Comrades-in-arms

Patrick reckoned the council wanted him to enter the Sun Temple and undergo some hard training. A remote place like this seemed good, but in reality, it was more like exile. After some time, the council would extend an olive branch to him. If he accepted their recruitment, they would transfer him from the Sun Temple back to Silvermoon City. If he refused, this would essentially be where he stayed. But the council probably had not expected their decision to suit Patrick perfectly.

The Sun Temple had already witnessed one chief mage after another come and go, while the open struggles and covert infighting among the elves continued.

The scholars and Patrick arrived at the warehouse on the second basement level. One scholar led Patrick to a corner of the warehouse and found a large Arcane Node. Arcane energy flowed through the scholar's hands and into the node, and a three-dimensional projection shaped like a Mage Tower appeared above it. Tiny magical patterns covered the projection, and Patrick could sense the immense energy it contained.

"Lord Patrick, this is the controller for the Sun Temple's power supply. We now hand control over to you," an engineer said.

Patrick focused his mind, placed his hand on the Arcane Node, and imprinted it with his own mental insignia, much like setting a password. The insignia appeared on the arcane projection, arranging and combining itself according to Patrick's thoughts to prevent anyone else from gaining control of the Mage Tower. By the same principle, Patrick used this node to familiarize himself with, understand, and gain control over the tower's interior.

The Mage Tower's control hub took shape, formed from gathered arcane energy. After absorbing it, Patrick inscribed it onto the control core provided by the scholars. The core was installed in the chief mage's office on the fifth floor, allowing Patrick to control things within the tower whenever he wished.

The Sun Temple officially belonged to him now, and the scholars and engineers all began modifying the tower according to Patrick's requirements.

After gaining full access to the Mage Tower, the first thing Patrick did was send a magical letter to his family. First, he gave his parents, old Phil and Aina, a detailed account of his life. Second, he told his father that he hoped he would arrange for a Herbalism expert to visit the camp at Zeb'Watha in Life Forest and help Alleria establish an herb-growing area there. It would belong entirely to the Cabrolon family.

Patrick also selected the herbs to be planted for his father: Sungrass, Golden Sansam, Dreamfoil, Kingsblood, and Goldthorn. The Alchemy Workshop frequently used these materials, and the resulting alchemical products would be easy to sell.

The Mage Tower's modifications and decoration were completed very quickly. The scholars simply used arcane magic to manipulate the walls inside the tower, merging and altering the existing walls. The arcane patterns Patrick had designed were all inscribed in his office and living quarters, making it easier for him to channel and control the free-flowing arcane energy within the tower.

At the very end of the renovations, Patrick had the engineers engrave "Sunfury Spire" in Ancient Thalassian on the sun emblem above the main entrance, declaring that the Sunspire was now renamed Sunfury Spire.

"The Sun Temple's modifications and decoration have been very successful. The work progressed much faster than expected, and everything is now complete," an engineer reported to Patrick, seeking his approval. After being away from Silvermoon City for so long, they all missed life there.

The scholars' speed surprised Patrick a little. They had all worked with the thought of finishing early and returning to Silvermoon City, missing its wealth and extravagance.

Patrick was very pleased. Before the scholars returned to Silvermoon City, he even hosted an evening party in the tower to entertain all the engineers, as well as the tower's two mages, Quelrintis and Yanida.

"Thank you for your warm hospitality, Chief Patrick. We should have completed our work in the Ghostlands perfectly this time. I am Jonathan, a scholar of Silvermoon City, serving in Chief Engineer Talonikus's engineering corps. I very much look forward to working with you again."

At the party, Jonathan and Patrick drank a great deal of elven fruit wine. Jonathan told Patrick that the council's budget of eight hundred gold coins had been very generous. Although none of the engineers had wanted to come to the Ghostlands,

the payment for this visit to the Sun Temple had left everyone very satisfied. In the end, a drunken Jonathan even complained a little that it was a shame there were no female elves to keep him company. The next day, Patrick saw Jonathan and the others off, then sat at the chief mage's desk, examining the book in his hands, "On the Role of Fire Blast in Warfare Against Trolls." The book came from the Sun Temple's library. The Sun Temple's collection was truly meager, not even reaching fifteen percent of its capacity. It was a real pity.

Sunfury Spire's operations settled into a routine. The scholars had given both its outer walls and dome an extra layer of gold plating. At sunrise, when sunlight struck Sunfury Spire, the tower reflected a dazzling golden brilliance, radiating sunlight like the sun itself.

The Sun Temple had always been the front line's most important central hub. Now Patrick's arrival had restored its vitality. With a mage stationed in the rear, the ranger forces suppressing the trolls on the front line could feel a little more at ease.

Following Patrick's arrival, quite a few merchants came to the Sun Temple from Tranquillien and the Andilien Estate. With a mage stationed here, safety would be more assured, and a large ranger force was also garrisoned here, so many merchants chose to come and do business. But along with the merchants came several of Patrick's former comrades-in-arms.

"Mage Idonis, Mage Candiris, what brings you two here?" Patrick asked in surprise.

"At the East Sanctum, we heard the news released by the council. They said that, in recognition of your contribution to the battle in Life Forest, the council had appointed you chief mage of the Sun Temple. So Candiris and I both came here, hoping to study arcane knowledge under your guidance." Idonis spoke very sincerely. The two had come all the way from the East Sanctum specifically to join Patrick, hoping to become his followers.

"That Super Arcane Magic you used in Life Forest last time-Arcane Mass Point-truly astounded us. We believe you must possess exceptional arcane skill and a very precise path of study. It would be our honor to receive your guidance," Candiris continued. His expression was respectful. Every elf pursued the arcane, and every elven mage hoped to pursue more advanced arcane magic.

Patrick was delighted. "Welcome, both of you." He was in need of people right now. In the vast Sunfury Spire, there were only Patrick, Yanida, and Quelrintis. Beyond maintaining the tower's daily operations, the three could accomplish almost nothing else.

With Idonis and Candiris joining them, the workload at Sunfury Spire would ease somewhat, and Patrick would have more time to devote to studying the arcane in pursuit of higher levels of arcane skill.