Wizard

Chapter 18: Wizard

Early morning.

The mist had yet to dissipate.

A pitch-black carriage entered the path, its driver skillfully maneuvering the wheels to avoid the uneven terrain.

Karl lifted the curtain and looked at the familiar road, asking, "Is this the road to Count Recton's estate outside the city?"

"Indeed."

Tim, sitting opposite him, wore a top hat and a white tie, looking like a guest dressed for a banquet.

He lightly raised his cane and pointed outside:

"It's also the road to my mentor's estate, Adolf, the Senior Wizard Apprentice."

"Adolf?" Karl's eyes flickered:

"The alchemist?"

"Yes." Tim nodded:

"My mentor's research focuses on alchemy."

"What is a wizard?" Karl pressed:

"Why did you bring me here?"

"Heh heh..." Tim chuckled:

"You'll know when we get there. In any case, this is a field many people can't access in their lifetime."

Karl had asked about "wizards" many times along the way, but Tim had refused to speak of it.

Although he didn't know what awaited him, he had a premonition that this trip would change his destiny.

That was why he had agreed to come with Tim.

"We're here!"

The U-shaped iron gates swung open to the sides. The stone walls were visibly mottled, and the wooden sign bearing the name was covered in vines.

It was a dilapidated estate.

It exuded an aura of time's passage everywhere.

An elderly gardener, holding pruning shears, was trimming flowers and plants. He saw Tim and bowed with some effort.

"He..." Karl looked at the gardener, his eyes filled with suspicion:

"Has he practiced a Breathing Technique?"

The moment the other man's gaze swept over him, the Poison Wolf Breathing Technique activated spontaneously, and a warning flashed in his mind.

Though it was only for an instant, he was certain.

"Yes."

Tim nodded casually:

"Old Harry is a Knight."

"A Knight?"

Karl was startled.

Knights were even rarer than Nobles. Even an old one would be a significant figure in the city, yet here he was, trimming flowers for others.

"Let's go."

Tim quickened his pace:

"Don't keep my mentor waiting."

Karl retracted his gaze and hurried to catch up.

The estate was vast and empty. Stepping onto the lawn, they arrived before a castle-like building, where they finally saw another person.

"This way!"

Tim led the way to a side hall specifically for receiving guests, where someone was already waiting.

"Mentor."

The old man sitting in the center wore a gray robe, his white hair casually loose. His face was serene. Though aged, one could tell he must have been extremely charismatic in his youth.

His eyes were cloudy and dim, as if he were uninterested in everything.

This listless attitude made him appear somewhat decadent.

Adolf!

A Senior Wizard Apprentice.

The ancient estate, the mysterious wizard, the scrutinizing gazes of those around him, and the inexplicable atmosphere made Karl subconsciously feel constrained.

"It's been some years."

Adolf's gaze brightened slightly as he looked at Karl, whispering, "I didn't expect to find another promising seed in Signo City. And just in time, too."

He didn't specify what time, merely beckoning to someone beside him.

"Hibel, go test his talent."

"Yes."

A young girl stepped forward upon hearing this.

The girl, holding a crystal ball about the size of a human head, slowly approached Karl and smiled sweetly.

"Relax."

"Just place your hand on it."

"Hand." Karl snapped back to attention.

"Okay."

He followed her instructions, placing both hands on the crystal ball's surface, and immediately felt his body tremble.

It was as if an electric current surged through his body from his hands.

The next moment.

"Ugh!"

Karl grunted, feeling as though his mind had exploded, a strange, intense pain washing over him.

The pain came and went quickly.

By the time he recovered, his hands had left the crystal ball, and the girl was looking down at it, observing it closely.

The originally transparent crystal ball now glowed with multicolored light, constantly shifting.

After a moment.

"Level four."

The girl turned to Adolf.

"Mentor, his talent level is four. However, his mental strength is significantly stronger than average, making it easier for him to advance to Wizard Apprentice."

"Level four?"

Adolf sighed, clearly disappointed.

"It's a bit low."

He then said, "According to the ancient 'General Principles of Wizards,' when a talented seed is discovered, they should be guided onto the correct path of a wizard."

"Karl, I will teach you the Meditation Method, but whether you can become a Wizard Apprentice depends on your own efforts."

"Old sir." Karl finally had the chance to ask the question that had been bothering him.

"What is a wizard?"

"What is a wizard?" Adolf pondered, thinking for a moment before answering.

"A wizard is someone who has mastered a certain special power in the process of pursuing knowledge and truth."

"Special power?" Karl's eyes lit up.

"Like Miles'?"

"Yes."

Adolf clearly knew what had happened yesterday and nodded.

"Miles, whom you mentioned, as well as Hibel, Tim, and myself, are all such people."

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

"It's very difficult to become a true wizard. The learning process before that is all Wizard Apprentice," Adolf said with a smile, stroking his beard.

"My lifelong pursuit is to advance to a formal wizard."

"Karl," Tim interjected, "There are only a few formal wizards in the entire Kingdom of Gondo, and Signo City has only two Senior Wizard Apprentices."

"Our mentor is one of them."

Karl felt a sense of awe he couldn't quite articulate.

"Then..."

He swallowed.

"What is talent level?"

"Most people in this world don't have the talent to become a Wizard, and talent levels vary," the young girl named Hibel explained.

"We usually divide talent levels into five tiers, with Tier 1 being the best and Tier 5 being the worst."

"Tier 4..."

"Is pretty ordinary."

She was being polite. In reality, most people with Tier 4 talent would only ever become a Junior Wizard Apprentice at best, and it was extremely rare for them to become an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice.

Let alone a full Wizard.

Karl could sense the shift in her tone, but he didn't pay it much mind.

He was still fuzzy on what a Wizard Apprentice even was, let alone how talent levels would affect his future.

"Old Ma— Master."

Karl bowed to Adolf, changing his address.

"After learning the Meditation Method you mentioned, will I be able to possess abilities like Miles?"

"No!"

Adolf shook his head.

"The Meditation Method will increase your mental power, enabling you to cast Sorcery, but you still need to learn specific Sorcery spells to master special powers."

"Sorcery?" Karl asked.

"What Sorcery can I learn?"

"Karl,"

Adolf chuckled.

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

"You call me Master, and I'll teach you the Meditation Method, but learning Sorcery requires a separate payment."

"A price?" Karl asked.

"Gold Coins?"

If he could gain abilities like Miles, it would be worth spending money.

"No," Adolf denied, shaking his head. "I don't need Gold Coins."

"However, you have something that interests me."

?

Karl lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, and then took out a ring inlaid with a sapphire-blue gemstone from his person.