Chapter 203: News from the Military Earl and the Mage

Were they coming for a fight? When the townspeople saw the large cavalry force arriving, they didn't panic. Following their usual habits, all the able-bodied men grabbed their weapons and hid behind houses, ready to ambush the cavalry. However, once Shaoke and the others showed who they were, the residents relaxed their vigilance. After all, the military flag of the Blue Feather Empire had never been taken intact by an enemy nation!

A few cavalrymen rode into town to ask around about what Shaoke wanted to know, but found nothing, as they hadn't been attacked by bandits for a long time. This left Mage Xueye and the other knights even more confused. After several fruitless inquiries, they smartly dropped it. Yes, at least on the surface, they abandoned the troublesome matter of investigating the bandits.

After purchasing enough food and fodder from merchants staying in the town, the Sleazy Officer took his time enjoying a roasted leg of lamb. Of course, there was fine wine, but no maids to keep him company.

Shaoke cut his dinner short and returned to his already set-up tent, where he began reading by candlelight. He also took time to record the events of the previous day and the results of today's reconnaissance in his journal, since it was one of the few things worth writing about on his boring trip.

Another day went by, and the patrol still didn't run into any bandits. Instead, they came across a big group of POWs building roads. These prisoners were strictly guarded by the few soldiers in the small town. If any prisoner attempted to escape, their sabers would come down without a second thought, leaving them permanently on the ground.

Various weeds and trees were cleared by the prisoners using crude tools. The work was slow, but it kept going steady.

Seeing those prisoners, Shaoke couldn't help thinking back to the administrative questions posed by the Legion Commander during his time in the camp, as well as the events of the past two days. This stirred up a restless irritation in his usually calm mood. The sharp-eyed knights easily picked up on his unease, who just nodded at him, telling him to settle down. Though he couldn't fully settle his mind, he managed to control it.

The small town wasn't large, but due to the massive flow of merchants delivering supplies to the front lines, it was buzzing with activity. Many merchants left the town, heading either to the front lines, the capital, or other major cities. These merchants primarily transported goods here, where smaller merchants would then forward them to the front. The extra costs and price hikes along the way weren't something the big merchants worried about.

The three-thousand-man cavalry force quickly put the small town on high alert. Though it had nearly ten thousand soldiers, only about a thousand were cavalry. After identifying themselves, the town's ruler personally welcomed them—a noble, a count whose title had been passed down through a dozen generations of military men.

The current count was young and warmly received Shaoke and the other high-ranking personnel. He laid out lavish food and brought in young maids for them in the dining hall. During a break in the reception room, he also found a chance to ask why they were there. Once he found out exactly who they were, he produced a document issued by the military department, which clearly stated: "Count Willley XIII is under the jurisdiction of the military; officers should not trouble him."

A bit puzzled, Shaoke took the document the Sleazy Officer handed him. After verifying the information, he cast a spell to officially verify it and finally assured the others of its validity.

The count carefully took the document back and put it in its little box, storing it in his chest. "Gentlemen, is there anything I can help you with?"

"We just want to know if there are any bandits around here. We can help you out for free." A knight frowned, ultimately asking about the bandits in a roundabout way. Unfortunately, the count hadn't noticed such a situation and firmly stated that no bandit incidents had occurred in decades.

Hearing the count's confirmation, the knights fell silent. After a brief conversation, the knights and the mage finished their meal and returned to the rooms arranged by their host. The Sleazy Officer, however, was an exception, carrying a beautiful maid back to his room. "Mage Xueye, I really think you shouldn't have refused the host's kindness. A young, pretty maid—if you don't want to use her, you could have handed her over to me!" With that, he leered and groped the maid, completely ignoring the mage's presence.

"You can ask the host for one yourself," Shaoke replied calmly, shaking his head as he looked at the maid forcing a smile. He quickened his pace back to his room. The Sleazy Officer, accompanied by a few Blizzard Warriors for protection, began his own campaign of conquest. Of course, such matters were likely of no concern to anyone.

In the small town under the count's control, the team lingered for only two days before leaving on a knight's suggestion, continuing their patrol.

The group fell into an inexplicable silence. Even the Sleazy Officer just grinned foolishly along the way, no longer muttering incessantly as before. Shaoke was quite pleased with this development. He narrowed his eyes, silently recalling the contents of the books he had read, occasionally taking out a crystal ball to probe the surroundings, guarding against any unexpected events.

The number of merchants on the road increased, even filling the small towns. According to the cavalry's inquiries, the front-line war had entered a frenzied phase, with massive consumption of medical supplies becoming key to the merchants' profits. Grain prices, however, had dropped slightly. One merchant shared his news with the cavalry, of course, at the cost of a few gold coins.

A nearly million-strong army was advancing from the capital toward this area, likely due to the front-line's dire situation.

Upon hearing this news, the three knights decided to speed up their patrol to return to their stationed city as soon as possible, to see if there was anything they could help with.

Though the Sleazy Officer disagreed with the acceleration, he readily agreed when the knights offered to compensate him with a few maids upon their return. He had long coveted the knights' maids. As for Shaoke's opinion, the knights didn't need to waste much effort persuading him—as soon as they proposed the idea, the mage, who was reviewing his knowledge, immediately agreed. Although leaving the camp had improved his mood, it had significantly reduced his time for studying spells, which was unacceptable to him.

Despite the accelerated pace, the team left no gaps in their reconnaissance. At every small town or city, large numbers of cavalry were dispatched to scout the surroundings, recording any issues. All of this would eventually be reported to the Legion Commander upon their return to camp.

Over two months passed, and aside from encountering one group of bandits, the patrol found no others. This slightly relieved the three knights—it seemed the Roaring Legion's deterrent effect in this area had yet to fade. This also significantly reduced the workload of the Blizzard Legion.

"Mage Xueye, after we cross this small hill, we can finally relax a bit," a knight said cheerfully. "There's plenty of fine food here, and a Sixth Tier Mage is conducting research. I'm sure you'd be eager to seek their advice."

"Hmm," Shaoke replied. He had already heard about this small town's history on the road, as it was quite famous in the region. It supplied about five to seven percent of the front line's food, all grown locally, unlike other places that relied on merchant purchases.

After crossing the hill, Shaoke saw flat ground with only a few trees, likely deliberately left behind. The road was wide enough for the cavalry to pass easily.

After a strict inspection by several thousand heavily armored soldiers, the team was allowed into the small town ahead. Of course, meeting the Sixth Tier Mage was something both the cavalry and the Sleazy Officer desired. Though Shaoke wasn't particularly interested, he followed them to the mage's residence after much persuasion.

A rare white stone manor stood with a few scattered low towers inside. Numerous servants bustled about, tending to fruit-laden trees, flowers, or medicinal herbs. Some warriors patrolled, guarding against enemy intrusion.

The guards had been informed of the guests' arrival in advance. After verifying their identities, the leading warrior hesitated. "Sir, the Honorable Mage is busy right now. Perhaps you could come back tomorrow at this time." But his suggestion was quickly rejected by the three knights and the Sleazy Officer.

"Tina Mage left the Blizzard Legion just over a year ago, and now she refuses to meet old friends?" The Sleazy Officer raised his voice, making exaggerated expressions that made him even more annoying. But the leading warrior still refused, asking them to stay quiet to avoid disturbing the workers. Of course, he wasn't worried about disturbing the Honorable Mage Tina, as the laboratories were equipped with numerous spells to block outside noise.