The process of receiving the Golden Feather Token went smoothly.
After leaving an imprint in the depths of Golden Feather Tower at Black Castle, the entire process of receiving the Golden Feather Token was declared complete.
Colin was consulting Jonah about some details regarding the Golden Feather Token.
"Mr. Jonah, the Golden Feather Token allows us to receive two First Rank Witchcrafts corresponding to our own strength for free each year, how is this 'each year' calculated?"
"It is calculated as more than a year between the last time you received and this time," Jonah replied.
"Is the annual exemption from the mandatory School tasks also calculated in the same way?"
"That's not the case," Jonah shook his head, "the annual mandatory tasks of the School are calculated according to the Yanan Calendar, so the exemption is also based on the Yanan Calendar."
"A First Rank Wizard needs to perform four mandatory tasks annually, which means one task every three months," Jonah looked at Colin and added,
"Since you Advanced at the end of the year, you should only need to perform one mandatory task, and if you haven't done it yet, you can now go to the General Affairs Castle and use the privilege of the Golden Feather Token to offset it."
"I've already done it." Colin nodded, having previously gone to the Southern Sea Domain as an accompanying wizard for the Alus Association, which counted as a mandatory task.
This also meant that, for the remaining month of the year, he temporarily didn't need to worry about any mandatory tasks.
"Do you have any other questions?" Jonah asked.
Colin thought for a moment, then asked his final question: "After obtaining the Golden Feather Token, what exactly is the monthly Magic Stone subsidy from the School?"
"If I remember correctly... um, it's a thousand Magic Stones," Jonah hesitated, then answered after a moment of thought.
"And is it the same for the Apprentice subsidy, picked up at the first floor of Black Castle?"
"...Yes," Jonah nodded, his expression still somewhat strange.
Compared to the other benefits that the Golden Feather Token could bring, the monthly subsidy of a thousand Magic Stones was hardly worth mentioning.
But Colin didn't see it that way.
He had recalculated his Magic Stones yesterday, and they had fallen below five digits to just over four thousand.
For a First Rank Wizard, such a fortune was clearly considered poor.
Especially since there was a spell on the Golden Paper—Silent—a First Rank Witchcraft nearing its Limit Breaking.
So although it seemed like he still had enough Magic Stones, this was undoubtedly only temporary.
'Maybe later I can consider selling the Limit Breaking Witchcraft to earn Magic Stones?' Colin pondered silently but soon shook his head internally, 'This matter requires careful study.'
Long ago, he had discovered that the market circulation of Zeroth Rank and above witchcraft or Meditation Methods, even scattered pieces of knowledge, was extremely limited.
There was clearly a reason behind this; trying to sell First Rank Witchcraft directly through an auction house obviously wasn't feasible.
Of course, this didn't mean that one couldn't earn Magic Stones by selling witchcraft, but it required prior investigation and research.
After all, if selling Zeroth Rank and above witchcraft wasn't allowed, selling Zeroth Rank witchcraft might still be feasible, though less profitable.
Thinking about this, Colin couldn't help but sigh about the severe restrictions on witchcraft knowledge in this world.
Having bid farewell to Jonah, he and Ocasie left Black Castle together, and while passing through the first floor of Black Castle, he conveniently picked up this month's Magic Stone subsidy.
At the Tin Saint School, each Apprentice receives a varying amount of Magic Stone subsidy each month depending on their Rank.
This was a specific benefit for Wizard Apprentices, which ceased upon Advancing to First Rank.
Thus, the monthly subsidy of a thousand Magic Stones from the Golden Feather Token was an unexpected pleasant surprise for Colin.
Gentle sunlight poured generously, bringing a touch of warmth to this cold winter noon.
Neustadt City was already covered in a layer of snow, only the streets remained dry due to the effects of witchcraft; carriages bustled along the road, unimpeded by the harsh weather, just like any other day.
Colin and Ocasie walked side by side on the pedestrian pathway along the streets, next to them were bare trees with branches laden with some white snow.
After Jonah's departure, the atmosphere between the two had become somewhat gloomy and awkward.
Colin, however, did not mind too much; after all, both in his past life and now, he was not fond of socializing—walking quietly like this suited him quite well.
Both the warm winter sun and the white snow on the nearby rooftops and eaves made him feel very comfortable.
Winter in Neustadt City had its own unique charm.
But Ocasie didn't feel the same way; she disliked the oppressive atmosphere and always felt uneasy.
"Master Colin, are you in need of Magic Stones?" she asked after a moment of thought but immediately felt it might not be the best question to ask, so she awkwardly added, "What I mean is, since you are already a Golden Feather, Magic Stones should be the least of your worries..."
Colin shook his head, "I do indeed lack Magic Stones."
Seeing the confused look on Ocasie's face, he added, "I do not wish to be bound by anything, so I have no plans to join any Faction, nor a Pureblood Family."
"Not planning to join any Faction?" Astonishment appeared clearly on Ocasie's delicate face.
She was a typical School Wizard, having grown up in Neustadt City.
Her late father and Wizard Jonah were close friends, so even though her father died early, her path to growth had been smooth.
In her understanding, if wizards wanted to climb the ranks, they inevitably had to join a Faction.
It was conventional wisdom... However, thinking of Colin's status as a Golden Feather and possibly a Heroic Wizard, Ocasie felt less surprised.
After all, among the high rank wizards of the School, there were indeed a few who were loners.
Looking at Colin's sharply outlined profile, a sense of admiration inexplicably arose in her heart.
If ivy wants to reach a high place, it needs to cling to a tall tree, but if it is itself a tall tree, it need not do so and can very well stand alone.
After walking for a moment, Ocasie turned into an alley and stopped a few steps later, turning back to say:
"We're here, Master Colin."
Colin looked up.
It was a courtyard surrounded by tall gray walls, with a black iron gate concealing an ancient castle, appearing somewhat time-worn.
The castle was not large, only three stories high, with a narrow front yard except for a cobblestone path for walking, the only other feature was a white circular fountain with a diameter of one meter in the center, where a sculpture of books was broken at the corner, and the water that once flowed was now frozen into ice.
Colin slightly raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat let down; the scene before him was drastically different from what he had imagined the residence of the True Knowledge Society to be.
In his imagination, the mysterious and powerful True Knowledge Society's headquarters should, if not luxurious and imposing, at least rival the Tin Saint School...
But now, it rather resembled the rundown Blackstone Castles of the Lap School on Blackstone Island.
"Let's go, Master Colin, I'll take you inside," Ocasie said, noticing Colin's expression and added after a moment of thought:
"Normally, if there's no other business, members of the True Knowledge Society don't come here; this place is more for storing knowledge and archives, and although it may seem inconspicuous, it is one of the most defensively strong places in Neustadt City.
However, these are all secondary; the True Knowledge Society pursues truth, not power."
'Truth, huh...' Colin nodded slightly and followed Ocasie inside.
No matter what the True Knowledge Society was actually like, as long as it could provide him with the resources he imagined, that would be enough.