"Set sail!"
Ding, ding, ding—
On the three-masted sailing ship, four muscular men pushed the wooden capstan, and the thick iron chain was pulled up and wound, clinking as it collided.
After a while, the heavy anchor rose from the seabed.
Then, the three-masted sailing ship slowly started moving.
Colin stood at the raised stern, watching the bustling wooden pier not far away, watching it gradually recede.
The frenzied crowd filled the nearest dock, extending to the surrounding docks and the beach.
At the moment, they were excitedly reaching out towards him, shouting something incessantly.
Some even jumped into the sea, desperately swimming towards him.
If one ignored the fierce expressions, it looked as though they were seeing him off, or bidding a reluctant farewell.
As the sailing ship moved on, the distance grew.
The various objects and stones thrown by the crowd could no longer reach the departing ship.
He waved the Foolishness Scepter and withdrew the expanded Hope Defense Field.
With a deeper understanding of witchcraft, a wizard could utilize an increasing number of variations.
Now, with the assistance of the Foolishness Scepter, an Official Wizard's power-limit-breaking Hope Defense Field had even more uses.
Before this, he could not have expanded the Hope Defense Field to such a vast extent.
He retracted his gaze, turned around, and walked toward the middle of the ship, no longer looking at the frenzied crowd on the distant pier.
Not far away, Renee was throwing the bodies of several sailors off the ship.
Colin's expression was calm.
In his mind were the previous scenes of sailors fervently trying to stop the ship from departing.
They had already turned their backs on him and sided with the divine...
They were his enemies.
Fortunately, the remaining crew members, after drifting away from the island, were gradually recovering from their befuddled expressions, and the dissipation of their spirit fog ceased, stabilizing once more.
As he walked towards Renee, he summoned Golden Paper.
On it, just as he expected, there was no significant change in the progress of the Hope Defense Field.
The price for casting witchcraft with the Foolishness Scepter was the forgetting of knowledge.
However, with the effect of Golden Paper, casting witchcraft would actually increase his knowledge.
Clearly, the two could offset each other.
Whether more knowledge was gained or forgotten depended largely on the strength of the amplification desired.
At least when lifting an Apprentice's peak-power Hope Defense Field and other spells to the strength of an Official Wizard's regular spells,
the knowledge forgotten was not substantial and still within acceptable limits.
'But it still requires cautious use,' Colin reminded himself.
Within a certain amplification strength range, the Foolishness Scepter would first forget the knowledge related to the cast spell.
If this range was exceeded,
It would not only mean completely forgetting the spell just cast, but also forgetting random pieces of knowledge.
This range of random knowledge could include not only witchcraft but also any other knowledge, even concepts and cognition...
For a wizard, forgetting certain important concepts or cognitions in this world
Not only could it lead to confusion of underlying logic and the collapse of one's worldview,
It could also cause the dissipation of one's human nature and knowledge's spiritual light, leading to contamination and mutation by one's own impurities.
"Master," Renee greeted him respectfully as she saw him approaching.
Colin nodded slightly.
With a thought, the dark golden runes on the scepter vanished, turning into golden lines attached to his right forearm.
He examined Renee.
The blonde girl was still as exquisite and beautiful as before.
Under his gaze, she seemed somewhat uneasy, gently straightening the golden locks by her ear.
Colin's expression remained calm, as if suddenly remembering something, he asked,
"Where's Arthur? Why haven't I seen him?"
Renee shook her head and replied,
"Master, Arthur took Demi and me to the eastern city dock earlier and agreed to come back for us in the evening, then he left again on his own."
"I don't know where he went."
Colin paused, then nodded slightly.
No wonder he had not seen his familiar carriage on the beach earlier...
As for where Arthur had gone,
He had an idea—
It was either a tavern... or, indeed, a brothel.
While he didn't impose too many restrictions on his servants, he was still aware of their whereabouts.
Renee usually stayed at home, either trying to develop new dishes, practicing her culinary skills, or playing with Demi.
Arthur, perhaps because he received a monthly salary, would occasionally visit a tavern.
Colin understood all this and didn't mind.
After all, as long as they did their jobs well and didn't cause him any trouble, that was enough.
Only now...
"Colin!"
At that moment, a shout suddenly came from afar.
Colin looked up and saw a three-masted sailing ship not far off on the sea.
At this moment, Berkeley and others were standing on the deck, looking towards him.
...
The originally spacious captain's quarters of the three-masted sailing ship.
Now, because it was filled with apprentices, it seemed a bit cramped.
"So... it was all just a plot by the divine?"
Berkeley muttered bitterly at the forefront.
His voice was inexplicably hoarse.
The other apprentices also fell silent, their faces undisguised with shock and bewilderment.
"Hmm."
Colin nodded slightly, waiting for them to process the information.
Silence fell in the captain's cabin.
For a long time.
Berkeley was the first to break the quiet.
"How do you all plan to proceed?"
The complexity had vanished from his face.
He now appeared as calm as ever.
Even more resolute than before.
Colin watched Berkeley, somewhat surprised.
He had thought Berkeley would be the last to recover.
After all...
Among all the Wizard Apprentices present, he was undoubtedly the one with the deepest feelings for the Lap Wizard and the Lap School.
But unexpectedly...
Fina and the others, hearing Berkeley's question, furrowed their brows reflexively, looking somewhat lost.
Berkeley looked around, his gaze falling on Colin, and he paused before asking:
"Colin... Sir, what are your plans after this?"
Hearing him being addressed, Colin blinked, feeling somewhat bewildered.
For no apparent reason, he recalled the time when he traded Arrow Shooting Skill at the Guard Station in the center of Blackstone City.
The memory was still vivid, as if it hadn't been long ago...
Yet it also felt like a long and hazy period of time.
Sea birds cried outside the window, waves rippling.
But in his field of vision, not a trace of Blackstone Island remained.
After a moment of silence, he replied:
"Bakanan Island... I plan to go to Bakanan Island."
Berkeley was taken aback and said:
"Bakanan Island... That's not close from here."
Colin nodded slightly and paused before asking:
"What about you? Berkeley... Sir."
"I plan to go to Moli Island," Berkeley said slowly, looking around at everyone before asking again:
"What about you all?"
"I wish to continue following Lord Berkeley," Martha spoke up first.
"I'll go with you, too," Fina followed.
"I suppose I'll go to Moli Island as well," Flower hesitated before chiming in.
Compared to Bananka Island, Moli Island was closer, requiring less time at sea.
Which also meant it was safer.
Even though Colin had shown great power before,
Placing one's own safety in the hands of another was clearly foolish.
Moreover, compared to Colin, he preferred to trust the more familiar Berkeley.
Colin remained silent.
He had anticipated this outcome,
But he couldn't help feeling a touch of sorrow for the departure.
But then.
"Lord Colin, I'd like to accompany you to Bakanan Island!"
The last, a gaunt Male Wizard—Murray, suddenly spoke.
Berkeley frowned beside him, his lips moved as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he remained silent.
"Okay," Colin glanced at Murray and responded lightly.
After some further conversation,
Berkeley and the four others got up to leave.
Colin saw them to the deck.
The sea breeze blew straight at them, fluttering their hair.
Flower looked at him with a complex expression and finally sighed:
"Safe travels, Sir Colin."
Colin thanked him.
Unconsciously, he had gotten used to the new way Flower and the others addressed him, as well as their respectful attitudes.
Fina and Martha also stepped forward to say goodbye.
He reciprocated their well-wishes.
At last, Berkeley approached.
"Safe travels, Sir Colin," he offered his blessings as well.
Then he glanced at Murray, who was standing not too far away, and sighed.
Hopefully, it wasn't as he feared...
Before the ceremony, Colin had only been an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice.
But the witchcraft he had shown since then had already reached the level of an Official Wizard.
Everyone knew Colin must have undergone some fortune...
But not everyone could resist greed.
Berkeley took another look at Colin, then turned and joined Fina and the others, flying towards the three-masted ship not far away.
Colin watched their figures grow distant, shrink to specks, and finally land on the three-masted ship's deck.
After withdrawing his gaze, he turned to glance at Murray standing aside, then turned and walked toward the captain's cabin on his own.