[Political Influence]

[Political Repercussions]

That evening, the soldiers and civilians of Half-Horn City were hard at work repairing the city walls. Just then, a cloud of dust rose in the distance along the road outside the city!

Amid the billowing dust, a troop of cavalry came galloping toward Half-Horn City.

These cavalrymen all wore the standard armor of the Imperial local garrison. Upon reaching the city, they immediately rode straight in.

"I want to see your highest-ranking officer!" The cavalry captain, an Imperial Level Five Knight, sat grim-faced atop his horse and barked the demand.

Before long, Knight Span, half his body wrapped in bandages, was carried out.

The cavalry captain glanced down at Span from horseback and gave a slight bow. "Honored Knight, I am Golong, deputy commander of the Second Cavalry Regiment directly under the Governor of Lier Province. By order of the Governor, from this moment onward, the area within three hundred li of Half-Horn City is temporarily designated a military control zone! I am taking over supreme command here."

As he spoke, the knight named Golong tossed over a document scroll. "This is a document personally signed by the Governor!"

Span was somewhat startled. "The Governor... is the Governor nearby as well?"

"No, the Governor is in the provincial capital." Knight Golong's expression was grim. Looking at the wounded Span, he sighed. "Knight, I must remind you: you have caused a terrible disaster! The eldest son of Count Raymond, Vice Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial High Command, was attacked and went missing within your jurisdiction. The Governor was deeply shocked upon learning of this. Given your grave dereliction of duty, I believe you should prepare yourself mentally. This emergency appointment document was sent directly by the Governor through the Magic Union's teleportation array to the various forces taking part in the spring maneuvers. Under the Governor's orders, all thirty thousand local garrison troops of Lier Province are to halt the spring maneuvers and immediately conduct a full-scale search centered on Half-Horn City for the whereabouts of the young master of the Roland Family! And regarding the incident you reported, of a mage brazenly attacking a local military camp, I believe... you should prepare yourself for that as well. It is very likely the Governor will order you to go personally to the provincial capital, where he will require you to testify at the trial. You should understand that your report may very well heighten tensions between the Imperial military and the Magic Union!"

Knight Span's face turned ashen. He knew that his future in the military was likely finished. A local garrison camp under his watch had been attacked by a mage, and the young master of the Roland Family had been lost.

Though it was difficult to place the blame for such a matter on him—after all, faced with such a powerful mage, a mere Level Four Knight like himself had been powerless—

Still, after such a huge incident, someone had to take the blame and bear responsibility, didn't they?

Knight Span saluted and struggled to straighten his back. He was still wounded, and the moment he stood upright, cold sweat broke out from the pain. Yet he still declared proudly, "Thank you for the warning, sir. I will obey every order from the Governor. I now formally hand over command here to you. Also... when am I to depart for the provincial capital, as ordered by the Governor?"

"Now." Looking at Span, a trace of helplessness flashed through Golong's eyes as he called out loudly, "By the Governor's second written order! Knight Span, deputy captain of the Half-Horn City local garrison cavalry, is temporarily stripped of his deputy captaincy due to grave dereliction of duty. All officers of the Half-Horn City local garrison are to be demoted by half a rank! You are expected to atone for your crimes through meritorious service and wash away your failure with achievement! Knight Span, you must set out at once. The Governor expects you to reach the provincial capital before sunset tomorrow!"

Seeing Span covered in wounds, Knight Golong suddenly felt a stir in his heart. He lowered his voice. "Knight Span, I know this matter is not your responsibility. Seeing your injuries, I personally believe you did everything you could. I will report everything I have seen, and I also believe this was not a dereliction of duty on your part—the matter simply lay far beyond the limits of what you could control."

"...Thank you." Knight Span sighed, then shook his head. "I truly did fail in some respects... All right, sir. Robert of the Roland Family is at the garrison camp outside the city. I believe you should meet him. Other than that... there is nothing more."

As he watched the wounded Knight Span have his helmet and the insignia of an Imperial officer removed by the soldiers, Knight Golong could not help but sigh inwardly.

Span, Span... did you know what enormous consequences your report would bring about?!

On the surface, this matter seemed to be about the young master of the Roland Family being abducted by a female mage... But in truth, even if he was the young master of the Roland Family, no matter how noble his status, how could thirty thousand local garrison troops halt their spring maneuvers just to search for him?

The root of this matter lay in the conflict between the military and the Magic Union!!

Though mages were universally acknowledged as an extraordinary group that stood above the law, this time, a mage had dared to openly attack an Imperial local garrison! In the eyes of the Imperial military, the nature of this act was utterly vile!

This was an open provocation against the Imperial military! It was also a provocation against Imperial rule!! Taken further, it could even be regarded as an act of rebellion—an act of treason!!

Because of this matter, the Governor's aides and advisers in the provincial capital of Lier Province were already arguing themselves hoarse! One could well imagine what kind of uproar this report would cause once it reached the military's High Command.

The Empire's leaders had always been dissatisfied with the Magic Union placing itself above Imperial law, and had always believed that the Empire granted mages far too many privileges. This incident would heighten tensions between the Imperial military and the Magic Union... Moreover, it was said that His Majesty the Emperor had also voiced considerable criticism of the Magic Union in recent years, because during the last naval expedition in the south, the Magic Union had not sent enough mages to support the army.

His Majesty had been considering reducing the preferential treatment the Empire granted the Magic Union each year. In fact, when news of this attack first reached the provincial capital of Lier Province and was revealed, it immediately stirred tremendous outrage among the military officers!!

Even before Knight Golong set out, over a thousand Imperial local garrison officers had jointly signed a petition demanding that the Governor order the Magic Union to severely punish the attacker!

But... putting a mage on trial, and a high-level mage at that?

There had never been such a precedent in the history of the Empire!!

After seeing off Knight Span, who was traveling by carriage to the provincial capital of Lier Province—though he was covered in wounds and truly unfit to rush along by carriage so hastily, the Governor's strict order left him no choice but to force himself onward—

Knight Golong immediately led his men in taking over the city defenses. He then dispatched men to hasten repairs to the sections of wall that had collapsed in last night's earthquake, before heading to the local garrison camp outside the city. There, he met Knight Robert, who had returned to change horses.

Robert was also covered in wounds, but the knight was still stubbornly holding on. He had spent the entire day riding through the surrounding area. His body was already exhausted beyond measure, yet his spirit remained unyielding. Only his horse could endure no longer, forcing him to return to the camp to change mounts.

Knight Golong promptly met with Robert. After they spoke for a while and Robert learned that the local garrison troops had assembled and were heading here to conduct a large-scale search, he let out a slight breath of relief.

"Besides... I imagine the Roland Family's private army has begun assembling as well. At the latest, the Roland Family's light cavalry should enter Lier Province by tomorrow afternoon. The repercussions of this incident are enormous... I fear..."

Robert was indeed a retainer of the Roland Family. Someone from such a great household would naturally have absorbed knowledge of these matters through daily exposure, so he immediately picked up the thread. "Yes... the repercussions of a mage attacking a military camp?"

"Yes." Knight Golong said slowly, "I brought one thousand cavalrymen, and the larger force behind us is still assembling. Command over the area within three hundred li now belongs to me. But frankly, I do not have much confidence. Still, the Governor has issued a strict order: Young Master Du Wei must be found. Because..."

Knight Golong looked around, then lowered his voice. "Because the Governor stated clearly in the confidential letter he personally gave me: while the repercussions are spreading quickly, the higher-ups likely will not yet dare to turn openly against the Magic Union over this. At most, they will use the opportunity to suppress them somewhat; there will not be any major action. Even His Majesty the Emperor probably would not dare offend the Magic Union rashly. Still, appearances must be maintained, and some official letters of condemnation will be issued. After that, they will most likely turn a major matter into a minor one, and a minor matter into nothing at all. Though the military was attacked, no one died. At least that leaves room for reconciliation. But... that young noble is the key! If... to put it bluntly, if anything happens to Young Master Du Wei... then this matter will be very difficult to settle! Knight Robert, you understand what I mean, don't you?"

Robert thought for a moment, then nodded.

If... if anything happened to Young Master Du Wei, even...

Then, given the Roland Family's status, the eldest son of a count had died—they naturally could not let the matter rest! Even if it was said that the Count did not like this son, a young master of the Roland Family had died. Even if the Count disliked him, for the sake of the Roland Family's honor, he would absolutely pursue the matter to the bitter end! Otherwise, how could the glorious martial house that had flourished for centuries—the great Roland Family—allow itself to be violated and humiliated so casually?! If they could even endure the murder of their own son, then in the eyes of outsiders, the prestige of the Roland Family would surely be teetering on the brink of collapse!

From the standpoint of the family patriarch, the Count would certainly pursue this to the end!

And if the Count refused to let the matter drop... given the Roland Family's standing and connections within the Imperial military, with the Roland Family taking the lead, they could rally a considerable portion of the military's power behind them!!

If that led to a direct confrontation between the Imperial military and the Magic Union, then things would become truly troublesome!

Therefore, whether Young Master Du Wei could be recovered was the key to whether this matter could be calmed!

"How has the Magic Union responded?" Robert asked.

"The Magic Union? Hmph!" Knight Golong's tone was also filled with disdain. It was clear that after this incident, he too was deeply dissatisfied with the Magic Union. "What else could those people say? The Magic Union in the provincial capital of Lier Province replied that they would handle the matter internally. Did you hear that? Handle it internally! A brazen attack on the Imperial military! This is open rebellion and treason! Yet they think a simple phrase like 'internal handling' settles it! The Magic Union has always protected its own mages. Their so-called internal handling usually ends with the matter quietly vanishing. Those people are full of arrogance, believing the Empire cannot do without the aid of mages! Hmph!"

Robert pondered for a while, then suddenly said, "Knight Golong, I believe that merely searching within a radius of three hundred li will not be enough. The female mage who attacked the camp was far more powerful than we imagined. I believe she may already have fled beyond that range, so I suggest..."

"I know." Knight Golong nodded. "Though the Governor's order states three hundred li, he also told me in a confidential letter that the range may be expanded as appropriate. It does not matter even if we go beyond Lier Province; he has already contacted the local officials in neighboring regions. And as you know, three hundred li to the east lies the sea. The Governor has even requested support from the Imperial Navy. I believe that with the Roland Family's deep roots in the navy, obtaining naval support this time will certainly not be a problem."

Robert gave a bitter smile. "We just don't know how Young Master Du Wei is doing now..."

How was Du Wei doing now?

He was not well! Very, very badly!

Du Wei's shoes were already ruined. The kind of fine lambskin boots nobles wore were utterly unsuitable for walking through the woods, and his trouser legs had been torn by thorns as well.

He leaned heavily on a wooden stick, one end sharpened to a point. It could serve not only as a walking stick, but as a weapon too.

The powerful mage at his side no longer had magic, while he himself was only a half-grown boy. They had to stay alert for any wild beasts lurking in the forest.

Though staying beside the dragon was the safest option, they still needed to look around... at the very least, they had to find food! And fresh water!!

After making a circuit around the island, Du Wei had basically determined most of its terrain... it was all forest!

His mouth was so dry it felt ready to burst into flames, but what worried Du Wei was that they had not found a single drop of fresh water! There seemed to be no springs or freshwater lakes here either.

There was no helping it. The island was not large; judging from its overall terrain, it was a slightly flattened circle. It took only a little less than half a day to walk from one end to the other. By Du Wei's estimate, the island's diameter was around five li.

A small island. If an island like this had no fresh water...

Du Wei shook his head and could only sigh.

The problem now was that they could no longer count on that dragon. Forget about riding it away from here. And this little fool had lost her magic too; her Flight Spell could at most last a dozen seconds before she plunged headfirst down... and all around them stretched the boundless sea!

The two of them could not leave this little island!

If they could not find food and water, then in two days at most, they would probably both die here.

Vivian followed behind Du Wei with a pitiful look on her face. This female mage was terrified. She had landed on this unfamiliar deserted island, lost the magic she had always relied upon, and was now filled with utter confusion and unease.

Yet at this moment, it seemed that following this little noble who was always bullying her gave Vivian a strange sense of security.

So when Du Wei proposed scouting out the terrain, Vivian insisted on going with him... even though staying beside the dragon was the safest choice.

Even if there were terrifying beasts on the island... there was probably no beast in the world that would dare approach a dragon!

Having lost her magic and walked for nearly half a day, Vivian's feet hurt terribly. She suspected the soles of her feet had even blistered, but after glancing at the gloomy-faced little noble, she did not dare say anything and merely followed behind him with a frown.

Though Du Wei was feeling rather irritable himself, he had noticed the little fool frowning behind him. After walking so far, it must have been too much for a delicate girl like her.

"Rest for a while." Du Wei sighed, used his stick to poke around the area, made sure there were no snakes or anything else in the grass, then helped Vivian sit down.

Vivian's feet hurt so much she was nearly in tears. Never in her life had she imagined that sitting down could feel this wonderful!

After some thought, Du Wei took off his coat and swiftly tore it into several strips of cloth, then handed them to Vivian. "Here! The soles of your leather boots are too hard, of course your feet will hurt after walking far. Wrap this cloth around your feet—it'll feel a little softer."

"Th-thank you." After hesitating for a moment, Vivian's face reddened slightly. "C-can we... can we find a way to leave here?"

"Leave..." Du Wei gave a bitter smile. He could not bear to strike this little girl again. "We need to find food and water first. We can slowly figure out the rest afterward."

Du Wei pondered for a moment, then said seriously, "After walking for a day, I can now confirm a few things. First, judging by the wind direction, I can confirm that this is the spring monsoon over the sea. From that, I can confirm that we are on an island in the Empire's eastern sea. Then, judging by the vegetation here, we should still be in the southern part of the Empire—perhaps even in the waters east of Lier Province. And also..."

At this point, Du Wei's expression became somewhat strange. "There's something I'm very worried about."

"W-what?"

"Have you noticed? We've been walking for so long, and we've covered half the island... but we haven't found a single animal! Forget large wild beasts—even a snake or a rat, there hasn't been one!! It's as if this is an island without any life at all! There aren't even any animals here. And listen..."

Du Wei raised a hand beside his ear in a listening gesture, his tone eerie. "Did you notice... such a large island, such dense woods... yet there isn't even the sound of birds chirping! Not only are there no animals on the ground here... there aren't even any birds! That's far too strange!"