Becoming an Arcane Knight (Thanks to You Shang Wei Guan for the Reward Again)

"A genius mage? Are you serious? Just because he has high intelligence?" The old man was somewhat taken aback. He knew that their orc race was not naturally gifted with spellcasting. The most common spellcasters among orcs were shamans; even warlocks were rare, let alone mages.

"Of course. Solam possesses such high intelligence at such a young age, which is the most important talent for a mage. Plus, he is an Elemental Shaman, which shows his perception of energy is also outstanding." Although shamans and mages were two completely different types of spellcasters—shamans relied on high perception to communicate with elements and spirits in the world, making them relatively passive, while mages were more proactive, actively controlling energy to cast spells—the perception of energy was identical for both Elemental Shamans and mages.

Everyone's direction of perception differs. For instance, some people are highly sensitive to energy, making them well-suited for professions like mages or Elemental Shamans (in the eyes of all mages, elements are simply different manifestations of energy, and they are essentially the same).

Others have a stronger perception of spirits and nature, giving them the potential to become clerics, druids, or Spirit Shamans. (For example, those with the legendary "yin-yang eyes" who can see ghosts possess a high degree of this type of perception.)

Still others have a stronger perception of the physical matter around them, and these individuals can become rangers or assassins.

However, other professions do not require as high a level of perception as shamans. Furthermore, an Elemental Shaman cannot necessarily become a mage, because the requirements for intelligence in mages are exceptionally strict; otherwise, one wouldn't even be able to memorize a basic spell model, and even if one could connect to the Weave, it would be useless. Moreover, mage spellcasting is rigorous; any mistake can lead to accidents. At best, it results in a failed spell and magical backlash, usually causing severe injury. At worst, it causes the spell to mutate and blow the caster to pieces. Therefore, one truly cannot master this profession without a sharp mind.

Although high perception is not necessarily useful for becoming a mage, a high-level mage will certainly not have low perception attributes. After all, increasing a mage's level requires long-term meditation to communicate with the Weave and forge a tighter connection, which invisibly improves a mage's perception. Thus, a high-level mage's perception is definitely not low, though this is strictly limited to the Weave and energy. Clerics and druids also use this method to level up, though the objects of their communication differ.

Solam's outstanding perception of energy is evident from the fact that he is already a level 5 shaman at only 16 years old. Coupled with his high intelligence, he is a born candidate for a mage.

Arando excitedly explained to Kramsh just how exceptional Solam was, and it was clear the old man had made up his mind to set Solam on the path of a mage.

"Solam is so outstanding that he will surely become a legendary mage in the future. Even if we cannot take our revenge, Solam will certainly be able to help me achieve it."

Kramsh felt a headache coming on as he watched Arando's excitement. He felt a bit embarrassed to pour cold water on the idea, but some things had to be said.

"Look, Arando, I'm not trying to dampen your spirits, but there's one problem that can't be solved: who is going to teach him? Although I don't know much about mages, I do know that becoming one is not a simple matter."

Actually, that wasn't the only trouble. A mage's education cannot be solved by talent alone; the most important thing is money. Yes, that's right—money.

One must realize that besides talent, the most important thing for becoming a mage is money. Knowledge costs money, spell models cost money, magical equipment costs money, and magical experiments cost money. These things are manageable in the early stages, but in the later stages, they are essentially astronomical. That is why people say mages are both the wealthiest and the most desperate for money. Mages can basically earn a fortune doing anything, but they spend it even faster; they are essentially bottomless black holes.

In fact, the reason so many mage factions lean toward evil is largely because they are driven by money. After all, earning money honestly can't compare to the speed of doing evil deeds. "Murder and arson bring golden belts"—this is a principle that holds true in every world.

Hearing Kramsh's words, Arando gradually regained his composure. He was right; who would teach Solam? He himself was an Arcane Knight, and while that was a mage-side profession, he was not a legitimate, orthodox mage. If he wanted Solam to apprentice under someone else, it would cost money. One must understand that apprenticing under a mage is not like other professions where you might get free room and board. For a mage, knowledge has a price. If you want to learn from me, sorry, pay up first—and the costs only get steeper.

If you want to learn spells, you must pay; this is the universal rule among mages. If you aren't even willing to spend money, yet you want to become a noble "mage lord"? Don't dream.

What if an average apprentice has no money? They have to borrow from their mentor. And one must never overestimate a mage's integrity. While their interest rates aren't usually high, the key is that you don't just borrow once. You have to keep borrowing to learn advanced magical knowledge, and eventually, you will find that you spend the first few decades of your life as a mage working for your mentor.

But even this is considered "conscientious" among mages. If you run into that kind of mentor, an apprentice might as well pray to the gods. If you encounter an evil-aligned mentor, congratulations—you can basically forget about freedom for the rest of your life. They will have you sign a magical contract beforehand, and you won't be able to renege, or the consequences will be severe. If you are even more tragic and run into a truly deranged mentor, forget about freedom; you'll be lucky to keep your life.

Basically, all mage organizations are formed this way: low-level mages owe money to high-level mages, and high-level mages owe money to the organization's leader, a chain of debt.

Why do mages level up so slowly? While it is true that leveling up is difficult, the most important reason is that, damn it, all their time is spent working to pay off debts; where would they find the time to improve their strength?

So, Arando quickly realized that dreaming of training Solam into an orthodox mage was just that—a dream. He had managed to bring some assets when he escaped, but that little bit of money wouldn't go far. Even if he were still the leader of the Ebon Blade Knights, he couldn't afford it. After all, he himself had only considered getting involved in the slave trade because he was short on cash.

Thinking of this, a flash of inspiration struck Arando. That was it! He had been overthinking it. He could simply train Solam to be an Arcane Knight.

First, he possessed the complete heritage of an Arcane Knight. While it would still cost money, it would undoubtedly save a lot of expenses. Furthermore, his heritage was quite complete, with no issues reaching the legendary level. Arando's lineage of Arcane Knights had produced legends before, and as a high-level Arcane Knight himself, he was absolutely qualified to teach Solam. Plus, at 70 years old, his experience was seasoned, which could help Solam avoid many detours.

Second, as a profession invented by the greatest archmages during the Netheril era—the most glorious period in human history—the Arcane Knight, while difficult to start, would be no less powerful than a legendary mage once they reached the legendary level. Although Arcane Knights have fewer spell slots, they can learn legendary spells just like mages. Combined with the combat power equivalent to a legendary knight, they are truly not inferior to legendary mages.

Moreover, this would ensure his own lineage wouldn't die out, which would be a way to honor his own mentor.

The more Arando thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, so he told Kramsh his plan without hesitation.

After listening, Kramsh didn't speak, merely holding his wine and carefully weighing the matter.

"Well? Give me a straight answer." Arando was getting anxious. Although he would likely be long dead by the time Solam could avenge him, in a situation where he had no other way to get revenge, wasn't letting Solam grow up to do it for him the best solution? He hadn't wanted to drag Kramsh into this because the two of them together had little hope, but now that there was a glimmer of light in Solam, Arando couldn't sit still.

"Hmm, it's not impossible, but what about Solam's shaman profession? You know that shamans and mages don't mix well."

"Pfft, is that all? Then just scrap the shaman profession. It's better to focus entirely on being an Arcane Knight anyway." Arando breathed a sigh of relief; as long as he didn't disagree, it was fine. Besides, how could a profession like a shaman compare to an Arcane Knight? Not to mention anything else, once an Arcane Knight's level is high enough, they can use spells to extend their lifespan—that alone is much better than being a shaman.

It should be noted here that Arando was qualified to use Ioulaum's Longevity, but the spell model was incredibly expensive. Furthermore, the spell required a magic circle, a mage-tower-level magical laboratory, and extensive life-modification experiments to finally master it. Achieving all of this would require vast wealth. Thus, Arando didn't have the fortune to enjoy this treatment (Ioulaum's Longevity, a 9th-level spell, is an epoch-making spell created by the demigod Ioulaum that can greatly increase a spellcaster's lifespan).

"If it were really as easy as you say, I wouldn't say anything. The problem is that Solam has already been identified by the shamans in the clan as having the potential to become a legendary shaman. You know that in our Avalon, the status of a shaman is very high. Believe me, if I were to tell them your words tomorrow, they would absolutely flip out."

In truth, Kramsh hadn't finished the whole story. It wouldn't just be "flipping out"—Kramsh could guarantee that if Granny Karom, that old woman, found out, it wouldn't be a simple argument. She would definitely use a heavy flail to teach the old man what the traditions of Avalon were all about.