Laddie asked, "So, what do you decide to do with me now?"
Paul touched his chin and looked at Female Advisor, "Disposal? Why use such cold words?"
Female Advisor smiled bitterly, "Tie up Witch and burn him to death. Isn't that what Church has always advocated?"
Paul stood up suddenly, "You saved the lives of a lot of us. I'm not an ungrateful person. I won't burn you to death no matter what."
Laddie's hanging heart relaxed a little, and he was glad that he made the right choice.
"Thank you, Earl Greiman."
"This is what I should do. Do you still remember the conversation we had under the moon when you first came to Lakeheart Town? What I said at the time - as long as an animal looks like a donkey, walks like a donkey, and sounds like a donkey, then it is a donkey - ah, sorry, I was just making an analogy."
It suddenly occurred to him that the beautiful woman sitting in front of him was Witch. It seemed inappropriate to use a donkey as a metaphor.
"Pfft!" Female Advisor laughed suddenly, "This analogy is really refreshing."
Paul and Austin looked at each other, and there seemed to be no sense of distance between them and Female Advisor.
"In short, I hope that we live in an enlightened era. We will keep your identity secret for the time being. I also hope that you can continue to live and work here as a consultant to Government Affairs Council as before."
"Aren't you afraid of the consequences you may bear if you are discovered by Church?"
"According to my investigation, so far there is no Plaintext law that stipulates that wizards found must be handed over to Church or burned to death. All previous cases almost relied on the 'consciousness' of the people and those in power, although this 'consciousness' was spurred by their own ignorance and Church's bewitchment and coercion."
Paul remembered that when he first made the musket, Dean Leonard and Father Anderson came to investigate his suspicion of witchcraft. At that time, he was frightened by what they said about Religious Tribunal.
Laddie was surprised. Earl Greiman's tone contained a faint disdain for Church.
Paul continued, "However, in view of what happened this time, I must have a comprehensive understanding of mysterious groups such as wizards or mages. I hope you can answer some of my questions truthfully."
"Of course, Lord Greiman, I will tell you everything I know, but I don't want to reveal other mages' information."
"I won't let you betray your companions, so I'll start asking."
Paul gave her a reassuring look and then asked.
"Most people call you wizards, but you said that you prefer to call yourself mage. The pronunciation of the two is very similar, so what's the difference?"
"There is no difference. Both titles refer to the same type of people. It's just that Church likes to use the word 'wizard' when demonizing us. Over time, this word has a derogatory connotation. When it is widely spread among the people, it will inevitably affect us. After all, most mages come from the folk, so we prefer to call ourselves 'mage' to break away from the evil and depraved image in the public mind."
"How did you get or inherit these strange abilities of yours, uh... that is, [magic]?"
"After a person becomes a true mage, he is qualified to accept a disciple. If he has this intention, he will look for qualified children among the people to teach him the knowledge of magic. People who are new to magic can only be called apprentices. Only after his ability is recognized by Mentor can he be qualified to be called a mage."
"How did you become a mage?"
"I met my own Mentor when I was 6 years old, and she taught me the knowledge of Arcane Magic. Sorry, that's all I can say about my Mentor."
"Okay, then when you are looking for apprentices, won't they or their parents mind your identity? After all, the image of mages among the people..."
"In view of the poor image of mages in folklore, we will first have long-term contact with the target and get to know each other, and then reveal our identity at the right time. If the other party is interested, we will accept him as an apprentice. Some mages will spend their entire lives looking for successors. But there are also a few evil mages who will use some shameful means to coerce and trick the other party into becoming apprentices. There are also ordinary people who take the initiative to find, contact and learn magic for some special purposes."
"Special purpose?"
"Wealth, power, hatred, etc."
"What magic do you have?"
"There are direct attack spells, such as the 'fireball' that people think mages know, and spells that confuse people's minds, which can make people hallucinate or subconsciously obey the wizard's orders. However, the conditions for casting such spells are extremely harsh. There are also spells that can enhance the human body's abilities, such as the mage in this incident, which makes oneself extremely powerful and invulnerable."
"Enhanced human body capabilities? Infinite strength?"
Austin on the side suddenly thought of something and asked, "Can you make medicine with magical effects?"
Laddie nodded and confirmed. "Some mages who are also proficient in alchemy can make magic potions. How strong the effect can be added depends on the level of the mage."
Paul and Austin said that the wizard who blocked the road this time said that Gaden was his subordinate. Then it became clear that the batch of magical Secret Medicine items taken by the pirates were provided by this wizard. Gaden Pirate Crew's rapid rise is inseparable from the support of this wizard.
"How strong can you be? How many ordinary people can one mage deal with?"
"Sir, this cannot be explained in detail. Magic is not only used for fighting. There are many mages who can even be said to have no fighting ability. If you are talking about the kind of mage who specializes in combat, a newbie mage who has just debuted. If he does not know some targeted magic or is not proficient in magic, he may also be defeated by an ordinary mage. Tongren can be killed head-on. However, as his spellcasting level improves and his combat experience increases, he can gradually defeat many with one. However, knights who have been trained since childhood and experienced veterans can easily deal with large numbers of ordinary people. In the end, apart from being able to cast mysterious magic, we are no different from ordinary people."
"The guy we met didn't seem to think so. His words were full of superiority."
Laddie was silent for a while and said, "There are indeed some mages who think that they are above ordinary people. But sir, such people can be found in every group. Please forgive me, don't almost all nobles also think that their blood is more noble than common people?"
"Uh-huh!" Austin cleared her throat, reminding her that this was too much.
Paul was not angry, and just said, "Well... not all nobles think so. What level is this guy we met among mages who specialize in combat?"
Laddie frowned slightly and said, "Very strong. He should be the strongest in close combat among the mages I know. However, if it hadn't been for my inconvenience these days... I wouldn't be in such an awkward situation!"
Paul didn't quite hear what she said behind her, "Huh? What's the inconvenience?"
Female Advisor blushed slightly, "Nothing, sir, do you have anything else to ask?"
"Ah, not for now. Let's talk about it later if I think of it."
Paul came to her and said with a smile, "Miss Laddie, it seems that you have an additional identity - my occult consultant, what do you think?"
Laddie raised his head and stared into his eyes, as if searching his heart.
After a long time, the female guide responded softly, "I am very happy, my lord."