Chapter 130: Mission, Embezzlement, Gifts, Mission

Wokain and his companions quickly rode back to town. They dismounted and went straight into the mansion. The servants of the mansion would take care of the horses, so they didn't need to worry about them.

Although the city restricted nearby villagers from driving mule carts and oxcarts into the city, no one dared to obstruct someone of Wokain's special status, and they were allowed to pass directly.

"My lords, we have guests who came this afternoon and are waiting for you in the tea room."

"The mansion's butler said respectfully."

The three looked at each other, wondering who had come all this way to find them.

"Let's go take a look."

Wocain spoke.

The reception room of the mansion was on the first floor. As soon as the three of them entered, they saw the monk sitting by the window.

His mage robe still had creases, the fabric was new, it must have been kept safe, but he hadn't worn it in a long time.

The arrival of the three also caught the mage's attention, and he got up and walked over to Wokain and the other two.

"Good day, sir. I am Somion, the president of the Lawson Town Mage Association. I am truly sorry that I have not been able to entertain you, sirs, who have come from afar."

Somin was a middle-aged man in his sixties or seventies, which wasn't considered old in the magical continent, but the weathered look on his face made him appear more than ten years older than he actually was.

Compared to his identity as a magician, he is more like an old farmer who works in the fields year-round.

"What's going on at the association? Why are there problems with the buildings and they haven't been repaired in time?"

This problem put Somion in a difficult position. He couldn't very well contradict himself by saying that the funds approved from above were only a fraction of the amount he had applied for. The intricacies and complexities involved were far beyond the comprehension of a small-town mage like himself.

Somin gave a smile that looked even uglier than a grimace.

"I've already submitted the application, but I'm still a little short of the money I'll receive..."

He decided to bring up the matter more tactfully.

It would be best if these officials could understand his meaning; even if they didn't, he wouldn't have offended them directly.

Vocain was used to not caring about anything other than magic in the White Tower, so he naturally didn't think too deeply about it, but the wood-type mage and the defense-type mage understood the implication in Somion's words.

The two exchanged a glance, hesitating whether to get involved in this mess.

Is the teleportation array still working?

Wokain continued to ask.

"Yes, but we lack energy stones and need to purchase them in advance."

Somin's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke.

The association's teleportation array is a directional teleportation system, which is relatively stable, but it requires a lot of energy to activate each time.

The residents of Rosen Town do not enjoy a high standard of living; compared to other towns, they are even somewhat impoverished. Naturally, the mage guild located there is also very poor.

The teleportation array is expensive to operate and costs a lot of money, so it hasn't been used even once in the past ten years, and has long been covered in a thick layer of dust. If it weren't for Wokain's plan to use it when he returned to the royal city, the teleportation array would probably have continued to gather dust.

"Bring the association's ledger over after dinner."

Wokain realized that the situation at the Lawson Town Mage Association was indeed rather strange. Surely they didn't even have the energy stones needed to use a teleportation array?

He wanted to see exactly where the hundreds of thousands of gold coins that the White Tower spent every year went.

Somin was prepared and pulled out the ledger from his pocket. He was hoping that Wocain and his men would ask him for the ledger, so that at least someone "above" would know about it. That way, he could still hold onto some hope of getting his gold coins back.

"Please take a look."

Somion respectfully handed over the ledger in his hand, which the wood-elemental mage took and returned a small bag to Somion.

"There are ten gold coins inside. Is that enough to buy the energy stones we need?"

"That's enough, we don't actually need that many gold coins..."

The wood-type mage interrupted Somion.

"The remainder will be used for house repairs and to house lounges for association members."

"Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you for your generosity!"

Somion and the wood-elemental mage exchanged pleasantries for a while before it was time for dinner.

Somin got up to take his leave, and Wocain asked the butler to invite them to stay for dinner. The group then went upstairs to wash up. They would stay here for one more night at most, and head to the Eton Great Forest at dawn tomorrow. They needed to get a good rest tonight.

Before we knew it, it was the next day.

The three mages changed out of their white robes and into dark-colored mage robes, which were still understated yet magnificent.

After finishing breakfast and checking the supplies in their storage rings, the three mounted their horses and set off from the most famous "Poseidon Entrance" towards the Great Forest of Eton.

Riding horses was faster than other methods of travel, saving them considerable time. They didn't need bounty hunters to escort them, nor did they need anyone to guide them. And so, the three men and three horses set off to complete the most important task of their journey.

Meanwhile, in the small mountain village of Lai, a farewell also took place.

Last night, the Hagrid family prepared a sumptuous dinner to entertain Edmund, their guest from afar.

A whole roasted bird, flavorful mushroom soup, basil-roasted lamb chops with wine, homemade smoked sausage, fruit pie, and vegetable salad.

Linda showcased her culinary skills, producing a delicious and visually appealing dinner that differed from Lai's cooking style and flavors, offering a unique taste that everyone thoroughly enjoyed.

Although Edmund had already decided to leave the small village the next day, he couldn't refuse Hagrid's warm hospitality and ended up having a few drinks.

Fortunately, the wine wasn't too strong, so it wouldn't affect Edmund's schedule for tomorrow and even helped him get a good night's sleep.

The next day at dawn, Edmund began packing his things.

Most of his items were stored in his storage ring; the only things he carried with him were various weapons.

This is merely an exploration mission, not particularly difficult, but because the location is deep within the Eton Forest, it is exceptionally dangerous. Therefore, the Holy See needs to send someone with high capabilities.

Originally, this matter did not need to trouble someone like Edmund, who already held a high position in the Knights, but he volunteered and used some connections, and finally the task fell to him.

Knock, knock, knock, a knocking sound came from outside the door.

“Uncle Edmund, this is Neil. Breakfast is ready.”

"Okay, I'll go down right away."

Neil's voice came from outside the door. Edmund quickly packed his things, grabbed his weapons and a small bundle, and went downstairs.

For breakfast today, Lai steamed buns and egg custard, and as usual, served two plates of various pickled vegetables.

After breakfast, Edmund helped clear the table and began to say goodbye to the two.

"Lay, I have to leave the small village today. Thank you so much for your hospitality these past few days."

"You're too kind, it's what I should do."

Edmund handed Rye a small bag.

"Open it and take a look."

Lai was a little puzzled, but did as he was told to pull the drawstring and pour out a small, bright green stone and a simple pendant from the small bag.

Upon touching it, Pu Yi sensed an extremely strong magical element emanating from the small stone. Although the pendant looked ordinary, Lai Yi knew it was definitely not as simple as it appeared.

"I originally intended to give this elemental stone to your mother, but..."

Edmund did not continue speaking.

"I know you're also a wood-type mage. Keep this safe; you never know when it might come in handy."

And this pendant is a small storage item; it has about fifteen square meters of space inside, enough to hold some durable, inanimate items. You just need to infuse it with a trace of your own magical imprint.

"This is far too valuable; I cannot accept it."

Ray returned the items to Edmund, but Edmund grabbed his hand.

“Lay, I don’t know when we’ll meet again. It’s not easy for you to raise your younger brother alone, and the area isn’t very safe. Keep these things with you so I can feel more at ease. It’s also a good thing that your father and I were friends.”

Edmund earnestly advised him.

"Take it, it will make me feel better."

As Edward was Vincent's close friend, Ray eventually accepted the gift from Edward, which relieved Edmund.

"Thank you, Uncle Edmund."

Lai thanked him.

Edmund looked at the now-grown-up Ray and Neil and was filled with a myriad of thoughts.

So much has happened in less than twenty years. Perhaps he really is getting old; the melancholy of passing time has been with him all this time.

"No need to see me off later, I'll leave as soon as I leave the village."

Despite being told not to see him off, Ray still escorted Edmund to the village entrance with Neil, along with Hagrid.

"Go back and take care of yourself. Neil, be a good boy and listen to your brother, and study hard."

Edmund bid farewell to Ray and Neil separately. He patted Neil's hair, gave him one last deep look, and then turned to mount his horse.

"Go back, everyone. I'm leaving."

"goodbye."

"goodbye!"

Ray and the others waved goodbye, and only turned back to the village when they could no longer see Edmund's back. Hagrid walked and talked with him.

"Edmund just left. Is he coming back? Did he say where he was going?"

Hagrid asked Rye.

"He probably won't be coming back. It seems he came here on an important mission and stopped by to visit his father and mother."

"Oh, I see. Did he mention anything about the city?"

Hagrid asked tentatively.

Without even asking, Ray knew that Hagrid was referring to the royal city.

"Yes, we talked about it. Uncle Edmund asked me if I wanted to take Neil with me to town, but I refused."

"You child...sigh..."

Hagrid looked at Ray, seemingly wanting to say something but then hesitated, and finally let out a deep sigh.

"Let's go home."

Ray chuckled at Hagrid, not taking it seriously at all, and strolled home.

After dropping Edmund off, Neil went to school, leaving only Ray, Tata, and Little Black at home.

Tata lazily slept with her belly exposed, while Little Black lay in the sun basking in the sunlight.

Lai went back into the house, poured himself a glass of warm water, took a couple of sips, and stared blankly at the pendant and wood element stone on the table.

Having something novel in his hands, especially something like a storage bag that he had only seen in novels, Lai couldn't help but be curious.

Following Edmund's instructions, he channeled a wisp of magic into the pendant.

Sure enough, the magical energy activated the magic circle in the pendant. The air first rippled like water, and then a dimensional window appeared out of thin air in front of Lai, through which he could see a space of about fifteen square meters.

It's actually a real storage space!

Lei couldn't help but feel excited.

With such a large space, he can put a lot of things in there, which will save him a lot of trouble in the future.

The storage space was very spacious, and he immediately spotted a package on the ground.

Ray's intuition told him that this package must have been left for him and Neil by Edmund as well.

Lai took out the package and simultaneously ended the spellcasting on the pendant; the dimensional window quickly vanished into thin air.

Among the packages left behind by Edmund was a brand-new mage's robe and several exquisitely crafted clothes made of fine materials, which, judging by their size, were probably left for Neil.

Besides these, there were two exquisite daggers and several books about magic, some about wood and some about fire.

Lai thought these fire magic books were meant for his cousin Vivian, so he put them away and would give them to her when she returned.

Ray was very pleased with the pendant Edmund had given him. And the elemental stone—it looked to be of excellent quality and would definitely be a great help to his future studies and practice.

Lai put these things back into his storage space, found a sturdy leather cord, and put the pendant around his neck.

He decided that he would never let this pendant leave his side again.

The farm work that had been put on hold for more than a day still needed to be done. After helping Neil tidy up the house, Lai went to work.

In a few days, he will have to go to town to sell some vegetables. The green peppers at home have already been harvested and should be popular with the orcs. He also needs to send some to Mu and Bai.

Wocain and his men rode in silence toward the border, following the map.

The Rosen Town Mage Association's accounts were reviewed last night, and based on the information known to the wood-element mages, there are indeed problems with the funds allocated to Somion.

Not only that, the annual benefits that should have been given to the president were reduced by half, not to mention any benefits such as energy stones or magic items, which he received none of.

The fact that these amounts would definitely be less in the public accounts of Baita suggests that there was a problem with the personnel involved in the execution.

From the White Pagoda to the Wizard Association in Rosen Town, it's impossible to know how many layers of transmission it must go through before finally arriving. Where exactly did things go wrong in the middle?

This matter is indeed quite difficult, but the three of them are already involved. Given Wokain's personality, it would be better if he didn't know, but now that he does, he can't possibly ignore it.

The wood-type mage couldn't help but feel a little sad.

They're going to offend some people again; only that guy can laugh so carefree.

The wood-type mage looked resentfully at the carefree defensive mage.

"Be careful of your surroundings, we are about to enter the depths of the Eton Forest."

"Yes, Lord Vocain."

The three of them traveled non-stop, and after two days and one night, they finally reached the edge of Speth's territory, which meant they had entered a quarter of the Eton Great Forest.

Only after arriving here did they see a few scattered level-four magical beasts. This was largely due to the barrier set up at the border of the territory, which was also the purpose of their trip—to reinforce the barrier.

The origin of the barrier is a long story, dating back to the chaotic period of war.

It not only protected humanity from the persecution of demonic beasts, but also suppressed the demons who attempted to conquer the entire continent, bringing hundreds of years of peace to the people.

Therefore, it must be reinforced every once in a while.

Wokain was well-versed in ancient magic, and since the barrier had recently weakened, the White Tower sent him on a mission. At the same time, he also took the opportunity to resolve the issue of the mutated plants in the small mountain village.

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Author's Note: Thank you to all the little angels who voted for me or watered my plants with nutrient solution between 2024-03-27 23:25:29 and 2024-04-02 23:03:09!

Thank you to the little angel who threw the landmine: Luohe (1 landmine);

Thank you to the little angels who watered with nutrient solution: mlllle and Beimoting (10 bottles each); Mr. Green (3 bottles); Yuanxu (2 bottles); Luoning, Fengyu, and Zhiyewuya (1 bottle each);

Thank you so much for your support! I will continue to work hard!