Magic Association and the Golden Tower

The Adventurer's Guild was located in the center of Colin Town, while the Magic Association stood on Lucky Street to the west.

In fact, Lucky Street was the liveliest place in the entire town.

Whether Adventurers were heading out on missions or returning to town, they had to pass through this street. At some point, for the sake of a good omen, its name had been changed to "Lucky."

Before long, the two arrived before an exceptionally eye-catching building.

Lynn raised his head, trying to take in the building's full appearance. It was a five-story tower, likely the tallest structure in the entire town.

Its main body was built from brown brick and stone, accented with silver-painted wooden decorations. Gold paint had been used sparingly, only along the eaves and windowsills.

It perfectly matched the metallic colors of the three common currencies.

Compared to the resounding name "Golden Tower," it was much more understated.

The Magic Association occupied the first and second floors of this tower.

That was rather strange. Mage Towers were merely civilian organizations spontaneously formed by mages, while the Magic Association was an official institution established across the continent.

Fortunately, the original owner had left Lynn with a wealth of knowledge.

In this world, there were seven Mage Towers named after colors. They represented the seven paths of magical development in the world, and their members were all outstanding mages devoted to the study of magic.

The Seven Mage Towers had existed for a long time and wielded far-reaching influence. Their research continually drove the development of the entire world, and their deep foundations could even shape the balance of nations.

Of course, most mages were "magic fanatics" who cared about nothing but magic. They were more like bookworms wielding advanced tools.

Or lunatics.

The mages of the Golden Tower were somewhat different. They were fond of the vulgar thing called "money," called themselves "magic merchants," and dedicated themselves to advancing magic by creating wealth.

Compared to the authoritative status of the Seven Mage Towers in the magical world, the Magic Association seemed more like the product of an official compromise. The Magic Association in Colin Town was practically a vassal of the Golden Tower... Lynn quickly came to that conclusion.

"Let's go in."

Lynn glanced at Elaine and found her studying the tower with a complicated expression.

Elaine's father was the lord of Roan City, the highest authority over this land. If Lynn remembered correctly, he was a distinguished count, wasn't he?

He wondered whether anyone from the Frey Family worked at the Magic Association.

"How about you find somewhere nearby to wait for me? I'll be right back," he said with a smile.

Elaine came back to herself and quickly understood what he meant. She hurriedly waved her hands. "No, no, it's fine. I didn't sneak out this time. It's okay."

Not this time? Lynn grumbled inwardly. It seemed this young lady had often slipped out of the house in secret before.

No longer dwelling on it, the two walked side by side to the entrance of the Magic Association. The tower had a special layout, with separate internal entrances for the Magic Association and the Golden Tower.

Guests visiting the Golden Tower could take another passage straight to the third floor.

There were no restrictions at the entrance, but as Lynn passed through the doors, he sensed a faint ripple of spirituality.

There was a magical barrier here?

The first floor was enormous, its overall layout a spacious and brightly lit hall filled with an elegant woody fragrance.

Even though he had come here a few times before, Lynn was still surprised by the sight in person. Didn't they say the Golden Tower was full of rich people? Their decorating style was actually quite tasteful.

Several counters were arranged around the circular hall, while a dark wooden staircase in the center led to the upper floors.

There were only a few people coming and going, making the place seem rather deserted.

Then again, spellcasters were scarce to begin with. How many could Colin Town possibly have?

After looking around, Lynn's gaze settled on a white-haired old man seated in the corner before a black door, reading intently. An idea formed in his mind.

The attack in the Whispering Forest was suspicious, and those people's fates were still unknown. Reporting it to someone low-ranking would be far too inefficient. This man looked like the right person.

With that in mind, he gestured for Elaine to follow. The girl hesitated for a moment before accompanying him toward the old man.

The old man wore a white robe. He was slightly plump, with a rosy complexion, and held a thick book in his hands. When Lynn approached and glanced at it, all he saw was a misty scene.

Was that anti-peeping magic? He could not help but laugh.

"Sir..."

The old man looked up. His expression was calm, and his wise eyes gleamed as he took in both Lynn and Elaine at his side.

"Oh? Miss Frey, it's been a long time," he said to Elaine with a smile.

Elaine knew this old man? Lynn looked at her curiously.

This noble young lady, who was usually poised and generous, was now flushed red. Her gaze wandered, her staff trembled slightly in her hand, and she looked like a mouse that had seen a cat.

"Ba... Barton, sir..."

Sir!? This old man was Elaine's teacher?

The magic teacher of the city lord's daughter had to be an exceptionally powerful mage, right?

"Hahaha." Barton closed his book and laughed heartily. "Miss Frey still remembers me. When I taught you introductory magic theory, you were only as tall as my waist. Who would have thought you'd be all grown up in the blink of an eye..."

Half-elves matured at the same rate as humans, generally reaching adulthood before the age of twenty, though their overall lifespans were more than twice as long.

So this was Elaine's first magic teacher?

Lynn suddenly understood his companion's embarrassment. If he ran into a teacher who had known him back when he still wet the bed, he would feel awkward too.

Fortunately, old Barton had a sense of propriety and did not begin recounting any embarrassing stories about little Elaine.

"Tell me, then. Instead of going to one of the proper counters to handle your business, you came to find an old gatekeeper like me. There must be something special going on, right?"

Lynn and Elaine exchanged a look. Seeing that she seemed to have recovered somewhat from the awkwardness of meeting her childhood teacher, he gave a slight nod.

He organized his thoughts and smoothly recounted everything that had happened that morning.

Naturally, Lynn glossed over his performance of stunning everyone with Frost Ring. That was not the focus of this discussion.

The kind smile on old Barton's face gradually vanished, and a shadow rose in his eyes.

"Lumi." He beckoned over a young staff member. "Go to the Adventurer's Guild and check who provided the lead for this morning's Crystal Monster extermination mission. Also, find out who introduced that Orc named Gray into the team."

The staff member named Lumi immediately set off, while Barton rose to his feet and waved at Elaine.

"Little Elaine, come closer."

Elaine did not dare ignore her teacher's summons and hurriedly stepped closer.

"Oh my, these are wounds left by a Mana-Sucking Monster, aren't they? Those things are the kind of magical beasts we mages fear most."

Lynn had not mentioned the details of Elaine's injuries, but since they had not had time to change clothes, the wounds were quite obvious.

As Barton spoke, he raised his right hand and began chanting. An ancient bronze ring sat on his right thumb, and a misty flash of color flickered across its surface.

Immediately afterward, a layer of deep blue light emerged over Elaine's body.

The half-elf girl raised her staff in delight. "The mana in my body has recovered so much at once!"

Barton smiled. "I may not know those healing spells closely tied to life energy, but I can still use a simple mana-charging spell like this. Hurry and heal your wounds."

Elaine quickly thanked him, then chanted a spell and used a first-ring healing spell to restore her injuries.

So it could be done like this? Lynn watched the scene with great interest. He wondered what ring of magic this "mana charging" spell was, and what its consumption was like.

With his absurdly large mana pool, it felt like there was plenty of room to work with.