The Wizard's Secret Journey

Chapter 236 The Visit (4k)

Inside the watchtower, Samuel hesitated whether to disturb Lynn and inform him of the news.

After thinking it over for a moment, Samuel decided to inform Lynn.

After all, applying for access permission is not a big deal, but it's not insignificant either.

Once the watchtower is officially activated, any unauthorized wizard unit within its monitoring range will be marked as an intruder.

According to the orders of the Silver Ring Academy, once the watchtower marks the intruders, all the garrisoned wizards will do their utmost to kill them immediately.

Passage permits are also linked to the level of the outpost. Wizards stationed at watchtowers can only move within the range monitored by their own watchtowers, while wizards stationed at outposts can move within the range of the outposts and the watchtowers they manage in the surrounding area. The same applies to camps.

Therefore, McKinley apprentices, who are also at the same watchtower level, must apply for a permit if they do not want to be marked as intruders when passing through Horsens School watchtowers.

To obtain a permit, one must apply to both the outpost and the watchtower along the route.

In theory, without the consent of either party, the applicant cannot obtain a pass.

When Samuel arrived at the Black Falcon, Lynn had already entered the meditation room. Fortunately, the doorbell was still on, indicating that Lynn hadn't fully entered a meditative state; otherwise, Samuel would have hesitated again about whether to disturb him.

He rang the doorbell, and after a moment, Lynn came out, puzzled.

Samuel briefly explained the message and gestured for Lynn to look at the silver ring badge.

The watchtowers guarding the Ashwood Ruins are also compatible with the badges issued by the Silver Ring Academy, restoring the Silver Ring badges to their communication capabilities, just as they would in Silver Ring City.

Not only these two allied school ambassadors, but also the Goldenthorn apprentices studying at the Silver Ring Academy can receive messages from the watchtowers through the Silver Ring badge.

However, due to the precious transmission capacity of the watchtowers, the Golden Thorn apprentices can only send messages proactively in emergencies, and can only passively receive them at other times, which is not as convenient as Silver Ring City.

Lynn carefully examined the application information received by the sentry tower through the badge—

"Dear Sir Lynn and Samuel, we have received orders from Outpost 16-5 to provide logistical support to Outpost 16-9 of the Pablo School. This requires passing through Outpost 16-9 of the Horsens School. We hereby request permission to proceed."

"--16-7 McKinley School Watchtower".

Above the message is the command credentials for Outpost 16-5.

Lynn raised an eyebrow, a silent chuckle escaping his lips.

Samuel shook his head as well, saying, "We didn't expect that by turning down this chore, we would attract the attention of the McKinley School. In a way, those McKinley School students have taken the fall for us."

“It’s not necessarily that they’re taking a loss for us.” Lynn shook his head in disagreement. “In the end, this is all a problem caused by Outpost 16-5. This is not our job in the first place.”

“That’s true.” Samuel paused for a moment, then nodded in agreement. The guilt he felt towards the McKinley School students vanished, replaced by a little sympathy.

He sighed and said, "So, my application is approved?"

“Okay.” Lynn nodded and returned to the watchtower with Samuel. Only at the watchtower could the approval process be completed.

Although the application approval process only requires a wizard with level three permissions to complete, it was the first time to handle such a case, and Lynn couldn't push all the work onto Samuel, so he went back with him.

After some recollection, the two followed the instructions of the watchtower and successfully granted the three wizarding apprentices from the McKinley School a one-day pass.

The McKinley School students followed in quick succession, offering nothing more than a perfunctory thank you and mentioning that they would be visiting on their way.

“Leave the visit to the Golden Thorn apprentice,” Samuel said.

“Hmm.” Lynn had no objection.

After all, they were first-tier wizards, so it wasn't appropriate for them to take the initiative to receive a few wizard apprentices. This was not only a matter of their own status, but also a matter of the reputation of the Horsens School.

“It should be fine, you can go ahead and do your work. I’ll come find you if anything else comes up,” Samuel said, adding, “Of the two of us, you are stronger and more skilled in witchcraft arrays. If there are any unexpected situations, both the Golden Thorn apprentice and I will probably have to rely on you.”

"So, let me take on more of the daily tasks."

Lynn didn't mince words; he simply nodded earnestly.

……

……

"Why is the McKinley School coming to visit us?" On the edge of the camp, Lia asked Vic, who was also a Golden Thorn, with a puzzled look.

"His Excellency Samuel said it was because they received orders from the outpost to carry a shipment of supplies to aid the neighboring 16-9 outpost?"

"The supplies... were they provided by the outpost?"

“No.” Vic shook his head; he had asked Samuel the same question.

Leah raised an eyebrow slightly. Because of Rosia, she didn't have a good impression of the McKinley School apprentices. Hearing that they had suffered a loss, she wasn't exactly gloating, but at least she wasn't unhappy.

"But why were they the ones who went to provide assistance, and not us, who are closer?"

“That’s because we have Lynn and Lord Samuel,” Vic said matter-of-factly.

Leah nodded, then suddenly noticed three figures flying towards her.

“They’re here,” Vic said.

A moment later, three McKinley School apprentices landed in front of Leah and Vic with smiles on their faces.

Lia looked around carefully but didn't see the familiar black-robed boy, and breathed a sigh of relief.

She wasn't particularly assertive, and she felt it would be somewhat awkward if the black-robed youth were in her presence.

The three McKinley School apprentices who arrived consisted of two male wizards and one female wizard, and all of them looked very young.

Not only that, Leah remembered that the other McKinley School apprentices on the airship were also very young, presumably because the McKinley School had an age limit for apprentices who could study at the Silver Ring Academy.

Both male wizards had brown hair and, although they looked different, they shared the same gloomy temperament.

Although he managed a smile, it felt like a venomous snake spitting its tongue, which was quite unsettling.

In contrast, the leading witch was much more pleasing to the eye. She had similar blonde hair to Leah's, reaching her waist. It wasn't overly decorated, but rather allowed to cascade down like a golden waterfall.

Her warm hair, combined with the witch's gentle face, made her appear very approachable.

After a brief introduction, the group went to the camp's reception room.

Leah learned that the witch in front of her was named Dorothy Burns, and the two wizards beside her, the taller one was named Commodity Taylor, and the shorter one was named Rex Harris.

“So it’s Lady Leah and Lady Vic. You must be the Golden Thorn of the Horsens School this year,” Dorothy said, her eyes crinkling slightly. She continued, “Before coming here, I looked up information about the Horsens School in the McKinley School and did some research.” “I see,” Leah nodded, but a sense of crisis suddenly welled up inside her.

Because Dorothy, who was standing in front of them, knew about their situation, but she and Vic knew nothing about the McKinley School.

It must be said that the Horsens School's foundation is far inferior to that of the established third-order schools, especially the Silver Ring Allies School.

However, Dorothy, perhaps sensing their confusion, offered another explanation:
"The McKinley School also has an apprenticeship system similar to that of the Horsens School, but our naming is much simpler."

“I am also a ‘Golden Thorn’ of the McKinley School, but I am known as the Chief within the school, or more accurately, the Second Chief.”

Leah nodded, but Vic, who was standing next to her, suddenly asked, "If there is a second chief, does that mean there is also a first chief?"

“That’s right.” Dorothy smiled and nodded, introducing generously, “Our first chief is Tania Bass, a gloomy young man who always wears a black robe.”

At this point, she turned to look at Leah and said in a gentle tone, "Your Excellency Leah should probably have some impression of Tania."

“Mm.” Leah nodded calmly.

Dorothy covered her mouth and chuckled: "It seems that Tania is right, Your Excellency does not have a good impression of him."

Leah frowned in confusion and looked at Dorothy.

The latter's smile remained unchanged as he flipped his hand and took out two palm-sized gilded wooden boxes, handing them to Leah.

After doing all that, she glanced at Vic beside her, thought for a moment, then took out a similar wooden box and handed it over, explaining:

"This is an apology that Tania asked me to deliver to Lady Lydia and to the Golden Thorn apprentice of the Horsens School."

“That man has always had a bad temper, and he knows that he may have offended Lady Leah and your friend.”

“Tania originally intended to come in person to apologize to Your Excellency and your friends, but since we have only just arrived at the watchtower and have many matters to attend to, Tania, as the chief, is unable to leave at the moment. Therefore, I can only express my apologies in this way. I hope Your Excellency will understand.”

Leah never expected the black-robed boy to apologize. Hearing Dorothy's words and seeing the apology gift, most of her displeasure with the gray-robed boy quietly disappeared.

She was never one to hold grudges, and her tone softened as she said, "I understand. Actually, nothing really happened back then, and I didn't hold it against you. However, whether my friend is willing to forgive him is not something I can guarantee."

“I understand, I can see that,” Dorothy said, her smile growing even warmer.

As the second-in-command, Dorothy has always been dissatisfied with the first-in-command, Tania.

This time, Tania took the initiative to ask her for help, and Dorothy couldn't have been happier.

In particular, Tania paid her a considerable sum.

Unfortunately, the Horsens School's students were indeed naive, forgiving Tania so easily.

'Although Tania's compensation this time was generous, it's obvious that this first compensation was definitely not his bottom line. If it were me, I would at least have gotten twice as much compensation from him.'

'Unfortunately, I don't have a first-tier wizard as my backer.'

After Dorothy finished speaking, she took out another list, made a copy, and handed it to Leah and Vic respectively.

Lia took a look and found that it contained a list of supplies and magic stones.

"These supplies are a gift from our McKinley School to the Horsens School. Please accept them."

As Dorothy spoke, she took a storage ring off her hand and pushed it over.

The supplies inside weren't actually that many, but they were quite generous as a gift.

Compared to Tania's apology, Lydia and Vic were not surprised by the McKinley School's welcoming gift.

After all, since the McKinley School took the initiative to make a formal visit, they would certainly bring some gifts as a token of their respect.

Therefore, Samuel and Lynn had the Golden Thorn apprentices prepare return gifts in advance.

“On behalf of the Golden Thorn Apprentices, I would like to express my gratitude to everyone in the McKinley School,” Vic said politely, glancing at the list Dorothy handed him, exchanging a brief glance with Leah, and discussing their return gift later.

The group chatted amiably for about ten minutes before Dorothy prepared to leave, citing her mission to provide assistance.

Leah then took out a storage ring and handed it over, saying, "This is our return gift. We hope that the friendship between the Horsens School and the McKinley School will last forever."

Dorothy smiled and accepted the gift, then said, "We'll be going now. Please give our regards to Lord Lynn and Lord Samuel."

"We will."

Dorothy, accompanied by two male wizards, continued flying toward the Pablo School watchtower of 16-9.

In mid-air, she took out the storage ring she had just received, probed it with her mental energy, and then unceremoniously put half of the supplies into her storage ring.

This wasn't about embezzling the gift the Horsens School was giving to the McKinley School; she was simply taking her rightful share ahead of time.

"Let Tania and Thomason divide the remaining shares among themselves," Dorothy thought to herself.

Normally, in this situation, Tania, the first chief, would take half, then she would take 70% of the remainder, and finally, the third chief, Thomason, would take the remaining 30%.

But this time, she was the wizard who went out on a mission, so now that she had the supplies, she ate them right away.

Anyway, she wasn't afraid of Tania, and the black-robed boy owed her a favor, so he probably wouldn't compete with her. As for Thomason, he couldn't compete with anyone and could only eat the leftovers.

'The path of a wizard is a narrow road; only through struggle and plunder can one truly reach the end!'

A cold, hard light flashed in Dorothy's eyes.

She checked the storage ring again to make sure nothing was missing, then gently tossed it to Rex beside her.

A flicker of desire flashed in the latter's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it and obediently put away the storage ring.

Dorothy chuckled lightly: "Don't worry, you are all my trusted confidants. The Horsens School's return gift is just an appetizer."

"Once we reach the Pablo School's watchtower, you two will certainly reap the rewards."

"Yes, Lady Dorothy!" Rex and Commodus responded in unison, gazing at the Pablo School watchtower in the distance, a hint of greed flashing in their eyes.

Dorothy nodded in satisfaction and increased the flight speed even further.

Everyone thought that supplying Pablo School outposts with materials was a tough job, but she didn't.

This is clearly a golden opportunity to seize resources!

(End of this chapter)