Donald had never seen mages in person in this life. Their robes weren't like the sack-like garments or enormous red cloaks described in the fantasy novels of his previous life. Such outfits would hardly be practical for combat, spellcasting, or laboratory work.
The formal mages wore fitted clothes beneath their robes, much like noble attire but without any frilly decorations. Over them, they wore open-fronted, well-tailored robes, somewhat like those worn by bishops of the clergy. They looked both dignified and splendid, allowed for easy movement, and suited his taste perfectly.
After bringing Donald there, William bowed to the three mages, then left the grounds and returned to work at the reception desk in the hall.
Once the attendant had gone, Donald faced the scrutiny of the three mages without a hint of fear or unease. He smiled and bowed to the three elders.
"Donald pays his respects to the three esteemed masters!"
The mage in the center spoke.
"Apprentice Merlinar, although you haven't been tested, I can tell from the mental energy you're letting off that you qualify as a formal mage apprentice. You're even more impressive than I expected. May I ask if you're a student of any master?"
Donald knew that the speaker had to be Master Messer, the most senior of the three. By all accounts, Messer was older than the other two, yet to Donald, he looked considerably younger than the two elderly mages beside him, whose figures were already a little stooped. He didn't look especially old—more like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.
It seemed the tales were true: powerful Professionals, especially spellcasters, lived longer as their strength grew. The thought made Donald's heart burn with excitement. After all, who wouldn't want to live longer than everyone else?
Though those thoughts filled his mind, Donald remained respectful before the mages and replied politely:
"No, esteemed master. I haven't had the good fortune to study under any master. It was thanks to my late grandfather's blessing and an introductory book from the Goblin Shop that I learned to meditate and became a mage apprentice!"
The three mages were all surprised by his answer. The mage to Master Messer's left furrowed his brow ever so slightly, then quickly composed himself before anyone else noticed.
But Donald had caught the tell. This had to be Naron, the Black Iron Mage who supposedly disliked young apprentices.
"It's hard to believe! North Shire hasn't had a self-taught mage apprentice in many years. You must have remarkable talent, Apprentice Donald. How could the mages at our association have overlooked someone like you?" Master Messer said, his voice full of regret and admiration.
If someone with such talent had begun meditating before the age of ten, the apprentice before him might already be on the verge of becoming a Bronze Mage.
Seeing the mages had misunderstood, Donald hurried to explain:
"It wasn't the mages' fault. My grandfather once brought me to the association when I was little to be tested for a profession. I remember the master who tested me said I had an excellent grasp of the elements, but very weak mental talent, which all but ruled out the possibility of becoming a mage. But perhaps because I was still under five years old, the test results weren't conclusive!"
After hearing his explanation, Master Messer said with great interest, "That makes sense. Your mental talent may have developed to its current level as you grew older. It seems testing children when they're too young can be unreliable. We should report this to the Royal Mage Association so they can inform mages throughout the country. Young man, you've brought us an important discovery today! For that alone, no matter how your tests go, I'll grant you formal apprentice status. Mages, including apprentices, shouldn't focus solely on combat. Discovering problems and seeking the truths of this world are a mage's greatest goals!"
Donald bowed deeply and said solemnly, "I'll remember your teachings, Master, and strive to become a true mage!"
Seeing the apprentice's respectful attitude and excellent talent, Master Messer and the other elderly mage nodded and smiled in approval. The suspected Black Iron Mage Naron smiled too, but a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
Having learned about Donald's circumstances, the three mages asked no more questions and announced that the tests would begin.
The first test measured Donald's mental control. He had to make the three feathers in front of him rise, perform different movements, then descend steadily in parallel.
This was the simplest mage trick. For Donald, whose mind had been strengthened by the Tome of Intelligence and trained by the Spirit Walker, it was little more than a basic test.
Donald completed the entire task with ease and earned praise from all three mages. Even Naron, though clearly reluctant, had to admit he couldn't find a single fault in Donald's performance.
The second test assessed the apprentice's knowledge and use of spells.
Master Messer personally taught Donald the incantation for the simplest level-zero spell, Light Spell, then had him try to cast it.
Light Spell was the only level-zero spell with an incantation longer than three phrases, and the only one that didn't require gestures. It was the spell most commonly used to test apprentices.
That was true in ordinary circumstances, of course. Mages of high rank or great talent could often omit some of a familiar spell's incantation or gestures. Their powerful, flexible mental energy allowed them to replace the incantation's vibrations or the gestures and form the elemental pattern directly in the air.
Donald wasn't capable of that yet. At that moment, he was concentrating on learning the incantation for Light Spell.
The spell was simple, with few awkward syllables. After a few minutes of memorizing it and a few more familiarizing himself with the casting process, Donald soon successfully cast his first formal spell.
A bright white light blossomed in his hand. It was still somewhat unstable, but he had cast it successfully.
Master Messer and the other mage both passed him. Only Naron pursed his lips and said, "His casting is unstable. He may have some talent, but it's limited!"
Master Messer knew what Naron, a mage in his fifties who was still at the middle stage of Black Iron, was like. He frowned at him.
"Mage Naron, you shouldn't compare an apprentice to a formal mage, especially one who's never encountered an incantation before. His talent already surpasses mine when I was an apprentice. Unless you have any other objections, Apprentice Donald has passed this test!"
"Yes, Master Messer!" Naron replied, lowering his head slightly. He wouldn't dare disagree with Master Messer. But no one noticed the flash of irritation in his eyes. Because of this apprentice, Master Messer had reprimanded him. He wouldn't dare take issue with Messer, who had already entered the Silver realm, but he hated Donald, the one who had brought this about, even more.
Next came the final test: assessing the apprentice's grasp of spell theory.
Master Messer led off, and each mage asked one question. They were all basic spellcraft questions, well within the range an apprentice was expected to understand.
Thanks to the exam-focused education of his previous life, and his thorough command of the fundamentals in the five-hundred-year-old book Elements and Meditation, Donald answered the mages' questions with ease. His answers were all correct. Though he interpreted a few things differently, Master Messer's eyes shone brighter and brighter, as if he'd discovered a treasure.
It seemed he really had found a promising young talent. Donald was already an adult, but at seventeen, he was still young. With dedicated teaching, he might become a formal Black Iron Mage before he turned twenty!
Donald had performed flawlessly in all three tests, and his apprentice certification had gone smoothly.
As for the three black stone targets, they were just for show. They were used for testing formal mages; the apprentices' little Cantrips had so little attack power they wouldn't even be capable of tickling the stone targets.
"I hereby announce that the assessment of Mage Apprentice Donald Melina is complete. He has achieved an excellent result, and his status is hereby certified, effective immediately. Apprentice Donald, you may collect your apprentice credentials from the attendant!"
Donald had done his best to maintain the poise expected of a noble, but at this result, he couldn't help grinning and leaping with excitement.
Seeing the boy's reaction, Master Messer didn't think he was being rude. On the contrary, he appreciated the energy of youth. That was how young people ought to be!
"All right, Apprentice Donald. You may collect your apprentice badge. Then, please don't leave the association. Be sure to come to my room—I have a few more things to discuss with you!"
Donald quickly bowed.
"Yes, Master. I'll do as you say!"
A few minutes later, now an official apprentice and dressed in fresh clothes, Donald knocked on the door of the rest room the association had prepared for its most distinguished mage, Master Messer.
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