Chapter 63: Herbal Brew

Until closing time that evening, Shaoke still hadn't seen the Female Mage. The officer stood with him for a while, intending to persuade him to leave. Then Shaoke suddenly asked, "If she doesn't report today, can she still come to report later? Maybe she was delayed by something?"

The officer was momentarily speechless. "Well... Perhaps she'll report tomorrow! Maybe her relatives or friends here detained her!" He then cautiously glanced at Shaoke, whose expression remained calm. "Respected Mage Xueye, why don't you go rest first? I'll keep an eye out here for you. You've been standing here all day, sir. I'll have them prepare some dinner for you."

Shaoke shook his head, feeling the Female Mage would never come here again. "Ulfat, thank you! It's so late now, she definitely won't come. You go rest." With that, he tightened his cloak and slowly walked toward his residence under the dim lantern light.

Upon returning to his room, Shaoke sank into the armchair by the fireplace, not wanting to move at all. His mind was blank, unsure of what to do. He took out the 'spellbook' the Female Mage had given him, gently stroking the patterns on its cover, then simply leaned back and drifted into a daze.

Just as Shaoke was lost in thought, a knock sounded at the door. Eagerly, he opened it to find the officer standing there. "What is it? Has a female mage arrived?"

The officer shook his head regretfully. "I'm sorry, respected Mage Xueye, no mage has come. I've brought you dinner."

Shaoke sighed softly. "Please bring it tomorrow morning. I don't need it now, thank you." He shook his head dejectedly, declining the meal.

The officer wanted to say more but hesitated, then led the two servants away, bidding the mage farewell.

After the officer left again, Shaoke returned to his room to collect himself. After taking his medicine, he began meditation. He didn't want to waste time waiting fruitlessly all night. Today, witnessing the unknown spellcaster so easily seize control of the spell he had cast made him truly feel the power of a high-rank mage for the first time.

After a night of meditation, Shaoke felt his anxious waiting for the Female Mage had lessened somewhat. Since he knew she wouldn't come here, there was no need to waste his very limited time waiting. He now had to go to the library to copy and learn second-rank spells, as well as the meditation method required for advancing from second rank to third rank. He had to complete these tasks before leaving the capital.

When the officer brought breakfast again, Shaoke handed him a common gold coin. "Ulfat, I'll be leaving here temporarily. If you see the Female Mage, please mention my name to see if she recognizes it, to confirm if she's the one I'm waiting for. Help me note down any address she might have. I won't forget your help." He stared intently at the officer, hoping he would agree and assist him.

The officer nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, respected Mage Xueye. I'll definitely handle this matter seriously for you." His eyes flicked toward the common gold coin, and he swallowed hard. "I couldn't accept your money. I wouldn't know how to face you afterwards."

Shaoke shook his head. "I can't have you helping me for nothing. Take it. Bring the breakfast in, then you can leave." Faced with Shaoke's insistence, the officer gritted his teeth and accepted the coin. He then had the servants bring in the breakfast. "Respected Mage Xueye, this medicinal broth is provided by the military to every mage. It contains herbs that can improve physical constitution. In the evening, there's another type of herb that can accelerate the gathering of spiritual power or magical power. You just need to tell the servants which type you prefer then."

"Mm, I understand. Prepare the herb that accelerates magical power gathering for me tonight. When I'm at the library, are these herbs also provided there?" After the servants set out the breakfast, Shaoke carefully examined the medicinal broth. It was black, with steam continuously rising.

"Yes, the library provides the same as here. After all, many mages stay in the library without leaving, so they have these herbs prepared there too." The officer first dismissed the servants. "Actually, the military has another type of herb that enhances constitution, but it's in pill form and tastes quite bitter. Many mages dislike it, so we didn't bring it for you this time."

Shaoke nodded. He actually didn't like drinking these medicinal broths. He felt that pills, even if bitter, were fine since they were more convenient to take. "Oh, then prepare those pills for me in the future. Are there pill forms for the ones that accelerate magical power gathering?"

The officer realized the current preparation didn't suit the mage's preference and felt somewhat panicked. "Yes, there are, but those are even more bitter. I just assumed you might not be used to pills, so I took the liberty of preparing this broth. I'll have it changed for you right away." He made to leave to have the servants bring what the mage needed.

Shaoke shook his head. "No need. Just switch to pills from now on. Alright, you may leave." After the officer nodded and left, he let out a long sigh of relief. He had been genuinely worried the mage might be angry, as Shaoke wasn't part of the Mage Corps after all. If the senior officer found out, he would surely be severely punished.

After the officer left, Shaoke picked up his staff and began chanting a spell intently. He was going to cast a zero-rank spell, 'Detect Poison'. This spell was considered essential for every mage, as it could accurately detect whether the target of the spellcasting contained substances harmful to the body, and its casting method was quite simple and fast. Mages had been using this spell for a very, very long time; it was said no harmful substance could evade its detection. Shaoke had once tried to deconstruct this spell, but after carefully analyzing its few simple spell structures, he couldn't discern any profound mysteries. He had to give up this research, as the spell had been passed down for millennia and was unlikely to have any issues.

The white light formed by the spell shone on the medicinal broth but showed no change. Reassured, he drank it. This was mainly because in his previous life, he had read novels mentioning special organizations that used drugs to control powerful subordinates to prevent accidents. Fortunately, this world had such a miraculous spell to detect if these substances were problematic; otherwise, he would have been worried about something special being added, even though such worry was quite unnecessary.

After drinking the broth, Shaoke felt his body gradually warming up. The warmth lasted for about a dozen breaths before slowly fading. Shaoke didn't pay it much mind. He didn't care whether the medicine's effects were good or bad; it was free, after all, not costing him a single copper coin.

Passing by the manor gate, Shaoke reminded the officer again to keep an eye out for him during this period. After receiving another affirmative reply, he took a carriage toward the capital's library.

The carriage traveled for roughly over a magic hour before stopping. Shaoke paid the fare and carefully observed the capital's library.

The capital's library was dozens of times larger than those in the small towns he had passed through. Towering spires stood against the sky, with magical fluctuations occasionally emanating from their peaks. The surrounding walls were built of obsidian, carved with numerous magic arrays, magic script, and strange patterns. After looking for a short while, Shaoke felt dizzy. He knew this was caused by the powerful magical energy emanating from them, so he quickly averted his gaze.

Mages continuously entered and exited through the main gate. Two mages in gray robes stood by the door. As Shaoke approached, he glanced at them and noticed the sixth-tier mage insignia embroidered on their robe collars. This discovery left Shaoke with a somewhat bitter taste. Sixth-rank mages serving as gatekeepers here? Did decades of arduous cultivation only qualify one to guard doors here?

Fortunately, his will was relatively firm. After a brief moment of distraction, he suppressed this question in his heart. Now was not the time to dwell on such matters; what he needed most was to obtain higher-rank spells.

In the hall, some mages stood casually in small groups, conversing in low voices, while others hurried out. Shaoke quickly spotted a long counter in the center, surrounded by dozens of mages who were talking intermittently. It seemed that was the place to handle procedures.

Upon closer inspection, Shaoke saw several young female mages sitting behind the counter, chatting and laughing with the surrounding mages.

"Excuse me, is this where I handle procedures?" Shaoke's sudden interruption brought their conversation to a halt. A black-haired female mage glanced at him. "Is this your first time here?" After receiving an affirmative answer, she stood up, pulled out a sheet of elemental paper from below, and handed it to him. "Please fill in your information first. Hmm! Are you here to copy spells or for reading? Will you be staying here?"

Shaoke adjusted his cloak. "I'm sent by the military. I need to stay here for a month." He then took out his appointment letter. "Due to some matters, I must stay here for a month."

The black-haired female mage took the appointment letter, looked at it, and gazed at Shaoke sympathetically. "You're really unlucky. It's been over a year since a mage affiliated with the military came here. I didn't expect the one to come would be such a young mage. Good luck!"

"Thank you!" Shaoke somewhat disliked her sympathetic gaze. "Where should I go to copy spells? And I also need a copying room and a restroom."

The black-haired female mage pointed to a smaller passage on the side. "Go along that passage. That's where spells below fifth tier are stored. The restrooms and copying rooms are together, making it very convenient for you to stay here without leaving. Really, good luck!" The black-haired female mage handed back Shaoke's appointment letter and resumed her cheerful conversation with the mages gathered there.

———— A bit late, sorry! Brothers, if you think the book is okay, please bookmark it!