Nois left the palace in a daze, not bothering to erect a protective shield, allowing the biting cold of the high-altitude Gang Wind to assault his face.
"Only a Supreme Councilman can contend with a true Divine..."
He understood his grandfather's meaning.
Indeed, the true core battleground of this war with the Divine was never within Neustadt City, nor was it located in the mind games he played with the Divine spies... it was solely between the Supreme Councilmen and the Divine.
To the Supreme Councilmen who had lived for thousands of years, ordinary people and low-rank wizards were nothing more than weeds that would grow back the next year after being burned.
Drifting through the clouds for a moment, Nois quickly returned to Neustadt City.
He hovered in mid-air, quietly staring at the city shrouded in the night below.
Perhaps it was the cold wind that stiffened his features, but the bewilderment on Nois's face slowly turned into a stone-like hardness.
He said nothing, just let out a sigh, re-erected the protective shield, and prepared to return to his castle.
It was then that, out of the corner of his eye, Nois caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on the street below, and, moved by curiosity, he abruptly descended.
Swoosh!
"Lord Nois?"
A shadow suddenly appeared, and Colin was slightly startled, his body tensing instinctively.
Recognizing the face before him, he relaxed a bit and hurriedly greeted him, though inside he felt puzzled.
It was deep into the night; he had just been allowed to leave his School and was about to return home... Why had Nois suddenly appeared before him at this time?
"May I ask if you are looking for me, my lord?" Colin continued, instinctively.
Stunned for a moment upon hearing the question, Nois casually asked,
"How have you been lately?"
"?" Colin looked puzzled.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Nois took a careful look at Colin, then raised his eyebrows and asked,
"You've advanced to a Second Rank Wizard?"
Colin's heart sank, unsure of how to respond.
The two Lower Second Rank Disguise Magics, derived from breaking the limits of First Rank Upper witchcraft, could completely fool a Second Rank Wizard, and even a Third Rank Wizard would be deceived unless they probed intentionally.
However, he wasn't sure of Nois's precise Rank, but it seemed probable that Nois was at least a Fourth Rank Wizard.
Before Nois, if he didn't probe, it would be fine, but upon inspection, his Lower Second Rank Disguise Magic would hardly escape detection.
"Yes." After weighing his options for a moment, Colin could only nod.
"It seems that I have underestimated the rewards you reaped in the Elf Kingdom," Nois remarked as he scrutinized Colin, a gleam in his eyes.
Such a rate of cultivation was truly astonishing!
Yet quickly, a chill wind blew, and the image of the Supreme Councilman emerged unbidden in Nois's mind, dampening his spirit.
"Don't be nervous. Your fortune is your own—as long as you are not tainted by the Divine, I shall not interfere with you."
Nois offered a soft smile.
'Second Rank, what of it? There has never been a shortage of geniuses among wizards. History has seen those of remarkable talent rise to Second Rank in just ten years, and it's not an isolated case.
Not even Third Rank yet!
The path of a Wizard becomes increasingly difficult the further one goes. The pace of accumulating cultivation as a Second Rank is far slower than before, and the breakthrough to Third Rank is an even greater challenge than an Apprentice becoming an Official Wizard, not to mention the still more difficult Fourth Rank...'
Nois eyed Colin, who was looking down, and silently reflected,
'This Half-blood Wizard before me is destined never to reach the pinnacle, or rather, he might not even advance to Third Rank.'
Nois paused, then inquired further, "Have you joined the True Knowledge Society?"
"I have."
"Not bad; the True Knowledge Society is a good place," Nois said softly, then asked, "Have you now joined the Tin Saint Family?"
"No," Colin shook his head, "I have not joined any Faction."
Nois was taken aback for a moment, intending to warn Colin that a path without Faction support would be fraught with hardship and obstacles.
But as the words reached his lips, Nois suddenly fell silent and, after a long pause, he eventually said in a gentle tone,
"That's good; you won't be bound by Factional ties."
"Hmm," Colin nodded slightly, surprised by Nois's response.
"Something else," Nois finally remembered a matter of substance,
"Although the Deep Red Marking Technique has been successfully modified, the Supreme Council has ultimately decided to continue concealing your identity,
to confuse the Divine side, making them uncertain if such a Wizard really exists or if it's merely a smokescreen we've released."
Pausing briefly, Nois added, "At the same time, it's for your safety as well."
Despite his words, Nois knew that the Heroic Wizard identity of Colin might never be revealed.
The Council needed to sow doubt in the minds of the Divine, and equally, they did not wish to bestow the honor of modifying the Deep Red Marking Technique on a Half-blood Wizard.
In fact, many High Rank Wizards still believed that the so-called Heroic Wizard was actually Nois... Fabricating a Heroic Wizard was merely to bewilder the Divine side.
"I understand," Colin nodded calmly, letting out a slight sigh of relief.
The so-called Heroic Wizard was but an empty title, a magnet for danger he'd rather be without.
After all, although he had discovered the Elf Kingdom, it wasn't he who modified the Deep Red Marking Technique.