"You mean to say, Lisa was originally a prostitute at the Giant Axe Tavern… and was later expelled from the tavern because she deliberately became pregnant with a client's child?"
Patrol Department lobby, first floor.
By a window of natural wood color, bathed in sunlight.
Colin and Regina were sitting across from each other on a gray velveteen armchair, engaged in conversation.
Colin looked somewhat surprised.
"Yes." Regina nodded, her fingers brushing the strands of hair by her ear, then sighed.
"So you're saying, Phil's son isn't really his own?" Colin put down his book, his expression odd.
"If there are no accidents, that should be the case." Regina responded again, her face uncertain of what expression to wear.
It had been about a month since their last visit to the shanty area to arrest Phil.
During this time, the Patrol Department had thoroughly investigated Lisa and Phil, including their identities, past experiences, and social relationships.
Phil was nothing special, a native fisherman born and raised on the island, with a past not much different from any common fisherman—simple and clear.
However, his ex-wife Lisa had a much more complicated story.
Although Lisa was just an ordinary person, her grandfather had originally been a Basic Level Wizard Apprentice serving the Blackstone Family, who once ruled the island.
The common tale followed: the family fell into decline, a descent in status, leading the young woman to prostitution, unwilling to accept her lowered status and scheming to return to a life of affluence.
Regina sighed again, "Only with power can one dictate their own fate."
"Maggie."
She turned her head, calling out to the black cat lying nearby.
Maggie's ears twitched slightly, then she leaped onto Regina's lap, curled up, and lay down again, letting Regina pet her as she pleased.
Colin gently caressed the manuscript in his hand, remaining silent.
Perhaps it was that last Cone Bullet he had fired back in the shanty house that truly startled Regina.
Since then, instead of holding his final remarks against him, she had actually taken the initiative to become more familiar with him.
Although they could not yet be considered good friends, they managed to chat a bit while on duty.
"I'm preparing to advance to Advanced Wizard Apprentice."
After a while, as Regina petted the black cat Maggie, she suddenly spoke.
"Congratulations."
Colin arched an eyebrow and set down his manuscript, offering his congratulations.
"Thank you." Regina managed a smile, then removed her hand from petting Maggie.
"I don't know if I'll succeed…" Her tone held bewilderment and fear,
and with a light sigh, she murmured:
"Knowledge's end is weirdness…"
"...and the only beacon that can anchor reason is humanity."
Colin timely continued the sentence.
Compared to Basic Level and Intermediate, the Advanced Wizard Apprentice status was relatively special.
From this state on, the fog entangling the spirit would gradually dissipate, meaning they would truly start to touch the "reality" of the world.
This reality is the Tainted Babbling that pervades the entire world...
It makes knowledge become distorted!
If one cannot maintain their humanity... if the grasp of knowledge is not precise, one will pay the price.
The prices are varied and strange, some are temporary, some are permanent.
But regardless, this is each wizard's deepest secret, not easily disclosed.
However, in reality, some prices are hard to hide.
Such as Flower's gluttony, anorexia...
At this point, Colin's thoughts drifted to Holt.
Perhaps Holt's fondness for sunbathing was also one of these prices.
Though some of these costs are permanent, many more will gradually lessen, or even disappear, as one's understanding of knowledge deepens.
Berkeley, as a Peak Wizard Apprentice, was distinguished by his lack of overt anomalies, unlike Holt and Flower.
A silence suddenly fell between the two.
Regina was likely worried about whether she could successfully advance.
Colin, on the other hand, was pondering whether the knowledge acquired through Golden Paper Limit Breaking, which required no learning to fully grasp, might lessen some of the cost.
After a while,
Regina seemed to have adjusted her mood, looked at Colin, and suddenly had a thought, inviting him,
"Tomorrow, there will be a small gathering among us Wizards from the Patrol Department. Are you interested in coming?"
As soon as Regina finished speaking, she somewhat regretted it.
She suddenly remembered that the attendees would mostly be former members of the Wizard Territory Patrol Team…
"A gathering?"
"…Yes, or rather, more like a party where everyone gets to know each other better and shares some experiences and insights into practicing witchcraft."
Regina paused, then added, "You don't have to come if you don't want to, there's no need to apologize. I was just asking."
Colin nodded and politely smiled,
"It's not that I don't want to come, it's just that I've advanced not long ago and don't have much to share… so I won't be going."
Of course, that was an excuse. The real reason was that he didn't like socializing.
Moreover, with Golden Paper, he didn't need others' experiences or insights.
Regina nodded, her expression unchanged, but she felt relieved inside.
It wasn't that she looked down on Colin, but ever since the day they advanced, these two groups had been divided into different circles.
She interacted more with Colin and understood him better, so she felt differently.
But her colleagues who had always stayed in the Wizard Territory Patrol Team might not think the same.
…Apprentices who stayed in the mountains tended to look down on those assigned to the foothills.
After all, if the Patrol Department hadn't been established, these two groups might never have met in their lifetimes.
"I wonder when the School will deliver your reward?"
To relieve the awkwardness, Regina spoke again,
Although Colin had inadvertently exposed the Cultist, he had done a deed deserving of a reward from the School.
"I don't know… maybe in the next couple of days, it's already been a month…"
The two chatted sporadically for a while, then focused on studying witchcraft.
Time flew.
As the sunlight became rich as golden honey, their day's work came to an end.
Colin and Regina said goodbye, boarded the carriage, and went their separate ways.
When he got home, Renee had already prepared a lavish dinner.
During dinner, Colin watched Renee, who sat quietly by his side, and couldn't help feeling a bit of regret.
Not long ago, he had tried to teach Renee the very basic Sunlight Breathing Technique.
He had found the manual at a roadside stall, and aside from being cheap, it also had the benefit of being freely teachable to others.
Unfortunately, Renee still hadn't grasped the basics yet … or even started formal practice.
This was mainly because she hadn't received much of an education and could barely recognize some letters.
Even though they ran a bakery at home and weren't exactly poor, it was clear that they couldn't afford to hire a private tutor.
As for schools, there weren't any on the island.
Moreover, the Knight Breathing Skill seemed simple, but as something that could grant superhuman abilities, how simple could it actually be?
So it wasn't just a matter of learning to read… Renee lacked many things and clearly couldn't master it in a month.
'It's good that I reincarnated as a member of a traditional Wizard School.'
Colin silently sighed to himself again.
As for Arthur, he was far too rigid in his thinking to change.
'…Perhaps, I should research some life-altering knowledge and harshly endow Renee and the others with power.' Colin contemplated this idea once again.