In the noble district of Giant Stone City stood a sprawling complex of buildings, resembling the estate of a great noble. Yet the spires and decorations were utterly unlike the extravagance of a noble's residence, instead possessing a strange, mysterious style.
Although its gates stood open for much of the day, few people seemed willing to approach. Even those passing by kept their heads down and didn't dare speak loudly.
If you knew what the place was, you would understand that people kept their distance out of awe for its mysterious and powerful forces.
Mage Associations were usually funded by local nobles and built by local mages. They served as meeting places for local mages and provided visiting spellcasters with opportunities to exchange ideas and access various conveniences.
Compared with the large mage organizations backed by powerful nobles and royalty, local Mage Associations generally had looser rules. This made them appealing to most independent mages, who disliked being constrained.
Since mages were few in number, Mage Associations were generally found only in cities and larger settlements. Having one in a city within their territory was highly beneficial to local nobles. They could pay willing mages to work for them, and when war came, mages would often volunteer to help defeat the enemy and protect the territory.
An ordinary low-level mage had the killing power of at least seven or eight warriors of the same rank, while a powerful high-level mage could easily wipe out an army of over a thousand.
Besides giving mages a place to socialize and stay, local Mage Associations also certified mage qualifications. An association in a small city could generally certify two professional ranks: Apprentice Mage and low-level mage.
Donald's purpose in coming here was to obtain Apprentice Mage certification from the Giant Stone City Mage Association. Though he would only be an apprentice, having official status would set him apart from ordinary people and make many things easier.
There were no guards at the entrance to the Mage Association, but that didn't mean just anyone could come and go. A Mage Barrier stood at the gate, and only those wearing a badge issued by the association or those who could cast spells could enter.
The name Mage Barrier sounded impressive, but in truth, it was just a low-level trick for identifying mental power. The barrier was essentially harmless; it could only trip people who didn't qualify but tried to force their way inside. It had been invented a thousand years ago by an Apprentice Arcanist of the Bannai Empire. Since it could identify whether visitors were spellcasters and was easy to set up, mages everywhere took to it. It had been passed down to this day and given the name Mage Barrier by later generations.
Donald didn't fully understand how this barrier worked, but that didn't stop him from entering.
He extended a corner of his mental power, more robust and agile than that of an ordinary apprentice, and walked through the association's gate with ease. Code, who wanted to stay by his young master's side, and the three attendants were stopped outside. They could only peer inside before reluctantly returning to the carriage and driving out of Giant Stone City.
Before coming to the Mage Association, Donald had told them he might be inside for quite some time. He had therefore asked Code to take the three attendants back, since there was plenty to do at home. Once they got back, they also needed to hire a coachman in town. George and the others couldn't be made to serve as coachmen all the time; they hadn't been trained to drive. Just as an unlicensed driver would make passengers uneasy, so would they!
Beyond the gate lay the hall of the Giant Stone City Mage Association. From outside, one could glimpse some of what was inside, but the barrier's effect on mental power made everything appear blurry to outsiders. This only made mages seem more mysterious to the public.
Walking into the building for the second time, Donald was overcome by a wave of emotion. The last time had been when his grandfather brought him here as a child to have his professional aptitude assessed, and his memories of it were already rather hazy.
As Donald's original memories merged with his own, he had increasingly accepted this identity and come to embrace everything associated with it.
After standing dazed for a few seconds, Donald headed toward the reception desk under the attendant's puzzled gaze.
Seeing the youth in noble attire, with no association badge on his chest and no apparent resemblance to a mage or Apprentice Mage, the attendant responsible for reception couldn't help feeling a little displeased. He assumed the visitor had hidden his badge in his sleeve, which showed disrespect for the Mage Association.
Nobles who came to hire mages were given badges by mages they knew, marking them as guests of the association. This allowed them to enter, seek out mages they knew, or post requests at the front desk. Nobles with badges also showed mages proper respect, so they usually wore them prominently on their chests.
"May I ask which masters are available at the association right now? I am Donald Melina, and I've come hoping to be assessed by a master and become a certified Apprentice Mage."
The youth's voice, still youthful yet steady, interrupted the attendant's displeased speculation.
"What?" The attendant came back to himself and asked in surprise. "Could you please repeat that, sir? I didn't quite catch it."
"Certainly. I said I'd like to be certified by a master here and become an Apprentice Mage."
This time, the attendant was paying attention. Once he understood what Donald had said, his eyes widened in disbelief.
As a veteran attendant at the Mage Association, he had gone to great lengths to get hired and had worked there for nearly ten years. He had once dreamed that some master would take an interest in him and make him a formal apprentice, allowing him to rise to the top and become a figure whose status rivaled that of a noble.
Unfortunately, a mage he had served and pleased had once tested his aptitude and found that his chances of becoming a mage were extremely slim. He might, however, have a chance of becoming a warrior.
The result had left him deeply dejected and disappointed, for he had longed to become a mysterious and powerful mage.
Almost ten years had passed in the blink of an eye. He wasn't suited to becoming a mage, and he was now past the ideal age to train as a warrior. All he could hope for was that his children would have exceptional aptitude and become great mages. But even that dream had been shattered: his child had even less talent for magic than he did. He had no choice but to pay to send him to study under a renowned old warrior, where he could learn combat techniques.
Yet the appearance of this youth before him reignited the attendant's old longing, and the desire that had lain dormant for so long suddenly burned more strongly than ever. The young man looked no older than seventeen, yet he was already a noble—and a talented Apprentice Mage!
His third child would turn four in just a few months. With this Apprentice Mage's noble status and resources, there was a good chance he would become a formal mage. If the attendant could send his son to serve under this noble Apprentice Mage, even as a servant, the boy might have a chance to learn about magic someday. If he had some talent, he might even become a formal apprentice!
After ten years of working with people, the attendant might have been better at reading them than many important figures.
Having made up his mind, the attendant decided he had to build a good relationship with this future noble mage. He bowed respectfully and said, "Honored sir, there are three masters resting at the association right now. Two of them are Black Iron Mages, while the other is the only Silver Mage in this city's vicinity, Master Messer. I can go ask them. If none of the masters have any important business, your certification test can begin right away!"
Donald was pleased with the attendant's attitude and placed a Gold Sol on the counter.
"Thank you for your help. Please go ask the masters for me."
The attendant put away the Gold Sol without showing the slightest trace of greed. Then he bowed and withdrew toward the resting area at the back.
Donald still held great respect for powerful professionals. In no hurry, he stood in the hall and admired the murals and decorations.
The Mage Association had been built with funds pooled by the mages and nobles of the North Shire, where Giant Stone City was located. Its decorations were all exquisite works of art befitting nobles. However, considering the mages who used the place, the murals depicted great professionals from human history battling evil demons and all sorts of magical beasts, with mages naturally taking center stage.
Before long, the attendant hurried back, beaming with delight. He bowed to Donald and said, "Congratulations, sir! The three masters were very interested when they heard you'd come for certification. They've decided to assess you together and test whether you qualify as an Apprentice Mage. Please follow me!"
Delighted by the news, Donald followed the attendant through the hall.
As they walked, the attendant lowered his head and quietly said to Donald, "Master Messer is the most powerful mage in the North Shire. Not only is he a Bronze Mage at the peak of the sixth spellcasting level, but he is also an alchemy master of Silver strength. Having Master Messer personally certify you will greatly benefit your future. I hope you can win his favor. However, the other Black Iron Mage, Master Naron, who is at the middle level, and Master Xue, a high-level Black Iron Mage who isn't at the association right now, aren't very fond of young Apprentice Mages, especially talented ones. Please be careful when you meet them."
Donald glanced at the attendant in surprise, unsure why he was being so considerate and offering such a warning. Still, he appreciated the help and nodded in satisfaction before asking, "I'm very pleased with your help. May I know your name?"
The attendant broke into a wide grin and replied excitedly, "Honored sir, my name is William. I'm very grateful for your praise!"
"All right, William. I'll remember you. If you ever run into trouble, come to my estate east of Red Maple Town. I'll help if I can!"
Donald's promise left William too moved to speak. But this wasn't the right time to make his request, so he had to suppress his excitement. He bowed deeply to the noble before him, then led him to the testing area.
The Mage Association's testing area was an open space at the center of the building, surrounded by structures on all sides to ensure outsiders couldn't see what the mages were doing.
Three human-shaped targets carved from hard black stone stood in the open space.
At that moment, three male mages, all around fifty years old, stood in the middle of the testing ground, wearing mage robes without cloaks.
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