Black Castle's second floor, Colin walked through the lengthy corridor and arrived at the registration office.
Knock, knock, knock—
He knocked lightly on the door, and soon a crisp female voice came from inside:
"Please come in."
The registration office looked the same as when he had visited last time, still a small room with no significant changes.
Sunlight streamed through the glass window on the right, casting its glow on the only brown desk and further on the gray-haired old wizard sitting behind it.
Apart from this lone desk and chair and the old wizard, there was nothing else in the entire room.
Although the Tin Saint School had thousands of wizards, big and small, just one person was enough to handle the advancement registration work.
This job was probably one of the most leisurely within Black Castle.
Of course, if he remembered correctly, the wizard in charge of registration last time was not this elder, but a witch with brown, thick-framed glasses.
"Registering strength enhancement, please first present your school badge for identity verification..." Jonah adjusted his silver glasses and slowly lifted his head.
But the next second, when he saw Colin's features clearly, his expression showed a hint of confusion.
This wizard seemed somewhat familiar.
With the presence of a Superbrain, Colin recalled the man's identity first—
This wizard seemed to be the boss of the witch who handled the registration previously, and he seemed to be a mentor too.
Without much concern, Colin stepped forward and confidently placed his school badge on the witch tool fashioned like a balance scale on the desk, and at the same time rested his hand on the other side.
Jonah, perhaps because Colin had changed in both aura and appearance after advancing to a First Rank Knight, took a moment to recall where he had seen Colin.
However, Jonah didn't dwell on it and went ahead with the verification, updating Colin's strength as per procedure.
Even though he was only filling in temporarily for his favorite student, he was well-versed with the relevant procedures.
When he was still a First Rank Wizard, he had been doing this very job.
Moments later, the balance scale emitted a misty white light, and Jonah scrutinized the midpoint indicator before removing the badge.
"From a First Rank Intermediate Wizard to a First Rank Advanced... Colin Leonard?" he murmured, looking at the name. Slowly, he lifted his head, his eyes full of surprise beneath the silver glasses.
"Colin Leonard?" Jonah repeated unconsciously.
"It's me, Sir Jonah," Colin calmly nodded.
Although there had been some unpleasantness with Jonah's female student last time, that obviously had nothing to do with Jonah, and Colin held no ill will towards the elder wizard.
Of course, neither could he say he felt particularly fond of him.
Seeing Colin's confirmation, Jonah, almost instinctively, adjusted his glasses, his expression a bit disorganized.
He took several looks at Colin, then finally said dryly, "You've become quite a bit more handsome since the last time."
Colin chose not to respond.
Jonah chuckled, finally coming back to his senses, and his tone became smoother and more enthusiastic.
"Have you already started strengthening the foundation of your physique?" he continued.
Before him, this wizard had been First Rank Intermediate just a month ago, and now he was already First Rank Advanced. It hadn't taken him long to progress from First Rank Basic to First Rank Intermediate either.
Such a rapid advancement speed... Colin could now be considered one of the Tin Saint School's top-tier genius wizards!
After this registration, he would surely receive a Golden Feather Token, his future prospects looking bright!
Should he not fall along the way, at the very least, he would reach the Third Rank Wizard!
"Yes, I am in the process," Colin smiled, giving a noncommittal reply.
But in reality, he was just waiting for his Wizard Level progress to advance further and to acquire the knowledge for the Second Rank Wizard before he could start working on advancing.
"It's truly astounding!" Jonah exclaimed, "People often say that the gap between mere mortals and wizards is vast, but in my opinion, the gap between wizards themselves is perhaps just as insurmountable."
"I wonder if Sir Colin has considered changing factions? With your talent, advancing to the Second Rank is just a matter of time.
If the faction you are currently in isn't strong enough, perhaps it's time to start planning for the future."
"The path of a wizard is arduous and difficult to navigate. Having a guide to block the incoming winds and falling rocks can make it much easier."
It seemed Jonah had mentally elevated the genius First Rank Wizard before him to the same status as himself.
His words were sincere, far more genuine than the superficial courtesies of the past.
"Thank you for the advice," Colin nodded slightly; he was always willing to return goodwill for goodwill.
However, Jonah's words, although a heartfelt admonition from someone experienced, didn't quite apply to Colin's unusual situation.
His specific plans for the future would require further careful consideration.
As Jonah set Colin's badge into a specially made witch tool, he continued to add:
"You needn't feel any burden over leaving your original faction. If all goes as expected, the new faction you join will generally compensate your original faction with a large amount of resources—this is an unwritten rule that has always existed in the schools."
Jonah paused, adjusted his glasses, and seeing that the badge wasn't yet modified, continued to speak:
"In fact, the entire Tin Saint School is filled with such kinds of interest exchanges, no matter whether there is enmity between two factions or not, it is always so."