The Wizard's Secret Journey

Chapter 229 Attitude and Task (4k)

'Has Lord Horsens arrived at the base?'

Lynn was somewhat surprised, quickly tidied up the mess, and hurried to the office.

It's already late at night, so Horsens must have something important to discuss with him.

In the corridor leading to the office, Lynn ran into Samuel, who was also heading to the office. After a brief conversation, they learned that they had both been summoned by Horsens.

“Since you and I have been summoned together, it seems that Lord Horsens’s visit to us is probably related to the Golden Thorn Apprentice,” Samuel deduced.

Lynn nodded and walked forward with Samuel, soon arriving at the office.

Horsens was standing by the window, his tall figure with his back to the two of them, quietly gazing at the dark Silver Ring City outside.

"Professor Horsens," Lynn and the other greeted in unison.

Horsens slowly turned around, a gentle smile on his face: "Good evening, both of you."

The ordinary-looking middle-aged wizard still had the same gentle demeanor as before, without any pretense, which only made people feel friendly.

The tension that Lynn and Samuel felt because of Horsens' late-night visit was gradually replaced by his gentle smile.

"How is the new Golden Thorn apprentice doing? Has he caused you any trouble?" Horsens continued, his tone like that of a friendly greeting between acquaintances.

With the highest leader of a school of thought behaving this way, it's no wonder that most of the Golden Thorn apprentices believed that Silver Ring Academy would yield to the opinions of ordinary wizards.

"They're all fine and haven't caused any trouble," Samuel replied quickly, his tone invigorated. "Besides, resolving the Golden Thorn Apprentices' problems is our duty!"

“The Golden Thorn apprentices are all very good,” Lynn echoed, though his mind was elsewhere.

"That's good." Horsens nodded and continued to ask about the Golden Thorn Apprentice.

During the process, Samuel mainly answered questions, while Lynn occasionally added some supplementary information, but his mind was not on answering the questions.

Should I tell Horsens about the Grey Wizard?

Although quite some time has passed, Lynn still occasionally recalls the strange behavior exhibited by the grey-robed wizard Luca.

That behavior is very similar to the pollution of the Saint-Mi ring.

However, Luca remained conscious, and despite his injury, he was not contaminated by the Holy Ring.

"The discussion was excellent, you did a great job." Horsens praised with a smile after hearing Samuel recount the discussion. "Wizards from the same school should have such a free and equal platform for exchange."

Samuel smiled shyly at the praise and said, "This was mainly Lord Lynn's suggestion. I only did some supporting work. Besides, Lord Lynn is quite popular with those Golden Thorn apprentices."

Feeling Horseens' gaze fall upon him, Lynn paused his thoughts and smiled, "The Golden Thorn Apprentices are the true creators of the discussion; I merely gave it a push."

Horsens nodded, then asked curiously, "Samuel said you're particularly popular with the Golden Thorn apprentices, what's that about?"

"When we picked them up, we encountered a fugitive from the Exploration Association," Samuel interjected before Lynn could answer. "The fugitive hid under the shuttle piloted by Lord Lynn, trying to escape. Fortunately, Lord Lynn spotted him and decisively killed him, thus protecting the Golden Thorn apprentices."

“I see.” Horsens suddenly realized, then looked at Lynn more closely, raised an eyebrow and said, “I didn’t expect you to have already advanced to the intermediate level of the first tier, Lynn.”

"I was lucky and didn't encounter any major obstacles," Lynn smiled.

"It's not luck. Your hard work and diligence cannot be so easily dismissed by luck."

In front of his respected teacher, Samuel wanted to show off a bit, and also wanted Horsens to see Lynn's excellence.

This wasn't a bad intention; it was simply that I felt my friends were incredibly capable and wanted to show off to them.

“Professor Horsens, you have no idea how diligent Lynn is. Except when he has work, he spends almost all his time in the meditation room.”

“I thought I had tried hard enough, but compared to him, it was still far from enough.”

Horsens smiled and nodded, adding, "No wonder you were able to advance to the intermediate first rank so quickly, Samuel. You should learn a lot from Lynn."

Now it was Lynn's turn to feel embarrassed. He smiled shyly and didn't know what to say for a moment.

Someone like Lynn, who responds better to gentle persuasion than force, will not respond to cold words; only kind words can leave him at a loss for what to do.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became exceptionally harmonious, which made Lynn feel relieved and want to report Luca's matter to Horsens.

However, Horsens' late-night visit was ultimately not for pleasantries.

The middle-aged wizard's expression turned serious, and he said slowly:

"I've come to see you this time to give you some advance notice."

"The Silver Ring Wizard will be recruiting a large number of wizards to the 'Graywood Ruins' within the next five days to the earliest, including not only full-fledged wizards but also wizarding apprentices."

"Unfortunately, although I have tried my best, most of the Golden Thorn students who came to study at the Horsens School this time were within the scope of recruitment."

Horsens sighed, looking at Lynn and Samuel's bewildered expressions, and added, "The so-called Graywood Ruins are the Black Moon Ruins that Silver Ring Academy recently discovered. You should both have heard of this newly discovered ruin, right?"

“I’ve heard of it,” Samuel replied.

Lynn nodded, and the impulse in his heart gradually calmed down.

Despite the power of the Horsens wizard, in this land, the one who truly decides everything is always the Silver Ring wizard.

Lynn believed that Horsens was unlikely to do anything to him because of his membership in the Exploration Society.

But what about the Silver Ring Wizard?

This matter involves the contamination of the Holy Ring. If he reports it, who can guarantee that the Silver Ring Wizard won't forcibly examine his memories?
Moreover, he was injured at the time but was not contaminated. If it was really the Holy Ring that contaminated him, why wouldn't the Silver Ring Wizard have studied him carefully?
'I am not a saint after all...' Lynn sighed inwardly, completely abandoning the idea of ​​telling Horsens about the Luca incident.

"Just listen and that's good." Horsens nodded, then continued, "The reason I'm telling you this is because you're also within the scope of the conscription."

"However, through my efforts, you will not follow the other formal wizards to more dangerous places, but will stay with the Golden Thorn Apprentices and go to places that the apprentices can handle."

Lynn frowned slightly and quickly asked, "Is the Silver Ring Wizard summoning us this time to help him explore the Graywood Ruins?"

This is not good news. As mentioned before, the ultimate beneficiaries of ruins like these will inevitably be high-ranking wizards, or more specifically, Silver Ring wizards.

All the wizards who go to explore the Graywood Ruins will only be cannon fodder. Even if they gain some benefits, they will definitely not be able to keep them after leaving the ruins! "Explore the ruins?" Horsens shook his head. "No, the Silver Ring Wizards are not recruiting wizards this time to explore the Graywood Ruins, but to defend the Graywood Ruins."

Lynn felt a sense of relief, while Samuel beside him asked in confusion, "Defend the Graywood Ruins...defend what?"

“Naturally, it’s those wizards who are trying to sneak in,” Horsens said, his tone somewhat helpless. “The news of the Graywood Ruins has spread throughout Silver Ring City, and you should be able to sense the restless thoughts of the wizards outside.”

“During this period, almost every day a large number of wizards have been secretly sneaking into the Graywood Ruins, attempting to obtain the legacy of the Black Moon Academy.”

Samuel's doubts were resolved, but new doubts arose:
"According to what you said, the scale of this recruitment should be quite large... Is it not worth it to mobilize such a large force just to prevent wizards from secretly infiltrating the Graywood Ruins?"

"If the goal is to prevent the Black Moon Heritage from being stolen, then it would be perfectly feasible to set up an entrance ticket and a strict search mechanism upon exit. This would not only be more cost-effective than simply trying to stop it, but it would also prevent the truly valuable Black Moon Heritage from being lost."

“What you’ve said has been mentioned before, but the Silver Ring Wizard didn’t take it into consideration,” Horsens sighed. “Perhaps the Silver Ring Wizard had his own reasons.”

Lynn listened silently, then suddenly asked, "Lord Horsens, were the wizards who were summoned this time paid?"

Lynn's question was undoubtedly insightful, and Horsens, inwardly appreciating it, shook his head in reply:

"There is no reward; this is a mandatory Silver Ring conscription. You either choose to go there or leave the area ruled by the Silver Ring Academy forever, or you will be wanted like the Exploration Society."

"No pay?!" Samuel exclaimed in disbelief.

Lynn frowned, puzzled, and said, "This is not a long-term solution at all."

Horsens, however, was unwilling to discuss the topic further, and simply said, "You should prepare in advance, and while protecting yourselves, try your best to protect those Golden Thorn Apprentices as well."

"They are the future of the school of thought; if things turn out like last year..."

Horsens shook his head, left behind four magical artifacts, and departed.

The witchcraft tool is divided into two parts, both consisting of a silver pendant and a brass ring. When activated, they can release a defensive shield and a rain of fire attack, respectively.

Its strength is equivalent to the top level of a first-tier item, and it places a low burden on the wizard's mental strength, while also supporting charging with magic stones.

For a first-tier beginner or intermediate wizard, it is a pretty good life-saving item.

Horsens was not skilled at making witchcraft tools, so these were clearly purchased specifically for their self-defense.

Even someone as powerful as Horsens could only do so much under the will of the Silver Ring Wizard.

Lynn put away the two witchcraft tools that were of little use to him, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

'Truly, the Silver Ring reigns supreme!'

……

Horsens' news made Lynn feel even more urgent. Lynn, who had just made a significant breakthrough and wanted to take a break, immediately abandoned his plans and threw himself back into the preparations.

In a few days, he will leave Silver Ring Academy for the distant Gray Forest Ruins.

The location is remote, thousands of kilometers away from the nearest first-order school of thought. It goes without saying that resources are scarce.

Therefore, Lynn suspended his purchasing business these days and instructed his old male servant to buy a large amount of supplies. These included not only daily necessities, but also replacement parts for the flying shuttle, as well as some materials needed to study the Black Moon relics.

In this way, even if Lynn did not receive any replenishment in the past, these stockpiled supplies would be enough for him to maintain his normal cultivation and life for several years.

Lynn's savings were originally far from enough to cover the cost of these supplies, but the day after Horsens arrived, after much deliberation, he went to Daphne and told her the news.

The next day, the list of recruits from within the Silver Ring was released first, and Daphne was not on it.

So the witch gave Lynn her hard-earned savings in advance, under the guise of future dividends from the Tylos shop.

Lynn was grateful, but also a little envious.

The largest number of those recruited this time were from the allied schools of Silver Ring Academy, while the proportion recruited from within Silver Ring Academy itself was much lower.

This made Lynn realize once again that although Horsens was a third-tier wizard and could speak to Silver Ring wizards, in the eyes of Silver Ring wizards, Horsens was probably just an ordinary third-tier wizard.

In addition to preparing supplies, Lynn also undertook a major project—

Transform the Black Falcon!

After verifying the Traceless Rune, Lynn's first thought was that it could be applied to the Black Falcon!

Although the power module used by the Black Falcon was also excellent, far surpassing ordinary shuttles, its effect was still far inferior to the second-generation runes of the Traceless.

If the original Black Falcon power module could be replaced with the second-generation rune of the Traceless, the Black Falcon's flight speed would increase from 90% to at least 20% faster than the Golden Mist Shadow Technique!

In addition to flight, the second-generation stealth runes also have a significant function: concealing movement and tracks. This means that after the replacement, the Black Falcon's normal stealth capabilities will likely be further enhanced!
Three days after Horsens' arrival, the Silver Ring Allies' recruitment list was announced.

On the fourth day, Lynn worked tirelessly and successfully completed the modification of the Black Falcon.

The successfully modified Black Falcon is 40% faster than before, while its fuel consumption is reduced by 15%. Its stealth capabilities have also been enhanced, most notably by the fact that the air blast it creates at full speed has changed from a strong wind to a gentle breeze.

If this behemoth were to pass by an ordinary wizard apprentice under the cover of night, many people would probably not even notice it.

However, the Traceless Rune mainly enhances the ability to remain hidden in normal state; the Black Falcon's ability to actively conceal itself is not significantly improved compared to before.

Of course, the Black Falcon already had a very strong active stealth capability.

Five days after Horsens' arrival, the list of recruits for the Silver Ring Affiliated School was announced.

Meanwhile, the first batch of wizards recruited from within the Silver Ring School set off.

On the sixth day, the wizards of the Silver Ring Allies set off.

……

Early this morning, at the Horsens School headquarters.

Lynn and Samuel deactivated the protective magic array at their base and watched as the transport shuttle provided by Silver Ring Academy slowly descended.

(End of this chapter)