Chapter 241: Teacher and Student

Chapter 241: Teacher and Student

Pachu, with Shajia and escorted by several Knights, advanced slowly on horseback. Shajia looked around curiously. They had originally planned to go to the next village for an inspection, but an unexpected piece of news changed their itinerary.

Some starving refugees, while hunting, had discovered a Magical Beast—a fox with fur like flames. It could create life-like illusions and use these illusions to probe and evade danger.

Upon hearing the news, Pachu decided to go and see. Illusions could hardly fool his eyes. With just a little luck in finding this Magical Beast’s trail, he was confident he could capture it.

Shajia was not very interested in the Magical Beast. Getting out for once was rare, and broadening her horizons was the main goal. The Grand Sorcerer Bran was usually lenient with the elders and had not assigned this task to Pachu and the others. However, the old men, like Pachu, could not suppress their excitement and insisted on coming out.

With concern, she and her teacher Pachu left Northland City. As a disciple, she followed silently beside Pachu, listening to the excited conversations of her teachers. It was only when the phrase—the Wizard’s nation—kept appearing in her teachers’ mouths that she suddenly understood.

Watching these old Wizards, who seemed to have become much younger, talking incessantly and even recording each other’s words, she realized they were preparing to compile a document belonging solely to the Wizards.

Outside Northland City, the teachers spoke and acted with fewer reservations. They talked about how the Green Nobles had lifted a rock only to drop it on their own feet. After the destruction of Sandstone City, a series of actions by Bran in receiving the refugees had shown people his kind side.

The raids did cause unrest, but if not for the push from certain individuals, things would not have gotten out of hand. Guided by human hands, the refugees surged towards the Royal Capital and towards Northland City. The Nobles believed they could use this event to pressure the Great Wizard. As long as the Great Wizard wanted to accept and settle these refugees, he would inevitably have to ask for their help.

They had actually succeeded.

Just as the Great Wizard began to move and Northland City started preparing, someone made a foolish move. They wanted to force the Great Wizard to act quickly. Perhaps because everything had gone too smoothly before, they had lost their caution. They guided and even participated in the attack on the Niels Family’s Territory.

The Great Wizard was not familiar with the Green Kingdom, but he knew the Niels Family quite well. A group of starving refugees did not have the capability to make them hole up defensively.

Things spiraled out of control.

Enraged, the Great Wizard transformed into a cloud of mist that swept over the city, heading straight for the Royal Capital. After killing a group of people indiscriminately, regardless of status, he returned the same day. Following that, order inside and outside the Royal Capital began to improve.

When discussing this, those teachers frequently glanced at her. They believed it was fate. If not for the mischief she and her companions had caused back then, perhaps none of this would have happened today, and the Wizard’s nation might not be on the agenda now.

They looked at her with envy in their eyes. They said she and her partners from Sandstone City had pushed history forward, and their names would surely live on forever alongside the Wizard’s nation.

Forever? For a moment, Shajia lost her composure. What about my father then, will anyone remember him? And those innocent people who died, will anyone remember them?

The old men, realizing their slip of the tongue, immediately apologized to her, and she could only shake her head bitterly.

After passing Twofold Mountain, everyone went their separate ways to different destinations. As they neared the Royal Capital, scattered refugees began to appear on the road. In the cold wind, these people’s faces were tinged with a bluish-gray hue. She watched as her teacher Pachu pointed at a few relatively strong refugees, telling them to cut down some nearby trees to make a fire for warmth, but they refused. The reason was that the Lord of this area strictly forbade them from cutting wood; if smoke was seen, people would rush over to interfere, and some had already suffered because of it.

To these passing, kind-hearted Knights, the refugees did not believe they would truly stand up for them. If conflict arose and these Knights backed down, the ones who would end up suffering would still be them.

Pachu merely smiled and then ordered the accompanying Knights to cut trees and light a fire. As the bonfire blazed and thick smoke rose, a dozen or so people indeed came galloping over on horseback. Ignoring the refugees on the road, they roughly shoved them aside, and the ensuing chaos made them laugh triumphantly.

That was the first time she saw her usually gentle teacher kill. The faces of the men at the front melted like hot wax. When the others behind looked at her teacher in panic, they immediately covered their eyes and screamed. Seeing their miserable state, she couldn’t help but shiver. The refugees who had been drawn near by the bonfire also instantly retreated into the distance, watching them in terror.

Her teacher pointed again at the same men from before, ordering them to cut trees and make a fire. This time, no one dared to disobey his will.

Several bonfires were lit. Amidst the billowing smoke, the Lord of this area arrived, trembling with fear. A Knight from Northland City proclaimed the Great Wizard’s command. As the proclamation ended, that Lord’s forehead gradually became covered in sweat. It was indeed asking too much of such a minor Lord to settle so many refugees.

But she knew that if this Lord dared to disobey, he would immediately fall dead by the roadside. Because this command represented not only the will of the Grand Sorcerer Bran but also the will of the many Wizards within Northland City.

The Wizard’s nation—even she was filled with longing and anticipation for it. At that moment, the tips of her hair had slowly begun to spread. If the person before her failed to recognize the situation, she would not wait for her teacher to act; she would immediately kill him herself.

Thinking back now, it seemed somewhat ridiculous. She could not appear as indifferent as her teacher. She had revealed her intentions too early and even ruined her teacher’s plan to kill one as a warning to a hundred. And that Lord was very observant; he made his choice promptly.

As they traveled on, she gradually realized her teacher’s actions had far exceeded the scope of his duty. When she reminded her teacher not to get into trouble because of this, her teacher laughed. “Haven’t you noticed after being in Northland City for so long? As long as nothing is explicitly forbidden, he will not blame us.”

“And do you think there’s a reason why all of us have come out this time? We are out here not only to quell this man-made disaster but also to take the opportunity to cleanse this land. Some things need to be prepared in advance because the Great Wizard is not interested in these matters and inevitably might overlook some details.”

Her teacher’s words about the Great Wizard were tactful, but they could not conceal a tone of complaint. Considering the Great Wizard’s way of doing things, it indeed made people feel quite helpless. With his immense power, he could ignore the world’s restraints and be careless, but others could not.

…

Pachu looked at the distracted Shajia beside him and shook his head. This child was great in every way, except she lacked the youthful vigor. Capturing a Magical Beast was not for himself, but for this disciple.

In fact, the White-robed Ones were all trying to find a suitable Magical Beast for their own disciples. Later, they would try to have them build trust. Ultimately, like the Great Wizard and Huahua, their Mana would merge and blend in Resonance, growing and progressing together.