As several fireworks rose into the sky, Mercury Plain's 305th annual conference officially began. Mages who had received invitations entered the lakeside manor by Wagner Lake through the main gate, while countless low-ranking mages near the entrance gazed eagerly at the esteemed figures they had previously seen only in books and papers.
"That's Lady Maria. Wow, she's so young!"
"Could that be Lord Litzmo? I just finished analyzing Litzmo's Hurricane Spear!"
"I can't believe my eyes. That's Lord Frederick Dmitri, the leader of Mercury Plain!"
"Will Lord Stanien be coming? He's the one I admire most!"
The low-ranking mages whispered among themselves, and Peter was among them.
He was dressed neatly, as though attending a party. Peter believed that good clothes would increase his chances of being remembered. His gaze swept over the members of Mercury Plain continually entering the estate, when he unexpectedly spotted a familiar face.
"Rainer?"
Yes, it was Rainer, the mage apprentice he had met only yesterday. At that moment, Rainer was walking openly down the path toward the manor alongside the mid-ranking mages. Since there were quite a few mages in formal dress, almost no one noticed the presence of such a mage apprentice.
In fact, it was not only mid-ranking mages who could attend the conference. Occasionally, an esteemed mage would bring along a student, so the appearance of Third-Circle, Second-Circle, or even First-Circle Mages among the crowd was not particularly surprising.
But a mage apprentice was rather unbelievable.
"Hey, buddy, did you come to the wrong place?"
Peter's call caught Rainer's attention. Rainer moved a little closer before hearing Peter's question.
"The wrong place? The academic conference should be held here, right? I asked the inn's attendant."
Rainer glanced again at the map the attendant had marked for him, confirming that he had