Chapter 73 – Prelude or Beginning

—They’re dead!

Lin Wei’s hand, which was holding a cup, paused for a moment. His gaze swept across the room, landing on the Mage who had first asked the question. The Mage was visibly stunned, and the others around him also widened their eyes in shock and confusion.

The reason was simple—death was something far too distant for these young Mages. In their minds, death was merely news of an elderly Mage passing away peacefully, or perhaps a renowned Mage leaving a message on parchment before disappearing without a trace after an adventure at the edge of the continent.

In the world of magic, death was referred to as “eternal life”—something with signs and preparations. It wasn’t like this, where a companion who had been right in front of them just a few dozen days ago was suddenly declared gone forever, leaving only a brief “dead” behind. When they first saw Winston’s disheveled state, the worst they had imagined was that he had “gotten frostbitten in the Valley of Ice.”

“Winston, are you joking?” The Mage snapped out of his daze and exclaimed.

Winston weakly tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing a smile. “Senar, you should be glad I don’t have the strength to use magic right now… I’d love to beat you up.”

At the same time, Haitie, who was sitting at the table, furrowed her brow and whispered, “Winston never jokes… But they only went to the outermost edge of the Valley of Ice. Teacher Herbert was there too—he’s a High Mage of the Earth Element. And what about Daniel?”

“Their world is really dangerous,” whispered Lucas, the Magic Apprentice who had just arrived from the mainland, to Lin Wei.

Tiki glared at him fiercely. “Stupid mainlander!”

“All the groups who went out to the island have returned,” Xipo’s tone remained calm and composed, but his expression had turned serious. “Let’s head back.”

“Mage Lords, it’s very cold here at night. I’ll light the fireplace for you—with the best rowan wood!”

The innkeeper emerged from a small side door, his face full of eager smiles as he carried blocks of rowan wood meant for the fireplace. However, he was surprised to see that most of the Mages had already left. Only a flaxen-haired boy poked his head back in through the door. “Rowan wood… We never use this at home.”

He was quickly pulled away by a beautiful but fierce-looking Mage girl. “So you’re a poor guy even on the mainland!”

Only a black-robed Mage politely smiled at him. “Thank you for your hospitality.” Then he turned and left with his companions. He was exceptionally handsome, with deep violet eyes that left a lasting impression, making the innkeeper feel as though he had seen him somewhere before.

The innkeeper scratched his head in confusion. “They stayed the whole afternoon, and then just left—Mage Lords are really strange!”

He shook his head and muttered to himself, “Well, it’s good this way. I’ve saved my expensive rowan wood… Heh, I never thought old Charlie would get to host Mages one day, and so many of them at that! I’ll have to tell my Lilis and little Charlie all about it when I get home—they’re not as scary as in the bedtime stories!”

The sky had completely darkened, a heavy gray-black that was different from the gloom of daytime, oppressive and suffocating. The famous “Siren Bay Sunset,” a sight often seen during the calm sailing season, was completely replaced by overcast skies and the rumble of thunder.

The massive, broad black back of the sea beast now carried the Mages. Although their numbers had increased compared to when they arrived, they still appeared minuscule—tiny compared to the sea beast, and the sea beast itself was nothing compared to the vastness of the Siren Sea. The heavy atmosphere among the Mages made the journey feel endless, as if they were drifting on the undulating, boundless ocean of fate.

Haitie sat on the edge, her feet dipped in the seawater, her chin resting on her hands as she gazed into the distance.

“What are you thinking about?” Lin Wei sat down beside her.

“Daniel’s companions,” Haitie hugged her knees. “I’ll never see them again.”

Her eyes were red, and Lin Wei didn’t know how to comfort her. But Haitie didn’t give him a chance to speak, continuing on her own, “And Daniel, he’ll be so sad, won’t he?”

The girl’s once-clear voice now carried a hint of hoarseness. “When my father left, I cried all day in my room… But Daniel will be even sadder than I was. My father might still come back one day, but they won’t.”

Haitie had spoken of her father before—a romantic bard who had left when she was very young. He had bid her mother a smiling farewell, saying he was “chasing something meaningful,” while her mother remained in the Astrology Tower for a long time, also “chasing something meaningful.”

“Grief will pass,” Lin Wei said indifferently.

He had spent much time on the battlefield and had lost family and subordinates. Although he had tried hard this past year to keep those memories at bay, some things still lingered. That was why the news of death hadn’t stirred much emotion in him. He didn’t offer any comforting or encouraging words to soothe the Mage girl’s tender heart. Instead, he looked up at the night sky, thinking about the strange occurrences in the magic world—the Seasonal Tide, the deaths, Teacher Adele’s worries, and his own past speculations. When his gaze returned to Haitie, he sighed softly.

He didn’t want to say anything comforting or encouraging. She would face more, as would Daniel and everyone around them, because this might just be the beginning—Lin Wei thought.

He had speculated before about what had happened in the magic world during times unknown to him. Now, he was almost certain that it had already begun—the deaths of the young Mages were like the first drumbeat of a court orchestra, and the harp and bagpipes were about to start playing.

But he was still clueless… He leaned slightly against Duan Yu in frustration. Duan Yu had grown accustomed to his closeness, no longer stiffening awkwardly like he had in the first half of the year—now he would even shift slightly to make it more comfortable for Lin Wei to lean on him.

He continued speaking to Haitie, “Winston doesn’t want to talk about it for now. What do you think happened in the Valley of Ice—are there any records or prophecies about this in the Astrology Tower?”

Though he had no leads, it was clear this matter was connected to the Astrology Tower.

“The texts I’ve seen in the Astrology Tower aren’t much different from those in the academy. As for prophecies…” Haitie replied, “Other people’s prophecies aren’t very reliable. I’ve mentioned those prophecy masters who often argue—they claim they can see the trajectory of fate through the stars, leaf veins, or even the details of snowflakes. Each of them has their own prophecy, sometimes completely contradictory. But we believe only the Tower Master’s prophecies are the most accurate.”

“The Tower Master?” Lin Wei asked curiously.

“My mother is his student. There are a few others in the Astrology Tower who are also his students. But he’s very mysterious and rarely shows himself. I’ve only seen his back from a distance my entire life,” Haitie’s eyes were filled with admiration. “Mother says he can see time.”

A long time later, the dark silhouette of Siren Island finally came into view. Xipo said to Winston, “Shall we go see Mr. Sylvester right away?”

Winston shook his head wearily, his gaze shifting toward Lin Wei and the others. “Is Daniel with you?”

Haitie nodded.

Winston smiled—though his eyes were still sad. “He’s afraid of the cold, so he didn’t come with us… That’s good.”

Xipo patted his shoulder comfortingly. “Then you should go see Daniel first.”

Winston nodded.

Lin Wei didn’t go back with Winston. Xipo assigned him and Duan Yu to escort the three new Magic Apprentices to their level’s dormitory.

Shui Lan nearly fell as soon as he stepped onto the island—fortunately, Tiki, who was standing beside him, caught him.

“I feel like my legs don’t belong to me anymore,” Shui Lan murmured. “My head too—I feel like I’m floating. I think I see stars.”

Tiki let go of him, placing one hand on her hip and frowning as she sighed. “Just thinking about having to be in the same level as you two idiots fills me with despair for the future.”

“He’s probably just drunk,” Lin Wei shrugged.

Life for these three wouldn’t be peaceful—Lucas was fine, but the absent-minded Fire Mage Shui Lan and the proud, temperamental Lady Tiki… Lin Wei could already imagine the two Magic Apprentices being ordered around by Lady Tiki, constantly questioned, mocked, and scolded—Mage girls didn’t have to maintain the proper decorum of noble ladies.

Thinking of this, Lin Wei glanced at Duan Yu with a hint of jealousy. If he remembered correctly, Lady Tiki was very well-behaved in front of Duan Yu.