By noon the next day.
Pombo Family estate.
This was a vast courtyard located in the center of Saint Louis City, lavishly decorated and immensely grand. To ordinary people, it would not have paled much in comparison to the palaces of some small nations.
Richard was currently in a huge reception room within the estate. Besides him, there were over thirty others here, all Wizard Apprentices who had come to undergo the Pombo Family's test. From this alone, the Pombo Family's influence was apparent: in just half a day, they had drawn as many as thirty Wizard Apprentices.
The Wizard Apprentices had gathered in little groups of two or three, chatting nonstop. At times they shouted loudly, and at times a burst of laughter erupted. The entire reception room was as noisy as a marketplace.
Richard sat quietly in an inconspicuous corner, keeping silent. Hearing another round of laughter rise nearby, he could not help but gently shake his head.
Just then, a cool voice sounded beside him. "You find them annoying too, don't you?"
Richard turned toward the voice and saw a young man in azure clothes seated in a high-backed wooden chair a meter to his left.
The other man was around twenty, with blond hair. His face was full of displeasure as he complained in a low voice, "I really can't stand it. Who knows where this bunch of uncultured, ill-mannered bumpkins came from.
"All they do is squawk like ducks. They're so damn noisy. It's embarrassing to be taking the Pombo Family's test alongside them. Still, I'm a magnanimous man, so I can't be bothered to argue with them. After all, those useless people will definitely be eliminated during the test later. As for me, hmph, I'll definitely be selected."
Richard glanced at him. After hearing