Chapter Eleven: Mage Apprentice (II)

This was the first time in this life that Donald had seen mages in person. Their robes were not like those described in fantasy novels from his past life—resembling sacks or bright red robes—that would be inconvenient for combat, spellcasting, or laboratory research.
The actual mages wore fitted garments similar to noble formal wear, without any fancy decorations, with wide robes over them, somewhat akin to the attire of priests and bishops—imposing and splendid, yet convenient for movement, which perfectly matched his aesthetic.
After leading Donald there, William bowed to the three mages before stepping back to continue his work at the front desk of his hall.
With William gone, Donald faced the scrutiny of the three mages without any fear or unease. Instead, he smiled and bowed to the elders.
“Donald greets the three respected masters!”
The mage at the center of the group spoke first.
“Apprentice Merlina, although you haven’t undergone testing, I can tell from your mental energy that you indeed qualify as a full-fledged mage apprentice, and even better than I expected. Which master are you a student of?”
Donald knew that the speaker must be Master Mesel, the highest-ranking mage. It was said that Master Mesel was older than the other two, but in Donald’s eyes, he appeared much younger than the two slightly hunched old mages beside him, looking more like a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties.
It seemed true that the stronger the professional, especially those in the spellcasting profession, the longer their lifespan. At this thought, Donald’s heart burned with excitement. After all, who wouldn’t want to live longer than others?
Though thinking such things, Donald did not show disrespect to the mages. He replied respectfully, “No, respected masters. I haven’t had the fortune to be taught by any master. My ability to master meditation and become a mage apprentice is thanks to the protection of my late grandfather and a beginner’s book from a local magic store!”
The three mages were astonished by this answer. Especially the mage to Master Mesel’s left frowned slightly before quickly returning to his usual expression before the others noticed.
Noticing this detail, Donald immediately figured out that this must be Narlon, the black-iron mage known for disliking young apprentices.

“It’s hard to believe that for many years now, North County hasn’t seen a single self-taught mage apprentice! It seems your talent, Apprentice Donald, must be astonishing. I wonder how the mages in our guild could have missed someone like you!”
Master Mesel was deeply impressed and regretful upon hearing this. If such talent had been exposed to meditation before the age of ten, perhaps this apprentice would already be capable of reaching the rank of Bronze Mage.
Seeing the mages misunderstand, Donald hurried to explain, “It’s not the fault of the masters. Back then, my grandfather also brought the young me to the guild to request a professional assessment. I remember the master at the time said my control over elements was excellent, but my mental strength talent was very weak, basically ruling out the possibility of becoming a mage. But maybe because I was under five years old at the time, the test results weren’t accurate!”
After hearing this explanation, Master Mesel said with interest, “Indeed, that’s possible. It seems that through your growth over the years, your mental strength talent has developed to this level. It appears that testing too early in life has certain uncertainties. This situation should be reported to the Royal Mage Association so they can inform mages across the country. Young man, you’ve brought us important news today! Just for that, regardless of the results of the upcoming test, I will grant you official apprentice status. Mages, including apprentice mages, should not focus solely on combat. Discovering problems and seeking the truth of the world is the greatest goal of a mage!”
Hearing this, Donald bowed deeply and said solemnly, “Donald will surely remember Master’s teachings today and strive to become a true mage!”
Seeing such an attitude from this apprentice, coupled with his excellent talent, Master Mesel and another elder mage nodded and smiled in approval. Meanwhile, the Dark Iron Mage, who seemed to be Naron, smiled on the surface, but a cold glint appeared in his eyes.
After learning about Donald’s situation, the three mages stopped asking further questions and immediately announced that the test would begin.
The first test was of Donald’s mental control ability. He was required to make three feathers in front of him float, perform different actions, and then descend steadily in parallel.
This was the simplest mage trick. For Donald, whose mind had been strengthened by the Book of Wisdom and trained by the Soul Walker, it was merely the easiest test of all.

Donald, who completed the entire process effortlessly, received unanimous praise from the three mages. Though somewhat reluctant, even Mage Naron had to admit he couldn’t find any mistakes in his performance.

The second test evaluated the apprentice’s ability to master and apply spells. Master Messeled personally taught the simplest first-level spell, Light Spell, and then had Donald try to cast it.

As the only first-level spell with more than three incantations and the only one that didn’t require gestures, Light Spell was commonly used to test apprentices. Of course, this was just the general case. Mages of higher rank or greater talent could often omit certain incantations or gestures, as their strong and flexible mental powers allowed them to replace spell vibrations or gestures with direct manipulation of elemental arrangements in the air.

At Donald’s current level, he couldn’t do that. For now, he was studying the incantation of Light Spell diligently.

Being the simplest spell, Light Spell didn’t have many difficult syllables. After a few minutes of memorization and practicing the casting process, Donald quickly succeeded in casting his first official spell. A bright white light burst from his hand. Though still somewhat unstable, it was indeed cast successfully.

Master Messeled and the other mage both declared it a pass, except for Mage Naron, who said with a smirk, “The casting is unstable. He seems to have some talent, but it’s limited!”

Master Messeled also knew something about this Mage Naron, who was in his fifties and still at the mid-Black Iron level. Frowning at him, he said, “Mage Naron, you shouldn’t compare an apprentice to a full-fledged mage, especially one who has never even touched incantations. His talent already surpasses mine when I was an apprentice. If you have no further objections, this test is passed by apprentice Donald!”

“Yes, Master Messeled!” Hearing this, Naron slightly bowed his head, not daring to express any opposition in front of Master Messeled. Yet no one saw the annoyance in his eyes. Because of this apprentice, he had been reprimanded by Master Messeled. He didn’t dare voice any objections to Messeled, who had already reached the Silver realm, but he despised Donald even more for causing all this.

Next came the final test, which assessed the apprentice’s understanding of spell theory. Led by Master Messeled, each of them asked a question—of course, just some basic spell knowledge that wouldn’t go beyond what an apprentice should know.

With a foundation from his past life of exam-oriented education and a thorough understanding of the basic concepts in “Elements and Meditation” written by a great mage five hundred years ago, Donald could easily answer the basic magic questions posed by the three mages, all with perfect accuracy. Although there were some differences in their interpretations, it still made Master Messel’s eyes shine as if he had discovered a treasure. It seemed he had indeed found a promising talent—though already an adult, seventeen wasn’t too old. With proper guidance, he might even become a full-fledged Dark Iron-level mage before the age of twenty!

Donald performed flawlessly in all three tests, successfully completing the apprentice certification process. As for those three black stone targets, they were purely for show—they were actually used in official mage tests. The tricks at the apprentice level had no real offensive power; they weren’t even strong enough to scratch those stone targets.

“I declare that the tests for apprentice mage Donald Merlinar are complete. His performance was excellent, and his status has been certified, effective immediately. Apprentice Donald, you may go to the attendant to receive the apprentice certificate issued by the guild!”

Even though Donald had always strived to maintain an air of nobility, hearing this result made him jump up in excitement with a joyful laugh.

Watching the young man’s performance, Master Messel not only saw no rudeness in him but also greatly appreciated his youthful energy—this was the vitality that young people should possess!

“Alright, Apprentice Donald, you may go get your apprentice badge. Then please do not leave the guild—be sure to come to my room; I still have some matters to discuss with you!”

Upon hearing this, Donald quickly bowed. “Yes, Master. I will follow your instructions!”

A few minutes later, now officially an apprentice and dressed in new clothes, Donald knocked on the lounge reserved for the most esteemed mage, Master Messel.