When Ang arrived at the Mage Association outpost, the two mages at the entrance gave him wary looks. The Mage Association's outpost was built inside a Tall Tower in North Port, with a constantly rotating blue crystal floating above its peak—the symbol of the Imperial Mage Association.
Ang did not hesitate. He took out a badge engraved with the insignia of the Pat City Mage Association and handed it to one of the mages.
"I am a member of the Pat City Mage Association. I have an urgent matter to report." His voice was low, but his words carried unquestionable resolve.
The outpost mage accepted the badge and glanced at it. His expression eased slightly, though he remained cautious.
"Go on," the mage said.
Ang turned slightly and pointed at the airship he had arrived on. With a calm gaze, he said, "I suspect there is a Black Mage aboard that airship."
At the words "Black Mage," the expressions of the nearby mages instantly turned grave. The air seemed to fall silent.
"A Black Mage? What evidence do you have?" another mage asked with a frown.
Ang briefly recounted what had happened along the way, including the suspicious man in black, the disturbance among the White-headed Black Sparrows, and the civilian Kov, who had contracted the Sleepless Plague.
The mages exchanged glances, clearly weighing the severity of the matter. A Black Mage meant evil, chaos, and uncontrollable danger. Even mere suspicion had to be dealt with immediately.
The lead outpost mage asked no further questions. He lowered his head and blew into a dark red whistle hanging around his neck—a Magic Communication tool capable of transmitting information through silent magical waves.
An invisible ripple swiftly spread outward, like ripples across a lake, sweeping through the entire airship port.
Moments later,