Chapter 138: Enrollment
The Divine Light Badge drew a sidelong glance from the two full-fledged mages stationed at the entrance of the divine tower.
It was a creation of a Rank Two mage, a less commonly seen lumen-attribute restorative equipment, definitely an extraordinary item for even Rank One mages like them.
Sein, with something of such caliber in his possession, hinted at the possibility of a noteworthy background.
“Medich? Have you heard of him?” the female mage asked her colleague.
Her colleague shook his head.
The female mage turned to Sein and said, “Medich of the Divine Tower of Dawn, yes? I’ll inform those inside the divine tower. If there are indeed full-fledged mages acquainted with him, you may be able to secure a spot in the academy.”
After saying that, the female mage swiftly turned around and departed.
Instead of flying directly toward the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, she turned around and whispered something to a large green leaf behind her.
The leaf emitted a sound that a person would make while stretching, then extended itself, swiftly creating a green passage that stretched backward, linking to the island where the divine tower stood.
Maintaining a low altitude flight at about two or three meters above the ground, the female mage followed the green passage toward the divine tower.
With the female mage’s departure, only the male mage and Sein remained.
The scene caught the attention of some initiates and knights who happened to be nearby.
The initiates were not from the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring Academy, but they revealed envy and jealousy at the special attention Sein received.
“The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring, as a newly built divine tower, is not that wealthy. While there are many initiates joining every ten years, there don’t seem to be many full-fledged mages among them.
“To attract more full-fledged mages, the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring offers preferential treatment and benefits. One of them is that full-fledged mages can recommend initiates to join the academy unconditionally,” a Quasi Mage remarked with a tinge of bitterness.
He was too old to join as an initiate, but the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring would open its doors if he were to be promoted into a full-fledged mage.
Like the Quasi Mage, several junior and intermediate initiates were also envious of Sein’s opportunity to join the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.
As the evening approached, the number of people in the vicinity dwindled. If it were earlier, more individuals might have lingered to witness the ongoing events.
Sein and the male mage remained unperturbed by onlookers.
After a brief silence, the male mage’s evident fascination with the Divine Light Badge in Sein’s hand prompted him to break the silence.
“Initiate, let me inspect your badge,” the male mage with green hair declared.
Sein could not refuse a request from a full-fledged mage even though the word “inspect” sounded rather ominous.
Despite his sinking heart, Sein respectfully handed over the Divine Light Badge.
His experiences at the Black Magic Academy had taught Sein the importance of maintaining a low profile to protect himself, especially in the presence of those with more power.
His deferential behavior seemed to please the full-fledged mage.
The male mage ceased scowling as he examined the badge with great interest.
As time passed without the sign of the female mage returning, Sein’s mood grew heavier.
Meanwhile, the male mage seemed unbothered. He held onto the Divine Light Badge as though he was its new owner.
It became evident that the surface world lacked absolute fairness and kindness.
While the environment at the Black Magic Academy had been extreme, not every full-fledged mage within the divine towers shared the noble qualities of Master Medich either.
The Featherbloom Sprites confined in cages on the commercial streets earlier in the day was proof that no one could escape the law of the jungle.
The weak was destined to be dominated by the strong—this was a universal law that would never change.
As the sky darkened, the male mage, with Sein’s badge in his clutch, chuckled mischievously and suggested, “Why don’t you come back tomorrow? It might take some time to find the person that Medich of yours is acquainted with.”
The male mage’s suggestion further dampened Sein’s spirits.
The look on Sein’s face was as somber as the sky above him now.
Unconcerned with Sein’s thoughts, the mage was about to drive Sein away when two magical lights descended.
“Hohoho, how come that Medich suddenly recommended an initiate to our divine tower? A hundred years ago, I invited him to join the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring as an instructor and promised him a position as a cohort leader. He just shrugged off the offer and refused to come!”
Accompanied by a peal of laughter, a middle-aged man in red mage robe and the female mage who left earlier appeared.
Sein could sense an aura akin to Master Medich’s emanating from the red-robed mage, confirming his status as a Rank Two mage.
Judging by the female mage’s deference and the surprise of the male mage, it was evident the red-robed mage was a prominent figure in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring.
The red-robed mage surveyed the surroundings before fixing his gaze on Sein. “Are you the one, little one?” he inquired.
The aura emitted by him resembled an intense fiery flame.
Despite the pressure from the Rank Two mage, Sein managed to nod, albeit with stiffness.
Not only did the red-robed mage possess a powerful focus level, but he also seemed to have mastered a relatively profound detection magic.
After just one glance at Sein, he nodded in approval as he remarked, “Ah, a senior initiate already in your twenties. I see, Medich did not recommend a bad one.”
“You’ll be under my care from now on. By the way, what’s your relationship with Medich?” he asked.
“Master Medich invited me to the Divine Tower of Dawn Academy, but the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring was a better fit for me due to family reasons. So, he gave me a badge and told me that he has an acquaintance in the Divine Tower of Verdant Spring,” Sein respectfully explained.
The red-robed mage burst into laughter at Sein’s response, and even the female full-fledged mage shared a peculiar expression as they looked at Sein.
“It seems Medich wanted to take you as his apprentice initially, but it looks like you two weren’t fated for that,” the red-robed mage commented.
“No matter, you’ll be under my wing from now on. The Divine Tower of Verdant Spring isn’t any inferior to the Divine Tower of Dawn!” He laughed heartily.
After the conversation with Sein, the red-robed mage’s smile faded slightly as he turned to the male full-fledged mage.
“Shouldn’t you give me the badge, Derek?” His voice was a lot colder when he spoke to the male mage.
Derek hastily nodded and replied, “Yes, yes, my apologies, Master Jovian!”
He hurriedly handed the Divine Light Badge to the red-robed mage.