In the snow-covered land, Vladimir wore a thick fur coat.
With a cigar dangling from his lips, he trudged through layers of snow and arrived at the entrance of the Pale Magic Guild.
Erica took off her hood, revealing her long golden hair, which fluttered in the wind and snow.
The long journey of many days was also a test for Erica.
Her face had become much thinner, her body seemed to have shrunk, and her eyes looked somewhat sunken.
However, a light still shone in his eyes.
Every day, they walk hundreds of kilometers.
To save time, the team didn't even have extra rest time.
For five consecutive days after departing from the capital, Erica remained on horseback, enduring the elements.
After this ordeal, she seemed to have become much stronger.
Upon seeing the elderly man, Erica dismounted from the white horse and bowed respectfully to him.
"Uncle Vladimir."
She recognized the person in front of her.
Vladimir Lebedev, the president of the Pale Magic Society, is also a very close friend of his father.
Logically speaking, Erica should call this person uncle.
Vladimir's status must be extraordinary for him to be able to be friends with the Duke.
He was a general stationed on the northern border of the empire.
The old man seemed quite relaxed, taking a deep drag on a cigar and blowing smoke rings into the air.
He looked at Erica, sized her up, and chuckled.
"The little girl from the River family is not bad."
"They actually made it this far on horseback."
Seeing Vladimir nod with a laugh, Erica knew that she had passed the entrance test of the Magic Guild.
"Okay! Dick, take them back first."
"Let them all get some rest. Tonight, we'll treat them to a welcome-back dinner!"
The second-in-command nodded, took Erica's white horse, and led the group of mages who had been escorting Erica away.
Vladimir patted Erica on the shoulder, put away his cigar, turned his head to blow a puff of smoke into the air, and then turned back to Erica and said:
"Would you like to take a look around?"
Although Erica was a little tired, she couldn't refuse the elder's invitation, so she nodded.
Moreover, she also wanted to see what kind of splendor existed within the territory of one of the two major powers in the North.
Soon, Erica followed behind Vladimir, looking around curiously.
This is a sight you absolutely cannot see in the capital.
Many of the buildings are made of natural materials that are a mixture of pure white marble and ice chips, which are incredibly hard yet gleam in the sunlight.
Erica looked at the enormous building, and her initial fatigue vanished instantly.
Everything here is amazing.
Like a perfect palace on a snowfield, it appears mysterious and sacred amidst the wind and snow.
"Well, she's quite pretty, isn't she?"
Vladimir said with a smile, as if Erica's reaction was exactly what he expected.
"However, this is, after all, the border of the empire, and it is not as prosperous as the capital."
"We don't have any of those novelties that appear where you are."
Erica shook her head and said with a smile:
“I know, Uncle.”
Erica knew perfectly well that she was here to gain experience, not to enjoy herself.
As they talked, the two walked to a huge wooden house.
Here, beneath this ice and snow palace, it appears utterly out of place.
I immediately noticed a wooden sign hanging from the eaves, with a huge wine glass painted on it.
"You've had your fill of sightseeing. We'll arrange a room for you in a bit so you can rest for the night."
Vladimir looked at the little wooden house in front of him and smiled, whether it was because he loved the tavern so much or because Erica had just called him uncle.
As soon as he pushed open the door, a wave of heat hit him.
The tavern seemed like two different worlds. Inside, the lights were warm, and many people were gathered around the tables, clinking glasses and playing games, creating a lively atmosphere.
Erica had never been to a tavern before, and she never imagined that it would be such a scene.
Upon seeing Vladimir's arrival, many people spontaneously stopped what they were doing.
They raised their glasses simultaneously, greeting the old general.
"General, would you like to have a drink with me?"
"Put your little gadgets down! If the general wants to drink, he'll drink it by the bucket!"
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Erica was still a little nervous, but Vladimir next to her burst into laughter.
"Don't scare this junior."
The mages were puzzled when they saw Erica behind them.
"Wow, we still have such delicate and fair-skinned young girls around here?"
"He looks fair and clean-cut, unlike people from the northern frontier."
Vladimir, seemingly with some pride, introduced:
"This is the daughter of one of my friends in the capital."
"She's a true genius."
The other mages began to look at Erica with great interest, some even in disbelief.
In the eyes of these robust mages, how much genius could a mere delicate little girl possibly be?
But Vladimir continued to boast.
"Seventeen years old, a second-tier mage."
Suddenly, a tremendous roar erupted throughout the tavern, and even the bottles on the liquor rack trembled.
"Holy crap!?"
"A second-tier mage?"
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