[Guiding Skill]In addition to showing the way, it also sends a message to the client when adventurers or mercenaries arrive within the commission area, inviting the client to guide them personally—this feature is only available for commissions requiring the client's personal leadership.
So not long after Hilia entered the village, a female mage in a faded mage robe quickly walked out from the village.
"Hello, are you mercenaries from the Mercenary Guild?" she asked, scrutinizing Hilia.
"Yes." Hilia also scrutinized her.
The client indeed was described by the receptionist as somewhat rustic—though she wore a mage robe like Hilia, she appeared rustic, while Hilia exuded mystery, quite unusual.
Perhaps it was because the client had a rather ordinary look, one that would not get noticed in a crowd.
She seemed young, yet her face showed signs of wear, possibly not from the passage of time.
After sizing up Hilia, the client slightly furrowed her brows but still politely said, "Thank you, I deeply respect you; I am the client, Marina. I came in a hurry, and the village currently lacks facilities to host you. Please wait a moment while I ask the village chief to prepare a banquet."
Hilia shook her head to refuse Marina's offer and said, "I just ate, thank you. Time is of the essence; I need to know the specifics of the commission."
At this moment, villagers passing by noticed Marina speaking to a stranger, casting curious glances at Hilia. One villager asked, "Marina, is she here to help with that matter as well?"
"Yes, Mr. Jack. You all go about your business; I will handle this matter." Marina nodded.
"I say, there's no need to waste that money. That place is at a distance from the village and won't affect us. Teaching those kids is more important than this matter," said another villager.
"Whether it affects us is still unknown, but we must be cautious in everything. I will take care of this matter."
After persuading the chatty villagers to leave, Marina turned to Hilia and asked, "Though this may be somewhat tactless, I wish to ask: Miss Mage, may I know your current tier?"
"An honorable Tier One Mage, Hilia. Please feel free to guide me."
Marina fell silent.
After a while, she forced a smile, "I'm very sorry, Miss Hilia. Perhaps you don't realize the danger of this commission. I marked its danger level as Tier Two in the commission, requiring at least a Tier Two Mage to resolve."
"I understand, Miss Marina, but why can't a Tier One Mage resolve a Tier Two danger?" Hilia countered.
"Because I am also a Tier One Mage, and I am helpless against that abnormal area, watching it rise from a normal abnormal area to Tier Two danger zone." Marina's smile was bitter and helpless, "If I could solve it, I wouldn't have needed to issue a commission. 10 Silver Coins is a considerable wealth for the village..."
"Not all Tier One Mages are the same, Miss Marina," Hilia said earnestly, "A mage who just learned meditation successfully forming magic power circuits inside them is a Tier One Mage, while a mage who has already created a magic puppet, mastered over five spells, and is about to reach the second tier is also a Tier One Mage. Do you think these two mages are on par in power?"
Marina was silent.
What Hilia said was true; Tier One Mages differ immensely in strength, like students in their senior year, where there are poor students scoring zero and top students scoring full marks; they are all senior students, yet with vast differences.
Hope sparked in Marina's heart.
"So, Miss Hilia has been nurturing her skills at Tier One for a long time and is about to reach the second tier?"
If she is a mage about to reach Tier Two, then possibly, she could resolve the matter there.
"No, I became a mage just over a month ago." Hilia giggled, showing her white teeth.
Marina: "..."
What does it feel like to have cold water poured on you?
"But, I possess a magic puppet, which can defeat a Tier Two Mage." Hilia pointed to the magic puppet that was hidden on reconnaissance, currently housing Rose within.
In the scorching summer sun, a splash of lukewarm water feels nice.
Just seeing the magic puppet, Marina could sense the danger emanating from it.
She felt relieved, glancing enviously at the magic puppet, and sighed, "How wonderful, I've been a mage for five years and still don't even know what a magic puppet looks like."
Five years and still at Tier One, how poor must that innate talent be?
Hilia secretly critiqued in her heart, but thought this might be the plight of ordinary mages—five years and no progress.
A poor student scoring 100 in the exams might not make it to college even after repeating for five years.
"Though I don't know why a talented mage like Miss Hilia would take this commission, even if you are powerful, I hope you can abide by our village's rules and avoid unpleasant matters."
Marina first emphasized this without specifying the rules, then said, "The abnormal area is near the village's water source, over by Lake Beia, about 5 kilometers away, not a quick fix, Miss Hilia, please follow me initially to see Lake Beia's situation."
"No time to waste, let's go."
Hilia took out her flying broom and flew into the air, only to look back and see Marina not following.
Marina awkwardly pointed in one direction, "Lake Beia is that way. Miss Hilia, please go ahead, I'll catch up shortly."
Hilia understood something and came down from the flying broom.
"Let's walk together, guide me there, and I will familiarize myself with the surroundings on the way."
Clearly, Marina didn't even have a flying device.
She was embarrassed to admit it, deciding to let Hilia go ahead.
Unfortunately, the flying broom couldn't hold passengers.
It's not a regulation issue; rather Hilia's magic power level can't support the weight of two people—or else the magic puppet wouldn't need to traverse mountains, and would've sat with her.
In some complex environments, the magic puppet can't traverse certain places; luckily, with Rose filling in, going to Beia Village takes an hour less.
Since Marina couldn't fly, why not walk together?
Having reached here, Hilia wasn't in a hurry anymore.
The scenery here was quite nice; amidst the surrounding mountains, there were cultivated fields planted with wheat and potatoes. At the time, wheat was about to be harvested, golden waves fluttering in the wind, bringing a touch of warm sunlight.
It was a good place.
However, the areas ahead might not be as pleasant.