Elder Valerius studied Alaric for a long moment before giving a slow nod.
His voice was deep and steady.
"To hold onto your integrity in a place so rife with chaos... that is a rare feat indeed."
Alaric immediately responded with humility.
"Elder, I have only seen the wretched fates of those who follow evil. I simply have no wish to become one of them."
The old man's sharp eyes fixed on him, his tone calm but carrying an undeniable authority.
"A pure heart like yours is a precious thing. Alaric, will you accept my formal tutelage? You will become my disciple."
The directness of the offer once again caught Alaric by surprise.
He froze for only a second before seizing the opportunity, dropping to one knee in a formal salute. "Student Alaric greets you, Master!"
A faint smile finally touched the corner of Valerius's lips.
"Very good. From this day forward, you are the third disciple under my name."
"You have two senior brothers within the Knights.
Your Senior Brother Lyon, and your Second Brother, Perrin. You will meet them when we return to the fortress."
"This student understands," Alaric said respectfully. "May I ask for your name, Master?"
"My full name is Valerius Sec. Remember it."
With that, Valerius produced a bracelet strung with dozens of small, dark purple beads.
"This magical item is called the Dusk Pearls. It once belonged to your Senior Brother Lyon. Keep it for your own protection."
Alaric's eyes lit up again.
Even the worst piece of magical equipment could easily sell for several hundred crystals.
He had been ready to fight a demon in a temple for a single holy relic of unknown quality.
Now, just by accepting a master, he had been gifted one so easily.
Faint shadows seem to swirl within these beads. This is no ordinary item.
"I wonder how many simulations I could run if I sold this..."
Suppressing his excitement, Alaric offered his solemn thanks to Valerius before accepting the item with both hands.
Valerius then casually produced a porcelain vial and handed it to Feren, who stood respectfully to the side.
"You have done well this time. Take this Potent Mana Potion."
"When I return to the fortress, I will record your merit points. With this contribution, you should have enough to apply for a transfer to the core ranks."
Feren's face flushed with excitement, his voice trembling slightly.
"Thank you for your guidance, Elder!"
Alaric watched him, a bit confused by his intense reaction.
Valerius seemed to notice his puzzlement and explained, "The Knights' merit points can be exchanged for potions, materials, and are the standard for promotion."
"If an outer member has enough merits, they can apply to become a core member. The difference in treatment between the core and the outer ranks... is night and day."
Like the difference between a full member of a major guild and a freelance mercenary?
Alaric thought to himself, then turned to Feren. "Congratulations, Feren."
Feren quickly replied, "It is all thanks to you."
Once their exchange was finished, Valerius spoke plainly.
"Since you are now my student, you will return with me to the fortress."
He then pulled a small, silver model of a ship from his robes and tossed it into the air.
The ship expanded rapidly, growing to over three meters in length in the blink of an eye.
After they boarded, Valerius piloted the vessel into the sky, flying towards the headquarters of the Sunfire Knights.
Barely half an hour later, a magnificent complex of buildings nestled among a range of mountains appeared before them.
Valerius's residence was located on one of the peaks, a place called "Storm Peak."
Alaric had assumed that a powerful mage's home would be a solitary wizard's tower.
When they arrived, he realized how wrong he was.
Dozens of courtyards dotted the mountain peak.
There was even a small market; he could see stalls and crowds of people from a distance.
Valerius glanced at him and smiled. "What, too many people for your liking?"
Alaric nodded. "I thought my Master's residence would be a place of quiet, undisturbed cultivation."
"I have places like that," Valerius chuckled, "but not here. I have over a thousand acres of magical botanical gardens on this mountain.
It would be impossible to manage with too few people."
"As for your residence, it is not here."
His gaze shifted to the distance. He pointed to a separate, smaller peak nearby.
"You will cultivate there. It is quieter, but you will need to come here to collect your living supplies."
"If you find it inconvenient to be alone, you can recruit a few apprentices from here to assist you."
After the brief introduction, Valerius led him into the main hall. His expression turned serious.
"You are a Level 9 Apprentice, correct?"
"Yes!" Alaric answered honestly.
"Show me your talent and your mana. I want to see the state of your foundation."
Without a moment's hesitation, Alaric unleashed his full power.
A faint green glow, the light of life energy, flickered around him.
Valerius sensed it for a moment, then nodded in satisfaction.
"Good. A Level 7 Wood Element Affinity, just as reported. Your foundation is solid enough."
"A typical wandering mage would already be preparing for their advancement. However, now that you are my student, we will put that on hold."
As he spoke, he took out a Legacy Scroll.
"The path of magic is long. Advancing to Novice Mage is but the first step, yet it is also the most important."
"A weak foundation will not carry you far. You will master this technique to its absolute limit before you even consider advancing."
"Yes, Master!"
Alaric accepted the scroll. It detailed a technique called the Sunfire Method.
According to the text, he needed to relentlessly compress the energy in his mana core to its absolute limit.
When the energy reached its peak density, it would forge an "Arcane Mark" upon the core.
Only after forging nine such marks would the technique be considered complete.
After studying it, Alaric asked curiously, "Master, when my two senior brothers advanced, how many marks did they forge?"
Valerius seemed to have been waiting for this question. A faint smile played on his lips.
"Your Senior Brother Lyon is exceptionally gifted. However, a small mishap occurred during his training.
After forging seven marks, he could not progress a single step further and was forced to advance."
"Your Second Brother is slightly less talented. He reached his limit after forging only five."
Uh... from the way you say it, you don't sound disappointed at all...
Though Valerius said "forced to advance," the slight upward tilt of his lips was a clear giveaway.
Alaric quickly understood. To further compress one's power at Level 9, already the peak for an apprentice, was an incredibly difficult task.
Forging seven marks must have been a monumental achievement.