Town Guard Office

Dago arrived at the academy gates.

The number of guards had clearly increased, and the wizards entering and leaving wore stern, expressionless faces.

He cautiously activated the Detection Technique and scanned several passing wizards. One middle-aged wizard fixed him with a fierce glare.

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"Are you looking to die? You actually dared to use a detection spell on a wizard of the academy?"

With a flick of his hand, the middle-aged wizard sent the wand hidden up his sleeve sliding out. He pointed it at Dago and shouted.

Seeing energy particles gathering at the tip of the wand, Dago raised both hands and hurriedly said, "Sorry, it was a misunderstanding. I didn't know the academy's rules."

When he saw that the middle-aged apprentice wizard made no further move, Dago slowly pulled out the Level Three Apprentice badge of the Wizard Alliance hanging around his neck.

Only then did the middle-aged apprentice wizard's expression soften considerably. He slowly dispersed the energy around his wand and walked toward Dago.

"Kid, be more careful next time. The situation outside is tense right now. Don't casually aim combat spells at your own people," the middle-aged apprentice wizard said before hurrying away.

Dago patted his chest and nodded in relief, noticing quite a few people watching the spectacle...

He quickly swiped his credentials at the academy gate's identification device and entered the academy.

Since Ainak Wizard Academy was protected by a massive runic construct, the command headquarters of Aina Town's ordinary military had moved into the academy castle to prevent supernatural assassinations by hostile forces.

On his way to the academy castle, Dago saw many hurried-looking wizards. The hems of their usually elegant robes were stained with dust, their brows tightly furrowed and their eyes filled with anxiety.

One after another, academy wizards were being assigned to protect villages around the town or intercept the enemy's advance wizard forces.

The urns of academy wizards were constantly being sent back, most of them belonging to people they knew.

Dago arrived at the academy castle and found the temporary Town Guard Office, which was currently responsible for the military defense of the area around Aina Town.

It was a large room that had once been part of the academy's administrative offices, a place Dago had visited before. Two guards in chainmail and armed with longswords stood at the entrance.

"I need to go inside and meet the officer in charge. I have important intelligence to report," Dago said to one of the guards, whose gaze never wavered.

"No one enters without a warrant," the soldier replied without looking away, his tone firm.

Dago's head began to ache. Where was he supposed to get a warrant? He could only stand foolishly outside and think of a solution.

Just then, the middle-aged wizard Dago had met earlier strode toward the room, intending to enter.

Dago hurriedly stopped him. "Hello, sir wizard. I'm Dago Heka. I have something to ask of you."

The middle-aged wizard did not blame Dago. He stopped and said, "Just call me Wizard Raymond. Tell me what it is."

"I have important intelligence that I want to report to the officer inside."

"Fine. Since you're a Level Three apprentice wizard from the academy, come in with me."

With that, he signaled for the two guards to step aside and led Dago inside.

Several men dressed as knights in luxurious plate armor sat around a walnut table, pointing, writing, and drawing over a huge parchment map.

When they saw the middle-aged wizard enter, the men rose in unison and struck their chests with their right fists.

"Wizard Raymond!"

Only then did Dago realize that the middle-aged wizard held quite a high position.

Raymond took the seat at the head of the table, waved for everyone to sit, and looked at Dago standing beside him.

"Speak. What important intelligence do you have?"

Dago took out the Duskblood Council badge he had looted from the black-robed wizard and showed it to everyone.

At once, everyone's expressions changed. Some looked uneasy, some remained calm, and some even gritted their teeth.

"Where did you get that?" Raymond asked calmly.

"In the forest outside town. I live there."

"Did you kill him, or did he escape?"

"I killed him."

"I didn't expect there to be someone as capable as you in the forest."

Raymond gave Dago an approving look, then quickly moved to inspect the enormous assembled parchment map.

"Come and show us exactly where it was," he said, raising a hand to beckon Dago over.

Dago put away the badge and walked toward the wooden frame holding the map. With everyone watching him, he felt a little nervous.

He carefully studied the map and eventually located the approximate position based on the terrain markings.

Dago raised a hand and jabbed a spot on the map. Everyone looked over, and their expressions changed again.

"They're too fast. They've advanced too quickly," Dago heard Raymond mutter darkly.

"You must speed up the recruitment of militia from the town. Take as many as you can get. Go now."

Raymond immediately issued the order loudly to the knight officers.

Amid a clatter of steel, they strode out of the room.

Only Dago and Raymond remained in the room. Raymond was gesturing over the map.

"Wizard Raymond, now that you know this intelligence, could you send wizards to guard the forest?" Dago asked softly.

"That isn't realistic, Dago. The forest is too large. We don't have enough manpower, and we don't have enough time." Raymond's attention remained fixed on the map.

"Then can the academy take in the people living in the forest?"

"Dago, you've earned merit. Based on the Duskblood Council member you killed, you could serve as an adjutant under me and move into the academy. As for everyone else, I'm sorry."

Raymond finally looked at Dago, clearly trying to recruit him.

"I have friends in the forest. I can't abandon them," Dago said after a moment of silence.

"How about this? I have a suggestion. The academy will assign a wizard to join the wizards living in the forest and form a Forest Patrol. What do you think?" Raymond proposed with a smile.

"That works."

"Good. Wait here for a moment. I'll use a communication crystal to call him over."

Raymond took out a white crystal engraved with runes. At its center was a perfect large triangle...

On either side of the triangle were two symmetrical heptagonal facets, possessing exceptional purity and transparency.

"Vissel, come to the Town Guard Office," Raymond said into the communication crystal.

More than ten minutes later, a young wizard walked in, his platinum-blond short hair flying wildly, several locks at the tips dyed an eerie purple...

He performed a disciple's salute toward Raymond.

He gave a slight nod while touching his left chest with his right hand. The gesture symbolized, "I swear by the heart of a wizard that I meet you with sincerity."

Without even looking at Dago, he directly asked Raymond, "Mentor Raymond, what did you need me for?"

"Vissel, it's time for you to go out and gain some experience. There happens to be such an opportunity now. Go with another promising young talent to establish a patrol in the forest outside town."

Raymond spoke slowly, his gaze calm as still water.

"I will follow your instructions, Mentor." Only then did Vissel cast Dago a sidelong glance.

"Dago, this is Vissel. He's only seventeen, yet he's already the youngest Level Three apprentice wizard in the academy's history. I hope the two of you get along well."

After saying this to Dago, Raymond indicated that they could leave and turned his attention back to the parchment map.

Dago and Vissel left the room together. As Dago opened the door for Vissel, he gave him a closer look.

While Dago was studying Vissel, Vissel was studying him as well. But after only a casual glance, he looked away.

Dago felt that this guy seemed to look down on him. Then again, he was an academy prodigy and a wizard apprentice.

"You're Dago, right? Go contact the rats living in the forest and get them to band together first. Come find me tomorrow. I hope you won't hold me back."

Vissel's voice was icy, carrying a forcefulness that brooked no argument.

"Fine, Vissel, you privileged brat." Dago naturally did not give him a pleasant look either.

Vissel ignored him and turned away.

Dago quickly returned to the forest to find Mariko and tell him the good news. The academy's willingness to provide assistance meant they had gained another sliver of hope.

The midday sunlight was shredded by the canopy, scattering in fragments across the clearing between the treehouses.

The iron fork propped over the campfire sizzled with grease as magical beast meat and venison rolled in the flames...

The rich aroma filled the air, yet it could not dispel the gloom between the brows of the gathered wizards.

Mariko had called this gathering, and everyone present was a wizard living in the forest.

When Mariko saw Dago arrive, he immediately invited him to sit beside him and took out a parchment map.

"Mariko, everyone's here. If you have something to say, say it. Stop wasting everyone's time," a sharp voice rang out.

Looking over, Dago saw that the speaker was a lean middle-aged man who looked to be in his forties, his face filled with impatience.

Mariko ignored him and spread out the parchment map in his hands. Ten pairs of eyes reflected the firelight as they focused on the red marks on the map.

"The Duskblood Council's advance forces have reached the outskirts of the forest." Mariko's knuckled finger struck the map hard.

"Then we'll leave every last one of them in the forest." Before the words had even faded, a young wizard flung the bone he had gnawed clean into the fire. Sparks splashed across the spell tattoos on his arm, casting flickering red light.

"Idiot!" One of the middle-aged wizards suddenly spoke. With a tap of his finger, the campfire surged three yards high, making everyone take half a step back in alarm.

"If the Duskblood Council dares to come out in full force, they must already be confident they can defeat the academy. You want to keep them in the forest? You'd only be delivering sacrifices to them."

He sliced off a piece of crisp, charred meat and chewed it slowly.

The young wizard lost face and loudly retorted to the middle-aged wizard, arguing with him.

Amid the noisy dispute, the silent Dago suddenly raised a pale hand. A bitter wind swept up, and the crowd fell quiet for a moment, calming down considerably.

"Instead of arguing about this, we should solve the problem." Dago pointed to the academy badge on his robe. "I've already spoken with the academy. They're willing to provide help."