Deep within the Tin Saint School.
Here lay an old-fashioned ancient castle complex.
Gazing at the familiar mottled walls of the castle, Atbolde felt as if he had returned to the era of hundreds of years past.
Back then, Neustadt City's broad roads were not yet filled with steam locomotives billowing black smoke, nor were there serpentine railways stretching out like long snakes...and back then, he was still young.
Collecting his thoughts, Atbolde continued to advance toward the castle.
He had not forgotten the reason he had come here today... Lillian was still waiting for his good news.
Step by step, as he entered the castle, Atbolde's originally hunched back gradually straightened.
His already tall stature, bent over by age, grew even taller now!
The sunlight streaming in from the door behind him cast a giant black shadow on the grey marble floor.
With each step he took, the deep lines on Atbolde's face, as if carved by knife and axe, seemed to be smoothed out by an invisible hand, gradually becoming sleek and smooth.
He had restored his appearance to that of a middle-aged man.
A middle-aged Official Wizard approached him in the hallway, the golden point in the feather badge on his chest denoting his status as a First Rank Wizard.
"Are you..." the middle-aged Wizard began, his expression first one of confusion, then immediately, his brow furrowed in shocked murmur, "Lord Rudolph?"
"It's been a long time, young Tota."
Atbolde smiled faintly in response, continuing to walk past Tota without pause.
Tap tap tap—
The crisp sound of his footsteps echoed down the marble corridor.
Watching Atbolde's retreating figure, Tota's expression gradually turned to one of sorrow.
After a moment of contemplation, he cast an assisting spell on himself, a flash of light passed, and his robe fluttered without wind.
Then, with a light leap, his body floated up and he swiftly flew forward along the left corridor.
*
*
*
Elsewhere.
Atbolde walked silently through the corridor, each step measured with precise accuracy.
Frankly, he did not hold much hope for achieving his goal today...
Even if it was just a modest request for a qualification to attend the Alus Association.
After a while.
Just as he was about to reach his destination, a group of grey-robed Wizards headed towards him.
"Rudolph."
The white-bearded Wizard at the lead greeted him.
"Robb." Atbolde stopped in his tracks, his gaze sweeping across the Wizards before him.
As expected, he soon found Tota, whom he had just encountered.
"What brings you here this time?" Robb asked bluntly.
"I have a student who wishes to join the Alus Association."
Atbolde, expressionless, withdrew his gaze from Tota, who had been looking down, and turned to Robb with his response.
"The Alus Association..." Robb paused slightly, then put on a smile and said, "Old friend, as you know, your Faction doesn't have the qualifications to access such resources... This has been determined decades ago."
"It cannot be changed now, I can't change it... and neither can Lord Larrel!"
"I want to see Larrel," Atbolde interrupted.
"Lord Larrel is busy with experiments..." Robb said with some difficulty, "It's better not to disturb him."
"Robb." Atbolde's tone chilled, but a faint smile appeared on his face, "I think I still deserve an audience with Larrel."
"..." Robb's face paled, unable to maintain his smile any longer.
At that moment, a voice came from behind Robb.
"Lord Rudolph, considering that Larrel is the mainstay of the Tin Saint School, you should be more understanding. How can we waste Lord Larrel's precious time on such a minor issue that was agreed upon long ago?"
Atbolde's expression remained unchanged as he looked in the direction of the voice; the speaker was a young, unfamiliar Wizard.
Judging from the feather badge on his chest, he should be a First Rank Wizard...
Atbolde couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
When had a mere First Rank Wizard begun to speak to him with such a tone?!
What complicated his feelings even more was the fact that... he didn't feel much anger at all.
It seemed as if his emotions had become like flowers in the summer heat, wilted and desiccated by the scorching sun, their petals curled up, lacking the strength to bloom once more...
However, if one looked closely, it was noticeable that Atbolde's arms, hanging by his sides, were slightly tensed, the contours of his muscular and knotted muscles like tree roots subtly emerging.
"Herard!"
Robb reprimanded the young Wizard behind him in a nonchalant manner, then turned to observe Atbolde's expression.
Atbolde took a deep breath inside and maintained the same faint smile, emphasizing once more,
"Robb, there are some things I do not wish to repeat."
As he spoke, wooden-like lines began to spread from the chest toward different parts of his body.
The lines quickly reached Atbolde's exposed neck and chin.
An intangible, terrifying presence surged toward Robb and the others like a tsunami!
"Stop stop stop!" Robb, seeing this, promptly called out, "I'll take you to see Lord Larrel right away!"
Atbolde glanced faintly at Robb, the leaf-like network of green lines instantly vanished from his neck and retracted back into his chest.