Monte Town.
As one of the top cities on the border, Monte Town had two gates—one on the east and one on the west—and a huge green wall that covered dozens of kilometers. A white flag on the wall fluttered in the wind; it was embroidered with the silhouette of a goshawk. Even though Monte Town was a city in the Holy Dragon Kingdom, it had a unique belief system. The people there believed in the Great Elf Barbatos, who represented the Wind God and advocated freedom and equality.
It did not matter if one were an adventurer, a commoner, or a noble; one would receive the same fair treatment in Monte Town. Therefore, an endless stream of merchants would come and go to the town every day. There were only two other towns comparable to Monte Town at the border—one was the Fairy Town near the Fairy castle, and the other was Torch Town in the south.
At that moment, outside the tower that housed the Mage Guild near Monte Town’s eastern gate, Folson shook his sea-blue robe and played with a silver metal plate that hung on his neck.
The metal plate was made of rare and precious arcane silver, and there was a slim staff engraved on it.
The color of one’s robe symbolized attributes, and the metal plate symbolized strength. It signified Folson as a silver tier water-elemental mage.
“The annual assessment is over, and I’m still a silver tier mage this year! It’s a pity. I found a mysterious relic in the Misty Forest some time ago, and I got half a gold tier magic scroll from it. If I can comprehend it fully, I might be able to become a gold tier mage in three years, no, two years if I’m quick! Then, I will no longer only be an elder in the Mage Guild, but a vice president.”
The Mage Guild was an official organization that recorded every mage in the kingdom. Once they were registered in it, they would receive a card that symbolized their status and be given an elder or vice president position. They also get to enjoy a salary like the noblemen.
Silver-tier mages could become elders in the Mage Guild and receive ten gold coins a month. They only needed to spend two days a week to teach the new mages in the guild.
Of course, ten gold coins a month was not enough for a powerful mage to do anything. A good magic staff made of elven tree branches or stained with the blood of an Asian dragon would cost several thousand gold coins, and an ancient magic book would cost at least 1000 gold coins. Unfortunately, they could only get ten gold coins a month. Even if he worked hard for ten years, he could not afford those items.
Therefore, Folson was also a bounty hunter.
He stood in front of the Mage Guild entrance and sighed. Then, suddenly, his face changed, and he stretched his hand outward.
A loud cry echoed from the sky. A black and white owl flew over quickly and landed on his shoulder. Its big round eyes shone brightly, and its body emitted the energy waves of a bronze tier magical beast. It held an envelope in its mouth.
“Haig, you’re back! Let’s see what you’ve brought me this time!”
Haig was the name of the owl. A mage would need time to cast powerful spells. So, they would keep some magical beasts as messengers or guardians. The owl was a bronze tier owl with strange eyes that could see through the darkness and the wind and grass within a few kilometers. It also could transform into a colossal monster when necessary.
Folson took the letter and saw that Zangwill signed it. “It looks like a letter from an old friend.”
He smiled. Zangwill was a farmer at the border. A few years ago, he had asked him to kill the magical beasts that had escaped from the misty forest during the winter.
It was a simple letter, not something that Folson had guessed. It was not a request for protection in the winter. Instead, it was a plea for him to go to the border to kill the leader of a faction called Blackmoon Castle.
The letter said that the reward was 100 gold coins, and depending on the situation, there might be an additional rebate as well. There were quite many guards in Blackmoon Castle. The mission was a little complicated, but Folson was allowed to bring companions. The reward for his companions was also 100 gold coins, and the maximum number of people he was allowed to bring was five.
“Five people, 500 gold coins! Zangwill is really generous. This is equivalent to one-tenth of his assets.”
Forson rubbed his fingers; a layer of blue water covered the letter. It eroded the envelope until there was no trace left of it.
“I’ve never heard of a force called Blackmoon Castle at the border. It must have risen in the past 200 months; what a domineering name! Well, a country bumpkin can’t build a castle. They must have added the word castle to show off their wealth. This is a good assignment. With these additional gold coins, I can buy two sets of recovery potions and restore the half-dissolved gold tier magic scroll.”
He made up his mind; Folson turned around and returned to the Mage Guild.
There was a bounty posted on the guild wall; it was a yellowed paper. There were also others with rewards that ranged from one to dozens of gold coins. Some guild members would issue missions that were too difficult for them to complete. If Folson did not have any personal mission, he would consider taking one from the Mage Guild.
Of course, as an elder, he did not need to negotiate with the employer when he did those missions, nor did he need to hand any commission to the Mage Guild. He also had the right to transfer personnel directly.
He walked to the front desk and said in a dignified voice, “I want to issue a mission. It requires five bronze or iron tier mages, and they must be water-element mages. The reward is one gold coin each. As an additional reward, I will teach them a bronze tier water element joint attack spell.”
“Elder, please wait a moment. I will get the records of all water-elemental mages in the guild for you.”
The beautiful lady behind the counter responded respectfully. She retrieved a stack of yellowish goatskin parchment from under the table and spread it in front of Folson. The information of each mage was recorded on it.
Soon, Folson selected five mages and asked the lady to bring them to him.
Zangwill’s reward was 100 gold coins per person. He had hoped that Folson would find a reliable partner, but the mage only wanted to keep the money for himself.
The five chosen mages—three men and two women—were all under 30 years old and wore corresponding strength badges. The men were bronze tier mages, and two women were iron tier mages. At that moment, they were a little nervous and excited when they gathered together.
It was an honor to be assigned to do a mission by an elder.
“I’m going to the border to assassinate the leader of a force called Blackmoon Castle. It is about two days from Monte Town, and the exact location is… well, you’re all from the border, so you’re more familiar with that place. That’s why I chose you! The God of Magic said that only a battle can transform a mage. So I hope you can all gain something from this mission.”
Folson drew a triangle on his chest with his hand. His tone was full of charm—an indication that there was no danger in that mission. He did not feel any threat because Zangwill had made it very clear in the letter—the leader of Blackmoon Castle was only a silver tier warrior.
A silver tier warrior would not be able to withstand a single blow from a silver tier Mage.
“Yes, Elder Folson.”
“Please rest assured; we will not disappoint you,” the young men and women answered hurriedly.
The beautiful woman with long brown hair draped behind her back and an oval face frowned as she muttered softly, “The location that Elder Folson described is my home, but I have never heard of a Blackmoon Castle? Could it be a fluke, or has a new faction stood close to my home?”
