White Dragon Horse

The young mercenary's eyes dimmed. He looked down at his rough hands, calloused and scarred. These hands were better suited for wielding a sword than casting spells.

The mercenary captain clapped the young mercenary on the shoulder. "Don't overthink it. For people like us, just being alive is good enough. Magic and all that, leave it to those noble lords."

Jialan looked at the mercenaries, a complex emotion suddenly surging within him. He remembered his own childhood; if he hadn't been a transmigrator with insufficient Mental Power, he might be struggling for survival just like them now.

"Actually," Jialan said suddenly, "cultivating Battle Qi isn't bad for you. If you can reach a high level, you might not be any worse than a Spellcaster."

The mercenaries looked at Jialan in surprise, not expecting such words from this noble Mage.

"Really?" The young mercenary's eyes rekindled with hope.

Jialan nodded. "Once Battle Qi reaches an advanced level, you can release combat skills externally. Although you can't have the variety of unpredictable spells like Spellcasters, the destructive power is no less than magic. If you reach the Sword Master level, even an Archmage wouldn't dare underestimate you."

The mercenaries listened intently, their breathing growing lighter. To them, a Sword Master was like a legendary existence.

"However," Jialan's tone shifted, "reaching that realm requires effort beyond ordinary people's imagination."

The mercenaries exchanged glances. Finally, the captain said firmly, "It's better than constantly thinking about unrealistic magic. Lord Mage, you're right, we should focus on what we can do."

Jialan nodded.

The young mercenary clenched his fist. "Captain, I want to try going to the Battle Qi Academy in the Imperial Capital."

The mercenary captain was taken aback for a moment, then a gratified smile spread across his face. "Good lad, you've got ambition! We'll send you after this mission is over."

The other mercenaries expressed their support one after another. Although they couldn't touch the world of magic, they could at least go further on the path of Battle Qi.

After half a day of searching, they finally found their target in a valley. The White Dragon Horse stood in an open space, its entire body snow-white, its mane shining like silver threads, its neck covered in white scales that gleamed in the sunlight.

However, Jialan frowned. This White Dragon Horse seemed somewhat different from the ones he remembered from the Holy See. He couldn't quite pinpoint the difference, but there was an inexplicable sense of incongruity.

"Be careful," Jialan quietly warned the mercenaries, "this horse is a bit off."

"What's wrong?" the mercenary captain asked.

Jialan didn't answer immediately, instead carefully observing the White Dragon Horse. Indeed, it looked very similar to the Holy See's White Dragon Horses, but something just felt wrong.

Firstly, the White Dragon Horse's physique seemed smaller than normal. Secondly, its horns looked somewhat... unnatural, as if they had been deliberately modified.

What made Jialan feel most incongruous was the Mana fluctuation emanating from the White Dragon Horse. Although it was Light attribute, it seemed to be mixed with something else.

"You all wait here," Jialan told the mercenaries, "I'll go take a look."

"But..." the mercenary captain sounded worried.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing." With that, Jialan cautiously approached the White Dragon Horse.

As he got closer, the sense of incongruity grew stronger. Jialan could feel that the White Dragon Horse seemed to be in a state of pain. Its eyes revealed fear and confusion, completely unlike the well-trained White Dragon Horses of the Holy See. Just as he was about to observe further, a strong sense of crisis suddenly washed over him.

He spun around abruptly and saw a group of people rapidly approaching. Leading them was a burly middle-aged Warrior, riding a tall black horse, with an ancient-looking longsword at his waist. Even from a distance, Jialan could feel the powerful Battle Qi fluctuations emanating from him.

"At least a Great Sword Master level..." Jialan thought in shock. Warriors of this caliber were considered above average even in the army.

What made Jialan even more vigilant was the presence of an old man in a dark gray Mage robe within the group. Judging by the insignia on the robe, he was a high-level Spellcaster.

The group quickly arrived before Jialan. The middle-aged Warrior sized up Jialan from above, his gaze sharp as a knife.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" the middle-aged Warrior's voice was deep and powerful.

Jialan took a deep breath and displayed his military Mage insignia. "I am Jialan, an accompanying Mage of Mist Town stationed at the border, currently... on a reconnaissance mission."

"...Mist Town?" The middle-aged Warrior carefully examined the insignia, then turned to the gray-robed old Mage beside him. The old Mage nodded in response. He then looked at Jialan's Mage robe before slightly relaxing his guard.

"I am Raymond, the deputy commander of the Imperial Seventh Legion," the middle-aged Warrior introduced himself. "And this is Calvin, our accompanying Mage."

Mage Calvin nodded slightly, but his gaze remained fixed on the White Dragon Horse not far away.

Raymond continued, "Since you are also a military Mage, you should understand the importance of secrecy. Everything you see today must be strictly confidential."

Jialan's heart tightened, but he still nodded in agreement. "I understand."

Raymond nodded with satisfaction, then turned to the Knights behind him. "Bring those mercenaries over."

Only then did Jialan notice that the mercenaries had already been apprehended by the Holy See's people. Their hands were bound, and their faces were filled with fear.

"Wait!" Jialan couldn't help but speak up. "They're just ordinary mercenaries, they don't know anything..."

Raymond cast a cold glance at Jialan. "That's none of your business. Remember your identity, Mage."

Jialan opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say. Although he was a Spellcaster, he was, after all, just a low-level Mage. In the face of a behemoth like the military, he was powerless to resist.

The mercenary captain was brought before Raymond. He clearly recognized these people as military Knights, and his face instantly turned pale.

"L-Lord..." the mercenary captain stammered, "we were just passing by..."

Raymond waved his hand, interrupting the mercenary captain. "Take them all away. Remember, not one can be left behind."

The mercenaries were escorted away by fully armed military Knights. The young mercenary looked back at Jialan, his eyes filled with despair and pleading. Jialan met his gaze, but was powerless to help.

Mage Calvin walked over to the White Dragon Horse and examined it closely, his expression growing more grim.

"The situation is more serious than we thought," Calvin said to Raymond. "It needs to be dealt with immediately."

Raymond nodded and turned to Jialan. "Mage, you can go now. Remember, if anything about today leaks out, you know the consequences."

Jialan took a deep breath, suppressing the unease in his heart. "I understand."

Watching Jialan's retreating back, Raymond quietly asked Calvin, "Should we send someone to keep an eye on him?"

Calvin shook his head. "He's just a low-level Mage, he can't stir up much trouble. Besides, we're both in the military, so we can't go too far."

Jialan walked a long distance until he was sure no one was following him before stopping. He leaned against a large tree, feeling his back soaked with cold sweat.

"The Holy See's White Dragon Horse... the military..." Jialan recalled everything that had just happened, his heart filled with confusion and unease.

He had a vague feeling that he might have unintentionally gotten caught up in a huge conspiracy