Right now I am looking at the scholars. They are fascinating figures. They are beings of such great knowledge that it seems impossible sometimes.

The scholars do not really like to talk to the guards. They always speak with us in a cautious tone, as if they are scared to let us know anything.

I don't know if it is caution or a superiority complex, but I lean towards the former. For better or worse, the scholars provide us with so much knowledge, either related to magic or our enemies. Such knowledge is precious to the correct people and most of this you can only find in the head of the scholars. I would not be surprised if they had trust issues with everybody.

Even now, the scholars are careful to stay in their own huddle in this observation room. I don't even know why I am talking about the scholars. The head office doesn't like to have too many mentions of the scholars. I am technically only allowed to mention how many scholars there are, though even that is considered to be pushing it.

It is not like I can speak anything about them anyways. They are the ultimate mystery after all. Nobody knows the magic that they practice, (not even their magical path.). Nobody knows the hierarchy of their organization. Nobody even knows the name of their leader. All we really know about them is what average layman knows.

Well, I do not like to be passive like this. We have been stuck in this room for about two days. It almost seems like the snowwinders have forgotten about us. Well, we have not been forgotten, about that I am sure.

Standing guard outside of our rooms are the two soldiers that have escorted us here in the first place. These soldiers are trained to resist the observations of the scholars or so I think at the very least. Every faction has a regiment of soldiers that are trained to resist the observations of the scholars. Not that they are particularly successful but people try at the very least.

They stand outside of our rooms like statues. They do not talk to each other, they do not seem to sleep and I certainly have never seen them eat.

They do not even tend to react to my provocations. Yesterday, I had tried to get them angry by trying to leave our room. The instant that I left the room, it was almost like the soldiers just shifted into a battle state. Cool and calm, they would have fought me to the death without any hint of passion.

Thankfully, I did not have my armor on me or I would have activated it just on the basis of my instinct. That would have led to quite a bit of chaos.

After that, I have decided not to provoke the guards too much. It would be wiser to wait for the enemies to make a move in this case. That is what I tell myself, but I honestly have no idea what move to make here.

Well, stuff like this was why trevor was sent with me in the first place. The man was supposed to act as my advisor based on the negotiation that my master had done with the head office. He had demanded three things in return for my services to the guards as a formation mage.

First was that trevor was meant to act as my mentor, essentially leading this troop. I don't know why specifically trevor, but the man has experience and that cannot be denied. Maybe that is what my master had considered when making the request. Maybe he just meant to torture me.

The second one was even more direct. This my master put in just to torture me. He placed me this close to the northern wastelands and that too on my first mission. On this matter, I do not want to speak for long. It would be quite risky if I let something loose now.

As for the third, that is the weirdest of them all. He restricted my troop to only have four soldiers, including me. That is why I have such a restricted troop. Normally otherwise a troop is supposed to have at least ten people.

Naturally, the head office agreed to this since it does not affect them. That is how I have ended up in this room, stuck like this.

Anyways, why did I speak about all this. Yeah, trevor was sent here to guide me on matters of significance like this. The man has not been speaking to me since the last couple of days. He doesn't want anything we speak to go to the enemy.

He has been pacing the room looking for stuff that they are using to spy on us. He has actually been succesful too, destroying quite a few items with small formations on it. Regardless of how many he destroys though, the man does not seem to be satisfied with it.

Looking at him, I can feel myself enter into a state of panic. Free time and overthinking are not anything good for me, I am starting to realise.

On top of that, there are stories about snowwind formations among the poison mages and how they can use such formations to administer poisons that a poison mage would fear to touch. Well, this room is perfect for such a poison formation.

The author's narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Well, thinking that has certainly not helped my peace of mind and trevors pacing has not helped one bit. Still, it is the calmness that is being showcased by Jacob and Andrew that is causing my panic to reach new heights.

The two soldiers have been in meditation for the last couple of days, as if this room is their training room. How they have the state of mind to cultivate here is something that I have no idea on. Well considering where they have come from, it is not that surprising. Again I will stop myself from speaking further. It is better not to speak of their origin.

To cultivate a soldier has to have complete focus on their mana core. To do that you need to be able to push everything away. I have not been able to cultivate personally ever since I have been on that damned ship. Just keeping it going could be considered to be a cultivation of a kind.

Still, I hope that something will happen soon. This waiting has been very trying and certainly not good for my mind.

(After about a couple of hours.)

After seeing trevor avoid me for so long, it was such a surprise to see trevor approach me that the thought logger activated on it's own. I am sure to most people that such an action would come to you easily. For me though, I have to make an effort to remember that I have to activate the damn device.

It could mean that my skill with the damn device is increasing. Well, now is not the time to waste on these thoughts.

"Well, you have been busy the last couple of days.", I speak.

"A man has got to keep busy, captain or it is very easy for him to lose his mind.", replies Trevor. "Regardless, the lesser that they know about our conversation the better."

"Well are you confident that we are not being spied on?", I ask the man.

"About as confident as I can reasonably be. I am sure that they are listening to us anyways.", Trevor speaks. "That won't be an issue. I shall not speak about anything particularly sensitive. After all, I am sure that what I shall speak the snowwinders have heard a thousand times. After all, much of it we have got from them only. What do you know about the purpose of the frozen peak?"

"Well, I know that it is the northernmost fort of the snowwinders and one of the only structures that is closest to the northern wastelands.", I reply.

"Well, you are a new captain. It isn't a surprise that they have not shared much with you.", speaks Trevor. "Well, the purpose of the frozen peak is quite simple. This fort is meant to hold of the snowlords."

"But there is no other power in our surroundings.", I exclaim.

"Well, there is one. I am sure you can guess from where they come." Replies trevor. As they speak I do realise about whom he is talking about.

It is a pretty popular myth, about a tribe of people that could survive even in the northern wastelands. They are considered to be one of the sworn enemies of the legion. Every soldier worth his salt have fought them or at the very least has a story related to them. They are known as the snow tribe and today I have learnt that the snowwind empire calls them as snowlords.

"Well, what does that have to do with me. I am a formation mage. It is not like they can send me on to the battlefield.", I reply. I can feel a shiver in my spines as I ponder on the possibilities with a sinking heart.

"Do not try to assume what the commander will ask you to do. I am sure that whatever task you will be given will be something that you will be able to manage.", replies Trevor. "If they give a particularly unreasonable task, I am sure that the head office will be the first to act."

"Well, I will still have to complete the task, aren't I?", I ask the man.

"Well, you know the head office. I would think it wiser you deal with it yourself.", replies Trevor. "Well, it is time for you to learn. You need to tell me what you know about the snowlords."

"Well, most of what I know comes from stories told by soldiers of the legion. I am sure that most of what they have told me is exaggerated.", I reply. "Otherwise I can't believe half the stuff that the they have claimed about the snowlords."

"Well, then it is safe to say that you don't know much. That is a pity. I can't say that I know much about the tribes either. The legion is a better source of information on them.", speaks Trevor. "Well, all I really know about them comes from the records of the snowwinders actually. At the onset of winter, the snowwinders are harassed by the snowlords. Every year they and their beasts descend from the northern wastelands to conduct raids into the snowwind empire. They are supposed to be very dangerous enemies."

"Well, that much I know. They are supposed to be soldiers that are able to twist the very weather around them. They are supposed to have skins of iron that no ordinary weapons are supposed to be able to pierce. The grandest claim I have heard of them is that they are able to summon blizzards at will. Also, I don't think I have heard any story in which the legion have ever fought them head on, only through stealth or traps", I reply while remembering the many stories of the snowlords that I heard. They were one of the few enemies among their massive list of enemies that they were willing to speak about.

"Well, that can be considered to be the truth if a bit exaggerated. The snowlords are masters of manipulating external mana. Their soldiers are able to manipulate mana for kilometers around them in the wastelands.", speaks Trevor. "As for their ability to manipulate weather or summoning blizzards, you of all people should know how hard that actually is. They can affect the weather around them, but it is an aftereffect than a conscious control caused by their ability to manipulate external mana."

"Well, that all is fine but why are we discussing the snowlords so suddenly?", I ask the man.

"Well, I had to make sure that this information was given to you correctly. The snowwinders are not particularly open with such knowledge and you are going to be needing it soon.", he replies. "Also, your master was very insistent that you at the very least have a working idea about the many threats that you will be facing. The snowlords are the worst threat you shall face here. Also, I am sure that you must be recording. Shut it down for now. The head office need not know everything that we do."

And hearing this, I shut down my log.