Flesh and Blood Tower

"What? The third brother was clearing out goblins?"

Solomon Territory, Solomon Fortress, Third Defense Line Barracks.

A young man clad in black Full Body Armor looked at the Shadow Guard beside him in astonishment, then frowned.

"Why was the third brother clearing goblins? Where did he get the men? Did the eldest brother interfere?" the young man asked in confusion.

"No, Young Master Remington. Young Master Isaac personally led his guard to do it."

"The team the third brother brought?" The young man—Isaac's second brother, Remington—froze slightly. "With the third brother's weak health, would Smith let him leave?"

Though Smith was merely a butler, and one assigned to a branch family at that, that did not mean his status was low. As a butler who had served the Solomon Family since their grandfather's generation, Smith held considerable standing. Many times, even their father—the current Viscount Solomon—had to listen to him.

Sending him to Isaac's side was instead a sign of how much Isaac was valued. Isaac had been frail and sickly since childhood, unable even to keep up with routine training. Thus, even after being assigned to a branch family, he still needed someone reliable to protect him closely.

Moreover, Smith was only a knight. He had been injured in his early years and could no longer advance in strength. He was also getting old; it was time for him to retire and enjoy his later years.

Therefore, without Smith's permission, Isaac could never have left the castle, much less taken part in something as dangerous as a goblin extermination...

Besides, whether the goblins were exterminated was a matter for the territory, something their eldest brother needed to worry about. It had nothing to do with Isaac. With Smith and the guards protecting him, the goblins posed no threat to Isaac.

So Remington was even more curious.

"Young Master Isaac... became a wizard," the Shadow Guard said in surprise.

Remington paused. "A Legendary Wizard?"

The Shadow Guard nodded. It could only be that. Isaac had been tested long ago and lacked the talent to become an arcanist.

Remington's brow furrowed completely. "Could the eldest brother have arranged this? Tch."

After thinking for a long time without finding any answer, Remington waved his hand. "Forget it. End the goblin plan here. As for the third brother... pay close attention. Find out whether the eldest brother really helped him become a wizard."

"Yes, Young Master." The Shadow Guard replied softly, then withdrew from the room, leaving Remington alone as his expression shifted beneath the light while he stared at the sand table before him.

"What? Isaac became a wizard?"

Solomon Fortress.

A middle-aged man in casual clothes looked at the Shadow Guard in surprise. Then a pained, helpless expression appeared on his face.

"In the end, we still failed to stop it... Forget it. Since he has become a wizard, let him do as he wishes. Transfer one thousand Gold Coins to him from my account. Since he is a Legendary Wizard, he should need to spread stories. Go ask what story he has written, then circulate it throughout the territory first. Finally, find someone to follow him and gather accounts of his deeds. They may be useful later."

"By your command."

"Wait."

The Shadow Guard was about to turn and leave when the middle-aged man called him back.

"The grimoire we seized before hasn't been sold yet, has it? Send word that it is not to be sold. Deliver it directly to him."

"By your command." With a slight nod, the Shadow Guard vanished into the shadows.

The middle-aged man sat back down in his chair and looked at the documents in his hands with great interest, a gratified smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"Hm? The third brother became a wizard? A Legendary Wizard? Tsk, tsk... he's got some nerve."

Solomon Fortress, Mage Tower, top floor.

A woman dressed in white robes raised her head and stared at the document in her hands in surprise. Her delicate brows knitted slightly. To nobles, a Legendary Wizard was not a good profession...

Legendary Wizards could easily come into contact with beings beyond the realm. Under their guidance, one could very easily go mad. And once they went mad, there was nothing they would not do—they could even solve math problems!

Throughout history, there had been no shortage of lunatics who sacrificed their own territories to evil gods beyond the realm in exchange for power!

There were quite a few even now!

She was worried that Isaac might become like that too, but...

In the end, she was not an heir of the Solomon Family, nor did she intend to compete with her eldest brother, so...

"What did the eldest brother say about this?" the woman asked the Shadow Guard.

"Young Master arranged for Third Young Master to receive one thousand Gold Coins and a grimoire."

"The eldest brother supports him? Fine, then give this to Isaac. Consider it my congratulatory gift." As she spoke, the woman took a Magic Book that had long been prepared from a drawer and placed it on the table.

After saying that, she lowered her head and continued studying the item in her hands.

The Shadow Guard picked up the Magic Book, bowed slightly, and left the room.

Meanwhile, Isaac in the Cottage in the Woods had no idea that his family had already learned about him. But it did not matter if they knew. He had never expected to hide it for long. A man could not keep lying low forever, or he might turn into an actual dog.

He had merely wanted to buy himself more time to develop. What troubled him now was which wizard organization he should join.

There were basically no requirements for becoming an external member of a wizard organization. One could join whichever organization one wanted, since there were practically no benefits anyway. You only received rewards for working, so naturally, they welcomed anyone.

But Isaac could not afford not to choose carefully. First, it had to be something he could currently use to earn money. There was no need to join organizations that required crafting magical items, for example. What he needed now was money, knowledge, and resources!

Not hands-on experience.

After screening his options, Isaac settled on three possible choices. The first was Twilight Crow, a wizard organization renowned for brewing potions and cultivating Magic Pets. The tasks for external members mostly involved brewing low-grade potions and growing magical herbs. The second was Black Forest House, which specialized in all kinds of Black Wizardry and possessed formidable combat power. Yet the tasks for its external members were all about growing magical herbs, and it provided environmental alteration rituals free of charge, guaranteeing reliable harvests regardless of drought or flood.

The last was the Flesh and Blood Tower, whose wizardry somewhat resembled what Isaac currently specialized in. Most of its members excelled at biological modification wizardry, while external members were tasked with raising all manner of magical creatures. It likewise provided rituals to alter the environment.

However, this was not as dependable as growing magical herbs. Raising magical creatures required considerable skill.

Of course, it also paid more.

Whether from an economic or developmental perspective, these three wizard organizations suited Isaac well. Though he was currently said to specialize in biological modification wizardry, that was only because it was the only kind of wizardry he had. He had no choice.

That did not mean he had no interest in other kinds of wizardry. He wanted to learn both the wizardry used to cultivate Magic Pets and the combat-focused Black Wizardry.

In the end, after pondering for a moment, Isaac still chose the Flesh and Blood Tower!

When his strength was insufficient, he should not try to become proficient in everything. He would specialize in one path first and build up his skill tree before worrying about anything else.

Having made his decision, Isaac took down the application form and prepared to head to Lake Town to register, while also purchasing supplies according to the list provided by the Flesh and Blood Tower.