Wizard Inn

Dago put away the exquisite storage pouch, then took out a bulging ordinary cloth bag.

He poured its contents onto the table and counted them. There were twenty-eight Low-Grade Magic Stones in total.

Twenty of them were spoils seized from the slain Black-Robed Wizards, public property of the Forest Patrol.

They were meant for the daily expenses and equipment replenishment of the three of them.

The Wizard Inn they had found in the town's noble district the previous night had already cost them nine—three Low-Grade Magic Stones per person for a month.

They had originally wanted to find a place to stay in the residential district, but without exception, every place had been full. Left with no choice, they could only seek lodging in the noble district.

In the end, they found this Wizard Inn, which was more than ten times as expensive as the inns in the residential area on the outskirts of town.

Still, the price had its reasons. The inn was both quiet and safe.

To help wizards meditate and train more effectively, it had specially built soundproofed rooms.

High courtyard walls separated the inn from the street, while the first floor had a courtyard and tea room for wizards to calm their minds.

Besides, Dago and the other two had been utterly exhausted that night and only wanted to rest as soon as possible, so they had chosen this place.

Dago stared at the small pile of sparkling, pigeon-egg-sized Magic Stones on the table, feeling troubled.

At the town's current prices, these Magic Stones would not be enough.

Even without considering food, three months at the inn alone would drain their Magic Stone pouch dry.

Dago rose from the table, walked to the room's window, and pushed it open. Bright moonlight poured inside.

He braced both hands against the windowsill and let the breeze stir his half-dried long hair as he considered his plans for the future.

It was already late at night, yet the tea room below the inn remained brightly lit, with many inn staff moving about.

In the distance, Ainak Wizard Academy lay beneath the moonlight, the light barrier enveloping the entire Academy emitting a faint glow.

Looking closely, one could see that the towering beam of light from the massive boulder at the Academy entrance was sustaining the barrier.

All of this had come because of the war brought by the Duskblood Council. In the days ahead, neither the town nor the Academy would remain peaceful.

Dago calmly gazed at the distant Academy and thought of his improved Flame Core Air Bullet.

In the brutal world of wizards, he could barely be considered to possess a trump card that could save his life.

Although the instant he activated it, it would drain all of his mental power and reduce his combat strength to zero.

But as he improved, his Meditation Method would also undergo Metamorphosis, and his total mental power would increase substantially. That gave him some confidence.

At his current stage, he could use at most one Flame Core in each battle. His total mental power was too low to sustain such massive and frequent consumption.

As Dago's thoughts wandered, he suddenly heard a mournful hum in the distance, like wind blowing through a bronze pipe.

He looked toward the source of the tremendous sound.

A Silver-Patterned Airship, several dozen meters long and made of wood, slowly rose from Academy Castle.

The hull was covered in branching silver patterns, radiant light flowing through them as they shone in the night sky like a flying silver tree.

The airship hovered in the sky, its silver patterns flickering as it passed from within the Academy's light barrier to the outside, sending ripples across it.

Then high-temperature flames blasted from its rear as it sped into the distance, completely vanishing into the night.

Dago's worldview was instantly overturned. For a moment, he stared in a daze, as if he had arrived in a dazzling new world. It felt wonderful.

At noon the next day, Dago, Mariko, and Selena walked out of the Wizard Inn side by side. They found a restaurant nearby that looked inexpensive and went inside.

The restaurant buzzed with conversation. Dago and the other two casually chose a round table, sat down, and ordered the lunches they liked.

After a night of rest, Dago found that both of them were in good spirits.

Mariko's complexion had visibly improved, and Selena's sprained ankle had healed as well.

As the three ate, Academy wizards at several neighboring tables kept chatting...

Naturally, they were discussing the Duskblood Council's invasion. Dago listened closely, picking up the information hidden in their words.

Some discussed how many wandering wizards had flooded into town over the past day. The place was now chaotic, with all sorts of people mixed together.

Others pessimistically discussed how the Duskblood Council had already reached the outskirts and advanced into the forests around town, soon to break through the town itself.

Still others excitedly discussed how the Silver-Patterned Airship that had flown out of the Academy last night would surely defeat the Duskblood Council.

Dago said to the two of them, "The town should be relatively safe for the time being, but we can't keep living at the inn. We need to find a suitable place for a temporary residence. There's no rush, though. We have a month to choose slowly."

The two nodded in succession, indicating that they had no objections.

Dago nodded as well and continued, "We also need to make war preparations and replenish our supplies. We can't grow complacent in safety. Those are roughly our two tasks for this afternoon."

Dago then took out six Low-Grade Magic Stones, giving each of them three as spending money and arranging a time to return to the inn.

After eating, the three left the restaurant and went their separate ways.

During that time, Selena wanted to follow Dago, but he refused.

Dago's intention was to temper her timid and introverted personality and make her independent.

Following the town's central avenue, he arrived at Wizard Hall, where he found the magnificent building packed with Academy wizards who had withdrawn from the front lines, fiercely protesting something.

"Why are you refusing to let us return to the Academy just because there might be spies among us?"

"We bled for the Academy! We want to return to the Academy!"

"Give us our money back, damn it! Give us our money back!"

Hearing several leaders shouting loudly, Dago felt a sense of foreboding. He hurriedly ran toward the Academy.

Before long, Dago reached the Academy gates and saw more than a dozen wizards in tattered robes sitting silently outside.

More than a dozen Academy wizards with cold, stern expressions stood in the middle of the gates. Each held a wand and stared intently at the wizards seated on the ground.

Two of them were acquaintances of Dago's: Raymond and Vissel.

Raymond stepped forward and said loudly, "Someone among you betrayed the Academy. Please forgive us for taking such a decisive measure and barring you from returning. Wait quietly in town, and we will clear your names."

The wizards sitting on the ground ignored him. Clearly, they were dissatisfied with the Academy's explanation.

Raymond helplessly shook his head, then noticed Dago waving to greet him. His eyes brightened slightly.

But Vissel saw Dago as well, and his expression immediately darkened. Jealousy and panic flashed in his eyes as he walked over and whispered a few words into Raymond's ear.

After Vissel finished, Raymond's expression became calm. He gave Dago a meaningful look, then turned and walked into the Academy.

Seeing Raymond flick his sleeve and leave, Vissel shot Dago several smug glances.

Seeing this, Dago thought, Looks like I can't enter the Academy for the time being either. I never expected Vissel to be so narrow-minded. I can only find another way.

He did not linger there any longer. Without even sparing Vissel a glance, he turned and left.