Chapter 185 A Difficult Meeting

"Honorable Mages, the esteemed Mage Roman has not been available for a long time, and she often remains busy for over a month before taking a break. So I believe you should wait a while longer before you can see her," said the guard who delivered the message, boastfully recounting everything he knew about Mage Roman.

Faced with the guard's well-intentioned reminder, Shaoke and Mage Roland had no choice but to wait quietly where they were. The long wait brought no news at all, making Shaoke doubt whether the guard stationed at the laboratory had remembered his request, though he couldn't be sure at the moment.

As the sky darkened, the mages, who occasionally discussed spell knowledge, were interrupted by their growling stomachs. However, at Shaoke's suggestion, the two paid some money and had the soldiers there bring them some food to satisfy their hunger. Of course, lured by the promise of substantial payment, the idle soldiers quickly prepared everything for the mages.

Several kinds of fine wine, some exquisitely roasted meat slices, steaming vegetables, and some rather expensive seasonings.

Just as the two mages were about to dine in the room reserved for visiting guests, the same guard who had first brought them news interrupted them. "Honorable Mages, the esteemed Mage Roman has agreed to see you, but she is currently making some necessary preparations."

Hearing the guard announce this, a hint of envy in his voice, Shaoke quickly grew excited. He once again took out some common gold coins and gave them to the guard, thanking him for the good news.

Given that Mage Roman was about to arrive, Shaoke and the others temporarily stopped their meal and instead waited there for her arrival. Shaoke almost stood at the door to wait for the mage's arrival, but the sensible Mage Roland stopped him from doing so. "Mage Xueye, I think what you should do now is figure out how to explain your current physical condition! Mage Roman will definitely not be satisfied with your current appearance. Hmm! She already scolded you about it last time."

Faced with Mage Roland's teasing, Shaoke could only helplessly touch his cheeks, which had just filled out a little, and managed a weak smile. "I've already thought about this issue. She won't harp on this for long." After saying this, Shaoke gestured to Mage Roland, then released his mental energy, probing along the corridor outside the door to detect Mage Roman's arrival in time.

It didn't take long. Shaoke's mental energy soon caught a wave of mental fluctuations. Sensing the somewhat unfamiliar fluctuations, he stood up excitedly and withdrew his mental energy. To the somewhat surprised Mage Roland, he said, "Mage Roman is coming. I sensed her fluctuations." While Shaoke was speaking, a tendril of mental energy quickly entered their room, swept over the two of them for a brief moment, and then swiftly retreated.

"Yes, it's Mage Roman. I'm still somewhat familiar with her mental energy fluctuations," Mage Roland thought for a moment and quickly confirmed Shaoke's statement.

A soft knock came at the door. Shaoke straightened his robe slightly and, after doffing his cap, personally went to open the door. "Mage Roman, I'm very happy to see you again." Looking at the mage before him, dressed in a golden robe and looking utterly exhausted, all the speeches Shaoke had prepared fled his mind. "You don't look like you're in good shape. You should rest more." As he spoke, he stepped aside to invite Mage Roman in.

Mage Roman nodded lightly to Mage Roland and then followed Shaoke inside, refuting Shaoke's words. "I think it's you who needs rest, Mage Xueye. Your appearance makes me feel you haven't taken my advice to heart. This disappoints me somewhat." As she spoke, she gently smoothed her white hair, which had come loose from her hurried pace, to make herself look more spirited.

Thus, the conversation began. The three mages, separated for many years, gathered together once more, with endless topics to discuss.

Seeing the fatigue displayed by the mage, Shaoke suggested having a meal. Following etiquette, the mages quickly polished off the exquisite food in a brief silence. Afterward, Mage Roland felt it was inappropriate for him to stay any longer and thus stood up to bid farewell.

Regarding this companion's temporary departure, Shaoke still tried to persuade him to stay and suggested finding a tavern to rest for a while. When Shaoke's inquiring gaze shifted to Mage Roman, the mage nodded lightly, clearly supporting Shaoke's proposal. After all, the three of them had drunk together in the taverns of the Bloody Fortress before, though not many times.

Faced with this suggestion, Mage Roland was clearly tempted and thus agreed.

The Blizzard Legion's castle here did not have a tavern. Instead, there was a large tavern not far outside. Mage Roman said softly, "We can go to that tavern. There aren't too many rough people there. It's perfectly fine for us to rest there." As she spoke, she gestured for Shaoke and the others to follow her.

On the way, the mage hesitated for a moment but still linked arms with Shaoke, though without much force.

Seeing their intimate behavior, Mage Roland, who was beside them, chuckled softly. "Perhaps I really shouldn't be with you in this situation." As he spoke, he seemed to remember something and suddenly laughed a bit louder.

Faced with Mage Roland's behavior, Shaoke and Mage Roman didn't pay much attention. They only felt each other's warmth through their linked arms, occasionally glancing at each other. When their gazes met, Mage Roman would tighten her grip on Shaoke's arm slightly.

The tavern wasn't as large as the one the mages frequented in the Bloody Fortress, but the builders had divided this tavern into several floors. According to Mage Roman's explanation, each level had its own patrons drinking and relaxing inside.

Just as Mage Roman had said, there weren't many people in the tavern, and the number of mages was also small. Most were merchants and some nobles. However, Shaoke didn't pay attention to them. Instead, led by a maid, they went to the top floor. Mage Roman whispered to Shaoke, "Xueye, it costs a fortune up here. Hmm! They take common gold here too." She was somewhat worried that Shaoke might struggle with the high expenses. After all, each mage only received a fixed monthly allowance, and no more. Moreover, before Shaoke was promoted to Third Rank, a large portion of his gold coins had been exchanged for medicine by that Senior Officer.

Regarding Mage Roman's kindness, Shaoke only nodded lightly to indicate he understood. But he led the mage and Mage Roland upstairs because he really had a thing about people being above him. Of course, he didn't tell the mage about this strange thought.

At Shaoke's stubbornness, the mage just pinched his arm hard, then secretly glanced at Mage Roland following behind. A faint blush suddenly appeared on her tired face. Mage Roland merely smiled slightly and closely followed their pace.

The top floor didn't have private rooms; it was still a large space where dozens of guests enjoyed high-end service. The young maid, following Shaoke and the others' instructions, arranged a table for them and promptly served pastries for everyone to enjoy.

The premium wine looked splendid in the transparent crystal goblets. Mage Roman was the first to start the conversation. "Xueye, why didn't you tell me when you were promoted to Fourth Tier Mage?" As she spoke, the mage gently kicked Shaoke with her foot to vent her dissatisfaction. It turned out that when she first saw Shaoke, she had noticed the Fourth Rank insignia on his robe inside his cloak. This made Shaoke have to marvel at women's attention to detail.

"You haven't replied to my letters for a long time," Shaoke retorted softly, feeling the warmth from the mage's leg. "I thought you..." Before he could finish, Mage Roman stopped him.

"I mentioned in my last letter that I've been very busy lately. Have you forgotten?" The mage kicked Shaoke lightly again and swirled her wine glass.

Seeing Shaoke's silence, Mage Roland also raised his glass and offered a toast. Of course, this time it was directed at Shaoke. He hadn't expected Shaoke to be promoted to a Fourth Tier Mage so quickly, which made him intensely jealous of how quickly Shaoke had advanced, though he didn't show it.

Using this topic, the three began discussing the news of Shaoke's promotion to Fourth Tier Mage. Mage Roland also took the opportunity to ask Shaoke about his insights on advancing to the fourth rank. Of course, the setting here wasn't suitable for long conversations, so this topic was only briefly discussed before ending.

After staying a while longer, Mage Roland once again expressed his desire to leave. This time, however, Shaoke didn't try to persuade him to stay because he noticed that Mage Roland's expression wasn't good after hearing about his promotion to Fourth Tier, and he found that Mage Roland's gaze was mostly fixed on the mage.

Without saying anything more, Mage Roland, after wishing Shaoke well, left the tavern alone and took a carriage back to the military camp in the city where he was stationed.

"Xueye, tell me about what you've been up to lately," the mage said, hesitating slightly before gently resting her leg on Shaoke's, quietly feeling his body temperature. "Hmm! I feel like you're not in a good mood right now." As she spoke, the mage gently rubbed her head, and the weariness on her face deepened.

"Mage Roman, what you should do now is get a good night's sleep. Tell me, how long has it been since you had a proper rest?" Looking at the mage's undeniable fatigue, Shaoke tried his best to make his tone gentle, but clearly, he failed. The mage just gave him a light glare before changing the subject.