Chapter 18: The Wizard
Chapter 18: The Wizard
The morning mist had yet to dissipate.
A black carriage rolled down the path, its driver skillfully maneuvering the wheels over the undulating terrain.
Karl lifted the curtain and gazed upon the familiar road, asking, "Is this the road leading to the estate outside Lord Rector's city?"
"Indeed," Tim replied, his top hat and white tie making him appear like a guest dressed for a grand banquet.
With a slight lift of his cane, he gestured outward, "And this is also the road to my mentor, the High Apprentice Wizard, Adolph's estate."
"Adolph?" Karl's eyes flickered with curiosity. "The apothecary?"
"Yes," Tim nodded. "My mentor specializes in the study of apothecary."
"What is a wizard?" Karl inquired further.
"Why did you bring me here?"
"Hehe..." Tim chuckled lightly. "You'll see when we arrive. In any case, this is a realm that many people can't access in their entire lives."
Karl had asked about wizards numerous times along the way, but his companion remained tight-lipped.
Although he didn't know what awaited him, Karl had a premonition that this journey would change his destiny.
It was for this reason that he agreed to follow his companion.
"We're here!"
The U-shaped iron gate swung open, revealing a stone wall with noticeable weathering, and wooden plaques bearing names were covered in vines.
It was an old estate, exuding an air of time's passage.
An elderly gardener, scissors in hand, tended to the flowers and grass. Upon seeing Tim, he struggled to bow in greeting.
"He..." Karl's gaze fell upon the gardener, his eyes filled with suspicion.
"Has he trained in a breath technique?"
In the instant their eyes met, the Poison Wolf Breath Technique activated involuntarily, and a sense of foreboding flashed through his mind.
Though it was brief, he was certain.
"Yes," Tim nodded casually. "Old Harry was a knight."
"A knight?"
Karl's heart skipped a beat.
Knights were even rarer than nobles, and even in his old age, he would still be considered an important figure in the city. Yet here he was, tending to flowers and grass.
"Let's go," Tim quickened his pace. "We don't want to keep the mentor waiting."
Karl averted his gaze and hurried to catch up.
The estate was vast and spacious. Walking across the lawn, they reached an ancient castle-like structure, where they finally encountered another person.
"This way!"
Tim led the way to a side hall designated for guests, where someone was already waiting.
"Mentor," Tim addressed the elderly man seated in the center, dressed in a gray robe with loose, white hair. Despite his age, one could tell he had once possessed a strong masculine charm.
His eyes, now clouded and dim, seemed disinterested in everything around him.
This melancholic attitude gave him an air of decadence.
Adolph, a High Apprentice Wizard.
The ancient estate, the mysterious wizard, the scrutinizing gazes of those around him, and the enigmatic atmosphere made Karl feel tense and restrained.
Adolph's eyes flickered with a hint of liveliness as he looked at Karl, and he muttered, "I never thought there would be another promising seed in Signo City, and the timing couldn't be better."
He didn't specify when, but he waved his hand to summon someone.
"Sebel, go and test his aptitude."
A young girl stepped forward at his words.
Holding a crystal ball the size of a human head, she approached Karl with a graceful smile, "Relax."
"Just place your hands on it."
"Hands," Karl snapped back to attention. "Okay."
Following her instructions, he placed his hands on the crystal ball's surface, and immediately, his body trembled as if a surge of energy flowed from his hands throughout his body.
The next moment—
"Ugh!"
Karl grunted, his mind feeling like it had exploded, accompanied by an intense, inexplicable pain.
The intense pain came and went quickly.
When he regained his senses, his hands were already off the crystal ball, and the young girl was examining it closely.
The originally transparent crystal ball had somehow gained various colorful lights that kept changing.
After a moment,
"Fourth-class."
The girl turned to Adolph:
"Master, his talent level is Fourth-Class, but his mental power is much stronger than that of an ordinary person, making it easier for him to advance to the Wizard Apprentice Realm."
"Fourth-Class?"
Adolph sighed, clearly disappointed:
"A bit low."
He then said:
"According to the ancient 'Wizard Code,' when we discover a seed of talent, we should guide them onto the correct path of wizardry."
"Karl, I will teach you a meditation technique, but whether you can become a wizard apprentice depends on your own efforts."
"Sir." Karl finally had the chance to ask his question:
"What is a wizard?"
"What is a wizard?" Adolph pondered for a moment before answering:
"Simply put, a wizard is an existence that has mastered a part of special power in the pursuit of knowledge and truth."
"Special power?" Karl's eyes lit up:
"Like Miles'?"
"Yes."
Adolph clearly knew what had happened yesterday and nodded:
"The Miles you mentioned, along with Sebel, Tim, and myself, are all such people."
"Then, what is a wizard apprentice?" Karl asked again.
"Becoming a true wizard is very difficult. Before that, the learning process is the stage of a wizard apprentice." Adolph smiled and stroked his beard:
"My lifelong pursuit is to advance to the rank of a formal wizard."
"Karl." Tim interjected:
"Throughout the Gando Kingdom, there are only a few formal wizards, and in Signo City, there are only two high apprentices."
"Master is one of them."
Karl was impressed.
"Then..."
He swallowed hard:
"What is the talent level?"
"Most people in this world lack the talent to become a wizard, and talent levels vary." The young girl named Sebel explained:
"We usually divide talent levels into five classes, with First-Class being the best and Fifth-Class being the worst."
"Fourth-Class..."
"Is rather average."
She was being polite, but in reality, most people with Fourth-Class talent can only become a junior apprentice wizard at best, and becoming an intermediate apprentice is extremely rare."
Let alone a formal wizard.
Karl also noticed the change in her tone but didn't mind it much.
He was still confused about what a wizard apprentice was, let alone the impact of talent levels on his future.
"Old... sir."
Karl bowed to Adolph and changed his address:
"After learning the meditation technique you mentioned, will I be able to possess abilities like Miles?"
"No!"
Adolph shook his head:
"The meditation technique will help you increase your mental power and grant you the ability to cast spells, but you need to learn the corresponding spells to master special powers."
"Spells?" Karl asked:
"What spells can I learn?"
"Karl."
Adolph chuckled:
"In the world of wizards, everything has a price, especially knowledge."
"You calling me sir,, I will teach you the meditation technique, but you spells requires a price."
"Price?" Karl nodded:
"Gold coins?"
If he could have abilities like Miles, it would be worth it.
"No." Unfortunately, Adolph shook his head in refusal:
"I don't need gold."
"But, you have something I'm interested in."
Karl lowered his head, hesitated for a moment, then took out a ring embedded with an azure gemstone from his body.
(End of Chapter)
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