Lillian saw his silence, and after pondering for a moment, she sincerely advised,
"If you can integrate into a Pureblood Family, a hundred years of effort is actually not too much for you... A Wandering Wizard within the School doesn't have an easy life, and it's not much different from those Wandering Wizards outside."
These were the heartfelt words of Lillian. As a mixed-blood of an Alien Race, which was the least welcome among Wizards, the ordeal she faced was far beyond what a mere increase in rent could compare to.
Colin gripped the teacup in his hand and didn't know what to say for a moment.
With Golden Paper in his possession, he firmly believed that choosing this path was the faster and better option.
If there were any difficulties or dangers, he would simply flatten them one after another.
However, it was clear that Golden Paper was not something to be revealed easily.
"How much is the monthly rent for Senior Lillian's residence?" he thought and shifted the topic of conversation.
Lillian stroked her hair and shook her head, "My house is the remaining property of the Rudolph Family, so there's no rent to pay."
"I see…" Colin was slightly startled and had a wry smile in his heart.
A lean camel is still bigger than a horse, and although the Rudolph Family was down on its luck, it was still a family with a thousand-year heritage, which was indeed a bit better than him.
"Are you in great need of Magic Stones?" Lillian asked, "I remember putting you in contact with Betty before. Are you still selling Magic Potions to her?"
"Not anymore." Colin shook his head and then smiled again, adding, "But I'm not in need of Magic Stones at the moment."
Selling Magic Potions during his Apprentice period accounted for a considerable income, but now it was just a drop in the bucket for him.
"Got it." Lillian nodded, then looked at him earnestly and said, "If you need help, feel free to come to me and my mentor."
Colin gazed at her earnest little face and nodded slowly, "I will."
The two then chatted idly for a while.
At nine o'clock in the morning, Colin promptly left his home.
But this time he didn't head straight to the True Knowledge Society, instead, he first went to the School.
An hour later, in the General Affairs Castle on the third floor.
"So the recent supply of human materials has all been reserved, is that right?" Colin calmly asked the Wizard in front of the counter.
"Yes." The Wizard nodded, his face was gentle with a hint of helplessness as he replied, "The Supreme Council has always been strict with the review of human materials, and they are reserved early on every time... Would you like to come back in a month or two to check again?"
"Thank you." Colin shook his head inwardly and left briskly.
After he had left, the genteel expression on the Wizard's face at the counter immediately retracted, and he mocked to himself as he shook his head,
"I don't know where this newly Advanced Wizard came from, not even understanding the rules and not joining any Faction, coming here directly to apply for materials. Does he really think he can get an approval that easily?"
The resources provided by the School seemed to be available for everyone to apply for fairly, but in reality, most of them were already divided in the shadows, especially for sought-after items like human materials, which were out of reach for ordinary Wizards!
However, having said that, he had still greeted Colin with a smile earlier.
There was no other reason—following the rules was always the safest bet.
Moreover, there was no benefit in making an enemy of Colin, so why bother?
Leaving the General Affairs Castle, Colin took a deep breath, and the cold winter air filled his lungs, lifting the slight gloominess in his spirits.
He knew the excuse given by the Wizard at the counter was just a pretext, but he couldn't refute it openly.
These were the rules, rules set by Pureblood Families and Factions working together.
But that was just the extent of the impact on him... There were still broad paths for him to tread.
Colin's face remained calm as he stepped out of the School and walked purposefully.
...
Half an hour later, in Merredith City.
With the light from the Transmission Array flickering, Colin's figure slowly emerged amidst the crowd.
Another half hour passed, and he arrived at the entrance of an auction house.
The large sign above the door read "Thundercloud Auction House."
Colin stepped inside.
Most of the gifts previously given to him by the Factions had been consigned here for auction.
Now that a week had passed, most of the auction items should have been sold, and today was a good day to collect the Magic Stones.
After all, the items being sold were gifts from the Factions; selling them directly in Neustadt City might cause unnecessary trouble if recognized.
Being in a phase of keeping a low profile and developing, it was better to be cautious.
"Sir, please check, after deducting the commission, a total of 46,750 Magic Stones," the plump Steward respectfully offered the Magic Stones to him.
"Do you have a detailed list of the auction prices?" Colin took the Magic Stones and asked.
"Yes, of course." Facing a First Rank Wizard, the Steward dared not neglect his duty and quickly had someone copy a record to bring over.
Colin carefully examined the bill and felt some relief in his heart.
Over forty thousand Magic Stones in income, almost exactly what he had previously estimated.
Even if there was a discrepancy, it was at most a hundred Magic Stones, not worth fussing over.
'Those damned Pureblood Wizard Families and Factions really are filthy rich.'
Without saying anything more, Colin tallied up the Magic Stones, turned on his heel, and left swiftly.
He traveled non-stop and arrived back at Neustadt City just shy of one o'clock in the afternoon.
He did not rush home, instead heading straight to the School to pay his rent.
A total of eight thousand six hundred Magic Stones were spent.
The rent for the School was paid quarterly, requiring a payment of three months' worth, totaling six thousand.
The remaining two thousand six hundred was to cover the overdue difference since his Advancement to First Rank.
In fact, it had been over three months since he Advanced to First Rank, but the Wizard in charge had 'generously' only billed him for two months.
With this, adding to the Magic Stones he previously had on hand, his current assets were just over forty thousand Magic Stones.
... Not a very auspicious number.
Colin sighed softly, but soon perked up again.
If there was something in this world that made a lot of money and was a perfect fit for him, it was undoubtedly selling witchcraft knowledge.
But selling witchcraft knowledge was not that easy.
Zeroth Rank witchcraft was too low in value, and he did not have the ability, or rather, the qualifications to sell it on a large scale – the bookshops were backed by Schools, or at the very least, by powerful Pureblood Families.
Therefore, unless something unexpected occurred, his only option would be to sell his witchcraft knowledge in an exclusive deal.
This was a one-time transaction, not very profitable, but still doable.
To earn Magic Stones efficiently, he had to look at witchcraft beyond Zeroth Rank.
However, once witchcraft reached First Rank, in order to sell it widely, one had to apply to the Supreme Council, along with a variety of other restrictions.
And witchcraft of even higher levels was not permitted to circulate in the market.
Therefore, regular shops simply did not buy higher-level witchcraft; after all, they could not sell them.
When it came to selling formal witchcraft, finding a buyer was the tricky part.
However, Colin now had some leads.
Yanan Calendar December 7th, the weather was severe.
Yesterday's winter fog had turned into a howling blizzard today.
Lillian did not come this morning, perhaps due to the atrocious weather or maybe because she was preparing for a School mission.
Nine o'clock in the morning.
Colin braved the storm with a Steel Temperature Resistance Force Field, undeterred on his way to the True Knowledge Society laboratory.
In his previous life, with weather like this, it would have been impossible to venture outside, but in this world of self-commanded powers, it was clearly not the case.
Passing by Shelley's laboratory, the crystal outside was still glowing.
He hesitated for a moment but suppressed the urge to knock and entered his rented laboratory instead.
No rush for the time being...
The morning passed, and the Spirit Fog on the Golden Paper and the behind-the-scenes progress of Hayden's Pseudo Ability each advanced a bit more.
Colin smiled slightly; judging by the current progress, in at most two months, these two First Rank Advanced witchcrafts could be practiced to their limits by him.
Hisss.
The red crystal at the door suddenly lit up.
Colin subdued his emotions, took out his lunch, and waved to open the door.
"Good afternoon, Shelley."
"Good afternoon."
The same exchange as always, but Shelley paused for a few seconds, and, out of character, added, "Why didn't you come yesterday?"
"...I had some matters to deal with," Colin paused before replying.
"Hmm." Shelley nodded slightly, not probing any deeper, ready to continue the topic from the day before yesterday.
But Colin was one step ahead, asking:
"Miss Shelley, any progress with the matter I asked you about before?"
"Yes." Shelley nodded lightly, "There has indeed been a request for a commissioned spellwork recently."