Wizard

Early morning.

The fog had yet to clear.

A black carriage rolled onto the path, the driver skillfully steering the wheels around the uneven ground.

Karl lifted the carriage curtain and looked at the familiar road. "This is the road to Count Recton's estate outside the city?"

"That's right."

Tim sat opposite him, wearing a top hat and a white tie, like a guest dressed for a banquet.

He raised his cane slightly and pointed outside.

"At the same time, it's also the road to my mentor's estate—Adolf, a Senior Wizard Apprentice."

"Adolf?" Karl's eyes flickered. "The apothecary?"

"Yes." Tim nodded. "My mentor specializes in potion-making."

"What is a wizard?" Karl pressed. "Why have you brought me here?"

"Heh..." Tim chuckled. "You'll find out when we get there. In any case, it's a field that many people never get to encounter in their entire lives."

Karl had asked about "wizards" many times along the way, but the other man had refused to discuss it.

Though he didn't know what awaited him, he had a feeling that this trip would change his fate.

That was why he had agreed to come with Tim.

"We're here!"

The U-shaped iron gates stood open to either side. The surface of the stone walls was visibly weathered, and vines covered the wooden plaque bearing the estate's name.

It was a dilapidated estate.

Everything about it seemed to bear the marks of time.

An elderly gardener was trimming the plants with a pair of shears. When he saw Tim, he bent over with some difficulty to greet him.

"Has he..." Karl stared at the gardener, suspicion in his eyes. "Practiced a Breathing Technique?"

The instant the man's gaze swept over him, the Poison Wolf Breathing Technique began circulating on its own, and a warning flashed through Karl's mind.

It had lasted only a moment, but he was certain.

"Yes."

Tim nodded casually. "Old Harry is a knight."

"A knight?"

Karl was startled.

Knights were even rarer than nobles. Even in his old age, Harry would be an important figure in the city, yet here he was, trimming someone's plants.

"Come on."

Tim quickened his pace. "We shouldn't keep my mentor waiting."

Karl turned away and hurried after him.

The estate was vast and empty. They crossed the lawn and reached a castle-like building before seeing anyone else.

"This way!"

Tim led the way to a side room reserved for receiving guests. Someone was already waiting inside.

"Mentor."

The old man seated in the middle wore a long gray robe, and his white hair hung loose around his shoulders. His features were composed. Though elderly, he must have been a very handsome man in his youth.

His eyes were cloudy, his gaze dim, as if he had lost interest in everything.

His dejected manner made him seem somewhat dispirited.

Adolf!

A Senior Wizard Apprentice.

The ancient estate, the mysterious wizard, the scrutiny of those around him, and the strange atmosphere all made Karl grow reserved without realizing it.

"It's been years."

Adolf looked at Karl, and his expression brightened a little. He murmured, "I didn't expect another promising seed to appear in Signo City. And just in time, too."

He didn't say what it was time for. He simply beckoned to the person beside him.

"Hibel, test his talent."

"Yes."

A young girl stepped forward at his words.

She held a crystal ball about the size of a human head and walked over to Karl with a sweet smile.

"Relax."

"Just put your hand on it."

"My hand?" Karl came back to himself. "All right."

Following her instructions, he placed both hands on the surface of the crystal ball. At once, his body shuddered.

It felt as though an electric current had surged from his hands and spread through his entire body.

The next moment—

"Mm!"

Karl let out a muffled groan. It felt as if his mind had exploded, and an inexplicable pain shot through him.

The pain came and went in an instant.

By the time he came to, his hands had already left the crystal ball. The girl was standing with her head lowered, watching it closely.

The crystal ball had been transparent, but now it shimmered with shifting colors.

After a moment—

"Level Four."

The girl turned to Adolf.

"Mentor, his talent is Level Four. However, his mental strength is considerably greater than that of an ordinary person, so he'll have an easier time advancing to Wizard Apprentice."

"Level Four?"

Adolf sighed, clearly disappointed.

"Rather low."

Then he said, "According to the ancient General Rules for Wizards, when a talented seed is discovered, they should be guided onto the proper path of wizardry."

"Karl, I'll teach you a Meditation Method. Whether you can become a Wizard Apprentice, however, depends on your own efforts."

"Sir." Karl finally had a chance to ask the question that had been troubling him. "What is a wizard?"

"What is a wizard?" Adolf mused, considering the question for a moment before answering. "A wizard is someone who, in the pursuit of knowledge and truth, has mastered a portion of extraordinary power."

"Extraordinary power?" Karl's eyes lit up. "Like Miles?"

"Yes."

Adolf evidently knew what had happened the day before. He nodded.

"The Miles you mentioned, as well as Hibel and Tim—and me—are all people of that kind."

"Then what is a Wizard Apprentice?" Karl asked again.

"Becoming a true wizard is difficult. The period of study before that is what we call being a Wizard Apprentice." Adolf smiled and gently stroked his beard.

"My lifelong goal is to advance to Formal Wizard."

"Karl," Tim chimed in, "there aren't many Formal Wizards in the entire Kingdom of Gondo. Signo City has only two Senior Wizard Apprentices."

"My mentor is one of them."

Karl was impressed, though he didn't fully understand.

"Then..."

He swallowed.

"What are talent levels?"

"Most people in this world don't have the talent to become wizards, and talent varies in degree." The girl named Hibel explained, "We usually divide talent into five levels. Level One is the best, and Level Five is the worst."

"Level Four..."

"Is fairly ordinary."

She was being polite. In truth, most people with Level Four Talent could only ever become a Junior Wizard Apprentice. It was rare for them to reach the Intermediate Wizard Apprentice level.

Becoming a Formal Wizard was even less likely.

Karl could sense the change in her tone, but he didn't mind.

He barely understood what a Wizard Apprentice was, let alone how talent levels would affect his future.

"Sir... Mentor."

Karl bowed to Adolf, adjusting how he addressed him as he did so.

"After learning the Meditation Method you mentioned, will I be able to gain an ability like Miles's?"

"No!"

Adolf shook his head.

"The Meditation Method will increase your mental strength and give you the ability to cast spells. But you'll still need to study the appropriate spells to master extraordinary powers."

"Spells?" Karl asked. "What spells can I learn?"

"Karl."

Adolf chuckled.

"In the world of wizards, everything has a price, especially knowledge."

"You call me your mentor, and I'll teach you the Meditation Method. But you'll have to pay separately to learn spells."

"Pay?" Karl said. "Gold Coins?"

If he could gain an ability like Miles's, it would be worth spending money.

"No." Adolf shook his head.

"I don't need Gold Coins."

"But there's something you have that interests me."

?

Karl lowered his head and hesitated briefly, then took a ring set with a sapphire from his person.