"Lin Feng, what are you thinking about?" Hogg was getting a little annoyed. He had asked Lin Feng a question, but Lin Feng was clearly lost in thought.
"Ah, nothing." Lin Feng immediately turned to Hogg and nodded solemnly. "Father, I really do want to become a mage. In a week, please arrange for me to go to the royal capital, Fenlai City, and take the mage recruitment test."
Hogg finally broke into a smile.
"A mage? Oh, oh! Is that the kind who breathes fire?" Little Wharton clapped his chubby hands excitedly from the side.
"Wharton, that's a street performer! Don't confuse tricks with magic," Hogg said sternly.
"Oh." Little Wharton puffed out his cheeks and fell silent.
Lin Feng smiled and turned to Hogg. "Father, there must be quite a few magic institutes. Which ones are the best? Also, are magic institutes and warrior institutes combined?"
Although he knew perfectly well that he would eventually attend Ernst Institute, he asked anyway, seeing how pleased his father was.
Hogg smiled too. "As it happens, the four great empires and the two great alliances each have their own top institute. You should know that the O'Brien Empire is the strongest militarily among the four great empires."
Lin Feng nodded. He had learned enough over the past six months to know that much.
"The O'Brien Institute, the O'Brien Empire's top school, is the finest warrior institute in all of Yulan. But when it comes to institutes for mages..." Hogg smiled. "The first magic institute in Yulan was founded in our Holy Union. It was named after Ernst, the legendary pope of the Radiant Church: Ernst Institute."
"Ernst Institute is the foremost magic institute. Mages who graduate from there are all at least Level Six Mages, and quite a few are even Level Seven Mages! If our Baruch Clan produces a Level Seven Mage, we might finally be able to reclaim the family heirloom."
As Hogg spoke, he looked at Lin Feng expectantly.
Lin Feng could feel his father's hopes.
Although Lin Feng knew that the family heirloom, War-Knife, was hardly a treasure—it was only a little sharper than an ordinary blade, not even as good as the poorest Lowgod Divine Artifact, let alone a Sovereign Artifact or Supreme Artifact—he had no intention of going against his father's wishes. After all, War-Knife was a symbol of the Baruch Dragonblood Warrior Clan. It would be a shame to leave it in someone else's hands.
"Father, I'll definitely bring back our family heirloom and restore the Baruch Clan to its former glory." Lin Feng stood up and gazed at Hogg with determination.
"Good, good, good!" Hogg burst into laughter at his words. After a moment, he finally calmed down. "Lin Feng, in a week, I'll have your Uncle Hillman take you to the royal capital, Fenlai City, to take the mage recruitment test."
"Yes, Father."
Lin Feng nodded.
"Master Lin Feng, I'm sure you'll get into the finest magic institute," Hiri said with a chuckle.
"The finest! Oh, the finest!" Little Wharton chimed in, his hands still greasy from eating as he clapped happily.
Hogg merely smiled. "Becoming a mage isn't easy. Perhaps only one person in ten thousand has the aptitude. And the requirements for Ernst Institute are even higher; everyone admitted has exceptional magical talent. If Lin Feng can become a mage, I'll be satisfied, no matter which institute he attends."
"Father, I won't let you down," Lin Feng said with complete confidence.
He was already a Level Two Mage and was on the verge of breaking through to Level Three.
Doehring Cowart knew that Lin Feng was a genius, but even he hadn't expected him to be so astonishing—to go from knowing nothing about magic to becoming a bona fide Level Two Mage in just half a year, and to be on the verge of reaching Level Three. Doehring Cowart's instruction had certainly helped, but Lin Feng's talent and hard work over that time were the main reasons for his remarkable progress.
Time passed, and a week went by in the blink of an eye.
Lin Feng lay on the grass in the back courtyard of the family estate. The little black Shadow Mouse bounced around him, squeaking nonstop, but Lin Feng paid it no attention.
The Shadow Mouse rolled its eyes, stood upright, and put its forepaws on Lin Feng.
"Squeak, squeak!" it complained.
Lin Feng stroked the little mouse's head. "All right, stop making a fuss. I'm leaving home for the royal capital tomorrow. Once I'm enrolled in a magic institute, I'll have to leave for good. I probably won't get many chances to spend time with you."
Lin Feng had said that on purpose for Beibei to hear. He wanted to provoke Beibei into taking the initiative and forming an Equal Contract with him.
But perhaps fate had other plans. The time for him and Beibei to bond had not yet come. Beibei seemed reluctant to see him go, but showed no sign of wanting to form an Equal Contract.
Honestly, after spending nearly a month together, Lin Feng had grown genuinely fond of the cute little mouse.
The next day, after lunch, in the front courtyard of the Baruch family estate.
Hogg stood as straight as a spear, looking directly at Lin Feng. "Lin Feng, Wushan Town is fairly close to the royal capital, only ninety miles away. You should reach it before dark. Remember, don't cause trouble once you arrive. There are too many powerful and influential people in the capital."
"Yes, Father," Lin Feng replied respectfully.
"Hillman, I'm entrusting Lin Feng to you," Hogg said, turning to Hillman.
Hillman smiled. "Lord Hogg, don't worry."
"Good. Off you go!" Hogg laughed.
"Goodbye, Father." Lin Feng bowed respectfully, then smiled at Little Wharton. "Wharton, your big brother's leaving. Be good at home, all right? And stop using the rag you wiped the chamber pot with to clean the dinner bowls."
Little Wharton looked up at Lin Feng with wide eyes and said sadly, "Goodbye, Big Brother."
Seeing Wharton's reluctant expression, Lin Feng felt tears welling in his eyes. He thought of his little sister, Lin Ruo. When he had gone away to university, their parting had looked so much like this. After spending half a year together, Lin Feng had come to think of the tigerish little Wharton as his little brother—closer to him than a real brother.
Lin Feng glanced toward the back courtyard and thought, Beibei, I'm leaving. If you don't come out now, no one will bring you food anymore. Hillman said to him, "Lin Feng, stop daydreaming. Let's go."
"Yes, Uncle Hillman."
Lin Feng put it out of his mind and immediately left the Baruch family estate with Uncle Hillman. He knew that, barring any surprises, Beibei would follow him.
"Squeak!" On the roof of the Baruch family's main hall, Beibei watched Lin Feng and Hillman leave. Tilting its head, it looked confused. Lin Feng should have been going to hunt wild rabbits. Why was he leaving with a pack on his back, and with someone else?
Beibei liked Lin Feng very much.
Over the past month, Lin Feng had become like family to Beibei, who had no relatives of its own.
Whoosh!
Beibei darted away from the roof of the Baruch family estate and leaped onto the roof of another nearby house. It watched Lin Feng and Hillman as they went on. The Shadow Mouse followed them and soon left Wushan Town.
Things went just as Lin Feng had expected. When Beibei saw that he wasn't heading toward Wushan Mountain, it panicked and darted straight to his leg, biting onto his trouser cuff and refusing to let go. After that, there was no suspense: Lin Feng, the transmigrator, returned to the path of the original story and formed an Equal Contract with Beibei.
Lin Feng could now feel the faint spiritual connection between himself and Beibei.
On the quiet road outside Wushan Town, Lin Feng and Beibei looked at each other and began their first conversation.
"From now on, I'll call you Beibei. All right?" Lin Feng asked in his mind.
"Squeak, squeak!"
"Beibei!"
"Squeak, squeak!"
"Come on, Beibei. Get on my shoulder." Beibei squeaked happily and leaped onto Lin Feng's shoulder.
"You tamed it?" Hillman was stunned.
Hillman had seen plenty in his time and knew how difficult it was to tame a magical beast. Yet Lin Feng had just tamed one.
Uncle Hillman was bewildered. "You—you don't even have a Soul Contract scroll. How—how did you...?"
"All right, Uncle Hillman." Lin Feng grinned. "We'd better get moving. Fenlai City is still a long way off." As he spoke, he grabbed Hillman and continued toward the royal capital without waiting for an answer.
Beibei sat on Lin Feng's shoulder, squeaking excitedly.
With Beibei's squeaks ringing out, Lin Feng, Hillman, and Beibei disappeared into the distance.
Before you continue