This scene left Leilin and old Bal unable to say anything more.
They gathered the remains of the victims — they couldn't bury them here, or the goblins would dig them up sooner or later. These bodies would receive the final prayers and blessings of the priests in Silvermoon before being laid to rest together.
"Thank you! Lord Leilin! Are you a mid-rank wizard?"
Bersani had recovered by now, though her eyes were swollen like walnuts.
"Hmm! Something like that. But I'm also here in Silvermoon for advanced studies!"
Leilin gazed at the passing scenery outside the window and spoke in a calm, detached tone.
Having encountered Bersani and her companions, and since they were heading the same way, Leilin naturally didn't mind escorting them for a stretch. The others were more than grateful — the earlier attack had terrified them, and without Leilin's protection, none of them would have dared to continue.
Three gasps of surprise echoed from inside the carriage. After all, a mid-rank wizard as young as Leilin was an exceedingly rare sight.
"So impressive... I always thought mid-rank wizards were all old grandfathers with white beards..."
Isadora exclaimed. She had recovered surprisingly quickly.
"It's nothing... There are plenty of wizards more talented than me. Mm, there are quite a few right here in Silvermoon..."
Leilin replied modestly, then said a few more words in his usual understated manner. The atmosphere inside the carriage immediately grew heavy.
After all, a mid-rank wizard was already a major figure to minor nobility. Isadora and the others didn't dare say much, afraid of offending him.
Bersani looked like she wanted to say something but held back, and by the time they reached Silvermoon, she still hadn't spoken.
Leilin actually knew what she was after — she had mentioned wanting to find a mentor back on the ship. But taking her as a disciple offered him no benefit, and it wasn't something he could do on a whim. Where would he find the time? So he pretended not to notice.
--- "You were attacked by a goblin band?"
A Silvermoon City patrol officer took the report of the attack very seriously and came to register it in person. "Understood. Our city guard will increase patrols in the area. Wild beasts have been more numerous in the wastelands lately — do be careful..."
A scribe began recording the identities and rank information of Leilin and the others. When he reached Leilin, his pen paused. "This wizard, please present your identification..."
"Sure." Leilin nodded and handed over his noble credentials and wizard badge, which immediately drew a gasp.
"Please keep your credentials safe, Master Mid-Rank
A tenth-level wizard rank. That wasn't something you'd see every day in Silvermoon City, and combined with Leilin's youthful appearance, it was rather startling.
"Good. I'd like to join Silvermoon City's guard force. Could you tell me where to sign up?" Leilin asked with a smile.
"You want to join the city guard?"
This time, not only were Bersani and the others shocked, but even the patrol officer from earlier walked over, eyeing Leilin up and down.
Most wizards who came to Silvermoon were there to study and advance their skills. One who specifically wanted to join the city guard was quite unusual.
"Yes. I greatly admire Our Lady of Hope's ideals, and I really love the atmosphere of Silvermoon City. I'd like to become a part of it."
Our Lady of Hope — that was
According to rumors, the city ruler held remarkably progressive attitudes toward the non-human races under her rule. She also enjoyed disguising herself as a commoner to venture beyond the palace and observe the lives of ordinary people, which had earned her considerable support among the lower classes.
Of course, all of this was pure nonsense to Leilin. His real goal was to integrate into their military system as quickly as possible, preparing for the coming war.
News of the impending war was probably known to only a few within the city ruler's inner circle — and this was Leilin's last chance to position himself for advantage!
"You should understand that once you truly join Silvermoon City, there will be many restrictions on your freedom. Sir!"
The officer took Leilin's registration form, reviewed it, and raised an eyebrow slightly.
While the human kingdoms mutually recognized each other's noble titles, among the continent's aristocracy there was an unwritten convention — only hereditary nobles with their own territories were considered true nobility!
Clearly, Leilin's honorary viscount title carried less weight here than his mid-rank wizard status.
Had he actually inherited Faloran Island, he might have received some preferential treatment. But Baron Jonas was still very much alive, so Leilin was merely an heir.
A noble's heir was generally addressed as "Sir" — nothing more, with no special privileges or preferential treatment.
The officer's reminder carried a hint of implication.
"No problem."
Leilin shook his head calmly, indicating that he understood all of this perfectly well.
While visiting wizards sometimes took on tasks from the city ruler's office or even served on patrol duties, those were clearly part of an outsider system, with no path into the inner circle.
When war came, those patrol wizards would be conscripted all the same.
So for Leilin, since he'd have to join eventually anyway, it was better to join early and have the "insider" label.
"In that case, Olan, take this wizard Leilin to handle the paperwork..."
The officer stared at Leilin, as if trying to read something from his face, but in the end could only give up in resignation.
He then called over another officer to take Leilin away.
Even after Leilin's figure had vanished at the end of the street, disbelief still lingered on Bersani's face.
"Joining the city guard directly? Why? Could it be that Lord Leilin is actually a second son hoping to earn a title through this route?"
Alustriel certainly had the authority to grant noble titles. In truth, the power she wielded in the North was no less than that of any human kingdom's king, and she was known for her generosity.
For second and third sons of noble houses, or even other adventurers, earning a title through service to her was a perfectly viable option.
"Not necessarily. If he serves as a court wizard, he would apparently gain higher access rights to Silvermoon's wizard library and be able to read more advanced materials. Lord Leilin must be aiming for that..."
As an insider wizard of the city guard, he would naturally receive more attention and preferential treatment than others — otherwise, what would be the point of the "insider" label?
Ina, who sat beside Bersani, shook her head and offered her own analysis.
It had to be said that while she was usually rather quiet, her guess was remarkably close to the truth.
It was just that each of them carried their own family obligations and couldn't throw everything aside to act as freely as Leilin.
"What a shame... As wizards, we should be immersed in the ocean of knowledge, not out there fighting and killing..."
Isadora was the densest of the three, still somewhat lamenting Leilin's choice. "Never mind that — which academy should we go to? I heard the Silver Hand is quite good? Though they don't provide lodging, so if we're choosing..."
As three wizard apprentices seeking education, under Isadora's influence, Bersani and Ina also quickly set Leilin's matter aside and began discussing their future studies.
For them, this was what truly mattered.
--- "Not bad..."
Leilin followed behind the officer named Olan, taking in his surroundings.
As the wizard city of the North, Silvermoon's design was exceptionally refined, filled with an artistic sensibility that bore the aesthetic style of the elves.
And on the streets, Leilin spotted numerous non-human races — dwarves, halflings, elves, gnomes, even orc slaves! It seemed like an entirely open society.
"Surprised?"
Olan ahead of him said with a smile, removing his helmet to reveal silver-bright hair and slightly pointed ears, his skin fair and delicate.
He was clearly an elf.
Although the elves had answered the call of their chief deity to relocate to a massive island overseas, many tribes still remained on the Continent of the
In the North, Silvermoon was one of the elves' important settlements — pure-blooded humans never made up more than forty percent of the population, and free elves accounted for another twenty percent.
"Mm! I used to live in the South..."
Leilin explained simply.
In the Kingdom of Tanbres, while one could still see dwarves and halflings and other non-human races, they were extremely rare. As for elves? They were the most premium of slaves, seldom seen outside.
Since the decline of the Bodhi Archipelago, Faloran Island's Morningstar Port had even taken over part of their slave trade, which included pure-blooded elves.
Of course, neither Leilin nor Baron Jonas would ever admit to this.
Next, the elf officer Olan brought Leilin to the city hall. Silvermoon attracted large numbers of wizards and outsiders every year, and there was already a well-established procedure in place.
The paperwork went very smoothly — after all, Leilin's identity was all genuine, and the magical seals on every document were perfectly in order.
"Very well. Congratulations on becoming a member of the city guard, young one!"
The wizard who bestowed Leilin's commission was an elderly man who looked remarkably vigorous, wearing a well-fitted and handsome military uniform. There was a sharpness in his eyes — the mark of years of military service.
A combat wizard like this would far surpass those who spent their lives in laboratories, and the fluctuation emanating from the old man was something Leilin dared not underestimate — at minimum, it was the fluctuation of a High-rank Wizard!
While wizard talent was extremely scarce, Silvermoon City was clearly an exception.
The High-rank Wizard offered his blessings and handed Leilin a set of military uniform. It was very similar to the old wizard's own, except without the various medals that denoted honor.