Chapter 11: Mage Apprentice (I)

In the noble district of Stone City stood a large complex, resembling the residence of a high-ranking noble. However, its spires and decorations were far from the luxury typical of nobles, instead featuring a mysterious and unusual style.
Although its gates were usually open during the day, few people seemed willing to approach it. Even those who passed by did so with their heads lowered, avoiding loud noises.
If you knew what this place was, you would understand that it was a result of people’s reverence for mysterious and powerful forces.
Mage guilds were mostly funded by local nobles and built by local mages, serving as gathering places for them and providing various conveniences for traveling spellcasters.
Compared to large mage organizations supported by noble factions and the royal family, the systems of these local guilds were generally more relaxed, which made them attractive to independent mages who disliked restrictions.
Due to the scarcity of mages, guilds were usually only established in cities or larger settlements. Having a mage guild in one’s own city was highly beneficial for local nobles. Not only could they hire mages to serve them, but during wars, mages would also often volunteer to fight to protect their territories.
It should be noted that an ordinary low-level mage could be as deadly as seven or eight warriors of the same rank, while a powerful high-level mage could easily defeat an army of thousands.
In addition to serving as places for mages to interact and stay, these guilds were also responsible for certifying their qualifications. Typically, a small city’s guild could certify two ranks: mage apprentices and low-level mages.
Donald’s goal this time was to obtain the status of a mage apprentice at Stone City’s mage guild. Having an official status, though just that of an apprentice, meant he would be different from ordinary people, making things much easier for him.
There were no guards at the entrance of the guild, but it wasn’t open to just anyone either, as there was a mage barrier at the door. Only spellcasters wearing the guild-issued badge could enter.

The so-called Mage Barrier sounds impressive, but it is actually just the most basic trick for detecting mental power. This low-level barrier has virtually no real power; it merely causes those who are unqualified and try to enter forcefully to stumble. It was invented a thousand years ago by an apprentice sorcerer from the Banai Empire. Because it can identify whether a visitor is a spellcaster and its setup is very simple, it became highly popular among mages and has been passed down to this day, where it was named the Mage Barrier.

Donald didn’t fully understand the principle behind this barrier, but that didn’t stop him from entering. Extending a sliver of his mental power, which was stronger and more agile than that of an ordinary apprentice, he easily stepped through the entrance of the guild hall. Meanwhile, Kord and the three servants who had followed the young master were kept outside, able only to take a brief glance inside before reluctantly returning to the carriage and leaving Giant Stone City.

Before arriving at the mage guild, Donald had instructed them that he might stay inside for a long time, so he asked Kord to take the three servants back, as there was still much work to be done at home. On their way back, they would also need to hire a driver in town—after all, they couldn’t always rely on George and the others to drive, as they hadn’t received any training in driving. It was just like how drivers without licenses would surely make passengers uneasy!

Beyond the main door lay the hall of the Giant Stone City Mage Guild. Although some of what was inside could be seen from outside, the barrier’s effect on mental power made everything appear blurry to outsiders. This only added to the mysterious impression the mages gave people.

Entering this building for the second time, Donald felt an inexplicable sense of awe. The last time he was here was as a child, when his grandfather brought him to assess his aptitude for a career; his memories of that time were rather vague.

With Donald’s original memories integrated, he increasingly accepted this identity and approved of everything related to it.

After pausing for a few seconds, Donald walked toward the reception desk under the puzzled gazes of the servants.

Seeing the young man dressed in noble attire, without the guild’s entrance badge on his chest and not resembling either a mage or an apprentice mage, the receptionist felt a hint of dissatisfaction, thinking the man must be hiding his badge in his sleeve—a sign of disrespect toward the mage guild.

The nobles who came to hire mages would receive badges given by familiar mages, indicating that they were guests of the guild and could enter to seek out mages they knew or place orders with the front desk attendants. These nobles also showed due respect to the mages, so they usually wore the badges in the center of their chests.

“Excuse me, is there any master at the guild who is available right now? I am Donald Merliner, and I hope to receive an evaluation from a master so that I can become an official mage apprentice!”

The young man’s voice, youthful yet steady, interrupted the attendant’s annoyed assumptions.

“What?” The attendant, startled, asked, “Please repeat that, sir. I didn’t hear you clearly!”

“Alright, I said I want to undergo certification by a master at the guild to become an official mage apprentice!”

This time, the attendant, who had paid close attention, widened his eyes in disbelief.

As a long-time attendant at the mage guild, he had been hired through various efforts and had worked there for nearly ten years. He had once dreamed of being recognized by a master and becoming an official mage apprentice, thereby rising to a status comparable to that of nobles.

Unfortunately, a mage he served once tested his aptitude and found his chances of becoming a mage to be extremely slim; becoming a warrior might still be possible for him. This result left him deeply disappointed, as he had long aspired to become a mysterious and powerful mage.

Nearly ten years had passed. Not only was he unsuited to be a mage, but the optimal age for training as a warrior had also passed. Now, he only hoped his children would have exceptional talents and become great mages. Yet even this hope was shattered—his children were even less talented in magic than he was. He had to spend money sending them to study combat skills under a renowned old warrior.

But the appearance of this young man reignited his long-held desire, and it grew stronger than ever before. This young man, seemingly no older than seventeen, was already a noble and a talented mage apprentice!

His third child would turn four in a few months. With the noble status and resources of this mage apprentice, there was a good chance his son could become an official mage. If he could send his son to study under this noble mage apprentice, even as a servant, his son might have the opportunity to learn magical knowledge. If he had any talent, he might even become an official apprentice!

A server who had spent ten years in customer service might have a sharper eye for judging people than many important figures. Having made up his mind, the server decided to build a good relationship with this future noble mage. He bowed humbly and politely, saying, “Honorable sir, there are three masters resting in the hall right now. Two of them are Black Iron Mage Lords, and the other is the only Silver Mage in this region, Master Mesel. I can go ask them if they have no important matters at hand, and your certification test will begin right away!” Donald was very satisfied with the server’s attitude and placed a Gold Sol on the counter. “Thank you. Please go ask the masters for me!” The server didn’t show the slightest greed as he took the Gold Sol and then bowed before heading toward the resting area behind. Donald still held great respect for powerful professionals. Without any haste, he stood patiently in the hall, admiring the murals and decorations there. This mage hall was built with funds contributed by all mages and nobles in the North County where Stone City was located, and its decorations consisted of exquisite artworks that met the standards of the nobility. However, considering the mages’ identities, the murals depicted great professionals from human history fighting against evil demons and various magical beasts, with mages being the main focus. Before long, the server rushed back, looking delighted. He bowed to Donald and said, “Congratulations, sir! The three masters heard that you have come for certification and are very interested. They’ve decided to conduct the certification together to assess your eligibility as a mage apprentice! Please follow me now!” Delighted, Donald followed the server through the hall. As they walked, the server whispered to Donald, “Master Mesel is the most powerful mage in the North County. Not only is he a Bronze Peak Mage at the sixth level of spellcasting, but he is also a Silver-level alchemy master. Receiving personal certification from Master Mesel will be very beneficial for your future. I hope you can win Master Mesel’s favor. However, the other Black Iron mid-level mage, Lord Naron, and the Black Iron high-level mage, Lord Xue, who is not currently in the hall, are not very fond of young mage apprentices, especially those with talent. Please be extra careful later on!”

Donald glanced at the waiter in surprise, puzzled as to why he would go to such lengths to take care of him and give such reminders. Yet he was deeply grateful for the waiter’s concern and nodded in satisfaction. “I’m very pleased with your help. May I know your name?”
The waiter broke into a wide smile and replied excitedly, “Your Excellency, my name is William. It’s an honor to receive your praise!”
“Good, William. I’ll remember you. If you ever encounter any difficulties in the future, come to the manor east of Red Maple Town. I will surely help if I can!”
Hearing Donald’s promise, the waiter William was so excited he could hardly speak. But now was not the right time to make his request, so he suppressed his excitement, bowed deeply to the nobleman before him, and then led him to the testing area.
The testing area of the Mage Association was located in an open space in the center of the association, surrounded by buildings to keep the mages’ activities hidden from outsiders.
In the open space stood three human-shaped targets carved from hard black rock.
At that moment, three male mages, all in their fifties, wearing mage robes without cloaks, stood in the center of the testing area.