, calming his awkward feelings. He intended to see if any of the positions suited him before making a decision.

The senior officer in the center shook his head, refusing his request. "Mage Xueye, you can think about it. How you choose is your freedom. We won't force you. However, this year, only two lucky individuals had the position of assistant tutor among their choices when they made their selections. The rest were either patrolling the streets or standing guard on the city walls. Many unfortunate mages had only battlefield positions to choose from. So, you should consider carefully."

After hearing the senior officer's explanation, Shaoke felt even more confused. "Sir, why are there only battlefield positions available? Didn't you say there are several positions to choose from?"

The senior officer smiled, put down the documents, and stroked his graying hair with a sigh. "Actually, the positions provided for selection are all written by high-tier mages. They write whatever they like, and whenever a mage arrives, we randomly select a few from what they've written for you to choose from. We absolutely do not check what the mages have written." Facing Shaoke's doubtful gaze, the senior officer quickly explained.

Shaoke sighed inwardly. He now understood the trick these officers were playing. They must have placed positions they needed to fill into the selection pool. What difference did this make from simply following their arrangements? "Sir, I don't think I need to consider further. I choose to follow the assignment. After all, I am still a Military Mage."

The officers listening nearby gave Shaoke approving looks. The senior officer smiled happily. "Hehe, fewer and fewer mages make this choice these days. I remember when I was young, most mages who came here chose to follow assignments. Now, alas!"

The senior officer fell silent for a moment, regained the demeanor befitting a soldier, and shouted loudly, "Now, I appoint..." He stood up first, and Shaoke and the other officers also rose to hear his command.

"I appoint Mage Shaoke Xueye to report to the 330th fortress at the border with the Desasi Empire in three months to confront enemy country mages." With that, he solemnly pulled out a letter of appointment from the documents and placed it on the table. The officers nearby signed it one by one before sitting down. When it finally reached Shaoke, he carefully read the contents of the appointment letter and solemnly signed his name at the bottom, imprinting it with his Mental Imprint.

As he was about to look at the names of the officers above, the officers in front handed him another appointment letter. It was the same as the previous one but still required his signature and Mental Imprint.

After completing this, Shaoke kept one copy with him. According to the appointment letter's stipulations, if he served at the border and was promoted to Third Tier Mage within ten years, he could return at any time. If he failed to be promoted after ten years, he could also return to accept a new military appointment—provided he survived until then.

Seeing the officers still seated nearby, Shaoke stood up, performed a standard mage's salute, and prepared to take his leave.

"Mage Xueye." The senior officer called out to Shaoke as he was about to leave.

"Is there something you need me to do?" Shaoke turned around to face the senior officer.

"Be careful out there. Originally, there was a position in the library, but it was taken by someone else. So now, only border positions are available. I think this might not be a bad thing for you. I hope you can return early. When that time comes, I hope to see you wearing a Third Rank mage robe and coming here to accept a new appointment." After saying this, the senior officer stood up first and pointed to the officer who had opened the door for Shaoke. "Go, take Mage Xueye to change into a new mage robe, collect his three-month subsidy, and inform the servants of the necessary precautions. Also, take an extra one hundred common gold coins for Mage Xueye." Fearing Shaoke might refuse, he explained, "You've just arrived in the capital. I assume you'll need to spend money on some items. Take a bit more with you. Even if you have gold coins there, you won't be able to buy high-quality auxiliary materials."

Shaoke performed the salute once more before following the soldier out.

After the door closed, the senior officer slumped into his chair and carefully examined the remaining documents. These were the positions available for Shaoke to choose from—ten in total, all uniformly assigned to the battlefield, differing only in location. As he looked, the senior officer suddenly tore all the documents to shreds. The officers who hadn't left yet stared at him in shock.

"What are you looking at? Fetch more appointment letters. Give these to the mages who have been here for over four months and make them choose immediately." Faced with the senior officer's sudden outburst, one officer opened his mouth to say something but was pulled away by his companions. Now was not the time for calm persuasion.

After leaving the stone house, Shaoke took a few steps before turning back to look at the somewhat old and worn building. He sighed softly. The officer ahead glanced back at him. "What's wrong, Mage Xueye?"

"Nothing. I just don't know when I'll be able to return. Perhaps when I do..." Shaoke shook his head and continued following the officer leading the way as they slowly headed outward.