Chapter 116 Simple Explanation

The two entered the room and found many mages seated sporadically around the long table in the center. Shaoke glanced around and noticed that almost all were Third Tier Mages, with but a scant few Second Tier Mages among them.

Seated in the center was the same Seventh Tier Mage from their previous encounter. Shaoke and Mage Roman hurriedly paid their respects to the Elder Mage and then took their seats as instructed.

The Seventh Tier Mage glanced at Shaoke and the others and asked softly, "You two were also on the canyon mission? Why didn’t you carry out the orders?"

All eyes in the room immediately snapped to the two of them, as they had all been asked the same question. They were curious to hear how these two newcomers would respond.

"Honorable Mage, we did not wish to go into battle with doubts in our minds," Shaoke stood up before the Female Mage could, respectfully saluted, and gave his answer. "Many mages met unexplained deaths during this mission."

The Seventh Tier Mage nodded, signaling for Shaoke to sit down. "All of you here were on that canyon mission. Regarding your similar questions, I can only tell you that this is a matter for the military. Since you have joined the army, you must obey orders. Return and rest for a few days, then return to your duties." The mage paused and continued in a low voice, "I apologize for what happened. Whether the rules are broken or not is beyond my control. I'm just following orders."

Upon hearing this explanation, the surrounding mages grew agitated. A Third Tier Mage stood up and asked, "Honorable Mage, could you explain to us what 'Night of Death' actually means? I believe we are entitled to know." After speaking, the mage saluted again and sat down.

"Night of Death?" the Seventh Tier Mage muttered softly, his previously upright posture slumping slightly. "Yes, you now have the right to know about this. After all, it is no longer classified."

The mage closed his eyes for a moment, then, under the expectant gazes of Shaoke and the others, said in a low voice, "Every so often, the established rules of engagement are broken. Sometimes it is our side that breaks the rules, sometimes it is the enemy. Unfortunately, this time, the enemy broke the rules first."

"Every time the rules are broken, it happens at night, hence the grim nickname 'Night of Death.' Of course, the large-scale slaughter that follows is also a major reason for this name." After speaking, the mage leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes, and said softly, "I, too, experienced what you just went through. It is unavoidable. At least in my current position, I can't stop it."

The room fell silent, with only the occasional crackle from the lamp on the long table breaking the stillness.

After hearing the mage’s explanation, Shaoke nodded to Mage Roman. He felt that this Seventh Tier Mage was also bound by many constraints here. At the very least, he still avoided discussing the reason behind the broken rules.

Mage Roman was dissatisfied that Shaoke seemed willing to drop the matter for now. She gripped her staff and was about to stand up to speak when the Seventh Tier Mage, who had been leaning back in his chair, suddenly sat upright, frowning as if deep in thought.

At that moment, the Third Tier Mages in the room simultaneously felt their magic items transmitting messages. As Roman Mage hesitated, touching the pouch containing her communication device, the Seventh Tier Mage suddenly spoke up, as if prompted by an unseen command. "Do not check the messages. I will explain it to you myself."

The mage touched the staff beside him and sighed. "Every time the rules are broken, a large number of mages are sent to the battlefield. Nearly every mage in the army below the Third Tier will be mobilized."

"There's no telling how long the fighting will last. The last one lasted nearly a year, and the one before that lasted about three years." The Seventh Tier Mage glanced around at the mages. "I do not know how long this one will last. I can only hope you are lucky and that it ends as soon as possible."

After hearing the mage’s explanation, Shaoke stood up, saluted, and asked, "Can you tell us why such battles occur? Is it just to give us battlefield experience and help us rank up faster? The price is far too steep." After speaking, Shaoke looked uneasily at the mage. He did not know what consequences his speculation might bring, but he urgently wanted to understand why both sides would send so many mages into such battles. Could it be a show of national strength?

"The battles at Bloody Fortress have never ceased, while other border areas with the Desasi Empire rarely see war. Don’t you find that strange?" The mage did not directly answer Shaoke’s question but slowly pointed out this abnormal phenomenon.

"The battles in that canyon have also never stopped. Although bound by rules, countless mages have been lost there forever. Yet, our front lines have remained unchanged for a thousand years, and neither side has ever fully captured that canyon. Haven’t you ever wondered about that?" After saying so much, the mage paused and looked at the thoughtful mages, inwardly smiling wryly.

Shaoke sat there silently, recalling the major events recorded in books over the past thousand years. No matter how many times he thought about it, he could not find anything unusual.

"When we gain or lose territory, the scale of the war is not large, and the duration is short. There has never been any mention of High-rank Mages joining the battles, which is different from conflicts with other enemy nations." Shaoke looked at the Seventh Tier Mage’s well-maintained face. As the mage’s gaze swept over him, Shaoke suddenly remembered a question he had encountered back at the academy. He quickly recalled that the history books made no mention of the Bloody Fortress battlefield. This gave him some understanding of the situation.

The mage glanced at everyone and said with a bitter smile, "Must you spend every waking moment on spells and meditation? Why not take some time to read books on other subjects? Have you all forgotten that mages of the past were known as the most knowledgeable? Back then, even some scholars could not match the breadth and depth of a mage’s knowledge."

Upon hearing the mage’s admonition, everyone blushed, and some even lowered their heads to avoid his gaze.

Mage Roman turned to look at Shaoke and noticed his flushed face. Her lips twitched in amusement. After seeing that the other mages wore similarly ashamed expressions, she secretly sighed in relief, at least she was not the only one who had read too little.

"The Empire cannot afford to engage in full-scale battles with the Desasi Empire along the entire border. So, many years ago, both sides agreed to wage war in this natural mountain range, using the outcomes here to divide territories, resources, and even exchange more important things." Seeing the ashamed looks on everyone’s faces, the Seventh Tier Mage nodded in satisfaction and began to explain in detail.

"If we win on these two mountain ranges, we will not only gain a large amount of territory in the south but also receive many books from the other side through trade. Of course, there are other precious items as well, but those are beyond my knowledge. I think you understand what I mean." After speaking, the mage leaned back in his chair and quietly waited for the mages’ reactions.

Upon hearing the Seventh Tier Mage’s explanation, the mages’ previous doubts were suddenly resolved. They had never imagined that the war here involved various interests between two nations. It was not merely a training ground for mages and soldiers as they had thought. This realization dampened the pride of those who had only understood the surface-level situation. It turned out they were not as important as they had believed.

At that moment, a mage saluted the Seventh Tier Mage and left. The days of fleeing had left them exhausted. They urgently needed rest to recover their physical and mental strength.

Mage Roman signaled to Shaoke to leave with her, abruptly cutting off his intention to ask the Seventh Tier Mage more questions. After saluting and taking their leave, Mage Roman said to Shaoke, "Did you still want to ask him questions? If you continued, I think that mage would have gotten angry. If not for orders from above, he probably would not have explained anything to us today."

Shaoke nodded. Although he had not sensed any displeasure from the Seventh Tier Mage, he did not want to argue with her on this matter. "Roman, you should go back and rest properly now. You look very pale."

"Hmm, don’t worry, I’m fine. I truly hope the others can return safely as well." Mage Roman muttered softly, then took out her magic device. Together with Shaoke, she checked the message they had received in the room. As the Seventh Tier Mage had said, it provided a relatively detailed explanation of the reason for the battle after the rules were broken. It also expressed hope that the mages could win this battle, as it concerned whether the Blue Feather Empire and the military would obtain many precious magic materials and books.

After reading the message, Mage Roman smiled at Shaoke and touched her slightly tattered cloak. "Alright! I’ll hold onto the cloak for now. When I have time, I’ll find someone to repair it for you. Hmm! But you should change your robe when you get back—it has many tears!" She then stretched lazily, gently pinching the space between her eyebrows. "Remember to come to the tavern tonight! And make sure to take a good bath when you get back."

Watching Roman mutter to herself, Shaoke smiled inwardly. He had not expected her to be so talkative, giving him the illusion that she was much older than him. As he watched her retreating figure, Shaoke habitually tried to pull his cloak around himself, only to realize it had already been taken by her.