Prelude to the Selection

The birth of the Life Potion meant Green no longer had to worry about what would happen after he left. He began to devote himself wholeheartedly to meditation.

During this time, Green also formally entered into relationships with Aishweil, Leila, and Mia.

After Green revealed to Old Green that he would be leaving Allendale, the three girls somehow learned the news from Old Green. One night, all three of them launched a surprise assault on Green.

With three young women delivering themselves to his door, Green naturally did not refuse. However, as Knight Apprentices, their stamina far exceeded Green's expectations. Had he not broken through to become a Grand Knight with the help of the Life Potion and gained a powerful physique, the three of them might have drained him dry.

Green also understood their feelings. No matter how well he maintained the Perfume House, without heirs, it would ultimately be a castle in the air. Once Green left, the heirless Perfume House would soon draw the attention of others.

In order to leave behind descendants, the three girls came to him in turns almost every night. It took two months before all three became pregnant with Green's children, and only then did this situation come to an end. Green felt that even his Grand Knight physique had nearly been unable to endure that period.

Fortunately, once the three became pregnant, it ended, and Green was able to meditate in peace.

Time flew by. As January drew nearer, all of Allendale grew lively. Countless nobles from neighboring nations came to Allendale to attend the annual trade conference. Allendale had entered its most frenzied season of the year.

Countless shops pulled out all the stops, not to compete for customers. Green's Perfume House was also exceptionally busy. As a luxury good, perfume prices had multiplied several times over, and Green made a fortune. Yet Green did not care much about that. Instead, the gathering of nobles caught his attention. These nobles from nations across the world had even traveled by sea for three months just to bring their children to Allendale.

Combined with the wizard recruitment held in Allendale every January, this unusual situation made it easy for Green to deduce that these nobles from all over the world had come to take part in the wizard selection.

Just as Green expected, the governor of Ellendal Harbor held a ball and sent invitations to every noble. There was no information on the invitations, but when attendees entered the ball, the guards at the door would ask whether the invitation contained any information.

If they were merely ordinary minor nobles who did not know the ball's true purpose, then even if they wanted to sneak in, they would have no chance.

Green merely said "wizard," and the guard immediately understood, respectfully inviting Green inside.

Green stood on the balcony of the Allendale Governor's Mansion, looking over the prosperous city below as countless thoughts ran through his mind.

[Chip, display my physical attributes]

[Displaying]

[Green]

[Strength: 6.0]

[Speed: 6.0]

[Constitution: 6.0]

[Mental Strength: 11.0]

[Currently at genetic limit]

Green looked at his Mental Strength of 11.0 and nodded to himself. He only needed one more rune to become a Second-Class Apprentice. Less than a year had passed. Although he did not know what top-tier talent was like, this talent of his should not be too bad, Green roughly estimated.

When Green arrived at the ball, he deliberately scanned everyone. As expected, there were people like him among the guests. Some had also begun practicing a meditation method in advance, but they were far inferior to Green. They knew more information, yet had still come to participate in the wizard selection, so they must have had some confidence in their talent. Since none of them compared to Green, he naturally had nothing to worry about.

That made sense. If they had all obtained meditation methods from books like I did, that would be too outrageous. They must have inherited their meditation methods. The great nobles and royal families send people to the wizard selection every year, so it's perfectly normal for one or two wizards to emerge. Seeing that most attendees were top-tier nobles and members of royal families, Green thought to himself.

"Hey, Green, why aren't you finding someone to dance with?"

Eric, the governor of Allendale, walked over to Green and asked. Eric was enormous. Even beneath his yellow robe, his bulging muscles could not be concealed. Eric was quite interested in this perfume magnate who had risen suddenly in Allendale. He was a minor noble from the Nordin Kingdom, yet he possessed information about wizards.

More importantly, Eric could clearly sense that Green himself was a Grand Knight. Such a young Grand Knight was worth recruiting even if he could not become a wizard. Perhaps Green might even have a chance to become a legendary Holy Knight.

"Thank you for the offer, Governor, but the testing begins in a few days. I'm a little nervous, so I don't feel like dancing," Green said apologetically, wearing a worried expression.

"Oh, I see! But that's only natural. I've heard that the wizard lords' assessments are exceptionally strict. With the enormous fees as well, it's normal for you to be nervous, Green!"

Eric saw Green's worried look and recalled the scenes he had witnessed over the years: the despairing expressions of noble children after wizards determined that they had no talent. As he comforted Green, he nodded deeply in agreement.

Enormous fees?

Hearing Eric mention the enormous fees, Green quietly pondered it.

The meditation method from White House Academy had never mentioned any fees. It seemed that as long as one could learn the meditation method from the three books and tell White House Academy's recruiters, one could enter the academy. It appeared that Green still did not know enough about the wizarding world.

"Eric, you must have met quite a few wizards over the past decade or so. Could you tell me about them?" Green asked Eric without revealing anything.

Upon hearing fellow Grand Knight Green's question, Eric immediately began sharing what he knew.

"Wizards... they're a powerful group who wield mysterious forces. They're solitary by nature, but every one of them is a scholar. There is almost no knowledge they do not possess. They revere research and pursue the truth of the world." As Eric spoke of his impressions of wizards, his face filled with reminiscence.

"Some wizards are very friendly and can cast spells for ordinary people. But not all wizards are friendly. Some are incredibly cruel. They do not regard ordinary people as lives at all, but as consumable resources." As though he had remembered something unpleasant, Eric's face turned pale, filled with fear.

Powerful, solitary, learned, friendly, indifferent, cruel. Looking at Eric's expression, Green began constructing a profile of wizards. The first three were traits shared by all wizards, while the latter three were individual personalities.

Eric quickly pulled himself from his memories, turned to Green, and spoke with a serious expression.

"Green, you must join the White-Robed Wizards. If your talent is too poor and they reject you, then even if you give up, do not choose the Black-Robed Wizards. Over all these years, very few people who chose the Black-Robed Wizards ever returned as wizards. The vast majority died on the continent across the sea."

White robes, black robes. It seemed these represented different factions within the wizarding world. The white robes leaned toward good, while the black robes leaned toward evil. However, the two were not completely opposed, or they could not possibly recruit students at the same time. It was probably a difference in philosophy, and they should be in a competitive relationship.

Listening to Eric's warning, Green turned to look at him.

"Thank you for the reminder, Governor. I'll keep it firmly in mind."

Seeing Green's serious reply, as though he had taken all of his advice to heart, Eric smiled as well.

"Alright, stop looking so miserable. I'll introduce you to some people. Perhaps you can travel together on the other continent."

No wonder Eric could reach his position. With this move alone, once they become wizards, who wouldn't remember his favor? As expected of the governor of Ellendal Harbor—his martial strength is exceptional, and his intelligence is no less impressive. Green thought as he watched Eric smile.

"Then thank you, Governor."

This would not do Green any harm, even if it meant owing Eric a favor.

"Then come with me!" Eric waved a hand, turned toward the ball, and gestured for Green to follow.

Green looked at Eric heading toward the ball and followed without hesitation.