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The barbarian plummeted into the valley along with the corpse.

Vladimir leisurely placed a cigar between his lips as he caressed his gloves.

Mages typically possess a single magical attribute.

However, for mages with formidable physical strength, even a solitary magical ability can serve as an incredibly potent asset.

With an unlit cigar dangling from his mouth, he sauntered towards a retreating barbarian.

Perhaps it was the sheer terror induced by Vladimir's imposing presence.

The barbarian stood frozen, seemingly forgetting the chain hammer in his grasp.

Vladimir stomped the ground, instantly materializing before the barbarian.

His strike was masterfully precise; the immense force merely sent violent tremors through the barbarian's internal organs. The barbarian staggered back several steps, tumbling off the cliff.

In a last-ditch effort, the barbarian's massive hand clutched at the snowy ground, attempting to claw his way back up to face his adversary once more.

Vladimir ambled to the cliff's edge, gazing at the churning icy ocean below, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Hmm!"

He crouched down, placing his gloved hand on the dangling barbarian's arm, unleashing an icy spell that froze the barbarian to the precipice.

Task completed, he disregarded the barbarian's agonized screams and casually patted his pocket.

A look of surprise crossed his face.

"Tch, blast it, I forgot my flint."

As an ice mage, he naturally eschewed the fire elemental magic favored by these bird-brained folk.

As if struck by an idea, Vladimir lowered his head and cocked an eyebrow at the barbarian.

The hapless barbarian failed to grasp Vladimir's intention until he saw the old man about to unbuckle his belt. His face contorted in horror.

He hastily extended his unfrozen hand, flailing it in the air while spewing a torrent of unintelligible language.

Though Vladimir couldn't decipher the barbarian tongue, he knew the creature must be hurling curses at him.

Suddenly, a flame erupted from the barbarian's hand. The old man let out a hearty laugh and stepped back.

The intense flames perfectly ignited the cigar, releasing a robust tobacco aroma.

He took a deep drag and exhaled two smoke rings.

"Hiss~ Whew, haha!"

"I just love tangling with you [Flaming Sword] lot. You light fires splendidly."

"Potent stuff!"

He guffawed a couple of times, then crouched down, his glove once again conjuring an ice axe.

With one swift motion, he severed the man's hand, watching impassively as the barbarian plummeted helplessly.

The icy ocean churned, waves surging several meters high.

Vladimir rose, cigar in mouth, trails of crimson in his wake.

He wistfully blew a smoke ring skyward and called out:

"No need to look so terrified, come on out."

A youthful man emerged from behind a frozen tree, his face etched with concern.

He scurried to Vladimir's side, his eyes darting nervously to the gruesome corpses strewn about, fighting back waves of nausea.

"Ge... General."

Vladimir turned, walking as he inquired:

"Tell me, what nonsense are those dimwitted knights up to now?"

The aide hurriedly produced a wanted poster and handed it to Vladimir.

He took it, cigar still clenched between his teeth, giving it a cursory glance.

It even bore a portrait of the individual in question.

"They issued a wanted order yesterday. By now, it's likely spread throughout the entire North."

"Those knights want our 'Pale Mage Association' to assist in apprehending this person."

Vladimir took a deep drag of his cigar, exhaling smoke in bursts.

"Hiss, this lad looks somewhat familiar. What's his name, Viktor?"

"His reputation is known to all in the capital, and his fame has even reached the North, but..."

The old man spent his days either puffing on cigars and dancing or brawling with barbarians.

How would he pay heed to such matters?

But there was one thing Dick knew with certainty.

The old man definitely wouldn't aid those knights, because...

"Ho ho, he's a mage?"

"Tell those knights, mages have free passage in my territory."

He let out three hearty laughs, then turned his head as if struck by a thought and looked at Dick again.

"What did this fellow do to warrant a kingdom-wide manhunt?"

"Uh..."

Dick hesitated, somewhat embarrassed, but still replied:

"Viktor, he beat Angus and his son into paralysis."

"So, they're hell-bent on finding Viktor to settle the score..."

Vladimir fell silent for a moment, then instructed:

"Tell the boys below to locate this person, try to find him."

"And then..."

"I must share a drink with this fellow! Hahaha!"

He vigorously clapped Dick's shoulder, with such force that Dick couldn't stop coughing.

"General, General... stop patting, cough, there's one more thing."

"Oh?"

Vladimir snapped to attention, his curiosity piqued.

"Your duke friend from the capital, his daughter has arrived."

In the wind-swept snowy land, Vladimir donned a thick fur coat.

Cigar clenched between his teeth, he trudged through the deep snow, arriving at the entrance of the Pale Mage Association.

Erica pulled down her hood, her golden tresses billowing in the wind and snow.

The arduous journey had taken its toll on Erica as well.

Her face had grown gaunt, her frame seemed to have shrunk, and her eyes appeared somewhat sunken.

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Yet, a spark still gleamed in her gaze.

Each day, they had covered hundreds of kilometers.

To save time, the team hadn't even allowed for extra rest periods.

Setting out from the capital, Erica had spent five consecutive days on horseback, enduring the relentless assault of wind and rain.

This baptism by nature seemed to have fortified her spirit considerably.

Seeing the old man emerge to greet her, Erica swung her leg over and dismounted from her white steed, bowing respectfully.

"Uncle Vladimir."

She recognized the man before her.

Vladimir Lebedev, president of the Pale Mage Association, and a close confidant of her father.

By rights, Erica should address this man as uncle.

Vladimir's status as a friend of the duke was far from ordinary.

He was a general stationed on the northern frontier of the empire.

The old man appeared quite at ease, taking a deep drag from his cigar and blowing smoke rings into the air.

He appraised Erica, sizing her up, and chuckled.

"Levi's little girl, not bad."

"You actually made it here solely on horseback."

Seeing Vladimir's nod of approval, Erica knew she had passed the Mage Association's initial test.

"Hmm! Dick, escort them back first."

"Let them all have a good rest. Tonight, we'll throw them a welcoming feast!"

The aide nodded, leading Erica's white horse and the mages who had escorted her away.

Vladimir patted Erica's shoulder, pocketed his cigar, turned his head to exhale a puff of smoke into the air, then turned back to Erica and said:

"Care for a tour?"

Although Erica was somewhat fatigued, she couldn't refuse an elder's invitation and nodded.

Moreover, she was curious to see what the domain under one of the two major forces in the North looked like.

Soon, Erica found herself trailing behind Vladimir, her eyes darting about inquisitively.

This was a sight that could never be witnessed in the capital.

Many structures were crafted from natural materials, a blend of white marble and ice shavings, incredibly resilient yet gleaming brilliantly under the sunlight.

Erica marveled at the colossal edifices, her initial weariness instantly evaporating.

Everything here was awe-inspiring.

It was like a perfect palace on the snow plain, appearing mysterious and sacred amidst the wind and snow.

"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Vladimir said with a smile, as if Erica's reaction was within his expectations.

"However, this is after all the empire's frontier, not as prosperous as the capital."

"Whatever new gadgets appear over there, we don't have them here."

Erica shook her head and replied with a smile:

"I understand, Uncle."

Erica naturally comprehended that she had come here for training, not for leisure.

As they conversed, they approached a large wooden cabin.

It seemed oddly out of place amidst this ice and snow palace.

At a glance, she spotted a wooden sign hanging from the eaves, adorned with a large painted goblet.

"We've seen enough for now. I'll arrange a room for you shortly. Rest for the night first."

Vladimir gazed at the small wooden cabin with a smile, either due to his fondness for the tavern or because Erica had just addressed him as uncle.

He pushed open the door, and a wave of warmth rushed out.

The tavern's interior was a stark contrast to the outside world. It was warmly lit, with patrons gathered around tables, clinking glasses and engaging in games, creating a lively atmosphere.

Erica had never set foot in a tavern before, and she never would have imagined such a scene.

Upon Vladimir's arrival, many patrons simultaneously halted their activities.

They raised their glasses in unison, greeting the old general.

"General, care to join us for a drink?"

"Put down your little toy! If the General drinks, it's surely by the barrel!"

"Hahaha!"

Erica was still somewhat nervous, but Vladimir beside her burst into laughter.

"Don't frighten our young guest."

The mages noticed Erica behind him and looked puzzled.

"My, my, we have such a delicate young lady here?"

"She looks fair and clean, doesn't seem like someone from the North."

Vladimir appeared somewhat proud as he introduced her:

"This is the daughter of a friend of mine from the capital."

"She's a true prodigy."

The other mages began to regard Erica with interest, somewhat skeptically.

In the eyes of these robust mages, how talented could a mere delicate young girl be?

But they heard Vladimir continue to boast.

"Seventeen years old, second-rank mage."

Instantly, an incredibly loud cheer erupted in the tavern, even causing the bottles on the shelves to rattle.

"Holy shit!?"

"Second-rank mage?"

Many of those present were a mix of various mages and wizards.

Most were in their thirties or forties and had been stuck at the second-rank level for a considerable time.

Some mages hadn't even broken through to the second rank after many years.

As a result, the young girl they couldn't quite respect was already on par with them in rank.

"Damn! She really is a prodigy."

"I feel inferior now."

"As expected of the General's friend, his daughter's talent is truly outstanding."

Hearing the exclamations and praises of these passionate and bold mages one after another, Erica couldn't help but lower her head, her cheeks flushing slightly, seeming a bit embarrassed.

Seeing this, Vladimir waved his hand at the group.

"Alright, get lost, go drink your stuff."

"The young lady is here for training, not to listen to you old fellows boasting."

Those middle-aged men laughed heartily and resumed their games.

"Amelia!"

Vladimir suddenly shouted into the tavern, and Erica quietly covered her ears.

A woman slowly emerged from behind the tavern counter.

Her skin was snow-white, typical of a Northerner, with one eye covered by a black eye patch, and something that seemed to be clenched between her teeth.

It wasn't a cigarette, Erica was certain of that.

On her exposed midriff below her clothes, Erica could see several deep scars, shocking to behold.

"What are you yelling about? Don't you know how loud your voice is?"

Vladimir didn't mind and laughed boldly a couple of times.

"Go arrange a good place for this young lady, and don't forget to prepare a hot bath for her."

Amelia sighed and gave Erica a glance.

"Follow me."

Erica looked at Vladimir.

The old man returned her a reassuring look.

Only then did Erica follow behind the woman, walking through a door behind the tavern.

After the two left, the group of men gathered around Vladimir, asking this and that.

"General, who exactly is that young lady?"

"A second-rank mage at 17 is truly remarkable, I wouldn't even dare to imagine it."

"Damn, if my son had her abilities, I'd go burn incense for my ancestors right away."

Vladimir just chuckled and gave each of these men a few playful slaps on the neck.

"Don't pry too much, her identity is quite extraordinary."

The old man found a wooden stool, pulled it over to sit down. A mage, seeing the president sit down, immediately brought over a huge wooden barrel filled to the brim with wheat beer and placed it in front of the old man.

Vladimir picked up the barrel and poured a few mouthfuls directly into his mouth.

After a couple of drinks, his expression remained unchanged as he continued to ask:

"That Viktor on the wanted poster, you all know him?"

"Ah, it's just you who doesn't know, General."

One man got excited and started talking enthusiastically.

"The young lady you brought is quite impressive, already a second-rank mage at 17, but compared to him, she's far behind."

"A fourth-rank mage at twenty-nine! In the entire empire, even looking back through history, you can't find a fourth-rank mage younger than him!"

As he spoke, he seemed even more proud.

As if he was talking about himself.

Vladimir listened, his eyes growing brighter.

This kid sounds like he's got some skills.

He became more and more interested in this Viktor whom he had never met.

And most importantly, he had beaten that old Angus into paralysis.

Even if he personally took action, he might not be able to beat Angus into such a state.

"Good lad, I admire him."

As for the level of admiration for Viktor, it reached the point where Vladimir was even considering whether to introduce him to a wife.

If only he had a daughter himself.

But he had a friend who did.

That child from the Levi family, he thought she was quite good.

She was polite, and also a prodigy.

Age? Age naturally wasn't a problem.

"By the way, how did that old Angus provoke him?"

The old man inquired while lifting the wooden barrel again, gulping down some beer, watching the men beside him look at each other in bewilderment.

Then, they answered Vladimir's question.

"Angus is his father-in-law."

"Ah?"...

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To Be Continued..