"Wizards' most solid relationship has always been the exchange of interests, which is also the essence of the enduring prosperity of Schools,"
Colin nodded without saying much, as he wasn't very familiar with Joe and it didn't seem appropriate to engage in a deep conversation.
He silently warned himself in his heart:
"It's precisely because the mainstream is like this, that those relationships that can completely disregard interest are all the more rare and precious."
For him, on the path of a wizard's cultivation, he perhaps hadn't encountered too much difficulty.
But the easier his journey, the more vigilant he became about changes to his own mind.
Only by sticking to his true self could he travel farther.
If cultivation made him become more like a cold-blooded machine, then this would fundamentally contradict the essence of a wizard's cultivation.
However, although he didn't completely agree with Joe's words, the old wizard's speech did reveal another layer of the School to him.
The complexity of the various powers within these Schools, some of which had been established for a thousand years, probably exceeded his imagination.
'It's best to quietly develop and try not to get involved,' Colin thought to himself.
"Alright, Mr. Colin," Joe took out the badge that had been remodeled and handed it to Colin.
The new badge, starting from the end, had three silver feathers, followed by a completely gilded Golden Feather, which, at First Rank Intermediate, was only mostly golden.
"Thank you." Colin took the badge and was ready to leave.
"Wait a moment, Mr. Colin." However, seeming to remember something, Joe called out to him again.
"Based on past cases, with your current rate of advancement, you are sure to be awarded a Golden Feather Token.
If you're not busy, why not take advantage of this moment and go collect the token?"
"Otherwise, you might have to make another trip next time—the awarding of the Golden Feather Token is a bit more complicated than the silver, with many procedures to go through."
Colin stopped in his tracks and thought for a moment before asking, "How long will it take approximately?"
"About a little over three hours, and to be frank, I happen to be in charge of this."
"Three hours..." Colin looked at the skies outside the window, which had unconsciously turned dim.
The days in winter were not as long as before, and even the sunset was no longer as dazzling, showing a faint red semblance and revealing its full round shape.
Night was about to fall.
After pondering for a moment, Colin ultimately shook his head and declined, "Let's not, I still have some things to take care of later."
Not only was tonight the gathering with his mentor and senior sister, but it was also a farewell memorial service for senior Marjorie; it wasn't suitable to delay here too long.
"If you have things to do, then indeed there's no helping it."
Joe didn't insist further but paused before adding,
"Mr. Colin, if you ever consider changing Factions, you can contact me. The Faction I belong to will definitely offer you terms that will satisfy you."
"I will consider it."
"Mr. Colin, you should be cautious in choosing a Faction. For a golden-feathered Talent like you, unless the Faction you belong to is indeed too weak, they will certainly bind you with a contract."
For some reason, Joe paused and then suddenly continued,
"In other words, when the time comes, you should carefully compare the differences between various Factions, and don't hastily sign a contract before the news of obtaining the Golden Feather Token has spread."
"Also, with the Golden Feather Token, if you receive it, each year you'll have the opportunity to select two witchcraft and corresponding knowledge at your level for free, twice a year.
This is a precious privilege, but there's still one thing to be mindful of—
That is to choose witchcraft or knowledge that does not overlap with that of the Faction you belong to, otherwise, it would be a waste of an opportunity."
"Factions have their own witchcraft and knowledge?" Colin asked in confusion.
"In the Tin Saint School, aside from some Wizards' proprietary witchcraft, most other witchcraft can be found in the library, but this does not mean that all witchcraft or knowledge must be exchanged with School Contribution Points," Joe explained:
"Each Faction possesses certain witchcraft or knowledge that can be passed on without needing Contribution Points, mostly because they were unexpectedly obtained or developed by Faction members.
So while being submitted to the School, they retained the right to pass it on. With your Talent, as long as you find a good Faction and mentor, you can learn plenty of witchcraft without Contribution Points."
"While it is likely not entirely free within a Faction, your Talent is probably enough for all Factions to open backdoors for you.
And even if that's not possible, it's still far easier than exchanging with Contribution Points."
"I see," Colin nodded.
"Additionally, one of the major benefits of the Golden Feather Token is that you can refuse one mandatory School-assigned mission each year," Joe thought for a moment and continued,
"This benefit wasn't much in the past since the compulsory missions were not difficult, and most carried no threat to life.
But now with the ongoing war, the yearly compulsory missions from the School are increasingly perilous."
Colin nodded in agreement, this benefit was undoubtedly the best for someone like him who wished to remain in seclusion.
"Thank you for the reminder," Colin expressed his sincere gratitude.
Atbolde, perhaps due to being constantly afflicted with illness over the years and having few apprentices, had almost no presence in the Tin Saint School.