Chapter 13: Preparation

Shaoke and the mages, upon the captain's invitation, entered the newly erected tent and expressed their gratitude. As it was still the camp construction phase and the mages' assistance was not yet required, they remained in the tent to rest and recover the mental and magical energy consumed from earlier spell array drawing. Meanwhile, the soldiers kept on working until they had set up enough tents for use, marking a temporary pause in their efforts. The subsequent construction tasks were less critical, mainly involving leveling the ground, clearing snow, and digging several large fire pits for cooking and daily use.

In the forest, nightfall seemed to come a lot sooner out here in the woods. Under the captain's leadership, the soldiers managed to set up sufficient tents just as darkness began to fall, after which they started preparing the evening meal. Over a dozen bonfires were lit in the open spaces around the camp. Soldiers huddled around the fires, simmering meat stew, roasting slices of meat, boasting to one another, and laughing boisterously, bringing a lively warmth to the otherwise quiet night.

Perhaps due to the glow of the fires and the clamor of voices, occasional roars of beasts echoed from the surroundings, and birds took flight or landed intermittently, throwing more life into the mix.

Shaoke and the mages' tent sat right in the middle of camp, ringed by the soldiers' tents, providing an extra layer of security for the mages during their rest in the wilderness. The fire pit inside the tent had been lit by the soldiers, and several thick, hide-covered wooden stumps were placed on the ground to serve as temporary desks for the mages.

Shaoke retrieved a few smokeless candles from the pouch he carried and placed them on the wooden stumps, intending to use them later for reading. After meditating briefly around the fire pit, the three began summarizing their experiences from drawing the spell array earlier. Mage Yija and Mage Kiya also leaned over the wooden stumps, using silver-tipped quill pens to diligently record their first spellcasting in the field in their respective spell records. Although it involved only a few zero-rank spells, this experience held significant importance for the two mages.

Unlike daily spell experiments, pulling off a spell successfully on your first real mission out in the field does wonders for a caster's confidence. If they failed to adapt to the external casting environment and accurately release spells on their first attempt, it could lead to discouragement. In the following period, they might hold back when casting, significantly reducing their success rate. While recovery was possible with increased casting experience, it often required guidance and encouragement from higher-rank mages.

Shaoke did not record this spellcasting process like the other two mages, primarily because he had already thoroughly understood this spell array, and this casting did not bring him new insights. While the two mages were recording, he took out his journal with a sky-blue cover and began writing his log. Not many mages kept journals; some saw no necessity, others considered it a waste of time, and most led relatively monotonous lives with few extended travels away from their residences, making journaling seem unnecessary.

Only mages who enjoyed traveling would specifically record their experiences, though most simply jotted notes in their spell records rather than maintaining dedicated journals. However, Shaoke adhered to his previous life's habit of keeping a detailed log, perhaps driven by a touch of whimsy. He hoped that after his death, someone would discover his journal and study it, perhaps in search of hidden treasures or secrets. For this reason, Shaoke wrote in the common arcane tongue of the continent, using special ink designed for long-term preservation, seemingly unconcerned about potential exposure of secrets.

By the time Shaoke finished his journal entry, the soldiers outside had roughly completed the camp's construction. Shaoke then casually picked up a book and began reading by the candlelight, as it was not yet time for meditation, and the soldiers would soon deliver the evening meal.

Approximately one magic hour later, the two mages, still in an excited state, finally finished recording their spellcasting experiences. Mage Kiya gently closed his mage's record manual, glanced at Mage Yija, who was still writing, and softly expressed his gratitude to Shaoke: "Mage Xueye, thank you for your encouragement. Without your guidance, Mage Yija and I might not have successfully drawn this Alert Ward." "Don't mention it, Mage Kiya. As I've said before, helping you is my responsibility. Moreover, in the future, you should also assist newer mages in the same way," Shaoke replied solemnly, closing the book in his hand.

Shaoke and Mage Kiya occasionally discussed insights and experiences from drawing the spell array earlier. Soon, Mage Yija also finished writing in his spell record and joined the discussion, though he spoke sparingly. Watching Mage Yija carefully close his record manual, Shaoke couldn't help but feel amused. "The reverence mages in this world have for magic is truly remarkable."

Just as Shaoke was intermittently answering his companions' questions about spell array creation, the captain inquired from outside the tent if they were ready to dine. Shaoke patted his stomach, deciding that eating now wouldn't interfere with anything. After consulting his companions, he instructed the soldiers to bring in the evening meal: a plate of sliced meat, a dozen or so oatcakes, a small jar of spread, and a bucket of water. Thanking the soldiers for their hard work, Shaoke invited his companions to enjoy this modest dinner. After over ten days of camping in the wilderness, Mage Kiya and Mage Yija had grown accustomed to such meals. After all, the environment was different, and mages rarely had high demands for food.

Dinner began with the mages observing ancient etiquette. Shaoke simply took two slices of bread, spread them with the paste, added a few meat slices, and concluded his meal with water. Perhaps due to their heightened excitement from the day's events, Mage Kiya and Mage Yija ate more than usual, finishing the entire plate of meat slices. At Mage Kiya's suggestion, they each drank a cup of aniseed wine before having the soldiers clear the dishes, ending the meal.

Mage Kiya said in an barely suppressed excited tone, "We really should have asked for a few more cups of wine to properly celebrate." "Indeed! We could still have a little more red wine," added Mage Yija, who had become more talkative after drinking. "But wouldn't that affect tomorrow's tasks? After all, we shouldn't drink too much."

Seeing the two mages in high spirits, Shaoke didn't want to dampen their mood. Having a bit more red wine wouldn't affect their mental state anyway. So he said, "Alright, companions, prepare your cups. I'll have them bring a small bucket of red wine." "Mage Xueye, could we possibly get some snow grape wine instead? Its flavor is far superior to the red wine here," Mage Kiya suggested somewhat sheepishly. "Sure, the red wine here isn't as good as in the big cities anyway. Let's have snow grape wine—it's truly top-quality original stock."

After Shaoke and the others finished a small bucket of snow grape wine, the lively soldiers outside also began to settle down for rest. The mages then attended to their own affairs. After reading for a while, Shaoke suggested they begin meditation. Since they didn't want to disturb each other's meditation—which would reduce efficiency—and meditating together made the magical elements more active than when alone, allowing mages to absorb them more easily than usual.

As they were on a field mission, following the experience of Mage Feiyi and others, Shaoke rarely engaged in deep meditation. Most of the time, they maintained two to three magic hours of light meditation before resting to ensure sufficient energy for the next day's journey. Today was no exception, as tomorrow they would formally search for and hunt low-rank magical beasts.

The night passed without incident. Well-rested, the mages rose early as usual. After reviewing the incantations recorded in his spellbook, Shaoke called his two companions to inspect the Alert Ward set up the previous day. The ward was undamaged, though its energy was somewhat depleted. Shaoke and the other two mages replenished it with sufficient magic powder.

Meanwhile, a simple breakfast was delivered to the mages' tent by the soldiers. Shaoke merely ate a slice of bread and drank some meat broth before stopping to wait for his companions to finish. In such an environment, steaming hot milk was unlikely, and even back in the town, Shaoke rarely had hot milk. Having eaten bread slices for so long had already halved his appetite. Fortunately, concerned about his already slender frame deteriorating further, Shaoke made sure to consume more meat products, preventing excessive thinness.

While waiting for the two mages to finish their meal, Shaoke noticed they were eating slower than before. He immediately understood why but didn't feel inclined to comfort them, as he had little interest in constantly lecturing them. "It'll be fine once we get started. Talking now probably won't have much effect anyway. When the moment comes, it won't matter," Shaoke thought. He genuinely wished to advance to the mage rank soon and leave this place, at least to avoid dealing with these novice mages' psychological states. "I'm no psychotherapist. When I awaited my first real combat, I felt only excitement and thrill, not this timidity like you two."

Regardless of Shaoke's thoughts, even if the mages dragged out their breakfast, they would eventually finish and feel full. Seeing them finally conclude their leisurely meal, Shaoke draped his cloak over his shoulders, stroked his ordinary staff, and said, "We should set off now. The soldiers are probably ready. Please prepare yourselves as well."