Chapter 211: The Familiar Yet Stranger in the Capital

The legion, numbering over ten thousand, began marching toward the imperial capital once more, but this time they took a different route heading toward the imperial capital. As for simple road repairs, they weren't something ordinary soldiers could avoid.

After more than half a year of travel, the Blizzard 33rd Corps finally returned to the imperial capital. As soon as the army was stationed on the outskirts of the capital, the Legion Commander got a magical message from the military department, summoning him to report in detail on what happened during the journey.

It turned out that during the army's return journey to the capital, they had encountered numerous bands of bandits hiding in forests and even remote towns. These bandits were easily identified by the reconnaissance cavalry as former Esuoer Empire soldiers. Although the cavalry did not understand why these enemy soldiers disguised as bandits were appearing in large numbers within the imperial capital's territory, they killed them anyway. After a sudden assault by high-rank warriors, they captured a few ordinary soldiers who hadn't had time to kill themselves, learning from them their methods and purposes for coming here. Of course, this info wasn't shared with regular officers or the mages.

After returning to the capital, the mages went back to the small castle they had previously occupied. There, mages from a Blizzard Legion sub-unit were already stationed. With the arrival of Shaoke's legion, several more Blizzard Legion units came back to the capital to report in over the following months. Naturally, the small castle got a lot livelier than before. The Sleazy Officer rarely bothered the mages anymore, as he had to trade blows with commanders of other units' Blizzard Warriors. However, after losing most of his Blizzard Warriors, he got beaten a lot and eventually went back to bothering the mages during work and rest, though no one paid him much attention.

In the third month after returning to the capital, while Shaoke was studying spell knowledge, a warrior brought him a message: "Mage Xueye, two mages wish to see you. They say they used to serve with you in the Mist Forest."

This news surprised Shaoke. After returning to the capital, he'd totally forgotten to look up the mages he used to know, but now they had taken the initiative to find him. After a moment's hesitation, Shaoke told the warrior to say he'd be there soon, then leaned back in his high-backed chair, pondering past events.

After waiting a while, Shaoke tidied up slightly, threw on his cloak, and went to meet the two mages, whose names he didn't know yet.

Mage Fei and Mage Yija. Though many years had passed since their last meeting, time hadn't changed how they looked; they still appeared as before.

The three mages exchanged formal greetings, and then silence fell, probably because they hadn't seen each other in so long. Finally, Mage Fei broke the silence. Glancing at Shaoke, who had removed his cloak, he said, "Mage Xueye, you look skinnier than before. You should pay more attention to your health." When he saw that the other two mages remained silent, he suggested, "How about we hit a tavern outside? It might be more suitable for conversation there." He then turned his gaze to Mage Yija, who sat upright without lowering his head, awaiting his response.

"Mage Xueye, have you advanced to Fourth Tier Mage?" Mage Yija, once shy, now spoke without his former timidity, softly stating his discovery. "Congratulations. Perhaps in future letters, I should frequently ask if you've advanced." As he spoke, as if recalling something, he lightly touched the Third Rank badge on his fancy robe.

"Yes, I advanced not long ago," Shaoke said, not going into detail. Eventually, the three decided to go to the tavern for their discussion, as the temporary reception hall was always bustling with people, which hindered their conversation.

Not far from the Blizzard Legion's location was the tavern where Shaoke and Mage Roman had previously rested. Under Shaoke's guidance, they quickly reached the top floor. Instead of seeking a private room, they picked a quiet corner to sit.

After some fine wine was served, the mages exchanged toasts before beginning a new topic.

Mage Yija, whose golden hair partially obscured his face, drank a little wine and then stated the main purpose of his visit. "Mage Xueye, I would like to invite you to join my mage family. I believe we can offer you treatment no less than that of the Blizzard Legion." He added, "I mean no offense. I still remember raising this question in the Mist Forest, and you said..." Before he could finish, Shaoke rudely interrupted him.

"Mage Yija, my refusal from back then still stands today." He then changed the subject, inquiring about the current situations of the two mages and the other two, Mage Loki and Mage Jiya. Naturally, both provided detailed explanations. This pleasant topic continued for a long time before concluding.

"Mage Fei, do you still plan to continue teaching at the Mist Academy?" Shaoke asked with some confusion, as he knew that after advancing to Third Tier Mage, most mages no longer held such positions, which offered little gold coin income. Even Third Tier Mages guarding city gates and walls earned many times more annually than those in low-level academies.

Mage Fei did not answer immediately. He glanced secretly at Mage Yija before replying, "Yes, I will remain at the Mist Academy for a long time. I plan to leave only after advancing to Fifth Tier Mage." He then turned the conversation back to Shaoke. "Mage Xueye, how long do you intend to serve in the Blizzard Legion?"

Shaoke shook his wine glass uncertainly. He had few thoughts about the future, only focusing on acquiring more magic materials and precious potions to accelerate his advancement. As for what to do after his contract with the Blizzard Legion expired, he had not yet decided.

"Perhaps I will stay with the Blizzard Legion, or perhaps I will become a Wandering Mage," Shaoke said uncertainly. He added, "If possible, I might even join the Mage Guild." He found this amusing, as in the Blue Feather Empire, the Mage Guild's subsidies were not generous. Great merchants and nobles were often much more generous than the guild in certain matters.

Shaoke's uncertain answer caused a blush to appear on Mage Yija's usually calm face. He knew that maintaining this connection might allow him to recruit a Fourth Tier Mage again, which would further stabilize his position within his family. Of course, he did not show this.

After a long conversation, the three mages began to recapture the feeling they had during their missions in the Mist Forest. Mage Yija, in particular, felt that Shaoke was still as knowledgeable as before, maintaining a calm and indifferent demeanor in all matters. This was partly due to Shaoke's improved temper after three years of rest.

New guests arrived at the tavern: Mage Roman and Mage Roland. They did not notice Shaoke, as low-rank mages rarely released their mental power or magic to probe their surroundings. Combined with Shaoke's secluded spot, the two mages, who were not carefully observing, failed to spot them.

Once they arrived, Shaoke's attention shifted slightly to them. Mage Yija quickly noticed this and whispered, "Are these two mages friends you made in the Blizzard Legion?" He then carefully observed Mage Roman and Mage Roland, trying to read their lip movements to deduce their conversation. Of course, he did not share his findings with Shaoke.

Their conversation gradually died down, while Mage Roman and Mage Roland's discussion grew heated. Shaoke even noticed Mage Roland gesturing excitedly with one hand on the table, while Mage Roman quietly shook her head, which only agitated him further. Finally, Mage Roman stood up abruptly, said a few words to him, picked up her staff, and left the tavern. Mage Roland slumped back into his seat, remaining silent for a long time. After nearly a magic hour, having drunk several glasses of wine, he stood up unsteadily and left.

"How did a mage belonging to the Blue Feather Legion end up like this?" Mage Fei, who had observed the scene, commented habitually but then realized there were two higher-ranked mages present and awkwardly stopped. "I was just saying."

Seeing that Mage Fei had lost the composed demeanor of a mage from the Mist Forest, Shaoke felt a renewed sense of distance. After a brief pause, he rose and left, but not before promising to stay in touch with the two mages.

In Shaoke's room, an unexpected gathering of guests had assembled: a slightly pale Mage Roman, the calm Fifth Tier Female Mage Yisier, the white-robed Female Cleric, the golden-robed Female Mage, and their men, the Bald Officer. The host's return eased the discomfort of the guests, who felt a bit awkward for entering without permission.