Chapter 172 The Irritable Mage (Long live our strong nation)

"Snow Night Mage?" Just as Shaoke frowned and was about to say something more, someone suddenly came to Shaoke's side. "May I ask you some questions about spells?" This mage was also a Third Tier Mage, whom Shaoke had subsequently met on the spell practice field. He was more talkative than the other mages here. After spending a long time practicing spells together with Shaoke, he found it easy to converse with him.

"Of course," Shaoke replied, twirling his staff in hand. He glanced at the female mage with her upper body exposed before addressing the male Third Tier Mage. "Right here? Mage Feir."

The mage addressed as Feir smiled slightly and bowed to Shaoke in greeting. "Yes, let's be in the medicinal pool. At least that won't interfere with our physical upkeep." He pointed to a nearby medicinal pool, indicating they should enter it.

After seeing the three of them meet and enter the medicinal pool, the slightly guarded female mage leaned back in the water, signaling her attendant to massage her again. Of course, the conversation between Shaoke and Mage Feir inevitably reached her ears, mainly because Shaoke and Feir made no effort to conceal it.

Mage Feir looked enviously at the maid massaging Shaoke, then shifted his gaze away from her exposed body and began discussing spell-related issues with Shaoke. Spell discussions easily captivated mages, and Shaoke temporarily forgot about the earlier incident with the female mage, focusing intently on explaining some of Feir's spell-related doubts. Naturally, he also asked about his own confusions in spell cultivation, hoping to gain different insights from Feir to aid his own spell practice.

"Mage Feir, where is your maid?" After their spell discussion concluded, Shaoke suddenly inquired about Feir's maid.

"She's pregnant and is currently recuperating," Feir replied, a faint hint of happiness appearing on his handsome face. "I only found out after returning from my last mission. Now she's being carefully looked after by the physicians!" At this point, Feir couldn't help but ask self-consciously, "Is what I'm doing wrong? She's just a maid, but I really like her—yes, I like her very much. If I get promoted to Fourth Tier Mage, I will definitely take her away from here."

Shaoke didn't answer his question. Instead, he gently patted his maid's lower back, signaling her to go massage Feir. Although reluctant, the maid obediently followed the mage's command, as it was a main part of her job. Feir wanted to refuse, but seeing Shaoke's eyes return to their usual cold indifference, he abandoned the idea. After all, he had come to understand this mage's peculiar temper through their interactions on the spell training field. Not only was Shaoke's spellcasting speed much faster than his, but his powerful and bizarre spells had also caused the mages who had conflicts with him on the practice field considerable grief.

Those mages who had conflicts with Shaoke over minor issues had all been injured by his spells. If not for the rules of this place, he would have already killed them on the spell practice field. Gradually, in their section of the spell training field, no mage dared to openly defy Shaoke's wishes anymore. Fortunately, he wasn't the type to boss others around.

Moreover, as Feir got to know him better, he noticed that Shaoke's temper had grown increasingly irritable in recent years. On the spell training field, he often glared fiercely at other mages while casting spells, as if his targets weren't the black stone walls but the other practicing mages themselves.

Given this situation, Feir somewhat uneasily accepted the massage from Shaoke's maid. Of course, the calm look in Shaoke's eyes made him tense up, quietly letting it happen.

"Snow Night Mage, when is your next mission?" Feir asked, both to break the silence and to distract himself from the soft sensations coming from the maid. "I have a mission next month," he added, revealing his own mission schedule.

"In about four more months," Shaoke replied, watching his maid's somewhat aggrieved expression and suddenly feeling irritated. "Can you tell me about what happened during your last mission?"

"Of course," Feir said, unsure why Shaoke was actively asking about his mission experiences but happy to oblige.

As Feir recounted his story, Shaoke realized that this mage had also entered the same mission area as he had during his last task. After Feir finished, Shaoke thought for a moment and warned him, "That mission area is very dangerous. You were lucky." He gently rubbed his head and added, "In that mission area, if you detect an unconcealed detection, flee as fast as you can. Do not attempt to engage in combat. If you do, it will be a disaster for you."

Hearing Shaoke's warning, Feir grew tense again. He straightened up and asked, "Can I learn more about this?" He then added, "I didn't encounter such a situation last time."

"When I'm on a mission and probing my surroundings, I never conceal my mental energy," Shaoke told the talkative mage. "Mages who don't conceal their detection are the same type as me. And I think after entering the mission area, you should join up with other mages. I believe that would make you safer." With that, Shaoke had the maid change the medicinal water in the pool and lay back on the slope to rest.

After hearing Shaoke's explanation, Feir thanked him profusely, even though he didn't mind when the maid returned to his side to continue her work.

A while later, Shaoke left the area. Of course, the maid temporarily serving Feir also followed her assigned mage away.

After watching Shaoke leave, Feir put on his clothes and went to the medicinal pool where the female mage was, starting a conversation with her. "I assume you heard our conversation," Feir said, frowning as he watched the attendant still massaging the female mage. He didn't like others touching her, even if it was just a massage.

The female mage nodded. "He wouldn't dare attack me here." She then gestured for Feir to come down, as she wasn't used to someone standing above her while talking.

But Feir refused. He crouched down and reminded her again, "Don't soak in this medicinal pool anymore. This is the pool that mage has used for many years. Your behavior might be seen by him as a form of encroachment." He briefly explained some of what he knew about Shaoke to the female mage, as he didn't want this recently acquainted companion to get hurt over unnecessary matters.

The female mage thought for a moment and finally nodded, accepting his advice and thanking him once more.

Back in his room, after serving Shaoke his meal, the maid blushed and once again brought up her desire to have a child. However, Shaoke once again refused without hesitation.

"Don't bring up this topic in front of me again," Shaoke glared fiercely at the maid. "I don't want to have offspring now, and it won't do you any good in the future." Ignoring the maid's soft pleas, he began focusing on his work. The maid, under Shaoke's orders, reluctantly left the room.

Although Shaoke's mood was irritable due to the recent events, after making an effort to calm himself, he still bent over the writing desk, carefully reading books. Occasionally, he used a quill to jot down some questions in his spell record, as he now had to prepare for his promotion.

As time passed, nearing the end of Shaoke's mission rest period, he finally requested the High-rank Mages here to allow him to prepare for his promotion. Of course, the High-rank Mages quickly agreed, as every Third Tier Mage on the verge of promotion had the right to devote a full year to preparation.

Meditation, over and over again. Although extremely tedious, seeing his slight progress allowed Shaoke to feel that his efforts weren't entirely fruitless. In this monotonous cultivation process, he finally reached the brink of promotion. However, due to not mastering the complex promotion Meditation Method in time, his promotion was delayed further.

One day, after finishing his spell practice on the training field, Shaoke found a corner in the vast space filled with books and silently sat there, leaning against a bookshelf to rest. He had been doing this for nearly half a year, spending time here periodically, carefully observing every mage within his sight, or leaning there to flip through books before returning to his room.

Perhaps sensing Shaoke's impending departure, the maid would curl up in his arms while he slept, silently serving him. She hoped that before he left this place, he would get her pregnant. Of course, this was all her own wishful thinking.

One day, feeling fully prepared, Shaoke had the maid leave the room. He decided to attempt his promotion to Fourth Tier Mage now. He felt himself growing increasingly irritable and knew that staying here any longer would be absolutely detrimental to his future mage career.