In the shadow behind a house.
"Let's go, keep up with the target, we've been watching for several days." Bale said to his companion, Genna, beside him, "Cause some trouble for this Golden Feather and make his mission fail, then let's hurry back to Neustadt City. Kararli City really isn't that interesting."
"Okay." Genna nodded, getting ready to move forward.
"I just don't understand what this Golden Feather is thinking... not planning to join any faction."
"I heard he has connections with Black Castle, right?" Genna suddenly asked curiously.
"Who knows, anyway, our Family has instructed me to handle it as usual, just like before, without worrying too much. Didn't the Hidosh Family ask the same of you?"
Bale said indifferently, he just wanted to finish the mission quickly and then return to Neustadt City.
"Yes... this young Golden Feather needs to suffer a bit to learn what the right path is." Genna nodded without giving it much further thought.
After all, the unspoken rules within the Schools were always like this, an agreement universally acknowledged without exception.
"It's not necessarily so, if he stubbornly refuses to join, then there's nothing we can do.
After all, he's a Golden Feather, and a Family might try such methods only a few times at most."
Bale shook his head but didn't feel it had to be that way, "You have to remember, it's not like this hasn't happened before."
"That's none of our business." Genna shook his head and continued walking forward.
However, the next second, both men stopped in their tracks.
"Joyce, what are you doing here?" Genna looked up in surprise at the Wizard who suddenly appeared in front of them.
"...is this person also a member of your Hidosh Family?" Bale glanced at the blocking Joyce with some confusion, then urged,
"Genna, we are on a mission, we don't have time for a catch-up."
Genna nodded and as he continued to walk forward, said to Joyce in front of him, "Sorry, Joyce, we're a bit pressed for time, let's talk another time."
But the next moment, Joyce extended his hand to stop them.
"Genna, what is our relationship?" he asked in an expressionless and calm voice.
"...of course, we are friends." Genna hesitated, replied with a confused, polite smile.
"Then stay here and do nothing, pretend you failed to intercept Colin."
"What do you mean by this, sir?" The smile on Bale's face gradually disappeared as he asked coldly.
Genna too started frowning, not curious about how Joyce knew the content of their mission.
After all, Joyce was a Second Rank Wizard with connections in the Family; it would be easy for him to find out.
But he and Joyce, though from the same Family, were at best acquaintances. That previous talk was just out of politeness.
Why was Joyce being so impolite?
As he thought this, a suspicion flashed across Genna's mind—he recalled that not long ago, that Golden Feather seemed to have killed a stupid Second Rank of their Family with just the power of a First Rank...
In fact, that was why two Second Rank Wizards were sent this time to intercept Colin.
If he remembered correctly, that fool was called Yasi, and the Joyce in front of him... could he be his uncle?
Genna had a hunch, but it seemed improbable, after all, it was a Golden Feather.
So he stayed silent for a moment, then patiently said,
"Joyce, if I don't succeed in stopping Colin this time, making his mission fail, the Family will deduct my resources for two months."
"My companion here from the Harold Family will probably face the same... I don't think our relationship goes that far.
Besides, even if I'm willing to do you this favor, what about my friend?"
Joyce remained silent, giving no answer, but motioned Genna to come closer.
Genna approached with confusion, and Joyce whispered in his ear.
The latter's gaze flickered non-stop with the words of Joyce, his face changing again and again... shock, hesitation, and greed.
...
Kararli, outside the North City Gate.
An expanse of white snow.
The harsh weather deterred most from venturing outside, and all that met the eye was a desolate expanse of snow.
Snowflakes drifted down silently, accentuating the desolation.
Thus it had been for about two hours.
Suddenly, the snowfield distorted, revealing the figure of a wizard.
Colin lifted his head and frowned at the tall and majestic North City Gate of Kararli City not far away.
That black gate had been tightly closed since he left and had not opened again.
This meant that no one else had come out.
But the gaze he had felt in the city... It was definitely not an illusion.
Colin was silent for a moment, then heightened his alertness in his heart, concealed his figure again, and drove his witchcraft forward.
He still had a task to attend to, and should he fail to reach the task's location on time, it would be considered a failure.
The rest of the journey went smoothly, without any further incidents.
Along the way, he passed many kingdom and wizard gathering spots, but Colin did not stop. Instead, he avoided them from afar and pressed on straight to his destination.
Finally, around four o'clock in the afternoon, Colin arrived at the Ancient North Camp.
This was the reporting location given in the School task.
The camp was built inside a low ice and snow hill, with the power of witchcraft hollowing out the entire interior of the hill, where the wizards were stationed.
At the modest black iron gate, an Advanced Wizard Apprentice came out to receive him.
The male apprentice looked to be about thirty years old, with some wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, a thick black cotton hat on his head, with a hint of brown hair visible at his temples, and a silent and wooden face.
He looked like a middle-aged man who was not good with words.
Colin sized him up, then suddenly paused his gaze on the man's chest, looking at the familiar School Badge and asked in surprise,
"You are a member of the Tin Saint School too?"
'Yes, sir, you can call me Dempsey,' Dempsey nodded, his voice sounding a bit strained, as if he hadn't spoken to anyone for a long time.
He paused, then added, "I took on a task from the School and have been stationed here for half a year."
"I'm Colin," Colin responded.
He was somewhat surprised inside but paused before asking subconsciously, "Why does the School still have an outpost here?"
He had been a bit startled to see such a wizard outpost upon arrival.
Because in the last hour of the nearly six-hour flight journey, the concentration of Magic Power in the surrounding environment had fallen to a level that could only be described as sparse.
Apprentices would have a tough time practicing here, let alone an Official Wizard like him. To practice, one would need the aid of Magic Stones.
And once the Magic Power within was exhausted, recovery would require at least half a day, relying solely on absorbing the ambient Magic Power.
In the last half-hour of the journey, the view hardly showed any human tracks, let alone the figures of wizards.
A curiosity about this place suddenly rose in Colin's heart.
Nowhere in the details of the task given by the School were these mentioned, not even the description of the Ice and Snow Monsters, which were very vague, knowing only that they were at most First Rank in strength.
"To be precise, this isn't an outpost of our School, Mr. Colin," Dempsey explained, shaking his head to Colin's question.
Colin was slightly taken aback.
Dempsey continued,
"In truth, this location is under joint management by the Nine Major Schools of Neustadt City, but due to its truly remote location and the exceptionally harsh environment, the members of the Nine Major Schools hardly want to come here."
"So, most of the time, the guarding tasks are subcontracted to affiliated Schools like ours, the Tin Saint School, and it is usually members from these affiliated Schools who come to stand guard."
Colin nodded slightly, still harboring many doubts within.
However, he paused and chose not to rush asking but said instead, "Take me in to report to the School first."
Reporting was the priority... There would be time to talk about other matters later.
"Certainly, Mr. Colin,"
Dempsey respectfully led him into the cave camp inside the hill.