Swish.
A silver Transmission Array flashed with white light, and the figures of dozens of Wizards suddenly appeared.
"Kararli City has arrived," Colin stepped down from the Transmission Array, walked out of the Transmission Bureau, and let out a breath, forming a visible white mist in the air.
He looked around, and all he could see was a vast expanse of white.
Thick snow covered the streets, and the rooftops rose and fell in white mounds.
The people on the street were all wrapped in heavy coats, wearing various colored cotton hats and gloves, with barely any skin exposed.
Many of them wore special snow boots with wide soles to prevent sinking into the snow and to quicken their pace.
This place was considerably colder than Neustadt City.
This city, named Kararli, like Neustadt City, is also a Wizard City located in the central Kingdom, but it's not one of the nine major Wizard Cities.
Its geographical location is far to the north of Neustadt City, and it's much smaller, being only about one-twentieth the size of Neustadt City.
This was also Colin's first transfer station on his journey.
"Head to Ancient North Village to eliminate the attacking First Rank Ice and Snow Monsters."
The Ancient North Village mentioned in the School's mandatory mission was almost at the northernmost point of Siya Continent, arguably the northernmost village in Siya Continent.
The journey from Neustadt City was not short.
Fortunately, with the Transmission Array, much time and effort had been saved.
In fact, although only a few minutes had passed since Colin left Neustadt City, in terms of distance, he had already traveled two-thirds of the way.
However, the journey ahead wouldn't be so straightforward and pleasant.
To reach Ancient North Village, Colin estimated, would take at least half a day.
If Ancient North Village is the northernmost populated place on Siya Continent, then Kararli City is the northernmost Wizard City.
Beyond this were only small concentrations of Wizards, typically affiliated with one or two Schools within the Kingdom.
Those places couldn't afford to maintain a Transmission Array.
So, for the next part of the journey, Colin would have to find his own way.
Due to the harsh climate, no fixed transport like Airships was available further north, just some trading caravans that traveled back and forth irregularly.
An ordinary Wizard Apprentice might have had to wait for such caravans to move together.
But for Colin, who was a Second Rank Wizard, such inconveniences were unnecessary.
He found a street sign and quickly discerned the direction before heading non-stop towards the North City Gate, intending to fly directly to Ancient North Village in one go.
The School mission required arrival within two days, meaning he had to reach Ancient North Village by tomorrow at the latest, or it would be considered a mission failure.
This requirement wasn't too harsh, as a nimble First Rank Wizard could reach Ancient North Village by this evening, let alone a Second Rank Wizard like Colin.
Logically, Colin didn't need to rush and could have taken the opportunity to explore Kararli City.
But considering the long journey and the potential issues of this mission, he did not want to delay and figured it was better to get there sooner rather than later.
Failing the mission would not only result in a deduction of School Contribution Points but also require completing two additional mandatory missions as compensation.
However, if successful, he would gain two hundred School Contribution Points and a reward of eight thousand Magic Stones.
Eight thousand Magic Stones was a trivial amount for Colin at the moment, but two hundred contribution points was significant for a mission at the First Rank Wizard level.
Although it was nothing compared to the points needed for the Meditation Method of Third Rank, at least it wasn't for nothing.
As he walked, like the other pedestrians, Colin put on a full-covered black cotton hat and wrapped his cheeks with a scarf, leaving only his eyes exposed.
Even after hearing the words of Instructor Atbolde, which offered some reassurance, his caution remained unabated.
This mandatory mission, from start to finish, exuded an odd feeling, and Colin was somewhat concerned that the Pureblood Families might still try to trip him up.
On his way, he quickly arrived at Kararli's North City Gate.
The black city gate, crafted from refined iron, stood tall and majestic, but it was closed, as was the slightly smaller side gate beside it.
Four Guards clad in special blue armor stood watch at the entrance.
Colin's heart sank slightly, and after pondering for a moment, he prepared to approach and inquire about the situation.
"Sir, are you planning to leave the city?" the leading Guard approached and asked politely.
Colin stood alone, striding confidently, and in this cold season, only a Wizard would be venturing out alone, so the Guard dared not be disrespectful.
"Yes," Colin nodded slightly.
"Very well, please present your passage certificate, and we will open the gate for you," the Guard continued respectfully.
Colin's tension eased slightly as he reached to pull out his School Badge.
The badge from one of the leading Schools among the nine major Wizard Cities could essentially serve as a passage certificate in all Wizard Cities across the Siya Continent.
The Tin Saint School was naturally one of these.
Just then, however, Colin suddenly furrowed his brow and turned to look behind.
But all that met his eyes were gray houses covered in white snow and a few ordinary pedestrians in coats.
"What seems to be the matter, sir?" the Guard asked hastily.
"Nothing..." Colin withdrew his gaze slowly, shook his head, and handed over his badge to the Guard.
The Guard checked the badge quickly and then promptly waved to his companions to open the side door, and Colin stepped out with a composed expression.