Marjorie's steps hesitated slightly before she spoke with some embarrassment:
"Usually, the School would allocate some housing for the apprentices to live in, but Mentor Archibald currently has no spare quotas." Marjorie's voice grew quieter as she spoke,
"I and the other apprentices of the mentor are living near the School...
I myself am renting a courtyard, which is the property of the School. There's a discount for us members of the School; after a successful application, it would only cost about six hundred Magic Stones a month."
"Six hundred Magic Stones may seem like a lot, but in reality, as long as you're willing to take on a few more School tasks, it's quite easy to afford."
"I understand, Senior Marjorie."
Colin nodded, his expression unchanged as he replied, but his doubts did not diminish in the slightest.
'Mentor Archibald, being a Second Rank Wizard... could he really be lacking apprentice housing quotas?... Perhaps there's some secrecy.'
However, he wasn't inclined to pry into the secrets behind it after all, it was none of his business.
He had been prepared for a decrease in treatment as well.
After all, in an environment like the Tin Saint School, tranquility and abundant resources obviously could not be had together. Only by not competing for resources, and thus having fewer resources, could one achieve relative tranquility.
"Let's go, I'll take you on a quick tour of the School, and after that, I'll take you to apply for housing."
"Okay."
Colin stepped forward to follow Marjorie.
Not living at the School had its benefits for him; his secrets were numerous, and living outside the School, he at least had fewer worries about being discovered.
At this moment, Marjorie, walking ahead, suddenly paused and slapped her forehead in vexation:
"I forgot something!"
"I forgot to have the mentor assign you a task."
As she spoke, she thought about turning back, but then her steps suddenly halted as if she had thought of something.
"It's almost twelve o'clock, it's better to look for the mentor tomorrow morning."
Marjorie muttered, then turned her head to look at Colin with a stern face and reminded him:
"There aren't many rules at the mentor's place, but there are a few important things to be aware of.
One of them is that you must not enter the mentor's study after twelve o'clock noon.
In addition, you must leave here before midnight and can only return after sunrise."
Colin's heart chilled, and he nodded gravely.
He did not take Marjorie's words lightly; some rules must be firmly remembered.
"Let's go," Marjorie continued to lead him outside.
"The rest of the things to take note of, I'll explain as we walk."
*
*
*
Three o' clock in the afternoon.
Huapei District.
In a courtyard located a distance away from Tin Saint Street, on Liao Saint Street.
"Sir, what do you think about this set of housing? The price, after the School's subsidy, is only seven hundred Magic Stones a month."
A middle-aged Apprentice asked respectfully.
He was affiliated with the force of the Tin Saint School and his status was far below that of people like Colin, so his attitude was naturally extremely respectful.
Colin nodded, looking at the middle-aged Apprentice, feeling again a trace of the sensation he had on Blackstone Island when he was a member of the Lap School.
In this world, School members and non-School members differed too much in every aspect.
Not in a hurry to respond, he looked up and surveyed the surroundings once more.
This was a double-story Western house with a courtyard, and compared to the previous ones he had seen, it was not large, and thus the price was also higher than the previous five hundred or six hundred Magic Stones.
But this set was his favorite.
There were no other reasons, mainly its sufficiently secluded location and a distance of about ten meters from the nearest neighbor, providing a high degree of privacy.
Moreover, the size was sufficient.
The house was about a hundred square meters, and the courtyard was about twice the size of the house, more than two hundred square meters in all. It was completely enough for him living alone.
"I'll take this one," Colin decided and spoke up.
The rent was paid every three months, and he handed over two thousand one hundred Magic Stones to the middle-aged Apprentice.
For Neustadt City, if this set of housing were rented to ordinary Wandering Wizards, the price per month would surely be over two thousand one hundred Magic Stones.
...The benefits of being a School member were now unmistakably evident.
"Apprentice Colin, now that you have chosen a house, I suggest you go to the mentor tomorrow to ask for a Nado Seed, oh, and also a Yista flower seed, these are also unique perks we have...
If cultivated well, in about a month, you will be able to have a simple guardian here... enough to fend off any petty thieves."
"Thank you for the suggestion, Senior Marjorie," Colin replied, somewhat surprised.
He hadn't expected to be able to get a Nado Seed for free from Mentor Archibald!
Although Nado's strength wasn't too strong, that was in comparison to Official Wizards.
For an Apprentice like him, Nado was undoubtfully an excellent helper around the home, not only aiding in greenery but also serving as a guard.
Particularly when paired with the Xira White, it formed a special "curfew system," greatly facilitating daily life.
...
The next day.
Colin arrived early at Archibald's residence.
Following Marjorie's demonstration from yesterday, he summoned the Xira flower, went through verification, and entered.
Everything here at the mentor's place remained the same as yesterday, filled with an atmosphere of serenity and peace.
'One wonders what it is about midnight that makes staying here prohibited.'
Walking along the path and observing everything around him, an inexplicable thought occurred to Colin.
But he quickly dispelled this hint of curiosity.
He walked into the villa and stopped outside the study.
Knock knock knock—
He gently rapped on the door.
"Come in," came the familiar voice.
"Good morning, Mentor Archibald," Colin said as he pushed open the door, greeting him instinctively with respect.
But then he paused slightly.
There was another person in the study besides Archibald.
"Hello," the other figure greeted him proactively, her voice firm and steady, a striking contrast to her delicate appearance, "Lillian Rudolph."
'Rudolph...' Colin sharply noted the surname she shared with Archibald.
"Colin Leonard," he replied promptly.
Lillian was petite, her features as youthful and pale as her frame.
If it weren't for her firm, steady voice and a face so placid it could be described as indifferent, lending her an air of maturity...
She would have just seemed like an ordinary lovely girl of about twelve or thirteen.
"Good morning, Colin... this is your senior fellow," Archibald slowly explained, arriving fashionably late with his introduction.
"Sister Lillian," Colin turned and greeted Lillian respectfully.
"Junior Brother Colin," Lillian responded to him, her expression cold, yet her tone calm and gentle.
After greeting Colin, Lillian turned to glance at Archibald and then left the study directly.
"Do you have something to discuss with me, Colin?" Archibald asked, "Asking for another guide in the Meditation Method won't do… It's not that I don't want to help, but too many times can be counterproductive."
"No, that's not it," Colin shook his head, "Mentor, there are two things I've come to ask you about."
"One is to request that you bestow upon me a Nado Seed and a Xira White seed.
The other is to inquire about the responsibilities I'll be tasked with from now on."
A School was different from the educational institutions of his former life.
Usually, aside from their studies and cultivation, most apprentices had work to do, whether more or less, and only a few with particularly exceptional talents could avoid being tasked with chores.
"Nado and Xira seeds..." Archibald muttered, gesturing with a wave of his hand as he spoke.
Like the day before, a branch suddenly stretched in through the large window.
Archibald plucked two seeds that glowed with an unusual luster off the branch and handed them to Colin.
"Here, for you."
"Thank you, Mentor," Colin quickly expressed his gratitude.
"As for work..." Archibald furrowed his brow, the wrinkles on his already-grooved forehead deepening.
Colin's heart likewise raised in anticipation... unsure of what sort of work he might be allocated.
Soon, Archibald's forehead smoothed.
"There's no need for you to work; you should concentrate on your cultivation and aim to alter your Meditation Method as soon as possible."
'No work?!' Colin was momentarily taken aback.
"What's wrong?" Archibald asked, "No need to worry about the lack of work, it doesn't affect the School's monthly subsidy of a hundred Magic Stones for Advanced Apprentices."
"If you're short of money, you can opt to undertake some assignments."
"Alright, Mentor," Colin recovered his composure.
'No work is undoubtedly good news. Given the situation here at the mentor's, it's likely that the work wouldn't have much to offer... maybe not even as much as School assignments.'
'My current savings are sufficient for now, so I might as well take this opportunity to prioritize advancing my own strength and alter the Meditation Method.'
With this in mind, Colin suddenly hesitated...
Should he now ask Archibald about the advancement process for becoming an Official Wizard?
The Tin Saint School was not aware of the specifics of his becoming an Advanced Wizard, and it seemed Archibald didn't know either... so there was no need to worry about drawing unnecessary attention.
However, it had only been the second day since he had reported here... It felt too soon.
After a brief consideration, Colin decided to set it aside for the time being.
He looked up, said farewell to Archibald, and turned back towards his own residence.
After all, he hadn't even managed to successfully alter the Meditation Method yet; even if he learned the advancement process, he'd need to wait until after altering the Meditation Method to use it.
He would ask after successfully altering the Meditation Method...