Exchange Meeting

The next morning, when Jialan woke up, he found the fortress unusually quiet. The roars of Magic Beasts and the shouts of soldiers were gone, replaced by the occasional chirping of birds, making one almost forget the fierce battle of the previous night.

After breakfast, Jialan noticed a new troop of about three hundred soldiers had arrived at the fortress. The fortress now had at least over two thousand soldiers openly present. He also discovered that this new contingent included two Spellcasters, both formal Mages.

He met Anna in the hall. The two naturally fell into a conversation about cultivation.

"Since graduating and coming to serve on the border, I haven't had the chance to discuss cultivation with a Spellcaster of the same rank," Jialan said with emotion. "It's truly been very beneficial to be able to converse with you this time."

Anna smiled and said, "Your Ice Element magic attainments are very deep, especially that Ice Seal Ring. You control it exceptionally well."

The two engaged in an in-depth discussion about their respective cultivation experiences. Jialan found that Anna had a very unique understanding of Light magic, particularly in healing. Anna, in turn, praised Jialan's Ice Element magic without reservation.

As they talked, they found more and more common ground, and time flew by until noon. At this moment, Albert returned from outside.

"It seems you two had a very pleasant chat," the old Mage said with a smile. "Coincidentally, there's an exchange meeting for Mages tonight. If you don't have other plans, you can attend."

Anna looked surprised. "Isn't the fortress rather tense right now? How can there be leisure for an exchange meeting?"

Albert explained, "After last night's battle, the Magic Beasts will likely be quiet for a while. Based on past experience, they need time to regroup. So, there shouldn't be any battles recently, and we can relax a bit."

Jialan and Anna exchanged glances, seeing anticipation in each other's eyes.

Albert nodded with satisfaction. "The exchange meeting starts at seven tonight. I'll take you there then. Remember to bring some items or knowledge you can exchange."

Jialan returned to his room and began preparing for the evening's exchange meeting. He took out some Magic Scrolls and potions he had made from his Spatial Bag and organized his recent cultivation insights.

As night fell, Jialan and Anna followed Albert to a stone house on the east side of the fortress. Under the moonlight, the stone house appeared exceptionally mysterious. A faint light emanated from the windows, and they could vaguely see that quite a few people had already gathered inside.

Pushing open the heavy wooden door, Jialan was surprised to find seven or eight Spellcasters already inside. They were standing or sitting, conversing in low voices. Jialan counted roughly, and with the three of them, the number of formal Mages in this fortress actually exceeded ten. This was no small force.

The three found a corner to sit. Jialan looked around and noticed that most of the Mages appeared serious, as if waiting for something.

After some time, seeing that no more Spellcasters were arriving, the door at the back of the stone house suddenly opened. Three people walked onto the platform. Jialan was taken aback when he saw them; he knew all three.

Standing on the far left was Argyle Capet, the High Light Knight with the title of Viscount. He was still wearing his gleaming armor, but his face now bore a rare seriousness.

In the center was the deputy commander of the Seventh Legion, Great Sword Master Raymond. Jialan had met him once in the Misty Forest; his imposing physique and sharp gaze were chilling.

On the right was the accompanying High Mage Calvin. He wore a dark gray Mage robe, with a shining badge on his chest indicating his status as a High Mage.

Everyone quickly stood up and bowed to the three important figures on the platform. Not to mention their status and position, their professional ranks alone were at least high-level, far beyond what the lower-level Spellcasters present could compare to.

Argyle's gaze swept across the crowd, pausing slightly on Jialan, and he gave a nod. This subtle gesture surprised everyone present, who began to size up Jialan in secret, speculating about his relationship with the High Light Knight.

The old Mage Calvin smiled and gestured for everyone to sit. "No need for formalities, everyone. Tonight, we gather as Mages, and we can all exchange ideas as equals." With that, he began to share his cultivation experiences and answer some of the questions raised by the Mages. This was a tradition at the start of every exchange meeting and a benefit for the garrison Mages.

Although it was called an exchange, most of the time was spent with Calvin lecturing. The knowledge level of a High Spellcaster was not something that low-level Mages like Jialan could compare to.

An hour later, the discussion ended. As Calvin announced the start of the exchange meeting, the tense atmosphere eased slightly. Following the order, everyone began to state the items and needs they wished to exchange.

A middle-aged Mage stood up first. He wore a dark blue Mage robe and carefully took out a crystal-clear glass bottle. The liquid inside was a deep blue, as if it contained the entire ocean.

"This is a bottle of 'Tear of the Ocean'," the middle-aged Mage said with a hint of pride in his voice. "It's an essence from a deep-sea giant whale. I wish to exchange it for some intermediate to advanced magic materials, especially those related to Water Element magic."

Gasps of admiration immediately filled the stone house. 'Tear of the Ocean' was an extremely precious magic material. It could not only greatly enhance the power of Water Element magic but also help Water Element Mages break through bottlenecks.

Jialan was also attracted by this bottle of 'Tear of the Ocean'. Although he was an Ice Mage, Ice Element and Water Element were originally of the same origin, so this 'Tear of the Ocean' held great appeal for him. However, it was a pity that with his financial standing, he could only admire this 'Tear of the Ocean' from afar.

Soon, several Mages expressed interest.

"I am willing to exchange three portions of 'Stardust Sand' and one portion of 'Moonlight Essence'," a male Mage in a silver Mage robe offered first.

The middle-aged Mage shook his head. "Sorry, I need more Water Element materials."

Another female Mage in a green Mage robe stood up. "I have a piece of 'Heart of Jade', an excellent material for crafting Water Element magic items..."

Yet another elder Mage produced an ancient book. "This is 'Water's Lament', which records some lost Water Element spells..."

For the first item to be exchanged, the Mages competed fiercely.

The middle-aged Mage listened carefully to everyone's offers, nodding or shaking his head from time to time. Finally, he chose the female Mage's 'Heart of Jade' and added some other materials as part of the exchange.

After the exchange was completed, the middle-aged Mage sat down contentedly. The other Mages began to whisper among themselves, discussing the transaction.

Jialan noticed that the three on the platform had been silently observing everything, without interfering with anyone's transactions, regardless of the value of the items.

The exchange meeting continued, with various rare items appearing one after another.