"Tower Spirit, I want to exchange for 'A Brief Introduction to the Four Elemental Planes,' as well as 'Astral Exploration' by Gandorf!"
When the time came to leave, Leilin addressed the intelligent management system of the entire Mage Resource Library directly.
"Lord Leilin! You currently possess 580 merit points. Exchanging for these two spell materials requires 80 merit points! Shall I proceed?"
The Tower Spirit asked directly.
"Yes!"
Leilin brushed the badge on his chest. Through a subtle probe, he could feel the Tower Spirit communicating with and updating the information within his badge, and the corresponding merit points were deducted almost immediately.
Thump! Thump! Two clay golems walked over, each cradling a crystal sphere containing the requested materials.
"Please note! This material is for the mage's personal use only. Unauthorized distribution is strictly prohibited, and violators will face sanctions from the Royal Enforcement Squad!"
The Tower Spirit's voice rang out once more.
Leilin had long known about this rule. He shrugged, tucked the two crystal spheres safely away, and walked out of the Mage Association.
"Ordinary mages can only access materials on the first two levels, and even those come with restrictions further down the line. My current clearance is the highest available to any outsider at this level…"
Leilin sighed to himself.
No matter what, he was still an outsider who had joined less than a year ago, and merely a mid-rank mage at that. Though he had earned a reputation as something of a genius, until he had truly grown in power, he was essentially nobody.
"All the research and techniques in this Mage Resource Library that can be accessed for free have already been recorded into the Chip. Everything that requires merit points to exchange is beyond my reach…"
Unless Leilin became a legendary mage, the entire Mage Resource Library would never open its doors to him unconditionally. He could only slowly accumulate merit points and then exchange them for the disciplines he needed.
If there were no war, relying on his own accumulation alone, accomplishing all of this would be nothing short of a pipe dream!
But now, everything was different!
A cold gleam flashed deep in Leilin's eyes: "It won't be long now… the shadow of war is about to descend…"
The coming of the great war was no secret.
Those with sharp minds, people like Leilin, had been able to smell it in the air for years. And by now, even someone like Aolan, a rank-and-file officer, already knew about it.
The most obvious evidence was that the number of mage apprentices and full mages coming to Silvermoon City to study had noticeably decreased recently. Even the flow of foot traffic on the streets had thinned out somewhat.
The City Guard had also been redeploying frequently of late. They had even begun expanding their recruitment.
Of course, those who enlisted now wouldn't enjoy the same favorable treatment Leilin had received. Thanks to his own foresight and information advantage, he had barely managed to catch the last bus. If he played his cards right, he might even leverage this expansion to break into the mid-level ranks in one leap!
But that clearly wasn't what Leilin wanted. What was the point of a mid-level position? What he wanted was merit! To continuously earn merit, spread his reputation, and perhaps even rise directly to Silvermoon City's inner circle!!!
Such behavior would inevitably draw opposition from the conservative, obstinate old guard, which meant he had to take unconventional paths!
"Come to think of it, Tifa has been doing quite well behind the scenes, and has gathered a fair amount of forces. Just right for me to make use of…"
Leilin calculated continuously.
"Well, well! If it isn't our genius Southerner — Mid-rank Mage Leilin?"
A sarcastic, mocking tone, along with a deliberately teasing form of address. In an instant, Leilin knew who it was.
"Officer Kaslai!" He rolled his eyes inwardly, but on the surface he still stood tall and saluted crisply.
"Hmm! I hear you did quite well this time — rescued Aolan and the others from a pack of Beastkin. Truly commendable…"
Standing before Leilin was a young officer. His ears were slightly pointed, his skin fair — he carried elven blood, and so his true age could not be judged by appearance alone.
Moreover, the man was a bona fide High-rank Mage! He also served in the upper echelons of the City Guard, so Leilin had no choice but to take him seriously.
He knew full well that the slightest hint of disrespect would immediately bring all manner of difficulties his way. That was why every word and gesture he made strictly followed military etiquette, leaving no opening whatsoever.
Seeing Leilin's performance, a shadow flickered in Kaslai's eyes, along with a trace of wariness.
"I hear your next assignment is a suppression mission. Work hard — after this military expansion, there will be plenty of opportunities for you young people!"
After that vague encouragement, Leilin respectfully stepped to the side of the road to let Kaslai pass.
Only after the officer's figure had vanished into the Mage Association did Leilin finally exhale as though relieved.
Even in a world of the extraordinary, things weren't all that different from ordinary human society — there were factions and rivalries everywhere.
Originally, given Leilin's age and achievements, there had already been plenty of people brimming with discontent. And watching him rise rapidly, earn merit ceaselessly, and spread his name far and wide, that dissatisfaction had intensified to the breaking point.
Not to mention, in order to seize opportunities more effectively, Leilin had proactively joined Aolan's faction, pledging allegiance to a powerful figure behind him!
There was no other way. To climb higher, personal effort alone was far from enough — you also needed backers and factions.
If you didn't seek out a patron, sooner or later someone else would push you aside.
Though he despised this game, Leilin's own strength wasn't yet sufficient to break the mold, so he had to play by the rules.
And if that was the case, was there any faction better than the one led by his direct superior?
It was precisely thanks to the tacit support of Aolan and the forces behind him that Leilin had been able to make it this far — but at the same time, he had offended other factions.
That High-rank Mage Kaslai, for instance, clearly belonged to a rival faction and had been displeased with Leilin and Aolan for a long time.
Of course, with Elastron and the Council of Elders in place, this competition was still benign for the time being, and nobody dared to make overt moves.
That was why Leilin's performance just now had been flawless — giving the other side no excuse to act.
"It seems like they've caused trouble for our squad in the next mission…"
Leilin murmured thoughtfully. This degree of maneuvering still fell within the accepted rules of the game, and his own side's backers certainly wouldn't sit idle.
"The fact that they struck first, and didn't hesitate to let me know how dangerous this mission is — does that mean they already have a foolproof plan?"
Leilin's expression grew solemn.
Such a move meant they had at least sixty to seventy percent confidence of success!
Of course, Leilin had long grown accustomed to concealing his true strength. The opponent had calculated his capabilities based on surface appearances, which were worlds apart from his real power. That alone could make them lose everything they had bet.
"I should go find Aolan and discuss this as soon as possible — see what kind of support the higher-ups have given us…"
Leilin had a feeling that this was a clash between two major factions, and his squad had simply been caught right in the middle.
Both sides must have sensed the danger of war long ago and were now trying to suppress their opponents at all costs while consolidating their own strength.
The vanguards pushed to the front lines in such a situation were in an extremely perilous position — as banners, they would inevitably face the full force of the enemy's opposition.
"But danger is also opportunity!"
Leilin sneered coldly to himself: "As long as I can survive the crisis, the rewards that follow won't be insignificant. Otherwise, how could there be any balance?"
As for Leilin himself, he wasn't afraid of danger in the slightest!
"Leilin! Hey! Hey! I'm over here!"
A young girl's bright, delicate voice drew the attention — and the staring — of most people on the street. But the one who had called out was completely unfazed, still waving her arm back and forth.
"She's finally here?" The sensation of the Devil's Mark had already told Leilin the identity of the newcomer.
He raised his head and walked up to the knight girl: "Long time no see!"
"Long time no see! Leilin!" Rafinia was still dressed as a knight, though this time she had a few attendants holding her horse behind her. It seemed that over these nearly two years, she had grown quite a bit — she was even a few centimeters taller, and her powerful, wild-looking thighs drew the attention of numerous passersby.
Being stared at like this wasn't exactly pleasant. Leilin promptly led Rafinia away from the area.
"You're a mage! I knew you were lying to me before! And your name is Leilin — not Lei!!!"
Rafinia huffed, though her personality hadn't changed much.
"Haha… that was all a disguise from before!" Leilin showed not a hint of embarrassment at being exposed.
"Come to think of it, what are you doing here?"
The North and the South were separated by an enormous distance. Although Leilin had mentioned to Rafinia at some point that he would be studying in Silvermoon City, the fact that she had actually come here still surprised him slightly.
"I happened to still be traveling, and at the same time I heard the news that a war was about to break out here. Then I thought of you, Leilin, and decided to come!"
Rafinia said earnestly.
"As a knight, my ideal is to defend justice! To protect the peace of Silvermoon City!!!"
"I knew it…"
Leilin face-palmed. Only a simple girl like Rafinia would charge toward the heart of a battlefield without any promise of reward. He looked at the few attendants behind her with genuine sympathy: "With a master like this, you must have it pretty rough, huh?"
At his words, the attendants behind Rafinia nodded vigorously. But the moment she turned around, they instantly changed their expressions, putting on looks of passionate fervor.
"Fighting for the cause of justice is my lifelong pursuit!"
"My lady's actions are absolutely correct — we support her with all our hearts!"
"See? So many people already agree with my ideal! That's why Silvermoon City is sure to win this time, and those evil beastmen are sure to be defeated!!!"
Rafinia lifted her small chin with pride.
"Mm-hmm! Mm-hmm! So have you joined the City Guard yet?"
Leilin asked directly.
"Not yet — I ran into you the moment I arrived!" Rafinia admitted with perfect honesty.
"Then how about this — I'll be your sponsor and you join my squad?"
Leilin suggested. With Aolan's authority, accepting one new recruit into his squad wouldn't be a problem.