Necromancer, What the Heck Is with Summoning an 055? Part 27

"All right. This time, what we can arrange is a place in Master Har's preparatory mage tower."

Well, this was the first time Chen Mo had heard that even mage towers had preparatory versions.

A magic tower, or mage tower, was not only a symbol of identity and status, but also a symbol of wealth.

Even though the Federation was willing to approve land for mage towers at extremely low prices to grant these mages preferential treatment, the tower soaring into the clouds, the intricate and complex magic arrays, the impregnable barriers... which of them wasn't built with an astronomical sum of gold coins?

For the vast majority of masters in magical professions who lacked family backing, even though they qualified to build a tower at the fourth tier, eight or nine out of ten still had to endure long years before they could gradually scrape together enough to build the core of the main tower.

Mages earned money in only a few ways: going on missions, taking commissions, and accepting students.

Their methods and skill levels differed, so naturally, so did the speed at which they earned money. Some mages who lacked financial backing and weren't good at fighting might be past fifty before they could slowly save enough to complete the buildings around the main tower.

"Master Har is quite capable, but his luck hasn't been the best, so I'm afraid you'll have to make do for the time being, young master." Vincent's voice carried just the right amount of regret. "But the master's abilities are widely praised, and the instructors under him have also had an extremely high success rate in training apprentices over the years."

Seeing that Chen Mo had no objections, Vincent leaned forward slightly and patiently explained the difficulties involved in making the arrangements again.

"Federation regulations don't allow people to enroll midway through a term. If everyone did that, many apprentices in magical professions would slip out from under the Mercenary Guild's supervision, which would be detrimental to the kingdom's long-term prosperity and stability!"

Chen Mo understood.

All that talk of "everything coming back to life in spring" and "magic elements resonating" was just meant to fool outsiders and placate children.

The real reason was to ensure that everyone with extraordinary potential remained within the kingdom's sight.

It was just like on Blue Star: even the Bald Sea Eagle, which claimed to be "free," had to check gun permits.

The lords really couldn't feel at ease if high-level martial power was left uncontrolled.

To give a simple example, suppose a surviving remnant who had escaped after a noble lord confiscated his family's property and exterminated his clan wanted to learn magic and thereby threaten the Creek Moon Federation's stability. As long as identity checks led by the Mercenary Guild remained part of the initial process, that possibility could be suppressed to the greatest extent possible.

Of course, for every policy from above, there was a way around it below. Having judged that Chen Mo probably wouldn't pose any threat to the Federation's stability, Vincent naturally had a way to bypass this hurdle.

Vincent put down the starlight conduit, picked up the tea beside him, and gestured for Chen Mo to help himself. He tipped his head back and took a sip, a remarkably sunny smile spreading across his face.

According to the Humanoid Microexpression Analyzer, the deputy director now felt fully in control and immensely pleased with himself.

"There are only two ways to enter a mage tower outside the major spring recruitment. One is a recommendation and guarantee from a great noble of at least the rank of count, or someone with real authority at or above the level of a city lord. The other..."

"Is to substitute one person for another!"

"But replacing someone isn't as simple as calling the original student out and letting you go in!"

"Throughout the entire mage tower, from the archmage's retainers to the instructors who teach classes, from the apprentices in the same group to the guards involved, I have to make sure everyone who might let the secret slip gets their fill."

"If even one person gets no money, or not enough, it could cause serious trouble."

"Think about it. How many people have to be taken care of? How much effort does it take? Without enough hard cash, could this possibly be done?" Vincent spread his hands, an inscrutable expression on his face.

Chen Mo was deeply moved by the deputy director's heartfelt words. By that account, the price he had quoted was truly a bargain by industry standards!

There was still one question. Chen Mo thought about it and decided to ask. "Then why would a student be willing to leave? People who can study at a mage tower shouldn't be short of money, should they?"

"Yes and no!"

The deputy director was extremely satisfied with Chen Mo's reaction. The smarter a person was, the less trouble there would be working with him.

"Most people who can enter a magic tower really wouldn't give up their future for money. But," Vincent continued, changing tack, "there are always some whose talent is simply too limited. They might struggle for three or five years without even reaching the threshold for the lowest rank."

"Rather than being kicked out in disgrace when the time comes, they might as well take a sufficiently generous payment now. I can also arrange a job doing odd jobs for them at the guild or the appraisal office. That makes it possible to arrange things."

Vincent set down his teacup and leaned back in his high-backed chair. "To tell you the truth," he said earnestly, "it's only because you have an extraordinary bearing, young master, and are clearly someone with a great future that I'm taking such an enormous risk to arrange this for you."

"Otherwise, no matter how much money I was offered, I couldn't do it!"

Chen Mo immediately expressed his gratitude to Master Vincent for helping him in his hour of need and promised to repay him in the future.

With the main business settled and the atmosphere cordial, Vincent enthusiastically invited Chen Mo to try his "wondrous" mind-clearing smoke. Chen Mo looked at the smoke-wreathed apparatus and thought of certain unpleasant experiences. He could only wave his hands repeatedly in awkward refusal and, using "contacting his family to raise the money" as an excuse, hurriedly took his leave with Little John, who had been waiting outside the door.

Standing by the window, Vincent lifted a corner of the curtain and silently watched Chen Mo and Little John hurry away. He rang a bell, and a gray-robed man pushed open the door and stood silently beside it.

"Once we've received the money tomorrow, take him to Number Nine and switch them out. Explain everything clearly beforehand and afterward, and be careful. Don't let any trouble arise!"

"Rest assured, Director. I'll make sure everything is handled properly. Nothing will go wrong."

Chapter 44: Apprentice Chen Enters the Mage Tower Again

In fact, Vincent's heartfelt "words from the bottom of his heart" to Chen Mo had ultimately contained some exaggeration.

The Federation sought both to win mages over and to guard against them. There were bound to be informants planted by the Federation in every mage tower, even preparatory ones.

The apprentice identity Vincent had secured was actually one of the moles the appraisal office had planted under Master Har's tutelage at the Mercenary Guild's behest.

Those who worked as inside agents were often people of mediocre talent and limited aptitude. They muddled along in various mage towers year after year, always stuck outside the threshold for advancement, eliminated time and again, only to start over somewhere else each time.

Once they grew older, they usually ended up doing odd jobs in some corner of the appraisal office.

The one studying under Master Har was just such a case. If he failed this assessment, his tuition would increase severalfold, and he would certainly be replaced by a newcomer at the next large-scale apprentice recruitment. This was a convenient way to make use of him and bring in a substantial sum.

Even with a cheat, Chen Mo had still been thoroughly managed by others.

Of course, Deputy Director Vincent hadn't lied to Chen Mo about everything. He had been right about one thing: pulling off a substitution like this really did require clearing every hurdle, inside and out, from top to bottom.

Everyone in the know, everyone involved, and everyone handling the matter had to be paid. The deputy director couldn't work for nothing either. It really was an expensive undertaking.

In this world, money might not solve every problem, but without money, the odds of being unable to solve a problem were certainly much greater.

Even if the price was just "a tiny bit" above the going market rate, as long as he could pave the way with gold coins and get it done, it was already incredibly good news for Chen Mo.

Early the next morning, the impatient Chen Mo went to a consignment shop in the city that belonged to the Mercenary Guild. There, he spent twenty gold coins to reserve a "Star Tear Crystal Mind-Clearing Set."

As for when the goods would arrive, or even whether they would arrive at all, that was no concern of Chen Mo's. He only had to pay in full and then "accidentally" let the receipt slip from his hand and fall behind him in front of the person taking the money. With that, the transaction was complete.

Take your money and let you keep evidence against them? What a joke!

Afterward, a gray-robed employee from the appraisal office led Chen Mo to a secluded spot. There, he met the "classmate" he was about to replace.

The man had a head of fluffy, tangled hair like a bird's nest. His eyes were sunken and bloodshot, and he was clearly suffering from long-term sleep deprivation. He was slightly hunched and wore a scruffy old apprentice robe stained with unknown substances. His whole being gave off an air of lifeless dejection.

His appearance was worlds apart from Chen Mo's.

The gray-robed man stepped forward and carefully gave him a few instructions. The apprentice then came over and took a badge from his belt.

"This is the identification used in the mage tower. My name is Roy."

"Remember that name. Don't get it wrong."

"I'm in Glimmer Group Three. When you reach the gate, a classmate will come and lead you inside. Don't say anything; just follow him. He'll arrange everything for you."

The apprentice took a couple of steps, then turned back and repeated the instruction solemnly. "Remember, Roy. Don't get it wrong!"

After waving goodbye to Little John and Little Josie, Chen Mo took a deep breath and cautiously headed alone toward the building known as the "preparatory mage tower," with Skeleton Xiaobai in tow.

The sight before him was a far cry from what he had imagined. It was clearly a somewhat larger rural farmhouse courtyard-clumps of weeds stubbornly poked through the cracks between the flagstones, dense vines covered the low walls, and the mottled masonry bore the marks of wind and frost.

The so-called preparatory mage tower was actually a "paid cram school" that a mage set up by temporarily renting a spacious place elsewhere before he had the money to build his own base.

At the courtyard gate, a middle-aged gatekeeper stood there with a cold expression, his arms folded as he looked the approaching Chen Mo up and down.

His gaze was like a pair of knives, and Chen Mo felt as though he were being sliced all over, leaving him chilled.

Chen Mo steeled himself and approached. Just as he was about to speak, a booming voice came from behind the gate. "Roy, what took you so long? I've been waiting forever!"

Chen Mo was momentarily dazed. Then he saw a tall, skinny fellow on the other side of the gate waving frantically at him.

Right, my name is Roy.

"I ran into something on the way and got held up for a bit, uh..."

Before he could finish, the tall, skinny man's voice rang out again, making Chen Mo's ears roar.

Chen Mo felt dazed. This was a subwoofer disguised as a bamboo pole.

Was this a mage apprentice who practiced sonic techniques?

The tall, skinny man paid no mind to any of that and shouted, "Hurry up and get in here! I've been waiting ages. If we waste any more time, we'll miss dinner!"

The gatekeeper took the badge and fitted it precisely into a slightly recessed oval magic symbol on the stone pillar by the gate. With a soft hum, a gentle white light flowed from the symbol and swept over the badge like water.

"Roy, apprentice of Glimmer Group Three, returning to the tower after leave. Identity confirmed. Entry permitted!" the gatekeeper announced in a flat voice, though it was unclear whom he was addressing. He casually tossed the badge back to Chen Mo, then took a fist-sized, faintly glowing magic mark from a leather pouch at his waist and deftly rotated it once inside another, larger symbol on the wall beside him.

After a faint series of clicks, this "farmhouse getaway"-style mage tower opened its gates to Chen Mo.

Chen Mo walked right in. As for Skeleton Xiaobai, who followed behind him carrying bags of all sizes, the gatekeeper acted as though he hadn't seen him.

The tall, skinny man who had brought Chen Mo in was named Kato. He had the typical features of a mountain highlander from the northern Creek Moon Federation: a large frame and rough, slightly reddened skin from the highland sun.

The fellow was very helpful. It seemed that wasn't merely because he had been paid; he was probably an especially enthusiastic person by nature.

He led Chen Mo toward the so-called "castle," his mouth running like clockwork and never stopping for a moment.

"Look! Over there!" Kato pointed at a large white house in the distance, in the sunlight. "That's our grand mentor's residence and cultivation ground! Remember, brother: without a mentor leading you, you must never, ever, ever go near it!"

Chen Mo narrowed his eyes slightly, switched on the miniature camera hanging from his chest, and began turning a full three hundred and sixty degrees on the spot.

Kato noticed nothing and continued talking nonstop.

"The gray-walled houses are where we apprentices live. The yellow house with the chimney is where we eat, and those three rows of brown houses I'm pointing at ahead are the classrooms." He swung his arm vigorously in a wide circle. "Those three places are all the areas where we in the Glimmer Group are allowed to go. Apart from them, don't go wandering around anywhere else!"

"If you cross the boundary..." Kato made a grimacing face. "You'll regret it, seriously!"

"Come on, let's go to the dining hall first. Any later and there won't be any food left!"

Chen Mo said, "Should I put my things away first and come back?"

"Food first, food first! Nothing's more important than eating!"

"Keep dawdling, and there won't even be bread crumbs left!"

Chen Mo said, "..."

All right. In any case, on this day, Chen Mo, the former Preparatory Apprentice of Black Raven Castle, became Roy, a Formal Apprentice of Har's Mage Tower.

He had finally entered the learning environment he had been striving for ever since going on the run. He could already see a bright future waiting for him just ahead!

I want a heavy machine gun, I want an armored vehicle, I want... Actually, should I ask for a phone first next time I make a sacrifice?

After thinking for a long time, Chen Mo gritted his teeth and stamped his foot. In the end, he decided against it.

That thing would take too much time away from cultivation!

Chapter 45: Glimmer Group Three

Under the helpful Kato's guidance, Chen Mo quickly became familiar with the mage tower's surroundings.