#101 - Encounter with the Court Mage

As the Thistle set sail from Sealand Wharf and the Cloudstream City search party led by spellcasters returned, a small team of men dressed in black quietly entered the town from the forest north of Sealand.

Among these nine individuals, eight were of similar height and build, clad in specially made black attire.

If any seasoned veterans were present, they would have noticed the distinctive black bird tattoos, each with a unique shape but all fiercely menacing, on the back of their right hands.

"Magister Hansen, the trail ends at the Sealand Town Monastery."

After locating the internal communication mark, the leader of the black-clad figures bowed and reported to the only one in the group wearing vibrant red robes.

"This town isn't large; continue searching!"

The person in red robes, with a golden mask obscuring their face, was clearly the leader of the team.

At their command, the eight black-clad figures vanished in different directions within Sealand Town.

It wasn't until a day later, when only Mikael, a spellcaster from the Cloudstream City search party, returned, that the upper echelons of the Gracia Federation learned of the [Night Owl] and the Court Magister's infiltration of Sealand.

Three days later, following a decision by the Federation's Supreme Council of Five, Chief Administrator Arthur Fuller issued a secret investigation order.

"We must thoroughly investigate the true reason for the Court High Magister's clandestine entry into Sealand."

Moon, who had already departed, was naturally unaware that his presence in the small town of Sealand had sparked a war between mages.

Although Moon had always lived by the sea, he had never truly appreciated the boundless ocean from a ship.

After boarding the Thistle, Moon spent a significant amount of time on deck each day, only returning to the private cabin arranged by Gold when the people living in the lower deck came up for air.

Now that he had such a quiet room, Moon decided to practice his spells diligently, continue dissecting growth-type magic in his spare time, and closely monitor the young mages living in the lower deck.

Chris Calvin had journeyed to Sealand from a village at the foot of Snowhawk Mountain in the north.

She and Whitney, the nanny who had always cared for her, had packed their bags and set off on the night the fire dragon flew over Snowhawk Mountain.

Because they had consistently traveled on main roads, they were faster than those fleeing from Cloudstream City.

However, even so, by the time they reached the dock, the ticket prices to the Vina Islands had soared to eighty gold coins.

After persuading Whitney, Chris spent her entire fortune to secure passage for both of them.

"All our money is gone; we won't survive even if we reach the Vina Islands, we might as well stay in the Federation."

After receiving the two tickets that she might never earn back in her lifetime, Whitney constantly grumbled.

But Chris didn't think she had made the wrong decision; although she knew the Federation had a saying, "Money makes the world go round.", she knew that for two women, having more money was a disaster, especially in times of war.

"Alright, Nanny, don't say anymore; I'll earn money to support you."

Hearing Chris's words, Whitney couldn't help but roll her eyes.

As the eldest servant of the Calvin family, she had witnessed the family's growth over the first forty years of her life.

From a family of two, they had gradually developed into a local wealthy family owning hundreds of acres of land.

But soon after, when the youngest member of the family, Chris, was discovered to have magical talent by a passing mage, she witnessed the family's rapid decline within three years.

First, family members disappeared inexplicably, then land was sold off time and time again, until only two thatched cottages and the two of them remained.

"I just hope you don't get involved in those weird things again."

"Weird things? Nanny, you need to know that's.....

Seeing that people around them were noticing their argument, Chris immediately stopped the words she was about to blurt out.

It was also at this moment that two people covered in blood walked down the stairs leading to the cabin.

Seeing these two people, those around them unconsciously moved away.

Chris, however, seemed to have discovered a treasure, her eyes lit up, and she looked at Whitney again.

"Just watch, Nanny, these weird things can earn you unimaginable money."

After Chris finished speaking, she immediately got up and walked towards Lance.

Whitney wanted to stop her, but she was a step too slow.

"Co...come...back..."

Chris ignored the intermittent, anxious calls from behind her; she mustered her courage and walked towards the vacant spot in the corner of the cabin.

When Lance saw someone approaching, he instinctively wanted to attack, but when he saw that it was just a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, he didn't immediately act.

"Leave here."

Although he knew that it was unlikely that the enemy would hastily find a little girl to sneak onto the ship to assassinate him, Lance remained highly vigilant.

"The person lying on the ground is seriously injured; I can save him."

Chris was actually very scared, but she knew that only with these two people would what she had learned be valuable.

Hearing the little girl say this, Lance didn't insist on her leaving.

When escaping from Cloudstream City this time, they hadn't brought any potions, which had caused the person he was protecting to remain unconscious.

So when he heard that she had a way to treat him, Lance hesitated.

Seeing that he didn't refuse, Chris reached into a small white bag on her body and took out a black bread.

"I only have this now; you might be able to...":

Before the black bread could be handed to Lance, Whitney had already come over and snatched the bread away.

"We don't have much food left; we can't give it to others!"

"Nanny, they are injured!"

"That's not allowed either!"

After Whitney finished speaking, she ran back to her original position with the black bread and squatted down.

Seeing this scene, Chris helplessly smiled again.

"You can trust me; I am a... lis...ten...doctor."

After Chris finished speaking, she took out half a black bread from her small bag; it was what she had left over from last night.

After what had just happened, Lance's wariness had diminished slightly, and besides, he hadn't eaten for a day and a night, so he immediately took the bread.

However, Lance didn't eat it all at once; he put about half of the bread into his clothes.

"You said you're a doctor? But you're too young."

After eating the bread, Lance swallowed hard before staring at her again.

"I'm a family doctor; I started learning medicine from my grandfather at the age of six, and it's been eight years now; the whole of St. Nyssa Village knows me."

Chris explained without changing her expression; seeing that Lance was still somewhat doubtful, she said again.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask my nanny; almost all the villagers of St. Nyssa Village have received my treatment."

When Whitney saw Chris take out half a black bread, she had already come over again.

But as soon as she got halfway there, she heard someone asking her to give false testimony, and she froze on the spot.

"St. Nyssa Village?"

Whitney knew very well that the place she had lived all her life was called Marchco Village.

St. Nyssa Village, she had never even heard of it!