Mages Are Prey Too

After listening to Mentor Marvin's explanation, Zeliel's understanding of magical structures became much clearer.

Upon closer examination, magical manipulation could be broken down into many smaller fields.

For example, the efficiency of using every portion of magical power, the speed at which magical power circulated, and the techniques for wielding it...

All of these were tied to the Intelligence attribute.

It was only after increasing his Intelligence that he had been able to optimize the structure of Fireball.

After leaving the Chamber of Serenity, Zeliel and Bev collected their Mages' Guild badges and monthly stipends from the elderly mage at the front desk.

Unlike the Adventurers' Association, even the lowest-ranking mage apprentice badges were made from remarkably fine materials by the guild.

The badge was a small round white plate, with a texture like jade when touched.

Bev happily pinned it to her chest. As for the stipend issued by the guild, she did not care much about it.

Zeliel, meanwhile, carefully put away both the money and the badge.

One gold coin was enough to cover two months of his rent.

Thinking about it carefully, the Mages' Guild was truly loaded.

The Blackstone Town branch alone had to have dozens of mage apprentices, didn't it?

That meant they handed out several hundred gold coins in stipends every year.

And there were mages of other ranks as well. Their stipends had to be even higher.

What if the mages across the entire Ser Kingdom were included? The expense was simply astronomical...

Just how much money did the Mages' Guild have?

Zeliel could not help shaking his head in amazement.

Mentor Marvin had probably helped him because he saw that Zeliel came from a commoner background and did not have much savings.

Over three months, he could collect three gold coins in stipends alone.

Together with some other income, buying two slightly inferior magic scrolls should not be a problem.

Although Zeliel had already made Bev's magic his own and had no need to buy magic scrolls, he still accepted the goodwill.

He was a fine senior indeed.

After receiving his mage rating, Zeliel had completed the most important task of the day, but there was still one thing on his mind.

A magic wand.

A warrior's weapons were blades, shields, and armor, while a mage's best companion was naturally a magic wand.

It could shorten casting time, increase spell power, and perhaps even provide certain special effects.

Now that he had a little money, Zeliel had no reason not to get one for himself.

"Miss Bev, do you know where magic wands are sold? I'd like to take a look," Zeliel asked.

"There are some at the guild's trading hall. Um... I have nothing to do right now anyway, so I'll take you over for a look."

After leaving the Comprehensive Affairs Office, Bev led Zeliel deeper into the guild.

The sky was clear, and the trees cast cool shade. Having just passed the test, Bev was in a wonderful mood, and even her steps became lighter.

"You said earlier that you're an adventurer. Have you ever encountered dangerous situations while on a mission?" Bev asked curiously.

"Yes. During a wolf-hunting mission, we ran into a Mist Demon," Zeliel said.

"A Mist Demon?"

"It's a rather terrifying kind of monster. Its body is pieced together from the corpses of prey, and it's incredibly strong. Its surface is also covered by a strange energy barrier that can negate most physical attacks."

Zeliel gestured with his hands. "Fortunately, it was only a juvenile and had not fully developed. In the end, my teammates and I worked together to kill it."

"Wow..."

Bev's brows rose slightly as she exclaimed, "Then you were really lucky."

"Yeah. If it had been an adult, I definitely would have died." Recalling the scene, Zeliel still felt some lingering fear.

"No, that's not what I meant. I meant you were lucky to have such a group of teammates," Bev said.

"What do you mean?" Zeliel did not understand.

"Didn't you know? According to the Adventurers' Association's statistics, when low-level parties encounter powerful enemies, mages have the highest mortality rate," Bev said.

"Uh... there's actually such a statistic?" Zeliel was somewhat surprised.

"Of course. A powerful enemy means a fight to the death, one that could very well leave casualties in the party. Everyone is doing this for money, and no one wants to risk their life, so the safest choice is naturally to run."

Bev explained as she counted on her fingers.

"But how could a mage's physical abilities compare to those of warriors, rangers, or assassins? Once the party falls apart, the mage will definitely be left behind."

"And monsters have sharp instincts too. They will prioritize attacking the mage, who poses the greatest threat... Think about it. If your captain had chosen to run when you encountered the Mist Demon, could you have survived?"

"Seems like... I really couldn't have." Zeliel scratched his head.

At the time, Gray had wanted to run, but Marcus had quickly stepped forward to steady everyone and had led by example, standing at the very front.

Otherwise, if the party had scattered in panic... things might really have turned out just as Bev said.

Zeliel would have been the first to die.

"And in a sense, mages can become prey too... Did you know that more than ten years ago, an especially vile major incident occurred? An Elementalist and a Holy Healer died while carrying out a mission."

Bev continued.

"Although the captain claimed they had died fighting monsters, the investigation eventually revealed that members of their own party had done it. They coveted the treasures carried by the mages, so they ambushed and killed them."

"An Elementalist and a Holy Healer were murdered?! That's just..." Zeliel was so shocked that he could barely speak.

After a mage advanced beyond the upper rank, they could choose a specialization.

Elementalist and Holy Healer were professions available after specialization. Experts of that level were unquestionably among the Mages' Guild's upper ranks.

"Scary, isn't it?"

Bev wrinkled her nose.

"That's the truth. No matter how powerful a mage's magic is, their body is still that of an ordinary person. If they are ambushed by high-ranking warriors, they have almost no chance of surviving."

"After the incident, the Mages' Guild was furious and nearly came into direct conflict with the Adventurers' Association. In the end, the king had to step in and mediate."

"After that, the relationship between the two sides became extremely strained. It only gradually eased after many years. But the aftermath of that incident remains even today. At the very least, far fewer mages go to the Adventurers' Association to accept missions."

"The Mages' Guild even established a dedicated commission office for this. Anyone needing to hire a mage can post a mission directly through the commission office."

"However, if a mage dies during a mission, the guild will thoroughly investigate every detail to ensure they were not killed by members of their own party. That counts as a form of protection."

"That really does make people feel safer." Zeliel nodded.

If I die during a mission, the Mages' Guild will come looking for trouble with you. That sounds pretty satisfying.