Chapter 17: The Little Mercenaries

All good things must come to an end.

In Haike Village, on the outskirts of the Hamite Kingdom in the Frozen Continent, an uncomfortable farewell feast was set up—a meal that no one wanted but everyone had to stomach.

In the second year of the Magic Calendar, Amy turned sixteen. According to continental law, at sixteen one enters adulthood, becoming eligible for marriage, military service, independent decision-making, and joining or forming a mercenary group. Fortunately, the Hamites never allowed other races into their military, so it seemed Amy could avoid that duty.

After discussing with Reger, Chi Hanfeng formally announced during a family dinner with Elder Haber, Amy, and Daqingshan that it was time to part ways.

Chi Hanfeng explained that Amy had reached the defensive and offensive capabilities of a junior knight, though he still lacked battle experience. Daqingshan was no less skilled than Amy, proficient with the knight's lance, sword, and crossbow. (At this point, Chi Hanfeng shook his head slightly; a true knight spirit disdains the crossbow—any lowly slave can kill the noblest knight with one.)

Chi Hanfeng regretfully mentioned that he had initially planned to capture two spirit beasts, Snow Wolves, as mounts for Amy and Daqingshan. But even a phantom wolf wouldn't match the agility required for a swordsman, and Daqingshan had already signed a lifelong contract. At this point, Greenie looked visibly upset. Noticing Greenie's reactions, Chi Hanfeng quickly corrected himself: Daqingshan had signed the most magnificent contract in history with the sacred dragon clan, so the wolf abduction plan was scrapped.

Due to personal matters, Chi Hanfeng needed to return to Skambrey, the capital of the Amy Empire.

Reger then thanked Chi Hanfeng for helping Amy develop his physical strength, perseverance, and agility, which allowed him to overcome the three biggest hurdles in becoming a mage with ease. Although not recognized by the Mage Guild, Amy had achieved the power of a Level 2 mage. Because of spellcasting requirements, Reger insisted that Amy avoid metal armor and wear only leather. (Elder Haber interjected, "A good swordsman doesn't wear metal armor either, as it would hinder their agility.")

In the past two years, Greenie's abilities had advanced significantly under Chi Hanfeng's guidance. He now wielded the power of a Level 1 mage, able to cast all Level 3 or lower neutral spells without any incantations. Naturally, his most common spell was the basic Dragon Breath.

Through continuous testing, Reger helped Daqingshan find ways to trigger different spells from Greenie. For example, pulling Greenie's left wing could trigger water magic, pulling the right wing could trigger wind magic, and patting Greenie's head could trigger ice magic, with an 80% success rate. The spell's level and power, however, were unpredictable.

Of course, there was a foolproof way to make Greenie release large-scale magic, usable by anyone: a strong kick to Greenie's backside would reliably produce a powerful Fireball. Or rather, thanks to Greenie's improved abilities, a massive Fire Wall was guaranteed—a method that never failed. The one kicking should, however, prepare for the consequences.

Reger, still a Magister, hadn't yet reported back to the Mage Guild after leaving the Wish Tower. Although he was not bound by the guild's rules, he still needed to follow protocol. Reger decided to join Chi Hanfeng on his return to the capital to visit the Emperor and receive the Magister title from the Mage Guild.

"The path is yours to walk; we can't walk it for you," Chi Hanfeng said, handing them a note and a pouch containing a hundred gold coins. "This has my family's address in the Empire. Reger has been close with us for years, and since his house in the Empire was likely sold long ago, he'll be staying with us for a while. You know what that means: free food, free lodging, free—hey, don't glare at me! I'll stop. It's just the truth, though."

After lunch, the sun shone brightly in the afternoon sky, with the black sun passing by the white sun. Chi Hanfeng and Reger formally bid farewell to Elder Haber before striding away with their flowing robes. Their figures grew smaller and smaller.

Once he confirmed they had disappeared down the road, Daqingshan was still wiping away tears when Amy leaped into the air, making a V-sign with his fingers. He ran around joyfully, stripping off his clothes and tossing them skyward. "Finally gone!" Greenie followed suit, raising both tiny claws, each with its middle finger up, making a rude gesture toward their retreating figures before unleashing a blast of fire into the sky.

Watching them celebrate so enthusiastically, Daqingshan could barely comprehend this bittersweet farewell; the emotions were simply overwhelming.

…

Goodbye, Treehouse Tavern. Reflecting on his initial meeting with Reger, Amy felt a pang of nostalgia.

Though Daqingshan was a year older than Amy, Amy's experiences—especially the valuable lessons he gained from Chi Hanfeng's careful guidance—far exceeded Daqingshan's. On their first independent journey, they generally deferred to Amy's judgment.

Like all Treehouse Taverns, there were familiar guild offices. On the left side of the entrance was the Mage Guild office; the right side held the Mercenary Guild office, and in the farthest corner sat the Thieves Guild office.

Amy pushed open the Mercenary Guild door, where an elderly man with white hair and tortoiseshell glasses sat behind the counter.

"Uncle, we want to become mercenaries. What's the procedure?" Amy finally had the chance to fulfill his lifelong dream. Poor Snow Wolves were in for a tough time.

"Are you planning to join an existing mercenary group, or start your own?" The old man peered over his glasses at Amy, Daqingshan, and Greenie.

"Can we create one ourselves? We're not interested in joining any other groups for now."

"Yes, you can. It's 10 gold coins per person to register as mercenaries, and 30 gold coins to form a mercenary group. You'll also need two Mercenary Journals at 10 gold coins each." He passed over two mercenary registration forms from behind the desk.

"So expensive," Amy grumbled as he took the forms. There went 70 gold coins.

The form was simple, with only five fields:

Name:Age:Profession:Mercenary Reputation Level:Mercenary Group Affiliation:

"Uncle, how should I fill out my profession? I'm primarily a swordsman, but I'm also a mage," Amy asked.

The old man looked startled. Magic and swordsmanship? That was rare. "Have you been certified by the Mage Guild?"

"No."

"Then you'll need to get certified first and then come back to fill this out."

Amy then pushed open the Mage Guild door. The setup was similar, with a blue-robed mage sitting behind the counter, clearly a neutral mage.

"Sir, I'd like to take the mage assessment. What do I need to do?"

The guild staffer smiled warmly. "It's always great to see a new mage. On behalf of the Mage Guild, welcome. It'll be 10 gold coins for a Mage Journal, and another 10 for the assessment fee."

Amy nearly fainted upon hearing this. He realized his 100 gold coins would soon be gone—was this an exact amount that demon of an uncle had calculated?

The staffer took Amy's 20 gold coins and handed over a Mage Journal. "You're a neutral mage. Cast Ice Blade, Lightning, and Invisibility on this journal."

Amy performed each spell as requested.

"Alright, you're certified as an Apprentice Mage. What specific magic do you study?" the staffer asked.

"My teacher came from the Ice Wish Tower, so I suppose I'm an ice mage," Amy replied.

"What?" The staffer's eyes widened. "Your teacher came from the Ice Wish Tower? A Magister? When did this happen?"

Amy answered honestly, "Yes, he left a couple of years ago. He's been teaching me magic, and just recently went to the Amy Empire to receive his title."

"Well then, cast any Level 3 ice spell on this journal," the staffer instructed. It seemed even the disciple of a Magister got no special treatment; the world was full of pretenders, especially in the mage community.

Amy had initially thought Ice Spear required a ground target. To his surprise, the Mage Journal displayed a miniature Ice Spear as he cast it. He then tried a Level 3 spell, Ice Shield.

"Can you cast Ice Spear Forest?" The staffer no longer looked down on him as a mere Level 2 mage.

Amy shook his head. "Sometimes I can, sometimes I can't."

"Well, congratulations, you're now certified as a Level 2 mage." The staffer placed a small seal on the Mage Journal. To Amy's surprise, a Level 2 mage emblem appeared over his leather armor. Indeed, the magic world was full of wonders.

In the songs of bards, most dragons were portrayed as evil beings—even the legendary ancient sacred Ice Green Dragon, Taimugersei, was no exception.

—From the research notes of Neil Haber, Amy's twelfth-generation descendant, and historian of the continent