A True Wizard

Fairy Tale Town was an extraordinarily peculiar alliance of wizard organizations in the Southern Region. Or rather, it was merely a concept, formed by many wizard organizations willing to acknowledge that concept. Some wizard organizations were also too weak; surrounded by powerful rivals, they joined the Wizard Alliance for self-preservation.

The wizard organization Gloria belonged to was called Candy House in the Forest. Candy House had joined Fairy Tale Town four hundred years ago, and among Fairy Tale Town's many subordinate organizations, it could be considered uniquely distinctive. This was because the vast majority of Gourmet Wizards in the entire Southern Region came from Candy House.

The difficulty of advancing as a Gourmet Wizard ranked among the highest throughout the mystical side. At present, the Gourmet Wizards who had openly appeared in the Southern Region numbered no more than ten. Gloria was among the very best of them.

"Gloria's combat strength may not be especially great, but the strangeness of her spells is such that even bloodline-side wizards renowned for their offensive power are sometimes unwilling to provoke her." After finishing her explanation of Fairy Tale Town, Flora spoke of Gloria again. "In any case, among the wizards I do not wish to make enemies of, she should rank in the top ten

."

"By obtaining the Gold Card of the Barbie Restaurant, you have already formed a bond with her. Once you advance to a Formal Wizard in the future, this favor may bring you gains beyond imagination."

Flora's words were very utilitarian. But this was The World of Wizards; sentiment was less useful than benefit.

Sanders nodded faintly. Rarely, he too gave an assessment of Gloria:

"She is a true wizard. Whether as an opponent or a friend, she deserves respect."

A true... wizard? Angel murmured silently. He did not understand what "a true wizard" meant. Were the others not true wizards?

Sanders merely smiled at Angel's confusion and did not explain the deeper meaning of those words. A wizard's path had to be walked alone. If it were laid bare now, it would instead be easy to fall into a maze of delusion.

However, Sanders still added one sentence:

"Walk your own path, unshackled by those who came before. And walk it tirelessly, day after day, decade after decade. Even if the future is uncertain, that is still a unique landscape. Such a wizard is a true wizard." Sanders stroked his cane. "Unfortunately, many wizards understand this principle and have always wanted to set foot upon this road, yet their accumulation of knowledge is insufficient, and their comprehension leaves much to be desired. As a result, true wizards are becoming fewer and fewer."

Sanders stopped at just the right point and did not continue the subject. Yet because of those words, when Angel faced choices concerning his future, he would eventually embark upon a path that truly belonged to him.

As the conversation continued, Angel felt the atmosphere become far more harmonious than the initial awkwardness. Under Flora's guidance, Angel also spoke about some of his own affairs.

However, his life had always been a straight line between three points, so in summary, there were only three things: "studying, eating, and sleeping."

With such a dry and tedious life, Angel thought his newly acknowledged mentor would find his days unbearably dull.

With unease in his heart, Angel looked toward Sanders.

There was still no clue on Sanders's face. He merely placed his cane on the table, crossed one leg over the other, and said in an offhand manner, "Judging by your past life, you already possess the attitude of a wizard devoted to research, though you are overly gentle. It seems you are better suited to becoming an academic wizard."

The moment he heard Sanders's words, Angel froze.

During their earlier exchange, Angel had learned that both Sanders and Flora came from Savage Cave. Savage Cave was a major organization ranked among the foremost in the Southern Region. Black wizards made up the majority, while white wizards were few, basically belonging to Savage Cave's "dissenting faction." As for the academic wizards Sanders spoke of, the vast majority were white wizards.

In the eyes of Wizard Apprentices, Sanders and Flora both belonged to the black wizards. Yet Sanders had now pinned the label of "academic wizard" on him... Could it be that Sanders was expressing dissatisfaction with him?

Recalling Flora's earlier conversation with Moro, where her words also carried considerable disdain for academic wizards, Angel felt himself gaining and losing at every turn. He inwardly cursed himself for being too sensitive, but he could not stop himself from overthinking.

Angel's inner turmoil was written all over his face. Seeing this, Sanders glanced at Flora.

Flora immediately understood and smiled, then patted Angel on the shoulder. "Hehehe, it seems that after we return to the organization, the relationship between us and the dissenting faction will have to be improved through you!"

"You need not concern yourself with factional distinctions either. Many times, what you do is decided in a single thought. Whether white, black, or gray

is not the standard by which a person is judged. 'Dissenting faction' is merely a nickname we gave them in private. Wizards have a bloody and cruel image across the myriad planes, and most of those sent to garrison other planes are academic wizards, so academic wizards are not necessarily good people. It still depends on what you choose to do. White wizards, black wizards—these classifications made up by apprentices have no accuracy at all. Do not take them too seriously."

"I dislike academic wizards simply because some of the academic wizards in our Savage Cave are complete two-faced hypocrites. It is not because I have any issue with that kind of wizard."

After hearing Flora's words, Angel realized that his thoughts had been seen through again, and he could not help blushing.

Fortunately, Gloria arrived gracefully from outside carrying a dining tray at that moment, barely managing to divert everyone's attention.

The porcelain dining tray was covered by an exquisite lid. It was gently placed before Angel, drawing everyone's gaze. Soup Weasel and Greasy Bird followed behind Gloria, each carrying a dining tray. They placed the trays before Flora and Sanders.

"What is the point of dressing it up so exquisitely? It will just be packed into storage equipment and taken away anyway." Flora complained as she lifted the lid.

On the tray sat a transparent crystal bottle shaped like a water droplet. Its stopper was made of a binding strap and cork, and faint magical rune symbols shimmered across its cross-section.

There was water in the bottle. Nothing seemed to be inside it, but the moment one used a true-sight spell, one would immediately discover a transparent worm happily swimming about within.

This worm was the Fragment Mayfly.

"Little brother Angel, please enjoy." Gloria cast a flirtatious glance overflowing with charm. Yet with her figure, that flirtatious gesture made everyone's stomach acid surge.

Enjoy? Was I supposed to drink this water? Unable to see the Fragment Mayfly, Angel could only shake the crystal bottle with confusion.

"There is a Fragment Mayfly inside. You have no use for it for now, so you can put it away first," Sanders said. "After returning to the organization, you may also sell it in exchange for supplies you need. But I do not recommend selling it. The Fragment Mayfly's effect is one of a kind. Once you become a wizard, it may prove greatly useful."

Sanders seemed exceedingly certain that Angel could become a wizard. Gloria looked at Angel with an unusual expression. Her speculation could not be confirmed, leaving her heart itching as though being scratched.

Gloria instructed Soup Weasel to remain on standby beside Angel, while she herself went over to the cooking utensils.

"Sanders, it is your turn now. Still Twisted Baworm?" Gloria's question appeared ordinary, but her brows were lowered, making it impossible to see what she was thinking.

The corners of Sanders's lips curled upward.

Gloria's question sounded perfectly normal, but after the matter of the Gold Card Banquet Hall, how could Sanders not know that she was actually using this question to secretly gauge Angel's talent from his answer?

If Sanders answered, "No need," Gloria could easily infer certain things. How could anyone not be suspicious when food customized continuously for decades was changed in such a short time?

On the surface, it was a question; beneath it, hidden meaning lay within.

Of course, Sanders knew Gloria was merely gossiping about Angel's talent, not truly intending to pry.

But as someone who enjoyed making others' teeth itch with frustration, how could he so easily satisfy someone else's curiosity—especially when that person was already his student?

With his instinct to protect his own switched on, Sanders looked at her blandly. "Of course."