Chapter 26: Conscription Order (Please keep reading, please add to favorites, and please recommend!)

Chapter 26

High above the blue sky, within the Crucible Battlefield, a black dragon broke away from the front lines and flew toward the direction of the Crucible.

Outside the Crucible, another black dragon slowly approached from the horizon, carrying a witch—Astrid.

"Teacher told me to take full responsibility for this operation and granted me the highest level of command authority. But if I do this, will those official wizards harbor objections against me?"

Astrid asked, her brow slightly furrowed as if she were considering the feasibility of her plan.

"Don't worry, Astrid."

The black dragon let out a hearty laugh, his tone relaxed.

"If you forced those official wizards to participate personally, there might be some complaints. But if it's just their disciples, there won't be any problem at all."

"That's good, then."

Astrid lightly tilted her nose, a smug smile playing at the corners of her mouth.

"The Crucible's apprentices are our assets; we cannot let them die in vain on the front lines. The disciples of those official wizards are all staying behind to guard the Crucible; none of them have gone to the front. Such an arrangement is simply unacceptable!"

Astrid's purple eyes shimmered with a starlight brilliance.

"Teacher said that once I promote to a Level 3 Wizard, he will grant me half of the wizards and apprentices under contract at the Crucible to begin building my own Crucible. These contracted apprentices are precious assets; even if they were sold to other extraordinary powers, it would still be better than letting them die on the battlefield."

"The disciples of these official wizards already enjoy plenty of resources in their daily lives, yet they refuse to contribute to the Crucible when war approaches. How can that be allowed? Humph!"

"The resources required to raise a single wizard's disciple are enough to support ten free apprentices!"

"Those official wizards' disciples are nothing but parasites within the Crucible. If they cannot contribute to the Crucible, then what is the point of keeping them!"

Astrid spoke, a hint of coldness in her purple eyes.

Listening to Astrid meticulously calculate the value each apprentice created for the Crucible, the black dragon couldn't help but chuckle softly.

However, the black dragon had no intention of obstructing her plan.

Whatever Astrid intended to do, the black dragon would let her proceed.

Given how much the old fellow adored her, as long as she didn't blow up the Crucible, he would let her do almost anything else.

As for the lives of the Crucible apprentices?

Just as the black dragon had said before, as long as the official wizards themselves were not personally involved, even their most beloved apprentices would have to obediently follow Astrid's orders.

After all, if one were to be strictly logical, everything within the Crucible—whether apprentices, resources, or otherwise—belonged to the controller of the Crucible.

And that controller, for the time being, was Astrid.

………………………………

Under Rosalind's guidance, Lynn felt his proficiency in alchemy improving by leaps and bounds.

With a little more time, he was confident that before breaking through to become a Level 3 Wizard Apprentice, he could master a certain degree of alchemical knowledge, thereby entering the Magic Potion Garden to experience its wonders firsthand.

However, fate had other plans, and his scheme was shattered.

On this day, Lynn received news from Sonia that struck him like a bolt of lightning.

He had been conscripted; he was to go to the Crucible Battlefield!

This news was completely beyond Lynn's expectations, and one could even say it was beyond everyone's expectations.

Whether it was Sonia, Colin, the disciples of the wizards in the Magic Potion Department, the disciples of the official wizards in the Alchemy Department, or even the disciples of official wizards from other branches, everyone was shocked.

This conscription order came from the core area of the Crucible, clearly marked with the command of the Lord of the Crucible.

In fact, not only were the wizard disciples bewildered, but even some official wizards were confused by the Crucible's conscription order.

The Crucible's wars had lasted for over a hundred years through more than ten major conflicts, and such a sudden situation had never occurred before.

Those official wizards were long accustomed to being able to protect their students and provide them with a certain level of security.

This was considered a special privilege granted to official wizards by the Crucible.

After all, once one became an official wizard, according to their contract with the Crucible, the relationship between the two parties was no longer a simple master-servant dynamic, but rather a relationship of vassalage or symbiosis.

Therefore, it was reasonable to delegate a moderate amount of power to the official wizards.

However, this time, there was a specific conscription order requiring the wizard disciples to personally join the battle on the front lines.

This situation was unprecedented.

Despite this, the exclusive mark of the Lord of the Crucible could not be mistaken; neither Lynn nor Colin could change this command.

Even their teacher, Rosalind, could only do what she could by inquiring through various connections, eventually learning the fundamental reason from a Level 3 Wizard.

It turned out that the Lord of the Crucible had handed over full command of this war to the Crucible's "Little Princess."

In other words, it was that "Little Princess" who had ordered that the disciples of the Crucible's official wizards must also personally go to the front lines to fight!

Many wizard disciples felt indignant about this conscription order, cursing under their breaths, yet they dared not disobey. After all, their contracts with the Crucible could not be easily torn up.

In the wizarding world, a contract was not merely a written agreement; it was infused with powerful sorcerous energy.

The party in breach would face a terrifying curse worse than death.

Therefore, the contract explicitly stipulated the clause "Defend the Crucible, fight for the Crucible," which even the disciples of official wizards had to obey.

In the past, the Lord of the Crucible had delegated many matters to subordinates, allowing the wizard disciples to grow in a relatively stable environment.

However, with the emergence of the Crucible's "Little Princess," everything had changed.

This time, the situation at the Crucible's exit was entirely different from the last.

Last time, thousands of wizard apprentices had charged out of the Crucible alongside magical beasts, with only a few official wizards present to provide support.

But this time, although the wizard apprentices remained the main force on the front lines, many eyes of official wizards were being cast upon them from atop the Crucible.

Lynn and Colin stood in a corner of the crowd, dressed in standard robes, their expressions heavy.

Lynn, in particular, had already cursed that "Little Princess" countless times in his heart.

Originally, he had hoped to make a greater breakthrough in alchemy and enter the core area of the Magic Potion Garden.

Now, however, his plans were completely disrupted, and he was being forced onto the Crucible Battlefield.

Previously, Lynn had not cared about the Crucible Battlefield because it had nothing to do with him; he could have remained entirely uninvolved.

But now, under the Crucible's conscription order, having signed an official contract, he could not escape no matter what; he had to participate.

Just then, a deafening roar echoed from above the Crucible. A black dragon soared forth, and standing on its back was a figure—it was the Little Princess of the Crucible, Astrid.

Astrid smiled slightly, her gaze sweeping over the elite wizard disciples below.

Which of the disciples capable of becoming official wizards was not a person of extraordinary talent?

However, her eyes flickered with annoyance. Having embraced her identity as the controller of the Crucible, the people below appeared as nothing more than "rice bugs" in her eyes, and she naturally found them quite tiresome.

"Now, you lot are so difficult to command. Once you become official wizards, hehe, I'm afraid..."

The black dragon roared, initiating the Crucible's reinforcement plan...

(End of Chapter)