Sally first glanced at Nova, then, as if afraid he might object, hurriedly held out her hand. "Welcome to our Esmond Gathering. I'm Sally, an assistant instructor of the Esmond Gathering."
Under Sally's expectant gaze, Leo took her small hand. "My name is Leo Danville, Wizard Sally."
After confirming Leo's acceptance, a smile appeared on Sally's face.
Only then did Sally turn to Nova. "Senior Nova, thank you for bringing such an outstanding Wizard Seedling as Danville to our Esmond Gathering."
"It was nothing. My Nova Assembly is no longer short of people. Still, seeing a Wizard Seedling with Level 3 Mental Power Talent miss the path of wizardry like this would indeed have been regrettable, so I recommended Danville to your Esmond Gathering."
"Danville..." Nova turned to Leo. "In the wizard world, we abide by the principle of equivalent exchange."
"My help today was due both to your mental power talent and to my investment in your future as a wizard. So remember this: you owe me a favor."
As Nova spoke, his easygoing smile vanished, replaced by a stern expression.
"Yes, Lord Nova. I will keep today's help firmly in my heart," Leo said.
Nova gave a slight nod. "Though it was a coincidence, being able to join the Esmond Gathering is indeed a very good outcome for you."
"Sally, Danville not only possesses Level 3 Mental Power Talent, but also has some talent in Potionology."
Hearing that Leo had talent in Potionology, Sally's expression turned faintly strange, though she did not take it seriously.
Sally could tell Leo was a Prossian. What Prossians excelled at was combat; as for meticulous work like Potionology, it was simply not their strength.
"May your journey at the Tower of Dawn go smoothly, Danville."
Leo watched Nova's departing back, his thoughts drifting.
This polite wizard, who appeared cold yet in truth treated everyone around him equally, left a deep impression on Leo.
It gave Leo the feeling that this was how a transcendent being standing above ordinary people ought to be.
Watching Nova depart, Sally said, "Danville, Senior Nova is a very formidable wizard. Even Instructor Esmond praises him highly. Of everyone in the Tower of Dawn, he is currently the closest to becoming a Formal Wizard. The favor you owe him will likely not be easy to repay."
"Wizard Sally, what is a Formal Wizard?" Leo asked.
"You'll find out later." Sally said, "Wait here for a moment. I'll go register everyone."
After Sally left, a Wizard Seedling walked over to Leo. "Hello, my name is Dean Chris."
"I'm a fisherman from an earldom of the Sogla Empire."
Chris was the tallest among the Wizard Seedlings, standing one meter ninety, but compared with a Prossian like Leo, he was still somewhat inferior.
Standing before Leo, he was a full head shorter.
Chris had dark skin, broad palms, and calluses on his hands.
Leo shook Chris's hand. "Hello, my name is Leo Danville. I used to be a hired warrior in an earldom."
Chris lifted his head and looked up at Leo. "I've seen Prossians before too. You're all so tall and strong."
"I'm not considered tall among Prossians either," Leo said.
Chris then greeted everyone else one by one.
Chris's initiative in greeting them livened up the atmosphere.
A young girl said, "My name is Molly. My father is a gem merchant. This is my first time seeing a Prossian, Danville. You really are so tall."
"My name is John. My father is Earl Aivel of Sogra," said a young man with an aristocratic air.
Molly said enviously, "You're actually an earl's child."
Chris was also astonished. "John, you're actually an earl's child? That's so shocking. I never thought I'd become classmates with an earl's child."
A faintly smug look appeared on John's face.
At that moment, the last young man who had yet to introduce himself spoke up. "So what if you're a noble? In the Tower of Dawn, even if you're a prince, you can only lower your head before a wizard."
The young man's words displeased John. "That's not right. As nobles, compared to ordinary commoner wizards, we possess greater learning ability and have a higher chance of becoming wizards."
The young man said coldly, "Whether one can become a wizard depends not on irrelevant things like status or upbringing, but on mental power talent. You and I both have Level 2 Mental Power Talent. In the Tower of Dawn, that is the most ordinary aptitude."
"Enough, you two, stop arguing," Chris said. "Since we've joined the same wizard gathering, we'll be companions in the same boat from now on."
Ignoring Chris's attempt to mediate, John looked at the young man. "You deny the importance of status. It seems your family must be quite ordinary, perhaps even poor."
John's voice was laced with mockery.
The young man was not angered. He merely said, "My name is Sono. As for status, it holds no meaning here."
As Sono and John spoke, the atmosphere became taut as a drawn bow.
Just then, the sky suddenly darkened.
Leo raised his head.
A dragon-like creature with three enormous dragon heads and a body several hundred meters tall slowly descended into the harbor district from the sky.
At that moment, John and Sono's dispute became utterly meaningless.
Everyone's eyes fell upon the colossal creature.
Chris swallowed. "The biggest fish I've ever seen probably wouldn't even count as an appetizer before that monster."
"Look, there's someone on that monster," John said in shock.
A man in white robes stood upon the creature's middle dragon head, his gaze sweeping lightly over the surroundings.
The instant Leo and the others met his eyes, they felt discomfort and oppression spread through their bodies.
Molly even began to retch.
Just then, Sally's gentle voice sounded. "Lower your heads quickly. Do not look him in the eye."
Hearing Sally's words, Leo and the others quickly lowered their heads and stopped looking toward the creature.
Once he shifted his gaze away, Leo clearly felt the abnormal sensation in his body vanish.
At some point, Sally had returned. She raised her head and watched the departing creature. "I didn't expect the Central Region to send out a Formal Wizard. It seems that among this year's Wizard Seedlings, there is a rare Level 6 Mental Power Talent."
"All right, they've left. You can raise your heads now."
Leo and the others raised their heads again. Still shaken, Chris asked, "Wizard Sally, that person just now was...?"
"A Formal Wizard," Sally explained. "Formal Wizards hold the highest status in the Tower of Dawn. They generally reside in the Central Region and only leave it under a very few special circumstances. Formal Wizards possess extremely powerful Mental Radiation. Even when they do not intend it, the radiation around them can have severe effects on those nearby."
"When you encounter a Formal Wizard, even if you have already become a wizard yourself, it is best to keep your head lowered and not look them in the eye."
"There is a saying in the wizard world: the gaze of a Formal Wizard is like the eyes of death."
Before you continue