Chapter 200: Mission Explanation Master.

Because of the sudden momentum, Moresy’s hood slipped off. His silky silver hair flew loose, revealing a strikingly beautiful, androgynous face.

A flicker of surprise crossed his blood-red eyes, as though he could hardly believe that someone as powerful as him had actually been thrown by a vehicle.

When his body was flung nearly a meter away, he instinctively looked toward the white mage seated in the middle of the back row.

Even Seidler had been caught off guard by the sudden scene, his dark-gold eyes widening slightly.

The Little Fairies and the little dragon immediately let out delighted snickers.

“Hehehe—”

Just as Moresy was about to topple backward, the nearby passengers gasped. Several people who caught sight of the Dark Elf’s handsome face looked openly dazzled.

The corner of Moresy’s mouth lifted.

A thin metal cord shot from his hand and wrapped around the pole. His falling body stopped instantly.

He gave the cord a sharp tug.

His entire body snapped forward, and in the next moment he was standing in front of the pole again.

He swiftly reeled in the cord, pulled his hood back over his head to conceal the Dark Elf’s distinctive features, then flicked the dust from his cloak with one gloved finger.

After that, he casually leaned against the pole again as though the little mishap just now had been nothing more than an illusion.

Seeing that he had not fallen after all, the Little Fairies and the little dragon pursed their lips in disappointment.

Seidler let out a quiet breath and turned to look out the window.

He really could not approve of the Dark Elf’s constant attempts to look impressive.

“What a shame,” Budno whispered.

“Exactly, exactly.” Amanda nodded in agreement.

“He’s a Dark Elf, after all.” Shu Li spread his hands helplessly.

Dark Elves were just as agile as white Elves. The instant they lost their balance, their bodies reacted automatically.

Besides, Moresy was a Senior Mage. His strength could not be underestimated.

When the Dark Elf had tilted backward just now, his cloak had flown open, revealing the badge on his magical robe.

Just like Seidler, he must have used the Crystal of the Blazing Sun and advanced from an Intermediate Mage to a Senior Mage.

Dark Elves were no less talented than white Elves. Plenty of them became Saint Mages within two or three centuries.

Shu Li wondered how many hundreds of years old Moresy was.

“Whoa, look!” Dixio excitedly pointed outside the window.

Everyone’s attention was immediately drawn to the cityscape outside.

The teleportation tower was not located in the city center. As the rail carriage moved onward, more and more of Igya City came into view.

The city was even more prosperous than Vishish City, and the magnificent sight left them in awe.

The buildings were neatly arranged, old and new structures interwoven into a beautiful whole. The roads were wide and clearly divided according to different forms of transportation. Rail carriages, magic-stone vehicles, horse-drawn carriages, and pedestrians each had their own lanes, so none interfered with one another.

Everything was orderly.

Green plants and brilliantly colored flowers filled the city with life.

At regular intervals there were small plazas where people could rest, each decorated with beautiful fountains and majestic statues that made passersby stop almost involuntarily to admire them.

Mages and swordsmen could be seen everywhere, along with adventurers of many other races.

Some people even openly walked through the streets with their contracted magical beasts beside them.

“Seidler, aren’t they afraid someone will try to steal their contracted magical beasts if they bring them around everywhere?” Shu Li asked curiously.

“Igya City has extremely strict laws,” Seidler replied. “Whether it’s petty theft or a serious crime, no offender can escape the judgment of the Thorn Temple.”

“The Thorn Temple?”

Every member of the Light Squad turned toward the white mage.

Seidler nodded and patiently explained.

“The Thorn Temple is jointly staffed by mages and swordsmen. It serves as the Central Court’s public-security authority. There are branches everywhere, from major cities down to small villages. As long as someone reports a crime to the Temple, they will investigate it to the end, apprehend the offender, and bring them before the tribunal for judgment.”

“If the crime is proven, the offender will receive severe punishment.”

Dixio could not help asking, “How severe?”

Seidler’s voice lowered.

“Depending on the seriousness of the offense, the penalties include fines, expulsion, flogging, imprisonment, and execution.”

Shu Li sucked in a breath at the word “execution.”

It looked like this Thorn Temple was definitely not something anyone wanted to provoke.

No wonder he had not seen anyone skulking suspiciously around the streets of Igya City.

It was completely different from cities in other countries.

Even in Adilan, the royal capital of the Dalia Empire, thieves stole from people in broad daylight.

Anyone who lost money could only consider themselves unlucky.

If they tried asking patrolling soldiers for help, they would not only be scolded but might even get beaten.

After all, from the soldiers’ perspective, the mere occurrence of theft meant they had failed to maintain order and could be punished by their superiors.

When Shu Li had first entered Vishish City, he had already noticed how “clean” the streets were.

He had not thought much of it then.

Only after hearing Seidler’s explanation did he realize that the Central Court had a dedicated institution for maintaining law and order—the Thorn Temple.

Not bad.

Really not bad at all!

Danlov was not only accomplished in magic. His administrative ability was first-rate too.

“Huh? What are those mages doing?” Nasha pointed toward several mages by the roadside.

They were all dressed in magical robes of the same color and design, each raising a magic staff and casting spells.

Kumandi looked puzzled.

“Are they... cleaning?”

One mage cast wind magic.

Dust and litter on the ground swirled together and flew into a nearby garbage cart.

“Whoa, they really are cleaning!” Budno’s eyes lit up.

“They’re mages who accepted street-cleaning assignments,” Seidler explained.

“Assignments?” Shu Li’s eyes immediately brightened. “Do they get paid for cleaning assignments?”

At the word “paid,” every other member of the Light Squad immediately perked up.

Before Seidler could answer, Moresy, still leaning against the pole, gave a derisive laugh.

“You can make money from it. One gold coin an hour. Pretty suitable for magic rookies like you.”

The Little Fairies and the little dragon glared at him indignantly.

Moresy shifted into another deliberately stylish pose, the corner of his mouth curling in an obnoxious smile.

Shu Li pressed his lips together before asking, “Seidler, could you tell us where we can take assignments in the city?”

They had spent far too much gold using the teleportation arrays to make it here before enrollment closed.

They had to find some way to earn money.

Seidler nodded.

“In the Central Court, the Cotrin Temple issues everyday assignments. The mages you just saw accepted Level One assignments involving city maintenance.”

“The pay is low, but there are plenty of those assignments and they’re available every day, so they’re enough to guarantee basic food and living expenses.”

“Level Two assignments involve urban construction—moving bricks, building houses, laying roads, maintaining greenery, and similar work.”

“Level Three assignments are errands, such as delivering letters or goods.”

“Level Four assignments involve acting as bodyguards and escorting employers anywhere on the continent. The higher the danger, the higher the pay.”

“There are also special assignments personally issued by employers. The compensation varies. You can choose whether to accept them based on your own preferences.”

“Besides the Cotrin Temple, there are also the Adventurers’ Guild, Mages’ Guild, Swordsmen’s Guild, Magical Beast Guild, auction houses, and other organizations that issue highly paid assignments.”

“Because those assignments are much more dangerous, anyone accepting one must first sign a life-and-death agreement. If an accident occurs, the person who issued the assignment bears no responsibility.”

“And finally, there’s the Magic Tower—”

Seidler paused and pointed outside the window.

“Do you see the tallest building over there?”

Shu Li and his companions followed the direction of his finger.

A white tower soared into the clouds.

They had been able to see it from far away ever since leaving the teleportation station.

Throughout the entire rail-carriage ride, the white tower had never left their field of vision.

It seemed close enough to touch, yet impossibly distant at the same time.

Shu Li hesitated.

“Is that... the Magic Tower?”

The place where Mage Sovereign Danlov resided.

Beside him, Ace stared at the white tower with his deep green eyes.

“Yes. That is the center of power in the Central Court—the Magic Tower governed by Mage Sovereign Danlov Girard, a sacred place every mage dreams of visiting at least once in their lifetime.”

A trace of reverence entered Seidler’s voice.

“Two thousand years ago, the Mage Sovereign rebuilt the Magic Tower. Construction took nearly five hundred years to complete. At the tower’s summit is a small city in the sky, where the most powerful mages from across the entire continent gather.”

“Tch. Correction: human mages,” the Dark Elf cut in.

Seidler glanced at him.

“No one will mistake you for a mute if you keep quiet.”

Moresy shrugged.

Impatient as always, Dixio tugged at the corner of Seidler’s robe.

“What kind of assignments does the Magic Tower issue?”

Seidler stopped paying attention to the Dark Elf and softened his tone again.

“Every month, the Magic Tower issues missions to investigate dark forces. Only mages ranked Mage or higher are qualified to accept them, and the assignments are usually undertaken by teams of at least five.”

“They last a long time, but the rewards are high. Their danger levels are classified as S, SS, and SSS.”

Shu Li clicked his tongue.

“That high?”

Wasn’t that already beyond the range of normal assignments?

Still, investigating dark forces meant becoming the enemy of every follower of darkness.

It was practically the same as walking the line between life and death, with the possibility of being killed at any moment.

Seidler spoke gravely.

“The Mage Sovereign has always warned us that although the War of the Gods ten thousand years ago sealed the dark forces in hell, the Dark God has never given up.”

“One day, he will return.”

“And many dark forces still remain hidden throughout the continent. They must be eliminated one by one to prevent them from joining together and reopening the gates of hell.”

Shu Li sighed in admiration.

“A Mage Sovereign really is a Mage Sovereign.”

Danlov had always devoted himself to helping the Elven King revive human magic.

After three thousand years of effort, he had built a powerful Central Court and trained countless outstanding mages.

In the future, humanity would surely return to what it had been ten thousand years ago, when Saint Mages and Mage Sovereigns were everywhere.

They would form a powerful force and become one of the main armies responsible for destroying the forces of darkness.

Throughout the journey, the Light Squad kept asking question after question.

Seidler patiently answered every one.

Moresy occasionally tossed in a mocking comment, only for Seidler to shut him down each time.

Before they knew it, the rail carriage reached the final stop, and the passengers began filing out.

After sitting for an entire hour, Shu Li’s limbs had gone numb.

He stretched on the platform.

“Where’s St. Velia Magic Academy?” Dixio looked around but could not see any building that resembled an academy.

“Stop looking,” Moresy said. “It isn’t around here.”

Amanda stared blankly.

“It isn’t? Then where is it?”

Ace raised a hand and pointed toward seven pillars of light about a hundred meters away.

“There.”

Shu Li looked puzzled.

“How can you tell?”

Ace smiled.

“Look carefully. There’s an enormous magical formation above those pillars of light.”

Shu Li and the others widened their eyes and stared for quite a while.

Then their faces filled with astonishment.

“Whoa! There really is!”

“That magical formation is so beautiful!”

“Is that... a defensive formation?”

“What are the pillars of light for?”

“Let’s hurry over! I can’t wait to get inside the academy!”

The Little Fairies and the little dragon were practically vibrating with excitement.

Nasha clasped her hands together, her face glowing with anticipation.

Ace remained the calmest among them.

Seidler looked at the energetic young magic apprentices and spoke gently.

“Come on. I’ll take you inside the academy.”

He headed off first.

The Light Squad eagerly followed him, while Moresy curled his lip and trailed lazily behind.

After walking half a street, the space ahead suddenly opened up.

Dozens of enormous statues stood across a vast plaza.

Every one was carved with extraordinary realism.

Some depicted mages.

Some depicted swordsmen.

Others represented different races—dwarves, winged people, merfolk, Fairies, Elves...

“Whoa—”

The magic apprentices tilted their heads back and stared in amazement.

But when Shu Li reached the statue standing at the center of the plaza, he abruptly froze.

This was...

A statue of the Elven King?!!