Right now, I am looking at the scholars. They are fascinating figures. Even though we are part of the same organisation I can't say anything about them. I don't know the magic that they practice. (not even their magical path.) I don't know knows the hierarchy of their organization. I don't even know the name of their leader.
The guards are supposed to know the most about them. After all, we have the most access to the scholars. I am just not allowed to access that information. (I am not that trusted in the head office yet.)
The scholars have always been a little isolated. I think a part of this is because it would be very hard for them to dumb down everything they learned to us. I think they remain aloof to demotivate any copycats. Every power on the continent has tried to create its own variety of scholars. The results have not been pleasant to these powers. Still, it doesn't stop them from trying, though.
Even now, the scholars are keeping to themselves. They have taken over a part of the guest house and are talking to each other about something. (The guest house is a massive room with eight beds in it.) To be honest, I have nothing to add about the scholars. All I can tell is that they have no desire to interact with us guards. They are just sitting there doing whatever a scholar does.
We guards are sent on missions to both assist the scholars and be their wardens. We are here to make sure that the scholars stay within the line. After all, the secrets that they wield are precious, and the scholars know that it is precious. I have not been in the guard corps for long, but I have heard rumors. Let's just say that it is not too pretty.
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 our rooms are the two soldiers who have escorted us here in the first place. They do not even react to my provocations. Yesterday, I tried to get them angry by trying to leave our room. (The plan was to provoke them into an argument.) 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. Such a state is an achievement.
This state is only achieved by those who are trained to resist the observations of the scholars. Every faction has a regiment of soldiers who are trained to resist a black mountain visit. Not that they are particularly successful, but people try at the very least. (You cannot hide things from the scholars.)
Our wardens move with a careful gait. They are careful not to do anything that might give us information about them. They don't speak unless they need to, even to each other. They don't eat anything in front of us. I have never seen them sleep. I get no insight into these people at all.
Right now, I have nothing to do other than get bored. The other guards in this room have found something to keep themselves busy.
Trevor has been busy looking around the room for surveillance formations. The man has an almost unnatural knack for finding them. I wouldn't have guessed half the stuff he has found was even there. Well, he did find them and proceeded to smash them into pieces.
I had been looking for them as well, by the way. I had only managed to detect all the obvious ones, though. (The ones visible in my mana sense at least.) now I can't find anything so I leave Trevor to his task.
Andrew and Jacob are both cultivating. They seem oddly eager to cultivate. I think that they are at some key point in their cultivation. I mean, I could ask them about their cultivation, but speaking to them is something I am a bit uncomfortable with. Let's just say our history is complicated.
I have tried to cultivate as well, but it has been a disaster. Cultivating requires a type of focus that is pretty hard to maintain. I certainly am not able to do it. Granted, I have never needed to meditate much. One of the benefits of being a formation mage is that I don't need to rely on my cultivation that much. Cultivating helps, but not as much as a good formation would help. (That is the disadvantage as well.)
Well, I will need to talk to Trevor. I am going to need his advice soon. After all, I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing at this moment. Trevor is supposed to tell me that.
Trevor is something of a mystery himself. The man is someone that my master speaks positively about. He is important enough that my master had personally made him part of the troop. He also has some advice to give me about everything.
Oh yeah, I guess that I should speak about my master's conditions. My master had three conditions for the head office when he was selling my service to the guard corps. (As I said, I had no interest in being in the guard corps. My master forced me into it.)
First, Trevor was meant to be a part of my troop, essentially leading this troop. Granted, I am still the captain and have the final say. Trevor might have the experience, but he doesn't have the strength. His advice has helped me out quite a few times as well.
The second one was even more direct. This is something my master put in just to torture me, I tell you. He made me come here as my first mission. 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 were to slip up now.
As for the third, that is the weirdest of them all. He restricted my troop to only having four soldiers, including me and Trevor. That is why I have such a restricted troop. Otherwise, a guard troop is supposed to have at least ten people.
Naturally, the head office agreed to this since it does not affect them. They can just remove me if I fail a mission. 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 for the last couple of days, though. He says that he wants to make sure we are not being spied upon. That is why he has been looking for surveillance formations in the last couple of days. I have tried and help the man where I can. Right now, I am more likely to distract the man than help him out, even if I were to interfere.
Still, I hope that something will happen soon. This waiting has been slowly making me go mad, I tell you.
(After about a couple of hours.)
After seeing Trevor avoid me for so long, it is a surprise to see Trevor approach me. It is so surprising that I activate the thought logger.
"Well, you have been busy the last couple of days.", I say, hoping that the man cannot hear the sarcasm in my tone.
"A man has got to keep busy, captain, or it is very easy for him to lose his mind.", replies Trevor. "Regardless, the less 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 assume that they are listening to us anyway. I won't be surprised that way", Trevor answers. "That won't be an issue. I shall not speak about anything particularly sensitive. After all, I am sure that what I want to say is common knowledge for the snowwinders. 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. I know it is the only structure that can survive this close to the northern wastelands.", I reply.
"Well, you are a new captain. That is all you need to know.", says Trevor. "Well, the purpose of the frozen peak is quite simple. This fort is meant to hold off the snowlords."
"But there is no other power in our surroundings.", I exclaim.
"Well, there is one. I am sure you can guess who they are." Replies Trevor. As he speaks, I realise who he is talking about. "You, of all the people here, would know them the best."
He is talking about a tribe of people that can survive even in the northern wastelands. They are considered to be one of the sworn enemies of the legion. (The legion has a pretty big list of sworn enemies, to be honest.) Every soldier worth his salt has fought them or, at the very least, has a story related to them. I know them as the snow tribe.
"Well, what does that have to do with me? I am a formation mage. It is not like they can send me onto the battlefield.", I reply. I can feel a shiver in my spine as I ponder that possibility 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. "After all, will the head office even act to support me? Even if they wanted to, what can they do here, so far away from home?"
"Well, you know the head office. They don't want to act unless they are forced to. They will only act if the task is impossible for you.", replies Trevor. "Well, it is time for you to learn about the snowlords. You need to first 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 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 know about them comes from the records of the snowwinders. At the onset of winter, the snowwinders are harassed by the snowlords. Every year, they and their beasts attack the territory of the snowwinders. They are supposed to be very dangerous enemies."
"Well, that much I know. They are supposed to be soldiers who can 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 can summon blizzards at will." 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 can manipulate mana for kilometers around them in the wastelands." says Trevor. "As for their ability to manipulate weather or summon blizzards. That is a lie. You of all people should know how hard that is. They can affect the weather around them, though."
"Well, that's all 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. You are going to be needing it soon if things go how I expect them to.", he replies. "Also, your master was very insistent that you at the very least have a working idea about the snowlords. The snowlords are the worst threat you shall face here. Also, I am sure that you must be recording. Shut it down for now. I am not sure if you are supposed to know this at your present clearance. Let's not give the head office another excuse to punish us, shall we?"