Forest Patrol

The wizards looked at Dago with complicated expressions. Some were disdainful, while others were delighted.

Suddenly, a derisive snicker rang out among the crowd.

"You don't actually think the academy and rats like us can withstand an invasion by the Duskblood Council if we band together, do you?"

Dago realized that the speaker was the skinny middle-aged wizard in his forties from earlier, his face full of mockery and contempt.

The moment those words left his mouth, many people's eyes flickered. Some had even clearly begun considering leaving.

"A bunch of old, weak, sickly, and crippled people want to stop a terrifying organization notorious throughout the wizarding world, and you still trust some academy dog..."

Dago frowned and looked toward the skinny wizard who had spoken again.

Mariko stepped forward and pointed at his nose as he cursed, "We kindly told you about the Duskblood Council, yet you don't appreciate it and just stand here sneering at us."

"Who needs an old man like you meddling in my business? When the Duskblood Council comes, I'll just join them. I'm a Third-Level Wizard Apprentice, after all."

The skinny wizard retorted to Mariko with an unconcerned expression.

"You..." Mariko was rendered speechless with anger.

"Shut your filthy mouth."

Dago suddenly shouted, and everyone looked at him in astonishment.

He stared coldly at the skinny wizard, deep-blue rings slowly revolving in his eyes.

The skinny wizard glared viciously back at him and said darkly, "Academy dog, who gave you the nerve to talk to me like that?"

As soon as the skinny wizard finished speaking, he suddenly sensed that the spiritual power emanating from Dago was even stronger than his own. His expression changed drastically.

He sized Dago up for a while, his face full of disbelief. "Such a young Third-Level Wizard Apprentice? And you're living in the forest as a rat?"

"I like it." Dago's expression was indifferent as he slightly raised his pale hand, preparing to teach him a lesson.

"You've got some skill. Just you wait." In the end, the skinny wizard did not dare confront Dago head-on. After leaving behind a threat, he hurried away with an ugly expression.

Seeing him leave, Dago spoke again. "Tomorrow morning, I'll bring people from the academy here to discuss forming the Forest Patrol with everyone."

The wizards dispersed, each preoccupied with their own thoughts. Before leaving, though, they looked at Dago with a trace of respect.

Dago figured that he had become something of a celebrity in this forest after today.

"Dago, I never expected you to improve so quickly."

After the forest wizards had left, only Dago and Mariko remained beside the campfire.

Mariko's expression was complicated. He knew some of Dago's background; just one or two months ago, Dago had only been a First-Level Wizard Apprentice.

Dago did not hide much and said, "Didn't I ask you about Moonlight Flowers before? I can already brew Mental Potions, so my strength has increased rather quickly."

Mariko glanced at Dago and said with feeling, "I didn't expect you to really dare to pick them there. Even I don't dare move around in that place."

Dago smiled with a hint of guilt but did not respond.

"Are the people from the academy reliable?" Mariko asked again.

"Their strength should be decent. Their character, not so much."

"We'll take it one step at a time. We'll discuss the patrol tomorrow morning. I just don't know how many wizards will still come tomorrow."

Mariko spoke with slight unease.

"It's fine. Everyone can decide for themselves. You can't force those who don't want to stay," Dago comforted Mariko.

The campfire before them gradually died out, and the two left with their own thoughts.

After returning to his shelter, Dago sighed. "Troubled times indeed."

That afternoon, he used the Moonlight Flowers gathered yesterday to brew five Mental Potions and stored them away as strategic reserves.

Afterward, he began training in the open space outside.

The next day, Dago set out early for the academy to find Vissel, and the two came to Mariko's place together to discuss the Forest Patrol.

The two followed the winding, dim forest trail. Neither spoke along the way.

With the arrival of autumn, the forest had taken on a somewhat desolate air.

After walking for roughly thirty minutes, they finally reached their destination.

The campfire was already lit, and six figures sat around it chatting. When they saw Dago and Vissel arrive, they all stood and turned their gazes toward them.

Dago nodded to each person by the fire, then pointed at Vissel beside him and introduced him. "Vissel, a mid-stage Third-Level Wizard Apprentice and a genius wizard from the academy."

A young Second-Level Wizard Apprentice spoke excitedly. "I've heard of Vissel's name. This is great. Our team's strength has increased tremendously."

The others standing nearby clearly agreed, smiles appearing on their faces as well.

Mariko stepped forward and extended his hand for a handshake, saying, "A warm welcome to you."

Vissel glanced at Mariko's hand and ignored him completely, leaving Mariko to awkwardly withdraw it.

Dago looked at the scene unhappily, irritation rising in his heart. He was about to say something, but Mariko signaled to him that it was nothing and told him not to act rashly.

"More or less everyone who is coming has arrived. The rest probably won't come. From now on, those of us here will form the Forest Patrol," Dago said.

The young Second-Level Wizard Apprentice looked at Vissel with admiration and was the first to speak. "Then the next question is who will be the leader—the captain. I propose that Vissel be elected our captain."

Mariko glanced at the young wizard and said firmly, "Ian, both Dago and Vissel are Third-Level Wizard Apprentices, but Dago has extremely rich experience hunting in the forest. That will be very helpful to the team."

Vissel spoke up. "I am a mid-stage Third-Level Wizard Apprentice, while he has only just entered that level."

"Dago killed a mid-stage Third-Level Wizard Apprentice from the Duskblood Council," Mariko said dismissively.

Everyone looked at Dago in shock and fell silent. That was an incredibly formidable record.

"If no one objects, then I'll be the captain of the Forest Patrol from now on."

Dago stepped forward and spoke expressionlessly.

"First, we need to trust one another. Let's each state our name and strength."

Everyone started talking over one another, making Dago's head ache, but he still managed to remember everything in the end.

The Forest Patrol had eight members in total. Only Dago, Vissel, and Mariko were Third-Level Wizard Apprentices.

Almost everyone else was a Second-Level Wizard Apprentice, with one little girl who kept her head lowered being a First-Level Wizard Apprentice.

Dago made his calculations and said, "Our patrol will first use a three-person squad system. We'll form three squads led by me, Mariko, and Vissel."

After some discussion, they began dividing into squads. Mariko formed a team with Evan and his wife.

The two younger male Second-Level Wizard Apprentices, Ian and Gavin, both chose to follow Vissel.

That left only Selena, the unwanted First-Level Wizard Apprentice. Dago could only accept her with a wry smile.

After all, he was the captain and the strongest wizard on the team.

"Once the teams are divided, the three squads will form a triangular formation. Make sure any two squads can communicate effectively by shouting, and when one squad finds a target, the other two can arrive to support them within five to ten minutes. That distance should be roughly two hundred meters."

Dago carefully explained the upcoming arrangements.

"If everyone understands, spread out. First, patrol the red-dot areas on the parchment map. My group will serve as the spearhead, while the other two groups will cover the flanks."

Afterward, everyone dispersed according to their groups.

Selena followed behind Dago. Whenever he took a step, she took one too, leaving Dago somewhat speechless.

She had a slender figure and stood around 160 centimeters tall. She habitually hunched slightly and kept her head lowered, trying to curl herself into a tiny ball to reduce her presence.

She had long, light-gray hair, with the tips naturally curling slightly.

She always tied it loosely into a low ponytail, with several stray strands hanging beside her cheeks, as messy as her uneasy thoughts.

"Tell me your story," Dago said as they walked.

When Selena saw Dago looking at her, her cheeks quickly flushed red. Her hands unconsciously twisted the hem of her robe, and she stammered so badly from nerves that she could not even form complete sentences.

Only after ten minutes did Dago roughly understand her story...

She was the last descendant of a fallen wizarding family, whose former glory had long become a thing of the past.

All that remained was a dilapidated wizard estate and a house full of ancient books about magical plants.

Since childhood, her parents had placed great hopes on her, wishing for her to restore the family's honor. Yet those expectations had brought her enormous pressure.

During her studies at Ainak Wizard Academy, Selena was often bullied by other students because of her family's decline and her introverted personality.

She did not dare fight back and could only move into the forest, shutting herself away from the world.

So she was a victim of academy bullying. Dago's favorable impression of the academy plummeted.

"So that means you're a little rich lady wizard. You're way better off than me," Dago teased.

Selena's face immediately turned red, and she made incoherent noises, not knowing what to say.

However, Dago was not here for a picnic or to flirt with girls. Throughout their conversation, he had kept his Detection Technique activated to observe fluctuations in the surrounding energy particles.

And with this First-Level Wizard Apprentice who had practically no combat ability beside him, the pressure was immense.

When Selena saw that he had stopped speaking, she looked enviously at his clean and handsome Third-Level Wizard Apprentice robe.

Then she looked at her own ill-fitting gray robe, lowering her head even further like an ostrich.

This robe was an old item left behind by her family. Its oversized sleeves and trailing hem made her look even smaller, as if she could be swallowed by the fabric at any moment.

Faded vine patterns were embroidered along the hem of the robe. They were symbols of the family's former glory, but now they had dimmed along with the decline of the Veerlin Family.

"Have some confidence. Hold your head up when you walk," Dago said unhappily as he looked at her ostrich-like posture.

"Yes, Lord Dago." Selena raised her head, looking as though she had just been bullied.

Dago's eyes, ringed with revolving deep-blue light, casually examined Selena.

Her skin was so pale it was nearly translucent, with scattered freckles like magical golden dust accidentally sprinkled across it.

Her large light-green eyes were always lowered timidly, as though they hid endless unease and shyness.

Overall, she was still a very beautiful young girl.