132 The Empire's Unexpected Twist and the Kingdom's Gossip

The days when fine snowflakes drifted gently were the most common weather on the Northwestern Ice Plains throughout the year. For the soldiers stationed here permanently, such snowy days were nothing unusual; drills proceeded as usual, duties were carried out without pause, and on the training grounds, one could even occasionally see groups of soldiers training fiercely bare-chested—of course, this was something the logistics personnel were strictly forbidden to witness. Otherwise, those stingy types, who could squeeze feathers from an iron rooster, would certainly use it as an excuse to cut the army’s cold protection supplies to the bare minimum.

Amidst the fiery enthusiasm of the training field, Pedia, clad in a heavy winter cloak, stood out as a peculiar figure. Yet, as a mage, his physical strength naturally could not compare to those soldiers who cultivated battle energy. There he was, alone at a target dummy, repeatedly practicing the most fundamental Fireball Spell. The fireballs flew out like pearls strung together, a continuous volley of over ten in one breath, with barely a moment’s pause. One after another, the fireballs relentlessly struck the same target, a sturdy dummy refined from obsidian steel, heating it until it glowed bright red. The ground around it was pocked with small craters from the impacts.

After unleashing a dozen consecutive fireball volleys, Pedia finally felt fatigued. He approached the glowing obsidian steel target, resting while observing the effects of his bombardment, aiming to adjust his spellcasting. His silver wolf, Canis, followed closely, circling the still-red-hot target area, drawing countless gazes. Whether or not the onlookers were Snow Wolf Knights, they all eyed Canis with envy and admiration, and the same feelings extended to Pedia himself.

According to authoritative assessments, Canis had reached the peak of his energy and was only awaiting a catalyst to potentially break through and become a Snow Wolf God!

Two Snow Wolf Gods! For the snow wolf packs of the Northwestern Ice Plains, this was a momentous occasion heralding the growth of their kind. Likewise, for the Snow Wolf Knight Order, which had been limited by the scarcity of snow wolves, this was joyous news. Naturally, for the many soldiers aspiring to become Snow Wolf Knights, it was equally a cause for celebration.

One matter bringing threefold joy and numerous benefits meant that Pedia and Canis had become key protected figures within the Northwestern Military District. However, this protection came at a cost: under the guise of safeguarding them, the man and his wolf had been confined to the barracks for months since their return from the capital. Aside from regular training, they had not been deployed on any field missions.

...

While Pedia was carefully analyzing the magical impact traces, a patrolling soldier appeared at the training ground’s edge. After a brief inquiry, the soldier ran straight toward Pedia’s position. Stopping about two meters away, he saluted sharply and called out, “Reporting, Officer, the Communications Department Special Operations Division requests your presence.”

“Special Operations Division?” Pedia frowned upon hearing this and asked a few questions. Seeing that the patrolman was unaware of further details, Pedia said no more and quickly headed toward the military office area.

Before he could even announce his arrival at the Special Operations Division door, Pedia felt a sudden stirring in his heart. The tightly closed door suddenly burst open with a bang, revealing a giant wolf about the size of Canis standing in the doorway. Its gaze was calm yet imbued with a gentle affection—it was the Snow Wolf God, Vol.

The presence of a Snow Wolf God here meant that Baman was also nearby.

Though slightly surprised, Pedia bowed politely and patiently waited as the two massive wolves exchanged a brief display of closeness. Then he followed Vol inside.

Upon entering, Pedia saw Baman sitting in a corner, dressed in worn military attire without any insignia denoting rank. Baman had subdued his fierce aura so thoroughly that he looked like an ordinary middle-aged soldier—an absolute “uncle” type.

Pedia performed a formal salute as per protocol, but Baman ignored him. Instead, the head of the Special Operations Division approached with a smile and said, “Pedia, we called you here because there’s an issue with one of your packages. The Communications Department detected an unknown magical fluctuation and handed it over to us. By regulation, we need to get you here as a witness.”

The man’s courtesy compelled Pedia to respond with equal politeness. Although it was customary to have the package’s owner present during inspection of anomalous parcels, it was impractical to summon someone every time. The enforcement of such rules depended largely on the person’s background and ability to manage the situation—and Pedia was undoubtedly a “person of special interest” on both counts.

After a brief exchange, a staff member brought in a large package. The head of the division asked Pedia to check the sealing integrity before having a specialist open it on the spot.

The package came from Cervantes, where Betty regularly sent Pedia letters and gifts. After categorizing the contents, the inspector’s attention settled on a thick letter wrapped in parchment.

The Special Operations head raised his hand to halt the inspector and gestured to Pedia to open the letter himself.

Pedia had nothing to hide and acted confidently. He picked up the envelope and noticed the postmark bore an elegant, beautiful script in Elvish. A smile crossed his lips—he knew this was a letter from the Natural Kingdom, from Theresa.

Carefully breaking the seal, he revealed a stack of seven or eight sheets of paper pressed together. As he lightly shook it, a long, slender golden leaf floated out. It was so brilliantly shiny that at first glance, one might mistake it for a leaf-shaped gold foil hammered from pure gold.

With the golden leaf emerging, a subtle but peculiar magical aura grew stronger. Pedia immediately understood that this golden leaf was what triggered the Special Operations’ interest in his package.

He twirled the leaf between his fingers and tentatively infused it with a bit of magic. As if activating some hidden switch, the leaf trembled slightly, and a golden light slowly rose from its surface, forming a translucent screen. Within the screen, a picturesque scene of a foreign city unfolded: a gigantic tree adorned with hundreds of treehouses, creatures of strange and wondrous appearance, and a fantastical landscape where half the sky held a rainbow and the other half snow.

The light display lasted less than a minute but left everyone present with a dreamlike impression, prompting murmurs of awe.

“That is Valienda,” Baman’s somewhat rough voice sounded behind them. “One of the Natural Kingdom’s free and open cities, and among the ten most beautiful cities in the realm.”

At Baman’s words, the crowd obediently dispersed to their duties. Pedia busied himself packing his meager belongings. When he looked up, he saw Baman standing not far away, waving him over.

Pedia carried the package and approached. Before he could greet, Baman said, “I hear you’ve been pretty idle lately?”

Pedia immediately straightened with renewed vigor and replied, “Sir, please give the order!”

Baman laughed heartily, patting Pedia’s shoulder. “That’s the spirit. Real combat is the best training. You can’t just lock someone up over a ‘breakthrough chance.’ Last month, there were several rounds of monster uprisings in the Saigon District. Take some men and go put them down. Also, investigate the cause.”

Pedia brightened instantly, responding loudly and accepting the military order. He dashed out eagerly—he had been pent up for months.

☆☆☆

Valienda Comprehensive Academy was the only official school in the entire city of Valienda. The city was home to many races, each with its own unique traditions of knowledge transmission. Orcs often taught through a master-apprentice system, dwarves had their distinctive artisan training programs, and elves primarily passed down knowledge through “spirit lineage.” By contrast, the academy-style education system was originally a human innovation. As inter-racial exchanges grew, many races adopted it for basic education. Thus, many Natural Kingdom cities implemented official academies for education, with private schools allowed freely.

Theresa stood beneath the shade of a tree in front of the academy. Looking up, she admired the ancient elven tree towering before the school’s gates—the oldest in Valienda. The saying “one tree makes a forest” referred to such ancient elven trees: colossal and lush. A typical mature elven tree could harbor hundreds or even thousands of natural tree hollows, prized by elves as their homes.

The older and more flourishing the tree, the more the hollows multiplied. This particular tree was not only the symbol of the Valienda Comprehensive Academy but also served as the dormitory. From now on, Theresa would spend half of each month living in one of the tree hollows.

The ancient elven tree buzzed with activity—figures darted up and down, flying in and out, making the tree lively. Compared to them, Theresa, who merely watched without moving, seemed an oddity.

“Hey, outsider, what are you looking at?” a sweet voice sounded nearby. Theresa turned to see a young half-elf, standing on a tiny hoverboard, her beautiful golden eyes studying her intently.

“I’m thinking about how to find my room,” Theresa replied slowly.

“You’re a freshman? How can there still be freshmen arriving at this time?” The half-elf exclaimed in surprise, circling Theresa on her board with curiosity sparkling in her eyes.

Theresa ignored the comment and instead asked, “Are you a student here?”

“Yes, I’ve been studying here for three years,” the half-elf said with a good-natured smile. “You half-elves are so nice. Tell me your room number, and I’ll take you there—freshmen get lost easily, heehee~”

Theresa didn’t hesitate and gave her room number. The half-elf eagerly extended a hand, pulling Theresa onto her hoverboard. Together, they glided low through the air and dove into the ancient elven tree...

...

With the help of Flora—the enthusiastic half-elf—Theresa found her dormitory easily. The room was small but bathed in excellent light. Flora seemed even more delighted than Theresa and expressed envy openly. Before long, she had taken it upon herself to help Theresa unpack, chatting animatedly about academy life: course options, exam styles, all sorts of gossip and rumors. Her lively chatter filled the room, prompting Theresa to reflect quietly—so half-elves loved gossip just as much as humans did.

(To be continued)