Chapter 31: Accident

After consulting the two mages, the captain ordered the soldiers to set up a tent for them, which finally appeased the mages' dissatisfaction. However, Shaoke did not move into the tent, as he felt it didn't matter whether he stayed in the cave with the common soldiers. Besides, the cave was much warmer and safer than the tent.

Over the next few days, Shaoke and the others continued hunting magic beasts in the surrounding area. Fortunately, most of the Second Rank beasts here were Snow Tigers, which did not appear in groups, making the hunting much safer. Generally, dozens of soldiers equipped with ranged weapons were enough to deal with these beasts. The mages' main task was to observe when the beasts were about to cast spells and promptly counter-cast to neutralize them, ensuring the soldiers' safety.

After several days of hunting, the results were quite good. By now, if Shaoke and the others wanted to find Second Rank beasts, they would have to travel a day's journey away. The First Rank and Second Rank beasts in the vicinity had basically been cleared out by the group.

Although the number of kills was not large, the value was quite high. The Snow Tiger pelts were quickly tanned by the idle physicians, and the precious cores were carefully stored in oak boxes lined with velvet. The tiger parts and bones, as medicinal materials, were also selected for the best quality and placed on the sleds to be taken back for the physicians' use.

The relatively easy task gave Shaoke more time to prepare for his promotion. With the help of the Empty Stone Liquid, his progress was now more than three times faster than before. Shaoke focused on purifying his magical power, but even so, a few days were not enough to see any significant results. However, Shaoke knew that not feeling any progress did not mean there was none—it was just minimal. After all, his Meditation Method was too inefficient.

One day, after dinner, Shaoke went to find the captain to discuss whether it was time to return. The captain thought for a moment and said, "Mage Xueye, it might be good to return. Over the past few days, we've noticed fewer and fewer traces of magic beasts. Today, we only encountered a small group of Mud Boars. I share your view."

Seeing the captain's agreement, Shaoke felt relieved. He planned to prepare thoroughly after returning this time, aiming to successfully promote before the next mission. It was time to leave this somewhat desolate border, as only in larger cities would there be higher-level magical knowledge waiting for him to learn.

After chatting casually with Shaoke for a while, the captain said somewhat uncomfortably, "Mage Xueye, I... I want to ask, is what we're doing really useful? Sometimes I feel like we're not soldiers but a group of cannon fodder hired by a massive mercenary guild. Sorry, Lord Mage Xueye, I... I'm not talking about you." The captain, breaking from his usual strict and rigid manner, hesitantly voiced the question that had been weighing on his mind for a long time. He tried hard to look the mage in the eye, hoping for an answer different from his own.

"It is useful, Captain. You don't need to worry about this. None of us are cannon fodder, including the soldiers. Look, we've eliminated so many low-rank magic beasts in the forest. The high-rank ones will lack food sources because of our actions, greatly reducing the survival rate of their offspring. Moreover, before these low-rank beasts can grow again, we will hunt them once more. You see, since the empire's founding, aside from small-scale Beast Tides in the first few hundred years, there hasn't been a single Beast Tide since people like us were stationed here—not even the smallest one." After a brief moment of thought, Shaoke firmly answered the captain's question. He didn't want this capable commander to lose heart. After receiving the mage's affirmation, the captain calmed down. In truth, after seeing so many soldiers die because of these beasts, this strict and rigid captain had felt some confusion and helplessness. Shaoke's answer restored the captain's earlier confidence. He straightened his mud- and snow-stained military uniform and bid farewell to Shaoke. Now, he needed to check whether the soldiers were following the camp rules.

In truth, Shaoke wasn't sure whether what they were doing was truly useful. The Blue Feather Empire devoted most of its efforts to these long borderlines, with the border adjacent to the Misty Forest accounting for about one-third of the empire's focus. Moreover, the empire had long been hostile to several neighboring countries to the south, with small-scale conflicts lasting nearly ten thousand years. It was said that the land along those borders had turned red, and farmers could no longer harvest oats there to make bread. Instead, it had become a paradise for necromancers. If large-scale battles broke out simultaneously with those hostile nations, the empire would need to withdraw defensive forces from the Misty Forest. Over time, the departure of large-scale Hunters would recreate the situation from the empire's founding.

After the captain left, Shaoke pondered for a while but then laughed at himself. What does any of this have to do with me? If the sky falls, the tall ones will hold it up. If gods come, those old, undying Legends will resist them. Why should I, someone who hasn't even become a formal mage, worry about these things? It only adds unnecessary trouble.

After reaching these conclusions, Shaoke organized the items he carried with him to facilitate the march the next morning.

To Shaoke, mages were always busy. Whether copying magical knowledge, recording Spellcasting insights, or Meditating, there was no time for entertainment. However, to live well and live with dignity, Shaoke had no choice but to join this lifestyle. Now, he was deeply entrenched in it, making one marvel at the allure of magic.

The next morning, when everyone was packing up to return, Mage Kiya and Mage Yija delayed the process. It turned out they hadn't finished organizing many of their belongings. Mage Kiya grumbled, "Why are we returning now? Why didn't anyone tell me? Was this Mage Xueye's decision?"

"Yes, it was my decision. Since I am leading this team with the captain, there's no need to discuss it with you. You only need to follow orders now. I believe Mage Feiyi and the others must have told you about this." Shaoke knew why Mage Kiya was upset, but he didn't spare the mage's dignity in front of the others, as the initial mistake was made by Mage Kiya, not him.

It turned out that after experiencing the effects of the Empty Stone Liquid once, Mage Kiya had repeatedly asked Shaoke for more over the following days. After being refused, he even proposed buying one drop for one common gold coin. Unsurprisingly, undiluted Empty Stone Liquid aged around ten thousand years would never be sold at such a price. When Shaoke quoted the minimum price of ten common gold coins per drop to no avail, it only deepened Mage Kiya's dissatisfaction, though they hadn't had a real falling-out—thanks to Mage Yija's mediation. Thus, Mage Kiya used this minor issue to challenge Shaoke.

After the soldiers' tents were packed up, the two mages were still busy organizing their belongings in their tent. Shaoke knew they were expressing their dissatisfaction, so he signaled to the captain to have the soldiers stand at the entrance of the only remaining tent, waiting for the mages to emerge.

Perhaps because of the soldiers' collective waiting, Mage Yija felt uncomfortable first and actively persuaded Mage Kiya. This prevented the return journey from being delayed too long. However, when Mage Yija emerged from the tent, he was also dissatisfied with Shaoke. He believed that having the soldiers wait collectively in front of their tent was extremely rude behavior. Therefore, on the way back, Shaoke, under the protection of the deputy captain Iron Tower, walked at the front of the team, while Mage Kiya and Mage Yija, under the protection of another group of soldiers arranged by the captain, walked at the back. The mages' mutual animosity led to a somber atmosphere throughout the team. Even the cheerful young physician could only crack jokes with his two nearly recovered patients to lighten the oppressive mood.

This situation lasted until dinner the next day before it was broken—not because the mages reconciled with each other, but because they encountered a mercenary team, which brought the mages together again to converse with the newcomers. Before this, even during meals and battles, the mages had been divided into two groups. However, this also gave Shaoke more peace and quiet. During battles, he only needed to observe and didn't have to intervene, as he had finally settled his debt of gratitude to the other two mages. Shaoke felt he no longer owed Mage Feiyi and the others any favors.

It happened during dinner when the soldiers on duty spotted an unfamiliar team approaching from the direction of the town. After the assembly signal was issued, Shaoke felt a sudden, intense heartbeat, thinking it was a beast attack. He dropped the book in his hand onto the rug, quickly threw on his cloak, grabbed his staff, and rushed outside. Since they had set out this time, they had never heard the assembly signal at night. After preparing himself, Shaoke realized it wasn't a beast attack but a team of about several dozen people, holding torches and walking toward the camp.

Although the soldiers didn't believe any team would actively attack them as military personnel, they still quickly hid in the shadows under the captain's orders, preparing for battle. After all, there were plenty of audacious individuals, and a sudden attack could bring disaster to an unprepared camp, even with mages present.

"Halt! Stop right there! Who are you, and what are you doing here?" A loud-voiced soldier, following the captain's signal, hid behind a tree and shouted, "Do not approach within fifty meters, or you'll face spears and arrows."