Theocritus

A moment later, a mage in his fifties pushed the door open and walked in. His expression was cold, and he did not look to be in a good mood.

As soon as he entered, he saw Rick stand up to greet him, saying bluntly, "Rick, old friend! Didn't I tell you not to bring people here? I don't welcome any outsiders, including you! Why aren't you skulking about in Westfall instead of running over here? You..."

Theocritus hadn't even finished his sentence when he caught sight of Shawn. He paused, then frowned, asking with a mix of inquiry and certainty, "A novice mage?"

Every spellcaster can sense the ambient magical energy and judge another's true strength by the mana fluctuations radiating from them. Of course, it is difficult for low-level mages to gauge the strength of those higher than them, but for a mid-level mage like Theocritus, he could discern Shawn's level at a glance.

Naturally, he wouldn't just blurt out, "You're just a novice mage," as that would be impolite. Even though he lived far from Stormwind City, as an old mage who had spent decades in the Mage Quarter of Stormwind, Theocritus was well-versed in the etiquette between mages.

Rick glanced at Shawn, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

Although he had suspected it for some time, knowing for certain that Shawn was indeed a mage still came as a shock.

He had spent so much time at Saldean Farm that he was certain no one there had the slightest clue that Shawn was a mage.

He felt genuine surprise and admiration for Shawn's ability to conceal himself and the various mysteries surrounding him.

Shawn quickly stood up, performed a mage's salute to Theocritus, and said, "Free mage Shawn, greetings to the mid-level mage, Lord Theocritus."

He directly stated his identity: a free mage.

Since Theocritus disliked the Stormwind City regime, he naturally had no love for the court mages or battle mages who served the government. Perhaps he would feel more affinity toward a fellow free mage.

After all, the mages at the Tower of Azora hadn't all been there from the start; many had come later, drawn by his reputation, to join Theocritus in order to focus on the study of arcane magic.

Sure enough, upon hearing Shawn's introduction, Theocritus's expression softened considerably. He returned the mage's salute and asked, "I wonder what brings Mage Shawn to the Tower of Azora?"

Time to get to the point!

Shawn cast Eye of Insight on Theocritus, only to find he couldn't see the man's specific level. Clearly, this mid-level mage was quite powerful, perhaps even approaching the level of a high-level mage. He quickly replied, "It is like this: as a free mage who has only recently advanced, I lack acquaintances in the field. I was hoping to make the acquaintance of you and the other mages here to exchange necessary materials and pursue progress together."

Theocritus nodded.

This was within his expectations. Exchanges between mages were usually like this. As seekers of truth and knowledge, they cared little for base things like gold, focusing only on items related to magic.

However, in Theocritus's view, Shawn's identity might not be so simple; he could be the apprentice of some mid-level or high-level mage. The badge on Shawn's chest and the ring on his right pinky were no ordinary items; they pulsed with significant mana fluctuations and appeared to have been enhanced with sophisticated enchantments.

Even Theocritus himself possessed few items of such quality.

After a moment of thought, Theocritus decided not to call the other mages. Instead, he invited Shawn to sit and asked directly, "What exactly do you intend to trade? Rest assured, I have most of what a novice mage requires, though I am curious to see what you have to offer."

Theocritus was clearly not a cunning old fox like Argus or Grian; his temper might be fiery, but he was equally straightforward. Communicating with such a person made Shawn feel much more at ease—at least he didn't have to worry about being swindled.

Just kidding, he was Shawn the Great Swindler himself; if he were the one getting swindled every day, how embarrassing would that be? He couldn't afford to lose face like that!

After a moment's thought, Shawn picked up his pack, placed it on the table, and gestured for Theocritus to open it.

Theocritus looked at Shawn with suspicion.

The pack was large and looked to weigh several dozen pounds. Though he didn't know what was inside, the distinct magical fluctuations told him it contained magical items, and likely not low-quality ones at that.

Could this young mage really be planning to trade these?

With that thought, Theocritus opened the pack.

The first thing he saw was a staff.

It was not a standard design; it was only as long as a human forearm and clearly not intended for human use. Theocritus picked it up and examined it for a long time before looking up at Shawn, asking skeptically, "This is... a staff used by a Murloc, isn't it?"

Shawn smiled and nodded. "My lord is truly knowledgeable. This is a staff used by a Coldlight Oracle. While it cannot compare to a staff made for a human mage, it is still a staff. I wonder if Lord Theocritus finds it acceptable?"

Theocritus nodded. "Though it is small, the craftsmanship is excellent; it is definitely a fine piece. Not to mention a novice mage, even an average mid-level mage could find use for it. While the length is insufficient, it could be inlaid into a standard staff. Mage Shawn, are you truly prepared to trade this?"

Shawn nodded with a smile.

Although Theocritus was puzzled as to why Shawn would be willing to trade such a fine item instead of using it himself, he didn't press the matter. He set the staff down and opened the rest of the pack.

In fact, aside from that staff, the entire pack contained only one other thing, all bundled together.

Theocritus opened the bundle and saw what was inside, drawing a sharp breath.

Rick, watching from the side, nearly jumped out of his skin. His heart hammered against his ribs as he thought, I've been traveling with him for two days and had no idea Shawn was carrying something so valuable! If I had known, I might have risked everything to fight him! Even if it meant death...

Yes, the entire pack, weighing several dozen pounds, was filled with nothing but pearls! Pearls harvested from the sea!

Theocritus narrowed his eyes slightly and reached out to pick up a pearl, rolling it between his fingers.

Within this pearl lay a faint trace of water elemental energy and a hint of arcane power. In other words, these were not ordinary pearls, but magical items. Even if they were only the lowest grade of magical items, there were hundreds of them here, weren't there?

Perhaps even a thousand?

A thousand magical items—the value of this was immense, far beyond what gold could measure.

And in truth, Shawn had no intention of trading these pearls for money. What he wanted to exchange them for was something he desired most, yet had never been able to obtain.