Leylin obviously would not let go of this city of magic. Dambrath didn't have much information past that to get to the higher ranks, forget becoming a Legend. Furthermore, the A.I. Chip deduced from the ancient notebook Leylin had obtained that the inheritance of arcanists and Arcane Arts was likely to be found in the northern lands. Given all this, it was necessary for Leylin to go to Silverymoon City.
"While the journey took almost a year, it's not as if I gained nothing…" Leylin smiled as he took a look at his stats.
[Leylin Faulen. Age: 18. Race: Human, Rank 11 Wizard. Strength: 10. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spirit: 11. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 5(2), Rank 4(4), Rank 3(6), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]
After obtaining a Perfect Body, Leylin sensed his body could adapt better to terrible environments. On top of that, his spirit seemed to have broken through some bottleneck. His rate of improvement had increased, as if there was a further boost to his own innate talent in wizardry.
Leylin had broken through to rank 11 after a year of meditation, even without the ability of the Devilblood Dagger. He could now cast rank 5 spells!
In the World of Gods, rank 3 wizards could cast rank 1 spells, rank 5s could cast rank 2 spells, rank 7s rank 3 spells and so on. A rank 11 wizard could cast rank 5 spells, and once one became a rank 15 wizard, they could cast rank 7 spells without backlash. That was when one became a high-ranked wizard.
High-grade professionals above rank 15 would get special treatment no matter where they went, and that was especially so for high-ranked wizards. With a large number of spells that affected groups, their destructive power surpassed that of those that relied purely on their physiques. This put them at the peak of power.
Were there no gods in this world, given that they could cast spells of priests, druids, and sorcerers would long since have named the World of Gods the World of Wizards.
Wizards held the balance of power in the World of Gods. The arcanists had even established a tremendous empire after the dusk of the gods, but with the comeback of the gods they soon collapsed...
'It's because of the powerful abilities of high-ranked wizards that information on these spells are strictly regulated in all nations. The only place where things are less stringent is Silverymoon…' Leylin thought inside.
This was so because they were extremely wealthy and also had the backing of Mystra, the Goddess of the Weave. They naturally had the means to do so.
'It's said that the master of Silverymoon City, the Chosen of the Weave Goddess who is rumoured to be her daughter, is a peerless beauty…' Leylin stroked his chin, 'The secret rumours state that one can get the favour of the Goddess of the Weave by growing close to her, and it's even possible to increase the number of low-ranked spell slots in one's possession…'
This slight benefit was nothing to Leylin. Having analysed the first three levels of the Weave completely, he no longer needed these low-rank spell slots. Furthermore, if he were to get too close to the Goddess, his disguise could be noticed. That would be a true tragedy.
'Come to think of it, the analysis has progressed more quickly ever since I hit rank 11. Level 3 is almost completely done.' The higher the rank of a wizard, the further one could make contact with the Weave. The A.I. Chip could therefore analyse the Weave at a faster rate, which was something he had already tested before.
'Given the resources Silverymoon can provide it won't be difficult to become a high-ranked wizard, but I'll need to get lucky to become a Legend. The Devilblood Dagger won't help much either, there's no point smelting another one…'
With stats below 5, the dagger's boost remained obvious. Even from 5 to 10 points it would be found lacking, not to mention its weakness later. On top of that, it wasn't logical to carry a devil's item by one's side for such a slight increase in stats.
After all, this was not a rural area like Dambrath. There were legendary wizards here, but on top of that there were the Chosen, who were personifications of the gods. Leylin had no confidence in facing them.
Since the dagger did not give him any obvious boost, Leylin was already prepared to stop using it even if it had not been destroyed, and perhaps hand it down to his underlings.
'When it comes to raising strength quickly, there are quite a number of ways in Beelzebub's memories. They can all help one reach the realm of Legend and above… It's a pity that there's either terrible repercussion or the contamination of devilish energy. It's far too troublesome to deal with that. I guess it's better to walk the path of a wizard step by step… It'll be even better if I can get the inheritance from the arcanists…'
Just when Leylin was deep in thought, a shy voice sounded from his side, "May– May I know if you are a wizard apprentice heading towards Silverymoon City?"
It pulled Leylin out of his thoughts, and he eyed the three females behind him– No, the three little girls behind him. They had evidently heard about the sea having calmed down and come on deck.
The one who had spoken was the youngest of all. She had brown hair, and under her fair forehead were a pair of azure eyes. The slight smile on her lips easily gave one a favourable opinion of her.
Beside her were two female companions, one taller than the other. They seemed to be sisters, with similar faces and both wearing blue checkered skirts with little flowers at the edges.
Tiff glared at the girls who had interrupted his young master. Though he concealed his strength, his aura alone left the three girls feeling suffocated and terrified.
"I– I'm sorry, mister! I– I was just curious!" The girl in the middle grasped her skirt, looking on the verge of tears. Though they had housekeepers and nannies sent out by their family by the side, they had never faced an old man so stern that it was frightening.
"Stop it, Tiff. You're scaring our friends!" Leylin saw the figure behind him and chuckled like the warmest spring wind. It melted away the terror.
"My apologies, young master!" Tiff took a step back, "And the three young ladies as well!"
"It's alright…" The girl spoke more fluently now, "My name is Bessany, and the two sisters here are Ena and Isadora. We're all looking to apprentice in Silverymoon… Are you the same, mister?"
'Wizard apprentices…' Apprentice wizards were below rank 3. They had talent in wizardry and could use magic, able to cast rank 0 spells. Leylin scanned the girls to see that they all had the spiritual undulations of wizards, and they'd all made contact with the first level of the Weave.
"My name is Leylin, and I'm a wizard!" Leylin smiled, hiding his rank. After all, there was no point in that.
"As expected!" Isadora spoke from beside Bessany, "Where are you from, Leylin? Why do I hear a southern accent from you?"
These girls were like excited little sparrows as they surrounded Leylin, asking a whole bunch of questions noisily.
Leylin smiled as he conversed with them. This was the sort of infectious power he had, able to instil a favourable impression in the hearts of weak existences. Of course, this could also be attributed to his training as a noble.
From his conversation with the three girls, Leylin quickly came to know of some basic information. Bessany and the sisters came from two little families in the north. They had tested with talent in wizardry, and their families had sent them to train in Silverymoon.
Bessany was good-natured and spoke the most enthusiastically. As for the sisters, Ena was not as carefree and bright as Isadora, seeming more shy.
"My family gave me 500 gold coins this time, and I'll need to use it sparingly. Hopefully, I'll be able to train under a middle-ranked wizard…" Bessany suddenly sighed, looking worried.
500 gold coins was obviously a huge amount that was enough for even a noble to live liberally for five years! However, this amount was far from enough for the development of wizards.
But what could be done? Bessany's family was merely the smallest of noble families. The 500 gold coins themselves had required quite a bit of effort, and they'd had to sell some property to raise that much.
Still, it would all be worth it if a wizard arose from their ranks. At this thought, Bessany inwardly gritted her teeth.
"The registration fees for the poorest wizard academy in Silverymoon is already 100 gold coins. As for studying under a middle-ranked wizard? That's basically impossible… Apprentices like us from small noble families can only help others with experiments or copy scrolls to earn money…" Isadora laughed wryly. Evidently, she had a better understanding of the training of wizards.
Leylin realised something. These wizards were probably sucking up to him so that they could become allies.
'As expected of nobles, huh? After studying so much, they consider more than the average person. It's a pity that most of it is useless…' Leylin sighed.
He looked less than 20, and without the emblem that showed his wizard ranking it wasn't surprising for him to be mistaken as an apprentice. If he really was a low-ranked wizard, he might have played along for a while, but he had no intentions of doing that— they were not at the same level!
-x-X-x-
Having made up his mind, Leylin naturally made his stance clear.
"In that case… we won't bother you longer…" Bessany sounded somewhat disappointed and even upset as she pulled at Ina's hand to leave. Isadora, on the other hand, seemed unresigned, but similarly did not say a word.
"How nice it is to be young…" Leylin stared at the backs of the three disciples and sighed. If he added up the years from his main body as well, he was old enough to be their grandfather's grandfather, perhaps even older than that. He naturally was qualified to say such a thing.
Tiff, who was beside him, saw how old and experienced Leylin seemed, and his eyes revealed a trace of shock.
"Oh, we've reached the harbour!" Leylin cast Eagle Eye on himself and gazed at the harbour in the distance, unable to stop the smile blooming on his face. The sailor on the observation deck noticed this as well, and cheers immediately spread through the ship.
After getting off the ship, Leylin first parted ways with Tiff, telling him to work from the shadows. He, on the other hand, hired a carriage and hastened towards Silverymoon City. With how close the port was, it only took about a day via horse carriage.
The coachman driving the coach was an old man with a crooked back. Lean muscles protruded on his arms, and there were a few long scars on his face which seemed to be memories from a time adventuring or in the army.
He was called Old Bayer, and was rather entertaining. His smile revealed a few missing teeth, but not only did it make him look less threatening, it even made one fond of him.
*Pak!* Old Bayer swung his whip in a practiced manner while talking to Leylin, "You must have great foresight to have chosen our company. Honestly, do you think there's an area here Old Bayer doesn't know well? The northern lands, especially… When I first joined the army…"
Leylin's eyes darted everywhere as he took in the sights. The first impression he had was that the northern lands were vast, the boundless plains not having a soul in sight.
The second thought he had was that it was cold! It was not yet truly winter, but the people outside were already wearing thick coats.
Seeing the white breath steaming from Old Bayer's mouth, Leylin chuckled, "Army? So you're a retired soldier? Who did you go to war with?"
Upon hearing this, Old Bayer made a conclusion, "You must be from another land, yes?"
"Indeed. I come from the south, the Dambrath Kingdom!" Leylin had nothing to hide when it came to his birthplace. He had no criminal record, and the only thing worthy of picking at was his work as a pirate, but the king himself was vouching for him which rendered it meaningless. After reaching Silverymoon, he was prepared to show his status as a noble and see if he could get special treatment.
"The south… That's a good place…" Old Bayer sighed. "How can there not be battles in the north?"
Not waiting for Leylin to ask, he continued, "We have to fight off the invasion of the orcs and other ambitious human kingdoms, and even clear the plains of the green-skinned goblins. Those wretched goblins really know how to breed, and we have to wipe them out practically every year. Compared to the orcs and knights from other kingdoms, I'd rather stay on the plains and kill the elves…"
"Orcs?!" Leylin slapped his head, "Right, I forgot about them…"
The World of Gods was huge, and Silverymoon City of the north was only the most northern human-occupied region. Through the Sunrise Mountain Range and past the boundless wilderness, there were many orc tribes and even a kingdom!
Humans had their gods, and the orcs also had their own. Under the command of the master god of the orcs, Gelsh, there were practically wars every year as they invaded the civilised world. Due to having their own circumstances and personalities, the gods had divided factions and clashes when it came to their own organisations. They even fought themselves
"Seems like gods can never rid themselves of their emotional state of mind. Of course, it's the same for Magi who comprehend laws…" The so-called gods and Magi of laws were merely powerful mortals. Leylin knew this well.
Of course, he preferred it this way. If he lost his personality and emotion, even if he became a true supreme god what difference would there be between him and a computer. Immortality and freedom were two aspects that could never be separated.
WIth varying circumstances, the orc empire frequently had clashes with the kingdom, and even caused war to break out. Those in the north obviously would not wait to get killed. They gathered in Silverymoon, and with some guidance formed an alliance. They used the power of magic to tenaciously resist the invasion of the orcs.
In this world, humans had a great advantage. Their divine strength far exceeded that of the orcs. Even with internal strife, it was still possible for Silverymoon to stand tall.
With the unceasing battles, Silverymoon's status grew higher and higher, to the point that the lands they had influence over expanded bit by bit.
There were already faint cries for the Chosen, the ruler of Silverymoon, to become the queen and establish Silverymoon Kingdom, and even unify the northern lands! This was the cause of the current biggest crisis and catastrophe.
Of course, Old Bayer hadn't said everything. Some things Leylin had gathered from his descriptions.
'New nobles wish to rise, and older ones are unwilling to let go of their status and land. There's an obvious backlash! The orcs wouldn't let go of this opportunity, which is why the human world is now in chaos. The external support the northern lands get is very little, and from the looks of it the past few decades have not been calm…'
A slight smile rose on his lips, 'It's good that things aren't calm. It's better that things aren't calm!' As a foreign noble, it was still impossible for Leylin to get into the core of Silverymoon and obtain knowledge limited to high-ranked or legendary wizards, even as a middle-ranked wizard.
No matter where nobles or wizards were from, they all were prejudiced against foreigners. This still held true even in Silverymoon that preached openness and freedom.
Under normal circumstances, unless Leylin stayed here for a few centuries and went through life and death situations for the city and signed a large number of unfair contracts, he would not have hope of entering the core of the government.
However, with war looming ahead, everything would change! In times of war, everything could be by-passed for the sake of victory. The usually harsh rules for advancement could be disregarded. As long as one had military merits, then advancing quickly was possible, perhaps even to the core— But only if one did not fall before succeeding.
Hence, for Leylin as he was right now, war was a huge opportunity! It would save him a great deal of time in getting to the core of Silverymoon, and was the best path to gain high-grade and legendary spells. As for danger? Haha… When had Leylin ever been afraid?
"Tiff needs to work quickly. I'll have to change my plans. Rather than entering the Wizards' Guild, I'll do all I can to become a guard of the city…"
War marked suffering for commoners, but it was a stage for heroes! With the trails of blood and elimination of rotten old organisations, there were plenty of opportunities for new organisations to rise.
Leylin was obviously going to take this opportunity. While it would bring great suffering to the people, what did that have to do with him?
'Once I sneak into the city guard, I'm sure I can gain merits rapidly through battles in exchange for high-grade information on spells… It'll be much faster than entering the wizard tower and slowly accumulating merits…'
The city guards belonged exclusively to the master of the city, which meant that he would directly be subordinate to the Chosen. Mystra would be another guarantee of his safety.
"I'm pretty lucky…" While Leylin was nodding inwardly, his expression suddenly changed. Old Bayer stopped the carriage and cursed, "Damn it! There's trouble ahead!"
"Mm." Leylin jumped off the carriage. His clairvoyance and the quality of his body now making it easy for him to see the scene ahead. There were three carriages lined up one in front of the other, and they had been surrounded by a group of creatures.
It was a group of green-skinned monsters, looking like dwarves with muscular dystrophy. Their heads were large, and their noses and mouths protruded. They were mostly naked, holding wooden clubs, rocks and all sorts of weapons as they surrounded and attacked the carriages.
"That darned bunch of goblins are out again. Are they preparing food to tide them over for the winter?" Old Bayer cursed and laughed bitterly, "I'm afraid we're in trouble. Those goblins have noticed us…"
The goblins in his line of sight had already discovered Leylin, and dispatched a wave of green streams that surrounded them.
Though legends stated that goblins could not even win against a child of ten or so years old, Leylin guessed that there were over 500 of them! If the numbers were vast, in the hundreds and thousands, even the weakest worm possessed terrifying strength! That wasn't even considering the large goblins and bugbears in this wave.
These two types of goblins had bodies similar to regular humans. They even wore tattered armour, and had weapons that required elite human warriors to take care.
"For the winter? Tiding them over?"
Leylin recalled the contents of a geography book he had read before, 'The extremely cold winters in the northern lands can even freeze the earth. Going out in these conditions means certain death! The elves and other wandering beasts in the wilderness, and even the orcs at the Sunrise Mountain Range all attack humans to build up their food reserves, and do not even mind starting wars…'
This was a battle for survival, which was why the closer to winter it was, the more these living beings would become crazed. This was because if they did not have enough food, they would be the ones dead in the end!
-x-X-x-
Leylin noted the bloodshot eyes of the goblins that were charging towards them. As winter drew near, even the weakest and most cowardly goblins would go crazy.
They were small, and it was hilarious to see a group of green-skinned, short people pouncing towards you. However, their gazes were as fierce as wolves, enough for even a retired soldier like Old Bayer to tremble in fear.
Dying at the hands of enemies was just death, but dying by the hands of goblins meant that their corpses would be dragged back for food! Old Bayer shuddered at the very thought.
"Please mount the horse and leave, my guest!" At this moment, a trace of decisiveness flashed on his face. He produced a rusty longsword from under the seat of the carriage and released the old horse that had been pulling the carriage.
"It may be a worn-out horse, but these bunch of short-legged creatures won't be able keep up with you. After you break out of here, just go backwards. Don't stop till you get to the harbour!"
Old Bayer passed the ropes to Leylin, turning back and now in a defensive stance, "As a noble young master, you must have learnt how to ride, yes?"
"Mm," Leylin nodded, but did not leave since his luggage was still on the carriage.
"Can you tell me why you're leaving your chance at survival to me?" He asked, slightly curious.
"I'm hot-blooded, that's why! You nobles are so troublesome… Quick. Quick! There's not much time left!"
Old Bayer yelled. The goblins had already surrounded them, so close that they could see the filth on the goblins' green skin. Their putrid smell invaded their nostrils.
"You are a true soldier! But… I am not like those weak nobles…" Leylin calmly walked ahead. He abruptly closed his eyes, and a threatening aura burst forth.
Intimidation! A domain with the might of a dragon erupted from him, making the goblins halt their attacks immediately.
"You filthy vulgar bastards! How dare you block the way of a mighty wizard. Even death would be too kind a fate for you!"
*Rumble! Rumble! Rumble!* Bundles of dazzling flames abruptly appeared by Leylin's side.
Lesser Fireball! Numerous spheres of blazing energy shot out, and then exploded amidst the group of goblins.
*Rumble! Rumble!* The flames ripped apart the bodies of the goblins, throwing them everywhere together with the soil. Even those bugbears could not resist the power of magic. Numerous huge pits appeared in the ground, and the goblins then completely collapsed!
They may have gone crazy for food, but the goblins wouldn't challenge an enormous dragons. There was a warning from their very souls, that if they proceeded forward they would all die.
"Ooga!" "Ooga!" Amidst the terrified cries, Leylin's spell had murdered tens of the hundreds of goblins. The rest howled as they fled. The road was covered with the wooden clubs and stones, and some goblins were even trampled. The goblins that were grievously injured crawled in the opposite direction from Leylin, as if evading a demon.
"You're an esteemed wizard after all!" Old Bayer wiped off the cold sweat from his forehead. As someone living near Silverymoon, he was no stranger to the power of magic.
"Thank you very much!" Old Bayer sincerely thanked Leylin. If Leylin had not been around, he would be reduced to the fate of becoming goblin shit. That was not an honourable way of dying.
'With this strength, he's probably not a disciple or elementary-ranked wizard. He's at least a mid-ranked one…' Old Bayer thought himself.
At this moment, there seemed to be a ruckus in the carriage ahead, revealing the frightened expressions of a few female disciples.
"Sister… I've used up my spell slots!" Isadora scowled miserably. Apprentices had few spell slots anyway, and the problem was that they were not that powerful. If the target was not directly hit, they could not even kill a single goblin. This was why rank 0 spells were also known as cantrips.
"Hold on! We'll get reinforcements from Silverymoon soon!" Bessany gritted her teeth, misty rays shooting out from her hands.
Vertigo! A hobgoblin who had been charging forwards fell to the ground in a daze, dropping the wooden club in its hands. It rubbed its head, but before it could react further, someone who looked like a housekeeper used a giant axe to chop off is head.
"Good job.." A joyful expression appeared on Ena's face, but she then saw the housekeeper being pushed to the ground by even more goblins, a few of them widening their large brown mouths to reveal sharp teeth.
"No…" Bessany wept. The sounds of gnawing had her on the verge of breaking down.
"Are we going to die here? I don't want that! I'm a noble, and I'm a wizard. I shouldn't die like this. M–My fate…" At the other side, Isadora looked ready to fall apart. Ena was usually quiet, but at such a crucial moment she was able to persevere. If not for her care, Isadora would long since been dragged away by the goblins.
Just as Bessany was on the verge of total despair, a carriage behind them suddenly caught her attention. Powerful spell undulations were transmitted, and a young wizard got off the carriage and took care of the goblin attack with a few fireballs.
"It's… Leylin! We have hope!" Bessany looked ecstatic, suddenly waving the handkerchief in her hands.
"Leylin! Mister Leylin! Please save us!" The tender voice of a girl pierced the air and attracted Leylin's attention.
"Oh, I didn't think I'd meet acquaintances!" Leylin recognised the young ladies he had met on the ship, "Since we meet again, you're in luck!"
Leylin didn't mind a passing kindness. After all, he could improve their favourable impression of him. Of course, he still found these three wizard apprentices beneath him. What he truly valued was Silverymoon's evaluation of him.
The city guards of Silverymoon would definitely investigate the incident. An impression that he was kind was much better than one that he was wicked and callous. Leylin never did anything that went against his principles. Everything was based on benefits.
"Rank 4 Beast Summoning!" Summoning rays flashed, and four wild wolves which were two metres tall jumped out of them. Spell rays flashed on Leylin's body again, and after two more summoning spells he now had control over 12 wild wolves.
These large carnivorous animals had stiff fur, sharp canines and an astonishing jumping ability. Their eyes were filled with bloodlust.
"Charge!" With the guidance of Leylin's spiritual force, 12 wild wolves charged towards the group of goblins that had already crumbled mentally.
*Awoo!* *Awoo!* Wolf cries could be heard faintly in the distance. As their gleaming white teeth tore at the flesh of the slower goblins. There were even miserable shrieks from the goblins that had fallen from the ground and been torn to pieces, further causing others to flee.
With Leylin's attainments in his spiritual force, controlling the wild wolves was no issue. Under his command, the direction in which the goblins fled was controlled, and they began to pounce towards the carriages ahead.
"Ooga!"
The large hobgoblin ahead roared, smashing the head of a deserter with a mace in its hands, but that did nothing to deter those who were now frantic. It was quickly drowned out by the goblins.
The hundred goblin deserters who had surrounded Leylin darted into the goblin formation behind, resulting in great disorder!
Though goblins weren't orderly beings from the start, they had orders to attack and withdraw. Now, however, they were in great disarray. Howling and trampling could be noticed everywhere, and even the hobgoblins and bugbears found themselves useless.
The faint howls of the wolves sounded. All of a sudden, a wild wolf perked up and threw itself at a bugbear, its sharp canines biting through its neck. Under Leylin's directions, the wolves ignored the fleeing goblins, targeting the active group instead and prioritising the hobgoblins and bugbears.
Their command system completely broke down, and it was natural that the goblins were defeated. Numerous goblins abandoned the wooden clubs and rocks in their hands, fleeing in all directions and leaving behind the carriages and survivors.
Only 8 remained of the 12 wild wolves under Leylin. All of them had injuries, but Leylin did not feel bad for them. After the spell dissipated, they would return to the place they had come from. If they died, then so be it.
'Even if it's a mid-ranked wizard, it's not that easy to defeat 500 or so goblins…' Old Bayer's eyes were filled with astonishment and shock, 'That last attack in particular had strategy to it! Is that the art of command that the corps leader once spoke of?'
Leylin was also quite satisfied with the results. Casting suitable spells at opportune moments was something all wizards had to learn. Being able to disperse this group of goblins at the most minimal cost and limiting the casualties of the attack wolves was something that made him proud.
"Are you alright?" Of course, he limited his pride to that single thought. Leylin had the abundant experiences of his main body and if he couldn't manage even this he should just have killed himself.
"We're alright. Thank you, Leylin!" Bessany thanked him gratefully, eyes reddening as she began to bawl over a destroyed corpse nearby, "Sob… sob… Uncle Eita…"
This corpse already had several parts missing, and there were also many small bite marks. It looked exceedingly horrifying. This was the masterpiece left by the goblins from before. If Leylin had arrived a little later, everyone in the carriages would have been reduced to this state.
The aftermath had Ena and Isadora quivering in fear as they expressed their gratitude to Leylin over and over again.
-x-X-x-
Leylin and Old Bayer were speechless at the scene before them.
The victims' remains were collected, unable to be buried here lest they were dug out by goblins. They would be taken to Silverymoon City, given their final rites and blessings by clerics, and then buried.
"Thank you, Lord Leylin! Are you a mid-ranked wizard?" Bessany had recovered, and her eyes had swollen to the size of walnuts.
"Yes, I suppose so. I'm also going to Silverymoon City to study," Leylin looked at the scenery outside and indifferently replied.
After meeting Bessany and the others, and since they were going to the same place, Leylin naturally did not mind accompanying her. The others happily welcomed him with open arms, as that last attack had scared them into cowardice. Without Leylin's protection, perhaps no one would dare to continue on the journey.
The young ladies in the carriage were all surprised, it was rare to find a mid-ranked wizard as young as Leylin after all.
"How amazing… I always thought that mid-ranked wizards were all white-bearded grandfathers…" Isadora exclaimed. She'd actually recovered quite quickly.
"It's nothing, there are many more wizards who are more gifted than I am. Mm, there will be many of them in Silverymoon City," Leylin replied modestly, and after chatting for a while the atmosphere of the carriage grew more solemn.
After all, a mid-ranked wizard was a big deal to minor nobles. Isadora and the others did not dare to say anything more in fear of offending him. Bessany seemed as if she was about to speak, but she was not able to say anything until they reached Silverymoon City.
Leylin understood her intentions, as she had recently told him on the boat that she was looking for a tutor. However, he would gain no benefits from taking her on as his apprentice, and it was not something that could be done with no extra trouble. Where would Leylin even find the time? As a result, he could only pretend that he did not know.
...
"You were attacked by a goblin swarm?" A patrol officer from Silverymoon City seemed to take the matter very seriously, and had personally come to register them. "I understand, our city patrol will soon leave on their watch. The monsters in the wilderness have increased greatly in recent times, you must all be more careful."
A clerk began to record the identities of Leylin and the others as well as their ranks. When he got to Leylin, his pen paused, "Wizard, please show me your proof of identity…"
"Mm," Leylin nodded, taking out his proof of nobility as well as his wizard insignia and handing it to him, which immediately made the clerk cry out in surprise.
"Please take back your identification, mid-ranked Lord Wizard!" A rank 10 wizard was uncommon even in Silverymoon City, especially one who looked as young as Leylin. It was actually rather scary.
"Good, I want to join the Silverymoon City guard, do you know where I can enlist?" Leylin asked with a smile.
"You want to join the city guard?" It wasn't just Bessany and the others that were extremely astonished. Even the officer from earlier walked over, attentively sizing Leylin up.
"Yes, I hold Lady Hope in the highest esteem, and I would love the atmosphere of Silverymoon City. I hope that I can fit in here." This Lady Hope was the ruler of Silverymoon City. Her name was Alustriel, and she was a tolerant and good person who was one of the Chosen of Mystra.
It was rumoured that this city ruler had a very liberal attitude towards her subordinates from different races. She very much enjoyed disguising herself as an ordinary person outside of her palace to observe the lives of common folk, which won her the support of the lower classes.
Naturally, Leylin was telling a bald-faced lie. His true purpose was to assimilate into the lady's troops as quickly as possible, and make preparations for the war ahead.
News of the war had broken out. Perhaps many knew, but information would be limited to the city ruler's core organisation. This was precisely where Leylin would be able to seek benefits.
"You must be clear on this— once you truly join Silvermoon City, there will be many restrictions on your freedom, Sir!" Although the human fiefdoms all recognised the other's' nobility, the nobles on the continent all traditionally thought that only those with hereditary titles and with their own territories could be considered true nobles.
It was evident that Leylin's title as an honourable viscount was not equal to the respect he got as a mid-ranked wizard. Perhaps if he really inherited Faulen Island it would be different and he'd be treated better, but Baron Jonas was hale and hearty so Leylin could only remain his heir.
Noble heirs like him were usually called sirs, and did not gain any particular privilege or preferential treatment. The office reminded Leylin of this point, and naturally made other implications.
"That won't be a problem," Leylin calmly shook his head, indicating that he already clearly knew all of this.
Although foreign wizards could occasionally receive missions from the city governors, and receive patrol duties, it was clear that it was part of the system for outsiders. They were destined to never become part of the inner circle of governance.
When the war came, those patrolling wizards would not be able to escape their fate of forced enlistment. As a result, Leylin thought that since he would have to eventually participate in the war, it would be better to join in advance with his status as a noble heir.
The officer stared at Leylin, as if trying to predict what the wizard was trying to do. In the end, he could only grudgingly give up. Afterwards, he called another officer to take Leylin away, "In this case, Aulen, go through the procedures with this wizard Leylin."
Even as she saw Leylin's back disappear into the streets, Bessany retained the expression of disbelief on her face.
"He's immediately joining the city guards? Perhaps Lord Leylin is actually a second son of a noble family, and hopes to get knighted through this method?"
Alustriel naturally had the power to confer noble titles, and in reality the authority she possessed in the north was not at all inferior to any human country's king. She was very generous as well. For second or third sons of nobility, or even other adventurers, serving Alustriel to become a viscount was a rather good option.
As a noble wizard in the city guard, he would naturally receive more attention and preferential treatment compared to the others. What other benefits would an heir get?
"Perhaps serving as a military wizard would grant higher authority in Silverymoon City's wizard library, and they can read even more advanced books. Lord Leylin probably had this thought in mind when he joined…" Ena shook her head from next to Bessany as she expressed her own opinion. It had to be said that although she was normally rather uncommunicative, her guess was close to the truth. However, they had their own family interests, and could not be as reckless as Leylin was and do as they pleased.
"It's such a pity… As a wizard, we should of course immerse ourselves in the sea of knowledge, and not wander around attacking and killing," Isadora was the most dim amongst the three, and felt that Leylin's decision was a great pity, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Which college should we go to? I've heard that Silverhand is rather good, but they don't offer accommodation. And if we choose it…"
The three apprentice wizards very quickly forgot all about Leylin under Isadora's influence, and began to discuss their future studies. For them, this was the truly most important issue at hand.
...
"It really is very nice," Leylin followed behind the officer named Aulen and sized up the facilities around him. As the city of wizards in the north, Silverymoon's design was extremely exquisite, and was filled with a sense of artistry, borrowing from the artistic sense of the elves.
In addition, Leylin saw many different races on the streets, including dwarves, halflings, elves, pygmies, and even beast slaves. This country appeared to be very liberal.
"What, is it surprising?" Aulen smiled as she took off her helmet, revealing shiny long hair as bright as silver and pointed ears as well as fair and delicate skin. It was clear that this guard was an elf.
Although most elves heeded the call of the elven god to live in an enormous island overseas, there were still many tribes who stayed in the continent. In the north, Silverymoon City was an important elf settlement, and no more than 40% of the population was pure humans. A fifth were free elven citizens.
"Mm, it's because I used to live in the south," Leylin lightly explained.
Although dwarves and halflings could be seen in the Dambrath Kingdom, they were few in number. As for elves? They were the highest grade of slaves, and were very rarely seen outside.
Ever since the Baltic archipelago had fallen, Faulen Island's Port Venus had received part of their slave trade, and there had been a few pureblood elves amongst them. Naturally, neither Leylin nor Baron Jonas would admit to this.
After that, the elf officer Aulen led Leylin to the city hall. Every year, Silverymoon attracted many wizards and outsiders into joining it, and they had a well-established process.
The procedures were completed smoothly, as Leylin's identity had not been fabricated after all. The arcane imprints on every file were completely in order.
"All done. Congratulations on becoming a member of the city guard, child!" Leylin's professor was an elderly wizard who looked very energetic. He wore a handsome military uniform which molded to his body, and had sharp eyes from many years of serving in the army.
This wizard was a battlemage, and his experience definitely far exceeded that of those who worked in laboratories. In addition, the undulations he gave off made Leylin wary of underestimating him— at the very least, these were the undulations of a high-ranked wizard!
Although talented wizards were scarce, Silverymoon City obviously didn't lack in them.
A military uniform set was handed to Leylin under the high-ranked wizard's blessings, similar to the one he wore. It only lacked the medals of honour and other military decorations.
-x-X-x-
"With the uniform, you're now a member of the Silverymoon city guard. The magic equipment is enchanted with three uses of Mage Armour and one Cure Moderate Wounds. Please use them sparingly…"
"Yes, sir!" Leylin played his role very convincingly as he accepted the military uniform.
The uniform was soft in texture yet it felt tough and durable, and glowed with magic. Leylin couldn't help but sigh at the luxurious and rich Silverymoon City.
Eternal enchantments were naturally very precious, so the wizard uniform was naturally limited in its uses. However, every year the guards would receive a new set, which could be considered a very good perk.
"Tell me, why did you want to join the city guard?" The elderly patrol wizard finally asked in a respectful manner. Leylin felt hidden magic undulations probing him.
'Is this Lie Detection? It was personally cast by a high-ranked wizard as well… Such a shame that I'm the target.' Leylin inwardly laughed coldly to himself as he raised his head and puffed out his chest, his face lightly flushing with emotion, "I wanted to quickly raise my ranking as a wizard, obtain many more wizard resources for my research and to study. I could only receive these benefits as a city guard, sir!"
The elderly wizard sensed the answer his secret spell fed back to him, and his eyes softened considerably. "Mm, you're very honest. At ease!"
"Yes sir!" Leylin saluted smartly and respectfully withdrew himself. The elderly wizard inwardly nodded to himself at this swift and decisive reaction, 'I haven't seen a young man of his calibre in a very long time.'
A beam of light lit the room up once Leylin left, and a portal opened unexpectedly. A high-ranking elven wizard dressed in green exited it. The robe was embroidered with many plants, and looked almost like an ornate and exquisite dress.
"What's the matter? Is there a problem?" The elderly wizard furrowed his brows together.
"No, I've investigated the recruit's background. He is the heir of the Faulen family of Dambrath, and he matches the major image as well!" The elf nodded lightly, and continued in a graceful voice, "In addition, he has shown a powerful aptitude for magic since he was a child, and passed the rank 10 wizard certification when he was 18 years old."
"Impossible! He's already rank 11, his speed of advancement makes us in the older generation blush with shame," the elderly wizard smiled wryly, "So you're saying that there aren't any problems with him?"
"I can only determine that there are none at the present. After all, we don't have any conflicts with those human kingdoms in the south. As for his temperament, his reason of choosing to join us for more advanced magic spells is acceptable."
The elven wizard nodded, "This sort of genius wizard will be a huge advantage for us in the future. Remove some limits on him for a few basic resources."
"Understood," The elderly wizard nodded solemnly. As a high-ranked wizard of Silverymoon City, he had already begun to anticipate the dangers the lay in the future.
...
"Congratulations, wizard Leylin!" Aulen congratulated Leylin on the outside, seeing him clutch the military uniform.
"You are now one of the patrol wizards in our city guard. A benefit of being a new recruit is the private accommodation in our barracks. You can set up a small laboratory in there, and Silverymoon City's wizard database will be open to you. You have three days to report to duty at the barracks." Aulen began to explain several things of note to Leylin.
Given that patrol wizards were fully integrated into the military structure of the city, and they even had restrictions on their freedom, they received excellent benefits and a great salary. With him being a noble genius, Leylin obtained even more than normal.
"Although we're part of the city guard, we usually don't have much else to do apart from a few patrols and inspections. I'm hosting a banquet in five days, and my hand-made scallion pancakes are really very good… I hope you can come, I can introduce a few people to you!" As an elf, Aulen had a long lifespan. However, she did not seem to renounce her desire for art and beauty, and still enjoyed life pleasurably.
Leylin could easily discern her character from her appearance and other aspects. On the other hand, it was difficult to find an elf's gender without the A.I. Chip or spiritual force scans.
Aulen clearly regarded Leylin as a true colleague, extending this benevolent invitation.
"Of course, thank you for inviting me," Leylin thanked her sincerely.
After he parted ways with Aulen, Leylin strolled around Silverymoon City, in his hand a map that she'd given him. As it was a city of wizards, there were a lot of them out on the streets. Many of the shops nearby sold magical resources as well.
Leylin leisurely walked into a shop and looked at the magic materials inside a transparent crystal showcase.
'Mm, I've almost used up all of my magic materials, I should replenish them,' Leylin looked at a few materials which looked like blue crystals, 'This blue diamond is very pure, I never thought I would see this inside a normal shop in Silverymoon City…'
Leylin called the shopkeeper over and replenished all the magic materials he was lacking. Of course, they were only his most basic resources. He later headed towards the sections with magic potions and alchemical reagents.
'There are a lot of low-grade potions and limited-use alchemical items, however there are very few premium products. Perhaps I can work a bit harder to find some,' Leylin nodded to himself, noting the sky-high prices written below the high-grade alchemical items.
Rank 10 and fifth level spells were a very important threshold in alchemy. This was because of Permanency, a rank 5 spell which could make any spell effects permanent.
Permanency was something one couldn't do without when they wished to practice making magic items and everlasting alchemical items.
Even in Silverymoon City, wizards who could use rank 5 spells were not exactly a dime a dozen, and there were even fewer who had high attainment in alchemy. As a result, the extremely high price of high-ranked magic items was understandable.
'In addition, as the war draws closer, those high-ranked healing potions and completed sets of magic items which can rapidly increase strength will naturally soar in price. For the same reason, the price of raw materials will drop.' Leylin couldn't help but stroke the Ring of Wizardry on his right hand. If he auctioned his ring, which was nearly legendary, it was sure to create a violent commotion.
'Perhaps, I can refine a few toys to earn some money…' Wizards would never turn their backs on earning more wealth, and Leylin was the same. To become a Legend required the support of enormous wealth and resources, and poor little boys who dreamt of soaring in advancement after putting in back-breaking effort were just dreaming up a fantasy.
"In comparison, low-ranked wizards and apprentices can only undertake the most basic processing tasks, and they don't earn much from it. It would be difficult for them to maintain their lifestyle and continue with more advanced studies,' Leylin thought about this indifferently, before taking out a gold card account from the church of wealth.
Just when the serving girl had respectfully left, several other acquaintances had entered.
"Wizard Leylin!" Bessany called out in astonishment, with her Ena and her sister.
"Wow! That's a gold card from the goddess of wealth! Only those with property worth at least 10,000 gold coins can have it…" Isadora's eyes were fixed on the gold card in Leylin's hand, and countless stars seemed to appear in her eyes. She only regained her senses once Ena pinched her hand.
"Oh, it's you. Have you entered a college?" Leylin asked indifferently.
"We've already registered at 'Oakleaf', their tuition is cheap and they have inexpensive student accommodation as well. We've come to buy some materials,' Bessany had been similarly shocked by Leylin's net worth, but she felt that this level of wealth was appropriate for a mid-ranked wizard.
Although she was still a little bitter in her heart of hearts, Bessany still managed to smile, "Has Lord Leylin joined the city guard?"
"It's alright to just address me as Leylin," Leylin appeared very amiable and approachable, "As for the city guard, I have of course become a patrol wizard. I hope I can still meet you all in the future."
Every wizarding college in Silverymoon had its own assignments, and the compensation for joining the city guard on their patrols was very generous. If the three of them continued to stay here, they would certainly have the chance to meet Leylin again.
"Really? That's amazing! I wonder where Mister Leylin lives, I hope I can come and visit soon," Bessany bit the bullet and decided to seize the opportunity.
"Visit?" Leylin looked at the little girl and shook his head, "My residence is in the military barracks. I'm afraid that without a pass, you cannot enter."
After hearing this, the little girl's eyes were filled with disappointment.
"However, I'm preparing to buy some property in Silverymoon City, to begin alchemical experiments and the like. If you agree, we can meet there."
"I agree! Of course I agree!" Bessany immediately shouted, and her face flushed immediately, "What I mean is that… The three of us are very willing!"
Establishing a relationship with a mid-ranked wizard was a very good decision, so Ena and her sister both nodded as well.
"Very well!" Purchasing reagents and collecting resources, as well as selling the products afterwards were all tedious tasks. Leylin had long prepared to employ a few apprentices to do this. If they were already acquaintances, then it would be even better.
-x-X-x-
A year passed very quickly.
North of Silverymoon, in the enormous Moonwood. Gigantic trees which towered into the clouds hid the moonlight filtering through them. The still pitch-black surroundings filled one with a sense of foreboding.
A small squadron with both humans and elves wearing the uniform of Silverymoon city guards were now pushing their way through Moonwood without rest.
"It's here!" The squadron leader, Aulen, parted a thick shrub and saw dark brown blood stains on the ground, with a grave look in her eyes.
"Leylin," she turned and looked at the patrol wizard behind her.
Detect Evil! Leylin was currently clad in his wizard uniform, and looked very dignified and solemn with a mature air about him.
*Sss! Sss!* Black streams of air began to soar, centering on that particular area, before it pointed to somewhere in the distance.
"Stay vigilant!" Aulen said in a low voice, and at her call the others gripped their weapons tightly. Even Leylin had a very grave expression on his face.
It was because this place was the Moonwood! It was a dangerous place filled with werecreatures who believed in the god of the hunt, Malar. They had formed a powerful tribe called the Blackblood, and hated the civilised life of Silverymoon City.
The guard's skirmishes with the werecreatures had turned to battles, and they had become the biggest complication apart from an invasion by Sunrise Mountain's orc empire.
"I see you!" Aulen and the other members followed the spell guide to the entrance of a pitch-black mountain cave. Aulen quickly gestured to Leylin.
With the mutual understanding they'd developed over a period of time, Leylin nodded his head. The surrounding members involuntarily let out a breath of relief, and shortly after Leylin pointed towards the middle of the cave.
Light! A blindingly white light momentarily illuminated the area, and several crossbows with Spellslayer Arrow loaded were aimed there.
Under the brilliant light, they swept through the cave with a single glance. However, there was not a soul in sight apart from some ragged clothes and a human skeleton on the floor.
The clothes were severely damaged, and the style could be vaguely related to a city guard uniform. Several scraps were even found covered in mottled bloodstains which had turned dark brown.
"Kell Rosa. This is the missing bowman," Aulen took out an emblem from the rags of clothes bearing the name, and although Leylin thought it looked like a dog tag, he pensively muttered, "This arrangement, is that the ritual of the god of the hunt? Those wretched werecreatures!"
The god of the hunt, Malar, was one whose name many were too scared to mention. Although he was a weaker god, he very much enjoyed slaughter. His believers were a bunch of savage werecreatures.
They were different from orcs in that werecreatures only retained part of their beastly characteristics, and they had some unknown hereditary disease. From Leylin's view, they looked like the symptoms of genetic instability. It was rumoured that these werecreatures came from the laboratories of a wizard, and Leylin was in favour of this opinion.
The suffering that the werecreatures went through made their minds more prejudiced, and they were filled with hatred towards other living beings. As a result, they enjoyed slaughter, and they just so happened to hold the same view as the god of the hunt.
There was a chance that captured orcs could become slaves, but as for werecreatures, this was just a dream. Moonwood was the gathering place for the werecreatures, and they occupied the entire north of it. Blackblood was large enough to threaten Silverymoon.
The ruler of Silverymoon City, Lady Hope, due to her kind heart and other considerations, had once actively sent out bowmen in the hope of improving the lives of those residents of Moonwood, but they had frequently been attacked.
This Kell had been one of the unfortunate ones.
"Kell Rosa was a loyal, brave ranger. The suffering of the world can no longer tarnish your soul, may you go in peace to the kingdom of god…" Aulen prayed. Other than being a powerful ranger, she was also a cleric.
As Aulen prayed, Leylin and the other squadron members lowered their heads one after the other in tribute.
It was at this moment that Leylin's eyes suddenly widened.
"Someone's there!" The thief in their squadron was the second one to notice, and a dagger immediately flew into the shadows.
A dull whining sound came from the shadows like a wild animal's growl, and the nearby tree leaves began to tremble.
"It's a werecreature!" An armoured fighter went over to brush away what was obscuring the werecreature, and only saw a bloodstain. Still, the beast fur nearby was very conspicuous.
Those werecreatures had innately inherited some unknown disease, but at the same time they possessed tremendous life force and other strange abilities. It was rumoured they'd been created by a Legend.
"Our task was to search for them, not to kill! The werecreature must have gone to find its comrades, we must all leave for the time being," Aulen held her elven rapier at her waist, but finally they left without a choice.
Playing hide and seek with the werecreatures in the Moonwood was something only an insane person would do. They were very good hunters, and with the advantage of being in their homeground, unless the entire main force came with high-ranked wizards as well as Legends to clear the path, they could push through the Moonwood.
Although Aulen and the others retreated very quickly, the werecreatures were soon about to overtake them.
The roars of wild animals came from all around them, and all the damned werecreatures hid in the shadows of the trees. All the squadron members had unsightly expressions on their faces.
"Damn! Leylin!" Aulen took off the longbow on her back and notched an arrow with a grey eagle feather to it.
"Mm. Enchant Weapon!" Leylin and Aulen had worked together many times, and they had established a deep rapport. A burst of magic spread across the arrowhead.
*Ss!* Elves were excellent at archery, and Aulen was a ranger. The minute she let go of the bowstring, a muffled grunt could be heard in the darkness and an enormous shadow fell from the branch. While a common arrow naturally would not penetrate the defenses of a werecreature, a magic arrow would have no problems doing so.
Enchant Weapon! Forcefield! Bull's Strength! With Leylin's tireless actions, many of the squadron members glowed with the light of amplification spells.
"Well done!" Aulen praised him. In reality, she had always been afraid that this new colleague would be haughty and arrogant because of his status as a genius wizard, and would not listen to her command. However, Leylin's performance clearly exceeded her expectations.
Not only did he obediently obey orders, he even fit in very well with the other squadron members— he really did not seem like a wizard at all!
'Perhaps after we return, Leylin's titles should be changed… With Leylin's qualifications and contributions, he might be promoted this month,' Aulen thought to herself, but afterwards pushed the matter to the back of her mind. No matter how much she thought about it, they had to make it out alive before they had the privilege of enjoying promotions.
"Kill them!" A jarring sound of metal scraping against metal came from the darkness, and the surrounding werecreatures seemed to go mad as they charged towards Leylin.
"Follow me, we need to break out of this!" Aulen gritted her teeth, and the bow and arrow in her grasp shot out arrow after arrow. Once done, she tossed the bow away and replaced it with a slender rapier that had been hanging at her waist.
As a patrol wizard, Leylin was protected at the centre of their formation, and did not suffer any injuries.
'In battle, a wizard's spell slots should be used to serve their comrades. However, a wizard's spell slots are limited, and so they must leave their own safety in the hands of their teammates. In this situation, unless they were good friends who would give their lives in return, it would be almost impossible for them to remain on good terms with one another.'
"I'm almost out of spell slots!" He shouted gravely, but in reality he was lying. Whether it was spiritual force which would allow him to directly use the first few ranks of spells or the Ring of Wizardry, Leylin still retained a great deal of power. However, he had to keep it a secret.
"How many spell slots do you have remaining?" Aulen looked at Leylin anxiously. At the moment, she did not have the time to even wipe the traces of blood off her face. She no longer had the grace and elegance of an elf.
Without the support of spells, they basically could not break through the siege of these werecreatures.
"I still have Cloudkill, and I only have rank 1 and rank 0 cantrips left," Leylin replied with a solemn expression on his face, "In this forest, I don't have the ability to meditate and recover."
"Damn! Everyone, immediately break through the siege and run for your lives. Whoever can make it out will make it. Leylin, follow me and immediately cast your spells once most of the others have left!"
Aulen had another cleric in her squadron. Jinx's palm lit up radiantly with a divine spell. Although Aulen's rank as a cleric was very low, the divine spells of a cleric did not require spiritual force and mana. One only needed to pray every day to obtain divine spell slots, and it could be considered very convenient.
After several healing spells, the other fighters all seemed to have recovered their vitality one after the other. Even the small wounds they had accrued on their bodies seemed to have been restored.
With this power, Aulen and the others finally broke through the tight encirclement.
"Now!" Aulen roared.
Cloudkill! Leylin pointed behind his back, and the terrifying Cloudkill dispersed, engulfing all the werecreatures within it.
"Let's go!" The other fortunate people began to summon up their courage one after the other in the hope of making it out alive, and followed behind Aulen.
...
"We've finally made it out!" Aulen looked at the scattered squadron members behind her back with an expression of hatred.
"Those damned werecreatures, they've been acting up more and more frequently these days… Leylin, our escape is all thanks to you. Your spells were fully put to use and very precise, and I will include this in the report."
Aulen looked at the distant silhouette of Moonwood with a heavy expression in her eyes. Once she turned away from it however, her expression had changed completely. "Now, let's go home!"
-x-X-x-
'Even the ordinary soldiers feel the looming shadow of war?' Leylin nodded expressionlessly as he reflected on the issue in his mind. He didn't remain in the barracks upon their return, instead returning to the property he'd bought.
'I'm done with yet another mission. The contribution points I earned should be enough for me to buy that information, right?'
The database for wizards in Silverymoon could not be accessed purely with money. There were specific requirements to get things, and high-grade information on spells required contribution points to access. This was part of why Leylin had entered the city guard.
At this thought, he couldn't help but glance at his stats.
[Leylin Faulen. Age: 20. Race: Human, Rank 12 wizard. Strength: 10. Agility: 10. Vitality: 10. Spiritual force: 12. Status: Healthy. Feats: Sturdy, Erudite, Elementary Perfect Body. Spell Slots: Rank 5(3), Rank 4(5), Rank 3(7), Rank 2(???), Rank 1(???), Rank 0(???)]
Silverymoon City was truly the birthplace of wizards in the northern lands. With ample resources and research material, Leylin was able to move up a rank just by diligently working towards it. With more information, the progress on analysis of the Weave had also advanced at lightning speed.
'Analysis of level 3 of the Weave has already progressed to 99.99%. There's just a little left…' Leylin sighed as he entered the workroom.
"Good- Good morning, Mister Leylin!" Three wizard apprentices jumped up just like startled rabbits. Bessany looked a little flushed, and the sisters behind her were obviously trying to clean up the messy lab table.
"Welcome home, sir!" Bessany spoke in the end, having gathered her courage. A year of study had taught them how difficult it was to cross rank 10, which meant that this young noble in front of them had a lot of talent and status in the wizarding world.
"Mm," Leylin nodded sternly, "I hired you at the price of ten gold kronas per month; you also have permission to use my workroom. You don't have to feel embarrassed…"
While helping with Leylin's work, these girls had also been attempting to train their alchemy. It was a pity that without guidance from their mentor, it was difficult for them to improve by a large extent even if they had an alchemy lab.
"Oh!" Just as Leylin's voice sounded, Isadora cheered, "I knew Mister Leylin wasn't a stingy person…"
"So… that's how you thought of me in the past?" Leylin rubbed his nose, scaring Ena into dragging her sister to apologise with her. There were countless apprentices in Silverymoon City, and their chances of finding such a good job were meagre. If not for their coincidental meeting with Leylin, the three of them wouldn't even have been able to get this position. Hence, Ena treasured her current job.
"Forget it… I was just joking!" Even if it was what he had said only in passing, the beautiful apprentices in front of him were already cowering in fear. Such was the power of a high status. This power originated from Leylin himself, and nobody could snatch it away from him.
Leylin waved his hand with waning interest, approaching the sales counter on one side and opening its magic lock.
"How have the sales of magic items been lately?" Leylin took out a black boxing glove from the locked counter. The dark hide on the surface had a chilly glint to it, and looked to conceal some sort of strength. Under the guard was an incomplete magic formation. A few parts of the circuit were obviously broken off.
"The two items we asked Hawke's Bazaar to sell have already gone on the market. We have received a total of 8000 gold coins. Based on the contract, they will receive 10% of the profits and the funds have been remitted to your account at the Goddess of Wealth's church, able to be withdrawn at any time… Also, a few other magic item shops and auctions have contacted me, saying they wish to obtain your masterpieces…" Bessany reported normally.
Leylin was a Grandmaster Alchemist in his previous life. Once he made sense of the rules of alchemy in this world and got a hold of Permanency, his magic items were rather good. Bessany was definitely envious of Leylin given that the items he made randomly sold for thousands of gold coins.
It was a pity that she was only qualified to take care of the sales records and statistics. Whether it was delivering magic items or transferring money, this was something Leylin personally took care of with the clients. There was no way for her to interfere.
Tempted by greed, humans could abruptly gain terrifying strength and not even twitch in the face of death. Knowing this well, Leylin obviously would not give her the chance to betray him.
'It looks like Bessany is rather skilled at this type of work. There's some value in nurturing her…' Leylin thought to himself, placing the boxing glove on the table while putting on a device over his eyes which was similar to a magnifying glass.
A fine powder mixed with mithril floated down softly from Leylin's fingertips. It emitting a shiny silver luster in the ink bottle it landed in, after which Leylin used a fountain pen and dabbed at the ink before beginning to draw on the magic formation.
Bessany and the sisters immediately held their breaths, watching his actions closely. Alchemy masters all had their unique techniques. Even in Silverymoon, it was rare for people to let others watch without reservations. The other alchemy apprentices would go crazy over this if they found out!
His movements as fluid as water, Leylin quickly finished drawing the last magic formation. A radiance then appeared on his hands. With the incantation done and energy provided, the magic formation began to radiate energy that enveloped the glove.
"Now!" Leylin's eyes shone, and he unhesitatingly cast a rank 5 spell. The gorgeous, powerful lustre of Permanency caused the girls to look intoxicated. With it, the rays from the magic formation grew in strength, and then began to be hidden within the guard.
[Beep! Glove of Strength successfully created!] A prompt sounded from the A.I. Chip, followed by the item's stats.
[Item Name: Glove of Strength. Weight: 525g. Materials Used: Giant Skin, Limestone, Mithril. Effects: Able to increase user's strength by 1 point (limited to those under 10 points). Description: This is a glove filled with strength, the love of all warriors and knights. The maker used a unique technique in creating it, giving this guard even more power!]
"Hm, not bad." An item of this rank was something Bessany and the rest could not even hope for. For Leylin, however, it is was merely something to practice his skills on.
After soaking the fist guard in a solution from a glass bottle, he proceeded with the last adaptability procedures. Leylin then spoke to Ena, "Tell the people in the shop to come over and get the goods."
"Understood, Mister!" Ena bowed respectfully and left the room.
"How is it? Did you understand?" Leylin glanced at Bessany, a teasing look in his eyes. As for Isadora, he completely ignored her.
"No! Sire's techniques are even more profound than those of the elven masters…" Bessany unknowingly used honorifics. She obviously wanted to become Leylin's official student, but it seemed like he had no intentions of taking her on whatsoever.
"Alchemy needs to be learnt systematically. It's natural you can't understand it for now…" Leylin looked at Bessany, seeing her thirst and determination towards magic. Out of the three, perhaps only she would be able to succeed.
"In that case… Are you willing to give up your pay every month and work for three hourglasses more everyday? This will be in exchange for half an hourglass' worth of time every week being mentored on alchemy," Leylin asked. Passing on knowledge in exchange for manual labour was common amongst high-grade wizards. There were even cases of female wizards giving up their bodies in exchange for tutoring.
"I am! Of course I am" Bessany immediately grew so ecstatic that she kept repeating her words. With her background, truly studying alchemy was but a dream. Besides Leylin, no master would be willing to take her in as a apprentice.
"Good! Come to my room after you get off work." Leylin nodded and headed out of the shop.
He could not keep staying here to create more magic items. Since Bessany had interest and talent in this area, there was nothing bad about teaching her.
"Congratulations, Bessany!" Behind him, Isadora's congratulations and Bessany's tearful delight sounded out. A ruminating smile was left on Leylin's lips.
Things that belonged to a devil were not so easily obtained!
...
At the heart of Silverymoon, in the Wizards' Guild next to the palace. After passing through a series of stringent tests, Leylin came outside the wizards' vault.
The tower genie's robotic voice sounded, "Welcome, Lord Leylin Faulen. As a middle-ranked wizard with the army, you can view the content at the first three levels. Level four and above can be accessed through contribution points."
The wizards' vault was a small library, and inside a few old wizards were reading. Leylin did not bother them as he found a book he was in the middle of. He began to read 'Exploring The Sixth Level Of The Weave.'
The A.I. Chip continued to work, recording everything he saw.
-x-X-x-
"Tower genie, I wish to exchange contribution points for 'A Brief Introduction To The Four Great Elements', as well as Gandalf's 'Exploring the Cosmic World'!" When it was time to leave, Leylin spoke to the managing genie of the wizards' vault.
"Lord Leylin, you now have a total of 580 contribution points. Exchanging for these two magic resources will require 80 contribution points. Continue?" the tower genie asked.
"Yes!" Leylin touched the emblem on his chest. With some secret probes, he could sense that the tower genie was communicating with the information in his emblem and refreshing it. Soon, it deducted the correct number of contribution points.
*Boom! Boom!* Two earthen statues walked over, holding crystal balls with information inside them.
The tower genie's voice sounded again. "Please note: The information is only meant for the wizard to use alone. It must not be shown to outsiders, or you will be punished by the enforcers of the palace."
Leylin already knew about this rule, and he shrugged his shoulders, taking the two crystal balls and walking out of the guild.
'Regular wizards can only read the information on the first two levels, and there are even some restrictions on that. My permissions are already the highest that all foreigners can get…' Leylin sighed inside.
Whatever it was, he was still a foreigner who had enlisted for less than a year, and was only a middle-ranked wizard. While he had a little bit of a reputation as a genius, he was nothing before he had fully grown into his power.
'All the research and procedures that are free to read in the wizards' vault has been stored in the A.I. Chip. I need to spend contribution points for the rest…'
Short of becoming a Legend, he couldn't access the vault free of charge. He could only use his accumulated contribution points to slowly get the information on the disciplines he wanted. Were there no war, it would have been delusional to completely obtain all the information he wanted with his current means.
However, things were different now. Leylin's eyes glinted icily, "Soon… The shadow of war will soon be upon us…"
The advent of war was no secret. Intelligent people like Leylin could tell this was about to happen years ago, and now even the junior-most officers like Aulen had found out.
The most obvious evidence of this was the obvious decrease in the number of wizard apprentices and official wizards coming to Silverymoon. The crowd on the streets had even thinned out. The city guards had been mobilised more often recently, and they were even openly recruiting.
Of course, those who joined now would not have the great treatment that Leylin had gotten. With his own foresight and the advantage from his information, Leylin had made the most of this final chance to enlist. Now, if he was lucky, he could be recruited into the middle ranks.
However, this was obviously not what Leylin needed. What did that mean to him? What he needed was to have achievements; by unceasingly getting more contribution points and spreading his fame, he could soar straight to the inner circle of Silverymoon City.
His actions would definitely be hindered by those stubborn conservative members, which was why it was necessary to walk the less trodden path.
'Tiff is doing well right now. He's gathered some power that I can make use of…' Leylin continued to scheme.
"Oh my! Isn't this our genius foreigner from the south, mid-ranked wizard Leylin?" This peculiar voice and the sarcasm in mentioning Leylin's title made him immediately aware of who it was.
"Commander Cassley!" He inwardly rolled his eyes, but on the surface Leylin still straightened his chest and saluted.
"Mm! I heard that you did well this time and saved Aulen and the others from a group of werecreatures. Not bad…" Standing in front of him was a young officer. His ears were slightly pointed and he had fair skin from his elven heritage. His appearance concealed his true age.
He was a true high-ranked wizard! On top of that, he was also a higher-up amongst the city guards, and Leylin had to treat him with respect. He obviously knew that the instant he seemed disrespectful, things would be deliberately made difficult for him. Hence, all his actions strictly followed the etiquette in the army with no errors.
Seeing Leylin's display, Cassley had an shady look in his eye and even some restrained fear.
"I heard that your next mission is a punitive expedition. Work hard. Once we expand the army, it'll be a chance for you youths."
Taking the general encouragement, Leylin got out of the way and stood by the side of the road. Only after the commander vanished from the Wizards' Guild did he continue forward, sighing in relief.
Even a world with extraordinary powers was similar to ordinary human societies, with factions and power struggles. Leylin's achievements that outstripped his age already left a lot of people unhappy with him. With the quick promotions, his increasing contribution points, and the spread of his name, this discontent had reached the limits.
In order to get more opportunities, Leylin had taken the initiative and entered Aulen's faction, thereby relying on the bigshot behind her. There was no other way around it. If he wanted to climb forward, his own strength was far from enough. It was necessary to get be backed by other factions.
Without anyone backing you, it was only a matter of time before you were eliminated. While he found this beneath him, lacking in strength Leylin could only play by the rules. In that case, was there a faction better than his own immediate superior?
By relying on Aulen and the power backing her, Leylin had been able to survive up to this point. However, this also led to him offending the other factions. The high-ranked wizard Cassley, for instance, was obviously from another faction. Leylin and Aulen had long become eyesores to him.
Of course, with Alessandro and the elders around, this competition was still positive. Nobody dared make a move in public. Hence, since Leylin had presented himself perfectly, Cassley could find no excuse to reprimand him.
"Looks like he's going to give our team trouble in the next mission…" Leylin muttered to himself. This degree of treatment was still within the scope of the rules, and his backer must have also done something as well.
'But he's taking the lead to make things difficult for us and is unafraid of telling me about the dangers of the mission. Does that mean they are absolutely prepared?' Leylin's expression was grim. This action of his implied a 60 to 70% confidence.
Of course, Leylin was already used to concealing his strength. A plan based on his surface strength would fail to account for his true might. This alone could lead to Cassley losing everything he banked on.
"It's a good idea to discuss this with Aulen as soon as possible, and see if the bigshot behind her can help us…" Leylin had a feeling that this was a confrontation between the two organisations, and his team had coincidentally been involved. The two sides had long since discovered the incoming battle and were now doing all they could to suppress their opponents and gather more strength.
That he was pushed to the front of the stage to become the vanguard meant things were now very dangerous. As the bannermen, they would obviously be attacked at full strength.
'But danger is also an opportunity!' Leylin laughed grimly to himself, 'As long as we can get past this, the rewards won't be meagre. How else could this be fair?'
Leylin never feared danger.
'Leylin! Hey, hey! I'm here!' The young girl's tender voice attracted the interest of many people, causing them to stop and look on. However, the person who had called him out did not seem to be affected in the least, and was even waving her arms.
'Is she finally here?' The feeling from the devil's mark already told Leylin the identity of this person.
He looked up and came before the female knight, "Long time no see!"
"Long time no see, Leylin!" Rafiniya was still in a knight's attire, but there were now a few servants guiding the horse. It seemed like she had matured quite a bit in these two years, and grown a few centimetres taller. Her powerful and lush thighs immediately stopped passersby in their tracks.
It did not feel good to be ogled at like this, so Leylin brought Rafiniya away.
"You're a wizard! I knew it; you were bluffing me all this time! Also your name is Leylin, not Ley!" Rafiniya exclaimed huffily, her personality still the same as before.
"Haha… that was all a disguise in the past!" Having been seen through, Leylin didn't even blush.
"By the way, why are you here?" There was a huge distance between the north and the west. Leylin had reached Silverymoon ahead of Rafiniya, but the fact that she had actually come here still surprised him slightly.
"I'm travelling around now, and I heard rumours that a war's going to happen here. I came because you were here too." Rafiniya spoke seriously, "As a knight, my dream is to maintain justice and protect the peace of Silverymoon!"
'I knew it…' Leylin massaged his temples. Only foolish girls like Rafiniya would run to battlefields when there were no benefits. He glanced at the servants behind her, eyes full of pity, "With a mistress like this, it must be exhausting."
Upon hearing this, the servants behind Rafiniya nodded vigorously, but when Rafiniya turned back, their expressions immediately changed, looking indignant.
"Struggling for a career of righteousness is all I live for!"
"The miss' methods are correct. We support you wholeheartedly!"
"How is it? So many people are supporting my dreams! Silverymoon City will definitely win this time, and the evil orcs will definitely lose!" Rafiniya proudly raised her head.
"Yeah, yeah. Have you joined the city guard?" Leylin asked bluntly.
"Not yet. I came to meet you once I arrived!" Rafiniya answered truthfully.
"Good! I'll introduce you to people then. How about joining my team?" Leylin suggested. With Aulen's authority, taking a new recruit into his team was no issue.