Chapter 93 - 92: Visitors from the Royal Capital

Chapter 93: Chapter 92: Visitors from the Royal Capital

Gaode had anticipated that between passing the message, the higher-ups receiving it, making a decision, dispatching personnel, and the travel time, it would take quite a while before they saw any reinforcements from the Royal Capital. This was not the case.

At dusk.

Less than two hours had passed since Gaode received the specific news from Pierre. A steady buzzing sound, moving from far to near, echoed above Bremen.

The noise was so loud that Gaode, like most of the residents of Bremen, subconsciously poked his head out to investigate. People opened their doors or windows, looking up at the sky.

A terrifying behemoth was currently piercing through the clouds, appearing in the sky above Bremen. All the people of Bremen who had looked up to find the source of the noise, Gaode included, opened their mouths wide, staring blankly at the object.

It was an Airship. An Airship that most people in Bremen had never seen before, hovering abruptly over two hundred meters in the air.

The flat, streamlined shape of the Airship minimized wind resistance to the greatest extent. Its long, narrow hull stretched over three hundred meters. Shining with silver light, it was densely covered with Magic Patterns. These Magic Patterns were complex and mysterious, serving as the soul of the Airship and granting it an extraordinary amount of power. From below, it looked like a silver fish with bizarre patterns swimming through a sea of clouds.

Two ailerons extended from both sides of the hull like the wings of an elegant bird, providing the Airship with additional lift and maneuverability. Massive propeller thrusters were mounted on the tail of the Airship and both ailerons. At the tail end, the emblem of the Sean Duchy was also painted.

The steady, deep hum came from these propellers. They spun ceaselessly, stirring up gusts of airflow that made the surrounding clouds churn like crashing waves in the ocean.

Clearly, this was an Airship from Saint Sean City. As for its purpose, it was self-evident.

All in all, this was the first time many people in Bremen had ever seen a massive Alchemy Creation like an "Airship." It could be considered a fringe benefit of the newly born Earth Vein.

The arrival of the Airship caused the entirety of Bremen to boil with excitement. The residents called out to each other, stepping outside to witness the grand spectacle. Meanwhile, the Airship hovered quietly above Bremen’s city square, completely motionless.

A few minutes later, a large group of fully armed Bremen City Guards rushed to the square. A stern-faced City Guard officer ordered the soldiers to evacuate the crowd near the area and dispatched personnel to lock down and erect barriers around the square and a small adjacent section. Then, they constructed several temporary yet secure anchor points on the civilian square. Only after everything was prepared did they signal the Airship above.

Upon receiving the signal, the crew aboard the Airship immediately threw down several massive ropes. The ground crew sprang into action upon catching the giant tethering ropes, working to connect them to the newly established anchor points on the ground. With all of this secured, the Airship finally began to release gas from its compartment airbags, descending slowly at a steady pace.

As the Airship’s altitude dropped, its shadow grew larger and larger, casting a massive darkness that nearly blanketed the entire city square. Fortunately, under the guiding of the City Guards, the crowd had long since retreated to a safe distance. The Airship eventually touched down smoothly, and the deep hum of the propellers gradually subsided.

Accompanied by a loud rumble, the hatch on the side of the Airship slowly opened. Subsequently, a Mage dressed in a dark Magic Robe and holding a Magic Staff slowly walked out from within. Complex and delicate Runes were embroidered on his Magic Robe, containing immense Magic Power. At the top of the Magic Staff in his hand—crafted from an unknown material—was embedded a dazzling Ruby. A miniature vortex of Magic Power swirled at the center of the Ruby, capable of providing massive enhancements to the Mage’s Casting.

Without a doubt, this was a powerful High-Ring Mage.

In the square, Bremen’s Deputy City Lord, who had been waiting for a while, stepped forward and said respectfully, "Mage Frey."

Mage Frey waved his hand. "Prepare the supplies overnight and issue a conscription order. Have everything ready tonight. I will set off for the Hogan Earth Vein tomorrow."

"Hogan Earth Vein" was the name the Sean Duchy had given to this newly formed Earth Vein.

...

In the evening, just a quarter past seven according to his pocket watch, there was a knock on Gaode’s door. When he opened it, he found an official Bremen staff member in uniform standing outside. Amidst Gaode’s confusion, the staff member stated his purpose:

The government was preparing to conduct the first wave of large-scale hunting and clearing operations tomorrow against the Earth Vein Creatures swarming out from the Hogan Earth Vein. Due to a shortage of manpower, a conscription order had been issued, calling upon the Mages in the city to actively participate. As one of the Mage Apprentices who had participated in today’s defensive battle, Gaode was among the primary targets considered for conscription.

"So we just need to follow the main force of the City Guards and handle the hunting of Earth Vein Creatures on the outer edges of the affected area, while the Saint Seine Mages handle the interior?" Gaode confirmed.

"Of course. Otherwise, do you expect us to count on you Mage Apprentices to accomplish anything major?" the staff member said matter-of-factly. Though his words were blunt, they carried no malicious mockery.

Upon hearing this, Gaode hesitated slightly. This conscription order was unlike the one from this morning, where he only had to hold his ground on the city wall. This time, they genuinely had to venture deep into the wilderness and forests to fight. Even though they would be moving out as a large force organized by the authorities and could look out for each other, the risk factor was still substantial.

Originally, Gaode figured he would only consider venturing out for an adventure when he could guarantee his Mana was enough to cast more than ten Tricks. However, this opportunity was truly rare. Since it was organized by the authorities, they would inevitably send personnel to lead the team. With so many eyes watching, he at least wouldn’t have to worry too much about being betrayed by his companions. Moreover, with people watching each other’s backs—and all of them being Mages—Gaode could fully utilize this chance to accumulate combat experience against Earth Vein Creatures in the wild, as well as to hoard Origin.

"It’s not a free draft. The government is paying to hire all non-official Mages," the staff member emphasized, seeing that Gaode still seemed hesitant. "Second-Class Mage Apprentices whose Mana is insufficient to cast ten Tricks will receive 5 Gold Coins a day.

"Those with enough Mana to cast ten Tricks or more will receive 10 Gold Coins a day.

"Third-class Mage Apprentices will receive 15 Gold Coins a day. All compensation is settled daily. However, there are no extra rewards, and the hunted Earth Vein Creatures belong to the government."

This was also very reasonable. After all, the authorities were providing the funds, manpower, and logistics; naturally, they had the right to the spoils. Not to mention, without the government’s assistance, no one would have a way to transport the Earth Vein Creatures hunted in the wild back to the city for sale anyway.

"Alright, I’ll join." After some consideration, Gaode decided to accept the conscription.

Without a doubt, he would inevitably have to hunt Earth Vein Creatures to obtain Origin in the future; he couldn’t just keep "laying low" forever. Furthermore, in a world where Extraordinary Power belonged to oneself, combat and danger were unavoidable. He had to accumulate the relevant experience to adapt to this world. Besides, Origin was hard to come by. He had no reason to miss out on such an excellent opportunity! It was just that there would be many people and a lot of prying eyes. How to "steal kills" would truly test his timing and keen eyesight. Moreover, in Gaode’s view, among the Mages approached with this conscription order, few would choose not to participate.

"Gather at Black Horn Square at seven tomorrow morning. Don’t be late." The staff member nodded, handing Gaode a copy of the conscription order as a final instruction.