Chapter 92: Bloody Fortress

Shaoke and Mage Roland chatted for a while longer before Shaoke took his leave, as he still had many things to attend to.

Since his discussion with Mage Roland about the potential for a large-scale war, Shaoke rarely lingered in the tavern anymore, though he still visited occasionally.

Mage Roland periodically gave Shaoke the latest news. The number of troops in the fortress had been increasing more and more, especially in recent times. During his occasional outings, Shaoke noticed large numbers of soldiers continuously arriving at the fortress, with many more stationed outside the city.

The atmosphere in the city grew subtly tense. One day, Mage Roland approached Shaoke again. "Mage Xueye, let's go to the tavern again! Who knows, maybe the female mage who gave you the news will be there this time, and we can ask her for more detailed information."

Seeing the worried expression on Mage Roland's face, Shaoke felt it was worth another visit to the tavern to try his luck. He also hoped to meet Mage Roman, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, to gather more information from her.

Upon arriving at the tavern this time, Shaoke was not disappointed. Spotting Mage Roman sitting alone, Mage Roland gave a mischievous smile and urged Shaoke to inquire himself, while he went outside to chat with the maidservants, as it had been a while since he last discussed matters of the heart with them.

"What, still in the mood to come here?" Mage Roman, who looked somewhat haggard, initiated the conversation with a hint of displeasure upon seeing Shaoke approach. "You should be preparing properly for the upcoming war."

"Mage Roman, I've come looking for you several times but haven't seen you," Shaoke replied calmly, ignoring her displeasure and stating his purpose for being there. "I just want to know if this war will indeed last a long time, as you mentioned last time?"

"Get me a drink," Mage Roman said, not waiting for Shaoke's agreement. She summoned a maidservant and ordered a drink for Shaoke as well. "Have you noticed that there are far fewer mages coming here lately?" The female mage didn't directly answer Shaoke's question.

"Yes," Shaoke admitted. In fact, he had noticed upon arrival that the tavern was sparsely populated with mages. Only a few scattered third-tier mages sat in inconspicuous corners, looking just as haggard as Mage Roman.

"A while back, we third-tier mages were sent on missions. Many are still out there, and I just returned," Mage Roman said softly, rubbing her temples. "These missions are all related to this war. This prolonged conflict isn't good news for you mages who haven't been here long. But it's something every mage who comes here must experience."

"I've noticed many troops arriving here. This is just a small fortress. Is it worth such effort from the Desasi Empire?" Shaoke asked, somewhat puzzled.

"A small fortress?" Mage Roman retorted with a hint of amusement. "What number was written on the contract when you first arrived?"

"Fortress 330," Shaoke replied, suddenly feeling uneasy, as if there was something wrong with the fortress's designation. "Wasn't it called that when you first arrived here?"

"I remember the bastards calling it Fortress 440 back then," Mage Roman said with an irritated expression that sent a chill down Shaoke's spine. "Before I came here, this fortress had many names—Fortress 770, Fortress 568, and the like. But in the upper echelons, it has only one real name." Mage Roman's slender hands tightly gripped her golden goblet as she gritted her teeth and said, "Bloody Fortress. That's the true name of this fortress. Only this name suits it. The others are just deceptions."

"Bloody Fortress?" Upon hearing the name, Shaoke's mind flashed back to the soldiers from both sides who had turned into pulp on the city walls. He felt he now understood the origin of the fortress's name.

"Mage Xueye, it is precisely this kind of war that gave this fortress its name. The earlier battles were completely different from the one we're facing now," Mage Roman said, hesitating slightly as if about to say more, but she was abruptly interrupted.

"Mage Roman, I don't think these matters are something a second-tier mage like him should know about. You should stop this conversation," said a fourth-tier male mage who had approached from nearby. Shaoke noticed he was also quite young, likely not over forty.

Mage Roman frowned. "I know. I don't think you need to remind me. Besides, he'll find out sooner or later. Telling him a bit earlier won't hurt." She swirled her goblet and gestured for Shaoke not to bow in greeting.

"If he dies in this battle, there will be no need for him to know at all," the fourth-tier male mage said, ignoring Mage Roman's subtle gesture. He then smiled at Shaoke and added, "I hope you advance to the third tier soon. Once you do, you'll learn about these things. Knowing too much now won't be of much help to your future cultivation."

"Thank you," Shaoke said, bowing slightly in gratitude to the fourth-tier mage.

The mage nodded, glanced at Mage Roman, and returned to his seat, sitting quietly.

Mage Roman took a sip of her drink and abruptly stopped talking, leaving an awkward silence between them. Shaoke adjusted his cloak and wisely refrained from pressing further, changing the topic instead. "Mage Roman, you look unwell. Should you go back and rest for a while?"

"No need. I just want to sit quietly for a bit," Mage Roman replied. Seeing Shaoke preparing to leave, she glanced back at the fourth-tier mage and whispered, "Come outside with me later. I have something to tell you."

Shaoke nodded. He wasn't afraid she might tease him again as she had last time. After all, he also planned to return to the barracks to share what he had learned with Mage Roland.

After a brief silence, Mage Roman signaled for Shaoke to follow her outside. Once they left the tavern, she stopped under a nearby tree and waited for him.

"Mage Xueye, this war isn't particularly dangerous for mages. The main challenge is whether we can endure it. The real danger lies with the ordinary soldiers and low-order warriors," Mage Roman said, quickly scanning their surroundings before leaning closer to Shaoke and lowering her voice. "That's all I can say. Treat this war as if the enemies are targets for your spellcasting practice. Yes, treat it as your spellcasting practice!"

Shaoke thanked the female mage, and after a brief exchange, they parted ways. However, Shaoke noticed that Mage Roman didn't head back but instead turned and walked toward the tavern again.

After hearing Shaoke's explanation, Mage Roland let out a long sigh of relief. "Mage Xueye, that puts my mind at ease. I don't want to die so soon on this wretched battlefield." He then shared news he had heard from the maidservants. "I heard many soldiers have arrived at this fortress, along with a large number of prisoners. How long do you think this war will last?"

"Aren't those prisoners supposed to be repairing and maintaining roads? How could the military allow them to take up arms on the battlefield? If they riot, the consequences would be unimaginable," Shaoke immediately thought the military's decision was a grave mistake. But then he reconsidered—it was unlikely. The military wouldn't allow prisoners to carry weapons on the battlefield unless they were absolutely certain of control.

"Don't worry. There aren't that many prisoners—only a few hundred thousand, and all of them are on death row. If they survive this war, they'll be released," Mage Roland said, admiring the military's decision. "This way, they won't try to escape or rebel. I'm sure they understand this."

Shaoke felt somewhat exasperated by Mage Roland's occasional lack of awareness. "Mage Roland, if there are hundreds of thousands of prisoners, how many regular soldiers must there be? How can a war involving so many soldiers be an ordinary one?" He rubbed his temples in frustration, unsure what to expect from this war.

Mage Roland shrugged. "Mage Xueye, that's not our concern. If ordinary soldiers die, they die. Don't forget, a single small-range spell can kill dozens of soldiers." He straightened his mage robe. "This isn't something for us mages to worry about."

After receiving new information from Mage Roman at the tavern, Shaoke stopped going there altogether. He spent his days secluded in his room, either meditating or practicing the spells he had mastered. He also attempted to deconstruct spell structures using ideas from his previous life, hoping to discover new spellcasting techniques.

As days passed, Shaoke noticed more and more mages moving into his courtyard, all of whom appeared to have battlefield experience. Mage Roland was also unclear about their origins, but after inquiring with dozens of their companions, the two finally understood where these mages came from.

It turned out these mages had arrived from other fortresses, and all were second-tier mages. "Mage Xueye, I estimate there are over two hundred more mages in our courtyard alone. I don't know about the others, but I heard there are special barracks outside the city entirely for mages," Mage Roland said, growing increasingly concerned as more soldiers and mages poured into the fortress.

Faced with Mage Roland's worries, Shaoke didn't know what else to say. They simply encouraged each other to do their best to survive the impending war. "Mage Roland, as I've said before, all we can do is prepare for this war. There's nothing else we can do."