She had indeed become a Wizard Apprentice Girl!
Hmm... judging by the badge she wore, she seemed to have become an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice.
Colin paused with his gaze fixed on her, feeling somewhat surprised in his heart.
Although for him now, an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice was nothing significant.
But one must know that a year ago, Eliel was just a thoroughly ordinary person, yet now she had already become an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice!
Previously on Blackstone Island, from what he recalled, the fastest among the children who started with them took three years to become an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice.
Colin then shifted his gaze to the Knight Burns beside her and nodded at him.
This tall knight was still as silent and resolute as before.
"It's been a long time, Sir Colin, I didn't expect it to really be you," Eliel said as she straightened a lock of hair, sounding somewhat surprised.
Colin smiled. Encountering an old acquaintance in the unfamiliar Merredith City was indeed an unexpected pleasure.
The road of life was bound to be lonely, for many people would part ways and never be seen again...
That was the same for Wizards.
The Wizard's journey... was ultimately a lonely one.
"If I'm not mistaken about the badge, you have become an Intermediate Wizard Apprentice? That's quite a Talent," Colin praised, smiling.
Eliel pursed her lips and smiled, touching her hair by her ear and hesitated for a moment before she said softly,
"It's really thanks to my sister's shadow."
"Erica's shadow?" Colin was suddenly startled and quickly asked,
"Erica has passed away, what about this shadow?"
Eliel shook her head and hurriedly explained,
"Sir Colin, do you remember the shadow Talent that manifested because of my sister's ashes?"
"That shadow, perhaps influenced by Sister Erica's ashes, has grown to look more and more like my sister over time. So I have come to call it my sister's shadow."
"So, it's just a shadow that looks similar?"
"Yes."
Colin nodded, feeling a strange hint of disappointment in his heart.
Whether it was Erica or the spectral Erica, both had been left forever on that island.
Blackstone Island... a place even deeper into the Divine-controlled domain than the Southern Seven Islands.
"Sir Colin, are you here in Merredith City for sightseeing?" Eliel suddenly asked tentatively, "If it's okay, may I invite you..."
"Sorry, I've just come back from the Southern Sea Domain and am preparing to return to Neustadt City via the Transmission Array," Colin shook his head,
"There's some urgent business I need to take care of, I'm afraid I can't stay too long in Merredith City... well, in fact, I haven't even planned any time to stay here."
While he was happy to have run into an old friend, Colin had not forgotten that he was, at the moment, still on a journey.
"I see..." Eliel's expression clearly showed some disappointment.
"It's about time, I need to head to the Transmission Array," Colin said, looking at his pocket watch.
Eliel nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said,
"Sir Colin, let me walk you part of the way."
Colin saw no objection.
The three of them walked together toward the nearby Transmission Array.
"Sir Colin seems to have successfully joined the Tin Saint School as well?" Eliel speculated, looking at his well-crafted Wizard Robe.
"Yes, I was lucky to pass the examination," Colin nodded.
He did not wear a School Badge, but the Wizard Robe he wore was indeed a standard issue of the Tin Saint School.
It seemed he thought of something, as he suddenly turned to Eliel and advised,
"Your Talent is quite special, it's better to reveal as little as possible on a regular basis."
He was never much of a talker.
But perhaps because Eliel was a friend of Erica's, and because he had benefited from the spectral Erica's favor, he felt a strange sense of being an elder towards her.
Seeing her now innocently sharing with him why her training progress was so rapid, he couldn't help but say an extra word of caution.
"Alright, I know," Eliel nodded, somewhat surprised by the reminder.
But she also felt that Colin seemed somehow closer to her.
Having lived in the Palace, as a Princess who was ostracized, she deeply understood the reason to hide oneself.
Whether it was skills or the benefits received, even joy, it was best to bury them all.
But in the beginning, no one had reminded her; she was met only with the cold stares as she stumbled and fell.
"In fact, apart from you, Sir Colin, only my mentor Selena knows of my Talent," Eliel added, feeling warmed by the thought.
"Alright," Colin nodded, his demeanor relaxed.
Seeing Eliel's current state, she seemed to be doing quite well; it seemed that her mentor named Selena was probably also good to her.
As a Wizard who wasn't dark-hearted, he felt genuine joy for the current situation of his old friend's sister.
Since his arrival in this world, Colin had also undergone no small change in his mentality.
Perhaps it was the continuous growth in strength that had added to his confidence; he was now less indifferent and more amiable toward those around him than before.
The walls of indifference built from the unease of coming to an unfamiliar place and the tension of being weak were no longer needed.
He continued to make small talk with Eliel for a while.
As he had surmised, Eliel was doing well; although her mentor Selena was only a First Rank Advanced Wizard, she had very few Apprentices, only three.
Resources were not lacking, so naturally, the relationship between the Apprentices was quite good.
"By the way, Sir Colin, you just said you came back from the Southern Sea Domain... Were you on a mission assigned by the School?"